Notable Alumni
Many of our alumni have achieved great success in their careers and the community. Some are even household names! Here's a sampling:
By field:
Arts and media
- David Bergen, novelist and Scotiabank Giller Prize winning author
- Trevor Boris, former star of MuchMusic's Video on Trial, executive producer/showrunner on Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World, comedian
- Stephen Borys, Director and CEO of the Winnipeg Art Gallery
- Lorraine Brandson, writer, editor and curator of Churchill's world-renowned Eskimo Museum
- Richard Condie, animator, filmmaker, writer, musician and voice actor
- Hilary Druxman, jewelry designer and owner of Hilary Druxman Design
- Danishka Esterhazy, screenwriter and filmmaker, recipient of the Canadian Screen Award for Best Direction in a TV Movie (2022)
- Noam Gonick, filmmaker and youngest inductee into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (2007)
- Margo Goodhand, former editor and first female editor of Winnipeg Free Press
- Linda Holeman, world-famous author, winner of the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award (2000 & 2002)
- Tina Keeper, CM, OM, MSM, actress, film producer and former MP for Churchill. Named to the Order of Manitoba in 2002 and inducted as a member of the Order of Canada in 2024
- Ash Koley, pop singer
- Chantal Kreviazuk, singer, songwriter, composer and pianist, and Juno award winner
- Devin Latimer, musician and song writer, UWinnipeg chemistry instructor, former member of Grammy award winning band, Nathan and current member of Leaf Rapids
- Guy Maddin, CM, OM, screenwriter, director, author, cinematographer and film editor
- Shannon Martin, award-winning anchor and veteran storyteller with CBC Weekend News & Our Toronto
- Cheryl McKenzie, Gemini award-nominated journalist, executive director of APTN News & Current Affairs
- Keith McPherson, author, mindfullness life coach, musician and songwriter, known for his appearance on Canadian Idol
- Gilles Paquin, CEO/Owner Paquin Entertainment Group
- John Paskievich, director and photographer
- Fred Penner, singer, songwriter, entertainer and four-time Juno award winner
- Bill Richardson, former CBC radio personality and award-winning author
- Brad Roberts, Lead Singer of the band Crash Test Dummies
- Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais, multi-award winning Indigenous journalist, broadcaster, writer, community leader
- Paul Samyn, Editor of the Winnipeg Free Press
- Khal Sharif, video game maker, virtual world designer, web developer
- Margaret Sweatman, acclaimed author, performer and UWinnipeg English faculty member
- Beth Torbert, Musician/Singer (Bif Naked)
- Bill Valgardson, award-winning author
- Armin Wiebe, award winning author, novelist and short fiction writer
Business and industry
- Ida Albo, entrepreneur, philanthropist, community leader
- Diane Gray, founding President and CEO of CentrePort Canada and President of Prairies Economic Development Canada
- David R. Henderson, Economics professor, r and author
- Jamie Jurczak, lawyer, past-chair of the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce, entrepreneur
- Joseph (Joe) Martin, Partner (Deloitte Management Consulting Canada), former Director (Rotman School of Management), Author (From Wall Street to Bay Street)
- Prashant Modha, Owner and Chief Finance Officer of Mondetta Clothing Company
- Donald John Roberts, Professor of Economics, Strategic Management, and International Business in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, award-winning author
- Ed Romanowski, President & Founder of Bellstar Hotels & Resorts, COO at Arlington Street Investments
- Omar Zakhilwal, Afghan politician and former Minister of Finance, President SRep & Ambassador to Pakistan, Afghanistan
Public service
- Nello Altomare, Manitoba MLA for Transcona, elected September 2019
- Lloyd Axworthy, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, former President of 海角社区
- Darlyne Bautista, Philippine education leader, cultural curator/ambassador, former Winnipeg School Division Trustee, University of Toronto Department of History
- Donavan Fontaine, former Chief, Sagkeeng First Nation (2007-2014)
- Kevin Chief, former MLA & Minister of Children and Youth Opportunities (2011-2017)
- Sharon Parenteau, Executive Director, Louis Riel Institute
- Amanda Furst, Executive Director & Founder, Growing Opportunities International (GO!), Manitoba Red Cross Young Humanitarian & YWCA Young Woman of Distinction
- Nellie Kennedy, Manitoba MLA for Assiniboia, elected September 2023
- Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba elected October 18, 2023. Kinew served as the leader of the Manitoba New Democratic Party since 2017 and Leader of Opposition prior to NDP’s election victory in 2023. He represents Fort Rouge in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Award winning journalist, author, broadcaster and hip-hop artist.
- Cindy Lamoureux, Manitoba MLA for Tyndall Park, elected September 2019
- Troy Lulashnyk, Canada's Ambassador Austria and Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna
- Andrew Micklefield, Manitoba MLA for Rossmere, elected September 2019
- Donna Miller, appointed clerk of the executive council and cabinet secretary in Manitoba in 2015. Prior to that, she served as Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Manitoba. Queen’s Diamond Jubilee award winner. Current Chair of United Way of Winnipeg Board of Trustees
- Devi Sharma, Winnipeg City Councillor representing Old Kidonan, elected 2010
- Bernadette Smith, Manitoba MLA representing Point Douglas, elected September 2017
- Annette Trimbee, President and Vice-Chancellor of MacEwan University
- Susan Thompson, former Mayor of Winnipeg, former Consul General to the US in Minneapolis, and former CEO of the University of Winnipeg Foundation
- James (Jamie) Wilson, Vice President Indigenous Strategy, Research and Business Development
Sciences
- (BSc [Hons], 11) is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Smalley-Curl fellowship at Rice University in Houston, Texas.
- Reese Halter, Conservation Biologist, science communicator, author
- Leo Wang-Kit Cheung, Bioinformatics Program Leader, Loyola University Medical Center
Sports
- Erfan Nasajpour, retired professional basketball player in the Iranian Basketball Super League and volunteer coach for UWinnipeg's Summer in the City basketball program
- Ken Opalko, former Wesmen men's basketball star and inductee into both the Manitoba Sports and Basketball Halls of Fame
- Kirby Cote, Canada’s most decorated Paralympians, winning an astonishing 13 Paralympic medals, including seven gold medals, from representing Canada at three Paralympic Games. Received the Order of the Star which signifies her induction into the Canada Sports Hall of Fame in October 2024.
Also, see a list of Distinguished Alumni Award recipients and find out how to nominate someone for the award here. Do you know someone whose name should be on this page? Please e-mail alumni@uwinnipeg.ca with your suggestions.