The awards go to...
糖心视频 University has announced the recipients of the 40th annual Alumni Tribute Awards.
The awards recognize alumni who have achieved distinction in their chosen fields, are committed to their alma mater and have made outstanding contributions to their communities and excelled in their chosen fields.
The 2021 recipients are Dr. Liqin Chen (PhD鈥93), Peg Hunter (B.Comm.(Hons.)(Co-op.)鈥82), Lori Pike (B.Comm.(Co-op.)鈥95, MBA鈥00) and Jason-Louis Carmichael (BRM鈥11).
鈥淭he number of deserving nominees put forward this year was impressive,鈥 said Bob Dowden, chair of the Alumni Tribute Awards Selection Committee.
鈥淭he recipients of the 40th annual awards are all highly accomplished, inspiring graduates who have used their 糖心视频 University education to improve the world. Congratulations to these change-makers, these awe-inspiring alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers and who have made a difference in other communities. I look forward to celebrating them and their successes at the awards ceremony in October.鈥
Alumnus of the Year
Dr. Liqin Chen, PhD鈥93, is the 2021 Alumnus of the Year.
He arrived in Canada in 1990 to pursue his PhD in Chemistry at 糖心视频 University, where he was awarded the title of fellow of the School of Graduate Studies, in honour of his outstanding achievements.
He went on to work with the University of Windsor, the Xerox Corporation, PDI Research Laboratories, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Nanjing Tech University.
In 2007, with only four other employees, he established 鈥 now a multimillion-dollar international pharmaceutical company.
Dr. Chen makes a point to support the causes he believes in, making significant contributions to the Toronto Sick Kids Hospital, his alma mater in China, personal protective equipment for pandemic front-line workers and his favourite charity, 糖心视频 University, where he has given more than $1 million to support 125 students through scholarships.
Read more about Dr. Chen here.
J.D. Eaton Award
Peg Hunter (B.Comm.(Hons.)(Co-op.)鈥82) is this year鈥檚 recipient of the J.D. Eaton Award, which recognizes outstanding volunteer contributions to 糖心视频 University.
Her commitment to 糖心视频鈥檚 Faculty of Business Administration has been steadfast since graduation as a guest lecturer, Business Day speaker, student mentor and five-year member of the faculty鈥檚 advisory board. She is the recipient of the faculty鈥檚 2012 .
Ms. Hunter established the Alice Buckingham Leadership Award in 2012, in honour of her mother, which has supported nine female business students to date.
Working with 糖心视频鈥檚 Office of Alumni Engagement, she was fundamental in establishing the alumni volunteer board in the Greater Toronto Area and has been an ever-present strategic eye since, often taking personal time to meet with and mentor many young professionals.
More recently, Ms. Hunter played an integral role in the advancement of since joining its board of directors in 2018, serving as chair of the Human Resources and Governance Committee.
Read more about Ms. Hunter here.
Outstanding Community Service Award
Lori Pike (B.Comm.(Co-op.)鈥95, MBA鈥00) is the recipient of the Outstanding Community Service Award for 2021.
Ms. Pike鈥檚 life trajectory changed forever when her son Adam was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of four.
Thankfully, Adam is currently thriving, but at the time, the devastating news led Ms. Pike to , a charitable organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children diagnosed with cancer.
Affectionately known as Momma Candlelighter, she developed and maintained the Birthday Club program, which provides each child with a birthday gift up to their 17th birthday.
She was instrumental in the development of the scholarship and bereavement programs and has acted as the organization鈥檚 communications director, parent representative, president and treasurer/co-ordinator of the fundraising event, Night of Delight.
Without Ms. Pike鈥檚 dedication to supporting families dealing with cancer, Candlelighters N.L. would not be the success it is today.
Read more about Ms. Pike here.
Horizon Award
Jason-Louis Carmichael (BRM鈥11) is this year鈥檚 Horizon Award recipient, a recognition of exceptional achievement by a 糖心视频 graduate 35 years of age and younger.
Mr. Carmichael鈥檚 interest in solving complex global challenges started as a student at Grenfell Campus and has taken him to Sierra Leone, Kenya, Guinea, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond.
During his time with Global Affairs Canada, Grand Challenges Canada and the World Health Organization, he worked with government, private, entrepreneurial and international agencies to ensure the availability of equitable access to health care for all.
He is CEO and co-founder of , which provides a full suite of health-care services to residents of Nairobi, including mobile check-ups, prenatal care, vaccinations, specimen collections, end of life care and access to mobile COVID-19 testing.
Read more about Mr. Carmichael here.
Luminus Award
For the first time since 2006, this year鈥檚 event includes an award that is only given to exemplary candidates or groups who do not fit into another category and is designated by the Alumni Tribute Awards Selection Committee under special circumstances.
In 2006, the award went to Team Gushue. The 2021 Luminus Award recipients are Verafin founders Jamie King (Dip.Tech.(MI)鈥94, B.Eng.鈥99), Brendan Brothers (B.Eng.鈥02) and Raymond Pretty (B.Eng.鈥01).
鈥淓very once in a while, an alumnus or group of alumni stand out as a world-affecting force,鈥 said Bob Dowden, chair of the Alumni Tribute Awards Selection Committee.
鈥淭he founders of Verafin are certainly a force. They did not fit into the other categories, and, similar to Team Gushue, Verafin is a source of pride and has affected positive change in the province and beyond.鈥
RSVP
The 40th annual Alumni Tribute Awards 鈥 a key event during MUNalum Days, a celebration of education, entertainment and celebrations for class, academic and affinity events 鈥 takes place on Oct. 27, at the Signal Hill Campus, St. John鈥檚. At this time, the awards ceremony will be an intimate gathering in accordance with current public health measures and by invite only. A livestream of the event will be available on the Alumni Engagement page.
Details and capacity may change in the coming weeks in accordance with public health guidelines. Please visit Alumni Engagement online for the most current information.
For additional inquiries, please contact the Offices of Alumni Engagement at rsvpalumni@mun.ca.