In February Julie is receiving a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Victoria along with 12 other alumni. Julie completed her Masters of Science at the University of Victoria in 2001, researching the rare genetic disease Gaucher Disease in the laboratory of Dr. Francis Choy.
On Feb. 5, at the Songhees Wellness Centre, the alumni will be presented with the UVic Distinguished Alumni Awards. Award recipients were chosen by members of their faculties and Julie was elected by the Library Faculty. The event is open to the public and free to attend, however registration by Jan 31 is required. Click here for more information on the event and registering.
Julie will also be giving a public talk on Feb 6th at the University of Victoria. Titled “Dream, Dare, Do – How Adventure, Science and Entrepreneurship Became a Career”, it is described as follows:
What do adventure, science and entrepreneurship have in common? Growing up, an only child of immigrants from Syria and Germany, Julie could never have imagined what her career would eventually be. But that is the beauty of living in Canada, where we have the opportunity to pursue our dreams and create a career of disparate fields that satisfy our passions. Join Julie as she takes you on her adventures rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, sailing the Mediterranean with an infant and crossing Europe by rowboat. Learn how her science background is essential to observing the environments she travels through and detailing them in her bestselling books and documentaries. Understand why entrepreneurship is pivotal to making this career possible, from organizing expeditions to creating national film tours to forming a company to sell unique boat designs. Julie shows us how we can all do more to embrace the motif dream, dare, do and live our lives with passion and purpose.
The talk is free to attend, however it is already sold out. You can click here to find out more about the event and see if there have been any cancellations. Also you can show up at the door and attendees will be let in on if capacity allows due to no shows.
Below is a list of the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award winners. It is an honour to be included with so many outstanding people.
Award winners are:
Mike Corrigan, MBA 2000, Business
Once drafted by the Detroit Red Wings, Corrigan now leads Interferry, an international trade group representing the world’s ferry industry. Previously, he spent 14 years with B.C. Ferries, the last five as president before retiring in 2017.
Lucy Bell, MA 2016,Continuing Studies
Known as Sdaahl K’awaas, Bell heads the First Nations Department and Repatriation Program at the Royal B.C. Museum. A member of the Haida Nation, she is a founding member of the Haida Heritage and Repatriation Society.
Jeffrey Hopkins, BA 1991, Education
Hopkins has been a counsellor, vice-principal, principal, school district superintendent and B.C.’s first Safe Schools Co-ordinator. He is also the founder and principal of the independent Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry.
Marinos Stylianou, PhD 1993, Engineering
The CEO of S-Frame Software and developer of the Finite Element Analysis engine used in structural design work, Stylianou has proven himself a keen supporter of undergraduate education.
Carli and Julie Kennedy, BMus 2008, Fine Arts
Carli and Julie are identical twins who have formed the award-winning roots/country duo Twin Kennedy. Natives of Victoria, the two women recently relocated to Nashville. They now record, tour and perform in Canada and the U.S.
Andrée Lacasse, BCYC 2014, Human and Social Development
Lacasse helped found the Isa Mundo Foundation, which assists children, families and communities around the world. She is also a manager of policy in Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.
Tamara Napoleon, LLB 2007, Humanities
With a strong focus on economic development and governance, Napoleon sees the law as key to empowering First Nations Peoples, especially women. She is a board member for several organizations, including Aboriginal Mother Centre.
Merle Alexander, LLB 1999, Law
A lawyer, legal reformer and hereditary chief of the Tsimshian Nation, Alexander is known around the world for his work on Indigenous rights and reconciliation.
Julie Angus, MSc 2001, Library
Scientist, adventurer, author and regular guest on TV and radio, Angus is the first woman to row across the Atlantic. She also organized a National Geographic expedition along ancient Phoenician trading routes to study the spread of the olive tree.
Dr. Ian Courtice, BSc 1980, Medical Sciences
Now on the anesthesiology staff at Victoria General and Royal Jubilee Hospitals, Courtice has also been president of various medical organizations, including the B.C. Medical Association.
Daryll Harrison, PhD 1987, Science
One of the first graduates of UVic’s chemistry co-op program, Harrison embarked on a successful career with NOVA Chemicals as a research scientist and in several senior management positions.
Ry Moran, BA 2002, Social Sciences
A member of the Métis Nation, Moran is the director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, a writer and a broadcaster. He was also instrumental in the founding of the Indigenous Archive.
