荔枝视频

Five members of the U荔枝视频 community have been appointed to the , one of the country鈥檚 highest civilian honours. The appointments signify outstanding achievement, dedication to community, and service to the nation across numerous fields of human endeavour.

The five include a professor, an executive fellow, the chair of a faculty advisory council, a recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree, and an influential member of the university鈥檚 alumni. They were among 80 appointments to the Order of Canada by the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada. 

鈥淭he Order of Canada fosters a sense of pride and cohesion in our country,鈥� Simon said. 鈥淓very appointment celebrates not only the talent, expertise and dedication of individuals, but also the countless lives they have touched through their work, vision and contributions.鈥� 

鈥淭heir commitment extends beyond borders, inspiring progress in our communities, our country and around the world,鈥� Simon added. 

Rosalie Silberman Abella, Hon. LLD鈥�90

Abella is an international social justice icon and is the very embodiment of Canadian values. Born in a displaced persons camp to Holocaust survivors, she became the first Jewish woman on , setting the bar with her landmark constitutional law rulings, and shaping equality and human rights worldwide. She's currently a professor at Harvard Law School and received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from U荔枝视频 in 1990. 

She is considered a trailblazer and changemaker celebrated for her visionary intellectual contributions, and commitment to building equality and equity across Canadian society and beyond. Her achievements are commemorated by the Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella Prize, awarded annually by the to a student from each of Canada鈥檚 23 law schools who, upon graduation, is most likely to positively influence equity and social justice in Canada.

Although Abella became the youngest judge in Canadian history when she was appointed to the role in 1972, today her opinions are considered authoritative and are cited by judges in common law countries around the globe. She earned the prestigious appointment as a Companion to the Order of Canada, in recognition of her national pre-eminence, international service, and extraordinary achievement.

Dr. Eddy Isaacs, PhD

A Fellow at the , Eddy Isaacs has spent his career promoting innovation in energy and environment across Canada, and in forging partnerships between industry, government and academia. He led the Alberta Energy Research Institute as well as , championing critical areas of energy and environmental research. He served on industry boards and as president of the Canadian Academy of Engineers. 

Isaacs has served as co-chair of the Energy Technology Working Group of the Canadian Council of Energy Ministers. He is regularly called upon to provide his expert opinion and insight into Alberta鈥檚 future in energy and environment. He has more than 80 publications and six patents in the energy field and is now a Member of the Order of Canada.

Dr. Gillian Kydd, BEd鈥�82, MEd鈥�96, PhD鈥�04

U荔枝视频 alum Gillian Kydd is an educator, pedagogy innovator and children鈥檚 author. She is the co-founder of the , a 荔枝视频-born innovation that has reshaped approaches to learning and teaching by taking teachers and students out of the classroom and into the community for week-long, hands-on experiences. 

Her innovative approach has inspired and engaged educators and thousands of students, fostering curiosity and lifelong learning across Canada. Since her vision first took flight at the 荔枝视频 Zoo more than three decades ago, other programs based on Kydd鈥檚 teachings have sprung up across Canada and as far away as Singapore.

Kydd鈥檚 appointment as a Member of the Order of Canada reflects her significant contributions to education and community engagement, and is the latest in a long list of accolades that includes a Woman of Vision Award, a 荔枝视频 Awards 鈥� Education, and a YWCA Women of Distinction Award.

Whitney Michelle Rockley, MBA鈥�97 

Alum Whitney Rockley is a pillar of Canada鈥檚 venture capital industry and a valuable member of the U荔枝视频 community, serving as chair of the . Co-founder of , Rockley is a transformative leader who has advanced diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across private capital. As the first woman to chair the in the organization鈥檚 history, she has opened doors for under-represented communities, changing lives and the trajectory of the venture capital industry in Canada.

As CVCA chair, Rockley led the creation of the association鈥檚 first-ever Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce, pushed for transparent industry-wide diversity reporting, and criss-crossed the country speaking to university students 鈥� especially women and BIPOC youth 鈥� about careers in venture capital. Her leadership set the standard for what inclusive investing could look like in Canada, inspiring the next generation of decision-makers, fund builders, and founders.

Dr. Karl Tomm, MD

Karl Tomm, appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada, is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Cumming School of Medicine. He is an internationally recognized leader in the theories and practice of family therapy, and has dedicated over 50 years to teaching and training medical students, psychiatry residents, physicians, psychologists, and clinical social workers.

His groundbreaking frameworks of interpersonal patterns and interventive interviewing have significantly influenced systemic therapy practices for helping families. Currently he is focused on clarifying the effects of social injustice on families, the influence on therapists of the distinctions they make regarding their clients, and on explicating the possible therapeutic and counter-therapeutic effects of the interviewing process itself.

In 1973 he founded the Family Therapy Program in the Faculty of Medicine which became the 荔枝视频 Family Therapy Centre, a non-profit Society in 2004 - a teaching centre that offers services in family therapy free of charge.