When university students graduate, they officially join a family of alumni–fellow graduates who share similar experiences and memories of a profound time of their lives. At the University of Calgary, we include all students as part of this growing family; after all, undergraduates are alumni in the making.
The U of C's alumni family is 145,000 strong and our alumni make remarkable contributions to the business, health, social, cultural and political life of Calgary and communities around the world.
Two-thirds of U of C alumni stay in Calgary to live and work and our alumni are found in more than 148 countries around the world, expanding the U of C's global reach every year.
The Alumni Association's role is to keep our alumni connected to the university, to each other and to their communities; to support them in their pursuits throughout their lives and to celebrate their achievements.
Each year the Alumni Association is proud to recognize the contributions of three of our finest through the Arch Awards, the highest honour we bestow: the Distinguished Alumni Award and Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award. An outstanding future graduate is recognized with the Future Alumni Award.
In 2011, our Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes Madam Justice Patricia Rowbotham. As a member of the Faculty of Law's first graduating class, Patricia blazed a trail of alumni firsts in Alberta's legal community. She was the first to clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada, first appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta and the inaugural graduate turned faculty member of the Faculty of Law where she was a much-loved professor, recognized and celebrated by her students. Patricia was integral in gathering support for the Faculty of Law's strategic fundraising plan in the 2000s, helping enable the faculty to realize its goal of becoming an internationally-recognized law school in the fields of natural resources, energy and environmental law.
Our 2011 Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award recipient is four-time Olympic medalist, environmental activist and humanitarian, Kristina Groves. Earning two medals each from the 2006 Olympics in Torino and the 2010 Games in Vancouver, Kristina is also a passionate supporter of Right to Play, an international non-profit working to create a healthier and safer world through sport and play. She is devoted to the Clean Air Champions Campaign, is a member of the Bullfrog Power Founders Club and is an active public speaker and mentor.
In 2011, our Future Alumni Award winner is Alyx Nanji, a BSW/BComm student and a member of the Class of 2012. At 21, Alyx has been celebrated as a “superhero” by his professors and fellow students. As founder of Calgary's anti-gang movement, Stop the Beef, and regular Distress Centre volunteer, Alyx's commitment to community is unparalleled. On campus, he revitalized the Faculty of Social Work's student club and served as president of the International Business Students Association.
Membership in the alumni family has its benefits. U of C alumni get great deals through our affinity partners: Canada Life, MBNA, MedjetAssist, TD Insurance Meloche Monnex and Wellington West. Other perks include savings on resort accommodations, discounts at local retailers and reduced rates on subscriptions, airport parking and more. Alumni also receive invitations to events and free subscriptions to U Magazine and ArchE, our monthly alumni e-newsletter. Be sure to keep your contact information current so we can keep in touch with you.
Do you have questions or need more information? Contact us Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. drop by the Alumni Relations service office or visit us online.
Telephone: 403-220-8500 or 1-877-220-8509
Email: alumni@ucalgary.ca
Website: www.ucalgary.ca/alumni
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