Community leaders among honour bound

UBC graduate and retired B.C. provincial court justice Alfred Scow is
among 10 distinguished individuals to be awarded honorary degrees by UBC during
this year’s Spring Congregation.

Scow was the first aboriginal person to earn a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), practice
law and receive a judicial appointment in British Columbia. He is credited with
performing a major role in educating non-aboriginal people about the legal,
cultural, social and historical issues facing First Nations.

Prominent in the professions and the community, honorary degree recipients
are recognized for distinguished achievements and for their contributions to
the life of the university and the betterment of society.

Sally Aw Sian has steered Sing Tao Holdings to a prominent position
among international media companies, publishing Chinese and English language
newspapers in Hong Kong, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United
States since 1972. Aw is also recognized for her long-standing interest and
participation in community service, health support and education. She has been
a major supporter of the establishment of the Sing Tao School of Journalism
at UBC.

Mario Bernardi, thought of by many as “a musician’s musician” and “an
opera singer’s conductor,” has made enormous contributions to the musical life
of Canada. Bernardi, conductor of the CBC Vancouver Orchestra since 1983, has
long been known to champion the works of Canadian composers either by premiering
piano works or conducting orchestral works, beginning in 1958 when as a soloist
with the CBC Symphony Orchestra he premiered Barbara Pentland’s Piano Concerto.

Cheung-Kok Choi has built a successful career as an industrialist,
businessman and philanthropist in China, Hong Kong and Canada. Choi’s long-standing
commitment to education has had a significant impact on students around the
world. A long-time friend and supporter of UBC, he has established numerous
fellowships, bursaries and prizes in several faculties, including the C.K. Choi
Fellowship in Business Administration and the C.K. Choi Scholarship in Engineering.
The new C. K. Choi Building for the Institute of Asian Research is an important
research facility at UBC made possible through his vision, dedication and generous
support.

Haig Farris is a leader in raising awareness of science and technology,
promoting the knowledge-based industry in B.C. and bringing university research
to the marketplace. Farris was instrumental in the creation of Vancouver’s Science
World as a key member of the founding Board of Directors. A UBC graduate, Farris
has maintained strong ties to campus, serving as an adjunct professor. Active
in the community, Mr. Farris is a director of the Vancouver Opera, chair of
the Science Council of B.C., an advisory board member of the UBC Entrepreneurship
and Venture Capital Research Centre and a member of the Premier’s Advisory Committee
on Science and Technology. He is also president of the UBC Alumni Association.

Clarence (Manny) Jules, born and raised on the Kamloops Indian Reserve,
has served as the spokesperson for his community for more than 20 years.
Jules has demonstrated a visionary and practical approach to many pressing First
Nations issues, including the restoration of economic independence to First
Nations communities and protection of the environment. Working to solve problems
at a local level for the Kamloops Indian Band has led him to develop initiatives
that have become national in scope. He was instrumental is the establishment
of the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources, a national First Nations
environmental organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of
First Nations lands and territories. He played a leading role in establishing
the Indian Taxation Advisory Board, which provides viable on-reserve tax regimes,
largely controlled by First Nations. He is a founding member of the Shuswap
Nation Tribal Council (SNTC), a representative body comprising the chiefs of
several southern Shuswap communities.

Raymond Lemieux is a pioneer in the field of chemistry carbohydrates.
His work has been a key factor in converting this area of research from an academic
specialization to one of great practical significance in the important fields
of blood typing and medical chemistry. He is also credited with laying the foundation
for Western Canada’s growing biotechnology industry. His extraordinary accomplishments
in organic chemistry, biology, medicine, theoretical and physical chemistry
have put him in the forefront of international research for almost five decades.
His original research has led to major developments in immunology, immunochemistry,
and biology. Lemieux’s research and academic careers have taken him to Ohio
State University, the University of Saskatchewan, the National Research Council,
the University of Ottawa and the University of Alberta.

David Lemon‘s passion for the arts is infectious, and he is heralded
as Vancouver’s most eloquent and energetic champion of the arts. An accomplished
businessman, he is owner of The Magic Flute, which specializes in classical
and jazz recordings. Lemon encourages businesses to recognize the value that
artists bring to our community and to support the arts simply because of the
beauty and enjoyment they bring to our lives. He works tirelessly in all aspects
of the arts — music, visual arts and writing. Lemon has successfully staged
numerous cultural events throughout Vancouver and has served on several boards,
including The Vancouver Opera, Vancouver Art Gallery and Vancouver Bach Choir.

Masateru Ohnami, president of Ritsumeikan University in Japan, has
been instrumental in establishing an exchange program between the University
of British Columbia and Ritsumeikan University. As a result of this initiative,
UBC is able to promote Canada-Japan research, teaching and cultural exchanges.
Each year for the last six years, approximately 100 Japanese students have lived
with 100 UBC students at Ritsumeikan-UBC House on campus. As a result of Ohnami’s
international vision, Ritsumeikan University has now become a model for other
international outreach programs in Japan. Ohnami is a distinguished scholar
and researcher, with six books and 200 papers published in various journals
in his field of micro and macro plasticity, and fracture mechanics.

Roy L. Taylor has provided exceptional vision and leadership to the
botanical gardens community in North America for more than 30 years. He is regarded
as a pioneer in horticulture therapy and is internationally renowned for his
work directing botanical gardens. He is best known for his field work on the
flora of the Queen Charlotte Islands

Taylor came to UBC in 1968 as director of the Botanical Garden. In his more
than 17 years with the university he developed this facility into a wonderful
resource for students, researchers and the community. Taylor is currently director
of the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in California.