The Outstanding Alumni Award recipients
SFU is celebrating the exceptional achievements of our alumni with the 2026 Outstanding Alumni Awards, an annual recognition of alumni leading with purpose, advancing knowledge and equity, and strengthening communities across B.C. and around the world.
These awards honour visionaries, creators, changemakers, and community builders whose many contributions are shaping a more inclusive, sustainable future.
This year’s recipients are:
- Grace Chiu, a changemaker whose bold leadership and service are driving impactful philanthropy, community resilience, and uplifting people;
- Don Murray, a trailblazer in spatial data technology leading with generosity and putting people first while transforming industry;
- Janie Chang, a bestselling novelist championing diverse stories, characters, and voices in Canada and beyond;
- Igor Faletski, a tech entrepreneur and product leader who is scaling innovation with integrity; and
- Dr. Janna M. Andronowski, a leading forensic anthropologist and biomedical scientist bridging research excellence and pathways for future science innovators.
Together, these five remarkable individuals embody SFU’s bold spirit. Read more about the way they are driving positive change through their inspiring leadership, vision, creativity, and generosity.
Grace Chiu, BA ’11
Senior Manager, Total Wealth Solutions, Scotiabank
Spirit of Service Award
Widely recognized as a “force for growth and good,” Grace Chiu is a part of Scotia Wealth Management and the BC & Yukon Regional Leadership Team in a previous role as Senior Manager, Regional Marketing. Blending strategic vision with deep community commitment, she is shaping inclusive practices and catalyzing lasting, progressive change across the region. Affectionately known as “Amazing Grace,” she is lauded for her ability to navigate complex challenges and unite people around shared purposes.
A lifelong volunteer—beginning with community policing shifts alongside her mother and launching her high school’s first food-back fundraiser—over the years Grace has contributed to such organizations as Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, the Canadian Cancer Society, BC Children’s Hospital, and the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation.
Today, she lends her leadership expertise with a position on the Board of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver and is a founding committee member of the First Nations Health Foundation Gala.
Don Murray, MSc ’90, BSc ’88
CEO and Co-Founder, Safe Software
Lifetime Achievement Award
Don Murray is the visionary co‑founder of Safe Software, the Surrey‑based company behind FME, the world’s gold standard in spatial data integration. For over three decades, Don has grown Safe from a two‑person startup into B.C.-based global leader serving thousands of organizations across 100+ countries: empowering governments, nonprofits, and industry to integrate, transform, and act on complex data for everything from disaster response to environmental monitoring.
A values‑driven CEO, Don is known for his humility, principled leadership, and building an inclusive, diverse, people‑first culture. He advocated for pay transparency before it was legislated, shares 20% of annual profits with employees, and led Safe to B‑Corp Certification for its commitment to transparency, sustainability, and community impact.
Don is also an incredible supporter of SFU, mentoring countless students, hiring many through co‑op education, and backing initiatives that reinforce equity, innovation, and hands‑on learning at the university.
Janie Chang, BA ’83, Certificate in Creative Writing ’11
Independent Author
Legacy Award
Janie Chang is a bestselling novelist championing diverse stories and voices in Canada and beyond. Drawing on generations of family history, she crafts historical fiction that illuminates Chinese culture, tradition, and women’s lives. She has also been steadfast in her support for emerging writers and Canada’s bookselling community, launching initiatives to bolster independent bookstores and devoting time and resources to mentoring and delivering community workshops.
After earning an interdisciplinary degree at SFU in computing science and French, Janie forged a successful career in tech, then transitioned to writing through the SFU Writer’s Studio in 2011. Since then, she has published six novels, with several making national best bestseller lists, and her debut, Three Souls (2014), being nominated for both local and international literary awards.
Through storytelling, mentorship, and generosity, Janie enriches Canada’s literary ecosystem, uplifting writers, readers, and communities while also expanding whose stories are told.
Igor Faletski, BSc ’07
CEO & Co-Founder, Superpilot; former CEO of Mobify (acquired by Salesforce)
Visionary Award
Igor Faletski is a Canadian tech entrepreneur known for building innovative commerce technologies. Immigrating to Canada as a teenager, he began his studies in Computing Science at SFU in the early 2000s, where he and fellow student John Boxall co-founded Mobify: a company that originated as a simple SMS tool to deliver TransLink bus times which they grew into a global digital commerce company later acquired by Salesforce.
Under Igor’s leadership, Mobify helped major brands create modern mobile experiences, long before it was industry standard. He later held senior product leadership roles within Salesforce and today serves as CEO and co-founder of Superpilot, an AI startup transforming commerce marketing.
A thoughtfully involved SFU alumnus, Igor serves on the Faculty of Applied Sciences External Advisory Board, supports students through co-op placements, and gives philanthropically to advance student experience.
Dr. Janna M. Andronowski, BA ’09
Associate Professor, Division of BioMedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Legacy Award
Dr. Janna M. Andronowski is a leading forensic anthropologist, clinical anatomist, and skeletal biologist bridging research excellence and pathways for future science innovators. A first‑generation academic, she is recognized for both her multidisciplinary approach to scientific research and fierce commitment to mentoring the next generation.
Janna’s research uses high‑resolution 3D imaging to study bone microstructure. She examines skeletal adaptation, quality, and fragility, using cutting-edge techniques to evaluate impacts of substance use. With exceptional determination, she pushes for new scientific discoveries while building opportunities that uplift others, like opening doors as the provincial forensic anthropologist for Newfoundland and Labrador, where she leads recoveries and assists law enforcement with identification efforts while integrating students into real‑world casework.
At her current post at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Janna has revitalized anatomy education, expanded cadaver‑based learning, and restructured lectures, labs, and assessments to strengthen medical curricula. She also created the Andronowski Skeletal Collection for Histological Research (ASCHR), the world’s largest and fastest‑growing modern documented skeletal collection for histological and imaging research.
The 2026 Outstanding Alumni Award recipients will be celebrated in Vancouver on April 16.
Save the date and join the excitement—all alumni and community members are welcome! Tickets will be made available through the Outstanding Alumni Awards website.