Congrats to these leaders, innovators and creators
Four times a year, we share news about NAIT alumni, students and staff who’ve won awards, achieved great goals, reached major milestones, or played leading roles in building their communities.
Here are the latest. Please join us in congratulating them!
(Know someone we're missing? Let us know.)
Thought for food
Linda Ho (above) was recognized in July by the University of Alberta for her work as lead food scientist and Applied Research Chair in Agri-Food Sustainability at the Centre for Culinary Innovation. The centre works with clients on product development, with specialized expertise in plant-based food and beverages and adding value to local crops. “For my team it’s never a ‘no,’ but a ‘how,’” Ho told New Trail magazine, which included her in a group of U of A grads who make significant contributions to the global economy.
Celebrated citizen
This summer, Radio and Television student Avalina Zenari earned one of just eight of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Citizenship Medallions, which are awarded by Alberta’s lieutenant governor annually. The St. Albert 19-year-old has a long history of volunteering and community building, particularly in youth and mental health initiatives. Zenari currently serves as an outreach and well-being leader at NAIT. The medallion is accompanied by a $7,000 scholarship.
Hospitality against the odds
As general manager of the Penticton Lakeside Resort and Conference Centre, Brannigan Mosses (Hospitality Management ’09) has faced “challenges such as COVID-19 restrictions, wildfires, highway landslides, and economic uncertainty,” says the Penticton Wine Country Chamber of Commerce. For successfully navigating those, the chamber named Mosses one of its 2024 Top 40 Under 40. The resort is one of the city’s largest employers.
The Future of Automation
Each year, the International Society of Automation (ISA) grants scholarships to a small number of recipients worldwide. Instrumentation Engineering Technology student Maria Roselle Cahilig made the cut for 2024. According to the ISA, the awards go to students who show outstanding potential in automation and controls. ISA CEO and executive director Claire Fallon shared her congratulations and hopes for students like Cahilig. “Supporting the next generation of automation professionals is critical as ISA works to advance its mission to create a better world through automation,” Fallon said.
Making the shade
Aiden Schurek (Architectural Technology ’23) shared the $25,000 prize in the 2024 KDays design competition for contributing to a structure he and fellow Next Architecture tech Albert Parfonov called “Parallax.” Designed to provide fair-goers with shade, four of the massive, pergola-like arches were distributed across the Edmonton grounds. The project was completed just in time to provide relief during a heatwave.
Learn more about what inspired the design
Moving past tragedy
Transforming tragedy into a potentially life-saving effort has earned Kim Reuther (Medical X-Ray Technology ’86) the Alberta Order of Excellence. A decade ago, Reuther lost her son Brock to cardiac arrest. Though an automated external defibrillator was available, no one was told how to use it by the emergency dispatcher they’d called. Thereafter, Reuther dedicated herself to ensuring that dispatchers and school staff and teachers around the world know how to use the devices.
Master TAC-ticians
The brightest technologists in mechanical engineering are acknowledged annually by the Technology Report Contest, a competition adjudicated by Technology Accreditation Canada. This September, top honours went to NAIT Mechanical Engineering Technology students Maricel De Vera, Leo Punongbayan and Ethan Nott. The trio’s plan – which devised a solution for a real technical challenge faced by a local manufacturer – bested submissions from across the country. Reports are judged based on originality, complexity, innovation and more.
Integrity and involvement
NAIT grads are routinely among the “Business Leaders” award winners and 2024 proved no different. Each year, Business in Edmonton magazine recognizes owners, CEOs and presidents for their integrity, values, initiatives, community involvement and philanthropy. The most recent group includes
- Keven Lackey (Urban & Regional Planning Technology ’94), Co-owner, Acclaimed! Heating, Cooling & Furnace Cleaning
- Antu Chicahuala (Mechanical Engineering Technology ’11), President, Accusteel Heavy Haul Trailers
- Todd Ivanochko (Marketing ’97, Urban & Regional Planning Technology ’90), President, Shield Foundation Repair
Learn more about the winners at Business in Edmonton.