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AWARD RECIPIENTS
HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT
KEVIN VAN TIGHEM
DOCTOR OF SCIENCE, honoris causa
Kevin Van Tighem’s appreciation of the natural world was evident from the time he was a young boy. Fascinated by the plant and animal species around him, he honed his interests through a scientific approach by documenting the birds, native plants and other elements of Alberta’s ecosystems. He is a lifelong hunter and angler who grew to understand early that ecological literacy and a love for nature are essential underpinnings of a sustainable economy.
Van Tighem studied at the University of Calgary, earning a Bachelor of Science in Plant Sciences with Distinction that prepared him for a career as a wildlife biologist and parks interpreter. His various professional roles included work with the Canadian Wildlife Service and Parks Canada, with stations in almost every western Canadian national park, including Waterton Lakes, Prince Albert and ultimately Banff where he served as superintendent of Canada’s oldest and most-renowned federal park.
From the outset of his professional career, Van Tighem began to find his voice as a social scientist and respected communicator, engaging park visitors and the broader public with insightful discourse about ecology and conservation. An outstanding communicator, he went on to pen 14 books and numerous magazine articles, all while earning a reputation amongst the media as a principled and influential commentator on issues related to the natural environment.
Van Tighem has consistently been at the centre of the public dialogue relating to wildland conservation, natural resource development and nature education. He has provided insightful and engaging contributions about river dams, water management and trout; management conflicts between livestock grazing and wild carnivores; and most recently, the natural hydrological processes of the Eastern Slopes how they are affected by land uses like coal mining and motorized recreation.
His work is described as direct, informative, entertaining and inspiring, and it is readily apparent it comes from the heart. His approach embodies the liberal education approach of the University, combining breadth, critical thinking and a multi-disciplinary approach to significant issues and civic engagement.
Exceptionally active in community service, Van Tighem’s perspective is especially relevant today as Albertans struggle to find a sustainable future that respects the province’s natural diversity and conservation values, while reconciling and renewing our best relationships with one another and with the lands and waters whose stewardship is ours.
HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT
RUTH COLLINS-NAKAI
DOCTOR OF SCIENCE, honoris causa
As the child of physician parents, perhaps it’s no surprise Dr. Ruth Collins-Nakai entered the same field. Graduating with her MD from the University of Alberta in 1972, she went on to complete a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Harvard Medical School. Collins-Nakai joined her alma mater as assistant professor of pediatrics in 1977.
Dr. Collins-Nakai spent over 30 years at the University of Alberta in various roles, including full professor and associate dean of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. She served as commissioner of the Premier’s Commission on Future Health Care for Albertans, president of both the Alberta and Canadian Medical Associations, chair of the Board of Governors of the American College of Cardiology, president of both the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the InterAmerican Society of Cardiology, and as one of the founding governors of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Known as Dr. Ruth to her patients, her experiences providing care helped build Collins-Nakai into a strong public health advocate. Working with children who had suffered catastrophic injuries from vehicle collisions inspired her to successfully advocate for seatbelt laws in Alberta. She was instrumental, in her role as a member of the Canadian Medical Association, in convincing Air Canada to ban smoking on planes. CollinsNakai also advocated for prevention of cardiovascular risk factors that can start in childhood, as well as for affordable and accessible child care and early learning opportunities.
An interest in corporate leadership led her to complete an MBA at UAlberta in 1998 and she received her ICD.D (Institute of Corporate Directors, Director) in 2008. As an organizational change leader, she has been and continues to be a board member for numerous organizations and companies, as well as a medical adviser to various biotech companies.
She was highly regarded as a mentor and professor, earning various teaching honours. In addition to establishing the Heritage Pediatric Cardiology Program, precursor of the current Western Canadian Congenital Heart Program, Dr. Collins-Nakai was the first to perform many innovative interventional catheterization procedures in Western Canada. The energy, compassion, intellect and leadership Dr. Collins-Nakai generates are not confined to medicine. She has been a strong supporter of the need for education and science in Alberta and has worked to increase research funding overall in Canada. Among the many awards and honours she’s received was an appointment to the Order of Canada in 2016.
HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT
WANEEK HORN-MILLER
DOCTOR OF LAWS, honoris causa
Waneek Horn-Miller was only 14 years old when the Oka Crisis, also called the Kanesatake Resistance, occurred in 1990. The dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka centred on the town’s plan to extend a golf course onto land considered sacred by the Mohawk people. In protest, members of the Mohawk community erected a barricade to prevent access to the area. After a 78-day standoff, an end to the dispute was negotiated. Horn-Miller was leading her four-year-old sister out from behind the lines when she was stabbed near the heart by a Canadian soldier’s bayonet. The incident shook her so badly she contemplated giving up her dream of becoming an Olympic athlete. Her mother reminded her she would be giving her dream away to the Canadian soldier who stabbed her if she chose that route. HornMiller ultimately decided to hold fast to her dream, using sports as her medication. In 1999, she represented Canada at the PanAm Games and was a member of the first water polo team to win a gold medal at the games. In 2000, Horn-Miller was captain of Canada’s water polo team at the Sydney Olympics. Following her days as a competitor, she hosted APTN’s coverage of the 2010 Olympics and was the assistant chef de mission at Toronto’s Pan-Am Games in 2015.
