Thousands of Carleton Students to Accept Undergraduate and Graduate Degrees
Carleton University will present 10 honorary degrees at its Spring Convocation ceremonies taking place Tuesday, June 9 through Friday, June 12, 2015.
“We applaud these remarkable men and women whose passionate leadership, drive and creativity set the bar for our graduates,” said Carleton University President Roseann O’Reilly Runte. “They are at the forefront of their respective fields and will play an important role in Canada’s future.”
In total, 3,317 undergraduate and graduate students will walk across the stage. Two ceremonies will be held each day in the University Fieldhouse. The morning ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m. and the afternoon ceremony will begin at 2 p.m.
Media are invited to attend. The ceremonies will also be broadcast online via live streaming at Carleton.ca.
Contact Steven.Reid3@carleton.ca or Christopher.Cline@carleton.ca for availability of honorary degree recipients and copies of their addresses.
Honorary Doctorate Recipients
Recipients will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws or Music, honoris causa.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony.
David Butler-Jones will be recognized for his outstanding service as chief public health officer in times of crisis and his leadership in making the Public Health Agency of Canada the highly respected organization it is today.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at the 2 p.m. ceremony.
Chad Gaffield will be recognized for his impressive accomplishments as a researcher, a visionary leader and a spokesperson for the social sciences and humanities in Canada.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony.
Diane Morrison will be recognized for a lifetime of service dedicated to improving the lives of homeless and marginalized people in the Ottawa-Carleton community.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony.
Preston Manning will be recognized for exemplary and thoughtful leadership in strengthening democracy in Canada.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at the 2 p.m. ceremony.
Madeleine Kētēskwew Dion Stout will be recognized for her outstanding contributions as an advocate for the rights of Indigenous peoples, health reform, health education, development of public policy and an improved health care system for all Canadians.
Thursday, June 11, 2015 at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony.
Firdaus Kharas will be recognized for his innovative work as a social entrepreneur and for his contributions to the advancement of public health and children’s rights in a global context.
Thursday, June 11, 2015 at the 2 p.m. ceremony.
Lloyd Robertson will be recognized for his distinguished service and leadership in Canadian television journalism, his renowned work as a host and commentator on a wide variety of topics, and his stellar career as a reporter, writer and producer which offers inspiration to Canadians in all walks of life.
Friday, June 12, 2015 at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony.
Roman Borys will be recognized for his outstanding achievements as a musician of international renown, an educator and a leader in bringing together some of Canada’s most talented artists to perform on the international stage.
Friday, June 12, 2015 at the 2 p.m. ceremony.
Sally Armstrong will be recognized for her outstanding contribution to the advancement of the rights of women and children through her scholarship, personal experience and highly acclaimed writing.
Friday, June 12, 2015 at the 2 p.m. ceremony.
Gilles Paquet will be recognized for his extraordinary career as a social scientist, his pioneering commitment to advancing the engagement of scholarship within public dialogue and his dedication both as a professor and a leader of academics in national organizations.
Student Stories
From championship athletes jumping into the next stages of their lives to doctoral students who have advanced fascinating research, Carleton graduates have great stories to tell. We would be happy to connect you with these students and others.
- This year a number of notable athletes will be graduating. A native of Richmond, B.C., Philip Scrubb won his fifth and final national Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship in 2015 with the Carleton Ravens. Scrubb joined the team in 2010 and was awarded the Peter Mullins Trophy for rookie of the year in 2011. Since then, he has continued to collect awards and honors year after year. Scrubb regularly receives interest from NBA recruiters, and plans to continue to play professionally after graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce.
- Graduating from the Sprott School of Business, Sam Purkiss is the first of eight siblings to attend university. He will recieve a Bachelor of Commerce, Finance, with a minor in Economics, having achieved a stellar A+ CGPA. Purkiss is a sector manager on Sprott’s student-managed investment fund, where students manage over $700,000. He was the student ambassador for the Montreal stock exchange and is the past president for the Sprott Finance Students’ Association. After graduation, Purkiss will attend the University of Toronto where he will begin a Master’s degree in financial economics.
- Betul and Zahide Alaca are the children of Ayse and Saban Alaca, professors in Carleton’s School of Mathematics and Statistics. Betul is graduating with her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and her sister will be graduating with her master’s in Social Work. The sisters follow their older brother Furkan, who did his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Carleton and is now doing his PhD in Computer Science here. All three are holders of prestigious graduate scholarships.
- A young Rabbi, Mendy Loewenthal took his own unique path to graduating. He arrived at Carleton with no previous secular education and is now graduating with his bachelor’s in Science, Biochemistry, and will be attending the University of Toronto’s medical school next year.
- Darren Stahl, who is graduating from the research-intensive Faculty of Engineering and Design, secured a position with Microsoft before even starting his final year, thanks to co-op placements in the Seattle office of the U.S. high-tech giant.
- Rebecca Bromwich is Carleton’s first PhD student to graduate from the Department of Law and Legal Studies. Bromwich is working towards an understanding of what insights she can apply to law and legal studies from her previous academic background in the study of girls. She will receive the Carleton University Senate Medal for outstanding work at the doctoral level.
For all the details about Carleton’s Convocation ceremonies, honorary degree recipients and medal winners please visit: Carleton.ca/convocation.
Media Contact
Steven Reid
Media Relations Officer
Carleton University
613-520-2600 ext. 8718
613-265-6613
Steven_Reid3@Carleton.ca
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Wednesday, June 3, 2015 in News Releases
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