Alumni Association Award Recipients
Alumni Director Profiles
Emily Wooder MacLeod ('17)
Emily Wooder MacLeod (’17) was born and raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She graduated from Acadia University with a Bachelor of Arts in Canadian Studies in 2017. During her time at Acadia Emily was a member of the Acadia Women’s Basketball team from 2013 to 2017, a volunteer with the Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience (S.M.I.L.E.) program, a volunteer athlete with the Junior Axewomen basketball program, and the student-athlete representative of Acadia’s Athletic Department for the Student-Athlete Mental Health Initiative (SAMHI). Emily cherishes her time at Acadia and the Annapolis Valley continues to have a special place in her heart. She is honoured to serve as a member of the Board of Directors for the Acadia Alumni Association and stay connected to the Acadia community. After graduating from Acadia, Emily returned to Fredericton to fulfill her lifelong goal of attending law school at the University of New Brunswick. Emily was called to the bar in 2022 and has since cultivated a practice in the areas of Family Law, Wills and Estates, and Real Property. She is currently a lawyer with the firm Ashford Law and Dispute Resolution in Fredericton. Emily is an active volunteer in the New Brunswick basketball community, having coached several levels since returning to New Brunswick in 2017. She is also involved in the New Brunswick legal community, holding positions with both the York Sunbury Law Society and the Canadian Bar Association Mid-Winter Committee. Outside of the office and her volunteer efforts, Emily is an avid skier, golfer, reader and runner.
Rachel MacMillan ('25)
Rachel MacMillan is the elected Grad Class Life President for 2025 and an ex-officio Alumni Association Board member. She is a proud Nova Scotian, born and raised in Halifax. Rachel immersed herself in campus life and the Wolfville community while at Acadia and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the F. C. Manning School of Business in May.
As a founding executive of Acadia’s Women in Business Society, Rachel served as Vice-President of Finance, demonstrating her commitment to empowering and bringing female students together. She is passionate about financial literacy, particularly among women and young students, and dedicated her final year of studies to leading initiatives within the school and the community to promote financial confidence and education.
Outside of her academic and extracurricular pursuits, Rachel balanced her time at Acadia by working at the Annapolis Cider Company. She loved this job because it allowed her to build relationships with all the regulars consisting of students and locals. In her free time, Rachel enjoyed walks on the Wolfville dykeland and hanging out with her roommates.
Following graduation, Rachel hopes to spend time traveling before starting work. Drawing inspiration from her entrepreneurial family, Rachel has aspirations of eventually carving her own path, whether it’s through creating her own venture or contributing to established institutions.
Board of Directors
Christine Luckasavitch (’11) - President
Paul Black (’00) - Vice-President
Barb Anderson (’77) - Secretary
Matthew Saunders (’09) - Treasurer
Robyn Bews (’97)
Quincy Cochrane (’23)
Allison Dean (’14)
Rebecca Earle (’00)
Natalie Irwin (’01)
Eric Levy (’05, ’07)
Moira MacLean (’85)
Ron Malcolm (’82, ’83)
Fiona McGuinty (’17)
Véronique Russell (’16)
Olivia Shive (’21)
Kelton Thomason (’07, ’10)
Payton Wood (’18)
Emily Wooder MacLeod (’17)
Rachel MacMillan (’25) - Ex-Officio
Sophie Vertanness (’26) - Ex-Officio
Nominations open for Alumni Association Awards!
Alumni are one of Acadia University’s greatest assets, and the Acadia Alumni Association derives strength from the diversity of our alumni community. As a result, the Association is committed to creating a culture of inclusion and equity in the work they do and encourages nominations from all races, colours, religions, genders, gender identities or expressions, sexual orientations, national origins, disabilities, socioeconomic status, or ages as candidates for award consideration.
Acadia Alumni Outstanding GOLD Alumni Award
The Acadia Alumni Outstanding GOLD Alumni Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of an Acadia University alum whose endeavours have distinguished them professionally or in the community and brought honour to the University. This award is intended to honour Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD).
Nomination deadline: July 31 annually. Click here for a Nomination Form.
Distinguished Alumni Award
The Acadia Alumni Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of an Acadia University alum whose endeavours have distinguished them professionally or in the community and brought honour to the University. This award is intended to honour alumni with greater than 10 years post-graduation from Acadia.
Nomination deadline: October 31 annually. Click here for a Nomination Form.
Acadia Alumni Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching
The Acadia Alumni Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes a continued record of excellence in teaching students and future alumni of Acadia University with a focus on the faculty member’s professional and teaching accomplishments. Candidates for this award must be current full-time, part-time or contract members of the teaching faculty and have taught at Acadia University for at least three years.
Nomination deadline: November 30 annually. Click here for a Nomination Form.
AGM wrap-up
The Associated Alumni of Acadia University ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING occurred on May 7, 2025. There were more than 30 attendees from across Canada and internationally. The 2024-2025 ANNUAL REPORT was presented and is available to view HERE. The Alumni Board welcomed NEW BOARD MEMBERS Robyn Bews (’97), Quincy Cochrane (’23), Rebecca Earle (’00), Fiona McGuinty (’17), and ex-officio member and Class of 2026 Life President, Sophie Vertanness.
A special thank you to the following RETIRING BOARD MEMBERS for their dedicated service and leadership: Kierstyn Palmer (’22), Emily Patterson (’24), Matthew Rios (’14), Shaq Smith (’16), and Sam Zhang (’05). The time, talent, and commitment they shared significantly shaped the work and impact of the Association. Thank you also to Taylor Baker (’19) and Emma Cochrane (’13) for their valued contributions during the 2024–2025 term.
Year-end Financial Report
To view the report, please click HERE.
