Alumni Awards

Graduates from the University of Calgary are changing the world -- from international peacekeeping to space exploration. There are 130,000 alumni doing amazing things in 135 countries around the world.

Accordingly, the U of C Alumni Association champions a number of award programs that recognize alumni achievements or support academic excellence by today's students -- the alumni of tomorrow.

Established in 1985, the Arch Awards is the highest honour bestowed upon our alumni and they recognize the achievements of two outstanding individuals annually with the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Graduate of the Last Decade Award.

The Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA) has been granted since 1985 to extraordinary alumni who have achieved outstanding success in their career fields or communities. This group includes astronaut Robert Thirsk, JAVA architect James Gosling, NASA flight surgeon Doug Hamilton and Mary-Wynne Ashford, a long-time advocate for nuclear disarmament.

The Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award was established in 2003 in recognition of alumni under 35 who have made an early impact in their careers. Past recipients include NASA mission planner Laura Lucier and physician and three-time Olympic medalist Curtis Myden.

In 2006-07, the University of Calgary marked its 40th anniversary. The Alumni Association joined in the festivities by honouring 40 of our top alumni to celebrate with our 40 years.

Thanks to the support of thousands of alumni and friends of the University of Calgary, the Alumni Association has given more than $1.2 million in student awards since 1975. Each year, the association honours 35 to 40 high-achieving students with scholarships and bursaries.