Letters from the Presidents
ALUMNI NEWS MAGAZINE | Summer 2022
It’s been a busy, and exciting, past few months for the Associated Alumni.
On April 7, after a two-year hiatus, we celebrated 15 alumni and one alumni group who have distinguished themselves in their careers and in their volunteer work. The Proudly UNB Awards returned in person, and it was so wonderful to recognize the 2020 and 2022 recipients at a ceremony in their honour. We’ve profiled them and shared some pictures in this issue.
I began my term as alumni president in the middle of the pandemic, and as much as I enjoyed meeting alumni at virtual events, nothing compares to being able to speak and reminisce with them in person.
In May, I had the honour of addressing and welcoming more than 1,500 new alumni to the family. From May 25 to May 27, UNB held its first in-person graduation ceremonies since 2019, and even though everyone was wearing masks, the smiles on the faces of the graduates were very evident.
During Saint John convocation, and the following week on the Fredericton campus, more than 100 graduates from 2020 and 2021 walked across the stage and shared their tremendous accomplishments with their families, friends and supporters.
The UNB Associated Alumni has a rich and proud tradition of keeping alumni connected with each other and with the university through its reunion activities. More than 500 UNBers came home from June 2 to 5. The first spring reunion weekend was filled with activities and opportunities to reconnect and remember the good old days. At the signature reunion weekend event, the lobster boil, more than 200 people, from different grad years, generations and programs came together to enjoy a celebration of tradition, memories and friendships.
My favourite part of reunion weekend was stories from our alumni of their time spent at UNB — each one a reminder of the role the people and places at UNB have played in helping to shape their lives.
While it is always great to gather on our beautiful Fredericton campus, something
I have learned over the years is that UNB is wherever our people – students, alumni, and faculty – are making a difference in the world. And we now have a strong and committed network of over 96,000 alumni making a difference in communities all over the world.
Over the next couple of years, the Associated Alumni, with the help of alumni, is undertaking an exciting and necessary project. The Alumni Memorial Building – formerly known as the Memorial Student Centre - where many of you would have spent time as a student is undergoing renovations. We’re updating and upgrading the Alumni Lounge and Presidents’ Tartan Room.
These two spaces are used throughout the year by faculty, staff, students and community members, for celebrations, gatherings and meetings. With the return to in-person events on our campuses, it has become a priority to update the space for the continued enjoyment of our alumni and university community.
Work will begin this fall, and I am excited about the events we will all share in this beautifully updated space. We are looking to you, our alumni, to help us provide the funding to get this project done. For every dollar donated by alumni, the Associated Alumni Council will match with two dollars. Together, we can honour the memories of the Memorial Student Centre, while ensuring future generations of UNBers can enjoy this treasure for years to come.
ASSOCIATED ALUMNI
Celebrating our 2020 and 2022 award recipients.
ALUMNI PROFILE
Madawaska Maliseet First Nation awarded the largest federal land claim settlement in Maritime history.
