Meet our Honoured Science Alumni

On Thursday, January 31, 2019, the Faculty of Science will celebrate outstanding alumni at the third annual Faculty of Science Honoured Alumni Awards, Pathways to Exceptional Achievement Event.

What: Faculty of Science Honoured Alumni Awards

Where: Marshall McLuhan Hall, University of Manitoba, Fort Garry Campus

When: January 31, 2019  – 3PM – doors open, 3:30 PM  – event starts

The celebration is an opportunity for students, alumni, faculty, and friends to connect. It is also an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to learn about careers in Science.

The event includes a “Careers in Science Panel Discussion and Q&A,” a focus on the experiences of each alumni, inviting current students to discover their future paths, illuminated by the journey’s shared. Following the panel discussion, honoured guests will be presented with the Pathways to Exceptional Achievement Honoured Alumni Awards.

A networking reception follows where all are encouraged to stay, mingle, and enjoy complimentary refreshments.

The 2019 Honoured Alumni Award recipients were selected by each department: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics and Astronomy, and Statistics. The awards are given for exceptional achievements in each field of study, broadly defined, that reflect and build upon the mission of the Faculty of Science to discover the unknown, invent the future, and contribute to the well-being of society.

Our 2019 Faculty of Science Honoured Alumni Award recipients are:

Allyson Hindle [BSc (Hons)/00, MSc/02, PhD/07]
Exceptional Achievement in Biological Sciences
Comparative Animal Physiologist, Harvard Medical School, Incoming Assistant Professor, University of Nevada.

Hindle has battled simulated floods in astronaut training and tracked 350 kilogram Weddell seals in the Antarctic.

Albert Friesen [BSc (Hons)/69, MSc /71, PhD/81]
Exceptional Achievement in Chemistry

CEO of Medicure Inc., President, Genesys Venture Inc., Founder of BIOTECanada, General Partner of CentreStone Ventures.

A founding father of the biotechnology industry in Manitoba. He has consistently driven and fostered research into new drugs and innovative therapeutic strategies.

Many of his discoveries have saved lives and improved the quality of life for people afflicted with various types of disease.

Christopher Batty [BSc (Hons. Co-op option)/04]
Exceptional Achievement in Computer Science

Assistant Professor, David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo.

A rising star in the area of computer graphics. Dr. Batty’s research, has been acknowledged for its excellence by both the academic and industry communities.

His work has been integrated into some of the most widely used computer graphics software packages, and his special effects have been featured in numerous mainstream movies.

Prashen Chelikani [PhD/04, Microbiology]
Exceptional Achievement in Microbiology

Professor, Department of Oral Biology, University of Manitoba
Professor, Department of Oral Biology
Scientist, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba
Director, Manitoba Chemosensory Biology Group

His research focuses on taste receptors and on trying to understand the “bitter” taste signal transduction in humans. Dr. Chelikani has made significant inroads into different disciplines including nutritional sciences, physiology, microbiology, biochemistry and pharmacology. In 2015, he established the Manitoba Chemosensory Biology (MCSB) Research Group, which brings together researchers in Manitoba with common interests in studying human chemical senses.

Shirley Mills [BSc Hons /69, MSc /70, Cert. Ed./71]
Exceptional Achievement in Statistics

Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics, School of Mathematics and Statistics, and Faculty of Science Graduate Co-op Advisor, Carleton University and Executive Director Statistical Society of Canada.

An expert in analysis of complex, massive data sets. Dr. Mills developed the first Canadian graduate university course in Statistical Data Mining over 20 years ago. Dr. Mill’s contributions to teaching and research into applied statistics, mathematics, and computing are extensive.

Jeff Martin [BSc Hons /95]
Exceptional Achievement in Physics

Tier 1 CRC in Fundamental Symmetries in Subatomic Physics, University of Winnipeg.

Dr. Martin is the Canadian leader of a major experiment searching for the neutron’s electric dipole moment, which is being conducted at TRIUMF. A joint effort between physicists in Canada and Japan. It seeks to search for additional sources of CP violation that are required, for example, to explain the predominance of matter over antimatter in the universe.