The Shevchenko Foundation congratulates former president Dr. Roman Petryshyn on being invested as a Member of the Order of Canada.
Roman Petryshyn was the founding director of the Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre (URDC) at Grant MacEwan University where he held the Drs. Peter and Doris Kule Chair in Ukrainian Community and International Development until 2015.
Roman Petryshyn is best known for his visionary projects. With a very clear understanding of the potential of the Ukrainian community in Canada he was an advocate of multiculturalism and promoted organizations that would strengthen the role of our community in Canadian society and abroad.
For six years Roman Petryshyn served as a director of the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko (TSF), three of those years as its president from 1994-1996.
He also served as Vice President of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation of which he was a founding member, and as a board member of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress on the national and provincial levels.
With the renewal of Ukraine’s independence in 1991, Roman Petryshyn ensured that Canada played a key role in the young state’s development. As a result, he led and co-managed small and multi-million-dollar projects in health, agro-business, nursing, deafness, inclusive education and higher education. Roman Petryshyn also developed faculty and student exchange programs linking MacEwan with partnering higher-educational institutions in Ukraine and other Eastern European countries.
Dr. Petryshyn is an International Member of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine and has received numerous awards for his service including the MacEwan Leadership Award, the Alberta Centennial Medal, the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, Ukrainian Canadian Congress National Leadership Award and Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alberta Provincial Council Hetman Award.
“I congratulate Dr. Petryshyn on this great honour – further testimony to his dedication to building a more inclusive Canada,” stated TSF President Boris Balan. “His vision and commitment to community development continue to inspire us.”
The Shevchenko Foundation also congratulates prominent Ukrainian Canadians Dr. Helene Polatajko who was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada and Professor Edward J. Ratushny who was promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada. The appointments were announced on December 29, 2021, by Governor General of Canada Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon.
A Tribute to Dr. Roman Petryshyn
With great pleasure we share with you this short documentary, Visionary Collaborations: The Life and Work of Dr. Roman Petryshyn, produced by the Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre with filmmaker Brandy Yanchyk.