McGill University celebrates 2023 spring convocation
As part of this year’s Spring Convocation celebrations, McGill University will confer honorary degrees upon seventeen inspirational individuals.
Leaders in their respective fields, these honorary doctorates stand as examples of creativity, compassion, dedication, service, and a pioneering spirit. These are people who have made a difference in their community, in the world and – in the case of astronaut Drew Feustel – beyond.
McGill’s Spring 2023 honorary degree recipients are: Dale Bauman, Dante Cicchetti, Nicholas Cronk, Andrew Feustel, Barbara Finlayson-Pitts, Serge Godin, Alexina Louie, Amelia Tekwatonti McGregor, Ram Panda, Paul Rosman, Daniel Simberloff, Vijay Singh, Françoise Sullivan, Christiane Taubira, Drew Hayden Taylor, Charlie Watt, Elizabeth Wirth.
Read the full profiles of all honorees.
Fourteen of the honorary doctorates will be awarded during the Convocation ceremonies on McGill’s downtown and Macdonald campuses between May 30 to June 7.
“The McGill community is pleased to honour these extraordinary people who have each impacted and contributed to society in considerable ways,” says Professor Deep Saini, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University. “These outstanding honorary doctorate recipients embody McGill’s values and are exemplary role models for the Class of 2023.”
“Today marks the end of your journey at McGill, the culmination of late nights, you have forged lifelong friendships, made your dreams reality,” says Chancellor John McCall MacBain, “Today is also the start of a new beginning, nobody sits where you sit by accident. You’re all now graduates of McGill, going into the world with an impressive history, resilience, and strength.”
A special installation ceremony for McGill’s 18th Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Deep Saini, will take place on the downtown campus on May 29 at 10 a.m. At the installation ceremony three additional honorary doctorates will be given out to the following individuals:
Andrew Jay Feustel, Doctor of Science, honoris causa (D.Sc.)
A.S. (Oakland Community College), B.S., M.S. (Purdue University), Ph.D. (Queen’s University)
NASA Astronaut Drew Feustel ranks third on the list of the 252 people who have quite literally spent time “in space” – that is, outside the confines of a capsule or space shuttle. During three space missions, Feustel completed nine spacewalks, with a cumulative time of more than 60 hours and spent a total of 226 days in space. In 2009, he joined the crew performing the final repair and servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope. Two years later, he flew on the last voyage of the
Space Shuttle Endeavour, the penultimate shuttle mission. In 2018, Dr. Feustel spent six and a half months commanding the International Space Station.
Alexina Louie, O.C., O.Ont., F.R.S.C., Doctor of Music, honoris causa (D.Mus.)
B.Mus. (University of British Columbia), M.A. (University of California, San Diego)
One of Canada’s most celebrated and frequently performed composers, Vancouver-born Alexina Louie has written for many of the country’s leading soloists, chamber ensembles, new music groups, and orchestras. She has composed in various musical genres, including ballet, opera, and scores for film and television.
Drew Hayden Taylor, Doctor of Letters, honoris causa (D.Litt.)
One of Canada’s leading Indigenous playwrights and humorists, Drew Hayden Taylor has made a significant and prolific contribution to Indigenous theatre, film, and literature. An Anishnaabe/Settler from the Curve Lake First Nation, near Peterborough, Mr. Taylor is an award-winning journalist, a short-story writer, novelist, filmmaker, and television scriptwriter.