Robert Enright, George Bain and Susan Thompson to be honoured June 9and 10 at Spring Convocation
WINNIPEG, MB – A champion of the arts, a scholar-turned-policymaker, and a former Winnipeg Mayor will receive Honorary Doctorates at The University of Winnipeg’s 2016 Spring Convocation which takes place June 9 and 10 in the Duckworth Centre. Robert Enright, George Bain, and Susan Thompson will be honoured for their lifetime of dedicated public service.
“The talent that Winnipeg produces is extraordinary in depth and reach, from politics to art to academia. We are proud to award Susan Thompson, George Bain, and Robert Enright honorary doctorates and showcase their commitment and accomplishments as role models to our next generation of graduating leaders,” said Dr. Annette Trimbee, President and Vice-Chancellor.
Robert Enright photo by Steven Ackerman
Robert Enright (Letters) Thurs., June 9; 9:30 a.m. |
Arts ceremony
Robert Enright is an educator, public intellectual, cultural journalist, and passionate champion of the arts in Canada. As CBC radio and television’s Manitoba-based art critic for 25 years, he was the familiar voice who brought attention to many emerging and established artists. As the founder and senior contributing editor of the award-winning Border Crossings magazine, Enright shepherded a generation of artists and writers to national renown. Enright currently serves as a Professor and holds the University Research Chair in Art Theory and Criticism in the School of Fine Art and Music at the University of Guelph. In 2005, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada, and in 2006, he received the Art Award of Distinction from the National Council of Arts Administrator in the U.S. and a Gold Medal for his contribution to the arts by the Royal Canadian Academy. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
George Bain photo supplied
George Bain (Laws) Thursday, June 9;
2:30 p.m. |
Science, Business and Economics ceremony
George Bain is a Winnipeg native who became a renowned scholar, industrial peacemaker, and an exceptional academic leader. A University of Manitoba graduate and lecturer and active in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, he became President of the Manitoba New Democratic Party shortly after its founding. His distinguished academic career led him from Oxford to, among other appointments, the London Business School, where he was Principal; and Queen’s University, Belfast, where he was President and Vice-Chancellor. He was called upon by the British Government to chair several commissions and inquires. As one example, he was chair of the Low Pay Commission, which designed and implemented for the first time in the UK a National Minimum Wage, an accomplishment for which he was knighted in 2001.
Susan Thompson photo by Bill McFarlane
Susan Thompson (Laws) – Friday, June 10; 9:30 a.m.
Theology, Marriage and Family Therapy; Education; and Kinesiology ceremony
An accomplished leader in business, politics, and philanthropic fundraising, Susan Thompson is a tireless contributor to our community. A graduate of both The University of Winnipeg Collegiate (’67) and UWinnipeg (’71), Thompson began her successful retail career as an international buyer at Eaton’s and The Bay before she became the first woman to own her family’s business: Birt Saddlery. In 1992, Thompson was the first and only woman ever elected to serve as Mayor of Winnipeg. During her two terms, she led the city through the 1997 Flood of the Century and in 1999, served as Canadian Consul General in Minneapolis. In 2003, Thompson returned to her alma mater to become the founding President & CEO of The University of Winnipeg Foundation. Tackling large fundraising goals one donation at a time, she led the Foundation as more than $135 million was raised in the A World of Opportunity Capital Campaign. She is currently Executive Consultant at the Winnipeg Art Gallery helping raise $65 million for the proposed new Inuit Art Centre and has just finished a book on her memoirs.
Find out more about 2016 Spring Convocation
MEDIA CONTACT
Diane Poulin, Senior Communications Specialist, The University of Winnipeg
P: 204.988.7135, E: d.poulin@uwinnipeg.ca
