Outstanding USask alumni honoured with achievement awards

The University of Saskatchewan (USask) has announced the 2025 recipients of the Alumni Achievement Awards, one of the university’s highest honours.

“The Alumni Achievement Award winners exemplify the positive impact that USask graduates continue to make locally, nationally, and internationally,” said Anthony Bidulka (BA’83, BEd’91, BComm’91), chair of USask’s Alumni Advisory Board awards committee. “This year’s recipients are truly an inspiration at USask and far beyond.”

Alumni Achievement Awards are presented each year to outstanding USask alumni who have made an impact on their communities and around the globe. The award recipients are nominated by their peers and are chosen based on their achievements, commitment to excellence, community engagement, leadership, and contributions to the wellbeing of society. 

“USask is proud to have more than 175,000 graduates living in 120 countries around the world,” said USask President and Vice-Chancellor Peter Stoicheff. “The accomplishments of this year’s Alumni Achievement Award recipients are outstanding and highly deserving of this prestigious recognition from their university.”

As the highest honour presented by the University of Saskatchewan Alumni Association, this award recognizes an alumnus/alumna for an outstanding lifetime of personal and professional accomplishments and contributions to the social, cultural, and economic wellbeing of society in their field(s) of endeavour.

This year’s winners are:

• Barbara Gibson (BA’71): As a highly regarded career diplomat, Barbara Gibson served Canada in influential positions around the globe for more than three decades. Through her expertise on the world stage, Gibson advanced the crucial role that diplomacy plays in the pursuit of Canada’s national interests and in building global consensus for a rules-based international order. 
• Carolyn Tastad (BComm’83): As an inspiring executive at the global corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G), Carolyn Tastad made an international impact through her passionate advocacy of gender and intersectional equity within the workplace and the world. Tastad is known as a transformative leader inside and outside of P&G, delivering breakthrough business results and changing organizational capabilities and culture.   
• Scott Thon (BE’85): As a distinguished executive in the global energy industry, Scott Thon leads a diverse group of businesses in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain and has driven major energy infrastructure projects in Canada and around the world. In addition to his impact as president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Thon is a leader in his community through his remarkable philanthropic and volunteer efforts.

This award recognizes an extraordinary alumnus/alumna who is currently making significant personal and professional contributions in society, demonstrating exceptional leadership in their field(s) of endeavour, and maintaining a standard of excellence that inspires their colleagues and peers, with promise of future achievement and resulting in a demonstrable betterment of their community.

This year’s winners are:

• Brad Berg (BComm’91, LLB’92) and Brian Rolfes (LLB’91): The professional achievements and personal commitment of Brad Berg and Brian Rolfes have significantly advanced 2SLGBTQQIA+ rights and inclusivity in Canada and around the world. Their work includes the campaign for equal marriage in Canada and deep contributions to charities and educational organizations.   

This award recognizes a young alumnus/alumna who is making significant personal and professional contributions in society, resulting in a demonstrable betterment of their community and setting an example for fellow and future alumni to follow.

This year’s winners are:

• Joshua Letendre (MPAcc’20): Joshua Letendre is a proud Métis accounting professional, university instructor, and non-profit leader who uplifts Indigenous voices and strengthens the social, cultural, and economic wellbeing of his community. Through his grassroots leadership, cultural pride, and commitment to economic reconciliation, he is sparking transformative change in Alberta and beyond. 
• Keely Shaw (BSKI’16, MSc’20, PhD’24): Dr. Keely Shaw is a scientist and elite Para athlete who has demonstrated excellence in her academic and athletic pursuits. She has inspired others through her journey as an award-winning Paralympian and six-time World Championship medalist, and through her interdisciplinary research that has the potential to significantly impact human health.

Full biographies of the Alumni Achievement Award winners can be viewed online at alumni.usask.ca.

This year’s recipients will be honoured at the annual awards gala on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, at Remai Modern. The event, scheduled to start at 6 pm, will be hosted by award-winning journalist and USask honorary degree recipient Susan Ormiston (DLett’22). More information can be found at alumni.usask.ca.