Congratulations to Cynthia and Yves Bled, uOttawa’s 2019 Honorary Members of the Alumni Association

Posted on Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Yves and Cynthia Bled Headshot

All of our congratulations to Cynthia and Yves Bled, recipients of uOttawa’s 2019 Honorary Members of the Alumni Association

Retired, the former professors continue to foster student success and recognize student achievements through their generous support of scholarships and bursaries at a variety of institutions, including uOttawa.

Cynthia, an economist, her wide-ranging career spanned stints at uOttawa, Concordia and Carleton's universities, and Algonquin College. As a school trustee for more than a decade, she influenced the educational vision that guides Ottawa youth. Her contributions have been recognized through various distinctions, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Yves, an anthropologist, was dean of students, director of cultural programs and professor of cultural anthropology at uOttawa, where he brought his love of world cultures to the campus and community at large.

In 2007, Cynthia and Yves Bled created the Canadian Future Achievers (CFA) program, to encourage high-achieving minority youth to succeed. In 2011, a generous donation to uOttawa’s Faculty of Social Sciences sealed a partnership between CFA and the University. The Bled Future Achievers Leadership Forum leadership program is designed to encourage 15 to 18 year-old Indigenous and Caribbean youth to learn new leadership skills and grow as future leaders.

In 2017, it is with great pleasure that the Faculty of Social Sciences awarded to Cynthia and Yves, the Faculty’s Recognition Award.

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