Dorothy Leung, BSc Nursing '08, President, University of Windsor Alumni Association, invites you and a guest to join us to celebrate the Alumni Awards of Excellence.
Doors open at 5:30 pm
Cocktails and reception 5:30 pm to 6:15 pm
Awards presentation and fireside chat with recipients
Honouring the 2026 Award Recipients:
Alumni Award of Merit
Dr. Bryan E. Walls BSc '69
Alumni Ambassador Award
Kurt Michael Downes BA '03, BEd '05
Alumni Odyssey Award
Mandeep Bumbra BSc Nursing '12, MBA '17
Event Information
Event Time and format:
Doors open at 5:30 pm
Cocktails and reception 5:30 pm to 6:15 pm
Awards presentation and fireside chat with recipients
Location:
Alumni Auditorium, 2nd Floor, CAW Student Centre.
See map for details.
Parking:
We have arranged for free parking in the Assumption Hall Parking lot - off Huron Church. See map.
Note this is NOT the Assumption Church lot off University Avenue.
Register to attend - see link
Award Recipient Bios
Alumni Odyssey Award - Mandeep Bumbra BScN ’12, MBA ‘17
Mandeep Bumbra holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Windsor. As a Registered Nurse, she began her career providing frontline care in medical-surgical and hemodialysis units, bringing practical clinical insight to system-level initiatives.
She currently serves as Manager, Symptom Management, Oncology Nursing and Experience and Engagement with Ontario Health, collaborating with hospitals and partners across Ontario to advance initiatives that strengthen quality, improve access to care, and promote health equity. Her experience encompasses primary care, chronic disease management, and community health, including leadership positions with Cancer Care Ontario, the Ontario Renal Network, and Regent Park Community Health Centre.
As a passionate advocate for health equity, Mandeep brings diverse voices to the table and applies bold, creative thinking to co-design inclusive, patient-centred solutions. Through clinician engagement, community partnership, and strategic planning, she drives initiatives that strengthen the delivery of high-quality healthcare across Ontario.
Alumni Ambassador Award - Kurt Michael Downes BA ‘03, BEd ‘05
Kurt Michael Downes is an award-winning educator with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board and President and Head Coach of Border City Athletics Club. He has served on 14 Team Canada national coaching staffs, including the Tokyo Olympic Games, World Championships, and World Youth Championships.
Committed to mentorship and youth development, Kurt has led initiatives connecting Olympians and elite athletes with young BIPOC girls and created The Learning Never Stops campaign to support student engagement following the pandemic. He serves as a Board Member with the Inclusion in Canadian Sport Network (ICSN), Chair of Family Fuse, and Board Member with Resilient Kids Canada, advancing access and opportunity through sport and community leadership. At the University of Windsor, he contributes to several committees including the Senate Research & Innovation Advisory Committee, the Joint Academic–Research Strategic Planning Committee, and the ARS - RTP Performance Review Committee.
Kurt is a recipient of Athletics Canada’s Dr. Doug Clement Coach of the Year, Canadian Running Magazine’s Community Builder of the Year, and the OECTA Contributions to Catholic Education Award. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Kinesiology at the University of Windsor.
Alumni Award of Merit - Dr. Bryan E. Walls BSc ‘69
Dr. Bryan E. Walls is a distinguished Canadian scholar, author, educator, historian, and humanitarian whose life's work has helped preserve and uplift African Canadian heritage, with a focus on the rich legacy of Underground Railroad Descendants in Southwestern Ontario.
Born and raised in Essex County, Ontario, Dr. Walls is a proud descendant of Underground Railroad who escaped enslavement in the United States and found refuge in Canada. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Windsor in 1969 and a Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Toronto in 1973, practicing dentistry for over 30 years while simultaneously building a career in public education, historical preservation, and social advocacy.
In 1989, Dr. Walls founded the John Freeman Walls Historic Site and Underground Railroad Museum, a nationally recognized cultural and educational landmark located on land purchased from the Refugee Home Society by his ancestors. The museum has become an essential site of learning and remembrance for thousands of visitors, offering a living history of Black presence, resistance, and resilience in Canada. Through it, Dr. Walls has elevated the story of Black Canadians as integral to the Canadian narrative, bridging historical knowledge with contemporary issues of race, identity, and belonging.
Dr. Walls is the author of The Road That Led to Somewhere, a memoir that chronicles his family’s journey from slavery to freedom and has been adapted into educational programming, a musical concept album, and anti-bullying initiatives. He served as a consultant and essayist for the acclaimed PBS documentary Underground Railroad: The William Still Story, and his work has been featured in international media, including The New York Times.
His contributions to community and country have been widely recognized. Dr. Walls was appointed to the Order of Ontario (1994) and the Order of Canada (2003)—Canada’s highest civilian honours. He is also a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the White House, and numerous distinctions from educational, historical, and religious institutions.
As a lecturer, professor, and diversity educator, Dr. Walls has taught courses at Niagara University and spoken at police colleges, schools, churches, and historical societies across North America. He has worked in partnership with NASA, the Motown Historical Museum, the Rosa Parks Pathways to Freedom Program, and the University of Windsor's African Diaspora Youth Student Conference. In all of these roles, he has championed justice, equity, and the power of education.
Dr. Walls served as President of the Ontario Historical Society, and as a citizenship judge, he administered the Oath of Citizenship to over 1,000 new Canadians. He is also a long-serving Deacon at First Baptist Church in Puce, a mentor, a father of five, and a grandfather of eight.
A man of deep faith, fierce commitment, and boundless compassion, Dr. Bryan E. Walls has dedicated his life to honouring the past, educating the present, and inspiring the future. His work continues to resonate in classrooms, communities, and cultural institutions across Canada and beyond.
For more assistance
Contact alumni@uwindsor.ca or call 519-253-3000 ext 3618
How to Nominate
Nominations for Alumni Awards are collected throughout the year in the following categories:
- Alumni Odyssey Award
- Alumni Ambassador Award
- Alumni Award of Merit
Read more about the award descriptions and go to the nomination forms on the Alumni Award page.