ALUMNI NEWS

The University of Guelph campus has grown and changed over the years, but one thing remains the same — alumni are the roots of the University. Whether you are working across the globe or living across the street, you will always be connected to your alma mater.

It’s important for the University to honour alumni for their achievements — that’s what inspired a new campus recognition project called the Alumni Plaza. It will be constructed in front of War Memorial Hall as a tribute to Alumni Awards of Excellence winners, and will provide a ceremonial spot on campus to highlight alumni and their achievements. The Alumni Plaza will also serve as a location for receptions and as a location to reflect on some of the incredible journeys that began at the University of Guelph.

The 2017 Alumni Awards of Excellence will be presented June 9 at a gala during Alumni Weekend. The gala is an annual celebration of excellence recognizing alumni for their important achievements in their professions and communities through their work or volunteer commitments. Everyone is welcome to attend.

While some alumni will be forever remem- bered on campus in the Alumni Plaza, others jumped at a chance to leave their mark in the new Gryphon Athletics Event Centre. The Name-a-Seat campaign was a great success thanks to almost 100 alumni who donated or pledged $1,000 and had a seat named for them (or a friend, family member, class or group). They are recognized with seat plates in the event centre.

Please plan to join us on Alumni Weekend in June to tour the incredible new facilities in the Athletics Centre, enjoy the newly installed Alumni Plaza or attend a campus event. Whatever you choose, we would like to welcome you back home! For all the details, visit www.alumni.uoguelph.ca/alumniweekend.

Brandon Gorman,
B.Comm. ’06 President UGAA

Jason Moreton,
BA ’00 Associate Vice-President Alumni Advancement

FEATURED EVENT

Frosty Mug

The Frosty Mug is the Gryphons men’s varsity hockey game that’s played at the Sleeman Centre in downtown Guelph every January. It’s a chance for students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members to reconnect with U of G. This year, a record crowd of more than 4,600 fans — includ- ing nearly 150 alumni — cheered on the Gryphons as they defeated the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 2-1.

ALUMNI EVENT

College career nights

Each year, all seven U of G colleges hold career nights to connect students with alumni and learn about opportunities. The College of Biological Science Career Night, below, attracted more than 200 students eager to connect with 30 alumni from different industries offering career advice and mentorship. The annual Engineering Career Night, bottom, was held earlier this year in the Engineering Atrium with more than 30 alumni attending.

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ALUMNI NEWS

Retailers are always asking for our opinions: How was your shopping experience today? What products do you buy regularly? They use customer surveys to make certain their products and services are relevant and meaningful, and they make changes based on the data they receive.

We’re want to make sure our offerings are relevant and meaningful to alumni and donors. An electronic University of Guelph alumni survey is in the works and will be launched in early 2017. We want to know you better! What type of events do you like to attend: professional development or networking, or both? What group discounts are the most appealing to you? Are there services we should offer to benefit more alumni of all ages?

We’re interested to know what you want from your alma mater and how you prefer to stay connected. Your voice is integral — the survey results will shape our alumni programming, services and offerings. We need to hear from as many of our 140,000 alumni as possible. Please take a moment to update your contact information to ensure your voice is heard.

Stay tuned — we look forward to learning about you. And, of course, you’ll have a chance to win some great prizes!

Brandon Gorman, B.Comm. ’06
President, UGAA

Jason Moreton, BA ’00
Associate Vice-President
Alumni Advancement

FEATURED EVENT

Homecoming

The weather was perfect for U of G’s Homecoming celebrations Sept. 24, as alumni, family and friends gathered to cheer on the Gryphons as the team faced  the Western Mustangs. Despite a disappointing 50-16 loss, the Gryphon spirit was strong thanks to a sold-out crowd. Other highlights included a live band and a food truck zone.

The University of Guelph Alumni Association hosted a sold-out pre-game party at Brass Taps in the University Centre with more than 150 alumni in attendance. For only $25 attendees enjoyed a burger-bar lunch, alumni swag and a ticket for the football game.

The Gryphon/Redmen football reunion was also held on during Homecoming. Football alumni attended a dinner at Creelman Hall, toured the new athletics facilities and attended the game. Eight members of the 1966 Redmen team attended a reunion to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The 1996 Gryphons also marked a milestone, celebrating their 20th anniversary.

