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Associated Alumni

Proudly UNB awards

Proudly UNB Awards
Alumni of the University of New Brunswick are changemakers distinguishing themselves through outstanding service to their alma mater, their communities, province, or country, and beyond. The Proudly UNB Awards recognize these outstanding alumni and demonstrate our pride in their accomplishments.

Proudly UNB Awards Celebration

Friday, April 21 | 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. dinner | Delta Hotel | Saint John, NB

Associated Alumni President Jill Jeffrey (BPE’82, BEd’83), cordially invites you to our 2023 Proudly UNB Awards celebration. A reception will take place in the Ballroom foyer at 6 p.m. and the dinner will be held in the Ballroom at 7 p.m. The cost to attend is $65 per person.

Register now

2023 Award Recipients

Alumni Award of Honour

Larry HacheyLarry Hachey (BBA’87) is president and CEO of Canlease Inc., a prominent community leader, a deeply proud UNB alum and an outstanding supporter of the UNB community. He has served as past chair of UNB’s Board of Governors, is former president of the Associated Alumni, and is a long-time ambassador for academics, student life and university advancement at UNB.

Alumni Award of Distinction

Cristina Flores JusticCristina Flores Justic (BPE’83) is a prominent leader in women’s rugby, organizing international and national events, providing mentorship programs for women rugby players, and serving as one of only three female chairs on the World Rugby Council; in addition to being the first woman to be elected to a number of other rugby boards.  


Alumni Award of Distinction

Dr. Raouf KhodabocusDr. Raouf Khodabocus (BA’87, MSc’89, PhD’93) has been recognized for his transformative work in educational institutions around the world, currently as school principal and chief examination officer for Kuwait National English School, on accreditation, inclusive education, quality of education, as well as the advancement of special education needs.


Alumni Award of Distinction

Dr. James A. StewartDr. James A. Stewart (BScDA’97, MCS’99, PhD’17) is a dedicated entrepreneur whose experience as the first crime analyst with the Saint John Police Force led to his contributions to the protection of artificial intelligence systems as founder of now-acquired EhEye, and then as founder of the leading-edge New Brunswick technology company TrojAI Inc.


Alumni Award of Distinction

Dr. Kumanan R. WilsonDr. Kumanan R. Wilson (BSc’92) is a passionate medical researcher in early child health outcomes, delivery of health care for children, and emergency care for acute and life-threatening conditions. His scientific work as founder of the Ottawa Hospital mHealth Research team led to the creation of Canada’s national immunization app CANimmunize.

 


Alumni Award of Distinction

The Hon. Gladys J. YoungThe Hon. Gladys J. Young (BA’69, LLB’72) is a trailblazer in the legal profession as the first woman in New Brunswick to be named a provincial crown prosecutor and later, appointed to the Supreme Court of New Brunswick, Queen’s Bench division, to which she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Medal in recognition of her outstanding legal career and community contributions.


Young Alumni Achievement Award

Rachel M. Friars Rachel Friars (BA’18) is spearheading inclusion efforts across Canada through her development of the Queer Studies Association of Canada, an academic network of scholars that prioritizes queer studies. In addition to her work as a teaching assistant at Queen’s University, she is a published writer, reviewer, and co-creator of True Crime Index.


Young Alumni Achievement Award

Matthew H. MacLennanMatthew MacLennan (BScE’20) is a medical student and chair for the Conference of Atlantic Medical Students. He has shown dedicated community efforts as founder of the St. John Ambulance Campus Response team, and as former chair of Global Brigades, where he led a fundraising campaign totalling over $20,000 for the purchase of water infrastructure and helped provide Honduras communities with clean drinking water.


Young Alumni Achievement Award

Jackson A. WeirJackson A. Weir (BSc’21), a PhD student at Harvard University, co-developed a novel sequencing technology that could revolutionize the way biomedical researchers understand deadly conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. His scientific work has made positive contributions to the fields of sequencing technology development, multiple myeloma research and immunotherapy development.

