The southern Alberta community is invited to come together to say farewell to outgoing University of Lethbridge President & Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon, all while supporting the endowment of a student award that will continue as a legacy of the Mahon family.
The Community Farewell for President Mahon takes place Thursday, Apr. 20, 2023, in the University’s Science Commons Atrium. Tickets, priced at $150 each, are now available at go.uleth.ca/MahonDinner, with proceeds from the dinner supporting the Mahon Family Student Athlete Award. Those who purchase tickets to the dinner will receive a $100 charitable tax receipt.
As the sixth president and vice-chancellor, Mahon helped establish ULethbridge as one of the country’s leading research-intensive universities. Officially installed in 2010, he led the development of Destination 2022, the University of Lethbridge Strategic Plan, charting an ambitious path forward. Much of the work centred around construction of what is now Science Commons — a building widely recognized as Canada’s most advanced facility for science education and research and one which has transformed the ULethbridge campus and the southern Alberta landscape.
Mahon has been instrumental in establishing successful partnerships to advance the reputation and reach of ULethbridge, including the naming of the Dhillon School of Business and the Mastercard Foundation initiative. His commitment to enhancing the University’s relationship with Indigenous communities is reflected in his being named an honorary member of the Kainai Chieftainship of the Blood Tribe, where he was gifted the Blackfoot name Iipisowaahsiiyi (Morning Star).
In addition, Mahon has held several standing provincial and national commitments related to post-secondary education, thereby advancing the reputation of ULethbridge.
Early in his presidency, he and his wife Maureen established the Mahon Family Student Athlete Award. An annual award, it provides a $500 scholarship to one male and one female student athlete from each Pronghorn varsity team — rewarding proficiency in sport, outstanding leadership and academic achievement. Since 2016, 52 individual student athletes have benefitted from the award.
“This is an exciting opportunity to recognize and celebrate Mike’s contributions to ULethbridge over the past 13 years and, through the current student scholarship campaign, support an initiative that is dear to his heart,” says Kathy Greenwood, vice-president, External Relations. “We’ve set a goal of raising $150,000 to ensure the Mahon Family Student Athlete Award is an endowed gift and can be distributed in perpetuity. As part of our ongoing campaign in support of student scholarships, the University is matching all contributions.”
For more information, or to donate, contact External Relations at development@uleth.ca or call 1-866-552-2582.