alumni UBC
Achievement
Awards

Carol Lee — a business and community leader — is a driving force behind Vancouver Chinatown’s revitalization. As co-founder of the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, her community-driven approach is reimagining one of Canada’s most iconic neighbourhoods. The foundation pioneered the Chinatown Storytelling Centre and Bob & Michael’s Place, an innovative community housing project. For UBC, she has served on several boards and committees and was recently appointed chair of UBC Properties Trust. Her combined business, philanthropy, and community-building efforts honour the past while benefiting current and future generations. In recognition of her transformational leadership and business acumen, she received the Order of Canada in 2023.

Preeminent neuroscientist Dr. Paul Sanberg is a pivotal figure in advancing the culture of innovation among academic communities for the betterment of society. His founding of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), which supports innovation from concept to commercialization, has raised the profile of academic invention and related economic stimulation by honouring those who patent their discoveries. As an inventor and entrepreneur himself, he holds over 160 patents, co-founded two companies and two professional neuroscience societies, and is the founder and executive director of the University of South Florida Center of Excellence for Aging & Brain Repair. His influence has left an indelible mark on how academic enterprise impacts the world.

Author, artist, activist, leader, educator, and elder Dr. Jeannette Armstrong (lax̌lax̌tkʷ), has enduringly championed Indigenous peoples, languages, and cultures. A UBC associate professor of Indigenous Studies and former Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Knowledge and Philosophy, her extraordinary efforts have profoundly elevated the Syilx Okanagan Nation. With lifelong devotion to revitalizing the Nsyilxcn language, she led the creation of UBC Okanagan’s groundbreaking Bachelors of Nsyilxcn, Nɬəʔkepmx and St’at’imc Language Fluency programs. While she has helped academic environments to become more accessible, inclusive, and supportive for Indigenous Peoples, her global advocacy for Indigeneity extends her impact far beyond academia.

Dr. Jan Christilaw is an internationally esteemed advocate for women’s healthcare who, as a founding member of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, contributed to the organization receiving a Nobel Peace Prize. Currently the director of Women’s Health for the Canadian Network of International Surgeons, she has held leadership and volunteer roles at numerous BC and Canadian health institutions and women’s organizations. In BC, she significantly enhanced healthcare for Indigenous people. In Africa, she helped boost women’s healthcare education and training, including in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Her exceptional leadership and volunteerism have earned her honours at provincial, national, and international levels, including the Order of Canada in 2017.

Dedicated to sports at both grassroots and world-class levels, corporate entrepreneur Lois Mitchell is a powerhouse advocate for amateur sport and a role model for community service. This Royal Canadian Geographical Society president and former lieutenant-governor of Alberta has held key volunteer positions for prominent women’s hockey and Olympic organizations and initiatives. She and her late husband Doug Mitchell established several awards and endowments to propel UBC athletes to excellence. Their combined generosity helped UBC build the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre and Arena, which was a venue for the 2010 Olympics. Instrumental in empowering the UBC Thunderbirds to countless victories, she remains one of Canada’s strongest supporters of university sport.

World-renowned scientist Dr. William Cheung, director and professor at the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, plays a crucial role in conveying how climate change is impacting our oceans. As a Canada Research Chair, he leads ocean and sustainability research and directs an international partnership exploring solutions for the Food-Climate-Biodiversity nexus. His remarkable findings have shaped policy discussions at national and international levels, including the United Nations. Under his guidance, the Nereus Program, an international interdisciplinary research initiative, significantly advanced global insights into the future of our oceans. Frequently sought by media for his expertise, his work highlights the vital need to sustain marine ecosystems.

Venerated business leader John Montalbano has demonstrated steadfast commitment to improving communities through extensive volunteering, mentorship, and philanthropy. At the UBC Sauder School of Business, he is a Faculty Advisory Board member, founded the Sauder Philanthropy Program, and established the Montalbano Centre for Responsible Leadership Development. He is also a past chair of the UBC Board of Governors and has generated outstanding fundraising support for the university. A director of several companies, Montalbano has served on numerous boards for non-profits and public and private institutions. He co-founded the Take a Hike Foundation for youth at risk and is a past chair of the St. Paul’s Foundation, Vancouver Police Foundation, and Vancouver Public Library Capital Campaign, and the current chair of the Windmill Microlending Capital Campaign.

A trailblazer in the emerging field of Nature-based Solutions (NbS), activist-scholar Marina Melanidis is devoted to amplifying and growing the international climate-action movement among youth and marginalized communities. She launched the global non-profit Youth4Nature and the Climate Guides mentorship program, has led youth delegations and initiatives at high-level climate conferences, and serves on the Global Witness board. Recognized as a Canadian Climate Champion, Top 25 Environmentalist Under 25, and Top 30 Sustainable Leader Under 30, she centres youth and Indigenous voices in her advocacy for a world in which both nature and communities can thrive.