2009 Alumni Recognition Awards 

Each year, The Concordia University Alumni Association (CUAA) celebrates outstanding contributions and commitment to our community. This year's event was held May 20 at the Hyatt Regency on Jeanne Mance St.

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Honorary Life Membership Award
Stan and Lois Tucker

To Stan and Lois Tucker, their long-time contributions to educational pursuits have not been about personal acclaim but simply about the joy they receive by helping students live fuller and richer lives.

Stan Tucker became the first supporter of the Liberal Arts College when it was founded 30 years ago. In 1980, his donations established the LAC’s Rita May Tucker Library in memory of his late wife. A short time later, Stan met Lois Issenman and the two were married. Through his enthusiasm for the LAC, the couple decided that all their wedding gifts were to be directed to the Lois and Stanley Tucker scholarship fund, which now provides for three student awards each year. Stan, 89, and Lois, 79, continue to share a passion for the college and philanthropy towards education.

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Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching
Walcir Cardoso

Since joining Concordia in 2003, Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics/TESL and Director of the Department of Education’s Applied Linguistics program Walcir Cardoso’s exemplary teaching skills have been lauded, both by students and faculty members. Cardoso, who teaches various classes, garnered the 2007 Arts and Science Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Teacher of Merit Award from the Société pour la promotion de l’enseignement de l’anglais au Québec.

His research focuses on second-language acquisition of phonology within an approach combining insights from theoretical and applied phonology, psycholinguistics and variationist sociolinguistics. Outside of academia, he writes about audio equipment and consults for Lexicon Branding Inc. on the evaluation of brand names for adoption in Brazilian and international markets.


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Benoît Pelland Distinguished Service Award
Jim Donaldson

Architect Jim Donaldson [L BSc 52], co-founder of architecture firm Donaldson, Drummond and Sankey, has had a long career contributing to the structure of Montreal and internationally. His work was featured in two buildings at Expo 67. As Director of Facilities and Properties of Air Canada in the early ‘70s, he was responsible for the design and construction of the airline’s properties worldwide. In 1987, Donaldson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.

Donaldson has served as president of the Loyola Alumni Association for the past four years. He is also a member of the Fundraising Committee of the Loyola Refectory Restoration project. His wife, Marianne Donaldson, was a member of Concordia’s Board of Governors for 12 years.


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Outstanding Student Award
Stephanie Dotto

First-year Human Relations student Stephanie Dotto, 23, began the It All Started with the Shoes charity in 2003 with a belief that every child should own one pair of shoes. Dotto and a friend collected 1,200 pairs of shoes and delivered them to needy children in Malawi. Since then the organization has raised funds to build and repair Malawian schools, build a nutrition centre and ship sizable containers of essential supplies.

Dotto frequently speaks at schools and community groups to raise awareness of Malawian living conditions. She will soon return to Malawi for the fifth time.

In 2004, Dotto was named West Islander of the Year by The Chronicle. The following year, she was recognized as a Young Woman of Distinction by the Montreal YWCA and as one of Canada’s Top 20 Under 20 by Youth in Motion.


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MBA Alumnus/a of the Year Award
Nathalie Le Prohon

Nathalie Le Prohon [MBA 99] has enjoyed a distinguished career. During her 19 years with IBM Canada, she earned an MBA from the JMSB. Following her graduation, Le Prohon went on to become President of Nokia Canada in 2003.

In 2004, at the age of 42, Le Prohon was diagnosed with an advanced and aggressive breast cancer. Following two years of intensive treatment, she has been cancer-free for four years.

Today, she serves as corporate director for Hydro-Québec and Bentall LP, and was recently appointed to the Audit Committee of the Department of National Defence. She’s also a director for several, non-profit organizations, including the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation and the Vanguard Development Fund.


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Humberto Santos Award of Merit
Bruce Mallen

Montreal-born Bruce Mallen [S BComm 58, S BA 64, LLD 04] was only 16 when he enrolled in Sir George Williams College. Mallen spent much of the next 25 years at Sir George Williams and Concordia University as a student, faculty member and administrator.

After completing an MSc at Columbia University, an MBA at the University of Michigan and a PhD at NYU—all by 1963—he returned to teach part-time and complete another bachelor’s degree, in philosophy, at Sir George. In 1964, he graduated on the dean’s honours list.

In 1965, Mallen joined Sir George as a full-time faculty member in the Faculty of Commerce (now the JMSB). Over the next 13 years, he launched the Department of Marketing and was the MBA program’s founding director.

Among his many awards and honours, Mallen received honorary doctorates from Concordia in 2004 and the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, U.K., in 2008.

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Alumnus/a of the Year
Peter McAuslan

After graduating from Sir George Williams University, Lachine-native Peter McAuslan [S BA 72] became a community organizer for the YMCA and administrator at Montreal’s Dawson College. Redirecting his focus, he founded the Montreal-based McAuslan Brewing in 1988. As its president and CEO, McAuslan now heads one of Canada’s leading microbreweries.

Despite his busy career, Peter found time to serve as president of the CUAA from 2000 to 2002 and CUAA representative on the Board of Governors in 2003. Currently, he is president of the St. Andrew’s Society of Montreal and president of the Board of Directors of the Griffith-McConnell Residence for the Elderly.

He has received numerous awards, including Scotsman of the Year by the Quebec Thistle Council in 2001 and a JMSB Award of Distinction in 2004.

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Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award
Sheelah O’Neill

An integral part of the Communication Studies department since 1975, Sheelah O’Neill [L BA 74] has served on many committees and given countless hours to the university community. Now serving as Assistant to the Chair and Undergraduate Academic Advisor, she is the first point of contact for undergraduates.

O’Neill has represented staff on the Search Committee for the Chair of Communication Studies three times and from 1988 to 1992, she was a member of the Board of Directors. In 1993, O’Neill earned the Concordia Council on Student Life Award and, in 2007, the Arts and Science Dean’s Award for Outstanding Achievement to Faculty and Staff.

She currently sits on the Loyola Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Department BA Committee.

 

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