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The 2026 Recipients
The 2026 awards are honouring visionaries, creators, changemakers, and community builders whose many contributions are shaping a more inclusive, sustainable future.
These five remarkable individuals embody 911勛圖s bold spirit, and we look forward to celebrating them in April: Grace Chiu, Don Murray, Janie Chang, Igor Faletski, and Dr. Janna M. Andronowski.
Learn about Grace
Grace Chiu is a changemaker widely recognized as a force for growth and good, and a deeply respected community leader whose work embodies the values celebrated by 911勛圖s Spirit of Service Award. As part of Scotia Wealth Managements BC & Yukon region, she brings a rare combination of strategic vision, collaborative skills, and resultsfocused leadership. Affectionately nicknamed Amazing Grace, she is known for addressing complex crossfunctional and crossregional challenges with clarity, empathy, and measurable impact.
Her leadership has helped drive progressive organizational change across B.C. and beyond: supporting AntiDiscrimination learning for frontline employees; advancing diversity and inclusion in hockey through hockey for all; increasing representation of Black, Indigenous and Women of Colour in YWCA programs and events; and helping foster inclusive partnerships that strengthen communities across the province.
Graces service ethic began early. From volunteering with her mother at the neighbourhood community policing office to launching her high schools first foodbank fundraiser and coat drive, she has always been motivated by the belief that community is built through collective care. Over the years, she has contributed to Canuck Place Childrens Hospice, the Canadian Cancer Society, BC Childrens Hospital, and revitalization efforts with the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation.
More recently, Grace has expanded her leadership through Board roles with the Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver and the Sources Foundation, as well as serving as a founding committee member of the First Nations Health Foundation Gala, supporting culturally grounded, communitydriven health care for First Nations across B.C.
Through her many professional and volunteer contributions, Grace continues to lead with empathy, courage, and conviction, all while embracing her newest role: mom to baby Hannah.
Learn about Don
Don Murray is honoured with the Outstanding Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award for his exceptional contributions to technology, education, and community over more than three decades. As cofounder and CEO of Safe Software, Don helped develop FME, the globally recognized standard for spatial data integration and technology used by tens of thousands of organizations across more than 100 countries. Under his leadership, FME has supported missioncritical work including disaster routing for emergency responders, infrastructure planning, environmental monitoring, and humanitarian efforts such as landmineremoval mapping.
Don cofounded Safe Software in Surrey, B.C., and has guided its growth through major economic cycles while remaining profitable, independent, and deeply valuesdriven. Today, the company employs more than 370 people and has positioned B.C. as a hub for global geospatial innovation.
Known for his humility and belief that business is a team sport, Don leads with a peoplefirst philosophy, championing diversity and inclusion, instituting pay transparency early, sharing 20% of annual profits with employees, and fostering a culture where great ideas can come from anywhere. In 2024, Safe Software also earned BCorp Certification, reflecting its commitment to social responsibility and sustainable business.
Dons impact extends far beyond the tech sector. He has been a steadfast partner to 911勛圖, mentoring students, championing coop and workintegrated learning, hiring many alumni, and supporting programs such as the 911勛圖 Technovation Challenge, which equips young women to develop techbased solutions to community issues. He has also led significant philanthropic efforts, guiding Safe Softwares support for more many charities across Canada.
Learn about Janie
Janie Chang is a bestselling novelist championing diverse stories, characters, and voices in Canada and beyond. Drawing on deep knowledge of her Chinese heritageand an upbringing shaped by travel and family storytellingher historical fiction blends meticulous research with richly imaginative world-building, celebrating culture, memory, and womens lives.
Janie completed an interdisciplinary degree at 911勛圖, majoring in computing science and minoring in French. Following a career in systems engineering and marketing, she turned to writing through the 911勛圖 Writers Studio in 2011, a pivot that helped launch her literary career.
