Proudly

UNB Awards:

2011 recipients

In 2005, the UNB Associated Alumni broadened its awards program to recognize more groups and individuals who have made significant contributions to the work of the Association and to the University of New Brunswick. We are proud to present the 2011 recipients.

Alumni Award of Honour

The UNB Associated Alumni’s most prestigious award recognizes truly outstanding service and commitment to UNB and the Associated Alumni. The 2011 recipients are:

Barry Beckett (PhD’70), Saint John

“Barry is synonymous with everything UNB alumni. In the history of the UNB Associated Alumni, we have had a few giants who have left an indelible mark. Barry is one of those rare giants and most deserving of our highest award.” 

— Larry Hachey

 As a founding member of the chemistry faculty on the Saint John campus, Barry easily transitioned into his additional role as university registrar. In the early years of the new campus, this position required a significant interaction with students, assisting first- and second-year students in finding their paths within academia at this new sister campus. As the campus approaches its half-century anniversary, there are scores of our community’s benchmark contributors who consider Barry as the compass that led their educational journey to how they have achieved their great success today. A true testament to the respect and affection the students of UNB hold for this man, he was heralded as honorary class graduate in 1980, and again in 1996. Indeed, upon his retirement, he was awarded with the prestige of registrar emeritus. Barry certainly did not kick back in his rocking chair, however; his role with the Associated Alumni truly flourished, renewing the Saint John Chapter of the Associated Alumni to its current state. Indeed, he has served as president of the Associated Alumni, on Senate, and the Board of Governors in this capacity. In addition to his work on home soil, Barry was instrumental in establishing the invaluable relationship the Saint John campus has developed with Concord College in Beijing.

John McLaughlin (BScSE’69, MScSE’71), Fredericton 

“Through the years, John has been a true ambassador not only for UNB, but also for the Associated Alumni. He attended countless alumni events all over the world during his tenure as president and at each one, brought a personal UNB touch that few could ever approach duplicating. He remembered alumni and their stories and never missed an opportunity to share his own memories of his days at UNB or on the road meeting UNBers.”

— Kevin Ferguson

  The first in his family to attend university, John arrived in Fredericton as a wide-eyed surveying engineering student — where he surveyed far more than engineering landmarks! Dedicated to his field from first steps on campus, he has been a pioneer in geomatics. As the consummate role model, this dedication also extended to the university itself, with John serving on behalf of the university in a variety of capacities with regional and national boards, was awarded both the Order of New Brunswick and the Order of Canada, and co-founded two companies, all the while maintaining a prestigious role as professor and administrator at his alma mater. Supervising nearly one hundred graduate students, lecturing to hundreds of undergraduates, and contributing scores of publications, John’s impact on the field of engineering has reached thousands of the next generation’s bright minds, many of whom are at the helm of our province today. As a believer in the association’s role within the university, he has rolled up his sleeves to ensure that the Associated Alumni has an integral place at the UNB table, including the creation and renewal of the Memorandum of Agreement that anchors the relationship between the Associated Alumni and the administration, and the preservation and continued growth of the Saint John campus. 

Carey A. Ryan (BA’70, PD-ED’78, MEd’79), Saint John

 “When one thinks of UNB, and particularly of our Saint John campus, it is with pride that we claim Carey as the image conjured, whether championing an idea at the boardroom table, or cheering our athletes on field and court.”

— Gary Lawson

Carey has been a proud and strong proponent of UNB since her days as a student, spoon cum shovel in hand, participating in the unofficial groundbreaking of the Tucker Park Campus in 1966. A true legacy scholar, a love of learning has been instilled in Carey since her youth, in an era when females were not often encouraged to pursue higher education. Carey spent 34 years in education upon her graduation from UNB. She began her career as a classroom teacher, before becoming a guidance counsellor, vice-principal, and then principal of St. Vincent’s High School in Saint John from 1992 until 2002, when she retired from the profession.  Carey’s dedication to the development of the Tucker Park campus has been instrumental to its continued prosperity. For many years she was a member of the UNB Associated Alumni Council and served as president from 2003 to 2005. She was a member of the Board of Governors, the Forging Our Futures and Commons Campaign cabinets, and the Senate, all at UNB Saint John. Carey is a great supporter of all alumni and university events, including athletics, which are close to her husband Fran’s heart as a fellow alumnus.  She is a force with which to be reckoned, in her steadfast support of her alma mater, and of the importance of education as a whole, particularly for women. In addition to being very active in the life of UNB, Carey has been recognized for her work with groups in her community and continues to be a dedicated volunteer with a number of organizations..

