Carleton University is awarding 10 honorary degrees at its spring Convocation to a group of accomplished recipients who have excelled the arts, journalism and science. In total, 3,359 undergraduate and 782 graduate students will walk across the stage. Two ceremonies will be held in the Fieldhouse each day. The morning ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m. and the afternoon ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Recipients will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, Science or Music, honoris causa. Convocation runs from June 10 to 13.
Robert K. Carnegie, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.
Robert Carnegie will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony on Tuesday, June 10, “in recognition of outstanding contributions to the study of particle physics and his extraordinary service to Carleton University.”
Carleton Prof. Robert Carnegie taught in the Physics department for 30 years, before retiring in 2005. While at the university, he supervised many graduate students and researchers, as well as being involved in significant international collaborations that put Carleton University at the centre of cutting-edge research.
The Toronto-born scientist developed and led the joint Carleton-NRC experimental particle physics research group in carrying out two large international experimental projects. From 1982 to 2003, Carleton participated in the OPAL experiment, a large multinational collaboration that built and operated the OPAL detector and experiment at the Large Electron Positron (LEP) accelerator at the CERN Laboratory in Geneva. The LEP experimental program led to remarkable improvements in the testing and understanding of particle physics, the theory describing the basic constituents and forces in nature. The joint Carleton-NRC team was also responsible for designing and building sophisticated particle detectors at Carleton which have made important contributions on international projects.
Dr. Carnegie served as spokesperson of the Canadian OPAL team at CERN for over 20 years, the director of the Institute of Particle Physics of Canada (IPP) for seven years, and has been the Canadian representative on the International Committee for Future Accelerators (ICFA).
Suzanne Fortier, B.Sc., Ph.D.
Suzanne Fortier will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony on Tuesday, June 10, “in recognition of outstanding leadership in the Canadian scientific community while fostering research opportunities for future generations of scholars.”
A distinguished scientist, teacher and academic leader, Suzanne Fortier is the principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University. An outstanding researcher, she has authored or co-authored more than 80 scientific publications and earned numerous national and international awards and distinctions.
Prior to being named to her current position at McGill in 2013, Dr. Fortier was president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). She brought renewed focus on excellence to the agency by increasing its capacity to support discovery research and Canada’s ability to attract and retain the best students and professors, promote business-academic relationships and foster innovation.
Her leadership has been recognized with many awards and honours, including the Clara Benson Award for distinguished contributions to chemistry by a woman (1997), the Entrepreneurship Award from Communications and Information Technology Ontario (1997), and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012). She is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an officer of France’s National Order of Merit. She is currently a member of the Strategic Committee of Investissements d’Excellence Bordeaux, the Ontario Task Force on Competitiveness, Productivity and Economic Progress, and serves on the Board of Directors of Montreal International, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and the Conference Board of Canada.
Sulley Gariba, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
Sulley Gariba will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, at the 2:00 p.m. ceremony on Tuesday, June 10, “in recognition of longstanding work and academic scholarship in international development, civil society practices, government policy, and program development in Africa.”
Carleton alumnus Sulley Gariba is a policy, governance and evaluation specialist with over 30 years of experience in leadership and providing strategic advice to governments, as well as regional and international institutions. Since January 2013, he has been the senior policy advisor to the President of Ghana and also the head of the Presidential Policy Delivery Unit.
As a leader in the international evaluation movement, he was the founding president of the International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS) from 2002 to 2005, and president of the African Evaluation Association from 2007 to 2009. He advised the secretariat managing the first-round evaluation of the Paris Declaration between 2006 and 2008. He has served on several expert panels to assess the evaluation function in UNICEF, the UNDP, the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and, in April 2014, became a member of the Advisory Council on Citizen Engagement in Development, a panel constituted by the World Bank.
In recognition of his three decades of commitment to development in Ghana, Dr. Gariba was awarded the Millennium Excellence Award for Rural Development in 2005 by the Millennium Foundation and the Government of Ghana. He also served as a commissioner for 12 years on the National Planning Commission of Ghana.
Peter Mansbridge, O.C., L.L.D.
Peter Mansbridge will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony on Wednesday, June 11, “in recognition of a distinguished career as an award-winning journalist contributing significantly to Canadian culture.”
Peter Mansbridge is the chief correspondent of CBC News. He anchors CBC’s flagship nightly news program, The National, and all CBC News specials. He is also host of CBC News Network’s Mansbridge: One on One.