Alumni Volunteer of the Year

Jeffrey R. KnappJeffrey R. Knapp (BScME’87) is a long-standing participant and dedicated volunteer with the UNB IRONMEN golf tournament, volunteering as an organizer of the eastern fixture of the tournament since 2016, and increasing the club’s merchandise and sponsorship funding. Most recently, he spearheaded the digital archiving of the club’s records with a comprehensive archive to be released for its 55th reunion year.

Alumni Group of the Year

UNB Hockey Fellows Society Reunion Steering Committee worked tirelessly to organize the first UNB Men’s Hockey Reunion, which successfully brought back 64 hockey alumni, engaged the current men’s team with former players, raised over $10,000 for the hockey program and introduced the current team to a deep culture of giving back, setting the groundwork for future years.

Honorary Alumni Membership

Robyn J. TingleyRobyn J. Tingley is an outstanding ambassador for the UNB community. She has served as a long-time member of the UNB Board of Governors and was appointed chair in 2021. In addition to her many notable recognitions, she was invested in the Order of New Brunswick for her work promoting equity, gender diversity, and inclusive work environments as a speaker, author, communications strategist, and founder of GlassSKY Inc.

Previous Proudly UNB award recipients

2022 | 2020 | 2019  |  2018  |  2017  |  2016  |  2015  |  2014  |  2012  |  2011  |  2010  |  2009  | 2008  |  2007  |  2006  |  2005 Alumni Award of Honour Recipients 1971-2004

The Alumni Office also recognizes individuals who did not attend UNB but have contributed to the University of New Brunswick and/or the UNB Associated Alumni in a significant way. These individuals are given Honorary Alumni Memberships by the Associated Alumni.

Proudly UNB Award Nominations

The nomination period for our 2023 Proudly UNB Awards program is now closed. Stay tuned for the announcement of our 2023 award winners!

The 2023 award recipients will be recognized at the Proudly UNB Awards Celebration, April 21, 2023 in Saint John, NB.

Submit a nomination for our 2024 PUNB program

Award Categories

The Alumni Award of Distinction recognizes the significant contributions made by UNB alumni in their local communities and beyond.

Alumni are recognized for truly outstanding achievements that may have earned them regional, national or international recognition or prominence through service to humanity; their professions and/or volunteer organizations; community service; advancement of knowledge; or service to the University of New Brunswick and/or the Associated Alumni. (Up to five recipients per year.)


The Young Alumni Achievement Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of University of New Brunswick alumni 35 years of age or younger.

Young alumni are recognized for truly outstanding achievements that may have earned them regional, national or international recognition or prominence through service to humanity; their professions and/or volunteer organizations; community service; advancement of knowledge; or service to the University of New Brunswick and/or the Associated Alumni. (Up to five recipients per year.)


The Alumni Group of the Year Award is presented to a recognized Associated Alumni group. To be considered for the award, the group must have met one or more of the following:

  1. Supported the UNB Associated Alumni by:
    1. providing opportunities for alumni to stay connected with the University of New Brunswick;
    2. promoting the University of New Brunswick through a strong alumni network; and
    3. further developing and promoting the alumni pride and loyalty for the University of New Brunswick.
  2. Coordinated programs on behalf of the Associated Alumni and/or University including the introduction of new programs for alumni participation.
  3. Demonstrated solid growth by activating alumni.
The group may have also had an impact beyond the university and Associated Alumni by supporting other community or charitable organizations.

The Volunteer of the Year is presented to an alumni volunteer who has contributed to the University and/or the Associated Alumni either as a member of an alumni group or individually.

To be considered for the award, the nominee:

  1. must have participated in alumni activities in the past 12 months;
  2. may have been involved with other community or charitable organizations;
  3. may have significantly contributed to advancing the goals of the alumni program; and
  4. is a member of the Associated Alumni.

PUNB award information

Stay up to date on the latest PUNB award information