{"id":13511,"date":"2025-06-02T08:51:57","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T12:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/boardofgovernors\/?page_id=13511"},"modified":"2025-11-07T14:35:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T19:35:40","slug":"2025-founders-award-recipient","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/founders-award\/2025-founders-award-recipient\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 Founders Award Recipient"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n 2025 Founders Award Recipient\n <\/h1>\n \n \n <\/header>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

by Maryanne Bright<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultivating Wonder, One Butterfly at a Time<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Greenhouse Manager Ed Bruggink stand in Carleton\u2019s lush greenhouse environment surrounded by tropical plants. Carleton University\u2019s annual Butterfly Show features some 1,300 floating beauties of 41 different varieties amid lush plants in a tropical 25 C setting. \n\nCreator: Chris Roussakis\n\nCarleton University 2019. All rights reserved. Carleton University internal use only.Greenhouse Manager Ed Bruggink stand in Carleton\u2019s lush greenhouse environment surrounded by tropical plants. Carleton University\u2019s annual Butterfly Show features some 1,300 floating beauties of 41 different varieties amid lush plants in a tropical 25 C setting. \n\nCreator: Chris Roussakis\n\nCarleton University 2019. All rights reserved. Carleton University internal use only.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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\u201cCarleton offers so many ways to grow as a whole person. Your fondest memories won\u2019t just be about lectures\u2014they\u2019ll be about the moments you shared, the things you tried, and the people you met.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

For over four decades, Ed Bruggink has been quietly transforming Carleton University into a place where science meets wonder, and where curiosity takes flight\u2014sometimes quite literally.
\nThis year, as he prepares for retirement, Ed is being honoured with the Founders\u2019 Award, a fitting tribute to a career rooted in passion, innovation, and kindness. His story is one of humble beginnings, visionary ideas, and a legacy that will flutter through the halls of Carleton for generations to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ed\u2019s journey began in 1981, when he took on casual work at the Carleton Greenhouses<\/a>. Surrounded by rare plant species and the natural beauty of the campus, he found his calling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI immediately found my happy place,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI never considered another career.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

But it was a family trip to a butterfly show in Montreal that sparked what would become Ed\u2019s most beloved contribution to the Carleton and Ottawa communities. Inspired by the joy he witnessed, he set out to recreate that magic at Carleton. In 1999, the first Butterfly Show opened its doors\u2014and the response was overwhelming. \u201cHundreds of visitors waited patiently for hours,\u201d Ed remembers. \u201cIt was exhausting, but the joy on children\u2019s faces made it all worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now, 25 years later, the Butterfly Show is a cherished Ottawa tradition. It has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors, inspired countless young scientists, and become a powerful platform for environmental education and outreach. \u201cSome of our Biology students say their first visit to the show is what made them want to become scientists,\u201d Ed says with pride<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the butterflies, Ed has always championed the idea that learning should extend beyond the classroom. \u201cCarleton offers so many ways to grow as a whole person,\u201d he says. \u201cYour fondest memories won\u2019t just be about lectures\u2014they\u2019ll be about the moments you shared, the things you tried, and the people you met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His guiding principles are simple but profound: work hard and be kind. These values have shaped his approach to every challenge and every opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cLife doesn\u2019t come with guarantees,\u201d he says. \u201cBut hard work can conquer most odds. And when all else fails, kindness matters most.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Throughout his 44 years at Carleton, Ed has never stopped learning. The best advice he ever received? \u201cNever shy away from seeking advice from others.\u201d It\u2019s a mindset that has kept him curious, collaborative, and deeply connected to the community he loves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As he looks to the future, Ed is ready to embrace a slower pace. He plans to spend more time outdoors with his family, go trout fishing in the spring, and capture the beauty of nature through photography and painting. \u201cI promised my wife, Joanna, I\u2019d have supper ready when she gets home,\u201d he laughs. \u201cAnd maybe we\u2019ll get a new puppy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even as he steps away, Ed\u2019s legacy will continue to bloom. Through the Butterfly Show, his work in the Greenhouses, and his unwavering dedication to making science accessible and joyful, he has left an indelible mark on Carleton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hope I\u2019ve inspired a lifelong curiosity and a deeper appreciation for the natural world,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s the legacy I\u2019d like to leave behind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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by Maryanne Bright Cultivating Wonder, One Butterfly at a Time \u201cCarleton offers so many ways to grow as a whole person. Your fondest memories won\u2019t just be about lectures\u2014they\u2019ll be about the moments you shared, the things you tried, and the people you met.\u201d For over four decades, Ed Bruggink has been quietly transforming Carleton […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":0,"parent":11115,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cu_dining_location_slug":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_page_type":[],"class_list":["post-13511","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13511"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14048,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13511\/revisions\/14048"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_page_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/boardofgovernors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_page_type?post=13511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}