FORTY YEARS OF TRIBUTES
THE 40TH ANNUAL Alumni Tribute Award recipients were welcomed warmly at a small reception at the Emera Innovation Exchange in October.
The 2021 recipients were Dr. Liqin Chen (PhD’93), Peg Hunter (B.Comm.(Hons.)(Co-op.)’82), Lori Pike (B.Comm.(Co-op.)’95, MBA’00) and Jason-Louis Carmichael (BRM’11).
“This year’s recipients are all highly accomplished, inspiring graduates who have used their Memorial University education to improve the world. Congratulations to these awe-inspiring alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers and made a difference in communities. I enjoyed celebrating them and their successes,” said Bob Dowden, chair of the Alumni Tribute Awards Selection Committee.
ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
Dr. Liqin Chen, PhD’93, was the 2021 Alumnus of the Year. He arrived in Canada in 1990 to pursue his PhD in Chemistry at Memorial 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 TLC Pharmaceutical Standards – now a multi-million-dollar international pharmaceutical company.
Dr. Chen makes a point of supporting the causes he believes in, having made significant contributions to the Toronto SickKids Hospital, his alma mater in China, personal protective equipment for pandemic front-line workers and his favourite charity, Memorial University, where he has given more than $1 million to support 125 students through scholarships.
J.D. EATON AWARD
Peg Hunter (B.Comm.(Hons.)(Co-op.)’82) received the J.D. Eaton Award, which recognizes outstanding volunteer contributions to Memorial University.
Her commitment to Memorial’s 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’s advisory board. She is the recipient of the faculty’s 2012 Alumni Honour Award.
Ms. Hunter established the Alice Buckingham Leadership Award in 2012, in honour of her mother. The award has supported nine female business students to date. Working with Memorial’s Office of Alumni Engagement, she was fundamental in supporting and growing the alumni volunteer board in the Greater Toronto Area and has been an ever-present strategic eye since then, often taking personal time to meet with and mentor many young professionals.
More recently, Ms. Hunter played an integral role in the advancement of Genesis since joining its board of directors in 2018, serving as chair of the Human Resources and Governance Committee.
OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Lori Pike (B.Comm.(Co-op.)’95, MBA’00) received the Outstanding Community Service Award for 2021.
Ms. Pike’s life trajectory changed forever when her son Adam was diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of four.
Thankfully, Adam is currently thriving, but at the time, the devastating news led Ms. Pike to Candlelighters N.L., 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’s communications director, Camp Delight parent representative, and president and treasurer/co-ordinator of the Night of Delight fundraising event.
Without Ms. Pike’s dedication to supporting families dealing with cancer, Candlelighters N.L. would not be the success it is today.
HORIZON AWARD
Jason-Louis Carmichael (BRM’11) is this year’s Horizon Award recipient, a recognition of exceptional achievement by a Memorial graduate 35 years of age and younger.
Mr. Carmichael’s 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 TIBU Health, which provides a full suite of healthcare 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.
LUMINUS AWARD
For the first time since 2006, this year’s event featured an award that is only given when exemplary candidates or groups do not fit into another category. It 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 were Verafin founders Jamie King (Dip.Tech. (MI)’94, B.Eng.’99), Brendan Brothers (B.Eng.’02) and Raymond Pretty (B.Eng.’01).
In 2019, the company raised the largest venture capital deal ever in Canadian history, at $515 million. Then, on Nov. 19, 2020, Nasdaq announced its intent to acquire Verafin for $2.75B USD. Verafin stands firm in its roots as a business born from Genesis. They remain in our province and continue to support Memorial University through scholarships, research and programming.