Toronto, June 5, 2012 − Thirteen exceptional people, including a journalist, an athlete, an innovation leader and champion of arts and culture, along with a senator, human rights activist and a judge will receive honorary degrees from York University at spring convocation ceremonies.
“We are pleased to recognize such a highly distinguished group of individuals,” says Mamdouh Shoukri, York’s president and vice-chancellor. “These are talented men and women whose commitment to making a difference in the world serves as an inspiration to our graduates.”
Convocation ceremonies will be held from Friday, June 8 to Saturday, June 16. The Convocation Web site includes a full schedule of all ceremonies. All ceremonies will take place at the Convocation Pavilion located at the Rexall Centre, 1 Shoreham Drive, at York University’s Keele campus (#8 on map) with the exception of the final convocation ceremony, which will be held at the Glendon College campus.
Here are the recipients in order of the Faculty ceremonies where they will be honoured.
Barbara Turnbull, Journalist, activist − Doctor of Laws
Faculty of Health I Friday, June 8, 10:30am
Barbara Turnbull is a life reporter for the Toronto Star and an outspoken advocate for accessibility. Turnbull was left a quadriplegic after being shot in a robbery at the convenience store where she was working at the age of 18. Her 1997 autobiography, Looking in the Mirror, speaks frankly about the facts of life for those with disabilities in our communities and in the workplace. Dedicated to advancing research into neural regeneration for paralysis, she created the Barbara Turnbull Foundation for Spinal Cord Research which, in conjunction with NeuroScience Canada, has created the Barbara Turnbull Award, a major annual award in support of spinal cord research.
Laura Jane Robinson, Athlete, journalist, activist − Doctor of Laws
Faculty of Health II, Friday, June 8, 3:30pm
Laura Robinson is a distinguished athlete, an accomplished author and freelance journalist, a coach and mentor, and a pioneer in the movement for women’s visibility, equity and opportunity in athletics. As a young athlete, Laura Robinson witnessed first-hand the pressures, inequities and risks that were faced by women athletes. Through her journalism, Robinson has educated the Canadian public and sports authorities about gender and race disparity. Through her coaching and mentorship – particularly in the chronically under-served First Nations communities – she has put remedies into practice.
David J. McFadden, Energy lawyer, academic innovation supporter − Doctor of Laws
Faculty of Environmental Studies and Faculty of Science & Engineering, Monday, June 11, 10:30am
David McFadden spearheaded evolution of the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) as the chair of the board of directors from 2004 to 2011. Under his leadership, OCE solidified its capacity to bring together academic and industry partners to commercialize cutting-edge academic research and foster the training and development of the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. He also served two years as a member of the Ontario Research & Innovation Council, developing a long-term innovation strategy for Ontario. He is a partner and member of the board of trustees at Gowlings’ Toronto law office and has served on several government task forces.
William J. S. Boyle, Innovation leader and champion of arts and culture − Doctor of Laws
Faculty of Fine Arts and Faculty of Liberal Arts &Professional Studies, Monday, June 11, 3:30pm
A graduate of York University (BA ’69, MA ’71) William Boyle has had a multi-dimensional arts career that has been recognized both nationally and internationally. In his role as the chief executive officer of Harbourfront Centre, Boyle is considered the primary cultural architect of one of Canada’s largest multidisciplinary cultural centres. In 2003, former prime minister Jean Chrétien appointed Boyle to the Canada-Japan Forum. Boyle has been described an effective advocate for the integration of the arts in the broader community and one of Canada’s greatest cultural mentors – a person who passionately promotes both emerging and mature artistic talent and innovation here and abroad.
Michael Enright, Broadcaster − Doctor of Laws
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies II, Tuesday, June 12, 10:30am
One of Canada’s most recognizable voices and the current host of CBC Radio’s “The Sunday Edition”, Michael Enright has been educating, entertaining and informing Canadians for more than 30 years. Enright’s journalistic credits are impressive. He has written for Time, Maclean’s, the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail, and is a former managing editor of CBC Radio News and longtime co-host of CBC Radio’s “As It Happens”.
Don Oliver, Senator, human rights activist − Doctor of Laws
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies III, Tuesday, June 12, 3:30pm
Don Oliver has served as a Canadian senator since 1990. A tireless advocate for the rights of visible minorities, he helped change organizational practices in the Public Service of Canada that have led to increased hiring, promotion and retention of visible minorities. In 2005, he spearheaded the largest study in the history of Canada on barriers to the advancement of visible minorities in both the public and the private sector.
