UBC Reports | Vol. 48 | No. 8 | June 6, 2002

UBC Alumni Recognize Outstanding Achievers

Martha Piper among recipients.

By Hilary Thomson

Researchers, politicians and community leaders are among the nine recipients of this year's UBC Alumni Association awards.

Victor Ling (PhD '69), vice-president, Research at BC Cancer Agency, is the recipient of the Alumni Award for Research.

Internationally renowned for his research of how cancer cells develop immunity to chemotherapy drugs, Ling is co-director of the Genome Sequence Centre, the first research facility in Canada devoted to decoding human genes.

The Alumni Award of Distinction was given to Roy MacLaren (BA '55), a former federal minister and member of the Foreign Service.

MacLaren has also worked in the private sector in a variety of executive positions. His Cabinet positions include Minister of State for Finance and Minister for National Revenue.

Recently he has served as High Commissioner for Canada to UK and Northern Ireland.

The Blythe Eagles Volunteer Leadership Award was given to Haig Farris (BA '60, LLB '97).

Farris is a leader in raising awareness of science and technology in B.C. He has served as chair of the Science Council of B.C. and of the founding capital campaign for Science World.

A significant contributor to UBC, Farris was a former president of the Alumni Association.

Rehabilitation Sciences Prof. Susan Harris earned the Faculty Citation Community Service Award.

An organizer and participant in the first dragon boat team of breast cancer survivors, Harris has helped to inspire more than 25 such teams around the world. She has also served as a community educator and advocate on breast cancer issues.

The Honorary Alumnus Award goes to retired surgeon and philanthropist Wallace Chung (D.Sc '94) and UBC President Martha Piper.

Chung served as head of the Dept. of Surgery at Vancouver Hospital and UBC Faculty of Medicine. In 1999, he and his wife donated to UBC Library the extensive Chung Collection of Canadian Pacific Railway memorabilia that documents both the Asian experience in North America and West Coast history.

Before becoming UBC's president in 1997, Martha Piper served as vice-president, Research and External Affairs at the University of Alberta following an academic career specializing in child development and physical therapy. Instrumental in advancing Canada's innovation agenda, Piper is a member of the Board of the Advisory Council on Science and Technology and of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. She is also a member of the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation and the B.C. Progress Board.

The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Garde B. Gardom (LLB '49, BA '49, LLD '02). He became B.C.'s attorney general in 1975 after serving as a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1966-83. Gardom served as agent-general for B.C. in the United Kingdom and Europe, and as lieutenant governor from 1995-2001.

Law graduate Miranda Lam was given the Outstanding Student Award. Active on many committees to improve academic and student life, Lam was graduating class valedictorian and the recipient of a YWCA Young Woman of Distinction award.

Janice Eng (BSR'85) earned the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. An assistant professor of Physiotherapy, Eng is a leading Canadian researcher in the rehabilitation of persons with stroke, spinal cord injury and diseases affecting motor control.