Each year the McGill Alumni Association recognizes alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff whose commitment has had a significant impact on alumni life, the University and/or the community.

Watch a replay of our virtual MAA Honours & Awards Ceremony, featured during Bicentennial At-Home Homecoming on September 30, 2021, and read more about this year’s honourees, below.

Award of Merit

Margaret A. Gilliam, BSc’59

A trailblazer, a benefactor and an outspoken advocate for global food security, Margaret (Maggie) Gilliam is a long-time McGill volunteer based in New York with a passion for solutions to sustainable food production. Her family’s background in agriculture served as a strong theme in Maggie’s involvement with her alma mater, while her educational background in finance set the stage for a remarkable career.

Maggie says it was necessary to “raise her voice” to succeed on Wall Street in the 1970s. Over the years, she has also raised her voice in support of global food security which led to a landmark $5 million gift (adding to a previous gift of $1.5 million) to bolster the efforts of researchers at McGill’s Institute for Global Food Security. The gift has enabled the Institute, which is now named in her honour, to become an international leader in understanding and addressing the many challenges inherent in eradicating hunger and alleviating food insecurity in the most vulnerable communities in our world.

Distinguished Service Award

Dr. Richard Walls, PhD’78, DSc’13, and Carolina Walls, BSc’85, DSc’13

Devoted advocates of McGill in Western Canada, Richard (Dick) and Carolina Walls have been expanding the University’s reach in the region for years through their philanthropy, volunteer work, and community engagement. They are the benefactors and architects of the landmark Best in the West Student Awards program, which has been helping to attract and retain top undergraduate students from western provinces since 2008.

Between them, Dick and Carolina are key volunteers on McGill’s Regional Advisory Board in Western Canada, the Principal’s International Advisory Board, and Campaign Cabinet. The proud Calgarians are always ready to open their doors for events and offer innovative ideas for alumni engagement – including the concept behind McGill24, the University’s annual one-day fundraiser. The McGill community is extremely fortunate to benefit from their outstanding and enduring service.

Read Richard and Carolina Wall's Made by McGill story.

D. Lorne Gales Special Recognition Award

Robert Fetherstonhaugh, BCom’78, DPA’80

The Fetherstonhaugh family has been synonymous with McGill for more than a century and counts seminal Montreal architect Harold Lea Fetherstonhaugh, BSc(Arch)1909, and former Chancellor Conrad Fetherstonhaugh Harrington, BA’33, BCL’36, LLD’84, among its illustrious alumni. Robert Fetherstonhaugh is proudly carrying on that tradition through his outstanding support for his alma mater, most notably as a member of the Desautels International Advisory Board and the Audit Committee of the Board of Governors. He continuously champions McGill in many ways, whether connecting his alma mater to key projects, such as the McCall MacBain Foundation’s International Fellowships, or encouraging fellow alumni to get involved with the University.

Over the years the Fetherstonhaugh Family Foundation has generously supported students and teachers in the Desautels Faculty of Management through the Fetherstonhaugh Family Foundation Entrance Award, the Fetherstonhaugh Family Room in the Donald E. Armstrong Building and, most recently, the Fetherstonhaugh Family Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award.

Read Robert Fetherstonhaugh's Made by McGill story.

E.P. Taylor Award

Anthony Fata, BCL/LLB’90

Tony often says that his McGill law degree gave him the tools to understand the world and he, in turn, gives back to McGill through his energetic support for and involvement in his alma mater. He leads by example, whether by spearheading VIP salon breakfasts to re-engage alumni, or by contributing to his graduating class 10th anniversary project, and the Daniel Jutras International Graduate Student Award. Together, he and his wife created the Teresa and Tony Fata Fund for Innovation in Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Law, and in 2016, Tony joined his Faculty’s Advisory Board and now serves as its chair. As founding chair of the board’s fundraising committee, he leads efforts to deploy alumni in peer-to-peer solicitation, an innovative strategy which is helping the Faculty of Law to excel during Made by McGill: the Campaign for Our Third Century and has already boosted fundraising efforts.

