Honorary Degrees

The University confers “honorary” degrees which symbolize the highest honour that can be conferred upon an individual by the University. An honorary degree may be awarded in recognition of scholarly or creative achievements or distinguished public service to the country or region.

At Convocation, the degree is awarded honoris causa, or “for the sake of honour”. A hood is also given to the recipient and it may be worn to any academic affair. Recipients of these degrees become honorary alumni of the University and they may affix, after their names, the abbreviation of the degree.

A black and white photo of Rosie

Rosie Mosquito
Doctor of Humane Letters

A proud member of the Bearskin Lake First Nation, Rosie has devoted her life to community development, political advocacy, and the advancement of Indigenous rights. She was the first female chief in the western part of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) in 1986, marking a milestone in Indigenous leadership.

Throughout her career, Rosie navigated the intricacies of government, leveraging her expertise to champion Indigenous causes. Notably, Rosie served as the Executive Director of NAN from 1994 to 1996. She held pivotal roles, including Senior Policy Advisor to the Ontario Regional Chief and Executive Director of NAN's Oshki Wenjack Education Training Institute from 2004 to 2018.

She actively participates in NAN, Chiefs of Ontario and the Assembly of First Nation, advocating for legislative and policy reforms and community empowerment. One of Rosie's proudest achievements is the passing of the Indigenous Institutes Act 2017 that was negotiated during the nine years she was the Chair of the Indigenous Institute Consortium.

The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters will be conferred on Thursday, May 30 at the 9 a.m. ceremony.

A black and white photo of Patricia

Patricia Ningewance Nadeau (Waabibizhikiikwe)
Doctor of Humane Letters

Waabibizhikiikwe is Bear Clan from Lac Seul First Nation and a residential school survivor. She is a translator, Ojibwe author, and teacher. Her company, Mazinaate, has been publishing Indigenous language books and resources since 1998 - a total of 15 titles in all. An assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, she is actively involved in promoting and preserving the Ojibwe language.

Her grandson Aandeg Muldrew speaks and teaches Ojibwe. Her son Maeengan Linklater is a director of operations at Dakota Ojibwe Tribal Council and is a producer of the Ojibwe language versioning for the Star Wars film “A New Hope”. And, her husband Ron Nadeau is a former lawyer who is a future fluent speaker of Ojibwe. She was honoured with the Order of Canada in 2022.

The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters will be conferred on Friday, May 31 at the 9 a.m. ceremony.

A black and white photo of Samantha

Dr. Samantha Nutt
Doctor of Humane Letters

Dr. Samantha Nutt is an award-winning humanitarian, bestselling author and the Founder and President of War Child USA and War Child Canada. For over two decades, she has worked with children and their families at the frontline of many of the world's major crises - from Iraq to Afghanistan, Somalia to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone to Darfur, Sudan. A leading authority on public health, war, international aid and foreign policy, Dr. Nutt is a highly acclaimed public speaker in North America.

Dr. Nutt is a staff physician at Women's College Hospital in Toronto and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. A recipient of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honour, Dr. Nutt's international work has benefited millions of war- affected children globally.

The degree of Dr. Nutt will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters will be conferred on Thursday, May 30 at the 2 p.m. ceremony.

A black and white photo of Valerie

Valerie Pringle
Doctor of Humane Letters

Valerie Pringle enjoyed a distinguished career as a broadcaster for 50 years. She was a well-known anchor of two national news programs - Midday on CBC and Canada AM on CTV where she covered major stories of the day, from national elections and Royal weddings to space launches and the Olympics. Valerie is currently host and producer of Canada Files on PBS.

In 2006, Valerie was honoured with the Order of Canada for her work in broadcasting and philanthropy. She received an Honorary Doctorate from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2010 and is an honorary fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society.

The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters will be conferred on Friday, June 7 at 10 a.m.