2015 Distinguished Alumni Award, Service to the University of Manitoba

After more than 40 years in the classroom at the U of M, professor emeritus Juliette (Archie) Cooper still looks forward to coming to work every day.

“I love to teach,” she says. “I love the interactions with the students. Why would I give it up?”

That passion for sharing knowledge only partly explains Cooper’s longevity at the university. Early in her career, she discovered how volunteering—as a fundraiser and as a key contributor to the senate and board of governors—could open up a whole new appreciation for the campus community she called home. Though she spent most of her professional career with the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, her influence is today felt across the entire institution.

Cooper’s service to the U of M today benefits more than the generations of occupational therapists she’s mentored over the years. She is a respected name on both campuses as an administrator; Cooper was director of the then School of Medical Rehabilitation as well as interim dean of the Faculty of Music. And she is an exemplar to everyone at the U of M of how one person giving above and beyond the duties of her job can help propel the institution towards success.

On May 12, spend an evening with Cooper (BOT/79, MSc/82, PhD/87) and the other four recipients of the 2015 University of Manitoba Distinguished Alumni Awards:

• Lifetime Achievement: Marion Meadmore, CM, LLB/77
• Professional Achievement: Nick Logan, BA/71, BComm(Hons)/73
• Community Service: Wayne Davies, BEd/91, PB DipEd/07
• Young Alumni: Tito Daodu, [BSc(Med)/13, MD/13]

The Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize graduates who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in their professional and personal lives, and who have been an inspiration to other alumni, current students and the community, both close to home and around the globe.

Tickets for the Distinguished Alumni Awards Celebration of Excellence are $75 and available at: news.umanitoba.ca/alumni/distinguished-alumni-awards.

Thank you to our generous sponsors: Industrial Alliance, Tempo Framing Systems, The Personal and the Winnipeg Free Press.