BU to bestow two lifetime achievement awards

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This article was published 24/05/2025 (314 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon University will honour Austin Gulliver and Michelle Magnusson with lifetime achievement awards for their long-term service to the university during next week’s convocation.

The awards, which are approved annually by the BU Senate, recognize people who have made significant contributions in service and achievement throughout their lives and to BU. Gulliver will receive his award during the morning ceremony on Thursday, May 29, while Magnusson will be recognized as part of the afternoon ceremony on the following day.

Gulliver retired from his position as professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in 2024 after 39 years at BU. He served on multiple university-wide committees, chairing both the University Pension Trustees and the scholarship committee. He served as dean of science from 2005-11 and again from 2015-16.

He has been awarded six separate multi-year grants by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. His research career has included collaborations with astronomers in a variety of countries, including Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Turkey, Argentina and Sweden. He has published 64 refereed articles in top international journals, with many of these publications including contributions by BU students who began their studies at the university before eventually obtaining their doctorates.

In addition to his work at BU, he has been a longtime member of the Kiwanis Club of Brandon, including serving on its executive, and has been secretary of the Canadian Astronomical Society.

One commenter noted in the nomination: “His love of science merged with his belief in the Faculty of Science, its students, its professors (and) its goals.”

Another added: “He was a standout in Brandon and would have been a star in Toronto, London, or New York! No matter what category you might choose, Dr. Austin Gulliver is first rate!”

Gulliver’s contributions have continued in his retirement. He remains active in research, and his family has made a $50,000 donation toward the replacement of the dome at BU’s observatory, which has now been named the Gulliver Astronomical Observatory.

Magnusson has been BU’s accessibility services co-ordinator for 17 years. She has been a member of the BU Board of Governors and Senate, serving on the Indigenous education committee, and has been a longtime member of the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology steering committee. She has played a key role in faculty and staff education, and her contributions are reflected in several university policies.

“Since day one, Michelle has worked tirelessly to support students, always prioritizing accessibility and improvement,” said one BU student in a nomination letter. “Even when she was handling everything with a very small team, no student was left behind.”

Another student added: “She has introduced me to resources that I didn’t know existed before talking to her, that have made it easier for me to complete homework and study for tests … Without the help that I have received from Michelle at the Student Accessibility Centre, I wouldn’t have been able to thrive as much as I have at Brandon University.”

Magnusson is also an active community volunteer, making presentations to the Manitoba Teachers’ Society, chairing the host committee for the 2017 Special Olympics Manitoba Summer Games and serving several roles in the figure skating community, among her many other accomplishments.

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