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Throughout the 2024 Spring Convocation ceremonies, running from June 7 to 21, York University will confer honorary degrees to eight individuals in recognition of their contributions to community building, advocacy for social justice and philanthropy.
This year’s honorary degree recipients represent a variety of fields. Each of them will, per custom, offer words of encouragement, motivation and congratulations to graduands.
Below are the honorary degree recipients in order of the Faculty ceremonies at which they will be honoured:
Barbara Neis
Friday, June 7 at 2 p.m. – Glendon College
A graduate of York University’s Glendon College, Neis is a member of Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she is an honorary research professor in the Department of Sociology and a John Lewis Paton Distinguished University Professor.
Over her career, Neis’s research has focused on interactions between work, environment, health, and communities in marine and coastal contexts.
Notably, since the 1980s, she has been involved with collaborative research initiatives examining Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries, studying fishermen’s knowledge, maritime occupational health and safety, rebuilding collapsed fisheries, and gender and fisheries.
Between 2012 and 2023, Neis also directed the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada-funded On the Move Partnership, a multidisciplinary research program exploring the dynamics of employment-related geographical mobility in Canada and its impact on workers and their families, employers and communities.
Mike Wessinger
Friday, June 14 at 10:30 a.m. – Faculty of Science
Wessinger is the current executive Chair of the board for PointClickCare – a software provider helping long-term and post-acute care providers – which he co-founded and served as chief executive officer of from 1995 to 2021. Throughout his leadership, he led the company to become the first cloud-based health information system for the senior care industry, and North America’s largest care collaboration network.
In his role as executive Chair, Wessinger continues to champion corporate culture, enhance governance, recruit diverse talent, and partner with internal and external boards and teams to solve critical health-care challenges. Outside of PointClickCare, he is also co-chair of the C100 board of directors, where he actively leverages his years of experience to coach and mentor leaders at the helm of rapidly scaling tech companies.
Reeta Roy
Monday, June 17 at 10:30 a.m. – Faculty of Education
Roy has been the president and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation since 2008, transforming the international non-governmental organization focused on Africa from a startup into a global force with assets exceeding $40 billion. A seasoned leader in global health and policy, under her leadership the foundation has committed $8 billion to programs benefiting millions in Africa.
One program spearheaded by Roy – the Young Africa Works Strategy – aims to empower 30 million young Africans with secure employment by 2030. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Roy also initiated the Saving Lives and Livelihood partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control & Prevention, a $1.5-billion effort lauded for addressing global inequities.
Roy contributes to various leadership panels and advisory boards, including the African Transformation Leadership Panel and the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology & Society at the University of Toronto.
John Ralston Saul
Wednesday, June 19 at 10:30 a.m. – Faculty of Liberal Art & Professional Studies I
Saul is an award-winning essayist and novelist whose works have been translated into 28 languages in 37 countries. Widely acclaimed as one of Canada’s leading thinkers, Saul’s philosophical works have impacted political thought across the world.
Saul also serves as president emeritus of PEN International, the world’s leading freedom of expression organization, as well as the co-founder of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship and the founder and honourary Chair of French for the Future, which looks to inspire passion for bilingualism among Canada’s youth.
He is a companion of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario as well as an officer in Germany’s Order of Merit and a chevalier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France. His many literary awards include Chile’s Pablo Neruda Medal, South Korea’s Manhae Grand Prize for Literature, Italy’s Premio Letterario Internazionale and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction.
Arnold Auguste
Thursday, June 20 at 10:30 a.m. – Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies III
Born and raised in Trinidad, Auguste arrived in Toronto from the Caribbean in 1978, when he was 23. Upon discovering the invisibility of Black issues in white mainstream press, he felt the Black community needed a publication of their own.
In 1978, Auguste launched Share, a weekly newspaper dedicated to the Black and Caribbean community, looking to provide a forum where important issues affecting the community could be discussed and debated, while providing both informative and entertaining content.
Nearly 50 years later, Share news is now recognized as a modern trailblazer in facilitating public dialogue on minority issues. As a result of his service to community and contributions to the enrichment of or society, Auguste has been the recipient of several awards, including the Black Business & Professional Association's Harry Jerome Business Award; the Ethnic Press Council of Canada's Excellence in Journalism Award; and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the African Canadian Achievement Awards of Excellence.
Jason Harrow
Thursday, June 20 at 3:30 p.m. – Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies/School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
Harrow – whose artist name is Kardinal Offishall – has become a leader in the global music scene, having collaborated with the world’s biggest artists, including Rihanna, Drake, Lady Gaga, Akon and many others. In 2007, his quadruple-platinum single "Dangerous" climbed to the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making him the first rapper from Canada to achieve that feat.
Currently, Harrow is responsible for scouting and overseeing artistic development of musical talent for the influential Def Jam Recordings. He has also pursued philanthropist work, notably as a founding member of Advance, a non-profit Canadian Black music business collective that advocates, mentors, supports and provides tangible opportunities for Black community members working in the music industry.
Harrow was recently named the Canada’s Walk Of Fame Allan Slaight Music Impact honouree and a Canadian Music Week Social Justice Impact Award recipient, and he is now starring as the lead judge on the television show "Canada’s Got Talent."
Carol Hansell
Friday, June 21 at 10:30 a.m. – Schulich School of Business
A graduate of York University's Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business, Hansell is an internationally recognized expert in corporate governance who has been a key influencer on the development of public policy for more than three decades. She is the founder of the Hansell McLaughlin Advisory Group, which provides integrated, seasoned advice on complex legal and business issues in law and governance as well as government and regulatory affairs.
Hansell publishes widely and speaks extensively on a range of governance topics and has been recognized for her work with several awards from prestigious organizations like the Governance Professionals of Canada, the Hennick Centre for Business & Law, and the Canadian Investor Relations Institute. She is also the Chair of the Dean’s Global Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Business.
Dale Lastman
Friday, June 21 at 3:30 p.m. – Osgoode Hall Law School
Lastman is the Chair of Goodmans LLP, a leading Canadian law firm specializing in corporate, commercial and securities law. He advises on public offerings, mergers, acquisitions and restructurings. Heavily involved in professional sports, Lastman is also a director of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and is currently the governor representing the Toronto Argonauts. He has also served as Chair of the board of governors of the Canadian Football League.
Lastman is deeply engaged in charitable work, notably with Baycrest Health Sciences and the Hospital for Sick Children as a director and former Chair. He holds prominent honorary titles, including Order of Canada and Order of Ontario memberships, and was appointed an honorary captain of the Royal Canadian Navy. He has been recognized for his philanthropic efforts with awards like the Israel Cancer Research Fund’s 2010 Men of Distinction award and the Canada Top 40 Under 40 and its Best of the Best Canadian Leadership Award.
For over 30 years, Lastman was one of Osgoode Hall Law School's longest serving lecturers in securities law. He received the Adjunct Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence as well as the Alumni Gold Key Award for outstanding professional achievement and contribution to the legal community.
The convocation website includes a full schedule of all ceremonies.