57 Notable alumni of
University of Guelph
Updated:
The University of Guelph is 1070th in the world, 388th in North America, and 25th in Canada by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 57 notable alumni from the University of Guelph sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Vandana Shiva
- Occupations
- ecofeministwriteruniversity teacherphilosopherenvironmentalist
- Biography
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Vandana Shiva is an Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, ecofeminist and anti-globalization author. Based in Delhi, Shiva has written more than 20 books. She is often referred to as "Gandhi of grain" for her activism associated with the anti-GMO movement.
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Olivia Chow
- Enrolled in the University of Guelph
- In 1979 graduated with Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in fine art
- Occupations
- teacherpoliticianmayorsculptorMunicipal Councillor
- Biography
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Olivia Chow is a Canadian politician who has been the 66th and current mayor of Toronto since July 12, 2023. Previously, Chow served as the New Democratic Party (NDP) member of Parliament (MP) for Trinity—Spadina from 2006 to 2014, and was a councillor on the Metro Toronto Council from 1992 to the 1998 amalgamation followed by Toronto City Council until 2005.
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Scott McGillivray
- Occupations
- television producercarpenterinterior designer
- Biography
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Scott McGillivray is a Canadian entrepreneur, investor, television host, author and educator.
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Peter Watts
- Occupations
- marine biologistwriterscience fiction writerbiologistnovelist
- Biography
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Peter Watts is a Canadian science fiction author. He specializes in hard science fiction. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia in 1991 from the Department of Zoology and Resource Ecology. He went on to hold several academic research and teaching positions, and worked as a marine-mammal biologist. He began publishing fiction around the time he finished graduate school.
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Laura Bertram
- Occupations
- actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Laura Maureen Bertram is a Canadian actress best known for her roles as Amanda Zimm in Ready or Not and Trance Gemini in Andromeda.
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Roberta Bondar
- Occupations
- biologistneurologistphysicianastronautphotographer
- Biography
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Roberta Lynn Bondar is a Canadian astronaut, neurologist and consultant. She is Canada's first female astronaut and the first neurologist in space.
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Lisa Raitt
- Occupations
- business executivelawyerchief executive officerpolitician
- Biography
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Lisa Sarah MacCormack Raitt PC is a former Canadian politician who served as a federal Cabinet minister and member of Parliament (MP) from 2008 to 2019. A member of the Conservative Party, Raitt was elected to the House of Commons in the 2008 election, representing Halton. Shortly after her election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper named her minister of natural resources, holding the role until 2010, when she became minister of labour. In 2013, she became minister of transport, remaining in the role until the Conservatives were defeated by the Liberal Party in the 2015 election. Raitt was re-elected in the newly formed riding of Milton. She contested the Conservative leadership in 2017, losing to Andrew Scheer, who made her deputy party leader and deputy opposition leader, a role she would hold until she was defeated in the 2019 election. Since leaving politics, she has been the vice chair of Global Investment Banking at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC).
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Jane Siberry
- Occupations
- songwriterfilm directorjazz musiciansinger
- Biography
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Jane Siberry is a Canadian singer-songwriter, known for such hits as "Mimi on the Beach", "I Muse Aloud", "One More Colour" and "Calling All Angels". She performed the theme song to the television series Maniac Mansion. She has released material under the name "Issa" – an identity (as opposed to a simple stagename) which she used formally between 2006 and 2009.
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Thomas Dimitroff
- Occupations
- scoutAmerican football player
- Biography
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Thomas George Dimitroff Jr. is an American football executive who is currently a consultant for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He served as the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons from 2008 to 2020. Before joining the Falcons in 2008, Dimitroff was with the New England Patriots for six years. He joined the Patriots in 2002 as a national scout before being named director of college scouting a year later. He is the son of former football player and coach Tom Dimitroff Sr.
