Alumni Awards of Merit
Since 1975, Western's Alumni Association has honuored exceptional graduates through our prestigious annual awards program. This cherished tradition, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, recognizes alumni who have made extraordinary contributions to their professions and communities.
Recipients are honored with an elegant recognition piece during a special celebration event at Homecoming weekend, and their names are engraved on a commemorative plaque in Alumni Hall.
Nominate an Alum
Awards Selection Committee
- Recognition Committee, part of the Alumni Association Board
2024 Alumni Awards Recipients with President Alan Shepard
Dr. Ivan Smith Award
Recipients of this award have demonstrated excellence in significant and sustained contributions to the Alumni Association, Western University or to society at large. Named in honour of the Alumni Association’s first president, a pioneer in cancer research and treatment, The Dr. Ivan Smith Award is Western Alumni's highest tribute.
- 2024 - Rick Konrad, BA’75
- 2023 - Greg Dick, BSc'93
- 2022 - David Simmonds, BA'07
- 2021 - Sharon Cowin, BA'64
- 2019 - Hanny Assaf Hassan, C.M., BESc’64
- 2018 - Robert Collins, BA’77
- 2017 - Jim Knowles, BA’72, BSc’74, MBA’77
- 2016 - Gary West, BA'68
- 2015 - Helen Luckman, MEd’82
- 2014 - Carol-Lynn Chambers, BSc'82, MPA'01
- 2013 - Robert Farley, BA'50, MD'54
- 2012 - Agnes Chan, BACS'81
- 2011 - Ted Hessel, BA (Hon)’67
- 2010 - Kelly Meighen, BA'71
- 2009 - Ron Potter
- 2008 - John Nash, BA'63
- 2007 - Dr. Stan Hill, MA'69
- 2006 - Dr. Peter Rechnitzer, BA’47, MD’48
- 2005 - Marie Smibert, BA'40
- 2004 - Dr. Robert Colcleugh, MD'67
- 2003 - Peter Maurice, BESc'60
- 2002 - Claude Pensa, BA'52, LLD'98
- 2001 - Joan Ann Francolini, HBA'55
- 2000 - Wally Gibson, HBA'64
- 1999 - J. Robert Cowan, HBA'57
- 1998 - James Etherington, BA'61
Professional Achievement Award
This award recognizes superior achievement in a professional field. Contributions in business, academics, athletics, government service, not-for-profit leadership, the arts and any other career paths are recognized.
- 2024 - Nils Petersen, BSc’72
- 2023 (deferred) - Susan Haigh, MLIS’87
- 2023 - Paul Seed, BA'84 and Ken Kalopsis, BA'85
- 2022 - Raywat Deonandan, PhD’01
- 2021 - Dr. John Ciriello, PhD’79, MSc’77, BSc’74
- 2019 - Fred Possmayer, PhD’65
- 2018 - Scott Lowrey, BEd’89
- 2016 - Melanie Peacock, MBA'90
- 2015 - John Kelton, MD’73
- 2014 - Aubrey Dan, BACS'85
- 2013 - Margaret Kavanagh, BA'74, MD'78
- 2012 - John Roder, PhD'77
- 2011 - Jack Cowin, BA’64, LLD’00
- 2010 - Keith Barron, PhD'97 and John B. Lee, BA'74, BEd'75, MA'85
- 2010 - Yue-man Yeung, MA’66 (Alumni Award of Merit - Asia)
- 2009 - Carol Off, BA'81
- 2008 - Louise Pitre, BMus'79, DMus'06
- 2007 - Kevin Newman, BA'81
- 2007 - Viola Man, BSc'86 (Alumni Award of Merit - Asia)
- 2006 - Dr. Jim Silcox, MD’67 MEd’94 BA’06
- 2005 - Dr. David Litchfield, PhD'87 and David Patchell-Evans BA'77
- 2004 - Alan Macnab, BESc'72 and Adrianne Pieczonka BMus'85
- 2003 - Dan Thorsley, BSc'65, PhD'72 & Barbara Willis-Sweete, BMus'75
- 2002 - Leo Behie BEng'68, MEng'69, PhD'72
- 2001 - John Ross Grace, BESc'65
- 2000 - Berthold Carriere, MMus'72
- 1999 - The Very Reverend Peter Wall, MDiv'89
- 1998 - Maxine (Kohl) Mackle, BA'54
- 1997 - Marion Woodman, BA'49, LLD'95
- 1996 - Gary Weese, BA'78
- 1995 - Peter J. Fowler, BA'60, MD'64
Community Service Award
The Community Service Award honours alumni who have made exceptional contributions to their communities through dedicated service and leadership. These distinguished graduates have significantly enriched the lives of others through their meaningful involvement with civic initiatives, charitable organizations, social causes and humanitarian efforts.
