2025 Alumni Tribute Award recipients announced
Memorial University is proud to announce this year’s Alumni Tribute Awards.
The awards recognize alumni who have achieved distinction in their chosen fields, are committed to their alma mater, have made outstanding contributions to their communities and excelled in their chosen fields.
The 2025 recipients are below.
- Alumnus of the Year: Emad Rizkalla, B.Eng.’92
- J.D. Eaton Award: Peter Carver, B.Comm.(Hons.)(Co-op.)’81
- Outstanding Community Service Award: Margaret Butt, BN’88
- Horizon Award: Dr. John Jeddore, B.Sc.’12, MD’17
All four individuals have made tremendous contributions to the health, well-being, economic stability and overall future of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and others around the world.
“As we celebrate Memorial University’s 100th anniversary this year, I’m once again impressed with the number of deserving nominees put forward,” said Bob Dowden (BA’90), chair of the Alumni Tribute Awards selection committee. “The recipients of the 44th annual awards are all highly accomplished, inspiring graduates who have used their Memorial University education to improve the world. I look forward to celebrating them and their successes at the awards ceremony in October.”
Alumnus of the Year
Emad Rizkalla is a visionary entrepreneur deeply rooted in the ethos of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Rizkalla cofounded Memorial University’s first tech start-up before he graduated. That startup survived and spun off several companies, all of which are still headquartered in the province, collectively employing 800 people. Today, the original startup is the Bluedrop Group, and Mr. Rizkalla is still the CEO.
Bluedrop has three divisions in Canada and the U.S., which employ 300 people. His main focus is overseeing operations in St. John’s, where Bluedrop ISM helps governments, industry groups and unions keep workers safe, productive and relevant.
He is a sought-after speaker at international conferences and regularly advises governments on how economies and people will be impacted by profound changes to the nature of work.
In 2000, while still under the age of 30, Mr. Rizkalla was selected as one of the Globe and Mail’s Top 40 under 40.
That same year, he was profiled in a TIME magazine cover story as one of 8 Young Dynamic Entrepreneurs Who Will Create the 21st Century.
In 2013, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
J.D. Eaton Award
Peter Carver is, quite simply, one of Memorial’s greatest cheerleaders.
He has shaped the future of Memorial through service and leadership, both as a former member of the President’s Advisory Council and as chair of the Greater Toronto Area Alumni Board, of which he remains an active member.
He has spent countless enthusiastic hours volunteering for the university, deeply committed not only to alumni connections and varsity athletics, but to all university issues, challenges and successes.
Memorial’s alumni program in Toronto is one of the strongest in the country, thanks in large part to his work.
Mr. Carver has been instrumental in transforming Memorial University’s national approach to alumni engagement and enhancing its global reputation.
Outstanding Community Service Award
A registered nurse and lifelong volunteer, Margaret Butt has built a life defined by leadership, compassion and commitment to community.
Years as an intensive care nurse honed her caring and leadership skills; after leaving hospital nursing, she joined her family business, Parkdale Pharmacy, with an aim to expand its home care division.
For over 20 years, Ms. Butt was an active mentor in the Girl Guide movement and provided long-term support to an inner-city school in St. John’s, helping fund a playground, musical instruments and classroom resources that continue to benefit students today.
A dedicated Rotarian, Ms. Butt continues to support the Rotary Club’s partnership with The Gathering Place through her professional and personal network.
The service she has provided to her community as an engaged and active volunteer is legendary.
As a fundraiser, she has quietly raised significant funds well into the six figures, never seeking personal accolades for her efforts.
Horizon Award
Dr. John Jeddore was raised in Conne River, learning the language, traditions and cultural practice of his ancestors.
He was taught that a key element to learning these things was the philosophy that you must, in turn, teach them as well.
This foundational teaching has guided him throughout his life.
As a student, he fought for Indigenous issues on Memorial University’s Senate.
A trailblazer, he was the first Indigenous medical student from Miawpukek First Nation and earned his medical degree in 2017.
He has received numerous awards for his work within the medical and Indigenous communities, becoming an intersectional advocate while maintaining the Mi’kmaw language and dedicating his considerable talents to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
His self-awareness and resiliency have paved the way for others and offer life-long lessons for us all.
Award ceremony
Further information on the Alumni Tribute Awards and full biographies of the recipients can be found here.
The awards ceremony takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 8, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Emera Innovation Exchange on Signal Hill Campus. A standing reception will follow.
Tickets can be purchased here.