Three Shenandoah Conservatory alumni were recognized among Shenandoah University’s 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, honoring graduates whose professional achievements, leadership and service have made a lasting impact in their fields and communities. The recipients were celebrated during the Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony on Friday, Oct. 2, in the Hazel-Pruitt Armory Collaboratory, as part of the university’s Homecoming festivities.

Brody Grant ’21 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre) received the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, while Patrick D. McCoy ’05 (Master of Music in Church Music) and Benjamin Luczak ’09, ’15 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre, Master of Science in Performing Arts Leadership & Management) received Professional Achievement Awards.

Brody Grant ’21 – Outstanding Young Alumnus Award

Brody Grant ’21 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre) is a Tony and Grammy Award-nominated actor and artist who earned his degree from Shenandoah Conservatory in 2021, where he was honored with the Outstanding Musical Theatre Student Award. While at Shenandoah, his collegiate roles included portraying William Shakespeare in the university collegiate premiere of “Something Rotten!”, Clyde in “Bonnie & Clyde,” and Jamie in “The Last Five Years.”

Grant’s professional theatre credits include portraying The Young Soldier in the New York City Center production of “Parade.” He originated the role of Ponyboy Curtis in the musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders,” earning the Craig Noel Award for Best Actor in a Musical for the San Diego production. For his Broadway debut in the same role, he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical, a Drama Desk Award nomination, and won the Theatre World Award for 2024.

Beyond his work in the performing arts, Grant actively supports Best Buddies International. Guided by a belief in the transformative and unifying power of storytelling, Grant is dedicated to creating works that offer lasting hope, comfort, and insight to diverse audiences.

Patrick D. McCoy ’05 — Professional Achievement Award

Patrick D. McCoy ’05 earned a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Virginia State University in 2000. In 2005, he completed a Master of Music in church music from Shenandoah Conservatory where he studied voice with the late Michael O. Forest ’85, ’86 and organ/sacred music with the late Dr. Steven Cooksey. McCoy has distinguished himself as a choral conductor, singer and music journalist.  

As a church musician, McCoy served as director of music and organist at Covenant Presbyterian Church, pianist at The Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer and First Christian Church, all in Petersburg, Virginia. Residing in the Washington, D.C. area, he has held posts as minister of music at Takoma Park Baptist Church and organist and choirmaster at Trinity Episcopal Church, both in Washington, D.C. He has now entered his 10th year as organist and choirmaster at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Beltsville, Maryland.

While at Shenandoah, McCoy was a member of Harambee Gospel Choir, Shenandoah Chorus and one of the founding members of the Black Student Union. After graduation, McCoy continued to support SU by serving on the Alumni Board for six years.

Currently, McCoy is a member of the Shenandoah Conservatory Advisory Board, Shenandoah University Black Alumni Network, Music Critics Association of North America, The Association of Anglican Musicians, Haiti Micah Project Board of Directors, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity and a Life Member Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Benjamin Luczak ’09, ’15 — Professional Achievement Award

Benjamin Luczak ’09, ’15 serves as chief executive officer at the Westmoreland Cultural Trust which stewards four historic properties – The Palace Theatre, Greensburg Garden & Civic Center, the Union Trust Building and the Stark/James Building in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Luczak previously held leadership positions at Des Moines Performing Arts, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Broadway Dallas, Omaha Performing Arts and the Maryland Symphony Orchestra.

Currently, Luczak volunteers as a member of the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County/The Pittsburgh Foundation’s “Westmoreland Together,” a community advisor to Elevate NP of Southwestern PA, board treasurer for City Theatre Company, and is a member of the Pennsylvania Society. Previously, he served as board chair for Houston-based Social Movement Contemporary Dance Theatre, co-chaired the League of Resident Theatre’s executive search (a subcommittee of LORT’s EDI Committee) and was a grant panelist for Florida Department of State’s Division of Cultural Affairs. Luczak has also served as an adjudicator for the Nebraska High School Theatre Academy, a grant maker for the Equality Fund of Omaha, and a board member for Nebraska AIDS Project.  

Luczak earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre in 2009, and a Master of Science in Performing Arts Leadership and Management in 2015, from Shenandoah Conservatory. In addition to his degrees at SU, Luczak holds a certificate of fundraising management from the University of Nebraska Omaha and a Certificate of DEI in the Workplace from the University of South Florida. Luczak is a “40 Under 40” Pittsburgh Magazine honoree, Business Collective Summit Leadership Award recipient, Penn-Trafford Alumni Hall of Fame honoree, and an Eagle Scout.

The three conservatory alumni were honored alongside fellow Distinguished Alumni Award recipients Whitney Handy ’20 (College of Arts and Sciences), who received the Service to the University Award, and Charles Harbaugh IV ’09, ’11 (College of Arts and Sciences), who received the Service to the Community Award.