Horn-Miller’s accomplishments have been recognized through several awards, including the Tom Longboat Award to recognize Indigenous athletes and their contributions to sport in Canada. She was named one of Canada’s most influential women in sport in 2015 by the Canadian Association for Advancement of Women and Sport. In 2019, Horn-Miller was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Following her athletic career, Horn-Miller has become a passionate advocate for the rights of Indigenous people, Indigenous education, Indigenous athletes and diversity and inclusivity in the Canadian sport system. From 2005 to 2010, she was the coordinator of the First People’s House at McGill University. While there, Horn-Miller developed the Eagle Spirit Camp to provide sporting opportunities for Indigenous youth and to help attract them to higher education.
She also worked on the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, as well as the Assembly of First Nations IndigenACTION initiative. An inspiring speaker, Horn-Miller frequently travels from one edge of the country to the other to talk about reconciliation, sport, overcoming adversity, and striving for a dream. She’s also involved with Manitobah Mukluks, notably as the director of the Storyboot Project, a program that facilitates mukluk, moccasin and beading workshops from one generation to the other. In addition, Horn-Miller is a student herself, currently pursuing a master’s degree in kinesiology at the University of British Columbia.
HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT
JOHN CHARLES (JACK) MAJOR DOCTOR OF LAWS, honoris causa
Just nine justices sit on the Supreme Court of Canada at any one time. As the country’s final court of appeal, the decisions of these nine justices have far-reaching implications for Canadian law and, by extension, Canadian society. The Honourable John Charles (Jack) Major served as a Supreme Court Justice for 14 years.
Born and raised in Ontario, Major earned a commerce degree at Loyola College (Now Concordia University) before completing his law degree at University of Toronto Law School. He was called to the Alberta Bar in 1958 and began practicing law in Calgary with the Bennett Jones Verchere firm. By 1967, he was a senior partner in the practice and in 1972 he was appointed Queen’s Counsel. His rapid rise was testament to the respect he garnered throughout the Alberta legal profession. He served 10 years as senior counsel for the City of Calgary Police Service, was appointed to the Royal Commission in the collapse of the Canadian Commercial Bank and Northland Bank and represented the province at the Supreme Court of Canada on several provincial constitutional matters.
In 1991, Major earned an appointment to the Alberta Court of Appeal, but it was short-lived as he was called to the Supreme Court of Canada in November 1992.
Major’s time on the Supreme Court was marked by many significant issues which greatly influenced Canadian law. Recognized as a superb jurist, he possessed an exemplary grasp of the law and ruled with great wisdom. His personal and professional ethics were beyond reproach and his love for his country and the democracy and freedoms under which we live was reflected in his rulings. Major sat on more than 2,000 cases as a Supreme Court Justice and was the principal writer on 169 decisions. Some of the matters he presided over included assisted suicide, the death penalty and Quebec separation, leaving legacy interpretations of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the terms on which a province could choose to leave Canada.
Upon retirement, Major returned to work for Bennett Jones as a consultant and mentor. His vast knowledge and reputation led to a return to public service work in 2006 when he was appointed a commissioner by the Canadian government to conduct the inquiry into the bombing of Air India Flight 182.
In 2008, Major was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada and, in 2012, was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
SPEAKER RESEARCH AWARD
DR. TREVOR HARRISON
While Dr. Trevor Harrison is identified as a sociologist, his interdisciplinary research work displays a remarkable breadth of study that spans many of today’s vital issues related to globalization, populism, nationalism, and political economy.
Harrison grew up in Edmonton but later completed a bachelor of sociology at the University of Winnipeg. He subsequently earned a masters of sociology at the University of Calgary before returning to Edmonton for his doctoral studies at the University of Alberta. His PhD thesis, Of Passionate Intensity: Right Wing Populism and the Reform Party of Canada, was later published by the University of Toronto Press and laid the foundation for much of his subsequent work as a leading researcher in the study of populism in Canada and elsewhere.
Harrison began teaching as a sessional lecturer at the U of A while completing his doctoral studies. He was a founding member of the Parkland Institute in 1996, a think tank located at the University of Alberta that studies public policy in Alberta. He earned a position as a visiting professor at that university before joining the University of Lethbridge as an associate professor in the Department of Sociology in 2002.