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Stephen Hicks
- Occupations
- university teacherphilosopher
- Biography
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Stephen Ronald Craig Hicks is a Canadian-American philosopher. He teaches at Rockford University, where he also directs the Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship.
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Tim Bray
- Occupations
- computer scientistblogger
- Biography
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Timothy William Bray is a Canadian software developer, environmentalist and political activist and one of the co-authors of the original XML specification. He worked for Amazon Web Services from December 2014 until May 2020 when he quit due to concerns over the terminating of whistleblowers. Previously he has been employed by Google, Sun Microsystems and Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). Bray has also founded or co-founded several start-ups, such as Antarctica Systems.
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Mark Lutz
- Occupations
- screenwritertelevision actorfilm producerfilm actor
- Biography
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Mark Douglas Lutz is a Canadian actor, who is best known for playing Groosalugg in the television series Angel and for writing and starring in Victor, a two-hour film on the life and death of Victor Davis.
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William Tang
- Occupations
- fashion designer
- Biography
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William Tang Tat-chi is a Hong Kong fashion designer. Tang studied fashion at London College of Fashion, and established his own brand in 1985.
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Lisa Thompson
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Lisa M. Thompson ECO MPP is a Canadian politician who serves as Ontario's Minister of Rural Affairs. She has represented the riding of Huron—Bruce in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party since 2011.
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Cassie Campbell
- Occupations
- ice hockey playersports commentatormotivational speaker
- Biography
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Cassie Dawin Campbell-Pascall CM is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played for the Mississauga Chiefs, Toronto Aeros, and Calgary Oval X-Treme. She won two gold medals with Canada at the Olympic Games. After her playing career, she has worked as a broadcaster.
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Audrey McLaughlin
- Occupations
- social workerautobiographerteacherresearcherpolitician
- Biography
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Audrey Marlene McLaughlin PC OC is a Canadian politician and former leader of the New Democratic Party from 1989 to 1995. She was the first female leader of a political party with representation in the House of Commons of Canada, as well as the first federal political party leader to represent an electoral district in a Canadian territory.
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Kinga Surma
- Born in
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Poland - Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Kinga Surma is a Canadian politician and the Ontario Minister of Infrastructure since June 18, 2021. She represents the riding of Etobicoke Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party. She previously served as Ontario's first Associate Minister of Transportation. In the cabinet shuffle announced on June 18, 2021, she was promoted to the position of Minister of Infrastructure.
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Jane Urquhart
- Occupations
- novelistpoetwriter
- Biography
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Jane Urquhart, OC LL.D is a Canadian novelist and poet. She is the internationally acclaimed author of seven award-winning novels, three books of poetry, and numerous short stories.
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Aref Ali Nayed
- Occupations
- university teacherphilosopherpolitician
- Biography
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Dr. Aref Ali Nayed is a Libyan Islamic scholar, businessman and politician who served as Libyan Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 2011 to 2016. Nayed is the founder and director of Kalam Research & Media (KRM), based in Tripoli, Libya and Dubai. Until the outbreak of the revolution in Libya, he lectured on Islamic theology, logic, and spirituality at the restored Uthman Pasha Madrassa in Tripoli, and supervised graduate students at the Islamic Call College there.
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Kyle Julius
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Kyle Nicholas Julius is a Canadian former professional basketball player and coach, He currently serves as General Manager and head coach for the Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) and the Taiwanese team Formosa Taishin Dreamers of the ASEAN Basketball League and the P. League+. A former Canadian men's national team player, he has been considered one of Canada's most experienced and talented basketball minds. He shares training tips and basketball experience through short articles published on NorthPoleHoops.
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Diane Deans
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Diane Elizabeth Deans was a Canadian politician. A member of Ottawa City Council, she represented Gloucester-Southgate Ward, and its predecessor Southgate Ward in the city's southeast from 1994 to 2022. She was known for her demanding of public accountability and transparency on city-wide issues.
