Former UBC president David Strangway, Globe and Mail
national affairs columnist and author Jeffrey Simpson, and
UBC alumnus and ambassador for Canada’s Year of Asia Pacific John
Bell, are among nine outstanding individuals to be awarded honorary
degrees by UBC this year.
Prominent in all aspects of professional and community life, honorary
degree recipients are recognized for their distinguished achievements
in their endeavours and for their contributions to the life of the
university and the betterment of society. Honorary degrees will
be awarded during Spring Congregation, May 24-29, and Fall Congregation,
Nov. 26 and 27. Ceremonies will take place in the Chan Centre for
the Performing Arts.
Strangway was NASA’s chief of geophysics from 1970 until 1973,
and was vice-president of the University of Toronto before being
appointed UBC’s president in 1985. During the next twelve years,
he spearheaded the largest fund-raising campaign in
Canadian university history. A member of the Order of Canada, Strangway
recently served as Canada’s special envoy in the Pacific salmon
negotiations with the U.S.
Simpson has won three of Canada’s major literary prizes: the Governor
General’s Award for Non-Fiction writing, the National Magazine Award
for Political Writing, and the National Newspaper Award for Column
Writing.
Bell’s diplomatic engagements include serving as chief negotiator
and head of Canada’s delegation to the Rio Earth Summit in 1992,
high commissioner to Malaysia, ambassador to Brazil and ambassador
to the Ivory Coast. A UBC Commerce graduate, Bell has promoted links
between UBC and Malaysia. He received a UBC Alumni Award of Distinction
in 1995.
Other honorary degree recipients include: former president of Chile
Patricio Alywin; distinguished political scientist and UBC
Prof. Emeritus Alan Cairns; Order of Canada member and UBC
Prof. Emeritus Stephen Michael Drance, an internationally
recognized ophthalmologist; Order of Canada member and UBC Prof.
Emeritus Peter Oberlander, respected worldwide in urban settlement
and regional planning; and UBC Forestry alumnus John Spears,
secretary-general of the World Commission on Forests and Sustainable
Development. Eminent biochemist P. Roy Vagelos, chair of
the board of Merck & Co., will receive an honorary degree in
1998 after being unable to attend last year’s ceremonies. Acclaimed
actress Martha Henry, who was nominated this year, will receive
her honorary degree next year.
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