- 2024 - Janelle Coultes, BSc’01
- 2023 - Denise Bebenek, BA'83
- 2022 - Manisha Braithwaite, BA'97
- 2021 - Avnish Mehta, BACS’02
- 2019 - Lois Elliott Fraser, HBA’77, OMC
- 2018 - Barbara Vanderhyden, BSc'83, PhD'88
- 2017 - Natalie Bastow, BEd’91
- 2016 - Hafeez Amarshi, BA'95, MA'99
- 2015 - Danielle Martin, MD’03
- 2014 - Lorin MacDonald, JD'09
- 2013 - Hugh John Cook, HBA’56
- 2012 - Towhid Noman, BSc'90
- 2011 - John Eberhard, BA’66, LLB’69
- 2010 - Wayne Dunn, BA'80
- 2009 - Ruth Morawetz, BA'53
- 2009 - Wilfred Ng, BA'85 (Alumni Award of Merit - Asia)
- 2008 - Christine Elliot, LLB'78
- 2007 - Jane Roy, BSc'87
- 2006 - Ed Holder, BA’76
- 2005 - Terrance Slobodian, BA'77
- 2004 - Earl Russell, MD'50
- 2003 - Marilyn R. Peers, BA'56
- 2002 - Donna Bourne, BA'70, DipEd'71
- 2001 - Victor Young, MBA'68
- 2000 - Robert D. McIntyre, Q.C. BA'60
- 1999 - Libby Fowler, BA'62, LLD'99
- 1998 - Bill Salter, BA'58
- 1997 - Frank Hayden, HBA'55
- 1996 - The Weldon Family
- 1995 - Eleanore C. Donnelly, MA'64
Young Alumni Award
The Young Alumni Award recognizes graduates aged 40 or under who have made significant contributions through professional achievement, community service or a combination of both. Recipients of this award set inspirational examples for current Western students and fellow young alumni.
- 2024 - Thomas Neumann, BSc’11
- 2023 - Gillian Mandich, BHSc'07, MSc'12, PhD'19
- 2022 - Leigh Vanderloo, BHSc’10, MSc’12, PhD’17
- 2021 - Sunil Gurmukh, LLB'08
- 2019 - Dr. Boluwaji Ogunyemi, BSc’08
- 2018 - Saara Bhanji, BA'07, MSC'16
- 2017 - Kevin Vuong, BMOS’11
- 2016 - Shafin Diamond Tejani, BA'99
- 2015 - Shawn Johnston, BSW’13
- 2014 - Vava Angwenyi, BSc'03
- 2013 - Ritu Bhasin, LLB'00
- 2012 - Carolyn Lawrence, BA'00
- 2012 - Randy Lai, BA'93 (Award of Merit - Asia)
- 2011 - Sarah Richardson, BA’93
- 2010 - Lisa M. Given, BA'93, BEd'94, MLIS'96, PhD'01
- 2009 - Shuman Ghosemajumder, BSc'96
- 2008 - Stephan Moccio, BMusA'94
- 2007 - Neil Hetherington, BA'95
- 2007 - Gabriel Leung, MD'96 (Alumni Award of Merit - Asia)
- 2006 - MJ [Margaret Jean] DeSousa, MClSc’96
- 2005 - Madhur Anand BSc'93, PhD'97
- 2004 - David Jaffray, PhD'94
- 2003 - Craig Cohon, BA'85 and Jeff Westeinde BESc'89
- 2002 - Hugh Jack, BEng'88, MEng'91, PhD'94
- 2001 - Ronnen Harary, BA'94, Anton Rabie, HBA'94, Ben Varadi, HBA'94
- 2000 - Terence G. Kawaja, BA'85
- 1999 - Sarah Shortreed, BEng'89
- 1998 - Michael Schade, BMus'88
- 1997 - Ken Milne, BSc'91, MSc'95
- 1996 - Bonnie Schmidt, BSc'86, PhD'93
- 1995 - Stewart T. Lockhart, BEng'87
Western Class Citation
- 2000 - Meds'50
Western Family Citation
- 1999 - The Borwein Family
1997
- Nancy McNee BA'49
