News Release

2007-05-02 10:56:12

UW awards 17 honorary degrees at spring convocation

WATERLOO, Ont. (Wednesday, May 2, 2007) -- Malcolm Gladwell, a visionary and influential author, and Jim Balsillie, a high-tech executive and philanthropist, are among those receiving honorary degrees during the University of Waterloo's convocation to be held June 13-16 in UW's 50th anniversary year.

Gladwell and Balsillie will receive their honorary doctorates at separate spring convocation ceremonies to be held over four days in the physical activities complex on the UW campus.

Leading off convocation on Wednesday, June 13, kinesiology pioneer Norman Ashton will be awarded a doctor of science degree at the ceremony for graduates in the faculties of applied health sciences and environmental studies. Ashton, a retired UW professor, developed and formed the university's first kinesiology program, which explores the science of human movement. Other universities in Canada have since emulated the program, which combines several disciplines.

At the same event, which begins at 10 a.m., Terry Prowse, an internationally known physical geographer, will receive a doctor of environmental studies degree and address convocation. A professor at the University of Victoria, Prowse is a leading expert on the impact of climate variability and change on hydrology, water resources and freshwater ecosystems in northern environments. He heads the Water Climate Impacts Research Centre, jointly sponsored by UVic and Environment Canada.

Honorary degrees will be given at the following convocation ceremonies:

* Science, Wednesday, June 13 at 2 p.m.

Rudolf Thauer will receive a doctor of science. A nominee for the Nobel Prize, Thauer is widely respected for an outstanding teaching and research career in the field of microbiology. A specialist in the biochemistry of anaerobic bacteria and archaea (microorganisms), he founded the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Germany.

Richard Peltier will receive a doctor of science. Regarded as the world's top geoscientist for his scientific achievements, Peltier holds the title of university professor in the physics department at the University of Toronto. He has made landmark research contributions to earth geophysics as well as to the area of global ice ages, including human-induced changes to climate variability.

* Arts (first ceremony), Thursday, June 14 at 10 a.m.

Jim Balsillie will receive a doctor of laws and address convocation. A graduate of Harvard Business School, Jim Balsillie is co-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM), developer of the BlackBerry. In 2002, Balsillie provided core financing for the creation of the Centre for International Governance Innovation, a Canadian think-tank dedicated to researching issues of global importance.

Carl Dare will receive a doctor of laws. Now in his nineties, Dare is the only living member of the original board of governors of the University of Waterloo. Besides being one of the founders of UW, he headed Dare Foods Ltd., one of Waterloo Region's most successful businesses.

* Arts (second ceremony), Thursday, June 14 at 2 p.m.

Malcolm Gladwell will receive a doctor of letters and address convocation. A world-renowned author and essayist, Gladwell has been a staff writer with The New Yorker magazine since 1996. He has written two bestselling books, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference, and Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, which demonstrate how to translate knowledge from the social sciences to the general public.

Denise Donlon will receive a doctor of laws. Music company executive as well as former television producer, host and program director, Donlon began her music career in the early 1980s when she worked for UW's federation of students. Considered the "most influential female music executive on the continent," Donlon is a former president of Sony Music Canada and former vice-president and general manager of MuchMusic and MuchMore Music. She has also been a leader in advocating for change in music, such as getting rid of violence and sexism, as well as promoting literacy among the young.

Reg Haney will receive a doctor of laws. Haney is senior partner of the law firm Haney, Haney & Kendall in Waterloo. UW has drawn on Haney's services as university solicitor for the last several decades, especially his expertise in administrative law and education law.

* Mathematics (first ceremony), Friday, June 15 at 10 a.m.

Paul Embrechts will receive a doctor of mathematics and address convocation. One of the most prominent researchers in actuarial mathematics and finance in the world, Embrechts holds the prestigious chair in insurance mathematics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. He is an expert on extreme risks, particularly the problem of insuring against earthquakes and hurricanes.

Richard Stanley will receive a doctor of mathematics. The world's leader in algebraic and enumerative combinatorics, Stanley is the Norman Levinson Professor of Applied Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is an accomplished mathematician, known for his superb ability to create new topics for study in their own right and his insights have led to deep conjectures on these topics.

* Mathematics (second ceremony), Friday, June 15 at 2 p.m.

Andries van Dam will receive a doctor of mathematics and address convocation. A prolific researcher, educator and administrator, van Dam is a pioneer in hypertext editing and presentation systems on the Internet. He has played key administrative roles at Brown University, where he is one of the founders of the university's computer science department.

Duncan Luce will receive a doctor of mathematics. Widely considered a pioneer in mathematical behavioural sciences, Luce has pursued a scientific understanding of human behaviour for more than 50 years. His work blends mathematical theory and experiments, designed to provide insights on individual behaviour and orientation to the world.

* Engineering (first ceremony), Saturday, June 16 at 10 a.m.

Mona Zaghloul will receive a doctor of engineering and address convocation. Founder of the Institute of MEMS and VLSI Technologies at George Washington University, Zaghloul is the first woman PhD graduate from UW's faculty of engineering, receiving a doctorate in electrical engineering in 1975. She has worked extensively in the areas of sensors and their circuits, interfaces and microelectronic systems.

George Raithby will receive a doctor of engineering. In building the technology of computational fluid dynamics, Raithby has contributed to the education of generations of mechanical engineers and to the international engineering community. A UW distinguished professor emeritus, he is a highly cited researcher for his work on the design and development of efficient energy systems.

* Engineering (second ceremony), Saturday, June 16 at 2 p.m.

Rod Coutts will receive a doctor of engineering and address convocation. After graduating from UW in 1964 with a bachelor of applied science degree in electronics engineering, Coutts worked for a computer peripheral equipment manufacturer. In 1967, he co-founded Teklogix, a global provider of real-time data collection and communications systems for industrial users.

Savvas Chamberlain will receive a doctor of engineering and will also address convocation. Chamberlain is a UW distinguished professor emeritus and founder of DALSA Corp., a successful semiconductor and electronics UW spin-off company. In 2004, he received the life achievement award from the Automated Imaging Association for his world leadership and contributions to the imaging field.

Also at convocation, distinguished professor emeritus titles will be presented to nine retired UW professors: Jennifer Ashworth, of philosophy; Darrol Bryant, of religious studies (Renison College); John Cherry, of earth sciences; Sydney Davison, of applied mathematics; Dragomir Djokovic, of pure mathematics; Rolf George, of philosophy; Art Green, of fine arts; Fred McCourt, of chemistry; and Jan Narveson, of philosophy.

Three retired staff members will receive the honorary title, member of the university: Angelo Graham, a leader in the safety office; Bruce Lumsden, a director of Co-operative Education and Career Services; and Shirley Thomson, a key figure in the faculty of mathematics.

Resources

Contacts:

Kelley Teahen, associate director, marketing and communications,
519-888-4451

John Morris, UW media relations, 519-888-4435 or jmorris@uwaterloo.ca

UW news release no. 42

2007-05-02 10:56:12