ALUMNI EVENT

Alumni go out to the ball game

In August, more than 400 alumni and friends cheered on the Toronto Blue Jays as they took on the Tampa Bay Rays. The sold-out event — the second of its kind for the 2016 season — included a pre-game reception, an alumni rally towel and a game ticket. Stay tuned for another baseball event in the 2017 season.

RENOVATED MACDONALD HALL OPENS

The renovated Macdonald Hall – the new home of the College of Business and Economics – opened in October. Macdonald Hall was built in 1904 and originally served as a women’s residence. Along with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the refurbished building, a heritage wall and plaque were also unveiled. Members from the Mac class of 1964, below, were on hand at the event.

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ALUMNI NEWS

The U of G alumni family is growing strong with more than 122,000 grads living in 150 countries around the world. Much like a family reunion, Alumni Weekend in June brought almost 1,000 alumni back to campus to celebrate with class reunions, the President’s Milestone Lunch and the Awards of Excellence Gala, among other events. There were many reasons and events to celebrate our connections to the University of Guelph.

At a family celebration, you often get to know some distant family members, and this was the case at the Awards of Excellence Gala. We gathered to honour Harry Brightwell, DVM ’56; Karen Kuwahara, B.A.Sc. ’76; and Gavin Armstrong, B.Comm. ’11, PhD ’16, and we learned so much about each of them and their unique experiences.

We met Alumnus of Honour Harry Brightwell and learned about his extraordinary life. He graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1956, and began trailblazing a path of success and service in the veterinary profession. Known for having more than one groundbreaking idea, he established a veterinary buying group in 1972 that now sees sales of $275 million a year. He also made key discoveries for keeping swine healthy, and found time to serve as a Member of Parliament and volunteer for many organizations.

We got to know Karen Kuwahara, retired president and CEO of Nestlé Purina Petcare. During a time when fewer than 25 women were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, she forged a path and set an incredible example for women in business. As the recipient of the Alumni Volunteer Award, Kuwahara lives and breathes volunteerism and has served on U of G’s Board of Governors, Campaign Cabinet, and countless advisory boards and committees.

We also learned about Gavin Armstrong and the story behind the Lucky Iron Fish. As the recipient of the Alumni Medal of Achievement, Armstrong’s social entrepreneurship is saving lives in developing countries with a simple iron fish that helps prevent anemia and its terrible effects. His idea marries innovation and activism, using business as a source for good.

What we learned from our three esteemed alumni at the awards gala, is that having a great idea is only part of the picture. You also need passion, purpose and commitment to excellence. By combining these qualities, our alumni are charting new territory, developing life-changing solutions, and making a difference in the world. And they’re making their alma mater proud.

Brandon Gorman, B.Comm. ’06
President, UGAA

Jason Moreton, BA ’00
Associate Vice-President
Alumni Advancement

FEATURED EVENT

In June, almost 1,000 U of G grads attended the marquee alumni event of the year — Alumni Weekend. Reunions, tours and social events for all ages and interests were on the agenda.

The event kicked off Friday evening with the Awards of Excellence gala. The sold-out annual celebration of excellence honoured three distinguished alumni for their achievements. The President’s Milestone Lunch the following day was also sold out, with 350 grads from 1949 to 2010 celebrating their class anniversaries.

There were 23 class reunions held over the weekend, with alumni travelling from across Canada and the U.S. to attend. The Great Gryphon Race had alumni racing across campus on a timed mobile challenge, taking photos and answering U of G trivia questions. The Alumni Pub Night at the Brass Taps featured a beer tasting, marché-style dinner and live music.

Special tours allowed grads to see what’s changed on campus and learn more about programs and research. Highlights included an ice cream technology tour, and visits to MacDonald Hall, the arboretum, the School of Engineering and the Livestock Research Innovation Centre in Elora.

If you missed Alumni Weekend, mark your calendars for next year’s event June 9-10, 2017. If you are planning a reunion for 2017, we can help. Get in touch at alumni@uoguelph.ca.

OTTAWA EVENT

Reception with Roberta Bondar

Roberta Bondar, B.Sc. (Agr.) ’68, Canada’s first female astronaut, was a special guest and speaker at an alumni reception at the National Art Centre (NAC) in Ottawa in May. The reception was held prior to NAC Orchestr

a’s Life Reflected performance, which told the stories of four exceptional Canadian women through music, motion and word.

