The MacEwan community has been busy over the last several months! We’re excited to share congratulations with students, alumni, staff and faculty who are winning awards, sharing their expertise and connecting.

Awards, honours and accolades

Since 2019, faculty who received tenure and promotion recognition have been invited to select a book or work that holds professional and personal meaning. Check out the 2024 Tenure and Promotion Recognition Collection digital exhibit of works that celebrate faculty achievement.

In October, Dr. Annette Trimbee, president and vice-chancellor of MacEwan University, was recognized as one of Canada’s most powerful women when she received a WXN Top 100 Award, recognizing her commitment to strengthening communities through her vision and actions of inclusivity, connectedness and continual learning. In January, she was also named one of Edify Magazine's 6 Who Inspire. 

Dr. Raymond Baril, chair of the university’s Department of Music, received the prestigious Alberta Music Education Foundation Recognition Award, which recognizes music educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field. 

Dr. Craig Kuziemsky, associate vice-president of Research, was inducted as an American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI) fellow. Elected fellows have made significant and sustained contributions to biomedical informatics.

Dr. Michael Carroll, chair of the Department of Humanities and history professor, was appointed the Alberta representative of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. The board advises the Government of Canada on the designation of places, persons and events that have marked and shaped Canada.

Landon Turlock, a sessional instructor in the School of Social Work, received the Gonzaga University Center for the Study of Hate’s Eva Lassman “Take Action Against Hate” Award. Turlock, with colleagues at Coalitions Creating Equity and StopHateAB, works to inform how organizations respond to hate crime reports and support survivors in Edmonton. 

Vivian Giang, assistant professor in the Department of Communication, received a $150,000 grant from the National Geographic Society for her “The Red Road to Black Hills” research, a two-year project with the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation. 

Thirteen MacEwan faculty members received federal research grants during the Government of Canada’s Fall 2024 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grant and Insight Development Grants. 

Dr. Trevor Hamilton, a professor in the Department of Psychology, is part of a research team that received a four-year, $10 million grant to create the Center on Neurobiology in Changing Environments at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The centre will take a multidisciplinary approach to investigate how climate change may impact the nervous systems and behaviour of marine animals.

The Water We Doing? podcast, a project supported by MacEwan, has been named Outstanding Science Series by the Canadian Podcast Awards. Dr. Ross Shaw, associate professor of biological sciences is vice-chair of the Aquatic Biosphere Project, which produces the podcast. Funding from the Environmental Studies Institute made it possible for a MacEwan student to improve the production quality of the most recent episodes, leading to the recognition. Listen on Apple, Spotify and buzzsprout.

Books

The Bolo Tie Collective launched its newest collection of student-written and student-edited work. The 2025 edition of the anthology is now on sale in the MacEwan Bookstore, and submissions for the next volume are open until January 12. 

Dr. Michael Stock recently published Fur, Fleas and Flukes – The Fascinating World of Parasites. The retired biological sciences prof looks at wild mammals and fascinating unseen organisms that live in and on them.

Dr. Aidan Forth, associate professor of history, released his second book, Camps: A Global History of Mass Confinement, which traces the history of camps and other enclosures from the 19th century to episodes of encampment in postcolonial regimes.

MacEwan’s 2024/25 Book of the Year, Girlfriend on Mars, has an extra-special MacEwan connection. Author Deborah Willis was also the university’s 2017 Writer in Residence.

Groundbreaking alumni

Emily Gray, Management Studies ’15 received an Emerging Leader Award from the Insurance Institute of Canada. The claims manager at Peace Hills Insurance dedicates her time to mentorship and professional development, including speaking with students at MacEwan.

Former student Harlee Courtepatte, CEO and founder of Agile Industries, won an Alberta Science and Technology (ASTech) award for Indigenous-led Entrepreneurship and Contributions to Knowledge.

Brad Clisdell (Management Studies ’05, University Transfer, Bachelor of Arts ’03) was recognized as an Underwriter of the Year by the Canadian Broker Network. 

The Global Alliance named Landon Kiltz (Public Relations ’23, Bachelor of Commerce ’22), a Next In Line Responsible Communicator. Kiltz was one of 36 young communicators, and the only recipient from North America, recognized globally for exceptional contributions to responsible public relations practices. 

In October, Luis Carlos Flores, Public Relations ’18, was presented with the Newcomer Champion Award at the Alberta Newcomer Awards in Calgary. Read about how the alum broke the language barrier.

On the court, field and track 

Carley Jewell, Bachelor of Science ’20 and member of the university’s Alumni Advisory Council, studies the role of social support during concussion rehabilitation. Her master’s research into which forms of support are most important to Canadian University athletes was recently published in the Journal of Sport and Rehabilitation. 

Members of the MacEwan community were thrilled when the Canadian women’s sitting volleyball team won the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. MacEwan was well represented on the team with players Allison E. Lang, Design Foundations ’13 and Design Studies ’15; Sarah Melenka, Massage Therapy ’21; and Heidi Peters, a current Bachelor of Arts student. They are led by head coach Nicole Ban, a current Bachelor of Science student and a former Griffin athlete; and assistant coach Kate Rozendaal, Bachelor of Science ’19.

Music, theatre and more

Bent River Records, MacEwan’s artist-focused record label, released two new albums in November. Raices from Montuno West featuring Israel “Toto” Berriel and MacEwan faculty members Chris Andrew on piano and Rubim de Toledo on bass. The album is strongly influenced by jazz, Afro-Cuban folklore and other Latin styles. Fiddler Brianna Lizotte, Bachelor of Music ’23, released Winston & I, which explores the ups and downs of the transition from her teenage years to adulthood.

Julia Sunay, Theatre Arts ’05, made her way back to Edmonton from Broadway as music director and conductor for Beetlejuice The Musical at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium from January 14 to 19. Listen to this interview about Sunay’s journey from MacEwan to the Netherworld.

Caylie G, Bachelor of Music ’24, released her debut EP titled the trials and tribulations of a twenty two year old teenager. Read her interview with Edify magazine.

Catch Jennifer Wigmore, Theatre Arts ’19 in Cross, an American crime thriller television series. The Amazon Prime series debuted in November 2024 and is based on the Alex Cross Novel series written by James Patterson.

Arnel Ethier, Music '10 and '11 recently won the Edmonton Artists' Trust Fund Award of $15,000. Ethier is a recording engineer, producer and the owner of Royal Studio where he has created a local creative hub for artists from all musical genres and backgrounds.

Congratulations to our students, alumni, faculty and staff for their achievements. 

Did we miss someone? If you know a MacEwan community member who deserves a shout-out, let us know!