不良研究所

Thousands of University of 不良研究所 students will mark the end of one journey and the beginning of another during Spring Convocation. An eclectic group of speakers is set to impart their words of wisdom to the new grads at ceremonies where no honorary degree is being awarded.

U不良研究所 Chancellor John Cornish and President Ed McCauley have announced this spring鈥檚 speakers, many of whom at one point crossed the stage themselves:

Milton Carrasco, MEng鈥�92

As co-founder and chair of , Milton Carrasco runs one of the top transportation software companies in the world. He has also helped to strengthen Canada鈥檚 ties to leading international agencies such as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Federal Highway Administration, and Austroads. Prior to Transoft, Carrasco worked at consulting firms where his experience included the planning and design of transportation infrastructure, including freeways, expressways and other development projects. He was the recipient of the 2020 Business in Vancouver CEO Award and the . 

Jesse Cockney, BKin鈥�22

A champion both on and off the trails, Jesse Cockney is an Inuit Olympian in the sport of cross-country skiing, a seasoned athlete who has competed in the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics, and holder of three gold medals from the 2011 Canada Winter Games as well as nine national championship titles. Cockney leads new generations of athletes while coaching at the .

Dr. Jim Dewald, PhD鈥�06

As dean of the and professor of strategy and entrepreneurship, Jim Dewald has exceptionally transformed the School under his leadership. Dewald has led the establishment of  and six new learning centres (leadership, entrepreneurship, real estate, corporate sustainability, business futures, and social entrepreneurship). Since his appointment in 2013, the school has seen significant increase in faculty, graduate students and funding. Dewald has also been instrumental in putting Haskayne on the national map for research.

Sam Effah, BComm鈥�14

A two-time Canadian champion in the 100m, Sam Effah has an innate enthusiasm for sport, marketing, entrepreneurship and the Olympic movement. He is a 2021 Canada West Hall of Fame inductee, and was appointed co-chef de mission for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. Effah is dedicated to inspiring youth as an athlete ambassador for , and is a former Classroom Champions mentor. Effah now works full-time at RBC, contributing to the growth of RBC Future Launch, the bank鈥檚 largest-ever financial commitment to helping young people prepare for the future of work. He recently moved into a full-time manager position on the Brand Marketing team, where he鈥檒l help find and fund Canada鈥檚 future Olympians via , and support RBC鈥檚 broader sports marketing initiatives, including Olympic Games campaigns.

Lourdes Juan, BGS鈥�05, MEDes鈥�10

An entrepreneur, urban planner, tech startup founder and food-security activist, Lourdes Juan is a trailblazer in tackling our nation鈥檚 food-security crisis. Juan is the founder of 鈥� one of Canada鈥檚 largest, tech-enabled food-rescue charities 鈥� and of the social enterprise , a mobile grocery store providing healthy and affordable food. Juan is also the founder of , an urban-planning and community-outreach consultancy based in 不良研究所.

Dr. Suzette Mayr, BA鈥�90, PhD

An accomplished novelist and a professor in U不良研究所鈥檚 , Mayr鈥�is the author of six novels, and her most recent work,鈥�The Sleeping Car Porter, won the and was shortlisted for the inaugural Carol Shields Prize for Fiction; the鈥疪epublic of Consciousness Prize (U.S. and Canada); The City of 不良研究所 W. O. Mitchell Award; and the Georges Bugnet Award. Mayr, who has a PhD from the University of New South Wales, is a former president of the Writers鈥� Guild of Alberta and has taught the university鈥檚 creative writing courses for more than two decades.

Charles Osuji

Originally from Nigeria, Charles Osuji studied law in his home country before coming to Canada in 2011, where he went through the process of being called to the Alberta bar. Three years after his call to the bar, Osuji became the sole owner of a thriving law firm. With almost no experience in law-firm management, Osuji has not only sustained the growth and integrity of the firm , but has won several awards, including being named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada in 2020, and was included in the 2022 Edition of 鈥淭he Best Lawyers in Canada: Ones to Watch.鈥� A member of Avenue Magazine鈥檚 Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2021, Osuji also co-founded an organization of Nigerian-trained lawyers, the 不良研究所 Association of Nigerian Lawyers.