A Magazine for Alumni and Friends
Sabina Hyseni (BSc ’15) has been named among the Centre for Development and Strategy’s 30 Under 30, a list of upcoming leaders positioned to make the world a better place. Hyseni earned the honour for her humanitarian work with the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), where she worked in the private fundraising and partnerships department with the child’s rights and business teams. The Centre for Development and Strategy is a non-partisan think tank focused on delivering research on the intersection between sustainability, development and security.
Latif Murji (BSc ’12) was presented the Canadian Medical Association’s Award for Young Leaders (Student) for his work creating Stand Up for Health, an immersive simulation that gives health care students a better understanding of the social determinants of health through experiential learning. Stand Up for Health participants are placed in the role of Canadians living in poverty and must interact, make choices and solve the challenges of their particular circumstances. The simulation has become an official curricular activity within the University of Toronto and Western University medical programs. In 2015, Murji also received the Canadian Medical Association’s Medical Student Achievement Award while a student at the University of Toronto.
Laurier graduate Emily Rudow (BBA ’11) and her business partner Kayla Nezon entered the Dragons’ Den and came away with a deal on the CBC Television program. Rudow and Nezon are the co-founders of Oneiric Hockey, a company that produces an innovative all-in-one base layer pant that makes dressing for hockey easier. The pair were hoping to secure $50,000 for a 20 per cent equity stake in their company. In the end, they accepted a deal from dragon Manjit Minhas, who passed up an equity stake for a five per cent royalty from sales for five years.
Rahim Ladhani (BA ’10) has been named co-host of CTV Morning Live in Winnipeg. Already a familiar face to television viewers across Manitoba as a former CTV News Winnipeg reporter, Ladhani took on his new role in December. Ladhani has also worked for CTV Calgary and behind the scenes at Hockey Night in Canada.
MLS soccer’s Orlando City SC has promoted Niki Budalic (MBA ’03) to general manager of soccer operations. Budalic previously served as assistant general manager with the organization. Budalic joined Orlando City SC in January 2016 after serving as director of soccer operations for Premier Development League team Kitchener-Waterloo United FC, which won a 2015 national championship. Prior to working with Kitchener-Waterloo United, Budalic enjoyed a lengthy career as a professional soccer player in North America and Europe, at clubs including FK Haugesund in Norway and the Montreal Impact.
Isabelle McLemore (BA ’02) has been appointed vice-president of corporate communications for UFC. McLemore will be responsible for leading the global brand’s strategic development and execution of internal, external and corporate communications. McLemore joined UFC in 2011 as a senior publicist following holding positions with the Canadian Olympic Committee, Women’s Tennis Association and Tennis Canada. Originally from Toronto, McLemore currently resides in Las Vegas.
Vineet Mehra (BBA ’01) has been appointed executive vice-president and chief marketing officer of Ancestry. Mehra joins the company after serving at Johnson & Johnson, where he was global president of the company’s multibillion-dollar flagship baby care business.
Taylor Chomiak (BSc ’00) and his colleagues at the University of Calgary recently made a remarkable discovery of a never-before described form of neuroplasticity. The study, which has garnered international attention, describes a group of brain cells that are intact but functionally disconnected in a brain region implicated in Parkinson’s disease and autism spectrum disorder. The discovery could help scientists understand normal and abnormal neurodevelopment.
The Canadian Opera Company recently announced that Canadian soprano and Laurier graduate Jane Archibald (BMus ’99) will serve as the organization’s artist-in-residence for the 2017-2018 season. During her residency, Archibald will perform one of her most acclaimed roles, as Konstanze in The Abduction from the Seraglio. She will also make two much-anticipated debuts: as Zdenka in Arabella, and as the Nightingale in The Nightingale and Other Short Fables. An internationally renowned artist, Archibald has performed at opera houses around the world, including the Vienna State Opera and London’s Royal Opera House.
The Canadian Meat Council recently elected Troy Warren (BBA ’98) as president and chair of the board though 2018. Warren is currently vice-president, product management, planning and procurement with Maple Leaf Foods.
Brian Bosse (BA ’95), an investment professional with two decades of experience in commodities, as well as both private and public equity, has been appointed to the board of Rockland Minerals Corp.
McMaster University’s Department of Athletics has named Greg Knox (BA ’93)head coach of the school’s football team. Knox had previously served as interim head coach, last season guiding McMaster to a 6-2 record and third-place finish, but eventually suffering a semifinal playoff loss to Laurier. Knox was a 1991 Vanier Cup champion as a player with Laurier and went on to play for the Calgary Stampeders during an eight-year CFL career that saw him win two Grey Cup championships. Prior to taking on his new role with McMaster, Knox in 2015 served as a coach with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Laurier graduate Bev Dietrich (BA ’79) retired after 25 years of service as Guelph Museums curator. During her time with the organization, Dietrich developed a 40,000-artifact collection, as well as a collection management practice that became the envy of museums across Canada. Dietrich generously shared her expertise with colleagues across the province as course director for the Ontario Museum Association’s collection management course. In 2011, she received the Ontario Museum Association Award of Excellence for lifetime achievement.
Sandra Pady (BA ’65), founder of The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada, a Guelph institution that has served rescuing donkeys since 1992, published her book The Donkeys and Me: A Memoir. The new work looks at Pady’s evolving view on the rights of animals.