Toronto, June 11, 2012 – Broadcaster Michael Enright will receive an honorary degree from York University on Tuesday, June 12, at the 10:30am Convocation ceremony. Senator Don Oliver will be awarded an honorary degree at the 3:30pm Convocation. Both will deliver speeches to students from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
Michael Enright, Broadcaster, Doctor of Laws, 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”. A fearless interviewer with boundless curiosity and a commitment to looking at stories differently, he has taught Canadians to demand more than the easy answer.
Don Oliver, Senator, human rights activist, Doctor of Laws, 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.
Oliver is the recipient of several honours, including the DreamKEEPERS Life Achievement Award from the Canadian Martin Luther King Day Coalition, an Outstanding Achievement Award from National Council of Visible Minorities in the Federal Public Service and a Human Rights Award from the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.
Convocation 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).
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.
-30-
Media Contacts:
Joanne Rider, Media Relations, York University, 416 736 5593, 416-333-3374 (cell) / jrider@yorku.ca
Janice Walls, Media Relations, York University, 416 736 2100 x22101, 416-455-4710 (cell) / wallsj@yorku.ca
Melissa Hughes, Media Relations, York University, 416 736 2100 x22097 / mehughes@yorku.ca
York University has a media studio available for double-ender interviews.