Mansbridge began his career in 1968 in Churchill, Man., where he helped develop CBC Radio’s news service to Northern Canada. In 1971, he moved to Winnipeg as a reporter for CBC Radio and, in 1972, joined CBC Television. He became The National’s reporter in Saskatchewan in 1975 and, in 1976, was named one of the program’s parliamentary correspondents in Ottawa. He became chief correspondent and anchor of The National in 1988.
In more than 40 years with CBC News, Mansbridge has provided comprehensive coverage of the most significant stories in Canada and around the world. He’s interviewed countless international leaders.
During a decorated career, Mansbridge has received 13 awards for excellence in broadcast journalism. He has received nine honorary degrees from universities across the country, has been recognized by leading universities in the United States and the United Kingdom. In 2008, Mansbridge was made an officer of the Order of Canada by Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean. In 2009, he was named Chancellor of Mount Allison University in New Brunswick.
Ruth M. Corbin, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., LL.M.
Ruth Corbin will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, at the 2:00 p.m. ceremony on Wednesday, June 11, “in recognition of outstanding contributions to the law especially in the area of Intellectual Property Rights.”
Ruth M. Corbin is the chair of CorbinPartners Inc., the company that first launched forensic market research in Canada, a field of social science now widely relied on for expert evidence in court cases and for selecting juries for criminal trials. Dr. Corbin is also an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and chair of the Intellectual Property Innovation Foundation.
She has held top executive positions in corporate Canada, including vice-chair of Léger Marketing, Chief Executive Officer of Decision Resources and Chief Operating Officer of the Angus Reid Group. She has also served on several boards of directors in several sectors, including business, education, research, government and the arts.
A recognized expert in the area of intellectual property policy and social science measurement, she has taught at Carleton, McGill, York, and the University of Toronto, in the psychology, mathematics, business, medicine and law departments.
She is a prolific author, with several books, business articles, and publications in learned journals to her credit. Her book, Survey Evidence and the Law Worldwide, is Canada’s leading reference text on social science evidence in litigation and regulatory administration.
Among her awards and honours, she has been named among Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network and the Globe and Mail and among Canada’s Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs by Rogers Media. Her name has appeared in the Canadian Business “Who’s Who in Canada” and in Chatelaine Magazine’s “Who’s Who of Canadian Women.”
Michael Harrison McCain, B.A., L.L.D.
Michael Harrison McCain will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony on Thursday, June 12, “in recognition of leadership in economic development and exemplary values-based entrepreneurship.”
Michael McCain is president and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods Inc., one of Canada’s flagship food companies. His leadership values of transparency, integrity and bias for action define Maple Leaf Foods and have created a dynamic, ethical and performance driven culture.
He has devoted his career to the food industry, starting at McCain Foods Limited in the late ‘70s where he held a variety of roles culminating in his appointment as president and CEO of McCain Foods USA Inc. He joined Maple Leaf Foods in 1995. Since then, he has been instrumental in establishing Maple Leaf as a destination of choice for top talent and leading the company to overcome challenges that have tested the North American food industry and the Canadian manufacturing sector, in particular. This includes implementing a bold transformation strategy to shed costs, reduce currency exposure and establish Maple Leaf Foods as a world-class food processor, positioned to compete with the best in the world.
McCain is a director of McCain Capital Inc., McCain Foods, Maple Leaf Foods, and the Royal Bank of Canada. He is a member of the Richard Ivey School of Business Advisory Board and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation, where he is a passionate advocate for transparency and action on mental health issues.
Bruce Cockburn, O.C., D.Litt.
Bruce Cockburn will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Music, honoris causa, at the 2:00 p.m. ceremony on Thursday, June 12, “in recognition of an outstanding career in music along with a commitment to voicing environmental, First Nations and social causes.”
Ottawa native Bruce Cockburn is a Canadian singing and songwriting icon whose work has become synonymous with giving voice to human rights issues and environmental causes.
He first began playing guitar in the late 1950s as teenager, although he never studied music at Ottawa’s Nepean High School. After high school, he completed three semesters at the Boston-based Berklee School of Music in the mid-1960s. He played with several bands in the ‘60s, before launching his solo career in 1970 with the release of a self-titled album. More than 31 albums followed.
Known for hits like Wondering Where the Lions Are, Lovers in a Dangerous Time and If I Had a Rocket Launcher, Cockburn’s fans are worldwide. As of 2013, 22 of his albums have received Canadian gold or platinum certification. He has sold nearly one million albums in Canada alone.
He has helped raise funds for food distribution programs and highlighted First Nations’ efforts to preserve the rain forests of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Cockburn’s work has been recognized with numerous awards and honours. He became a Member of the Order of Canada in 1982 and was promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada in 2002. The winner of 12 Juno awards, he also received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts. He has been inducted into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
Mary Louise Fallis, C.M., B.Mus., M.Mus.