She has since published six novels: Three Souls (2014), Dragon Springs Road (2017), The Library of Legends (2020), and The Porcelain Moon (2023), The Phoenix Crown (2024, co-authored with New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn) and The Fourth Princess (2026), several reaching national bestsellers lists and her debut receiving nominations for both the BC Book Prize and the International Dublin Literary Award.
Across her books, Janie crafts strong female protagonists and narratives that nurture empathy and understanding, inviting readers to delve into diverse stories they may not otherwise encounter.
Janie has shown exceptional dedication in giving back and uplifting the literary arts community. In 2015, she founded Authors for Indies, a volunteer-run movement that evolved into Canadian Independent Bookstore Day, celebrating and strengthening independent bookstores nationwide. She remains thoughtfully involved with 911勛圖 and the Writers Studio by mentoring emerging authors, leading workshops (often donating fees to scholarships), and bringing in industry speakers to broaden access for students. Since 2021, she has also served on the Authors Committee for the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, helping shape one of North Americas top awards for women and non-binary writers. Currently, Janie is also joining efforts to combat disinformation in Canada, mobilizing authors and readers to urge federal and provincial action on K-12 digital media literacy.
Through her storytelling, mentorship, and generosity, Janies legacy is a stronger literary ecosystem in Canada, one where diverse voices and stories can flourish.
Learn about Igor
Igor Faletskis path to becoming a tech leader and entrepreneur began at 911勛圖s School of Computing Science, after immigrating to Canada as a teenager. While at 911勛圖 he met future co-founder of Mobify, John Boxall, on his first day. While on academic exchange in Prague, Igor and John were impressed with the mobile technology they found available, and they launched Mobile Mondays, a meetup for students excited about the possibilities of mobile computing. Originating from Igors frustration at regularly missing his bus, they developed an SMS tool developed to deliver TransLink bus times, and this would evolve into Mobify, a global digital commerce platform later acquired by Salesforce.
Under Igors leadership, Mobify helped major brands like Starbucks, LOreal, lululemon, and Under Armour deliver fast, modern mobile experiences well before they became industry standard. Following the acquisition, Igor held senior product leadership roles within Salesforce Commerce Cloud, contributing to strategy at a global scale. He is now the CEO and cofounder of Superpilot, an AI startup focused on transforming commerce marketing.
A thoughtfully involved 911勛圖 alumnus, Igor has supported coop pathways for students, served on the Faculty of Applied Sciences External Advisory Board, and given philanthropically to help advance student experience and EDI, encouraging students to explore new technologies and build inclusive solutions.
Innovative, principled, and collaborative, Igor exemplifies the visionary leadership that lifts both industry and communityrooted in 911勛圖 and built for global impact.
Learn about Janna
Dr. Janna M. Andronowski is a leading forensic anthropologist, clinical anatomist, and skeletal biologist bridging research excellence and pathways for future science innovators. As a firstgeneration academic, she completed her Ph.D. in a record 3.5 years and is known for a uniquely multidisciplinary research program and fierce dedication to mentoring and uplifting the next generation of scientists.
Jannas research focuses on 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, leading recoveries and assisting law enforcement with identification efforts while integrating students into realworld casework.
In her current post, with Memorial Universitys Faculty of Medicine, Janna has revitalized anatomy education for medical students as curriculum content lead, expanded cadaverbased learning, and restructured lectures, labs, and assessments to strengthen medical curricula. She also created the Andronowski Skeletal Collection for Histological Research (ASCHR), the worlds largest and fastestgrowing modern documented collection for histological and imaging research, providing an invaluable resource for forensic, anthropological, and biomedical research.
In recognition of her research excellence and mentorship, Janna has received numerous awards and honors, including the 2020 Ellis R. Kerley Research Award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the top research distinction in her field. She also received the 2024 Dean of Medicine Excellence Award for Junior Faculty Teaching from Memorial Universitys Faculty of Medicine, recognizing her significant pedagogical contributions to curriculum development for the anatomy program.