Alumni Award of Distinction

 This award recognizes the significant contributions made by UNB alumni in their local communities and beyond, for which they have been recognized regionally, nationally, or internationally. The 2011 recipients are:

Wyatt Inman (BPE’96, MScESS’98), Montague, P.E.I. 

“Wyatt is a man of action and integrity. He is an outstanding source of energy and works tirelessly to advance opportunities for students and graduates. The laddered learning pathway Wyatt has developed between Holland College and UNB is emblematic. He is proud to be an alumnus of UNB, and has created a new stream of alumni through his undying commitment to opening doors for young people to achieve their academic and career goals.”

— Albert Roche, Director, Holland College

Since convocating from the UNB kinesiology department, Wyatt has worked tirelessly over the past 15 years to make his community in P.E.I. a better place in which to live. Precisely the type of graduate UNB is proud to have promoting the essence of true leadership, Wyatt’s professional and community commitment revolves around his contributions to wellness in sport and leisure programming, both institutionally and recreationally. Wyatt has continued to be a lifelong learner, as coach, trainer, manager, and academic. He participates in and presents at a variety of academic conferences and publications, and sits on a myriad of committees and boards. Of his immeasurable leadership style, one of his students of the sport and leisure management program, of which Wyatt is co-ordinator, says it best: “Throughout our two-year program with Wyatt, he was more of a mentor than an instructor to his students. He continually went above and beyond to ensure our education was both successful and rewarding. With our best interests in mind, he spent countless extra hours perfecting his program to meet not only our needs, but the industry’s as well.”

Marcel LeBrun (BScEE’92), Fredericton

“Marcel loves knowledge, he loves talking about the big questions, and with his leadership, his company Radian6 is making big moves in the ever-changing world of social media. Marcel’s educational background, his sense of entrepreneurialism, and pure determination have all helped him to prosper. Although he has achieved professional success in his field, Marcel has certainly not forgotten his UNB roots and has given back to his alma mater . . . as the first Entrepreneur-In-Residence in 2007, offering business coaching to students.”

— Shawna Bergin

Active in various student activities on the Fredericton campus, Marcel carried these resources forward to several senior leadership roles. A proven business builder, Marcel is passionate about New Brunswick with first-hand familiarity of the challenges and potential for innovation and growth in the region. These passions have led to his new (ad)venture: Radian6. As CEO of the company, which has just celebrated its sixth anniversary, Marcel and the Radian6 team are making great strides in their field, providing the social monitoring platform for marketing, communications, and customer support professionals for key industry players worldwide. The company caters to a client list that grows daily, including Microsoft, GE, Pepsi, MTV, Xbox, National Geographic, Crocs, Dell, Cirque du Soleil, and AAA. The scope and sheer size of the projects the company manages speak volumes to the great opportunity Marcel is exploring with this new venture, doing so in a manner that contributes to the growth of our region by putting down roots at home in Fredericton, and employing a significant number of UNB graduates to work on an international scale, speaks volumes to his great passion for our community.

Wayne Long (BBA’86), Saint John

— Marion Williams

Wayne’s Proudly UNB character was strongly formed from his days as a BBA student, serving as VP for the SRC. Pursuing a career in aquaculture, Wayne dominated the sales and marketing of the industry, winning a variety of awards, including the North American Excellence in Sales and Marketing Award — four times running. In fact, Sterling Salmon is one of the most recognized brands in North America, thanks to his efforts. After expanding his expertise in the field and opening his own company, specializing in sales and marketing of aquaculture products, Wayne set his sights on a different sea creature: the Sea Dog. Under Wayne’s leadership, the Sea Dogs maintain more than 80 successful partnerships with local businesses. This commitment to our community occurs off the ice as well, with the Sea Dogs Foundation, with the Get FANatical About Math initiative, and also providing scholarships to players who pursue post-secondary education. Wayne is truly one of those individuals that our university does well by being able to boast his attendance, and continued contributions.

Gerald O’Brien, QC (BA’69, LLB’71), Kiersteadville, N.B. 

“Gerry has a strong belief in the mission of the University of New Brunswick in Saint John. He has a history of active involvement with the university. He has the ability to express himself on behalf of UNB with community leaders, and exercises these connections to the benefit of university donation activities.”

