Announcing the 2020 Alumni of Influence
Top row: Anthony Bidulka, Dr. Signa Daum Shanks, Tracey Jungwirth, Dr. Russell Muzzolini . Bottom row: Dr. Monique Simair, Dr. Ronald Steer, Adrian Stimson, Dr. Adam Pottle. (Photos: supplied)
An award-winning mystery author, a Silicon Valley tech leader and a celebrated interdisciplinary artist are among eight outstanding alumni who will be honoured by the College of Arts and Science in 2020.
On Nov. 26, the College of Arts and Science at the University of Saskatchewan announced the recipients of the 2020 Alumni of Influence Awards, which will be presented at a ceremony at TCU Place in Saskatoon on March 27, 2020. (* Cancelled due to Covid 19 pandemic)
The Alumni of Influence Awards recognize and celebrate alumni of the College of Arts and Science whose remarkable achievements and contributions are having an impact on their fields, their community and the university. The awards are presented every two years.
The 2020 Alumni of Influence Award Winners
The Alumni of Influence Awards recognize and celebrate outstanding alumni whose remarkable achievements and contributions are having an impact on their fields, their community and the university.
Anthony Bidulka
BA’83, BEd’91, BComm’91
Because of its innate diversity—the college being an eclectic population of people with widely varying interests and educational pursuits—Arts and Science gave me a wider appreciation for the range of opportunities open to me as possible career paths.
Anthony Bidulka is an award-winning author of mystery, suspense and thriller novels.
Raised on a farm near Prud’homme, Sask., Bidulka completed a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan. Following an internship chartered professional accountant (CPA) designation in 1993.
In 1999, Bidulka left his career as a corporate auditor to pursue his passion for writing. He is now the author of 11 novels and has toured extensively throughout Canada and the United States.
Bidulka’s books have been nominated for Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Awards, Saskatchewan Book Awards, a ReLit award and Lambda Literary Awards. His second book, Flight of Aquavit, was awarded the Lambda Literary Award for Best Men’s Mystery, making Bidulka the first Canadian to win in that category.
A great believer in community involvement, Bidulka has sat on the boards of local, national and international organizations, including Persephone Theatre, the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild, AIDS Saskatoon, Crime Writers of Canada, the International Association of Crime Writers and The Word On The Street Saskatoon. Most recently, Bidulka was the 2019 galaMODERN chair for Remai Modern.
In 2008, Bidulka co-founded Camp fYrefly Saskatchewan, an educational, social and personal learning retreat for sexual and gender minority youth. Having hosted more than 500 young people since its inception, Camp fYrefly has made a profound difference in the lives of at-risk youth.
Among other honours, Bidulka was an inductee for the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Education Wall of Honour in 2011 and named Saskatoon Citizen of the Year in 2014.
In his spare time, Bidulka loves to travel the world, collect art, walk his dogs and throw a good party.
“Keep your eyes and ears, hearts and minds open. If you are open, your time in Arts and Science will be a much broader experience that you ever imagined it would be.”