The University Council Executive Committee has announced the 2015 recipients of the Distinguished Service Award. The award recognizes exemplary service to Queen’s over an extended period of time. This year’s recipients are:

George Anderson

A long-serving member of the Board of Trustees and past chair of the board’s Finance Committee, George Anderson served in the federal public service for more than 30 years, including 10 as a deputy minister. He has served as president of the Forum of Federations and as a member of the standby team of mediation experts at the United Nations. He has worked and lectured in more than 20 countries, is the author of two widely translated books on federalism, and the editor of three other books. He holds degrees in political science from Queen’s and Oxford University, as well as a diploma from the École nationale d'administration in Paris. He has also been a resident fellow at Harvard and New York universities.

David Bonham

David Bonham is a professor emeritus in the Faculty of Law and Queen's School of Business who also served as vice-principal of finance for a decade. From 1978 to 2009, Mr. Bonham was a partner, then counsel, with Cunningham Swan Carty Little and Bonham in Kingston. He has served on numerous boards in the Kingston community, and holds both the Padre Laverty and the John Orr awards from Queen’s.

Stan Corbett

A Queen’s graduate (BA’66, MA’72, PhD’82, LLB’95) who became the university’s longest-serving associate dean in the Faculty of Law, Stan Corbett also served as the academic director of the faculty’s Global Law Programs at the Bader International Study Centre at Herstmonceux Castle in England. He was a member of the affiliated faculty with the Queen’s Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, a sessional lecturer in the Faculty of Health Sciences, and taught courses in the Department of Philosophy and in the School of Policy Studies. This award will be presented posthumously.

Paul Hand and Vicki Gilliatt Hand

Co-chairs of the University’s Fields and Stadium Campaign Cabinet, Paul Hand (BA ’69, MBA ’73) and Vicki Gilliatt Hand (BA/BPHE ’73) are generous Queen’s benefactors and sports enthusiasts. Mr. Hand, a member of the football Gaels from 1969-73, is a managing director of RBC Capital Markets. Ms. Gilliatt Hand swam varsity synchro from 1971-73 and is still swimming masters. Together they have also supported Queen’s School of Business where Paul’s father was the dean, before becoming vice-principal. Three new fields have been built under their leadership – Tindall, Nixon, Miklas-McCarney – and this fall, Richardson Stadium will be revitalized to support outdoor athletics.

Arunima Khanna

A registered psychologist and adjunct assistant professor who received her doctoral degree from Queen’s, Arunima Khanna currently serves as the university’s cross-cultural counsellor. Her role sees her specializing in issues of concern to students from diverse cultural background including international students, racialized students and new Canadians, as well as advising faculty, staff, student groups and administrators on issues of diversity, equity, multicultural awareness, intercultural communication and problem-solving.

Gordon E. Smith

Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science and a professor of ethnomusicology, Dr. Smith has also served as director of the School of Music. He holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and the ARCT diploma in piano performance, and has edited or contributed to numerous books and authored many articles. He also played a key role in seeing the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts come to life on the Kingston waterfront.

Inaugurated by University Council in 1974, the Distinguished Service Award recognizes those individuals who have made the university a better place through their extraordinary contributions. Recipients become honorary life members of University Council. The 2015 Distinguished Service Awards will be presented at the University Council dinner, which will be held this fall at Queen’s University. For more information about the Distinguished Service Awards, please contact the University Secretariat at ucouncil@queensu.ca or by phone at 613-533-6095.