— Peter and Barbara McGill

As one of the inaugural students of UNBSJ in its second class of 1965, Gerry’s role as treasurer for the new campus SRC set an impressive standard for the council. Among other things, one which has gone down in Saint John history was partnering with local community groups to host the Simon and Garfunkel concert, bringing in a tidy profit upon which to begin bankrolling this enormous endeavor of establishing a university atmosphere. Following his arts degree with the pursuit of a law degree, quickly coupled with a chartered accountant designation, Gerry combined his strengths in uncommonly related fields to provide him an unmatched business sense that has carried him throughout the country, sharing his expertise and insight with both domestic and international clients. This keen insight is something Gerry contributes to our community, and our university, having served on boards with the Saint John Board of Trade, the United Way, and most recently, the UNBSJ Capital Campaign cabinet. In this spirit, Gerry represents the sterling businessperson that we are proud to recognize as representing the University of New Brunswick.

Jason Stephen (BA’98-SJ), Saint John 

“Active during his time at UNBSJ, Jason’s enthusiasm and support for the university has not diminished since leaving its hallowed halls, which he has accomplished through his long and avid support of the university by having sat on the Saint John Alumni Action Team, his numerous volunteer activities in Saint John and surrounding areas, and professionally as a leader in the real estate business.”

— David Thorne

  Jason Stephen’s website sums him up quite succinctly: Husband. Father. Golfer. Coach. Volunteer. Businessman. No matter what the role, Jason Stephen gets fully involved. In addition to volunteer activities in the Greater Saint John area, such as enthusiastic coach on the basketball court, in recent years Jason had also been active on the Alumni Golf Tournament planning committee and the Saint John Alumni Action Team.  Developing a reputation of excellence in the field of real estate, Jason specializes in the residential market, assessing value and maximizing on client satisfaction. He has been awarded numerous accolades by Royal LePage, including the Award of Excellence for the past five consecutive years. Jason is also heavily involved in the New Brunswick Real Estate Association, serving as both regional director and chair of their government policy committee. Jason resides in Saint John with his wife Heather and two children, Hannah and William.

This award recognizes those who received a bachelor’s degree within the last 10 years or a graduate degree within the last five years.The 2011 recipients are:

Cayman Grant (BBA’01-SJ), Los Angeles

 “As UNB Saint John’s first female Students’ Representative Council president, she instituted the sports team’s first campus mascot “Seamore,” worked on the institution’s most successful fundraising event, and won numerous leadership recognitions, all of which culminated in her selection as class valedictorian.”

— Mary Duffley

Since moving to Los Angeles to pursue her acting and filmmaking career, award-winning actor and director Cayman Grant has played roles in The Social Network, Boston Legal, and Deadwood; however, her true aspiration is as writer/director, which has garnered her several awards and an official Academy Awards entry in 2009. After high school in Saint John, when many of Cayman’s classmates moved directly on to post-secondary education, she packed her bags and traveled the world.  With her hunger of learning world cultures temporarily sated, Cayman moved on to the next phase of her life, returning to continue satisfying her hunger of learning — this time, in the lecture hall.  Transitioning from the great platform provided by UNB, her life path has been carefully charted, though brazenly blazed. Her pride for her alma mater and her hometown continues, and she looks forward to continuing to contribute to the university and its development.

Justin Rowe (BKin’04), Montague, P.E.I.

“Since graduating from UNB in 2004, Justin has accomplished more in seven years than most people do in a lifelong career. Justin has demonstrated his passion for the health and fitness industry, and his keen entrepreneurial spirit in his many endeavors.”

— Paul Power 

Indeed, Justin’s keen entrepreneurial endeavors landed him on Dragon's Den, securing one million dollars for a unique business offer in the honey and natural health industries. Under the brand Honibe, this business is producing products that are revolutionizing the honey world, and creating quite a buzz (sorry, Justin, occupational hazard!). This most recent endeavour encompasses three of Justin’s passions and strengths: innovation, health and wellness, and entrepreneurship. Selected by his top choice of position with the World Health Club straight out of the kinesiology department at UNB, Justin got straight to work developing programs for athletes of all ages and abilities. Having developed great contacts in the sport community, he moved on to develop the FlashPack, a therapy tool that is now used by sport organizations and health care professionals across Canada. Justin carries his alma mater close to his heart, and actively promotes the university in his travels around the world. Proving he truly bleeds black and red, Justin continued to share his soccer skills as a Varsity Red by helping to organize a Reds Soccer Team in Calgary, bringing together a roster of alumni athletes and coaches to share in the spirit of UNB.

Outreach Volunteer of the Year

The recipient has made a significant contribution to advancing the objectives of the Outreach Program, either by being a member of an Outreach group or individually.

