2024 Honorary Degree Recipients: Chris and Ryan Getzlaf

Born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, brothers Chris and Ryan Getzlaf receive Honorary Degrees - Doctor of Laws honoris causa (LLD) from the University of Regina at the Fall 2024 Convocation.

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Chris Getzlaf BBA’07 is a University of Regina alumnus, having graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree that he earned while playing as a receiver with the Regina Thunder and then the University of Regina Rams. Drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2007, he was soon traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he played in his hometown for nine and a half years of his outstanding 11-year CFL career. He also played for Edmonton for a year and a half before returning to the Riders where he retired as a Roughrider in January 2018.

That career saw Chris win two Grey Cups with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2007 and 2013) and play in two others (2009 and 2010). In the 2013 Grey Cup hosted in Regina, he was named the Most Outstanding Canadian. Upon his retirement from football in 2018, he had 414 career receptions for 6,192 yards and 41 touchdowns. He remains fifth all-time in receiving yards for the Roughriders and was named to the team’s SaskTel Plaza of Honor in 2021, joining Roughrider legends including Ron Lancaster, George Reed, and Roger Aldag.

Our parents allowed us so many opportunities to participate in a variety of activities and sports which helped us eventually gravitate and excel in our respective sports at the professional level. They also instilled in us a great work ethic and focus. The individual sacrifices and determination to get to the ultimate level followed and I try to carry the same set of goal setting mentality into my post-football career.”
—Chris Getzlaf BBA’07

Just as importantly, Chris maintained a strong community presence during his time in the CFL – and continues to do so in his post-football career as a financial advisor in Regina. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation, which was created in 2019 to enhance the team’s community and charitable involvement across Saskatchewan.

Chris has traveled across Saskatchewan for speaking engagements, was actively involved in the Red Cross’s Imagine No Bullying Campaign and ran the Getzlaf and Friends Charity Golf Tournament which raised more than $200,000 for the Children’s Wish Foundation. Chris received the Red Cross Young Humanitarian Award and Mosaic Outstanding Community Service Award for his commitment to giving back. Chris is currently involved in the Regina Chapter of 100 Men Who Care and is a member of Advocis, the largest voluntary professional membership association of financial advisors in Canada.

During his four-year junior hockey career as a forward with the Calgary Hitmen, Ryan Getzlaf was a member of the gold medal-winning 2003 International Ice Hockey Federation U18 World Championship team. Ryan was picked by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2003 NHL draft. Two years later, he was a member of what many consider may be the best World Junior team ever assembled – the Canadian team that won the 2005 gold medal by beating the United States 6-1 in the final.

ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 3: Ryan Getzlaf #15 of the Anaheim Ducks shoots the puck during his 1,000th NHL Career game in the first period of the game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Honda Center on November 3, 2019 in Anaheim, California. Getzlaf has played all 1,000 games for the Ducks franchise. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images)

"Receiving this honorary degree from the University of Regina, in the city where I was born and grew up in, is quite humbling. It means that my career as a professional athlete, and my efforts to give back to the community at large, are being acknowledged by respected and highly accomplished academics and community members who have decided to grant this huge honour to me."
—Ryan Getzlaf

After making his NHL debut in 2005, Ryan went on to play his entire NHL career – 17 seasons in total, including 12 as team captain – with the Anaheim Ducks. During that time, he was a member of the 2007 Stanley Cup-winning team, as well as the Canadian Olympic teams that won gold medals in both 2010 and 2014. At the time of his retirement, after the 2021-2022 NHL season, Ryan held multiple Anaheim Ducks franchise records, including games played (1157), assists (737) and points (1019).

Ryan has recently agreed to serve with Team Canada as a player relations advisor for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Ryan remains active in a variety of charitable endeavours. During his time as a player, he created the Anaheim Ducks Learn to Play program for children, as well as the “Getzlaf’s Gamers” program that allows underprivileged children to attend Calgary Hitmen games. For the past 12 years, in honour of his friend Hawke Miller, Ryan and his wife Paige have hosted the “Annual Getzlaf Golf Shootout” in California. This event has raised $5.7 million US for CureDuchenne, a foundation that funds research to cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

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Every year, the University of Regina celebrates the best and brightest among its more than 92,000 alumni with the Alumni Crowning Achievement Awards (ACAAs) presented by the URAA. Established in 1992, the ACAAs were created to honour our extraordinary alumni for their outstanding commitment to excellence, community engagement and leadership, and impact on the social, cultural, and economic well-being of our communities.

We're excited to celebrate this year's ACAA recipients on Saturday, October 19th, 2024  - exactly 50 years-to-the-day since the University of Regina's first convocation! This year's recipients include inspiring educators, intrepid scientists, passionate advocates for social justice, and dedicated community volunteers.

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Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Bryan Hillis, BA'78

Dr. Bryan Hillis has enjoyed a distinguished career as a student, educator, and researcher, beginning his careers as a lecturer at Luther College, and eventually serving as Dean of Luther College from 1995 to 2005. He was appointed President of Luther College in 2010 serving in this position until his retirement in 2020, and was appointed Professor Emeritus at the University of Regina and Luther College in 2021. Dr. Hillis has enjoyed a long and storied career teaching  in the areas of world religions, the history of Christian thought, religion in Canada, and science and religion, among others. Distinguishing himself as an academic and a leader, he has been instrumental in rebuilding Luther College High School in Regina, and refurbishing Luther College at the University of Regina.

