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This year, alumni took part in two fascinating faculty-organized keynote panel discussions, networked at the mentorship mixer, attended the awarding of our flagship alumni awards — the��Aurum Awards��— and enjoyed a delicious meal and the bestowing of the Golden Eagle Lifetime Achievement Award at a brunch celebrating milestone reunions.

Here are some highlights:

Champagne Social

Alumni from the past 70 years from across all faculties came together at Sheriff Hall for the time-honoured Champagne Social, where they enjoyed a buffet brunch and posed for reunion class photos.��

A highlight was when Dr. J. Donald “Don” Hill (MD’60, LLD’87), a renowned cardiac surgeon, collaborator and innovator of mechanical circulatory support devices, received the��2025 Dalhousie Golden Eagle Lifetime Achievement Award.��

Dr. David Anderson, Dalhousie’s Dean of Medicine, called Dr. Hill, “a true pioneer, at the forefront of medical innovation…his work has advanced science and transformed lives.”

The New Space Age��

NASA astronaut and 2025 Aurum Award recipient Dr. Kathryn Sullivan (PhD’78) gave the keynote lecture at Alumni Days. She discussed the boom in national space agencies worldwide, the need for traffic management in space, the challenge of space debris, and the imperative of moon ‘sovereignty’ (as expeditions are increasingly mounted by private explorers who may try to ‘claim’ parts of it, e.g., for mining).��
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Dr. Sullivan also shared that she’s been called “the most vertical person on Earth” for not only has she walked in space, she’s also explored the deepest reaches of the ocean.

A panel event followed at which Dr. Sullivan was joined by fellow 2025 Aurum Award recipient Arad Gharagozli (BEng’20) and Stephen Matier, founder, CEO & director of Maritime Launch. It was moderated by Dr. David Barclay, Dal oceanography professor and host of the Sciographies �ʴǻ峦������. 

Mentorship Mixer

“Mentorship is not just about solutions or answers, it’s an energy exchange,” mentee Khaled Al-Mahbashi (BACS’23) said during the Mentorship Mixer.��

The event was an opportunity for��Dal Alumni Link��mentors and mentees, plus those curious about the program, to meet in person and discuss their experiences.

Neville Gilfoy Lecture

The Neville Gilfoy entrepreneurship panelists shared informative, inspiring and entertaining stories about how their companies got their start and how they navigate the health-care technology space. They also answered audience questions around how to turn an idea into the creation of an innovative product.

There was much applause as Hamad Hanafi (MSc'09, PhD'15), founder & CEO of NovaResp Technologies Inc. said, “I think Nova Scotia is the perfect place to start your business.”��
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In closing remarks Neville Gilfoy's son Jamie, who attended the lecture, said Neville would have loved this panel discussion.

Aurum Awards

Dalhousie’s flagship alumni awards, the Aurum Awards, were also handed out. Each year, many incredible Dal alumni are nominated by their peers and the winners are selected by the Dalhousie Alumni Association.��

This year’s honorees include a NASA astronaut and oceanographer, a cancer researcher making ground-breaking discoveries with stem cells, a geologist advocating for community health through well water testing, and an aerospace engineer who's launching satellites into space to solve problems here on Earth. They share a relentless pursuit to understand, heal and expand the boundaries of what’s possible.��Explore their stories and videos.

Until next year

Thank you to all who joined us for Alumni Days 2025! We hope you return next year.