When Adrian Stanley, of Chestnut Hill, received the King Charles III Coronation Medal in Canada, his wife and 14-year-old son cracked some jokes.

“Well, should we bow and curtsy?” Stanley says the pair quipped. “Should we call you lord?”

Despite these jests, Stanley’s family has good reason to be proud. Stanley, an independent consultant who works in scholarly publishing, received the medal for his involvement with STEM Fellowship, a Canadian charity that provides mentorship and learning opportunities in STEM for students. Yet, after receiving the honor, he is not resting on his laurels.

“It’s nice to be recognized,” Stanley says. “But my reaction is, ‘I think we can do more.’”

A native of Yorkshire, England, Stanley attended the University of Leeds and the University of Huddersfield. He moved to China to work in scholarly publishing before relocating to Philadelphia in 2004. Now settled in Chestnut Hill, Stanley says the area is reminiscent of home.

“[Chestnut Hill] is beautiful,” Stanley says. “It does remind me of England a little bit. I have to say the town is very quaint and then Philadelphia too has a lot of culture and history…We’re very blessed and lucky to live here.”

For the past several years, Stanley has been running his own consulting firm with clients such as the American Association for Cancer Research. He also has spent nine years with STEM Fellowship, where he serves as a board member. Stanley first got involved with the organization through meeting Mohammad Asadi-Lari, one of STEM Fellowship’s co-founders. Asadi-Lari died aboard Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 when the plane was shot down by an Iranian missile in 2020. Stanley dedicated his medal to him.

“Mohammad was a brilliant young leader, a force for positive change, and a true inspiration,” Stanley wrote in a LinkedIn post. “His passing was a devastating loss, but his legacy lives on in the work of this organization and the students it continues to support.”

The King Charles III Coronation Medal is awarded by the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General to people who have made a “significant contribution to Canada.” Stanley was notified that he would receive the medal right before the Christmas holidays. A small ceremony was on March 12 in Toronto. 

During his ceremony, five individuals were awarded medals. Dr. Michael Duong, another board member at STEM Fellowship, also received the honor, said Stanley, who had encouraged Duong to join the charity’s board.

Stanley says the award was an unexpected surprise, but recognition is not his motivation. Empowering the next generation is his goal. He also hopes to help STEM Fellowship expand their mentorship programs to the U.S. 

In addition to his work with STEM Fellowship, Stanley is taking a course on ethics in technology to “better design systems that help us as a community and society, rather than be driven by big tech and be a slave to phones and technology.” Stanley says much of his interest in this subject is driven by having a teenage son and feeling invested in future generations.

Stanley believes that giving back to your community is a vital part of being a good citizen. He met his wife, Mary FitzGerald, in Philadelphia and is a big supporter of her work as chief executive officer of Eluna, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting children and families impacted by grief or addiction. Stanley hopes to spread the word about their work, especially with Eluna’s 25th anniversary celebration approaching on April 25.

“My wife’s charity is very meaningful,” Stanley says. “You want to be a part of a thriving community, finding ways to help.”

Stanley and FitzGerald also adopt and foster dogs from the rescue organization Kodi’s Club. With one dog and two cats, the couple aims to help reduce overcrowding at the shelter.

With his consulting work, charitable efforts, and family life, Stanley is very involved both locally and abroad, symbolized by The King Charles III Coronation Medal sitting on his mantelpiece. But, as Stanley says, there is always more to be done.