Mary Louise Fallis will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Music, honoris causa, at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony on Friday, June 13, “in recognition of a distinguished career as a performer, broadcaster and teacher who has made operatic music accessible to all Canadians.”
Canadian opera singer Mary Louise Fallis has performed nationally and internationally in classical opera but is best known for writing and performing her comedic one woman shows. Toronto-born, Fallis grew up in a musical family and was taught voice and piano by her grandmother, choral conductor Jennie Bouck. At 15, she made her operatic debut in a CBC TV production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. After winning the CBC Talent Festival in 1973, Fallis went on to perform with orchestras and opera companies across the country.
Primadonna, an autobiographical show about her life as a singer, was first performed in 1982 at the Stratford Summer Music Festival as a one-off. Since then it has been broadcast on CBC radio, has toured across North America and the U.K. Japan and Iceland. Ms. Fallis has written another dozen works, chronicling more lives of female musicians: Mrs. Bach, Miss Mozart, Emma Albani, and five other Primadonna offshoots. Her historical CD, Primadonna on a Moose with members of the Toronto Symphony, is a compendium of Canadian musical hits of the past, including, Take Your Girl out to the Rink, Paddle Your Own Canoe, and Oh What a difference since the Hydro Came!
Credited with making classical music more accessible to Canadians, she has taught at Queen’s, York and Western universities and toured Canada as a performer, clinician and adjudicator. Her work has been recognized with many awards and honours including an ACTRA award, Honorary Licentiate from Conservatory Canada, and a Gemini Award as music producer of the BRAVO! TV series “Bathroom Divas.”
Giselle Francoise Portenier, B.J.
Giselle Portenier will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, at the 2:00 p.m. ceremony on Friday, June 13, “in recognition of a distinguished career as a broadcast journalist and documentary filmmaker, whose global focus on human rights, especially the human rights of women and children, is also reflected in print.”
Giselle Portenier has spent a 30-year career in journalism and documentary film-making promoting a human rights agenda. She has put the human rights of women and children around the world at the heart of her most successful work. Born in Switzerland, she came to Canada as a teenager. After graduating from Journalism at Carleton University in 1978, she began her career as a reporter and anchor at BCTV news in Vancouver, then moved on to ABC News and later, CBS 60 Minutes in London, England, before joining the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC.) Long before the rest of the world had heard the term ‘honor killing,’ her documentary Murder In Purdah, about the murder of women in the name of honor in Pakistan, won the George Foster Peabody and George Polk awards. Her film Let Her Die, about the systematic elimination of the girl child in India, won the Golden Nymph Award in Monte Carlo, and like several of her films, resulted in changes in the law. Her determination to focus the eyes of the world on human rights violations has taken her to some of the world’s most dangerous places, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she made ‘Congo’s Forgotten Children,’ about the brutal effects of war on children. In addition to garnering numerous international awards, her films have also been used as evidence in refugee hearings, and by human rights organizations as part action campaigns.
She was the first CanWest Global visiting professor at UBC and regularly speaks about journalism and human rights. She lives in Vancouver.
Angela Hewitt, O.C., O.B.E., B.Mus., D.Litt.
Angela Hewitt will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Music, honoris causa, at the 2:00 p.m. ceremony on Friday, June 13, “in recognition of an outstanding contribution to music as a superb and inspiring performer, a brilliant interpreter of classical music and supporter of the arts.
One of the world’s leading pianists, Ottawa-born Angela Hewitt regularly appears in recital and with major orchestras throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia. Her performances and recordings of Bach have drawn particular praise, marking her out as one of the composer’s foremost interpreters of our time.
Born into a musical family, she began her piano studies aged three, performing in public at four and a year later winning her first scholarship. She then went on to learn with French pianist, Jean-Paul Sévilla. In 1985, she won the Toronto International Bach Piano Competition.
She launched her own Trasimeno Music Festival in the heart of Umbria near Perugia in 2005. An annual event, it draws an international audience to the Castle of the Knights of Malta.
In 2012-‘13, Hewitt began a major project to perform Bach’s The Art of Fugue in two programs in major halls worldwide, based around concerts at the Royal Festival Hall in London as part of the International Piano Series. This follows on from the celebrated project ‘Angela Hewitt’s Bach Book’ in 2010, where Ms. Hewitt gave world premieres of six newly-commissioned works by leading composers at Wigmore Hall.
Her work has been widely honoured. A Juno Award-winner, she was named ‘Artist of the Year’ at the 2006 Gramophone Awards. She was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2000 and was awarded an Officer of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2006.