Arch Awards nominations accepted until Feb. 29

By Matthew Fox

Wanting to help raise the profile of the University of Calgary in a positive way, Ken Zdunich, BSc’71, DipEd’73, was compelled in early 2005 to nominate his former classmate and longtime friend, Ken Storey, BSc’71, for the U of C’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

The Canada Research Chair in Molecular Physiology and professor of biochemistry at Carleton University, Storey has, over his 35-year career, become one of the world’s most frequently-cited biologists whose research has led to innovations in areas ranging from organ transplants to reducing diabetes complications.

“By nominating Ken, I wanted to help ensure that the success of U of C grads, especially in science, became better recognized in the global community,” says Zdunich, today a management consultant.
Zdunich’s nomination led to Storey being named the 2007 DAA recipient last June in his final year of eligibility (each nomination stands for three years).

The Distinguished Alumni Award and the Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) award, collectively known as the Arch Awards, represent the university’s highest honour for its 125,000 graduates by recognizing lifetime achievement and early career success.

Anyone can nominate an alum for the 2008 Arch Awards until Feb. 29 and the brief nomination form is at http://www.archawards.com/. The two recipients will be announced in May and celebrated at a gala in downtown Calgary June 5.

Previous Arch Award recipients are an elite group of just 29 graduates.