April 8, 2005

McMaster announces honorary degree recipients for spring convocation

(From top, left to right) Ben Heppner, Haddon Robinson, Dr. Eric Hoskins, Dr. Samantha Nutt, Hugh Fraser, Linda Hutcheon, David Brown, David Hunter Hubel, J. Michael Rowe, The Right Honourable Joseph-Jacques Jean Chrétien, Ivan Reitman, Cathy Crowe and Mike Lazaridis.

Hamilton, ON - The Right Honourable Joseph-Jacques Jean Chrétien, former Prime Minister of Canada, humanitarians Drs. Eric Hoskins and Samantha Nutt, and writer/director Ivan Reitman and are among the distinguished recipients who will be given honorary degrees at McMaster University's spring convocation ceremonies.

The honorary degree recipients are honoured for their contributions in such areas as public service, education and scholarship, creative and performing arts, and their work with the McMaster community. Nearly 4,000 students will graduate at convocation ceremonies to take place in May and June at the Great Hall, Hamilton Place.
(The asterisk denotes Convocation speaker.)

Divinity College
Tuesday, May 17, 2005, 8 p.m. (Convocation Hall, McMaster University)
• Ben Heppner, dramatic tenor, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) *
• Haddon Robinson, educator and broadcaster, Doctor of Divinity (DD)

Faculty of Health Sciences
Friday, May 20, 2005, 2:30 p.m.
• Dr. Eric Hoskins, international medical humanitarian, Doctor of Laws (LLD) *
• Dr. Samantha Nutt, founder the Canadian chapter of War Child, Doctor of Laws (LLD) *

Faculty of Humanities and Arts & Science Program
Monday, June 6, 2005, 9:30 a.m.
• Hugh Fraser, music champion, Doctor of Laws (LLD)
• Linda Hutcheon, noted literary theorist, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) *

Faculty of Business
Monday, June 6, 2005, 2:30 p.m.
• David Brown, Chair of the Ontario Securities Commission, Doctor of Laws (LLD) *

Faculty of Science
Tuesday, June 7, 2005, 9:30 a.m.
• David Hunter Hubel, Nobel laureate neurobiologist, Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) *
• J. Michael Rowe, physicist, Doctor of Science (D.Sc.)

Faculty of Social Sciences (Anthropology, Communication Studies, Economics, Geography & Geology, Indigenous Studies, Labour Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies and Work & Society)
Wednesday, June 8, 2005, 9:30 a.m.
• The Right Honourable Joseph-Jacques Jean Chrétien, former Prime Minister of Canada, Doctor of Laws (LLD) *

Faculty of Social Sciences (Communication Studies, Gerontology, Health Studies, Human Bio Dynamics, Indigenous Studies, Kinesiology, Social Welfare Policy, Social Work, Social Work Practice and Sociology)
Wednesday, June 8, 2005, 2:30 p.m., Hamilton Place
• Ivan Reitman, comedic film producer and director, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) *

School of Nursing
Thursday, June 9, 2005, 9:30 a.m.
• Cathy Crowe, street nursing pioneer, Doctor of Laws (LLD) *

Faculty of Engineering
Thursday, June 9, 2005, 2:30 p.m.
• Mike Lazaridis founder, president and co-CEO of Research in Motion, inventors of the BlackBerry, Doctor of Laws (LLD) *

Guidelines for the awarding of honorary degrees are available on the McMaster web site at www.mcmaster.ca/univsec/policy/HonoraryDegrees.pdf.

McMaster University, named Canada's Research University of the Year by Research InfoSource, has world-renowned faculty, and state-of-the-art research facilities. McMaster's culture of innovation fosters a commitment to discovery and learning in teaching, research and scholarship. Based in Hamilton, the University has a student population of more than 23,000, and more than 112,000 alumni in 128 countries.