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Shani Mootoo
- Occupations
- painterwriternovelistvideo artisttelevision producer
- Biography
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Shani Mootoo is a Trinidadian-Canadian writer, visual artist and video maker. Her body of work, which explores gender and ethnic identity, alongside deep trauma, suffering, and the overcoming of it has received international acknowledgement.
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Kaleed Rasheed
- Biography
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Kaleed Rasheed is a Canadian politician who represented Mississauga East—Cooksville in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2018 to 2025. He previously served as the minister of public and business service delivery from 2022 to 2023 and associate minister of digital government from 2019 to 2022. Rasheed was initially elected as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party (PC), but resigned from the PC caucus and provincial cabinet to sit as an independent MPP on September 20, 2023 over his relationship with a developer involved in the Greenbelt scandal. Rasheed announced on October 11, 2024 that he would not seek re-election after the 43rd Parliament of Ontario's term ends.
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Liz Sandals
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Liz Sandals is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2018 who represented the ridings of Guelph—Wellington and Guelph. She served in cabinet as the President of the Treasury Board until January 17, 2018 and previously served for three years as Minister of Education in the government of Kathleen Wynne.
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Jacqueline McGlade
- Years
- 1955-.. (age 71)
- Occupations
- oceanographerbiologistecologistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Jacqueline Myriam McGlade is a British-born Canadian marine biologist and environmental informatics professor. Her research concerns the spatial and nonlinear dynamics of ecosystems, climate change and scenario development. She is currently professor of resilience and sustainable development at the University College London Institute for Global Prosperity and Faculty of Engineering, UK, and professor at Strathmore University in the Institute for Public Policy and Governance, Kenya.
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Evan Siddall
- Occupations
- business executive
- Biography
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Evan Siddall is a Canadian businessman who served as Chief Executive Officer of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation from 2021 to 2024. Previously, he served as the CEO of Canada’s state-owned housing authority, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, following a career in investment banking.
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Mirela Rahneva
- Enrolled in the University of Guelph
- 2006-2010 graduated with Bachelor of Commerce in tourism
- Occupations
- skeleton racerrugby sevens player
- Biography
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Mirela "Mimi" Rahneva is a Canadian skeleton racer. Her family immigrated to Canada in 1997; her father, Stoyan, was a competitive gymnast, and her mother was an elite sprinter. After playing rugby in high school and at the University of Guelph, she began competing in skeleton in 2012 and was selected to the Canadian national team in 2016. She is coached by Quin Sekulich and rides a Bromley sled. She was named one of the three women to represent Canada in skeleton at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang after earning eighth on the World Cup season standings for 2017–18.
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Ryder Britton
- Biography
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Ryder Britton is a former Canadian film and television actor.
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Suze Morrison
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Suze Morrison is a former Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election. She represented the riding of Toronto Centre as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, and was the Ontario New Democratic Party's Caucus Critic for both Housing and Women's Issues. She did not run for re-election in 2022.
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Toby Barrett
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Theobald Butler "Toby" Barrett is a former Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing the district of Haldimand—Norfolk for the Progressive Conservative Party from 1995 until 2022.
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Mike Wallace
- Occupations
- sales managerpolitician
- Biography
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Michael L. Wallace is a Canadian politician. He successfully stood for councillor in Burlington, Ontario in 1994 and was re-elected three times. He represented the electoral district of Burlington from 2006 to 2015 in the House of Commons of Canada as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. While there, he chaired the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the Conservative Marine Caucus. He was defeated in the 2015 federal election by Karina Gould.
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Reid Coolsaet
- Occupations
- marathon runnerathletics competitor
- Biography
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Reid Coolsaet is a Canadian long-distance runner who competes in the marathon.