Rick Fisher (BBA’74), Vancouver

“Rick is one of those volunteers every organization needs. Whether developing a community event spanning a number of days and including hundreds of individuals or bringing a few members of his alma mater together for an evening of great company, Rick gives it his all and personally oversees every detail. Once he agrees to help out, all worries are over as you know without a doubt that the activity will be a huge success.”

— Robb Parker 

During his student days, Rick was heavily involved in campus life, sitting on Student Council, The Brunswickan, and Radio UNB/CHSR, a member of the rugby, wrestling, and football teams, among many other things. After graduating, Rick became involved with the Associated Alumni, serving on council and working on the annual reunion committee. In 1980 Rick moved to Vancouver, and has been the Vancouver chapter contact ever since. He has organized or attended about 50 reunions. Since moving  to Vancouver, Rick has been employed in the office products business, and has been involved in many other activities. After being a leader in Junior Achievement with Xerox, Rick joined the Vancouver Junior Chamber of Commerce, becoming its president in ’86; was national vice-president with the Canada Jaycees in ’88-’89; and was honoured to be made senator in Junior Chamber International. Previously, Rick received the Associated Alumni Award of Honour in 2001, and proudly has his rocking chair at his desk for friends and clients only, as he has no intention of using it in retirement yet.

The recipient group will have made significant contributions to UNB alumni, students, the university, or the Associated Alumni during the past year by holding events, demonstrating growth and/or undertaking new initiatives in support of these groups.

 The UNB Calgary Alumni Chapter again continues to be one of the UNB Associated Alumni’s most active chapters. Its executive meets regularly to plan events and activities, which have included the annual Maritime Surf n’ Turf Dinner Lobster Dinner, send-off receptions for new and returning students to UNB, and social networking events, including wine tastings, pub nights and other special events. They continue to warmly welcome and engage new alumni to the Calgary area. Many of their events raise awareness of and support for the local food bank through voluntary contribution requests. The Calgary Chapter is a wonderful role model for new chapters and is a great advocate for the Alumni Association and UNB!

This honour will be conferred on any person who has rendered outstanding service to the Association and UNB.

“Flora’s commitment and enthusiasm for UNB has never diminished . . . it is hard to imagine that she didn’t graduate from UNB!”

From roots in her birthplace and alma mater in Sackville, N.B., Flora was drawn to Europe, where she met and married her husband, received her teaching diploma, and began her family, all of which she brought home with her to continue the growth of our community when she returned to New Brunswick and began her close ties and connection with UNB via an interdisciplinary mathematics career. Many of our university’s great graduate successes sat through Flora’s math classes, and still regale in Flora’s acute skills with numbers, endless patience with questions, and openness and accessibility for any student’s aid. This giving spirit with the university continued to flourish after her pseudo-retirement, as she taught the first UNB course at Concord in Beijing, and then to contribute to the establishment of the Math Help Centre on the Saint John campus as its first co-ordinator. Personifying the mandate that our campus does not exist solely within the bricks and mortar of the institution, Flora is also active in the Saint John community, generously volunteering with many noteworthy charities and organizations, including Head Start, the community food bank, and sharing her delightful song in Saint John Choral.

Lois Walker Gillin, Fredericton

“Lois is truly the embodiment of the type of individual who should be considered as having adopted UNB as her alma mater — a true UNBer. She has spent much of her life connected to this university, tirelessly working for its advancement and supporting it through a wide variety of pursuits.”

— Bob McLaughlin

Coming of age in an era of university education had yet to expand its program into nursing, Lois was a hospital-trained nurse from a small New Brunswick village. Sharing her life with legendary athlete and alumnus Ross (Punch) Walker, she raised two children, who continued the legacy and became UNB alumni themselves. The couple was staunchly loyal to both football and hockey programs, with Lois establishing the Punch Walker Memorial Award in Men’s Hockey in honour of her husband’s love of the game. After Punch’s passing, Lois remained a valued friend of the institution, requesting to receive the Alumni News so that she might stay connected with happenings at UNB. Her second marriage to Dr. Pat Gillin, another UNB engineering and athletics man (who could blame her with those infamous engineering parties?!), with whom she traveled, spreading the message of UNB at various alumni events — not to mention hosting their fair share of them at her homes in Fredericton and Ottawa.
Lois has contributed to the university in a myriad of ways, including ‘gently’ encouraging the interests her high school-aged grandsons in Ottawa have expressed in following the family legacy as UNB athletes — in football and hockey, of course! In addition to the immense dedication in time and efforts to the university, Lois has also found time throughout her life to be a strong proponent as a voice in the fight against homelessness, giving both financially and volunteering to support those in need.