Home » Engage Magazine | Summer 2024

Engage Magazine | Summer 2024

Your generosity is changing lives across SFU and our communities. Donors like you are invigorating the student experience through study abroad and global research opportunities, supporting Indigenous changemakers through land-based learning initiatives, advancing understanding on the human health impacts of B.C. wildfires, invigorating artistic discovery and engagement, and more. Thank you for your exceptional leadership!

INSIDE THE MAGAZINE

Explore the impact of philanthropy at SFU in the stories below.

Message from the Vice-President, Advancement and Alumni Engagement

"Your generosity is making a big difference for SFU students and what’s next for our university.

We are grateful to partner with you in addressing the complex challenges of our times and building an inclusive, sustainable future.

Students are at the heart of all we do at SFU. For almost 60 years, they have energized our campuses and communities with their fearless optimism and intense inquiry..."

READ ERIN MORANTZ'S MESSAGE

People of SFU: Meet Annette Santos

Annette Santos and her teams work across the university and with the external community to support the educational journeys of students inside and outside of the classroom. As an SFU alumnus (BA ’01), long-time staff member and current EMBA student, Annette is driven by a generous, collaborative spirit and a commitment to create meaningful connections within the SFU community.

MEET ANNETTE SANTOS

Supporting land-based learning for Indigenous business students

With donor support, the IBL EMBA is delivering select classes hosted by Indigenous communities, providing students with transformative experiences that honour nationhood and sovereignty.

Launched in 2012 as the first graduate program of its kind in North America, the IBL EMBA prepares and empowers experienced Indigenous leaders, professionals and managers for today’s changing global business environment.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE

New award nurtures artists to push creative limits

“It is truly an honour and so meaningful to receive this award, particularly during this last stage of my undergraduate journey,” says Kaleb, who recently completed his fourth and final year in SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) visual arts program.

“The financial support is greatly appreciated, however, knowing my efforts and creative practice are valued and that someone believes in my talent—that they believe art is worthwhile—is even more powerful. It’s motivation to keep doing what I love.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS AWARD

Meet the physicians helping lead the journey to B.C.'s new medical school

The SFU School of Medicine intends to train a new generation of physicians to add much-needed capacity to B.C.’s health-care system while re-envisioning medical education to better support community-embedded, socially accountable and culturally safe care. 

In late 2023, Fraser Health hired two physicians, Dr. Navreen Gill, a family physician, and Dr. Anastasia Neufeld, an ophthalmologist and surgeon, to bring strategic medical leadership as the medical school moved toward Senate and Board of Governors approval, which was granted in May 2024.

MEET THE PHYSICIANS

Bridging continents for critical international climate research

Through generous support from the Jenabai Hussainali Shariff Family Awards, SFU students are visiting AKU-ACER for a once-in-a-lifetime experiential learning opportunity to broaden their perspectives, collaborate with local scholars and make a positive impact on the planet.

“International engagement helps raise awareness about climate change and address food security. Most importantly, it allows students from different parts of the world to meet and work together in finding solutions,” says Aziz Shariff.

MORE ABOUT THIS ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY

SFU Students: Building a better world

Every student is a valued member of the diverse and growing SFU community. The support of generous friends and alumni like you can fuel their SFU experience, helping them become our next generation of leaders who will advance a more inclusive, sustainable world.

LEARN ABOUT OUR FUTURE ALUMNI

Addressing the urgent human health impacts of B.C. wildfires

Climate change is bringing more frequent and severe wildfires to B.C., prompting health authorities to sound the alarm about worsening impacts of smoke and extreme heat—especially for the province’s most vulnerable people.

As the Legacy for Airway Health Chair in Promotion of Lung Health, SFU professor Stephanie Cleland is part of a burgeoning movement to better understand and adapt to these pressing challenges.

LEARN ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT RESEARCH

Uplifting students in need

Marie-Éloïse Leclair is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in health sciences and minoring in Indigenous studies. A sprinter on the SFU track team and the Paris 2024 Canadian Olympic team, she is also one of our many students for whom receiving a bursary has made a big difference. 

