Alumni awards

We honour the exceptional contributions of Dalhousie alumni through our signature Aurum Awards and the Golden Eagle Lifetime Achievement Award as well as prestigious alumni awards in the faculties.

Dalhousie Aurum Awards

The Aurum Awards are Dalhousie’s flagship alumni awards program, honouring community-minded innovators and visionaries who are making a difference around the world.

Each year, alumni are recognized for their outstanding achievements in innovation, community engagement, and leadership, as well as for their contributions to the social, cultural, and economic well-being of society.

Nominate a peer

Nominations of living alumni of Dalhousie University can be submitted by anyone (including self) from mid-October to early January. Individuals cannot serve on the Dalhousie Board of Governors or the Dalhousie Alumni Association Board, nor be a sitting member of a municipal, provincial, or federal government. Faculty and staff of the university are eligible; however, their contributions should be above and beyond those expected of their normal work duties.

Learn more: email kirsten.tobin@dal.ca

Attend the Aurum Awards Reception

Recipients are peer-selected by a committee and celebrated in May during Dal Alumni Days at the Aurum Awards Reception. Nominees not selected will be held over for consideration for one additional year and nominators will be given the option to update their submission. Chosen honourees and their nominators will be notified by the Office of Advancement.

Reserve your spot at the reception

Meet the 2023 Aurum Award winners

Igor Yushchenko (LLM’12)

“I’m a lawyer, I know about immigration, so I knew I needed to use my experience—my knowledge—to help others.”

Read his story

Nada Haidar (BSc’93, DDS’97)

“Being able to change someone’s life, that’s what dentistry has done for me, and continues to do for others.”

Read her story

Arum Award Winner Nada Haidar posing in medical scrubs

Jeremy Dutcher (BA’13)

“We all have a story of resilience to share, and a beautiful way to work through it. Music is my way of translating my story to others, to say ‘look how beautiful we are’.”

Mona Lynch (LLB’85)

“We’ve committed to work until the Afghan women judges are all out of the country. We’ll continue until it’s done — until they’re all safe.”

Athanasius Sylliboy (MN’20)

“My goal is to create or transform spaces to be more inclusive and safer for everyone, particularly those who have previously felt unseen, and unheard.”

Athanasius Sylliboy posing in doctors office

Golden Eagle Lifetime Achievement Award

This new award (est. 2023) celebrates a remarkable alum with a long-standing connection and commitment to the advancement of academic excellence at Dalhousie.

Dr. Margaret Oulton (PhD’75), inaugural Golden Eagle Lifetime Achievement Award recipient

A professor and prenatal researcher who made a discovery that would eventually lead to the safe delivery of over 10,000 infants across our region, Dr. Margaret Oulton is this award’s inaugural recipient.

Read her story

Dr. Margaret Oulton (PhD’75), inaugural Golden Eagle Lifetime Achievement Award recipient

Past alumni award recipients

We are proud of the accomplishments of our alumni and recognize your contributions to volunteerism, public service, the advancement of Dalhousie, and more.

Browse previous years’ winners

Alumni awards in the faculties

Some faculties at Dal offer unique awards programs. Discover exciting awards like Agriculture’s Blue and Gold Awards, Law’s Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service, and the Dalhousie Medical Alumni Association awards by visiting your faculty page.

Explore awards in your faculty

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