UTM awards top honours to three alumni

U of T Mississsauga celebrated the accomplishments of three Boundless alumni—Terrence Donnelly, Facebook’s Alfredo Tan and Twitter Canada’s Kirstine Stewart—at the annual Alumni Awards of Distinction on May 28. The annual awards recognize distinguished service, individual creativity, success and entrepreneurial spirit of individuals within the UTM community.

The event, which was hosted by professor Deep Saini, vice presidentand principal, included a number of distinguished guests, including former principal E.A. (Peter) Robinson, former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion, UTM alumni association president Carol Bisnath, and actor and producer Zaib Shaikh.

Twitter Canada vice-president Kirstine Stewart (BA ’88) was recognized with the J. Tuzo Wilson Distinguished Alumni Award. Stewart oversees North American media partnerships with the social media company, and was previously executive vice-president at CBC and senior vice-president of programming at Alliance Atlantis. “An accomplished leader, she has maintained a commitment to community and improving society through her commitment to a broad range of cultural and charitable organizations,” Saini said.

Stewart reminisced fondly about her time as a student at then-Erindale College, where she studied English literature and criticism. “This knowledge has served me well. Deciphering and analyzing speech and communication has led me to many great jobs, including the CBC and Twitter,” Stewart said. “I have had a great and fabulous career. Wherever I went, the University of Toronto opened doors for me.”

Stewart noted that her alumni status brought her a personal connection, too. In her first conversation with Shaikh, Stewart discovered they were both graduates of U of T Mississauga. The Little Mosque on the Prairie creator and fellow alumnus is now  Stewart’s spouse.

Facebook marketing director Alfredo Tan (HBSc ’98) was recognized with the Desmond Parker Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Tan is one of the founding staff at Facebook Canada where he is now the group director for the social media site’s global marketing solutions. Previously, Tan held senior strategic positions with Sympatico/MSN, Yahoo, Bell Canada and Bell Nexxia. Calling Tan “an amazing trailblazer,” Saini lauded his volunteer work with various academic and charitable organizations, including the Perimeter Institute, where he supports the advancement of women in physics. “He is generous with his time, and truly upholds the value of this prestigious award,” Saini said.

Tan noted the lifelong impact U of T has had on his life, from providing childhood dental care to his family when they first immigrated to Canada to being his first choice for post-secondary education. “When it came time to apply to university, there was only one school we were allowed to choose—the University of Toronto,” he said, adding that he is “grateful for the incredible learning at UTM, and the life-long friends I made here.” Tan noted that his campus connections have extended to his work life where three of the five founding staff at the Facebook Canada offices were fellow UTM alumni.

Terrence Donnelly (LLD ’03) was presented with the Paul W. Fox Award, which recognizes those have improved campus life through dedicated service to the university and community. The philanthropist received an honorary degree from U of T in 2003, and currently serves as president of the Terrence Donnelly Foundation and director and president of Colonel Saunders Charitable Foundation. “As a volunteer and philanthropist, he gives generously of his time, expertise and resources to improve the healthcare field in Canada,” Saini said. Donnelly is a champion of UTM and U of T, where his financial support includes a $12-million gift to establish the Mississauga Academy of Medicine at UTM. Donnelly’s generosity extends beyond his generous philanthropy, Saini continued. “A dedicated friend and champion, Donnelly also gives generously of his time to students and even leads campus tours.”

Donnelly said he is greatly honoured to receive the award. “Principal Fox’s legacy as a much-admired leader was based on his dedication to the campus and its growth,” Donnelly said. “Look at UTM today—its foundation was built by Paul Fox.”

“It’s amazing how fast time passes, especially here at UTM, with new buildings, new programs and an ever-increasing student population,” he continued. “In a few days, the first graduates of the Mississauga Academy of Medicine will see 54 new doctors graduate from one of the finest medical schools in the world. They will go out into the medical centres, clinics and hospitals to start their medical residency programs, and some will practise here in Mississauga. The success of MAM could not have happened without the support of this community.”

The awards reception was the first of several events scheduled for the annual Spring Reunion weekend. The annual homecoming continues with Friday’s Flicks on the Field and an open-air screening of Big Hero 6. Saturday events include Rise & Shine Yoga and a Mariachi Café and the perennially popular lecture series, Classes Without Quizzes, which includes a behind-the-scenes look at crime scene analysis, the secret lives of bats, an entrepreneur’s journey and how art unlocks scientific understanding.