Convocation 2012 Brings Together Men and Women of Action and Integrity

(May 2 " Thunder Bay, ON)

A lawyer. A doctor. A professor. A teacher.

Lakehead University is pleased to announce its four honorary degree recipients for the 2012 Convocation ceremonies in June " visionaries in their respective fields of law, medicine, education, and rehabilitation counselling.

The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin " more than a lawyer

Consensus, transparency, and accessibility are not just abstract concepts but calls to action that The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin lives by in her role as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

"Access to justice is an issue dear to my heart," Chief Justice McLachlin says. "It is a fundamental right, not an accessory." She frequently speaks at public forums to make Canadians aware of their rights and legal resources and has introduced innovations "such as webcasting appeals " to promote greater transparency in the Canadian legal system. Chief Justice McLachlin had already established herself as an important legal thinker during her time as a judge with the British Columbia Court of Appeal and as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia before becoming a Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada in 1989. She made history in January 2000 when she became the first woman to be appointed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Dr. James Orbinski " more than a doctor

Dr. James Orbinski is a frontline crusader in global health issues. "We have a duty and responsibility as human beings to try and make our world more tolerable and to relieve the suffering of others," he says. He has served with Médecins sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Rwanda, Somalia, Zaire, Afghanistan, and Peru and was the MSF International President between 1998 and 2001. For his leadership in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide, Dr. Orbinski was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross, Canada's highest civilian award.

He is adept at using multiple platforms to advocate for humanitarian causes, including his film Triage, which won the 2008 Amnesty International Gold Medal Award, and his best-selling book An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarianism in the 21st Century. He is a co-founder of Dignitas International, an organization focused on HIV research, prevention and treatment in developing countries. Currently, Dr. Orbinski is the Chair of Global Health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and professor of Family and Community Medicine and of political science at the University of Toronto. He is also a Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto's Massey College and at the Munk School of Global Affairs.

Dr. Irmo Marini " more than a professor

Dr. Irmo Marini, is a Lakehead grad whose drive has made him a leader in rehabilitation counselling - a field that enables people with disabilities to reach their personal and career goals. Dr. Marini is a professor and Ph.D coordinator with the University of Texas Pan-American's doctoral program in Rehabilitation Counselling. His practice, teaching, and many publications focus on the interplay between poverty, oppression, and disability and he is a champion of a holistic model of rehabilitation.

Dr. Marini was a competitive varsity athlete at Lakehead University until an injury during a hockey game left him paralyzed from the chest down. Nevertheless, he persevered and continued on to complete his MA in Clinical Psychology and became Lakehead's first student counselor and ultimately Director of Counselling. Dr. Marini continued on to attain a Ph.D. Rehabilitation Counselling from Auburn University in Alabama. He is co-author and co-editor of three counselling textbooks and over 70 journal publications, has received the J.F. Garrett Distinguished Career Award in research from the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association, and the Distinguished Career Award in Education from the National Council on Rehabilitation Education. "Once you go through something this profound, you appreciate the little things in life more, and you realize to really not sweat the small stuff. When you apply yourself, miracles can happen."

Dr. Lloyd Dennis " more than a teacher

The Senate of Lakehead University is bestowing on Dr. Lloyd Dennis the rare honour of a posthumous honorary degree.

Lloyd Dennis transformed education in Ontario with the reforms that he and his fellow members of the Committee on Aims and Objectives of Education in Ontario proposed in the famousLiving and Learning report.

When the Hall-Dennis Report was released in 1968, Dr. Dennis crisscrossed the province to explain its recommendations. He passionately argued that the education system needed to change from one in which rote learning and corporal punishment were the norm to one which emphasized student-centred and inquiry-based learning. He was recognized with an Order of Canada and an Order of Ontario for his outstanding contributions to Canadian education.

Lloyd Dennis grew up in the Muskokas during the Depression and he and his family struggled to make ends meet. He left school at 16 to join the military but his love of knowledge prompted him to later complete his high school diploma and multiple university degrees before embarking on a career as an educator. Prior to his death this past March, Lloyd Dennis was an enthusiastic proponent for the establishment and growth of Lakehead University's Orillia campus. When he was recognized with Lakehead's Civitas Award in 2009 for his contributions he accepted this honour with his characteristic modesty and good humour, saying: "I had a great deal of hope for this University when it first began. Now I see it coming to fruition and I happen to be a bud on it, a tiny bud. I'm especially pleased."

Convocation 2012

Community Auditorium, Thunder Bay

Friday, June 1 at 2 pm
Dr. James Orbinski will receive aDoctor of Science

Saturday, June 2 at 9:30 am
The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin will receive aDoctor of Laws

Saturday, June 2 at 2 pm
Dr. Irmo Marini will receive a Doctor of Science

Rotary Place, Orillia

Saturday, June 9 at 10 am
Dr. Lloyd Dennis will receive a Doctor of Laws (posthumously)

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Media: For more information, please contact Tracey Skehan, Communications Officer, at (807) 343-8372 or commun@lakeheadu.ca.

About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 2,000 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards.