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Alumni awards

A woman standing and being honoured on a stage for an award with fellow award recipients who are sitting down and an overhead screen that says Dr. Sahar Sam, Emerging Alumni Award.

ɬíɬəl ʔa kʷs ƛ̓kʷəxnəq Skʷukʷəlstəŋəƛ̓ | SIÁMĆEȽ | Distinguished Alumni Awards

The ɬíɬəl ʔa kʷs ƛ̓kʷəxnəq Skʷukʷəlstəŋəƛ̓ | SIÁMĆEȽ | Distinguished Alumni Awards celebrate the remarkable achievements of University of Victoria graduates.

Save the date

We will announce the recipients of the ɬíɬəl ʔa kʷs ƛ̓kʷəxnəq Skʷukʷəlstəŋəƛ̓ | SIÁMĆEȽ | 2026 Distinguished Alumni Awards in late February, followed by a reception Thursday, March 26, 2026. More details to come.

Award categories

Each year we recognize distinguished alumni from the University of Victoria in 1 of 3 categories:

Presidents' Alumni Awards

Presented by UVic's President and the President of the UVic Alumni Association (UVAA), this award recognizes the outstanding lifetime accomplishments of alumni who have either:

  • earned national or international regard
  • had a significant local impact as a result of their outstanding professional achievements
Emerging Alumni Awards

These awards recognize the outstanding professional achievements and/or contributions of recent alumni (graduated within the last 10 years) to the community.

Indigenous Community Alumni Awards

These awards recognize the contributions of alumni to Indigenous communities, which have improved outcomes for Indigenous people and contributed to Truth and Reconciliation.

Nominate a UVic alum

A new chapter in recognition

On April 8, 2025, the UVic Alumni Association announced two new Indigenous names that will stand beside the Distinguished Alumni Awards title moving forward. 

ɬíɬəl ʔa kʷs ƛ̓kʷəxnəq Skʷukʷəlstəŋəƛ̓ : Gift for the successful student, alum.

Lək̓ʷəŋən language provided by Čeyɫəm, Dr. Elmer George (Songhees Nation).

and

SIÁMĆEȽ : Highly respected alum and continuing to do respected work.

SENĆOŦEN language provided by J,SIṈTEN, Dr. John Elliot (W̱JOȽEȽP /Tsartlip Nation)

Listen to the pronunciation below:

 

Learn more about the new Indigenous names.

Past DAA recipients

UVic has been celebrating distinguished alumni for over 10 years.

Meet our past award recipients.