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Meredith Chivers
- Occupations
- psychologistresearcher
- Biography
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Meredith L. Chivers is a Canadian sexologist and clinical psychologist noted for her research on female sexuality, sexual orientation, paraphilias, sex differences, gender identity, and the physiology of sexual arousal. She is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
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Deni Ellis Béchard
- Occupations
- writernovelistjournalistphotographer
- Biography
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Deni Ellis Béchard, also known as Deni Yvan Béchard, is a Canadian-American novelist.
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David de Burgh Graham
- Occupations
- political adviserpoliticianjournalist
- Biography
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David de Burgh Graham is a Canadian politician and railway dispatcher who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Laurentides—Labelle from 2015 until his defeat in the 2019 federal election. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, he is also an important player in the free software movement.
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Alastair Summerlee
- Occupations
- biomedical scientist
- Biography
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Alastair J. S. Summerlee was the Interim President and Vice-Chancellor of Carleton University located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He was previously the seventh president of the University of Guelph.
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Dolph Schluter
- Occupations
- evolutionary biologistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Dolph Schluter FRS FRSC OBC is a Canadian professor of Evolutionary Biology and a Canada Research Chair in the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia. Schluter is a major researcher in adaptive radiation and currently studies speciation in the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus.
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Dicki Chhoyang
- Occupations
- diplomat
- Biography
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Dicki Chhoyang or Dickyi Choeyang is a Tibetan politician who was the former Foreign Minister of the Central Tibetan Administration.
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Gord Miller
- Years
- 1953-.. (age 73)
- Occupations
- biologistpolitician
- Biography
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Gord Miller was the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, having served from February 1, 2000 to May 18, 2015. He was appointed to a five-year term in 2000 and was reappointed to this position in 2005 and 2010 for two consecutive five-year terms. He also ran unsuccessfully for federal and provincial office in various Ontario electoral districts.
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George Chiang
- Born in
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Canada - Occupations
- television actorfilm actor
- Biography
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George Chiang is a Canadian writer, composer, producer, and actor. He is best known for creating the musical and film Golden Lotus. He has also authored several children's books.
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Moira Brown
- Born in
- Canada
- Enrolled in the University of Guelph
- Graduated with doctorate
- Occupations
- marine biologist
- Biography
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Moira Brown is a Canadian researcher of North Atlantic right whales. She is leading the initiative to convince the Government of Canada, shipping industry and scientists to address ship strikes and North Atlantic right whale mortality in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Brown has conducted research on whales for more than 30 years.
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Mark Lautens
- Enrolled in the University of Guelph
- 1977-1981 graduated with Bachelor of Science in chemistry
- Occupations
- university teacherchemist
- Biography
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Mark Lautens, OC, FRSC is a Canadian organic chemist and is a University Professor at the University of Toronto and current Chair of the Chemistry Department.
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Soraya Peerbaye
- Occupations
- poetwriter
- Biography
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Soraya Peerbaye is a Canadian writer. She was a shortlisted nominee for the Gerald Lampert Award in 2010 for her poetry collection Poems for the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names, and for the Griffin Poetry Prize in 2016 for Tell: poems for a girlhood.
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Mary Swan
- Years
- 1953-.. (age 73)
- Occupations
- librarian
- Biography
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Mary Swan is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. She is also a trained librarian with a keen eye for history. Her novel The Boys in the Trees, a shortlisted nominee for the 2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize. was inspired by a newspaper clipping concerning a death within a family.
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Karen Ludwig
- Occupations
- politicianteacherinstructorassociate deanbusiness executive
- Biography
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Karen Ludwig is a Canadian Liberal politician who represented the riding of New Brunswick Southwest in the House of Commons of Canada from 2015 until 2019. She was the first woman to represent the riding.
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Ralph Spence
- Occupations
- Anglican priestheraldistofficer of arms
- Biography
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David Ralph Spence FRHSC is a Canadian retired Anglican bishop.
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David Giuliano
- Occupations
- civil servant
- Biography
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David W. Giuliano was the 39th Moderator of the United Church of Canada from 2006 to 2009.
