Distinguished Canadians Sheila Fraser, Gwynne Dyer, Ralph Heintzman, Judith Shamian, and Mark Starowicz to be honoured in June 2012

On behalf of Senate, Dr. Steven E. Franklin, the president and vice-chancellor of Trent University announced today the five outstanding individuals who will receive honorary degrees at convocation ceremonies on June 6, 7 and 8, 2012.

“Given the exemplary contributions of these notable individuals, it was no surprise that Senate was unanimous in approving these five honorary degrees,” said Dr. Franklin. “Graduands at the 2012 convocation ceremonies will have a rare opportunity to be addressed by these accomplished Canadians.  All distinguished leaders in their fields who have contributed significantly to our society and our world, each will represent a unique and powerful perspective to our graduates at Trent’s 45th convocation ceremonies.”

Trent University’s 2012 convocation ceremonies will be held over a three-day period, with two ceremonies on June 6 and June 7, and one ceremony on June 8. 

Each of the following individuals will be presented with an honorary degree at this year’s ceremonies:

Gwynne Dyer – Wednesday, June 6, 10 a.m.

Doctor of Letters degree to be awarded for his significant international contributions as a geopolitical analyst, journalist, broadcaster, filmmaker, author, and lecturer. 

Gwynne Dyer is a Canadian journalist, syndicated columnist and military historian. Dr. Dyer joined the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve at the age of sixteen. His Ph.D. was earned in Military and Middle Eastern History from King's College, London, England (1973). Dr. Dyer served in the Canadian, American, and British naval reserves. He was a senior lecturer in War Studies at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, from 1973 to 1977 when he began writing articles for London newspapers on the Arab-Israeli conflict and decided on a full-time career in journalism. In 2010, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. Dr. Dyer has been a guest speaker at Trent several times over the years.

“I've been to Trent so often to speak over the years that I feel I belong there.”

Sheila Fraser – Wednesday, June 6, 3 p.m.

Doctor of Laws degree to be awarded for her significant contributions and diligence to Canadian public finance accountability, stewardship and transparency.

Sheila Fraser served as Auditor General of Canada from 2001 to 2011. After earning her Bachelor of Commerce degree (McGill, 1972), Ms. Fraser started working for Ernst & Young where she became a partner in 1981. She participated in several assignments to the auditor general of Quebec. In January 1999, she joined the Office of the auditor general of Canada as deputy auditor general, Audit Operations. Her ten-year mandate as auditor general ended on May 30, 2011 at which time she delivered her last public speech, “Serving Parliament Through a Decade of Change.”

"I am very pleased and truly honoured to receive this recognition from Trent University. It is very rewarding to have one's work acknowledged by an institution of higher learning."

Ralph Heintzman – Thursday, June 7, 10 a.m.

Doctor of Laws degree to be awarded for his distinguished contributions to Canadian public service at the highest standard of ethics, accountability and service delivery.

Ralph Heintzman’s name in the Canadian public service is synonymous with the highest standards of ethics, accountability and service delivery. Dr. Heintzman held numerous senior executive positions in the Government of Canada, and his contributions to public administration include the design of federal whistle-blowing protection legislation, creation of the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service, launching the concept of Service Canada, and founding both the federal-provincial-municipal Public Sector Service Delivery Council and the intergovernmental Institute for Citizen-Centred Service. He currently chairs the Institute’s Service Certification Board. Dr. Heintzman is a recipient of the Vanier Medal, Canada’s highest honour in public administration, from the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. He was founding Trent president Tom Symons’ assistant in the 1960s and is the editor of Tom Symons: A Canadian Life. He is also a former editor of the Journal of Canadian Studies and a former member of the Trent Board of Governors (1986-1989). He is currently an adjunct research professor, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa and a senior fellow of Massey College in the University of Toronto.

"I am deeply honoured to be recognized in this way by the university where I began my professional career 47 years ago. It will be very meaningful for me finally to be a graduate of the university I helped to found and have continued to serve over the years. Trent and Peterborough have always been a second home to me and the June convocation will feel like a wonderful homecoming."

Mark Starowicz - Thursday, June 7, 3 p.m.

Doctor of Letters degree to be awarded for his significant contributions in the advocacy of Canadian culture and identity, journalism and broadcasting.

Mark Starowicz is the executive director of CBC Television’s Documentary Programming department. His award-winning career of over 30 years in Canadian radio and television includes production of Canada’s most influential current affairs and documentary programs, most notably, Canada: A People’s History. He was made an officer of the Order of Canada (2004) and a member of the Order of Ontario (2006). He was the Canadian Club's Canadian of the Year (2000), and is a past recipient of the Canadian Journalism Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the industry. He lectures and speaks widely on the impact of television and public policy upon the way we see the world. An advocate of Canadian culture and identity, Mark’s daughter is a recent Trent University graduate.

"I'm honoured. Trent is a progressive, exciting centre of excellence. It's a community of scholars and students who are involved in society and who are committed to social justice and to creative ideas."

Judith Shamian - Friday, June 8, 10 a.m.

Doctor of Laws degree to be awarded for her distinguished contributions to the Canadian health care system, nursing research, patient advocacy and excellence in nursing leadership.  

Judith Shamian is a distinguished Canadian nurse whose career has spanned over 40 years in which she has envisioned a strong and responsive health care system. Judith Shamian is the president and CEO of the Victorian Order of Nurses and president of the Canadian Nurses Association. She is also a professor at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg, Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto and a co-investigator with the Nursing Health Services Research Unit and was the executive director of the Office of Nursing Policy for five years. Prior to that she was vice president of Nursing at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto for ten years and has held various academic positions since 1989. Her activities in research utilization in nursing practice, while ground breaking two decades ago, have informed the addition of research and biostatistics into undergraduate nursing curricula nationally.

“It is an honour and a privilege to be recognized by Trent University for my healthcare and nursing contributions. There is no higher recognition by a distinguished academic institution for public service.”

For a complete list of honorary degree recipients throughout Trent University’s history, please visit http://www.trentu.ca/secretariat/senate_hongrademinent.php