Directory of honorary doctorates

Paul Nurse is an English geneticist and cell biologist who has worked on how the eukaryotic cell cycle is controlled and how cell shape and cell dimensions are determined. His genetic research eventually identified a gene that controls the progress of the cell cycle, culminating in the discovery, with his colleagues Leland Hartwell and Tim Hunt, of two protein molecules that control cell division, for which they were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2001, the epitome of scie...
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Sonia Nieto is widely acknowledged as one of the most important international voices for cultural openness and bilingual learning, a distinction she has earned through her academic rigour and commitment to the teaching profession. Moreover, her dedication to diversity, equity and social justice in education has played a major role in shaping a whole generation of teachers and education professionals. She is currently Professor Emerita of Language, Literacy, and Culture at the College of Educat...
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Michèle Lamont is Professor of Sociology and of African and African American Studies and the Robert I. Goldman Professor of European Studies at Harvard University.  She obtained a BA and an MA in political science from the University of Ottawa in the late seventies before earning a doctorate in sociology at the Université de Paris. She went on to post-doctoral studies at Stanford University and then was appointed to her first faculty position at the University of Texas at Austin. Since 200...
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Professor Edward Shortliffe is widely acknowledged as a global expert in biomedical informatics. His remarkable career has spanned over forty years, and has included senior appointments at some of the world’s most prestigious universities, hospitals, and medical and physician associations and colleges. But he didn’t start off with medicine in mind: his initial training was in mathematics and computer science. Although he was born in Edmonton, Alberta, as a boy he moved with his parents to the ...
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In 1981, Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist Richard L'Abbé co-founded Med-Eng Systems Inc. at the age of 24, two years after graduating from the University of Ottawa with a degree in mechanical engineering. From his initial position as production manager of the Ottawa-based manufacturer, he quickly became President and CEO, a position he held until he retired in late 2005.  Under his leadership, Med-Eng became a major international player in the field of explosive ordnance disposal e...
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A native of Montreal, Yves Joanette is the Scientific Director of the Institute of Aging, a member-institute of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). He is also Executive Director of the CIHR Dementia Research Strategy, a member of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and a full professor at the University of Montreal. Professor Joanette is an eminent cognitive neuroscientist who studies communication in the elderly, a cohort who numbers are rapidly increasing and which we are...
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Barbara Jackman’s legal career has centered on championing the rights of the less fortunate, particularly those of immigrants and refugees. She earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Windsor in 1972 before completing her law degree at the University of Toronto in 1976 and being called to the Bar in 1978. She has had a successful career as a litigator, including as counsel in cases involving immigration and refugee issues that have appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada. As a...
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Jean-Louis Roy is an academic, journalist and diplomat who has been editor-in-chief of Le Devoir (1981-1986), Delegate General for Quebec in Paris (1986-1990), and secretary general of Agence intergouvernementale de la francophonie, the forerunner of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (1990-1998). From 2002 to 2007, he was president of Rights and Democracy, and in 2008, he founded Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Watch, which monitors how well United Nation member states comply wi...
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Throughout his extensive career in counselling, psychology and education, Jeffrey Kottler has sought to enlighten and educate both therapists and the public in order to foster mental health, creativity and understanding.  He studied at Oakland University, Harvard University, and the University of Stockholm, receiving his master’s degree in counseling at Wayne State University and his doctoral degree in counseling psychology from the University of Virginia. Mr. Kottler has worked as a teac...
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Claire Deschênes is an engineer and Laval University professor who is a world renowned researcher in hydraulic turbine technology. She was awarded bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Laval University before earning a doctorate at the Institut national polytechnique in Grenoble. In 1989, she became the first female professor of engineering at Laval University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering. There she founded the Hydraulic Machines Laboratory (LAMH), today a glob...
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