Ontario Tech kicks off Convocation week with first of six ceremonies in Oshawa
Published June 8, 2022 at 9:39 am
An official Chancellor Installation Ceremony, the conferring of five honorary degrees – with a certain hockey legend getting his honors in the fall – and the presentation of 2,500 degrees highlight Convocation at Ontario Tech University, which gets under way this morning.
Mitch Frazer, who has been acting as Chancellor of Ontario Tech University for two years, will officially be installed this morning as the university’s fourth Chancellor during the first (of six) Convocation ceremonies being held over the next three days.
This will happen just prior to the presentation of degrees to Faculty of Education graduates. Frazer has served in the role as Chancellor since his appointment on May 1, 2020, but due to in-person restrictions over the past two years an Installation Ceremony was not possible until now.
Ontario Tech returns to an in-person format for graduates of the class of 2022 and ceremonies will be faculty-specific and will take place under a large tent, outdoors at Polonsky Commons, at the university’s north Oshawa location. (Ceremonies in previous years have been held at the Tribute Communities Centre in downtown Oshawa.)
This year the university will present honorary degrees to:
Jeffrey Boyce and Julia Boyce of Evsam Holdings Ltd., for their strong commitment to volunteerism and philanthropic contributions to Durham Region, for their championing of education, of young women pursuing education and young women in science, technology, engineering and math-based disciplines, and for their steadfast ambassadorship of Ontario Tech University.
Videos
Dr. Naheed Dosani, Palliative Care Physician and Ontario Tech class of 2008 alum, for his relentless advocacy for health justice, his trailblazing achievements in delivering community-based hospice palliative care, and for his ongoing commitment to humanitarian efforts.
Christian Lassonde, Founder and Managing Partner, Impression Ventures and Director, Lassonde Family Foundation, for his outstanding work as a business leader and entrepreneur, his dedication as a mentor for the next generation of professionals, and his commitment and support to education and health care through philanthropy and volunteer activities.
Ms. Rania Llewellyn, President and Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of the Laurentian Bank of Canada, for her significant business successes, leadership in driving growth and change, promotion of diversity in the workplace, and her continuing commitment to supporting new Canadian immigrants.
Ms. Phyllis Webstad, Founder and Executive Director of Orange Shirt Society and Author of Phyllis’s Orange Shirt, for her profound storytelling and raising awareness about the legacy of Canada’s residential school system, her advocacy for Indigenous Peoples, and her commitment to providing Indigenous Peoples with a platform to having their voices heard.
John Tavares
John Tavares, Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and whose junior hockey jersey number was retired by the Oshawa Generals, for his outstanding work as a Canadian athlete, his dedication as a role model to aspiring young athletes, and for inspiring the next generation to build a better world for themselves and their generation.
Tavares’s honorary degree will be conferred this fall.
Ontario Tech University officially opened its doors on September 4, 2003 to 947 students for the 2003-2004 academic year. It is now home to more than 10,200 undergraduate and graduate students every year.
The 2,500 students graduating this year brings the university’s alumni base to more than 25,000.
The university was founded by provincial legislation on June 27, 2002, making Monday, June 27, 2022 the university’s 20th anniversary.
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising