Prince George, B.C.-  Long time UNBC Professor, Dr. Chris Opio, has been named Academic of the Year by the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of BC.

Opio received the honour last night at a gala dinner in Vancouver.

Dr.  Chris Opio, has been an Ecosystem Science and Management professor at UNBC since 1995, received the  award for his work in establishing sustainable clean water resources in Northern Uganda. He founded the Northern Uganda Development Foundation in Prince George to support his work and to date has established 42 wells providing clean water to more than 50,000 people. "Dr. Opio’s commitment not only to establishing wells, but also to teaching communities how to manage and care for their water resources is truly inspiring," says Dr. David Mirhady, President of CUFA BC.

CUFA BC represents 4,600 university professors, instructors, academic librarians and other academic staff at the province’s five doctoral universities — SFU, UBC, UNBC, UVic, and Royal Roads University.

Dr.Opio says he is honoured and deeply grateful for the award "My work is very special to me because I believe I’m giving hope, not only to the people in Uganda, but people around the world,” says Dr. Opio. “I also talk to youth and communities in Prince George about water management in Uganda and they are able to see how they can better manage their own water resources here in Canada.  They understand that global connection.”

This is not the first time Dr. Opio has been recognized for this work.  In November of 2010, he was  nominated as one fo the top ten volunteers  on the CBC program “Champions of Change”.  The program recognized those who had made “an invaluable contribution to society, serving our community at home, and helping our neighbours abroad.”