Read Tony Fata's Made by McGill story.

Catherine Nance Common President of the Year Award

Marilyn Naana Ahun, BA’15
Christelle Dossa, BA’15
Laura Parny Germain, BEng’15, MBA’21
Samra Lakew, BEng’14
Sandrine Ntibarigobeka, BA’16

Through development, mentorship, and community service programs, the goal of the McGill Black Alumni Association (MBAA) is to create a strong and supportive international society to help all Black alumni embrace the challenges and triumphs they face after leaving McGill. It was the collaborative efforts of five women based in Montreal, Toronto and Washington, D.C. who co-founded the MBAA, succeeded in engaging Black alumni and helped the nascent organization achieve official recognition as part of the McGill Alumni Association in 2016. This important milestone has become the catalyst for bringing together more and more members of McGill’s Black alumni through activities tailored to the interests of the community, including informal networking opportunities for alumni and with current Black students, career advice sessions and Black History Month events.

In recognition of the collective efforts of the McGill Black Alumni Association’s dedicated leadership group, Marilyn, Christelle, Laura, Samra and Sandrine share the President of the Year Award.

Read Marilyn Ahun's Made by McGill story.

Read Laura Parny Germain's Made by McGill story.

Alumni Event of the Year Award

“Celebrating McGill Muslim Alumni”

As part of McGill’s virtual At-Home Homecoming in 2020, the McGill Muslim Alumni Society (MMAS) organized a milestone event. In a virtual session entitled “Celebrating McGill Muslim Alumni”, organizers under the leadership of MMAS founders and co-directors, Muhammad Ahmer Wali, BSc’14, MDCM’18, MSc’20 (pictured), and Nazem El Husseini, BSc'11, PhD'18, brought together some 100 alumni for an event featuring renowned McGill graduate Mohammed Ashour, MSc’11, MBA’19.

As co-founder and CEO of Aspire, a company that develops some of the most advanced insect farming technology in the world, Ashour shared his success story, interwoven with his deeply held beliefs and his principles. He also shared his remarkable McGill student experience which culminated in winning the prestigious $1 million (US) Hult Prize (as a member of a team of five McGill students) for a business model focused on sustainable insect farming for under-nourished communities.

Ashour’s inspirational presentation set the stage for an interactive forum with the audience followed by lively, break-out sessions which encouraged alumni from various disciplines, cities, and backgrounds to connect and engage – an important building block for future MMAS events and for McGill’s Muslim community.

Read Ahmer Wali's Made by McGill story.

Charles H. Peters Alumni Group of the Year Award

Macdonald Agriculture and Home Economics Class of 1951

Generosity, camaraderie – and longevity – could well be the watchwords of the Macdonald Class of 1951 in Agriculture and Home Economics. Since graduating 70 years ago, classmates maintain the friendships that brought them together as students, staying connected through anniversary events, newsletters, trips, visits and Homecoming. The group’s irrepressible personality is no better represented than by William (Bill) Ritchie, an authentic Macdonald grad and staunch supporter of the value of a Mac education. Each major anniversary year has been an occasion for giving back and for support, an astonishing collective achievement totalling more than $1.38 million in donations to the Faculty and West Island campus. The impressive (and long) list of initiatives includes the creation of The Macdonald Class of 1951 Scholarship, support for the Library and Learning Centre, the Sir William Macdonald Statue, the Food Labs and the Community Engagement Centre.

Robert Fung International Award of Distinction

Alex Banh, BCom’93

Alex Banh is a dedicated alumnus volunteer in Shanghai where he makes key contributions to the McGill alumni network in Asia. He served as treasurer and founding executive member of the McGill Society of Shanghai and now chairs McGill's Asia Regional Advisory Board. A generous donor to McGill, Alex is also extremely generous with his time, regularly offering career advice to young alumni and students, and providing them with internship opportunities at his firm. He also offers business advice to McGillians in Asia.

