KSR 2020 Alumni Award Recipients
21 September 2020
University of Alberta alumni around the globe uphold the promise to use their education "for the public good" through their professional achievements, community service and innovation. The Alumni Awards recognize these contributions and tell the stories of our exceptional alumni, inspiring us all to Do Great Things.
The Alumni Awards Ceremony has historically been hosted during Alumni Weekend. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the 2020 ceremony will be postponed to late February/early March 2021 in the hope of an in-person celebration for our recipients. Watch for details and full profile stories in the coming months!
Alumni Honour Award
Recognizes the significant achievements and contributions over a number of years by University of Alberta alumni to their profession and/or their community.
David Legg, '00 PhD
There is a joy of effort in sport, and for more than 20 years, David Legg has ensured that everyone is able to enjoy this fundamental right. In 1995, as a PhD student at the U of A’s Steadward Centre, Legg decided to channel his career and leadership skills into creating sport opportunities for people living with a disability. He volunteers regularly, whether it’s creating adapted programs for children or presiding over the Canadian Paralympic Committee board of directors. A professor at Mount Royal University, Legg motivates students to think about how they can include a person with a disability in their facility or program. Thanks to Legg’s genuine desire to make things better, the joy of sport is increasingly available to all Canadians
H.A. "Art" Quinney, 74' PhD
Wellness and active living may be buzzwords these days, but to Art Quinney, they’re just common sense. During almost five decades at the U of A, Quinney went from the classroom to the dean’s chair to the top levels of university administration while leading initiatives that have made Alberta a physical activity and fitness leader. The campus physical fitness testing centre he established in 1982 grew into today’s provincial certification unit, and the 1989 Centre for Well-Being evolved into the Alberta Centre for Active Living. Both are examples of his leadership in promoting health, wellness and active living in Alberta, Canada and around the world. Meanwhile, Quinney’s problem-solving skills helped the university through difficult financial times, while his abilities to listen and laugh were prized by students.
Heidi Susanne Coleman, '05 BA, '09 BEd
Heidi Susanne Coleman (Kulak) isn’t the first sister to put up with brotherly headlocks, but she might be the only one who could pin her brothers to a mat. A star wrestler for the Pandas from 2000 to 2005, Coleman grew up in a family of wrestlers from Whitecourt, Alta., and took up the sport as well. Her strength and competitive spirit made her a five-time Canada West medallist — including three gold — and led her to numerous podium appearances during interuniversity, national and international competitions. The four-time MVP spent three years as an assistant coach for the Pandas while she earned her education degree. Coleman then returned to Whitecourt to work as a teacher and, coming full circle, to coach alongside one of her own high school wrestling coaches.
Shandra Doran, '97 BSc(Spec), '05 PhD
In emergency departments and on volleyball courts, you never know what is coming next. This is perfect for Shandra Doran, a self-described adrenaline junkie who helped the Pandas volleyball team win four back-to-back national championships from 1995 to 1998. After making the team in 1993, the outside hitter quickly became a player to count on when pressure was high. In addition to the Pandas, she played for the Canadian national team as well as professionally in Tokyo before injuries put her future on a new path. Today, Doran is an emergency doctor at the University of Alberta Hospital, a trauma team leader, STARS physician and is involved with Edmonton Emergency Zone leadership. She is still a regular face on campus, giving medical advice to today’s Pandas and involved in clinical teaching with tomorrow’s physicians.
Daniel G. Syrotuik, '75 MSc, '84 PhD
Daniel Syrotuik came to Alberta in 1973 as an Edmonton Eskimos draft pick, but his legacy is as a game builder. As an assistant coach for the Golden Bears football team, he helped lead them to three Canada West championships, two Vanier Cup appearances and one national title. His coaching career started in 1976 as a grad student and continued off and on until his 2012 retirement as a professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation. It also overlapped a remarkable, four-decade volunteer career that saw him tackle sport development with Football Alberta and Football Canada, including the creation of football’s first National Coaching Certification Program. Whether in the field, class or boardroom, Syrotuik’s energy and expertise have boosted football in Alberta and across Canada.
Pandas Hockey, '01 -'07
For 123 games, the Pandas hockey team couldn’t be beaten. The unmatched streak began in October 2001, garnered them three national championships and came to a heartbreaking end during the title match in March 2005. The team made good on its vow to regain the national championship the following year — then, for good measure, won it again in March 2007. The Pandas are the only women’s hockey team in history to win three consecutive national championships; the 2001-07 dynasty's five titles in six years is more than any other team has racked up to date. Its members are described as a who’s who of women’s hockey in Alberta, with a Panda named MVP in every year. Off-ice, they were equally high achieving, with many Pandas selected as Academic All-Canadians each year. Today, they are lawyers, business women, professors, coaches, Olympic gold medallists and more. Many, including coach Howie Draper, are still involved in the game, inspiring the next generation of women’s hockey.