Medical and philanthropic leaders from the UBC community are among the 57 new appointments to the Order of Canada, one of Canada’s highest civilian honours.
The appointees include Dr. Larry Goldenberg and Michael Audain. Goldenberg, named as a Member of the Order of Canada, is a professor and head of UBC’s Department of Urologic Sciences. He is honoured for his contributions to prostate cancer research and treatment, and for promoting awareness of the disease.
Dr. Goldenberg graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine in 1978 and completed his urological training at UBC. He established the world-renowned Vancouver Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, and took the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s Division of Urology to departmental status in 2006.
Meanwhile, developer and UBC alumnus and donor Michael Audain was named as an Officer of the Order of Canada for contributions to the visual arts in Canada. Audain, the Chairman of B.C.’s Polygon Homes Ltd., is also the founder and Chair of the Audain Foundation, which has supported the visual arts and cultural initiatives in B.C. for more than a decade.
In December 2009, the Audain Foundation gave $2.5 million to UBC’s Museum of Anthropology (MOA) to support its capital renewal project, entitled A Partnership of Peoples. Including this contribution, Audain has given $5 million to UBC initiatives. Audain studied social work at UBC in the 1960s.
In recognition of his latest gift, MOA renamed its major temporary exhibit gallery the Audain Gallery.
The Governor General, Michaëlle Jean, announced the new appointments to the Order of Canada on December 30, 2009.
