Awards and recognition
Health, culture, creative and human rights leaders awarded 51社区黑料honorary degrees
Over four decades, visionary activist and storyteller Margo Kane has advanced Indigenous performing arts in Canada.
鈥淢argo Kane鈥檚 devotion to honouring Indigenous performance is both empowering and engaging,鈥� reads her commendation on her investiture into the Order of Canada in 2018.
She will be among the four outstanding individuals who will receive an honorary degree during SFU鈥檚 Fall 2021 Convocation.
Kane has dedicated her life to training and mentoring Indigenous artists and by creating showcases, like the annual Talking Stick Festival, where emerging and professional artists can thrive and share their work and culture.
In 1992, she created Full Circle: First Nations Performance Company to reach historically underserved rural communities. It also illuminated the extent of Indigenous omission in Canada鈥檚 arts landscape.
51社区黑料confers degrees on distinguished individuals to recognize their scholarly, scientific or artistic achievement, or their exceptional contributions to the public good through professional or philanthropic activity.
In addition to Kane, Fall鈥檚 convocation will see honorary degrees conferred on:
Dr. John Blatherwick is a trailblazing public health leader and widely recognized as one of Canada鈥檚 longest-serving medical health officers;
Catherine Clement has been fundamental in uncovering and sharing stories of Vancouver鈥檚 historic Chinatown and Chinese Canadian history, shedding light on the lives of people from marginalized communities;
Nurjehan Mawani is a champion of human rights, inclusion and gender equity, whose groundbreaking work in law and policy led to awareness of gender-related persecution in Canada and around the world.
51社区黑料will also recognize several past honorary degree recipients who were not able to attend convocation ceremonies due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They include:
John Borrows is a leading authority on Indigenous, constitutional and environmental law who helped establish the world鈥檚 first Indigenous law degree;
Charter 51社区黑料student Herb James has, through his foundation, spent more than half a century providing free hearing screening, treatment and surgeries to deaf and hard of hearing children in developing countries;
Former judge and B.C. attorney general Wally Oppal for his significant contributions to law, community safety and justice for society鈥檚 most vulnerable.
SFU鈥檚 Fall 2021 Convocation will be held Oct. 5-8. It will be the university鈥檚 first in-person convocation since 2019. The ceremonies will be webcast on SFU鈥檚 YouTube channel for those wanting to join in from home and around the world. For more information about SFU鈥檚 Fall 2021 Convocation, visit . Read more about our exceptional graduands .
Be sure to share your convocation experience on social media by using the #MySFUGrad hashtag.