U of S to honour author, scientist, philanthropists
Honorary degree recipients saluted for `outstanding accomplishments'
As part of spring convocation, the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) will award honorary degrees to Gordon and Jill Rawlinson, Yann Martel and Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier.
In a news release on Thursday, the university said the Rawlinsons will both receive honorary doctor of laws degrees for philanthropy and business success, citing their generous donations in support of health care, education, the arts and Indigenous achievement through their Lily Street Foundation.
Lily Street Foundation supports the Rawlco Centre for Mother Baby Care at the Regina General Hospital; the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at U of S; the EA Rawlinson Centre for the Arts in Prince Albert; the Rawlinson Centre for Indigenous Business Students; the Gordon Rawlinson Finance and Trading Room at the Edwards School of Business, and the United Way and food banks in Saskatoon and Regina.
Charpentier will receive an honorary doctor of science degree. Her groundbreaking research laid the foundation for the revolutionary CRISPR-CAS9 genome engineering technology, and she has received numerous prestigious international awards and honours, including the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2020. She is also scientific and managing director for the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens and honorary professor at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany.
Martel will receive an honorary doctor of letters degree. Best known as the author of the novel Life of Pi, he was a visiting scholar in the University of Saskatchewan's department of English from 2005 to 2007. In the release, the university noted Martel also generously supports numerous community health care and cultural organizations.
“We are proud to recognize the outstanding accomplishments and contributions to society that these individuals have made throughout their extraordinary careers,” U of S president and vice-chancellor Peter Stoicheff said in the release.
An honorary degree is the university's most prestigious award, acknowledging worthy and unique contributions recipients have made to their community and to the world. Spring convocation will be held at Merlis Belsher Place from June 3 to 7.