A former governor of the Bank of Canada, a legal advocate for same-sex couples, and the country鈥檚 first Inuk heart surgeon are among the honorees at the upcoming Queen鈥檚 University Alumni Association (QUAA) Awards Gala.
鈥淭hese recipients are trailblazers and community builders,鈥 says Jeremy Mosher, Artsci鈥08, volunteer president of the Queen鈥檚 University Alumni Association. 鈥漈hrough volunteerism or their jobs, they have made a significant impact on Queen鈥檚, their cities, and the country.鈥
Chancellor Emeritus David Dodge, Arts鈥65, LLD鈥02, is receiving the Alumni Achievement Award, the highest honour bestowed by the QUAA. Dr. Dodge had a high-profile career in federal public service, serving as both the deputy minister of Health and deputy minister of Finance, before being named the governor of the in 2001. He served as Queen鈥檚 chancellor from 2008 to 2014.
Past recipients of the Alumni Achievement Award include NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, PhD鈥95; former Royal Bank of Canada chief executive officer Gord Nixon, Com鈥79, LLD鈥03; and former Princeton University president Shirley Tilghman, Arts'68, DSc'02.
Donna May Kimmaliardjuk, Artsci'11, will receive the One to Watch Award . The former president of the Queen鈥檚 Native Students Association is Canada鈥檚 first Inuk heart surgeon. She received an (formerly called the National Aboriginal Achievement Award) and serves as a role model to her community and Indigenous youth.
Kirsti Mathers McHenry, Law鈥03, is receiving the Alumni Humanitarian Award. She and her wife, Jennifer, are the driving force behind Ontario鈥檚 All Families Are Equal Act, which passed in the provincial legislature in 2016. It improved the rights of same-sex parents in a number of ways, including no longer forcing couples who use assisted reproduction to have to adopt their own children.
A total of 11 awards will be handed out. The other recipients are:
- Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching: Steven Lamontagne, Artsci'15, MSc'17, PhD'21
- Alumni Mentorship Award: David J. McConomy, MBA'69
- Herbert J. Hamilton Volunteer Service Award: Stacy Kelly, Artsci'93, John Purkis, Com'48, and Shirley Purkis, Arts'41
- Initiative of the Year Award: Aboriginal Alumni Chapter (Call Campaign)
- Marsha Lampman Branch Volunteer Award: Nicholas Godwin, Artsci'11
- Outstanding Student Award: Cam Yung, Artsci'18
- Queen's Student Alumni Association Volunteer of Distinction Award: Gage Benyon, Artsci鈥19
- Rising Star Volunteer Award: Stephanie Beakbane, Artsci'12
The Queen鈥檚 University Alumni Association Awards Gala will take place on April 6 at Ban Righ Hall. For more information or to purchase tickets to the event, visit the Queen鈥檚 Alumni website. Watch the Queen鈥檚 Alumni Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts for more on the recipients in the coming weeks.