Guests enjoyed hearing about Bondar’s 1992 Discovery mission, when she became the world’s first neurologist in space. Bondar spoke about how much she loved her time at U of G and that her diverse university experience boosted her chances of selection into the Canadian space program. Almost 100 alumni attended the event, which was hosted by Daniel Atlin, U of G’s vice-president, external.

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ALUMNI NEWS

You could feel the alumni pride at Homecoming in September, with grads of all ages back on campus reconnecting and celebrating their love for U of G. It was a proud moment for the University of Guelph Alumni Association (UGAA) to present a cheque for $400,000 in support of the Building Potential campaign during halftime at the football game. The gift will be recognized in the naming of the student lounge and climbing wall inside the new Gryphons Athletic Centre. Scheduled to open in September 2016, the centre’s world-class athletics facilities will be another source of pride for the entire U of G community.

Gryphon pride is also felt so keenly during our biggest alumni event of the year, Alumni Weekend. We encourage you to mark the dates on your calendar — June 10-12, 2016 — and plan to celebrate your connection to the University of Guelph. Reunions, campus tours, craft beer tasting, a family picnic, alumni pub night … take your pick! If you’re interested in organizing a class or group reunion event on campus, our staff are ready to help you plan it — just send a note to alumni@uoguelph.ca.

Like proud parents, the University of Guelph community applauds alumni who go on to make a difference in their professions and communities. We celebrated just a few alumni who bring great honour to their alma mater at our first Awards of Excellence Gala in June during Alumni Weekend. It was an inspirational evening, and our winners are exceptional: Ken Murray, BSA ’50, and Marilyn Murray, B.H.Sc. ’55 (Alumni Volunteer Award); Sarah Rothwell, B.Sc. (Eng.) ’07 (Alumni Medal of Achievement); and Karl Stensson, BLA ’73 (Alumnus of Honour). Each one has a story that makes you proud to be a U of G grad. If you missed the gala, you can watch the winners’ videos online at www.alumni.uoguelph.ca/awardsofexcellence.

Honouring excellence and acknowledging Guelph grads for their outstanding achievements helps us tell the U of G alumni story. Please consider nominating an alumnus/alumna in the UGAA Awards of Excellence Program — the deadline is Jan. 31.

Brandon Gorman, B.Comm. ’06, President, UGAA
Jason Moreton, BA ’00, Assistant Vice-President, Alumni Advancement

FEATURED EVENT

Wet weather didn’t dampen spirits at U of G’s Homecoming celebrations on Sept. 19. More than 150 alumni gathered at the Brass Taps for the University of Guelph Alumni Association’s pre-game party, and the College of Business and Economics (CBE) reunion. There were greetings from Malcolm Campbell, vice-president (research), Daniel Atlin, vice-president (external) and Julia Christensen Hughes, CBE dean, before alumni headed off to Alumni Stadium to cheer on the Gryphons as they battled McMaster. Almost 8,500 fans watched as the Gryphons defeated the Marauders 33-23. New this year, the GryFAN ZONE in Alumni Stadium featured a licensed area for spectators on top of the hill.

An annual Homecoming tradition brings varsity football alumni together for a celebration of U of G’s rich football history. This year, the Redmen Reunion celebrated late coach Dick Brown, who coached at U of G from 1966 to the early 1990s. More than 100 alumni attended, and many of them played under Brown. Members of the 1990 and 1965 teams also marked their 25th and 50th anniversary milestones.

ALUMNI GIVE BACK

The University of Guelph Alumni Association’s (UGAA) Elizabeth Thomson, vice-president external, and Rob Naraj, vice-president internal, presented a $400,000 cheque to the Building Potential campaign at the U of G Homecoming game at Alumni Stadium in September. Tom Kendall, director of athletics, and Franco Vaccarino, University of Guelph president, received the donation.

The Building Potential campaign is working hard to raise money for renovations to the W.F. Mitchell Centre. The UGAA is committed to supporting university-wide initiatives, and believes that by giving to the athletics facilities its gift will have impact on students, athletes and the greater community for years to come.

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