The University of Alberta Alumni Association is pleased to announce Ms. Krista Monson will receive an Alumni Honour Award for her contributions to the arts as a director, choreographer and instructor, on Thursday, Sept. 24, at the annual Alumni Awards ceremony.
Krista Monson, '91 BA, flexes her creative muscle as "conceptor" and stage director for the world renowned Cirque du Soleil. She began her career in Canada, combining dance, music, theatre and athleticism with musical theatre and international special events. She was the principal choreographer for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2001 IAAF World Championships in Athletics and was featured in a 2012 CNN series entitled Leading Women. Her first position with Cirque was as artistic director of O and she then moved on to be casting director for the circus's resident shows worldwide. One of Monson's most rewarding experiences was conceiving and directing One Night for One Drop, a global philanthropic event to help provide access to clean water and sanitation in developing countries. The show raised more than $2 million. Monson serves on voluntary boards, including advisory boards at Chapman University and the Canadian College of Performing Arts. She is also a proud member of the Académie Francophone de Las Vegas.
Also, the University of Alberta Alumni Association is pleased to announce Mr. Edmond Levasseur will receive an Alumni Centenary Award for his outstanding support of the U of A U School program and Campus St. Jean community outreach programs, on Thursday, Sept. 24, at the annual Alumni Awards ceremony.
Edmond Levasseur, '67 BEd, has spent his life working as an educator, notably in the areas of language, culture and international education. His career included work with various school boards and he was an advocate for language education policy and second-language education. He served on the University of Alberta Senate for two terms. Levasseur was a champion and co-chair of U School, a senate initiative that worked to introduce and connect students in grades 4 through 9 to the U of A. He helped introduce and lead U School, which grew from 75 students to more than 850 within six years. He continues to volunteer at U School. As a francophone and former student of College Saint-Jean, Levasseur was a natural as faculty liaison with Campus Saint-Jean. He served that role for six years and continues to promote the campus and attend events. Levasseur was also a dedicated volunteer in Edmonton's French theatre community. Throughout his career, he has devoted thousands of hours to volunteer work.
The Alumni Association invites all community members to celebrate this outstanding alumna's accomplishments and those of 27 other award recipients at the 2015 Alumni Awards.
Date: Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015Location: Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (11455 87 Ave), Edmonton, Alberta
Time: 7 p.m. - Ceremony with reception to follow
Cost: Free, register for tickets at uab.ca/AlumniAwards
Dress: Business attire
The Alumni Honour Award recognizes the significant contributions made over a number of years by University of Alberta alumni to their profession, their community, to society at large, or to the University of Alberta.