Alumnus Pat Christie is the 2017 Emily Award Recipient. The annual Emily Award Program recognizes the outstanding achievements by members of the alumni community whose creative pursuits in the arts, media and design have brought honour to the University.

Industrial designer, entrepreneur, and social innovator, Pat Christie believes that imagination and play are fundamental to a healthy process of creation and problem-solving. After graduating from Emily Carr University in 2011, he founded DalyCo., a business established around thoughtful human-centred design with a focus on regional wood products and development. In 2013, he co-founded Yew Woodshop with fellow alumni, to share equipment, space and knowledge resources. SPACE soon followed, a creative hub and showroom where designers sell products through a low margin model and participate in hosted activities that encourage the development and exposure of new products and ideas.