More than 3,500 University of Saskatchewan students graduate this spring

June 3 to 6, 2014

TCU Place, 35 22nd Street East, Saskatoon

About 3,500 students are graduating this spring from the University of Saskatchewan. These graduates join a community of more than 141,000 graduates who, year after year, continue to build upon the success of those before them. U of S alumni include a Canadian prime minister, Nobel Prize winners, award-winning authors and artists, groundbreaking researchers, successful business executives and accomplished athletes.

All ceremonies will be streamed live.

Convocation story ideas

Convocation co-ordinator, Danielle Rudulier will have a unique view of this spring's ceremonies when she walks across the stage to receive her Master of Educational Administration degree.
The College of Pharmacy and Nutrition celebrates its 100th anniversary in the 2013-14 year.
350 Aboriginal students will receive their degrees this spring.

Honorary degrees and awards will be awarded to:

Honorary Doctor of Laws — Bill McKnight
Honorary Doctor of Laws — Dallas J. Howe
Honorary Doctor of Laws — Izzeldin Abuelaish
Honorary Doctor of Laws — John H. Wedge
Honorary Doctor of Science — Don Bateman
Honorary Doctor of Science — Lorne A. Babiuk
Honorary Doctor of Letters — Ross King
Earned Doctor of Science — René Drucker-Colín
President's Service Award — Marlene Fehr
Award for Distinction in Community-Engaged Teaching and Scholarship — Chelsea Willness
Award for Distinction in Outreach and Public Service — Ken Rosaasen
Distinguished Researcher Award — Graham George
Master Teacher Award — Ronald C.C. Cuming





Detailed convocation schedule

For morning ceremonies, the academic procession begins at 8:45 am, speeches at 9 am and graduates start walking across the stage at 10 am. For afternoon ceremonies, the academic procession begins at 1:45 pm, speeches at 2 pm and graduates start walking across the stage at 3 pm. For more information.



June 3—2 pm ceremony

Graduating: Agriculture and Bioresources (including Certificate in Agriculture, Prairie Horticulture Certificate) and Engineering

Honorary Doctor of Science Degree: Â Don Bateman

Those who have flown safely in airplanes owe a debt of gratitude to University of Saskatchewan engineering graduate, Don Bateman whose work in the area of flight safety has resulted in the development of critical flight-safety sensors used on aircraft worldwide.

Story of interest: After caring for the University of Saskatchewan award-winning dairy herd for more than 39 years, President's Service Medal winner Marlene Fehr is retiring.

June 4—9 am ceremony

Graduating: Arts and Science, and Centre for Continuing and Distance Education (Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education, Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language, Certificate in English for Academic Purposes)

Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree: Â Ross King

Ross King's combination of deft storytelling and serious scholarship has made him one of Canada's most widely recognized writers. King is the author of six books on Italian, French and Canadian art and history, and two historical novels. He has also edited a collection of Leonardo da Vinci's fables, jokes and riddles and has won the Governor General's Award in Canada  for English and non-fiction.

Student of interest: Thomas Sierzycki completed his Master of Northern Governance and Development degree while serving as one of Canada's youngest mayors. The La Ronge native believes his degree will help him look at the North's future in a way he hadn't before.

June 4—2 pm ceremony

Graduating: Arts and Science, School of Environment and Sustainability and School of Public Policy

Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree: Â William (Bill) McKnight

The Honourable William (Bill) McKnight considers the 1992 Saskatchewan Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement as his touchstone accomplishment as a public servant. The agreement has greatly enhanced the economic opportunities of First Nations in Saskatchewan. McKnight also served as Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan from 2007-2012 and is the honorary Chief of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation.

Student of interest: Allison Henderson, the first person to enrol in Ph.D program in the School of Environment and Sustainability, examined the social and ecological dimensions of land grazing and conservation in regards to prairie songbirds and their habitat. Her research is distinctive in that she looked at not only rangeland health and songbird numbers, but she also collected interviews from ranchers to integrate natural and social science research methods.

June 5—9 am ceremony

Graduating: Edwards School of Business (including Aboriginal Business Administration Certificate, Business Administration Certificate, Executive Business Administration Certificate) and Law

Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree: Â Dallas Howe

Entrepreneur and business executive Dallas Howe has spent a lifetime building a strong and diverse Saskatchewan economy including operating the family farm that has been in the family for more than 130 years.

Student of interest: Leighanne Gardipy, the Canadian Bar Association — SK Branch Award of excellence winner and DIVA Foundation Scholarship recipient, has recently been elected to the band council for the Beardy's and Okemasis First Nation.



June 5—2 pm ceremony

Graduating: Education

Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree: Â Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish

Izzeldin Abuelaish, OOnt, MD, MPH, is a Palestinian physician and an internationally recognized human rights and inspirational peace activist. The three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee has been referred to as the "Martin Luther King of the Middle East."

Student of interest: Convocation co-ordinator, Danielle Rudulier, will have a unique view of this spring's ceremonies when she walks across the stage to receive her Master of Educational Administration degree.

June 6—9 am ceremony

Graduating: Kinesiology, Medicine, Pharmacy and Nutrition, School of Physical Therapy and School of Public Health

Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree: Dr. John Wedge

Saskatoon born and educated John Wedge is an international authority on complex surgical hip reconstruction in children and adolescents. He has conducted thousands of surgical procedures, trained hundreds of residents and fellows and has published extensively. In 2006, Wedge became an Officer of the Order of Canada and in 2012 was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for "dedicated service to peers, community and Canada."

Earned Doctor of Science Degree: René Drucker-Colin

René Drucker-Colín is best known for his life-long interest in the brain mechanisms regulating the sleep-wake cycle and in employing the technique of implanting stem cells into brain tissue to restore lost function in neurodegenerative diseases. His work has provoked a flurry of studies revealing the complexity of the neurochemical regulation of sleep. Born in Mexico in 1937, Drucker-Colín received his Ph D in Physiology at the University of Saskatchewan in 1971.

June 6—2 pm ceremony

Graduating: Dentistry, Nursing and Veterinary Medicine

Honorary Doctor of Science Degree: Lorne Babiuk

Lorne Babiuk is an internationally recognized leader in Canadian vaccine research who has devoted his career to Canadian-based research aimed at safeguarding the health of people and animals at home and abroad. Babiuk is the former director of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), during which time he built the organization into an international powerhouse carrying out major research in immunology, pathogenesis, virology, molecular virology and vaccinology.

Convocation can be seen here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQptLdMDrox1keEzxqMoGK97iNLRf6Bfa

For more information, contact:

Meghan Sired

Communications Co-ordinator

306-381-7992

meghan.sired@usask.ca