Alumni Awards of Merit

Alumni Awards Celebration

Western's Alumni Association is pleased to offer an annual awards program that recognizes alumni who have made outstanding contributions to their professions and communities.

The Awards Selection Committee carefully reviews all nominations for the four prestigious awards. Recipients receive an elegant recognition piece at a celebration event during Homecoming weekend and their names are engraved on a plaque in Alumni Hall.

Dr. Ivan Smith Award

The Dr. Ivan Smith Award is named in honour of the Alumni Association's first president who was a pioneer in cancer research and treatment. This award is Western Alumni's highest tribute, recognizing significant and sustained contributions to the Alumni Association, Western University and society in general. The recipient is selected based on contributions in at least two of these areas.

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. The recipient is a role model, setting standards of excellence to which others can aspire. 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

This award pays tribute to alumni who have made outstanding contributions to their community. They have enriched the lives of others through their involvement with civic, charitable, social and humanitarian causes.

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 significant contributions by an individual in their field through professional achievement, community service or a combination of both. The recipient is aged 40 or under and sets an inspirational example for Western students and 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

Archived Citations

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