Alex supports McGill’s fundraising efforts in Asia and offers guidance to the University, including the McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship and the Desautels Faculty of Management as a member of its International Advisory Board. He epitomizes what it means to be an engaged alumnus.

Read Alex Banh's Made by McGill story.

James G. Wright Award

Annamaria Enenajor, BCL/LLB’12

With a passion for social justice, a dedication to excellence in her work, and a resolute focus on confronting systemic racism, Annamaria Enenajor embodies the very best qualities of McGill’s young alumni. After graduating from the Faculty of Law, Annamaria clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada, devoted many hours to pro bono practice in civil rights cases, and subsequently joined the law firm of Ruby Shiller Enenajor DiGiuseppe, Barristers, focusing on criminal and constitutional law. As Executive Director of the Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty, she is a leading advocate for the half-million Canadians who carry a criminal record for simple possession of the drug. She remains strongly connected to McGill as a Faculty of Law guest lecturer in legal ethics and professionalism, and she has met with the Black Law Students Association and the Women of Colour Collective, continuing to mentor students informally.

Honorary Life Membership Award

Dr. Balfour Mount, OC, OQ

Dr. Balfour Mount is a legendary pioneer at McGill as the father of palliative care in North America. A urologist and surgical oncologist, he founded the palliative care service at Montreal’s Royal Victoria Hospital in 1975 – the first such in-hospital unit in North America. The following year, he launched McGill’s International Congress on Palliative Care, the longest-running conference in the field.

Emeritus Professor of Medicine at McGill, he is credited with coining the term “palliative care”. He also helped launch McGill Programs in Whole Person Care, which revolve around the premise that in situations where treatment cannot change the disease outcome, it may be possible to create a space in which healing can occur.

Dr. Mount has received many honours for his groundbreaking work in compassionate end-of-life care, including induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and a postage stamp in his honour. The palliative care unit at the McGill University Health Centre’s Glen site is named after him.

Read Balfour Mount's Made by McGill story.

Chancellor Gretta Chambers Student Leadership Awards

Khadija Ahmed, BCL/JD in progress

Despite only a short time in McGill Law, Khadija Ahmed already holds a robust record of leadership roles and responsibilities. In her first year she was co-president of the McGill Muslim Law Students’ Association, a member of the Women of Colour Collective, a case officer for the Legal Information Clinic at McGill, and a junior editor for the McGill Journal of Dispute Resolution. In her second year, she took on additional roles as junior editor of the McGill Law Journal and vice-president (academic) on the McGill Law Students’ Association.

She was involved in organizing a march against Quebec’s Bill 21, and spoke eloquently to local media on behalf of the McGill Muslim Law Students’ Association. She has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to fostering the inclusion of Muslims within Quebec and Canadian society, and to work with others to build bridges and understanding.

Read Khadija Ahmed's Made by McGill story.

Jessica Ford, BSc’17, PhD in progress

While Jessica Ford works to complete her doctoral studies in Biology, she is simultaneously changing the narrative of what people assume a scientist looks like. She is a co-founder of STEMM Diversity @ McGill, a student-run initiative at the Redpath Museum that promotes and celebrates underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine. She also launched the Graduate Association of the Redpath Museum (GARM), which promotes the research of the Redpath’s diverse student body and conducts outreach activities. She is a founding member and leader of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committees for GARM, the Redpath Museum, and the international Herpetologists’ League.

Jessica aims to make science accessible to all audiences. The initiatives she has created, and the more inclusive culture she has worked to build, will certainly persist beyond her time at McGill.

Read Jessica Ford's Made by McGill story.

Tia Lore, BA’20

Tia Lore played varsity soccer for five seasons at McGill and served as co-president of the Varsity Council. In 2018, she received the RESQ (Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec) soccer league’s leadership award for community service. She followed that up by winning the Teddy Smith Award for her outstanding volunteer work within the McGill Athletics Community. Tia is the ultimate team player on and off the field. She brings people together to make a positive impact.