“Receiving a bursary is such a privilege,” Marie-Éloïse says. “I am very grateful for the tremendous impact of the bursary on my life as an SFU student. It provides me financial stability so that I can fully focus on my studies. I am profoundly grateful for [this] generous support.”

LEARN ABOUT THE POSITIVE AFFECTS OF BURSARIES

Preserving Vancouver’s community-engaged art history

For close to 50 years, Terry Hunter and Savannah Walling have created a repertoire and nurtured the artistic spirit of the Downtown Eastside, one of the city’s most historic, diverse and socially-complex neighbourhoods.

“Over the years, we gathered materials about amazing productions and festivals showcasing creativity coming out of the Downtown Eastside cultural community,” says Savannah.

To ensure this rich history is preserved for future generations, the couple are donating their expansive archive to SFU Library’s Special Collections and Rare Books.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TERRY & SAVANNAH

Fostering global perspective: A Q&A about paying it forward with alumnus Allan Merrill

Through a generous gift to establish the Merrill Family Global Campus Experience at SFU, Allan is now ensuring that other undergraduate students in the Beedie School of Business can benefit from study abroad opportunities.

"My path at SFU and beyond was made possible by the financial aid I was fortunate to receive at the time. Financial obstacles are very real for most students and can prevent them from benefitting from all that SFU has to offer. I was inspired to give back specifically to help more students benefit from the transformative experience of studying abroad."

READ THE Q&A WITH ALLAN MERRILL

Raising the bar to improve food security for students

Thanks to the incredible support of donors and community partners, this year’s Surrey Community Mixer raised over $39,000—including $25,000 from the Surrey Fire Fighter's Charitable Society—toward the SFU Food Security Program, ensuring struggling SFU students can access the comfort and health of good food.

LEARN MORE

Meet SFU’s 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award recipients

SFU’s honourees this year are Kluane Adamek (Aagé), a visionary leader and the youngest woman to hold the title of Yukon Regional Chief; Anne Giardini, a business executive, lawyer, writer and community advocate who served as SFU’s chancellor; Elio Luongo, an esteemed CEO, international board director, and advisor dedicated to creating opportunities for Canadians and improving equity in the boardroom; and Poh Tan, an entrepreneur and scientist advancing more inclusive STEM education.

MEET THESE OUTSTANDING ALUMMI

SFU news & research

Catch up on some of the latest SFU news and research headlines.

READ THE HEADLINES

The bold and the Bard

Over five days in February 1977, Patrick Stewart and Ben Kingsley—alongside Sheila Allen, Juliet Aykroyd and Richard Pasco—engaged in a whirlwind of workshops, lectures and seminars and performed six plays that attracted more than 1,900 theatre fans to the Burnaby campus.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR VISIT TO SFU

Inspiring future leaders: a charter alumnus’ legacy

“Investing in education was not just a good deed; it was a logical choice—an investment in the future.”

In the bustling mid-1960s, Brian Martin embarked on an unconventional journey that would shape not only his career but also his lifelong commitment to philanthropy.

READ ABOUT BRIAN'S EXPERIENCE

How to plan to reduce taxes on your estate: Part one in a three-part series

As the old saying goes, the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. By planning for tomorrow today, you can retain more of your assets, protect your estate and leave a lasting legacy (for your family and charitable organizations that you love). In this first instalment in a three-part series, we look at some ways to minimize taxes at death. Please note these tips are intended for a Canadian resident who is not a U.S. citizen. 

LEARN FROM OUR EXPERT PAMELA YOON

Gibson Art Museum construction progresses; design earns national recognition

Thanks to the tremendous generosity of SFU donors and outstanding community support, construction on the Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum is well underway. Set to open in 2025, the project is already beginning to transform the landscape of the university’s Burnaby campus.

LEARN MORE

In memoriam

It is with deep sadness that we share the loss of Cathy Daminato, cherished friend and inaugural Vice-President of Advancement and Alumni Engagement, who passed away in late February, after a courageous battle with cancer.

A person of many talents, Cathy is remembered for her warmth, compassion, and humour, as well as for her extraordinary leadership in the fundraising community.

READ MORE ABOUT CATHY

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