Another year of transformative philanthropy and excellence at SFU

2024 marks another year of incredible milestones for SFU—and we could not have achieved any of this without our steadfast donors, alumni and friends.

Thanks to our supporters, nearly 40 new scholarships, bursaries and awards were created to ensure SFU students can pursue their dreams. One such gift was made through the Stolte Family Undergraduate Entrance Scholarship in Sustainable Energy Engineering, which will empower future clean technology leaders by providing one $50,000 scholarship every year for a student entering the program.

We also cheered on thousands of new SFU graduands who have since joined our global network of over 200,000 proud alumni spanning 145+ countries. Our team was privileged to bring together and meet some of our alumni in their part of the world—Seattle, London, Beijing, Toronto and Tokyo, to name a few. We look forward to seeing some new and familiar faces again next year (Psst! Edmonton, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and California are just a few stops on our itinerary).

SFU continues to grow and lead in innovation, research, inclusivity and sustainability, and I can’t wait to see everything we will accomplish together in 2025. Reflecting on this past year, here are some of the exciting things that happened:

• Organic food movement leaders Ratana and Arran Stephens were recognized with the 2024 President’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award for their commitment to the health of people and the planet. SFU alumnus Len Pierre and SFU student Abhishek Parma were also honoured with the Chancellor’s Distinguished Service Award.

• For the 16th time in 17 years, SFU has held on to its top spot as Canada’s #1 comprehensive university, according to the 2025 Maclean’s University Rankings.

• SFU took first place in Canada on climate action and sustainable cities and communities, according to the 2024 Times Higher Education impact rankings.

• Our generous donors made more than 21,000 gifts, totaling over $42 million to uplift SFU and the communities we serve. More than 2,800 scholarships, awards and bursaries went toward supporting SFU students, including nearly 40 new funds that will make post-secondary education more attainable for future innovators, creators and changemakers.

• Dr. David J. Price, a nationally recognized leader in family medicine and primary care, was appointed as SFU’s founding dean of the first entirely new school of medicine in Western Canada in 55 years. Once complete, the SFU School of Medicine will train the next generation of primary care physicians dedicated to improving the health of B.C. families across urban, rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

As SFU heads into the holiday season, you still have the opportunity to make a positive difference for students. If you make a gift before December 31, every dollar you give will be matched by SFU, doubling your impact, up to $40,000. Please consider supporting the SFU Food Security Program Fund at this crucial time to ensure students in need can focus on learning rather than finding their next meal.

I look forward to continuing our work to advance an inclusive and sustainable future. Our heartfelt thanks go out to our extraordinary community of supporters who make SFU great. Wishing you and yours a joyous holiday season and happy New Year!