April 24, 2006 Source: :
http://newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca/news.php?id=4720 UW awards 11 honorary degrees at convocation WATERLOO, Ont. (April 24, 2006) -- Flora MacDonald, a highly respected former federal politician, and Bob Rosehart, the longest-serving university leader in Ontario and president of Wilfrid Laurier University, are among those receiving honorary degrees at the University of Waterloo during spring convocation to be held June 14-17. MacDonald and Rosehart will receive their honorary degrees at separate convocation ceremonies to be held in the Physical Activities Complex on the UW campus. As well, Thomas Goodale, an internationally recognized scholar in the fields of leisure studies, parks and recreation, will be awarded a Doctor of Letters and will give the convocation address on Wednesday (June 14) for graduates in the faculties of applied health sciences and environmental studies, starting at 10 a.m. A professor emeritus at George Mason University in Virginia, Goodale is well known for his concern with quality of life issues. Also at Wednesday's convocation, Serge Rossignol, an eminent neuroscientist who sparked the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Neuroscience at the University of Montreal, will receive a Doctor of Science. Recognized internationally for his work on discovering the neural basis for the control of locomotion, Rossignol has been a key influence on the current and future directions of spinal cord research. Honorary degrees will be given at convocation ceremonies: -- Science, Wednesday, June 14 at 2 p.m. Howard Howland will receive a Doctor of Science and address convocation. Howland is widely recognized as one of the top scientists in the study of optical properties of the eye. His work has proven essential to the development of new and critically important areas of research on the optical aberrations (errors) of the eye and the effect of visual environment on ocular refractive growth.-- Arts, Thursday, June 15 at 10 a.m. Flora MacDonald will receive a Doctor of Laws and address convocation. Called a "national and international treasure," MacDonald has demonstrated a remarkable range of contributions -- literacy, foreign understanding and service to seniors and minorities -- in addition to her distinguished 16-year career as a public servant. MacDonald is well regarded for her superb and forward-looking leadership. Robert Mundell will receive a Doctor of Laws. A former UW professor of economics, Mundell is known worldwide for ground-breaking contributions on money, macroeconomics and international trade. His theoretical research on the optimal currency area eventually provided the foundation for the Euro. Mundell's insight into the relationship between domestic economic policy and free capital flows revolutionized the understanding of exchange rates.-- Arts, Thursday, June 15 at 2 p.m. Margaret Visser will receive a Doctor of Laws and address convocation. A cultural anthropologist of uncommon skill, Visser has a gift for taking the stuff of ordinary living -- the rituals around eating, for instance -- and making it palatable to the non-specialist. She is the author of The Rituals of Dinner (1991) and The Way We Are (1994). Douglas Letson will receive a Doctor of Laws. Past president (1989-1999) and past vice-president and academic dean of St. Jerome's University, Letson has achieved a remarkable level of distinction for his administrative leadership and service to St. Jerome's and UW, along with his commitment to post-secondary Roman Catholic education. Letson gives regular public talks on religious and literary topics as well as being active in a number of local community initiatives.-- Mathematics, Friday, June 16 at 10 a.m. Dominic Welsh will receive a Doctor of Mathematics and address convocation. Welsh is one of the distinguished senior researchers in the study of discrete mathematics. The recognition is due to a long series of contributions spanning four decades and many branches of mathematics, such as probability theory, statistical mechanics, coding theory, computational complexity and matroid theory.-- Mathematics, Friday, June 16 at 2 p.m. Kurt Melhorn will receive a Doctor of Mathematics and address convocation. A leading researcher in various aspects of algorithms, Melhorn is a professor of computer science at the Universität des Saarlandes in Saarbrücken, Germany. He was the key person behind the launch of the prestigious Max Planck Institute for Computer Science, along with the International Conference and Research Centre for Computer Science.-- Engineering, Saturday, June 17 at 10 a.m. Jacques Lamarre will receive a Doctor of Engineering and address convocation. One of Canada's top engineers and a national leader in the management of global engineering firms, Lamarre heads SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., one of the largest companies in international construction. His career as an engineer and senior executive spans more than 35 years.-- Engineering, Saturday, June 17 at 2 p.m. Bob Rosehart will receive a Doctor of Engineering and address convocation. Rosehart is president and vice-chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University, having assumed the post in 1997 after serving the previous 13 years as president and vice-chancellor of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. A triple graduate of UW's faculty of engineering, Rosehart regards Waterloo as the place that most shaped his ideas on higher education and research.Also at convocation, "Distinguished Professor Emeritus" titles will be presented to three retired UW professors: Howard Green, of kinesiology, Tony Cullen, of optometry, and Bill Lennox, of civil engineering.
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