Celebrate with us on June 4 at Gladstone House, Toronto
The Queen’s University Alumni Association (QUAA) has unveiled the recipients of its 2026 Gala Awards – a who’s who of alumni giving back locally and globally in fields from medicine and philanthropy to art activism and social enterprise.
The 11 winners will be honoured at the QUAA Awards Gala, the association’s annual signature event, on June 4 at Gladstone House in Toronto. All are welcome.
Each year, the awards go to Queen’s graduates, an alumni initiative, and a Queen’s Student Alumni Association volunteer whose work and service are making life better for others. They’re also a chance to remember the many ways Queen’s people are making a real difference in their communities and around the world.
“These awards let us pause and say thank you – to the award recipients themselves, of course, but to all alumni who give back,” says QUAA President Allison Williams, Artsci’09.
She says this year’s winners show the breadth of alumni contributions, whether that means mentoring students, championing the arts, or creating opportunity for people with disabilities.
“We have a really generous alumni community at Queen’s, and we’re so proud to celebrate all they do.”
Leading this year’s honourees is David Phipps, Artsci’85, PhD’91, recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. For more than three decades, Phipps has focused on helping university research benefit society. It’s work that began with his own HIV/AIDS research at Queen’s and later included the launch of Research Impact Canada. It continues today in his role as assistant vice-president, research strategy and impact, at York University.
Phipps says the foundation for this work was laid at Queen’s, where he got his undergraduate degree in life sciences and his PhD in immunology. His decade in Kingston also sparked a lifelong commitment to the classical performing arts.
“I left the lab and joined the management of research 30 years ago,” Phipps says. “Any accomplishments I have made are thanks to the foundation I developed at Queen’s as an undergraduate and then graduate student and the supports of colleagues, friends, and family along the way.”
Here’s the full list of the 2026 QUAA Gala Awards recipients. Click on the link to learn more about each award and this year’s winner:
Alumni Global Citizenship Award: Norman Musengimana, MMIE’18
Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award: David Phipps, Artsci’85, PhD’91
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenization Award: David Nesbitt, MBA’70
Herbert J. Hamilton Volunteer Service Award: Elaine Wu, Artsci’98, MIR’00, Law’03
Initiative of the Year Award: Somewhat Reunion
Marsha Lampman Volunteer Award: Diana Chang, Artsci’10, and David Field, BSc'70 (awarded posthumously)
One to Watch Award: Alexandria Zlatar, Artsci’18
Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award: Elan Mastai, Artsci’97
Outstanding Student Leader Award: Natalie Kearn, BHSc’24
Queen’s Student Alumni Association Volunteer of Distinction Award: Yonatan Shakarghi
Want to join the celebration? Register now for the 2026 QUAA Awards Gala, happening June 4 at Gladstone House in Toronto.
