UVic honours seven community leaders

The University of Victoria is celebrating seven extraordinary individuals with honorary degrees—the university’s highest academic honour. Recipients include leaders from health care, art, science, law and business. Their accomplishments extend beyond their respective fields to society as a whole and highlight the vital impact the university celebrates in its students and graduates. This spring’s recipients include:

Josh Blair, Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) is the co-founder and CEO of Impro.AI, a partner at Esplanade Ventures, chair of TELUS International and vice chair of Carebook Technologies. Blair’s remarks to the Class of 2021.

Barry Gough, Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) is one of Canada’s leading historians. He is the author of many prize-winning and critically acclaimed histories dealing with the Royal Navy and the British Empire. Gough’s remarks to the Class of 2021.

Eric Metcalfe, Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA) has epitomized the avant-garde in Canadian art. His work has crossed disciplines to include painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, installation, performance, music and video. Metcalfe’s remarks to the Class of 2021.

Teresa Petrick, Honorary Doctor of Science in Nursing (DSN) has led an outstanding career as a nurse, nurse educator and administrator, helping to extend the reach of high-quality, nursing education programs. Petrick’s remarks to the Class of 2021.

Bruce Poon Tip, Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) is the founder of G Adventures, a pioneering travel company that supports sustainable tourism and environmental activism. Poon Tip’s remarks to the Class of 2021.

Marvin Storrow, Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) is a leading member of the British Columbia bar with a national reputation for outstanding advocacy and a life long record of public service. Storrow’s remarks to the Class of 2021.

Pauline van den Driessche, Honorary Doctor of Science (DSc) is an internationally renowned scientist who has made significant contributions in different areas of mathematics, revolutionizing the understanding of disease dynamics. Her work applies to topics such as multicity disease dynamics, HIV/AIDS control and West Nile virus outbreak predictions. van den Driessche’s remarks to the Class of 2021.

This year’s recipients will be honoured in a private virtual ceremony to be held the week of June 7.

Full bios of all honorary degree recipients available here.

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