1996
- Gladys Richardson BA'40
1995
- Clara E. Thomas BA'41, MA'44
1994
- John W. Cram BA'44, HBA'46
- Robert Farley BA'50, MD'54
- Allison Munroe BA'69, MEd'80
- Annabel Sells DipN'64 ScN'67
1993
- Eva Good DipN'64 ScN'65
- Bill Haight BA'47 Sc'48, MSc'50
- George Munro HBA'32, MBA'33
- Peter Schwartz BA'64, LLB'68
1992
- Roberta Bondar PhD'95
1991
- Doreen Burr
- Don Coleman BA'51
- Ralph Simmons HBA'56, LLD'92
- Jack Walters BA'46, MD'51
1990
- Alan K. Adlington BA'50, LLD'86
- George C. Clark BA'66
- George Connell LLD'85 & Sheila Connell
- J. Lewis Robinson LLD'84
1989
- Gordon L. Corneil HBA'39
- Ruth V. Lumsden BA'79
- Hugh B. Rooney HBA'55, MBA'58
- Charles A. Thompson BA'32, LLD'89
1988
- Marion C. Darling HBA'45
- Robert A. D. Ford LLD'65
- William A. K. Jenkins BA'59, LLB'62, LLD'86
- Melville Platt BA'48, MD'52
1987
- June B. Burr
- David A. Chambers
- Kenneth T. MacFarlane MD'29
- Doreen M. Sanders BA'61
1986
- Ralph S. Devereaux BA'46, MA'48, LLD'85
- Charles G. Drake MD'44, MSc'47
- J. Stewart Lott BSc'43, MD'46
- John Grant Morden PhD'85, LLD'92
1985
- George L. Bowie HBA'46
- Frederick O. Kime BA'30
- Douglas J. McDonald HBA'61
- Nancy G. Poole BA'55, LLD'90
1984
- Wesley J. Dunn
- Margaret Hanley BA'29
- John L. (Bud) Wild BA'41
- Mary J. Wright BA'39, LLD'82
1983
- Douglas Bocking MD'43
- Charles V. Box MBA'38
- Albert E. Mowry MD'28
- Donald J. Wright BA'33, PhD'86, LMus'88
1982
- Joan N. Boddy BA'46
- Ward M. Cornell BA'49
- Kenneth S. Murray HBA'37
- Robert N. Shervill BA'42, LLD'85
1981
- A. Brandon Conron BA'41, MA'47, LLD'75
- Claude M. McCallum BA'24, LLD'67
- G. Campbell McDonald BA'49
- J. Allyn Taylor LLD'81
1980
- Murray L. Barr DSc'74
- Cuy Y. Hauch MD'31
- Frank Little BA'29
- F. H. Rowland HBA'32
1979
- Angela M. Armitt MA'67, LLD'87
- W.C.P. Baldwin LLD'78
- Helen M. McCrady BA'37 A'41
- Andrew E. Scott
1978
- Lillian R. Benson BA'33
- Amy E. Griffin
- G. Edward Hobbs
- Richard M. Ivey BA'47, LLD'79
- Fred W. P. Jones HBA'33, LLD'77
- Duncan A. McLarty BA'34
- D. Carlton Williams LLD'78
1977
- Nigel Bellchamber HBA'69
- Richard J. Bowen BA'27, MD'31
- Fred Brown HBA'38
- Wilfrid Jury LLD'70
- L. Stuart Lauchland LLD'79
- Jessie MacFarlane BA'24, LLD'78
- James J. Talman BA'25, LLD'72
- John J. Wettlaufer HBA'50, MBA'51
1976
- R. Catherine Aikin
- William Byles
- Leola Neal MA'35, LLD'77
- Edward Pleva LLD'78
- Marny Thomas BA'31
- J. Gordon Thompson LLD'77
- Walter A. Thompson LLD'73
1975
- Helen Allison BA'24, LLD'65
- Helen Battle MA'24, LLD'71
- Olive Hodgins
- Tom Hoskin BA'35, LLD'80
- Bill Turner BA'37, LLD'53
- Ross Willis MA'33, LLD'72
- Harold Warwick LLD'77
Staff Contact
Information For: