Alumni notes

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William Thomas Molloy (BA’64, LLB’64), a Saskatoon lawyer, federal treaty negotiator and member of the College of Arts & Science Alumni of Influence, was named Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan in January 2018. Molloy, an officer of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, has led negotiations on numerous agreements and treaty settlements that have changed the face of Canada, including the talks that led to the creation of Nunavut in 1993.

Violinist Marla Cole (BMus’89), a founding member of the University of Saskatchewan’s Amati Quartet, died on Sept. 20, 2017, following a long battle with cancer. As a member of the Amati Quartet, Cole performed for Queen Elizabeth II and also performed concerts in Holland, Rome and Cremona, Italy. Outside of her work with the quartet, Cole was highly sought after as a violinist by major London orchestras and performed chamber music in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Hungary, Italy, Holland and Austria in various ensembles.

Two alumni of the College of Arts & Science were included in the 2017 appointments to the Order of Canada: historian Bill Waiser (MA’76, PhD’83, DLitt’10) and editorial cartoonist Brian Gable (BA’70). Both Waiser and Gable previously received the college’s Alumni of Influence Award in 2016.

The Hnatyshyn Foundation presented the inaugural REVEAL Indigenous Art Awards in May 2017 to honour Indigenous Canadian artists working in all artistic disciplines. Five College of Arts & Science alumni were among the 150 laureates who received cash awards of $10,000. They included Lori Blondeau (MFA’03), Wally Dion (BFA’04), Adrian Stimson (MFA’06), Tasha Hubbard, assistant professor of English and alumna (BA’94, MA’06), and Ruth Cuthand (BFA’83, MFA’92), one of the College of Arts & Science’s Alumni of Influence. The Hnatyshyn Foundation is a private charity established by the late Right Honourable Ramon John Hnatyshyn (BA’54, LLB’56), one of the College’s Alumni of Influence and the 24th Governor General of Canada.

A piece by artist Zachari Logan (BFA’05, MFA’09) has been selected to be part of the permanent collection at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. The artwork, Eunuch Tapestry 5, is a chalk pastel on black paper measuring 84x288 inches. Logan received the Alumni of Influence Award in 2015.

Taylor Bell (BSc’16) explored the exoplanet WASP-12b in the article “The Very Low Albedo of WASP-12b from Spectral Eclipse Observations with Hubble,” which was published in the world-renowned The Astrophysics Journal. Bell’s measurements using the Hubble Space Telescope revealed that the planet is literally pitch black—darker than fresh asphalt—reflecting only six per cent of the light from its host star.

An article written by Hope Boyce (BSc’16) was also published in The Astrophysics Journal. Boyce’s article, “An Upper Limit on the Mass of a Central Black Hole in the Large Magellanic Cloud from the Stellar Rotation Field,” is a continuation of research she began as an astronomy student in the College of Arts & Science. Her paper is the first to put a limit on the mass of any central supermassive black hole in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Tim Lilburn (BA’73) was presented with the 2017 European Medal of Poetry and Art in October 2017, making him the first Canadian to win the prestigious international award. Also known as the Homer Medal, the prize is given annually to outstanding creators in the worlds of literature and the visual arts. Lilburn is the acclaimed author of 12 books of poetry and essays, including Tourist to Ecstasy, Living in the World as if it Were Home and Kill-site.

Author Trevor Herriot (BA’79, Honours’81) was named the 2017 winner of the Cheryl and Henry Kloppenburg Award for Literary Excellence. The award—which comes with $10,000 and a framed print of a work of art by Dorothy Knowles (BA’48)—recognizes Saskatchewan writers who have produced a substantial body of literary work.

Katherine Lawrence (MFA’17) won a 2017 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award in the category of Children’s Poetry for her young adult novel-in-verse, Stay. The book takes readers into the heart and mind of a young girl on the verge of discovering an ancient truth. Lawrence also served as the Saskatoon Public Library’s 2017-18 writer-in-residence.

Retired Alberta Court of Appeal judge Constance Hunt (BA’70, LLB’72) received the 2017 Energy Regulatory Forum award, in recognition of her contributions to energy-related areas of law during her long career as a lawyer, law professor and judge.

Andy McCreath (BA’99) served as the co-chair of the 2017 Invictus Games, leading fundraising efforts and sponsorship in his role. The international event—created by Prince Harry of Wales—is an athletics competition for active duty and veteran service members who have become ill or injured during, or resulting from, their service. Hosted in Toronto, the Games welcomed more than 550 competitors from 17 countries, including Canada.

Brad Wall (BA’87) resigned in 2017 after serving for more than a decade as Saskatchewan’s premier. He was first elected as a member of the legislative assembly in 1999 and was acclaimed as leader of the Saskatchewan Party in 2003. He then led the party to victory in the 2007 provincial election.