Tia is now an associate of McGill Women in Sports, and she has been fundamental to the program’s development. She organizes events and resources for female student-athletes and collaborated on the launch of the Fulfilled Student-Athlete Community, an online resource for those transitioning out of university sports and building a life beyond the field. She is passionate about supporting McGill student-athletes, and it is difficult to calculate just how many she has influenced during her time at the University.

Read Tia Lore's Made by McGill story.

Leïlah Yadia Kelly Sory, BEng’21

An outstanding student volunteer, Leïlah Yadia Kelly Sory is founder and ambassador for the McGill Engineers in Action student chapter, and served as part of a team that participated in a tag-along bridge-building project in Eswatini. To ensure the project was sustainable, she initiated two Seeds of Change crowdfunding campaigns – raising over $17,000 from McGill donors – and was named the 2020 Engineers in Action Bridge Builder of the Year.

She served as vice-president and co-founder of McGill’s Student Energy chapter, managing overall operations, organizing the first virtual McGill Sustainable Energy Week, and participating in the 2021 Leaders Fellowship Cohort. As a member of the McGill Alumni Student Engagement Council, she provided her expertise and acted as a liaison between her student community and the McGill Alumni Association. She has served as a remarkable ambassador for McGill students, her Faculty, and the University.

Read Leïlah Yadia Kelly Sory's Made by McGill story.

Joyce Wu, BSc’21

Joyce Wu has demonstrated a genuine passion for supporting others throughout her four years of study. A Psychology major, she volunteered with the McGill Psychology Students’ Association as a tutor, as well as leading the team that publishes PSI, the undergraduate psychology journal. She represented McGill at various case competitions and conferences, and served as VP of Fundraising for the McGill Students for Parkinson’s Awareness.

In addition to participating in volunteer initiatives, she also created her own. She helped establish and obtain funding for the SciComm Case Competition, founded the McGill Scientific Writing Initiative, co-authored an accompanying e-book, and mentored students across Canada on how to establish their own science communication initiatives. Combined with her exceptional academic achievement and remarkable character, there is no doubt that Joyce will continue to make valuable contributions to McGill’s community as an alumna.

David Johnston Faculty & Staff Award

Dr. Anita Nowak, BCom’97, PhD’11

Anita Nowak earns rave reviews from students at the Desautels Faculty of Management where she is an adjunct lecturer. She was twice honoured by the Management Undergraduate Society with “Professor of the Year” laurels for the Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation course that she designed and teaches.

But she doesn’t just teach, as one former student points out, she changes lives. Anita empowers her students, equipping them with the tools they need and goes the extra mile encouraging their dreams. She is passionate about mentoring McGill students and has helped guide Dobson Cup startup teams and budding social entrepreneurs.

A McGill alumna, Anita has worked in several capacities at the University, including as founding director of the Social Economy Initiative at the Marcel Desautels Institute for Integrated Management, which encourages social entrepreneurship and social innovation through teaching, research, and outreach activities.

Read Anita Nowak's Made by McGill story.

Honora Shaughnessy McGill Ambassador Award

Claire Webster

After her mother was diagnosed with dementia, Claire Webster noticed a lack of resources for caregivers and resolved to take action. Did she ever! A certified dementia care consultant, Claire founded the McGill Dementia Education Program and teamed up with the Steinberg Centre for Simulation and Interactive Learning to develop monthly dementia education workshops. The workshops help families learn about the disease and its progression along with other practical information. Thanks to Claire, these sessions have become one of McGill’s most successful outreach programs.

Claire also founded and hosts the McGill Cares webcast series and is an annual guest lecturer at McGill on the topic of caregiving. An exceptional ambassador for the McGill Dementia Education Program, Claire has played an instrumental role in McGill’s fundraising efforts to ensure this unique initiative can move forward with its ambitious goals.

Read Claire Webster's Made by McGill story.