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SFU to honour outstanding alumni

September 17, 2019

Simon Fraser University’s graduates are our greatest contribution to the communities we serve.

Every day, this diverse network of over 160,000 alumni demonstrates the value of an SFU education. They work in every occupation imaginable. They enrich communities in every way possible. Spanning 143 countries, they truly “engage the world.”

It will be my special privilege to join with our Alumni Association this week to honour four remarkable SFU graduates at the 2019 Outstanding Alumni Awards. The annual awards recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves in their careers and contributed in significant ways to their communities.

The four honourees for 2019 are:

Isabel Ge Mahe: An innovator and trailblazer who has been instrumental in developing communication, location and motion technology for nearly every Apple product since joining the tech giant over a decade ago. Isabel was named 10th most powerful woman in international business by Fortune magazine in 2018;

Kathleen Hepburn: A luminary among young Canadian filmmakers, and acclaimed nationally and internationally for her first feature film,"Never Steady, Never Still."  Kathleen is deeply committed to mentoring and building relationships with, and uplifting, Indigenous creators and young filmmakers;

Hew Choy Leong: A distinguished scientist, academic and humanitarian. Professor Hew is recognized for his groundbreaking discovery of antifreeze proteins in coldwater fish, and for transforming the global aquaculture industry while promoting environmental sustainability and food safety;

Mark Okerstrom: A visionary business leader and one of the youngest CEOs in the Fortune 500. Mark has led the Expedia Group since 2017 and has done much to encourage volunteerism and social responsibility in business practice.

Congratulations to these extraordinary recipients of the 2019 Outstanding Alumni Awards.

You inspire us with your accomplishments, and you are shining examples of SFU’s “Engaged University” vision put into practice.