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Piers Nash
- Occupations
- biochemist
- Biography
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Piers David Nash is a writer, entrepreneur, cancer biology professor, data evangelist and technology futurist. He is a pioneer in the field of emergent properties of complex biological systems, particularly for his work on integrative all-or-none switches at a cellular level. He was the founder of Sympatic, and the son of academic Roger Nash.
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Penny Park
- Occupations
- science journalist
- Biography
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Penelope Dawn Park (July 26, 1953 – December 14, 2018) was a Canadian science journalist.
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Sue Richards
- Occupations
- bloggerartist
- Biography
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Sue Richards was a Canadian artist and social entrepreneur from Guelph, Ontario. Sue moved to Guelph in 1981 to attend the University of Guelph. In 2002 she launched the Breast of Canada calendar in support of breast health and breast cancer prevention.
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Derek Sullivan
- Years
- 1976-.. (age 50)
- Occupations
- multimedia artist
- Biography
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Derek Sullivan is a contemporary visual artist from Toronto, Ontario. Sullivan’s multidisciplinary practice employs drawing, sculpture, book works, and installation to engage with the legacy of modernist art and design. He is currently an Assistant Professor in Sculpture/Installation at OCAD University.
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Gwendolyn Tonge
- Occupations
- television presenterteacherpolitician
- Biography
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Dame Gwendolyn Tonge, DCN, OH, MBE was an Antiguan teacher and home economics expert. After teaching for many years, she became the head of the government Women's Desk, the precursor to the Directorate of Gender Affairs. Appointed as a Senator, she continued to work in the Ministry of the Prime Minister, responsible for policies on women's issues. As Auntie Gwen, she hosted a cooking show Cooking Magic, which began airing on the Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Service (ABS) in the 1960s until her death, the longest running television series in the eastern Caribbean, other than news programs. The recipient of many awards, she was honored with the Order of the British Empire, the Order of Honour of Antigua and Barbuda, Distinguished Order of the Nation.
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Charles Ambrose Zavitz
- Years
- 1863-1942 (aged 79)
- Occupations
- agronomistchemist
- Biography
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Charles Ambrose Zavitz was a Canadian agronomist.
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Margaret Hyland
- Years
- 1960-.. (age 66)
- Occupations
- chemistprofessorengineer
- Biography
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Margaret Mary Hyland FRSNZ is a Canadian-born chemist based in New Zealand whose research focuses on aluminium technology, and the chemistry and engineering of material surfaces. She moved to New Zealand in 1989 and after holding many senior academic leadership roles supporting and developing research at the faculty, university and national level became recognised as an authority on the generation and capture of fluoride emissions from aluminium smelters and for coordinating the team that produced the 'Fluoride Emissions Management Guide' for the aluminium industry. This achievement was acknowledged when she became the first woman to win the Pickering Medal. In 2017, Hyland was seconded to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in the role of Chief Scientist and has held positions in a variety of other groups supporting the physical sciences and engineering. She was Vice-Provost, at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand from 2018 until 2025.
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Patricia S. Hu
- Biography
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Patricia S. Hu is a Taiwanese-American public servant who was the fourth director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics at the United States Department of Transportation from 2011 to 2025, the first woman to hold that position. She was previously the director of the Center for Transportation Analysis at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
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Jose Dolores Fuentes
- Occupations
- chemist
- Biography
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Jose Dolores Fuentes is a meteorologist at Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on surface-atmosphere interactions that control the transport of energy and trace gases in the lower atmosphere. In particular, he has gained media attention for his research into the relationship between air pollution and bees.
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Nucharin Songsasen
- Enrolled in the University of Guelph
- Graduated with Master of Science
- Graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- biologistmammalogistveterinarian
- Biography
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Nucharin Songsasen is a research biologist and head of the Center for Species Survival at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. Songsasen is an expert in global canid conservation, including maned wolves, African wild dogs, and dholes.
