Alumni Award of Distinction

Paula C. Copeland (BA'93) is strategic adviser to the CEO at Port Saint John, is a global leader in port engagement and plays a pivotal role in driving inclusive initiatives that prioritize Indigenous relations, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. A committed community volunteer, she dedicates her time to the Harbour Lights Campaign and the Saint John Seafarers' Mission.

Alumni Award of Distinction

Jason H. Court (BBA'09) has received extensive recognition in the insurance industry. He is the president of the Insurance Professional's Association of New Brunswick, director of the Insurance Institute of Canada and a panellist for insurance education in Atlantic Canada. He is a longtime board member of PRO Kids Saint John, supporting the financial needs of youth participation in sports, arts, recreation and culture activities.

Alumni Award of Distinction

Mary R. Dable Arab (BBA'93), president and owner of BARA Management Group, is a trailblazer in business and philanthropy. She is a top Canadian fundraiser for Arthritis Canada and a patient adviser with the Paediatric Faculty of Rheumatology at the IWK. Mary sits on several community boards and has received the 2022 Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal and the Platinum Jubilee Community Hero Award. She inspired the launch of "Women on the Move," where she invested in emerging female leaders, and continues to lecture and mentor business owners today.

Alumni Award of Distinction

Li Song (C-TEL'07, BEd/BA'08) is an extraordinary champion for UNB and her community of Saint John, having received several awards and recognitions, including the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, for her work with PRUDE Inc., her volunteerism within the multicultural community in support of immigrants, diversity and inclusion, and her work as a Realtor^®.

Alumni Award of Distinction

Kathy L. Whynot (BEd'09, C-TFL'18, MEd'19) has made significant contributions across various sectors and departments in her professional career and through her extensive board volunteer work. She has led the development of six provincial curricula for teaching English as an additional language, created five online courses, and produced six additional asynchronous modules for educators. Kathy also spearheaded an innovative program for high school newcomers and helped establish the first support teacher position for English as an additional language — the first of its kind in Canada.

Young Alumni Achievement Award

Niko C. Coady (BA'22) is an activist and leader in sexual and gender-based violence prevention. A published social justice writer with organizations such as the Canadian Center for Women's Empowerment, Niko has worked with Women and Gender Equality Canada to develop a gender-based violence prevention toolkit for youth, is a contractor through Safe Workspaces PEI, facilitates workplace harassment and violence prevention training for organizations across Canada, and currently works for the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research.

Young Alumni Achievement Award

Christena M. Curry (BRSS’16, MASRS’22) has dedicated over 15 years to the recreation and sports sector, playing a pivotal role in crafting a strategic plan for First Nation communities across Nova Scotia. Her contributions have earned her a place in the Mi’kmaq Sports Hall of Fame. Through her work with Millbrook First Nation, she spearheaded a home gardening pilot project that has significantly improved food security and removed financial barriers for more than 65 households.

Young Alumni Achievement Award

Jordan J. MacDonald (BA’21) is a UNB PhD candidate in experimental psychology and the founder and director of Adapt for Education, a nonprofit helping young parents complete high school and transition into post-secondary education or training. His SSHRCfunded doctoral research explores the lifelong outcomes of teen parenthood and develops evidence-based strategies to support young families, and his broad range of volunteer contributions spans academic, social, and community-based initiatives supporting marginalized communities.

Young Alumni Achievement Award

Natasha J. Vatcher (BSc’22) has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to community service through various impactful initiatives. Her decade-long sustainable project, which provides knitted hats to those experiencing homelessness, earned her the prestigious Rising Youth Community Service Grant. Natasha also serves on the Opal Fredericton board, where she works to improve access to specialized services for rural families. During her undergraduate years, she also founded UNBCares, further showcasing her passion for helping others and building stronger communities.

Alumni Volunteer of the Year

Doug L. Johnson (BScCE’74, MScCE’79) has been a passionate advocate of UNB for 50 years as the driving force behind the civil engineering class of 1974. Doug has led the organizing of class reunions every five years and the establishment of a class scholarship for UNB engineering students, which will now provide two scholarships of $1,000 per year, and has continued to tirelessly encourage class fundraising efforts.

Alumni Group of the Year

The UNB Alumni Ottawa Chapter Network is one of the association’s oldest and most active chapters. Led by a dedicated group of volunteer leaders, the chapter committee is committed to fostering connections and contributing to the life of the university through several annual alumni events, fundraising for the Ottawa Alumni Chapter Thomas Foulkes Sr. Scholarship, and serving as community contacts for alumni who are new to the Ottawa region.