1st Annual India Centre Awards Dinner

The 1st annual India Centre Awards Dinner, held on September 16, 2015, celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the India Association of Manitoba (est. 1965), as well as our inaugural award recipient, Dr. Indira V. Samarasekera.

After receiving her PhD. in Metallurgical Engineering, Dr. Samarasekera began her academic career at the University of British Columbia.  She would eventually become Vice-President of Research at UBC (2000-2005), and then the first woman President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta (2005-2015).

The various honours that she received include: Member of the Order of Canada, Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

 An accomplished scholar and university administrator, she has done much to advance the commitment of Canadian universities towards greater diversity and gender equality.

(Photo credit: Sushil K. Soni)