In 2007, he was named interim director of the fledgling Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, one of the University of Lethbridge’s first research institutes, a position he held until 2009. While continuing as a ULethbridge professor, in 2011 he was appointed director of the Parkland Institute, a position he held until 2021.
Harrison’s research connects economics, history, politics, and sociology. He has consistently been at the forefront in identifying societal and political trends. His ability and willingness to share his insights make him a talented educator and much sought-after public speaker and media commentator able to unpack the complexities of today’s most volatile issues for a variety of audiences. At the same time, he has proven an excellent educator who encourages his students to think critically about issues and inspires them to pursue their own avenues of research.
Harrison has contributed extensively to the sociological, political, and public policy literature. Besides five co-edited books, he has written three solo books and co-written, with John Friesen, a fourth, Canadian Society in the 21st Century: A Historical Sociological Approach, now in its fourth edition. He has published research on a variety of countries, including Greece, Japan, and Mexico. His reputation as a leading sociologist and expert on Canadian society and politics has resulted in visiting scholar appointments in both Japan and the United States, the latter where he served as a prestigious Fulbright Scholar in 2010.
VOLUNTEER AWARD
DR. TRUSHAR PATEL
As the University of Lethbridge looked at how it would safely reopen its campuses for the Fall 2021 semester after a year of online instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for expert guidance was clear. Dr. Trushar Patel, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and Canada Research Chair, volunteered to co-chair the University’s Return to Campus Committee. The work involved in a safe reopening of campus was tremendous and required long hours, as provincial public health guidance frequently changed in response to the shifting pandemic. Patel’s expertise with the viruses and RNA-based vaccines was invaluable in helping the University safeguard the health of the campus community during this time. These efforts required coordinating with virtually every unit on campus, and he made a point of always making himself available to answer questions, of which there were many. Whenever he could, Patel encouraged people to get vaccinated and dispelled myths about the vaccines circulating on social media. He kept abreast of the current scientific knowledge and health advice locally, provincially, nationally and around the globe. In addition, he shared his expertise with the public through the PUBlic Professor Series and at the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs.
Outside of his duties as co-chair of the Return to Campus Committee, Patel, through the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, is a prolific researcher with an impressive publication record. His network includes colleagues from around the world and these connections benefit his students through opportunities to collaborate with leading researchers at other laboratories. His research record was recently recognized when he was named the recipient of the 2022 Young Investigator Award by the Biophysical Society of Canada and the 2022 New Investigator Award by the Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences. Patel is also involved with many scientific organizations and has helped organize numerous scientific and science policy conferences. His volunteerism extends to all students attending the University through the Supporting Our Students fundraising committee. He offers guest lectures and encourages local high school students to pursue scientific studies. Patel also volunteered as a judge for Sci-Fusion, the regional science fair.
On top of his regular professorial duties, Patel is a great ambassador for ULethbridge. The impact of his research is readily apparent to outside visitors and his commitment to students and the community make him a shining example of what it means to be a member of the University community.
Convocation is one of life’s most significant occasions. It’s a time to celebrate all you have accomplished and look forward to the exciting journey ahead. It’s also a moment of reflection and an opportunity to say thank you to the family and friends who supported you on this amazing journey.
I am honoured to represent more than 48,000 alumni worldwide in congratulating you. Together, we are a community of engaged thinkers, critical problem solvers and greatly impassioned leaders making contributions in communities around the world. We take pride in your accomplishments and, whatever path you take, you will always be a valued member of this extraordinary community. Share your stories with us and watch our social media channels for information on what other ULethbridge alumni are doing.
Again, congratulations, and enjoy today!
Jason Elliott (BMgt ‘95)
President, University of Lethbridge Alumni Association
Capture the moment!
Your smile reflects the hard work that went into making this moment a reality. The University of Lethbridge Alumni Association (ULAA) wants to celebrate you by offering a free photo as you cross the stage.
Visit go.uleth.ca/newgrads to sign up for your digital download. Use the code on the back page of the alumni pin booklet you receive while crossing the stage to access your FREE photo, courtesy of the ULAA.
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REFLECTION
Let us begin this celebration of our academic achievements, The culmination of years of hard work, By considering how we have achieved success, And how we shall build on it in the future.
Let us acknowledge those who built This community of scholarship, Which has broadened our understanding and our horizons.
Let us thank our faculty, staff, families, friends, fellow students, And all who made this community of learning possible –They have taught us so much.
Let us remember that our educational journeys Which led to our degrees, diplomas and certificates, Are valuable in themselves, not just means to other ends.
Let us use all we have learned
To challenge the world through the eyes of educated citizens, And make it a better place for others who follow.
Let our motto, Fiat Lux, let there be light, Remind us of the responsibility we accept to ensure that we will Make a difference and build a better society.
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