CBU to bestow honorary degrees, Nov. 4
Two women who made a difference to others are to be honoured during Cape Breton University’s fall convocation.
The university has announced that Eunice Harker and Mary Rebecca Julian will be awarded Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) during the ceremony scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre.
Harker is to be recognized for her work in advocating human rights, while Julian will be acknowledged for her commitment to the preservation and growth of Mi’kmaw culture.
Dr. Dale Keefe, CBU president and vice-chancellor, said both women have stories that will inspire university students to help better the world.
“With passion and through demonstrated commitment, both of our honorary degree recipients have made a difference that has improved the lives of others — (they) are wonderful examples of how the desire for change can have a farreaching impact,” said Keefe.
Harker, who spent a decade in Cape Breton, has dedicated more than 40 years of her life to the advocacy for human rights and presently serves as the chair of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. She was also a founding member of the Association for Safer Cape Breton Communities. Julian, a residential school survivor, has been a driving force in the field of education for the Sipekne’katik (Indian Brook) First Nation, located just west of Shubenacadie. A longtime teacher of the Mi’kmaw language, she was the 2013 winner of the prestigious Grand Chief Donald Marshall Sr. Memorial Elder Award for her dedication to keeping the Mi’kmaw culture alive and thriving.
According to CBU, as many as 250 students are listed as potential fall graduates this year.