A roundup of awards and achievements by Athabasca University faculty, staff, students, and alumni
At Athabasca University, we find inspiration in our students' journeys toward reaching their highest contribution so they can help transform the communities in which they live and serve.
We are equally proud of the work of our researchers, who are tackling important challenges in our communities and beyond, and of the efforts of all team members who support AU's mission.
Do you know a member of the AU community who deserves a high five? AU Accolades celebrates a learning community like no other! Submit an accolade!
January accolades!
- MBA grad wins UBS Female Founder Award
- Associate professor part of groundbreaking anthology exploring queerness in psychoanalysis
- Doctor of Business Administration student receives prestigious award
- Dr. Karen Somerville honoured with King Charles III Coronation Medal
- MBA grad appointed president of prominent Canadian pharma association
- MBA grad appointed chief operating officer at BCfresh
- DBA grad awarded Aspiring Innovator of 2024
- MBA grad selected president and CEO of St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake
- Two-time AU grad appointed director of economic revitalization at Mokwateh
- AU grad selected chief executive officer of pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance
MBA grad wins UBS Female Founder Award
Claudette McGowan (Master of Business Administration ’11) has won UBS’s Female Founder Award. The award recognizes outstanding achievements by female entrepreneurs in fintech and enterprise tech and is judged on their commitment to diversity, financial record, potential and leadership.
McGowan will receive a cash prize and the opportunity to take part in an exclusive accelerator training program, Project Female Founder.
“Winning the Female Founder Award 2024 [will] amplify our mission to combat cyber vulnerabilities, as over 50% individuals online have been impacted by cyberattacks or scams. This recognition will fuel us to protect more businesses and individuals, fostering a safer digital world for all,” said McGowan.
Associate professor part of groundbreaking anthology exploring queerness in psychoanalysis
Dr. Tobias Wiggins, AU associate professor of women’s and gender studies, has recently contributed to The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: From Freud and Lacan to Laplanche and Beyond.
This collection includes contributions from queer and/or trans psychoanalytic scholars, analysts, and activists. Each chapter approaches queerness from a different angle and together is a call to accept and further the representation and inclusion of queer, and in particular trans, people within psychoanalysis.
Wiggins draws on his own personal and professional experiences and in his essay, Gird Your Loins! The Transgender Psychoanalysts are Coming!, he offers an unapologetic critique of the transphobia embedded in clinical psychoanalysis.
His broader research focuses on transgender mental health, queer and trans visual culture, clinical transphobia, accessible community-based wellness, and psychoanalysis.
Doctor of Business Administration student receives prestigious award
Doctor of Business Administration student Karen McCarthy has received a 75th Anniversary of Confederation Medal from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. As a recipient of the prestigious award, McCarthy is recognized for her commitment and contributions to the community and strengthening identity and pride within the province.
Dr. Karen Somerville honoured with King Charles III Coronation Medal
Dr. Karen Somerville, an academic coach in the Faculty of Business, has received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for the work she has done with Canadians for Properly Built Homes (CPBH), a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to healthy, safe, durable, energy-efficient housing for Canadians.
Awarded in the U.K., Australia, and Canada, the medals have been presented to select members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the public service, and individuals who made significant contributions to the country or achieved accomplishments that brought credit to Canada. This is the first time Canada has issued a commemorative medal to mark a coronation.
“I am so honoured to receive this recognition for the work CPBH has done, particularly during our 20th anniversary year,” said Somerville, the non-profit's co-founder.
MBA grad appointed president of prominent Canadian pharma association
Noella Dallaire (Master of Business Administration ’20) has been elected president of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering Canada, the leading industry association supporting Canadian pharma and biopharma manufacturing communities. Dallaire served on the organization’s board for two years before beginning her new role.
MBA grad appointed chief operating officer at BCfresh
Steve Roosdahl (Master of Business Administration ’16) has been appointed chief executive officer of BCfresh, a grower-owned and operated company that works with over 70 family farms.
"The company's commitment to its grower-owners and focus on sustainable local agriculture align perfectly with my vision for the future of produce," said Roosdahl.
DBA grad awarded Aspiring Innovator of 2024
Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi (Doctor of Business Administration '15) has been awarded Aspiring Innovator of 2024 by Coalition of Innovation Leaders Advancing Respect (CILAR).
Golnaraghi is the founder and president of Accelerate Her Future, a leading career accelerator in Canada that provides tailored programs by and for Black, Indigenous, and racialized women pursuing careers in business and STEM. Since 2019, the foundation has served more than 2,000 participants across its range of offerings including its signature Fellowship Circle program.
MBA grad selected president and CEO of St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake
Kelli-Ann Lemieux (Master of Business Administration ’19) has been selected president and chief executive officer of St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake (SJGHEL). Lemieux joining SJGHEL from Health Sciences North, where she served as vice-president of surgical and clinical services and President of Sudbury Vascular Laboratory Ltd.
Two-time AU grad appointed director of economic revitalization at Mokwateh
Jonathan Parenteau (Bachelor of Management ’18, Master of Business Administration ’24) has been appointed director of economic revitalization at Mokwateh. Mokwateh is an Indigenous-owned consulting agency that works with corporations, governments, and communities toward sustainability, equitable solutions, and shared prosperity. Parenteau is originally from the Paddle Prairie Métis Settlement in northern Alberta and now calls Ottawa home.
AU grad selected chief executive officer of pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance
Mauro Chies (Master of Business Administration ’08) has been selected chief executive officer of pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance.
“I am honoured and excited to join a diverse team of experts who not only enable the right drug options to be offered to patients across Canada but also create value for our health system,” said Chies.
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