Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Alanis Morissette has been one of the most influential singer-songwriter-musicians in contemporary music. Her deeply expressive music and performances have earned vast critical praise and seven Grammy Awards.  Morissette's 1995 album JAGGED LITTLE PILL was a tour de force that changed the sound of pop music around the world.  It was followed by nine more eclectic and acclaimed albums. She has contributed musically to theatrical releases and has acted...
More about Alanis Morissette

Abby Hoffman has been a prominent figure in sports and health policy for more than five decades.During her 15-year career as an international middle-distance runner, Ms. Hoffman competed in four Olympic Games, making the finals in the 800m in 1968 and 1972. She won medals at the Commonwealth Games, Pan American Games, and World Student Games, and won multiple national championships in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.  Apart from competition, Ms. Hoffman’s contributions hav...
More about Abby Hoffman

As founder and president of the real estate development company Brigil, Ottawa native Gilles Desjardins exemplifies courage, hard work and commitment to the community. He has created a real estate development business solidly established in the National Capital Region.Gilles Desjardins’ inspiring career started in 1985, when, at 19 years’ old and with the support of his father, he built his first six-unit residential building. Since then, Mr. Desjardins has transformed his vision into reality, ...
More about Gilles  Desjardins

Elder Simon Brascoupé, Bear Clan, is a member of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation in Quebec. He serves as a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and an adjunct research professor at both Carleton University and Trent University.Elder Brascoupé has held significant leadership roles, including as president and CEO of the National Aboriginal Health Organization and vice-president of education at the First Nations Health Managers Assoc...
More about Elder Simon Brascoupé

Originally from Senegal, Boucar Diouf is a Quebec biologist, oceanographer and comedian. He currently has a career as a comedian, columnist and radio host, and in his sketches, he regularly deals with issues of integration, life in Africa and cultural differences.After earning a master’s degree in biology from the Université de Dakar, Boucar Diouf moved to Quebec in 1991 to work on a PhD in oceanography at the Université du Québec à Rimouski. To help his students grasp the course content, he pr...
More about Boucar  Diouf

uOttawa alumni John McEntyre started his career at the advent of computer science engineering and enjoyed a global career with several technology industry giants.  He is an admired financial supporter of uOttawa, donating to the Faculty of Engineering to support the John McEntyre Team Space in the STEM building and to the Louise McEntyre West Nursing Simulation and Peer Mentorship Centre.  Born in Montreal, Mr. McEntyre was raised in Ottawa and attended French primary schools, a bilin...
More about John McEntyre

Roberta L. Jamieson is the former president and CEO of lndspire, Canada’s largest Indigenous charity. She is a Mohawk whose many achievements include being the first First Nations woman in Canada to earn a law degree, the first woman Ombudsman of Ontario and the first woman elected Chief of Six Nations of the Grand River.A director at RBC as well as at Deloitte Canada and Deloitte Chile, Ms. Jamieson has long been recognized as a visionary member of corporate boards, with an expertise in enviro...
More about Roberta L. Jamieson

Professor Égide Royer is a psychologist who specializes in student success. He is a world-renowned expert in education whose research focuses on preventing academic failure and supporting youth who are struggling to adapt to school.  After starting his career as a special-education teacher at a youth centre, Professor Royer went on to teach psychology at a CEGEP. He then worked for nearly a decade as a psychologist and head of preschool and accommodation services at a Portneuf school board...
More about Égide Royer

The Honourable Michael H. Tulloch was appointed Chief Justice of Ontario and President of the Court of Appeal for Ontario in 2022.  Before this role, Chief Justice Tulloch served for 19 years as a judge. First, he spent nine years as a trial judge on the Superior Court of Justice, starting in September 2003. Then, in June 2012, he became an appellate judge on the Court of Appeal for Ontario, where he served for 10 years.Prior to his appointment to the bench, Chief Justice Tulloch served as...
More about Michael H. Tulloch

David Williams is the Norman Professor of Public Health, at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and a Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. His prior academic appointments were at Yale University and the University of Michigan.  Dr. Williams received his early education in St. Lucia, holds Master’s degrees in Divinity and Public Health and a PhD in sociology from the University of Michigan.  An internationally recognized authority on social infl...
More about David Williams