Accomplishments of BU faculty, alumni to be recognized at Convocation

Several members of the Brandon University (BU) community will be recognized for their contributions to knowledge and education during this week’s Spring Convocation ceremonies.

The award presentations are a key part of the annual celebration at BU’s Healthy Living Centre, complementing the focal point of Convocation, the bestowment of degrees on a new class of Brandon University graduates.

This year’s awards recipients are:

The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Bill and Lana Myers.

Dr. Bill and Lana Myers are longtime supporters of Brandon University. Lana graduated from BU with a Bachelor of Arts in 1968 and a Bachelor of Education in 1991. She has served as a member of the Board of Governors at BU as well as the Brandon University Foundation. She was an active member of the BU Alumni Association (BUAA) from 1994 to 20111 and was presented with the BUAA Exceptional Service Award in 2014. with Friday morning.

Bill studied pre-medicine at Brandon College for two-years before continuing his education at the University of Manitoba and going on to a career as a surgeon, serving as head of the Department of Surgery and Chief of Staff for the Brandon Regional Health Authority. Bill has been a member of the BU Foundation from 2011 to present, serving on the Foundation’s management committee from 2017 to 2025 and as its president from 2017 to 2021. He received the Foundation’s Outstanding Fundraising Award in 2014 and was recognized with its highest recognition, the Honorary Trustee Apex Award, earlier this month.

Bill and Lana Myers will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during the Friday Morning ceremony.

The Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Community Service will be presented to Megumi Masaki.

Megumi Masaki is a Professor of Piano in the School of Music, the artistic director of the E-Gré National Music Competition and the founder and director of the Brandon University New Music Festival. Her work acts as a catalyst for dialogue and change on human rights and environmental issues. Masaki has been a board director for the Canadian Music Centre, and she has been an adjudicator for several organizations and competitions, including Manitoba and Canadian arts councils, the JUNO Awards and the Western Canadian Music Awards. She is also part of the National Witness/Structural Change Group, focused on dialogue about decolonization, inclusion and cultural responsibility.

Megumi Masaki will receive the Board of Governors Award for Community Service in absentia during the Thursday morning ceremony.

The Senate Award for Excellence in Teaching will be presented to Wendy Zander.

Dr. Wendy Zander is a Professor in the Joint Department of Music Education and the director of the BU Symphonic Band. Zander values professional development in music education and performance and is the faculty advisor for the BU Student Music Educators Association. She organizes an annual summer workshop on band education and delivers clinics across Canada. She was lead writer of the Manitoba Grade 9—12 Music Curriculum Framework and is a former president of the Manitoba and Canadian band associations.

Wendy Zander will receive the Senate Award for Excellence in Teaching during the Thursday morning ceremony.

The Senate Award for Excellence in Research will be presented to Candice Waddell-Henowitch

Dr. Candice Waddell-Henowitch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatric Nursing. She leads the Rural, Remote and Northern Gendered-Violence Research program, focusing on the experiences of survivors of gendered violence and how health-care system can support them. Her team created the graphic novel It Happened to Me & It’s Not OK: Sharing Stories of Sexual Violence. The team’s work has led to the creation of A Guide to Intimate Violence and Sexual Violence Resources in Rural, Remote and Northern Manitoba, which has been adopted by support organizations across the province. 

Candice Waddell-Henowitch will receive the Senate Award for Excellence in Research in absentia during the Friday morning ceremony.

The BUAA Award for Excellence in Teaching will be presented to Christopher J. Schneider.

Dr. Christopher J. Schneider is a Professor in the Department of Sociology. His teaching and research have focused largely on information technologies and related changes to police work. He has written or collaborated on nine books and published more than 100 scholarly papers and essays, including numerous pieces related specifically to teaching and learning. He incorporates his research into the classroom where his primary focus is teaching students how to think by critically assessing information. He believes that teaching students how to think enables a lifetime of learning.

Christopher J. Schneider will receive the BUAA Award for Excellence in Teaching during the Friday afternoon ceremony.

Additionally, BU alumna Kelsey Zimmerman of Morris School will be the recipient of a Distinguished Teacher Award, to be presented during the Thursday afternoon ceremony. Distinguished Teacher Awards are given each year during Convocation to outstanding educators from Manitoba’s K-12 system.

The Convocation celebration will also include the presentation of an honorary degree to Verna DeMontigny. DeMontigny will be honoured during Friday’s afternoon ceremony in recognition of her contributions to Métis language and culture.

A total of 530 Brandon University graduates will receive their degrees during four ceremonies over the course of two days at Spring Convocation. Ceremonies at the Healthy Living Centre will take place on Thursday, May 28 at 10 a.m. (Science and Music) and 2 p.m. (Education), and on Friday, May 29 at 10 a.m. (Health Studies) and 2 p.m. (Arts).

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