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Simon Fraser University will honor the following eight individuals for their outstanding contributions to B.C. and Canada at convocation ceremonies in June and October:

Victor Ling’s discovery of a protein that resists anti-cancer drugs revolutionized cancer therapy and research into chemotherapy resistance. His ground-breaking research not only helped scientists unravel the genetic basis of cancer but also gave hope to cancer sufferers who don’t respond well to existing cancer treatment. Dr. Ling serves as vice-president of research at the B.C. Cancer Agency, and is co-director of the Genome Sequence Centre there.
Two-time Nobel prize nominee Theodore Maiman pioneered the field of photonics when he invented the world’s first operational laser in 1960. Today, lasers are found in all aspects of life, from supermarket scanners to surgical procedures. Now living in Vancouver, Dr. Maiman has been an enthusiastic participant in the local scientific and high-tech community.
Order of Canada recipient and Vancouver resident Cornelia Oberlander is Canada’s premier landscape architect, internationally celebrated for her natural and environmentally-responsible public landscapes. Her most recent projects include Canada’s future embassy in Berlin and the New York Times’ new headquarters on 42nd Street in New York City.
Tong Kooi Ong, one of SFU’s most accomplished alumni in the fields of finance, banking and real estate development, used his business expertise and interest in technology to introduce electronic banking in Malaysia, propelling his company, Phileo Allied, into one of that country’s major banking and brokerage firms. Now living in Vancouver, he is a valued member of the SFU business faculty’s management of technology MBA business council.
Angus Reid is the former Chairman and CEO of Vancouver-based Ipsos-Reid Inc., and now president of Angus Reid Strategies. He has earned an international reputation for his ability to identify the consumer trends that impact society, determine how they will affect the specific isues of his audiences, and present his findings in an informative, insightful and user-friendly fashion.
Rosalie Segal, well-known and respected in B.C. for her generosity and philanthropy, has quietly assisted dozens of SFU students with special needs for more than 20 years. Her many contributions to her community have been recognized with many citations, including the United Way’s award of distinction and the Variety Club’s Golden heart community achievement award.
Vancouver Board of Trade chair Carole Taylor, widely recognized for her skills as a leader and conciliator, is dedicated to bringing government and business together to serve community interests. A former journalist, Ms. Taylor was appointed chair of CBC/Radio Canada’s board of directors in 2001. In this new role, she will help Canada’s public broadcaster redefine its relevance in economically unstable times.
Princeton university president Shirley Tilghman is a consummate educator and researcher, and a role model for women in science. She successfully combined a distinguished career in biomedical science with a parallel career as the single-mother of two children. She is a founding member of the National Advisory Council of the Human Genome project initiative, a massive research program that is revolutionizing the way biomedical research is performed.

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