From our class to
the top of the class

Honours prove a University of Manitoba education prepares students for excellence

A leader, visionary and philanthropist who offered extraordinary support to one of the University of Manitoba’s newest faculties, alumnus Clayton H. Riddell, BSc (Hons)/59, was inducted last year into the Order of Canada and also received the Distinguished Canadian Leadership Award from the University of Ottawa. Riddell, a prominent exploration geologist knows how important it is for a faculty to attract and retain the best faculty and students and to have the best facilities and technology.

Riddell gave back to the University of Manitoba in 2005 when he made a $10 million gift to the university and accepted the honour of having the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources named after him.




 

Pictures pave the way

Promising artist wins prestigious award

Pictures Pave the WayA University of Manitoba School of Art graduate and current sculpture artist-in-residence, Sarah Anne Johnson, BFA (Hons)/02, was honoured with the prestigious Grange Prize for photography in 2008. Johnson was among five finalists for the $50,000 prize sponsored by the Ontario Art Gallery and Aeroplan. The Grange Prize is intended to nurture and advance the careers of promising artists. Johnson was recognized for photos taken while she was a tree planter.


 


Giving back, making a difference

Two University of Manitoba grads honoured for their philanthropy

Two of the University of Manitoba’s most prominent alumni who met at the university and have dedicated their lives to giving back, were named the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraisers by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Manitoba Chapter in 2008. Arni Thorsteinson, BComm(Hons)/71, and his wife, Susan Glass, BComm/67, have spent decades supporting arts and culture in Winnipeg including the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Today, Thorsteinson, who owns the real estate development company, Shelter Canadian Properties Ltd., is chair of the advisory committee for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. He has been involved with the Associates of the Asper School of Business since the early 1980s. Between them, Thorsteinson and Glass have sat on more than two dozen boards and committees affiliated with the arts, the University of Manitoba and business and have done much to improve their community.

 

Order, order!

Distinguished graduates received recognition for work and community involvement

Eight University of Manitoba alumni were appointed to the Order of Canada in 2008. They are:

  • Gail Asper, O.C, O.M., BA/81, LLB/84, LLD/08, was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada and received the Distinguished Canadian Leadership Award from the University of Ottawa.
  • Constance Backhouse, C.M. BA/72, was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada and was awarded the Killam Prize for outstanding career achievements in the social sciences.
  • Raymond Breton, C.M., BA/52, LLD/02, was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada.
  • Marcien Ferland, C.M. BA(Hons)/64, MA/65, BSc/68, was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada.
  • Paul E. Garfinkel, O.C., MD/69 was appointed as an officer of the Order of Canada.
  • David Matas, C.M. BA/64, was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada.
  • Ian C.P. Smith, O.C., BSc(Hons)/61, MSc/62 was appointed as an officer of the Order of Canada.
  • Clayton H. Riddell, O.C. BSc/59 was appointed as an officer of the Order of Canada and received the Centennial Leadership award from the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta.

Four University of Manitoba alumni were named to the Order of Manitoba in 2008. They are:

  • Yhetta M. Gold, C.M., O.M., BA/50
  • Kevin P. Kavanagh, C.M., O.M., BComm/53
  • Roland Mahé, O.M., DipArt/64, BFA/70
  • Francis A. Plummer, O.C., O.M., MD/76


The word is out:
Award-winning author alums
University of Manitoba alumni are a creative bunch. Nowhere is that more evident than in the group of grads who found success last year as fiction writers.
  • Lois Braun, CertEd/70, received the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction from the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers for her book, The Penance Drummer and Other Stories.
  • Saleema Nawaz, MA/06, was honoured with the Journey Prize for short fiction from McClelland & Stewart for My Three Girls.
  • Wayne Tefs, BA (Hons)/70, PhD/78, received the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award for his novel, Be Wolf.
  • Miriam H. Toews, BA/89, was awarded the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize for her novel, The Flying Troutmans.