2022 Distinguished Alumni Awards recipients revealed

After nearly three years, the Distinguished Alumni Awards Celebration of Excellence Gala will return to an in-person format this fall. The ceremony honours exceptional UM alumni across several different categories, including a brand new category this year – the Academic Innovation Award.  

“After years of virtual ceremonies, I’m so excited to be able to connect in person,” says Tracy Bowman, Executive Director of Alumni Relations. “And this year’s gala features a really diverse group of recipients, from Manitoba and across Canada, proving once again that UM alumni are everywhere!” 

This year’s recipients were chosen from an impressive selection of nominees who were nominated by their peers. The final selection panel was made up of UM chancellor Anne Mahon [BHECOL/87], Alumni Association Board of Directors member Marlene Stern [DipOT/77, BOT/83], and a lengthy list of past DAA and honourary degree recipients, and current Alumni Council representatives. 

The 2022 Distinguished Alumni Awards recipients are: 

• Lifetime Achievement: Dr. Arnold Naimark [BSc(Med)/57, MD/57, MSc/60] Hailing from the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and the Max Rady College of Medicine, Dr. Arnold Naimark’s name is synonymous with public service and he is unquestionably deserving of this honour. He established the department of family medicine and heavily promoted health research funding while he was the dean of medicine from 1971 to 1981. He served as UM president and vice-chancellor from 1981 to 1996. Additionally, he has held influential leadership roles at CancerCare Manitoba, the Health Canada Science Advisory Board, and as president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. Dr. Naimark has also been honoured with many illustrious awards, including the Order of Canada. 
• Professional Achievement: Charlie Spiring [BComm(Hons)/80] Representing the Asper School of Business, Charlie Spiring’s list of business accomplishments are unparalleled. He was the Founder of Wellington West Holding Inc., vice-chair of the Executive Committee of NBF Wealth Management, past chair on the board of directors of the IIAC, and is now the Founder and Chairman of Wellington-Altus Financial Inc. He has been named to the Globe and Mail’s Top 40 under 40, has been honoured with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, and was inducted into both the Inaugural Wealth Professional’s Hall of Fame and Investment Industry Hall of Fame. 
• Academic Innovation: Dr. Peter McPherson [BSc(Hons)/86, MSc/88] An alum of the Faculty of Science, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and Max Rady College of Medicine, Dr. McPherson is a world renowned authority in the field of membrane trafficking, the process by which molecules enter or exit a cell and are distributed within it. As a member of the National Academy of Sciences at the University of Iowa, he did groundbreaking work on calcium channels and discovered a caffeine-sensitive calcium release mechanism in neurons. Furthermore, he has continued to make critical contributions to the field of endocytosis as an independent scientist at McGill University and at the Montreal Neurological Institute.  

• Community Service: Pam Klein [MEd/83] Representing the Faculty of Education, Pam Klein has chaired more than 30 events and served on countless advisory committees over the course of her career. She is currently the chancellor of the University of Regina where she has also sat on the board of governors for the past nine years. Additionally, she is a founding board member of the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation, past board chair for Camp Circle o’ Friends and board director of Greenwave Innovations. Pam is a breast cancer survivor and the founder and chair of the “Power of Pink,” a bi-annual event that hosts hundreds of guests to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer. She is also the recipient of numerous community service awards including the Canada 150 Volunteer Medal and Saskatchewan Order of Merit.   
• Outstanding Young Alumni: Dr. Carly McLellan [BA/16, MD/20] An alum of the Faculty of Arts and the Max Rady College of Medicine, Dr. Carly McLellan was the recipient of both the College of Family Physicians of Canada Indigenous Medical Student Scholarship and the UM Indigenous Award of Excellence in the Trailblazer category. She has demonstrated incredible leadership in both Indigenous health and rural medicine, volunteer service for the Winnipeg Inter-Professional Student-run Health Clinic at Mount Carmel Clinic, and as a contributor to the Indigenous Health course review in the University of Manitoba medical school curriculum.  

Be sure to save the date and be a part of recognizing these remarkable UM alumni! The 2022 Distinguished Alumni Awards Celebration of Excellence Gala will take place the evening of Thursday, September 22 as part of Homecoming. 

Steve Adams