University of Calgary honorary degree and OTUC recipients announced

Honorary degree and OTUC recipients announced for June convocation
A message to the campus community from the president and chancellor

We are pleased to announce our honorary degree (HD) and Order of the University of Calgary (OTUC) recipients for the June convocation ceremonies for the Cumming School of Medicine, Haskayne School of Business, Schulich School of Engineering, Werklund School of Education and the faculties of arts, environmental design, graduate studies, kinesiology, nursing, science and social work.

The University of Calgary’s highest academic honour, the Doctor of Laws, is bestowed upon individuals whose notable achievements and community service merit recognition. These distinguished individuals will address our graduating class during the June convocation ceremonies, sharing words of wisdom gained through years as leaders in their field.

Individuals who are recognized with The Order of The University of Calgary have a history of distinguished service to the university and are widely recognized as university champions and supporters.

The recipients for June 2015 are:

Monday June 8, 2015 2 p.m.

Faculties of Environmental Design, Graduate Studies, Kinesiology and Social Work

HD: Sheldon Kennedy

Sheldon Kennedy has brought the issue of child abuse to the forefront of public consciousness. After courageously sharing his own story, he fundraised for abuse prevention initiatives by in-line skating across Canada. He co-founded Respect Group, an on-line abuse prevention training organization and has partnered with international bodies to take his message to a global audience. In 2013, the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre was named in his honour.

OTUC: Grant MacEachern

A graduate of the University of Calgary with a BA in political science, Grant MacEachern was involved with the university’s Alumni Association Board for 18 years and held a two year term as president. He also served on the University of Calgary’s Board of Governors for six years and was a member and chair of the University of Calgary Investment Committee. In the community, MacEachern focuses his time in support of the Rotary Club of Calgary Olympic and their philanthropic initiatives.

Tuesday June 9, 2015 9:30 a.m.

Werklund School of Education and Faculty of Graduate Studies

HD: Nellie Cournoyea

Currently chair and chief executive officer of Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and formerly premier of the Government of the Northwest Territories, Nellie Cournoyea is the longest serving public figure in the Northwest Territories. She is an aboriginal land and constitutional rights advocate, a leader of public and aboriginal governments, and proponent of the development of the North’s vast resources. A preeminent volunteer, she exemplifies public service and works tirelessly at both community and national levels.

Tuesday June 9, 2015 2 p.m.

Schulich School of Engineering and Faculty of Graduate Studies

HD: Adel Sedra

Adel Sedra is a distinguished professor emeritus and former dean in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He is also the former vice-president and provost of the University of Toronto. A specialist in microelectronics, Sedra’s research focuses on applications in communication and instrumentation systems. He co-authored Microelectronic Circuits, a popular textbook that has been published in ten languages and has sold over one million copies.

Wednesday June 10, 2015 9:30 a.m.

Faculties of Arts and Graduate Studies

HD: Margaret MacMillan

Margaret MacMillan is an internationally renowned historian and remarkable scholar. She has been recognized with notable academic appointments and prized awards for her literary masterpieces. Her most successful work, Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World, has had extensive readership and won many prestigious literary honours. MacMillan is the current Warden of St. Antony’s College at the University of Oxford.

OTUC: Wayne McCready

A long-time professor in the Department of Religious studies, Wayne McCready has held important academic and administrative roles at the University of Calgary. McCready’s years in Religious Studies led him to serving as department head from 1993 to 1998, where he helped to establish its thriving PhD program. McCready was director of the Calgary Institute for the Humanities (CIH) for 11 years, and led CIH’s role in contemporary city planning.

Wednesday June 10, 2015 2 p.m.

Faculties of Arts and Graduate Studies

HD: Jane Ash Poitras

Jane Ash Poitras is an internationally acclaimed visual artist and sought after lecturer. A celebrated Canadian painter, printmaker and writer, she helped develop a new visual vocabulary for First Nations perspectives in contemporary art. Poitras’ work has been showcased in numerous solo and group exhibitions around the world, and can be found in many prestigious public, private and corporate collections.

Thursday June 11, 2015 9:30 a.m.

Faculties of Science and Grad Studies

HD: James Thomson

Recognized as the “father of stem cell research,” James Thomson has conducted pioneering work in the isolation and culture of non-human primate and human embryonic stem cells. He is best known for deriving the first human embryonic stem cell line in 1998 and for deriving human induced pluripotent stem cells in 2007. Thomson is the recipient of numerous awards and honours and was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by TIME magazine in 2008.

OTUC: Anthony Russell

Anthony Russell is professor emeritus of biological sciences, zoology and evolutionary biology at the University of Calgary. An internationally renowned researcher and author, his accomplishments include the NSERC 25 Years of Excellence Award and the Alberta Foundation for Environmental Excellence Emerald Award. Russell served on the University of Calgary’s General Faculties Council, Senate, Board of Governors, Steering Committee and as head of the Department of Biological Sciences.

Thursday June 11, 2015 2 p.m.

Cumming School of Medicine, Faculties of Graduate Studies, Nursing and Science

HD: Sir John Bell

Sir John Bell is a world-renowned immunologist and geneticist. His groundbreaking research has contributed to the understanding of immune activation in a range of autoimmune diseases. In 1993, he founded the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, one of the world’s leading research centres for understanding the genetic basis of common diseases. Bell is Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University, and sits on a range of biomedical research advisory panels all over the world.

Friday June 12, 2015 9:30 a.m.

Haskayne School of Business and Faculty of Graduate Studies

HD: David Teece

Recognized by Accenture as one of the world’s top 50 business intellectuals, David Teece is one of the most cited and influential scholars in management literature. An authority on matters of industrial organization, technological change and innovation and intellectual property, he is the author of over 30 books and 200 scholarly papers. Teece is a professor in Global Business at the University of California’s Haas School of Business (Berkeley) and is also director of the school’s Tusher Center on Intellectual Capital.
Elizabeth Cannon
President and Vice-Chancellor Robert Thirsk
Chancellor

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