The University of Saskatchewan (USask) says the Alumni Achievement Awards, one of the university’s highest honours.
Anthony Bidulka, (BA’83, BEd’91, BComm’91), chair of USask’s Alumni Advisory Board awards committee says, “They have excelled in their respective fields of advocacy, agriculture, business, education, infectious disease treatment and prevention, tech, and more.”
Award recipients are nominated by their peers and chosen based on their achievements, commitment to excellence, community engagement, leadership, and contributions to the well-being of society.
Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award
As the highest honour presented by the University of Saskatchewan Alumni Association, this award recognizes an alumnus/alumna for an outstanding lifetime of accomplishments.
Murad Al-Katib (BComm’94) is the founder, president, and CEO of AGT Foods. Al-Katib has helped revolutionize the province’s agricultural industry by connecting local producers to global markets. Widely known as the “lentil king of Saskatchewan” and internationally recognized for his work, Al-Katib has worked with farmers to grow alternate crops, such as the hearty lentil varieties developed by USask researchers.
Dr. Jim Dosman (BA’59, MD’63, MA’69) is considered the “Father of Agricultural Medicine” in Canada. A highly regarded clinician-scientist, he led efforts to raise awareness and develop programs to prevent and treat agricultural-related health conditions. Dr. Dosman has led or been involved in the founding of numerous research centres, associations, and societies dedicated to agricultural safety and rural health, including the Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health at USask.
Judy Pelly (BEd’85) is a lifelong advocate and educator. Retiring from the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies as dean of community and health studies after 21 years of service, Pelly continues working with organizations to provide cultural guidance on Truth and Reconciliation. She also played a pivotal role in establishing National Ribbon Skirt Day every January 4 in Canada.
Outstanding Impact Alumni Achievement Award
This award recognizes an extraordinary alumnus/alumna who is currently making significant personal and professional contributions in society and demonstrating exceptional leadership in their field(s) of endeavour.
Andrew Chau (BComm’09) is a visionary tech entrepreneur who co-founded SkipTheDishes and Neo Financial—two of the most successful tech startups to come out of the Prairies.
Neal Kewistep (MPA’11) is highly respected throughout Saskatchewan for his work in Indigenous governance and economic development. He co-founded the Wîcihitowin Indigenous Engagement Conference, which aimed to honour residential school survivors and survivors of the Sixties Scoop.
“One to Watch” Alumni Achievement Award
This award recognizes young alumni who are making significant contributions to society at large and setting an example for fellow and future alumni to follow.
Dr. Arinjay Banerjee (PhD’18) is a rising star in the field of virus-host interactions and coronavirus biology at USask’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO). Dr. Banerjee has received multiple prestigious scholarships, fellowships, and awards, including academic and society-level awards. He has previously been honoured for his work to shed light on the novel pandemic-causing coronavirus and in enabling a Canadian rapid response to curb the impacts of COVID-19.
This year’s recipients will be honoured at the annual awards gala on October 21 at Remai Modern.
