UBC announces 2026 spring honorary degree recipients

The University of British Columbia will confer nine honorary degrees this spring, recognizing ten remarkable individuals for their exceptional leadership and impact.

Among this year’s recipients are Nobel Prize-winning chemist Sir David W. C. MacMillan; business leader and philanthropist Ryan Beedie; physician and former Canadian Medical Association President Dr. Alika Lafontaine; and acclaimed poet and novelist Daphne Marlatt.

“At UBC, we are guided by a vision to inspire people, ideas and actions for a better world,” said UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon. “This year’s honorary degree recipients reflect the very best of that vision—individuals of exceptional achievement whose contributions have advanced knowledge, strengthened communities and inspired meaningful change in Canada and around the world. It is a privilege to be celebrating their achievements with the UBC Class of 2026.”

This year’s recipients also include editor, writer and champion of graphic storytelling Diana Marie Schutz; renowned evolutionary biologists Peter and Rosemary Grant; former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Shawn Ah-up-wa-eek Atleo; computational biologist and co-creator of the R programming language Robert Gentleman; and entrepreneur and philanthropist Warren Spitz.

UBC grants honorary degrees—the highest honours conferred by the university—to deserving individuals who have made substantial contributions to society. Honorary degrees are conferred honoris causa, meaning “for the sake of honour,” and are awarded as one of three types: Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, and Doctor of Science.

Below is more information about this year’s spring honorary degree recipients:

UBC Vancouver’s Spring Graduation Recipients

Shawn Ah-up-wa-eek Atleo, Doctor of Laws

A Hereditary Chief of the Ahousaht First Nation, Shawn Ah-up-wa-eek Atleo has devoted his life to strengthening Indigenous governance, education, and cultural renewal. As National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations from 2009 to 2014, he championed nation-to-nation relationships and advanced constructive dialogue between Indigenous communities and governments.

Ryan Beedie, Doctor of Laws

UBC alumnus Ryan Beedie is an influential business leader and a role model for next-generation philanthropic entrepreneurs. He founded Beedie Luminaries in 2018 with a mission to provide scholarships and wraparound support to students facing socio-economic challenges as they pursue post-secondary education. Since 2010, his community contributions of $195 million have made significant impact to charitable organizations in B.C. and beyond.

Robert Gentleman, Doctor of Science

Professor Robert Gentleman is internationally recognized for his contributions to the fields of statistics, computational biology and open-source software for scientific applications. A UBC alumnus, he co-created the programming language R, now a global standard for data analysis and graphics, transforming how researchers across disciplines work with data.

Peter and Rosemary Grant, Doctor of Science

UBC alumni Peter and Rosemary Grant have made groundbreaking contributions in the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology. Their landmark 40-year study of Darwin’s finches on the Galapagos Islands is widely regarded as one of the most successful studies of adaptive evolution. Their findings have led to a better understanding of how and why natural selection occurs and how it leads to evolutionary change over time.

Dr. Alika Lafontaine, Doctor of Laws

Dr. Alika Lafontaine is an accomplished physician, academic, author and transformative leader in Canadian healthcare. As the first Indigenous and first racialized President of the Canadian Medical Association, he advanced a national agenda for equity, reconciliation, and patient-centered care, reshaping the priorities of Canada’s foremost medical body and pioneering new approaches to culturally safe and effective health care.

Daphne Marlatt, Doctor of Letters

Poet, novelist, editor, and cultural innovator, Daphne Marlatt stands among Canada’s most influential literary voices. For more than five decades she has expanded the boundaries of Canadian writing, crafting a body of work that is deeply attentive to language, place, and the interwoven histories of inhabitants. Her groundbreaking poetry collections and prose works have reshaped the possibilities of feminist and experimental writing in Canada.

Sir David W. C. MacMillan, Doctor of Science

Sir David W. C. MacMillan is one of the most influential chemists of the 21st century, whose pioneering work has transformed the landscape of modern synthetic chemistry. Awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, he is best known for co-developing organocatalysis, a revolutionary approach to chemical synthesis that uses small organic molecules to accelerate chemical reactions. His research has profoundly influenced pharmaceutical development, materials science, and green chemistry worldwide.

Diana Marie Schutz, Doctor of Letters

For more than four decades, Diana Schutz has been one of the most influential editors and advocates in the world of comics and graphic storytelling. As a writer, teacher, and mentor, she has elevated the art form and expanded the literary possibilities of the medium. Known for her meticulous eye and deep respect for artistic voice, she helped bring graphic storytelling to new levels of sophistication and cultural legitimacy.

Warren Spitz, Doctor of Laws

UBC alumnus Warren Spitz is a distinguished Canadian entrepreneur, philanthropist, and leader with a lifelong dedication to education and community advancement. Through innovative philanthropic initiatives, including the Spitz Centre for Indigenous Business Education and the Spitz Fellows Program, he continues to strengthen UBC’s legacy by fostering learning, leadership, and growth opportunities for future generations.