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Professional Achievement Award
Pamela Cook Ellemers BA'91, BSc'94

Pamela Cook Ellemers' career in the mining industry has spanned more than 30 years. She has held a variety of leadership roles in exploration and operations within the De Beers Group across Canada and South Africa including work in Australia, Botswana, and India. She is currently the Principal Mineral Resource Manager for De Beers Group, based in Calgary, Alberta. In addition to her technical leadership role in Mineral Resource Management, Pamela led the De Beers Canada Inclusion and Diversity working group, focused on enabling an inclusive workplace and increasing women's representation in STEM. Pamela was recognized as a WIM100 - '100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining' by Women in Mining UK, has been named a 'Top 10 Influential Women in the Mining Sector' by Mining Digital, and a 'Leading Women in Mining' by EY and Women in Mining Canada. Pamela is passionate about mentoring and about raising the awareness of geology and science among young people, in particular among young women. She loves spending time in children's classrooms sharing her passion for rocks, minerals and the positive role that mining plays in our communities.

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Distinguished Humanitarian and Community Service Award
Mutangilayi "Christian" Mbanza BEd'17

Mutangilayi "Christian" Mbanza is an educator in Regina, Saskatchewan. He has been working in the Regina Catholic School Division, and is currently completing his Master's Degree in French Education at the University of Regina. Christian prioritizes cultivating diverse relationships with staff, community members, students, and parents, alongside his unwavering commitment to championing Black culture, addressing social issues, and promoting the welfare of the Afro-Canadian community. Currently, he is the community outreach director for the Black in Sask, an organization which contributes to holistic growth of the Black community in Saskatchewan by addressing systemic issues, connecting members to various networks and educating on the black experience.

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Dr. Robert & Norma Ferguson Outstanding Service Award - Maria Reardon BA'69, MA'73

An active community volunteer, Maria Reardon has dedicated her working life to improving healthcare and health outcomes in Saskatchewan having served for 13 years as Director of Education with the Saskatchewan Health-Care Association (later Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations), where her focus of activity was on board and staff development. In later years, Maria became involved in the Lifelong Learning Centre, taking classes, making friends, and before long, serving as chairperson of the Seniors' University Group, now in her sixth year of renewed service on the Seniors University Group board. Maria has also represented the Lifelong Learning Centre on the Provincial Advisory Committee on Older Persons, and in September 2014 was the recipient of the Saskatchewan Senior Volunteer Award in Education, and in 2019 she received the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers.

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Academic Professional Award
Dr. Bing Chen PhD'06

Dr. Bing Chen is a globally renowned leader in environmental engineering. His distinction is defined by his remarkable research, teaching, and leadership achievements. He is the founding director of the Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollution Control (NRPOP) Laboratory and the global Network on Persistent, Emerging and Organic Pollution in the Environment (PEOPLE), hosting pioneering research and education on quantitative understanding of persistent and emerging pollution in cold regions and marine and freshwater environments, and development of integrated mitigation solutions under climate change. Dr. Chen has delivered more than 550 technical publications including over 180 refereed journal articles, making him one of the most productive and impactful environmental engineering researchers in Canada and worldwide. Dr. Chen has trained more than 100 thesis-based graduate students and postdocs. He has held various leadership roles including as president of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) and vice-president of the Canadian Association on Water Quality. He has received many prestigious awards and honours, such as a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Engineering Institute of Canada, and the CSCE, and a member of the Royal Society of Canada's College and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Dr. Chen's efforts significantly benefit the wellbeing of the environment and our society, and casts broad impacts of Canadian environmental research.

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Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Ashley Major BHJ'12

Ashley Major is a lawyer and consultant specialising in human rights, gender equality, and sexual and gender-based violence. Ashley's passion for women's rights has driven her career. Prior to law school, Ashley volunteered as a sexual violence counselor and worked as a domestic violence counselor at the Regina Transition House. She worked at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law's International Human Rights Program, and was a consultant at the Thinking Forward Network, an organization focused on migration and human rights. Over her career, Ashley's legal practice has focused on files relating to sexual and gender-based violence. She has completed work for several leading human rights organizations including UN Women, UNFPA, UNDP, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and others. Ashley currently works at Calibrate Solutions, a consulting firm dedicated to transformation in justice and gender equity systems around the world.

Learn more about the ACAAs and purchase tickets! [post_title] => Congratulations to the recipients of the 2024 ACAAs [post_excerpt] => Meet the outstanding alumni being honoured at the 2024 Alumni Crowning Achievement Awards [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => congratulations-2024-acaa-recipients [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-10-19 10:28:13 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-10-19 16:28:13 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.degreesmagazine.ca/?p=8681 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 8141 [post_author] => 20 [post_date] => 2024-10-17 16:45:17 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-10-17 22:45:17 [post_content] =>

Welcome to the Fall/Winter 2024 edition of Degrees magazine. With the University of Regina' 50th anniversary year now in full swing, it's been my pleasure to see our many communities join us to mark this special occasion.

In this issue of Degrees, you'll read about some of the incredible accomplishments of our alumni - community volunteers, intrepid journalists, ACAA recipients, and a newly minted Senator among them.

This issue of Degrees magazine is being published at a special time - just in advance of our 50th anniversary edition of Alumni Week, which I hope you'll be able to participate in. It's a great time to revisit your alma mater, with programming and events designed to engage the whole of our community - both on and off campus - so please check the University website for information about how you can take part in the fun.

Our alumni family is now 92,000 strong - making a difference to their communities here and around the world. It's my honour to be serving as your President at this very exciting time for the U of R - a time to reflect on our illustrious past, but also look ahead with optimism at what the next 50 years will bring to our university, and to the communities and province we so proudly serve.

I hope to see you at Alumni Week - and wish you all a very happy fall!

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Jeff Keshen
President and Vice-Chancellor [post_title] => Message from Jeff Keshen, President, University of Regina [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => message-from-jeff-keshen-president-university-of-regina [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-10-18 15:35:40 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-10-18 21:35:40 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.degreesmagazine.ca/?p=8141 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )