Murad Al-Katib (BComm'94)

Lifetime Achievement Award

Widely known as the “Lentil King of Saskatchewan,” Murad Al-Katib (BComm’94) is an exceptional entrepreneur who has revolutionized the province’s agricultural industry by connecting local producers to international markets. Drawing on his personal background, his USask education, and his business acumen, Al-Katib has established pulses as an integral Saskatchewan export, building a global supply chain for locally grown plant-based proteins.

In the mid-1960s, Al-Katib’s parents immigrated from Türkiye to Saskatchewan, settling in 1969 in Davidson, his father as a British-trained doctor and mother who soon became an elected community activist in rural municipal politics. Murad was born in Davidson and his family also ran a family farm. Watching his parents serve their community deeply impacted Al-Katib, who went on to become a student at the Edwards School of Business with the goal of giving back to his home province. Read more.

Dr. Jim Dosman (BA'59, MD'63, MA'69)

Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Jim Dosman (BA’59, MD’63, MA’69) is considered the “Father of Agricultural Medicine” in Canada for his contributions to the health and wellbeing of patients in Saskatchewan and beyond. A highly regarded clinician-scientist, Dosman recognized a need in his home community related to health and safety in the agricultural industry and began investigating the impacts of respiratory diseases in farm environments. With the vision of putting his research into action, he shone a bright light on these pressing issues, raising awareness and developing programs to prevent and treat agricultural-related health conditions.

Dosman grew up on a Saskatchewan farm, attending school in Annaheim, Sask., before enrolling at St. Peter’s College in Muenster, Sask. He later attended USask, where he graduated from the College of Medicine in 1963. For four years he practiced as a family doctor before specializing in respiratory medicine at McGill University in Montreal. One of Dosman’s first respiratory research studies introduced the concept that grain dust can damage lungs, and his early work resulted in the Canadian Grain Dust Medical Surveillance Program, a historic federal program protecting workers highly exposed in grain elevators. Read more.

Judy Pelly (BEd'85)

Lifetime Achievement Award

Lifelong educator Makate Pinasek (Judy Pelly, BEd’85) has inspired people around the world through her contributions to a legacy of learning and Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. Highly respected as a force for positive change, Pelly’s tireless work in the community creates a ripple effect among the people she meets. In her retirement, she is dedicated to working with more than 30 organizations to provide cultural guidance on Truth and Reconciliation.

Pelly helped make national change in 2020 when her great-niece, Isabella Kulak, was shamed for wearing a ribbon skirt to a formal dress day at her elementary school. After hearing about this experience, Pelly shared Isabella’s story on social media in a way that invited change and community participation, turning a negative experience into a call to action that garnered global support. As a result of the advocacy of Pelly, Isabella, and their family members, the National Ribbon Skirt Day bill was passed in Canada in 2022. Held each year, on January 4, National Ribbon Skirt Day provides an opportunity for people across the country to recognize, learn about, and celebrate the importance of Indigenous traditions and expressions of culture. Read more.

Andrew Chau (BComm'09)

Outstanding Impact Award

Andrew Chau (BComm’09) is a visionary tech entrepreneur who co-founded SkipTheDishes and Neo Financial—two of the most successful tech startups to come out of the Prairies. During a time when there was less activity in tech innovation in Saskatchewan, SkipTheDishes showed that innovation and outstanding entrepreneurial ideas with international impact can be built, and blossom, right here at home.

A testament to the power of humble, hard work, Chau developed an entrepreneurial mindset from a young age. He learned the value of building one’s future in business by working alongside his parents in the Saskatoon restaurant they owned and operated for 30 years. Read more. 

Neal Kewistep (MPA'11)

Outstanding Impact Award

Neal Kewistep (MPA’11) is someone who lives his values every day, using his education to help advocate for Truth and Reconciliation and for the wellbeing of Indigenous communities across Saskatchewan. A member of the Yellow Quill First Nation, Kewistep was the first First Nation student to join the newly formed Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS) in 2009. There, he completed the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at the school’s University of Saskatchewan campus. He came to the graduate program with a strong foundation of traditional teachings from Elders and with the goal of further enhancing his knowledge of the role of a servant leader. Read more.

Dr. Arinjay Banerjee (PhD'18)

One to Watch Award

Dr. Arinjay Banerjee (PhD’18) is an innovative scientist who aims to protect humans and animals through his influential work in One Health—the study of the interaction between human, animal, and environmental health. An award-winning virologist and a leader in the field of comparative immunology, Banerjee’s research group at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at USask investigates how emerging zoonotic viruses, such as coronaviruses, impact human and bat health.

In 2018, Banerjee completed his PhD at USask, where his doctoral thesis on bat-coronavirus interactions was awarded the Best Life Sciences thesis award and the Governor General’s Gold Medal. He undertook postdoctoral training at McMaster University, during which time he was appointed as a visiting scientist at the University of Toronto to join the fight against COVID-19. Read more.

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Award design

The use of greystone is intentional in our Alumni Achievement award. You might recognize it as the defining feature found on many USask buildings.

What does it mean?

We caught up with influential past award winners to see what being a USask Alumni Achievement Award winner has meant to them.

Past recipients

Who are Alumni Achievement Award winners? They are leaders in their fields and being what the world needs.