Iyál' (Vanessa) Campbell, Doctor of Laws, honoris causa

Skwxwú7mesh sníchim, the language of the Squamish people, has been the life’s work of educator and Elder Iyál' (Vanessa) Campbell for more than 50 years. By learning from past and present Elders, working with other dedicated teachers and students to preserve and revitalize the life of the language, Campbell is working to ensure the wealth of knowledge within traditions and the breadth of culture of her people is not forgotten by future generations.

In 2018, Campbell began teaching at Simon Fraser University for the newly created Diploma in Indigenous Languages - Skwxwú7mesh sníchim. She considers it a privilege to remain part of the growing community of Squamish language speakers ranging from parents of newborns, young children and students of all ages in differing learning opportunities and community events.

The degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, will be conferred on Iyál' (Vanessa) Campbell on Thursday, June 12 at the 9:45 a.m. ceremony.

David Marmorek, Doctor of Science, honoris causa

David Marmorek is an aquatic ecologist with an international reputation for bringing together people, science and tools to tackle complex environmental challenges. He has worked in North America, South America and Asia for four and a half decades to protect and restore ecosystems affected by pollution, dams and other human activities. He’s an adjunct professor with SFU’s School of Resource and Environmental Management and is the lead scientist at ESSA Technologies Ltd., an environmental consulting company based in Vancouver.

Marmorek enjoys leading interdisciplinary teams to collaboratively develop and implement creative approaches that protect and recover fish and wildlife populations. He melds modelling, monitoring, adaptive management, decision analysis and environmental assessment. Through Marmorek's leadership and talented staff, ESSA has successfully tackled many difficult environmental problems; its services are sought after around the world.

The degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, will be conferred on David Marmorek on Tuesday, June 10 at the 2:30 p.m. ceremony.

Azra Raza, Doctor of Science, honoris causa

A renowned oncologist on the frontiers of finding a cure for cancer, Dr. Azra Raza is a leading researcher and author who has mentored hundreds of medical students around the world and inspired countless others. She is the Chan Soon-Shiong Professor of Medicine, clinical director of the Edward P. Evans Foundation MDS Centre and executive director of The First Cell Coalition for Cancer Survivors at Columbia University. Her best-selling book, The First Cell: And the human costs of pursuing cancer to the last, explores cancer from every angle – medical, scientific, cultural and personal – and has helped countless readers on their own journeys with cancer. She is an expert on the famous Urdu poet Ghalib and believes in promoting the achievements of humanity in science, art and literature.

The degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, will be conferred on Dr. Azra Raza on Thursday, June 12 at the 2:30 p.m. ceremony.

Ogwi’low’gwa Kim Recalma-Clutesi, Doctor of Laws, honoris causa

Matriarch, scholar, academic and cultural mentor, traditional knowledge-holder, teacher, writer, filmmaker, community leader, cross-cultural interpreter: these are the many roles of Ogwi’low’gwa Kim Recalma-Clutesi. A member of the Qualicum First Nation, where she served as elected Chief, she is deeply committed to helping share Indigenous Peoples’ values and perspective to the non-Native world. She has devoted her life to upholding traditional Indigenous rights, knowledge and values.

Recalma-Clutesi is currently the cultural advisor on Simon Fraser University’s Xwe’etay/Lasqueti Archaeology Project and has served on various boards such as Aboriginal People’s Television Network, Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Awards Program and Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Foundation. She was also an advisor for RCMP E. Division and the Ministry of Child and Family Services, and has organized competency workshops for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

The degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, will be conferred on Ogwi’low’gwa Kim Recalma-Clutesi on Friday, June 13 at the 2:30 p.m. ceremony.

Mary-Woo Sims 沈明麗, Doctor of Laws, honoris causa

Mary-Woo Sims 沈明麗 has had a long and distinguished career in human rights at every level of society, protecting the rights of all Canadians. As Chief Human Rights Commissioner for British Columbia, she was among the first calling for legislative changes to include protections for transgender people and those living in poverty. Sims, who began her career in the labour movement, has won provincial, national and international awards, including from the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies for her work in human rights education.
 
A proud feminist, she was a founding member of the Vancouver Women Against Violence Against Women Rape Crisis Centre (now Salal Sexual Violence Support Centre). Sims believes that as a person whose daily experiences are informed by living an intersectional life, it’s her responsibility to help create a better world for everyone.

The degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, will be conferred on Mary-Woo Sims 沈明麗 on Friday, June 13 at the 9:45 a.m. ceremony.

Barry Truax, Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa

A trailblazer of electroacoustic and computer music, Barry Truax has had a monumental impact on the world of sound. Truax taught at Simon Fraser University’s School of Communication and School of Contemporary Arts for over 40 years. In that time, he established the school’s music program, the Glenfraser Endowment and received an Excellence in Teaching Award. He led the World Soundscape Project since 1975 and developed the first computer system that allowed for real-time granular synthesis, empowering generations of composers.

The revolutionary PODX computer music system he developed was used by many composers, including students and international visiting artists, from the 1970s through the 1990s. Truax’s multi-channel electroacoustic music and soundscape compositions have been performed more than 600 times worldwide and are frequently featured in concerts and festivals today. 

The degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa, will be conferred on Barry Truax on Wednesday, June 11 at the 2:30 p.m. ceremony.

Cindy Blackstock, Doctor of Laws, honoris causa

Cindy Blackstock, a Gitxsan human rights advocate for Indigenous children is at the forefront of addressing inequalities impacting First Nations children, youth and families. As the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and a professor at McGill University, her unwavering compassion and dedication to children has led to successful landmark human rights cases and has helped countless families access much needed supports and services. Blackstock’s commitment to evidence informed advocacy and engaging children in reconciliation has been recognized with a SSHRC Gold Medal and the 2023 World Children’s Prize. She believes children should be trusted with the truth and equipped to make positive change in the world.

The degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, will be conferred on Cindy Blackstock on Thursday, October 9 at the 2:30 p.m. ceremony.

Francis Halzen, Doctor of Science, honoris causa

A visionary physicist whose work influences a generation of particle physics students and who continues to make breakthroughs that expand our understanding of the universe, Francis Halzen remains at the forefront of an emerging area in science. A Vilas and Gregory Breit Distinguished Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Halzen is the principal investigator of IceCube, a cubic-kilometre neutrino telescope buried in the Antarctic ice. Its first observations of high-energy cosmic neutrinos garnered the 2013 Physics World Breakthrough of the Year award. In 2017, IceCube detected the first-ever evidence of a source of high-energy cosmic rays, something that had been evading scientists for over a hundred years. An award-winning science communicator, Halzen also co-authored a classic textbook on modern particle physics that is still used today.

The degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, will be conferred on Francis Halzen on Friday, October 10 at the 9:45 a.m. ceremony.

Zacharias Kunuk, Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa

Zacharias Kunuk is an Inuk filmmaker and cultural activist whose groundbreaking work revolutionized Inuit and other Indigenous representations in cinema and brought their stories to global audiences. Kunuk’s film Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner was the first ever written, directed and acted in the Inuktitut language. It won the Caméra d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001 and was named the best Canadian film of all time in a Toronto International Film Festival poll.

Through his production company, Kingulliit Productions, and his distribution company Isuma Distribution International, Kunuk has been instrumental in preserving, revitalizing and promoting Inuit culture, language and storytelling traditions. The Order of Canada and Order of Nunavut recipient has directed more than 30 documentaries and feature films while mentoring and inspiring a new generation of Indigenous filmmakers in Canada and beyond.

The degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa, will be conferred on Zacharias Kunuk on Thursday, October 9 at the 9:45 a.m. ceremony.