By Sarah Pratt
Fierce. Frank. Forward-thinking. Meet Your Everyday Heroes
The alumni you see on these pages are not the kind of people who feel comfortable in the limelight - quite the opposite, really. They are more often found in the background, making sure everyone else gets their share of praise.
Well, this is our opportunity to shine a spotlight on these everyday heroes.
It's no coincidence that our Alumni Award winners are nominated by their co-workers, friends and family. They are the ones who most often witness the quiet acts of courage and compassion for which these award recipients are being honoured. The ones who see the fighter within the athlete, the community leader standing behind the counter, the humanitarian in the doctor and the lifelong impact of a kind word. Social injustice, climate change, mental health - in ways large and small, each one of the people on these pages has refused to walk past a problem. Read on to help us celebrate the accomplishments of these 21 remarkable alumni. It's time for them to step forward and finally be recognized.
For being a model of leadership
Distinguished Alumni Award
Paul Cantor, '62 BA
Investment banker, leadership trainer
For bringing news and entertainment to Canadian TV viewers
Distinguished Alumni Award
Donald Brinton, '51 BSc(Ag)
Broadcaster
For successfully combining a love of athletics and medicine
Sports Wall of Fame
David Otto, '86 BMedSc, '88 MD
Hockey player, orthopedic surgeon
For helping improve the health of Indigenous peoples
Alumni Horizon Award
Nicole Cardinal, '12 MD
Family doctor, advocate
For finding new ways to succeed in sports
Sports Wall of Fame
John Hogg, '78 MA, '82 PhD
Coach, professor
For reshaping the agricultural landscape
Distinguished Alumni Award
Wayne Lindwall, '71 BSc(Ag), '75 MSc
Agricultural engineer, soil scientist
For a life of compassionate service
Alumni Service Award
Heike Juergens, '72 BA, '79 MEd, '87 PhD
Psychologist, volunteer extraordinaire
For being a powerful voice for change
Alumni Honour Award
Jane Alexander, '93 MEd, '97 PhD
Bishop of the Anglican Church of Canada
For inspiring others by listening to her soul
Alumni Horizon Award
Titilope Sonuga, '08 BSc(CivEng)
Poet, writer, performer
For transforming the culture of a community
Alumni Honour Award
Bradley Burns, '94 BEd
Principal, Highlands School
For giving Canadians insight into urgent global stories
Alumni Honour Award
Margaret Evans, '14 BA
Foreign correspondent, CBC
For her dedication to keeping the conversation going
Alumni Award of Excellence
Elizabeth Turnbull, '84 BMus
Opera singer and U of A voice instructor
For having the Midas touch
Sports Wall of Fame
James Lazaruk, '71 BSc, '72 Dip(Ed), '73 BEd
Coach, math teacher
For leading with contagious determination
Sports Wall of Fame
Danielle Bourgeois, '05 BA, '09 LLB
Hockey player, lawyer
For influencing the science of genetics on a global scale
Alumni Honour Award
John Kuspira, '55 PhD
Geneticist, professor
For devoting his life to serving the public
Alumni Horizon Award
Adam Sweet, '07 BA, '07 BA(SpecCert)
Chief of staff, Edmonton Economic Development Corp.
For fighting for LGBTQ rights
Distinguished Alumni Award
Lorne Warneke, '63 BSc(HonsCert), '67 MD
Psychiatrist, clinical professor
For treating food as more than fuel
Alumni Horizon Award
Lalitha Taylor, '05 BSc(Nutr/Food)
Registered dietitian
For teaching people to live
Alumni Honour Award
William Patton, '86 BMedSc, '88 MD
Emergency physician