George Cohon, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited/McDonald’s Russia founder and creator of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Canada/Russia, dedicated to helping children with serious illnesses or disabilities and their families lead happier, healthier lives. (Cohon’s award, planned for last year, was delayed because of a scheduling conflict). The degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, was conferred on Dr. Cohon on Tuesday, June 14 at the 2:30 pm ceremony.
Dr. Cohon's Citation
Dr. Cohon's Address
SFU 2011 Honorary Degree Recipients
Wendy Grant-John, former three-term Musqueam chief who launched Canada’s first Aboriginal commercial fishery, founding member and director of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, founder of Musqueam Weavers and first woman elected regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations. The degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, was conferred on Dr. Grant-John on Friday, October 7 at the 2:30 pm ceremony.
C.S. (Buzz) Holling, celebrated ecologist who first introduced the concept of resilience in ecological systems to describe their ability to resist and recover from natural and man-made disturbances and is renowned for his work on ecosystem and social dynamics. The degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, was conferred on Dr. Holling on Friday, October 7 at the 9:45 am ceremony.
Pavel Pevzner, a pioneer and widely recognized leader in the field of computational molecular biology, or bioinformatics, whose focus on genome rearrangements—a common type of genetic mutation—has illuminated the study of both evolutionary history and cancer. The degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, was conferred on Dr. Pevzner on Friday, June 17 at the 9:45 am ceremony.
Dr. Pevzner's Citation
Dr. Pevzner's Address
Robert Thirsk, New Westminster-born engineer, physician and Canadian Space Agency astronaut who holds Canadian records for longest spaceflight (187 days, 20 hours) and time in space (204 days, 18 hours), and strongly supports an economy based on innovation and advanced training. The degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, was conferred on Dr. Thirsk on Wednesday, June 15 at the 2:30 pm ceremony.
Dr. Thirsk's Citation
Dr. Thirsk's Address
William Deverell, internationally acclaimed B.C. writer, environmental activist, civil libertarian and criminal lawyer who is a multi-award-winning crime novelist with 14 titles to date and creator of CBC TV’s long-running dramatic series Street Legal. The degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, was conferred on Dr. Deverell on Thursday, October 6 at the 9:45 am ceremony.
Ian Hampton, acclaimed cellist, Langley Community Music School artistic director emeritus and former member of the London Symphony Orchestra, Academy of St. Martin's in the Fields, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, CBC Radio Orchestra and the Purcell String Quartet, SFU's quartet-in-residence from 1972-82. The degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa, was conferred on Dr. Hampton on Thursday, October 6 at the 2:30 pm ceremony.
Sarah McLachlan, Grammy and Juno Award-winning Vancouver musician, singer, songwriter and Lilith Fair founder who has sold some 40 million albums worldwide and raised millions of dollars for women's charities, AIDS sufferers and inner-city kids, to name a few. The degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa, was conferred on Dr. McLachlan on Wednesday, June 15 at the 9:45 am ceremony.
Dr. McLachlan's Citation
Dr. McLachlan's Address
Ray Spaxman, Vancouver’s director of planning from 1973-89 and a key visionary behind SFU’s UniverCity development who helped transform Vancouver into one of the world's most livable cities and SFU’s mountaintop community into one of the world’s most sustainable neighbourhoods. The degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, was conferred on Dr. Spaxman on Thursday, June 16 at the 9:45 am ceremony.
Dr. Spaxman's Citation
Dr. Spaxman's Address
Brian Williams, 40-year veteran sportscaster considered the dean of Olympic sports broadcasting in Canada and a champion of amateur sports who has covered 13 Olympic Games and every high-profile amateur and professional sporting event around the world.The degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, was conferred on Dr. Williams on Thursday, June 16 at the 2:30 pm ceremony.
Dr. William's Citation
Dr. William's Address