The UBC Alumni Association has named nine outstanding individuals as winners of its annual awards.
The Faculty Citation Award is shared by Thelma Sharp Cook (BEd '58) and Geoffrey Scudder.
Cook, an assistant professor in the Dept. of Educational Studies, has made many contributions within the university, including her role in the development of educational programs for First Nations' students. She has also made significant contributions to many other public and philanthropic organizations.
In the health care field, she has served as chair of the board of trustees of St. Paul's Hospital, chair of the Council of University Teaching Hospitals and chair of the board of directors of the B.C. Health Association.
Scudder, a professor in the Dept. of Zoology, is a leading entomologist, with 190 scientific papers to his credit. He has also served on numerous university committees, performed many wide-ranging professional activities, and was head of the Zoology Dept. for 15 years.
Scudder has also won the Master Teacher Award and President's Service Award for Excellence.
The Alumni Award of Distinction goes to Dato' Lim Say Chong (MBA '65), a well-known and respected Malaysian business leader.
Chong is managing director of the Chemical Company of Malaysia, a diversified chemical and health care group. Among his many other affiliations, he is president of the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry, vice-president of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia and a council member of the ASEAN Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Michael Smith (DSc (Hon) '94), the UBC professor and founding director of the Biotechnology Laboratory who shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993.
Smith received the Nobel for the discovery and development of a technique used in genetic engineering known as site-directed mutagenesis. Since winning his award he has donated his prize money to schizophrenia research and the promotion of women and young people in science.
The Outstanding Young Alumnus Award goes to Jacki Hoffman Zehner (BCom '88), the managing director of the New York investment firm Goldman, Sachs and Company.
Zehner, who was one of the first students admitted to the Commerce and Business Administration faculty's Portfolio Management Society, has been with the Wall Street company, primarily as a trader, for the past eight years. She was the second-youngest person ever made a partner with the company.
The Outstanding Student Award goes to John Cameron, a first-year Law student, Wesbrook Scholar and recipient of the Attorney General's Police Service Award for his work in policing and building ties with Vancouver's Chinatown community.
The Blythe Eagles Volunteer Service Award will be presented to Louanne Twaites (BSc (Pharm) '53), who for many years has been a strong and enthusiastic supporter of the Alumni Association.
Until her recent retirement, Twaites was a clinical pharmacy specialist at Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, UBC Pavilion, and a clinical assistant professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Extremely active in the Alumni Association's pharmacy division, Twaites co-authored a book that chronicled the history of the faculty on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.
The Honorary Alumni Award goes to David and Dorothy Lam. The former lieutenant-governor and his wife have had an enormous impact on British Columbia since arriving here from Hong Kong in 1967. They have provided many substantial gifts to higher education institutions and community projects through their charitable foundations.
Their gifts to UBC include the David Lam Asian Garden, the David Lam Management Research Centre, the David See Chai Lam Management Research Library and the Dorothy C. Lam Chair in Special Education.
The Branch Representative Award goes to Kent Westerberg (BA '84, LLB '87) of the San Francisco branch, who has contributed greatly to the success of the branch through his energy, initiative and creative leadership.