Jean-Robert Pitte, Scholar − Doctor of Laws
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies IV, Wednesday, June 13, 10:30am
One of the world’s eminent historical geographers, Jean-Robert Pitte has written more than a dozen books and hundreds of articles on the history of the French countryside, the geography of wine and a historical geography of the chestnut tree, among others. He was the president of one of France’s most distinguished universities, Université Paris-Sorbonne, from 2003 to 2008. He was an adviser to the former French prime minister on education and youth employment, responsible for creating a national plan to improve youth success in the education system.
Barbara Jean McDougall Zimmerman, Politician, PC, OC − Doctor of Laws
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies V, Wednesday, June 13, 3:30pm
Barbara Jean McDougall Zimmerman, PC, OC, was a Member of the Parliament of Canada for nearly 10 years. She held several cabinet posts, including minister of state for finance and the status of women, minister of employment and immigration, and secretary of state for external affairs. After leaving Parliament, she used her extensive experience in international policy to promote growth, development and solutions to conflict around the world as the Canadian representative to the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, the International Crisis Group in Brussels and the International Advisory Board for the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
Dominic Stephen Barton, Business leader − Doctor of Laws
Schulich School of Business, Thursday, June 14, 10:30am
Current managing director of management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, Dominic Barton is a leader in the field of corporate responsibility and responsible capitalism. He led McKinsey’s office in Korea from 2000 to 2004 and worked in Shanghai as McKinsey’s chairman in Asia from 2004 to 2009. He is the author of Dangerous Markets: Managing in Financial Crises (with two co-authors) and China Vignettes: An Inside Look at China.
Warren K. Winkler, Judge, legal scholar − Doctor of Laws
Osgoode Hall Law School, Thursday, June 14, 3:30pm
Warren K. Winkler was appointed chief justice of Ontario in 2007, following 14 years as a trial judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario. As a superior court justice, he was a judicial mediator for many large national and international disputes, including the restructuring of Air Canada and the Walkerton tainted water disaster. His expertise in civil litigation, class proceedings, commercial and administrative law and his skills as a mediator have contributed significantly to grounding judicial mediation into the court process in Ontario. Osgoode Hall Law School established a scholarship in Winkler’s honour in 1988, in recognition of the double graduate.
Ratna Omidvar, Social activist − Doctor of Laws
Faculty of Education I, Friday, June 15, 10:30am
Having arrived in Canada in 1981 as a refugee, Ratna Omidvar has first-hand knowledge of the difficulties immigrants face in establishing careers and financial security. Forced to reinvent herself after her teaching qualifications were not recognized in Canada, she became a settlement worker helping skilled immigrants find jobs, and eventually became a sought-after expert on immigration and integration issues. Omidvar is currently the president of Maytree Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to reducing poverty and inequality in Canada. She also serves as a director of the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance and is the chair of the board of directors of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.
Opiyo Oloya, Educator, activist, humanitarian − Doctor of Laws
Faculty of Education II, Friday, June 15, 3:30p
Currently the Superintendent of Education, Opiyo Oloya has been an educator with the York Region Catholic School Board for 23 years. He has worked to address important issues such as bullying and literacy, and has inspired student-led initiatives to reach out to students in Africa. Born and raised in Uganda, Oloya became involved in national political activism for democratic reforms during the late 1970s, and was later granted refugee status in Canada. His activities range from founding the Karibuni African Music Program on CIUT in 1992 to his 2010 journey to Mogadishu, Somalia, with AMISOM troops. He is also the founder of International Resources for the Education of African Deaf and Blind Children (I Read ABC).
Chantal Hébert, Journalist − Doctor of Laws
Glendon College, Saturday, June 16, 2:30pm
Chantal Hébert is one of the most respected political journalists in Canada – in both official languages. She is a columnist for the Toronto Star, Le Devoir and L’Actualité and appears weekly on CBC’s The National as a part of the At Issue panel and on Radio-Canada’s C’est bien meilleur le matin (radio) and Les Coulisses du Pouvoir (TV). She published her first book, French Kiss: Stephen Harper’s Blind Date with Quebec, in 2007. A Glendon graduate, she has served on Glendon’s School of Public & International Affairs advisory committee since its creation and was awarded a Bryden Alumni Award for Pinnacle Achievement in 2006.
For more information about the recipients of the honourary degrees, please see the YFile story.
Ceremonies will be webcast at the following link, which will become live when ceremonies begin: http://www.yorku.ca/mygrad/livewebcast.
York University is a leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto – Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 55,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 250,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 faculties and 28 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.
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