Catherine Blackburn (BFA’07) was presented with the RBC Emerging Artist Award by the Saskatchewan Arts Board. The award recognizes an emerging Saskatchewan artist who demonstrates exceptional promise through early notable accomplishments. A member of the English River First Nation, Blackburn merges traditional Dene practices with modern concepts in her work.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau selected Gabe Senecal (BA’16) and 25 other young Canadians to join the Prime Minister’s Youth Council. Senecal studied regional and urban planning in the College of Arts & Science. He is passionate about bridging the divide between urban and rural citizens and is interested in reconciliation with Indigenous people in Canada.

Vikas Khaladkar (BA’72, LLB’76) was appointed a justice of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador in October 2017. He previously practised law in Saskatchewan for 30 years and also counted Queen musician Freddie Mercury among his childhood friends. Khaladkar and Mercury attended boarding school together in India.

Leah Taylor (BFA’04) was the recipient of a 2018 fellowship at the Banff International Curatorial Institute. Currently the associate curator at the University of Saskatchewan’s Kenderdine Art Gallery and College Art Galleries, Taylor’s term as curator-in-residence at the Banff Centre spans from Feb. 1 to June 29, 2018.

An abstract painting by Saskatoon artist Steph Krawchuk (BFA’07) was included in Group Show, which was held from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3, 2018, at Milk Studios in New York City. Renowned artist Lucien Smith, the 28-year-old behind the non-profit STP, organized the exhibition, which featured 43 works chosen from more than 800 submissions.

Kevin Dunn (BA’15) was named the 2018 Saskatchewanderer. Dunn has a degree in geography and has been working for the City of Saskatoon for the past five years. As a volunteer photographer and videographer, he gained experience that will serve him well as he focuses his lens on promoting Saskatchewan as the best place to live, work and play.

Saskatoon’s Ritornello Chamber Music Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary in May 2018. Co-founded by violinist Carissa Klopoushak (BMus’04) and pianist Jacqueline Woods (BMus’06), the city’s only chamber music festival showcases Canadian musicians pursuing professional careers across the country and around the globe.

Ronald B. Lamb (BA’70, BEd’73, MEd’79) has been appointed to the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation Board. He is a former board member of the Saskatoon Housing Authority and the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, as well as a teacher and a consultant with the Saskatoon Board of Education.

In what he called a “dream come true,” Devin Heroux (BA’09) covered the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics for CBC in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Heroux said he can trace his reporting skills back to Saskatoon during his time as a U of S student.

Sit-skier Kurt Oatway (BSc’10) won a gold medal in men’s sitting Super G at the Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with a time of one minute 25.83 seconds. Born in Alberta, Oatway started ski racing at the age of five and spent weekends on the mountain. He suffered a spinal cord injury in 2007, when he was a geology student at the
U of S, after falling from a 12-metre rock.

Federal Minister of Justice Jody Wilson-Raybould appointed Saskatchewan lawyer Meghan McCreary (BA’95) to the province’s Court of Queen’s Bench in February 2018. McCreary, who has been recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada, replaces Justice R.W. Elson in Regina.

Photographer and video artist Sandra Semchuk (BFA’70) and visual and performance artist Adrian Stimson (MFA’06) were among the 2018 winners of the Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts. Winners of the awards, which recognize remarkable careers in the visual and media arts, receive a medallion and $25,000.

CBC’s Future 40 Several College of Arts & Science alumni were announced in 2017 as winners of CBC’s Future 40, which celebrates Saskatchewan’s up-and-coming leaders, builders and change-makers under the age of 40. Joe Wickenhauser (BA’09) was chosen in the Community, Social Activism and Volunteerism category. Wickenhauser is a community organizer and volunteer who coordinated Moose Jaw’s first-ever Pride Parade and has worked to organize Pride celebrations in nine other Saskatchewan communities. Robert Laprairie (BSc’10) was named in the Science and Technology category. Laprairie is an assistant professor and research chair in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. He is recognized as a leading expert in the field of pharmacology. Ashlyn George (BA’09, BEd’10) was a winner in the Arts, Culture and Entertainment category. A digital content entrepreneur, motivational speaker and travel journalist, her award-winning work on Saskatchewan travel has raised the profile of Saskatchewan’s travel destinations and inspired pride in the province’s citizens. Nicole Baldwin (BSc’17) was chosen in the Community, Social Activism and Volunteerism category. As a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, Baldwin was awarded two medals for her role in search and rescue operations for refugees attempting to reach Europe. She is currently a graduate student in the Toxicology Centre. Tenille Campbell (BA’07) was recognized in the Arts, Culture and Entertainment category. Campbell is the author of #IndianLovePoems, a poetry collection that explores Indigenous erotica and humour. Currently a PhD student in the Department of English, she is also an accomplished speaker and photographer.