Honorary doctorates are awarded for substantial contributions made by the recipients to the University of Ottawa, to their profession, to science, or to society at large. An honorary doctorate acknowledges that the recipient deserves to be recognized for their unsurpassed abilities due to life's learning and experiences.

Honorary doctorate recipients summer 2025

Portrait of Elder Simon Brascoupé

Elder Simon Brascoupé

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. 

Gilles Desjardins portrait

Gilles Desjardins

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, building more than 14,000 residential units.  

Boucar Diouf portrait

Boucar Diouf

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.  

Abby Hoffman portrait

Abby Hoffman

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.  

Roberta L. Jamieson portrait

Roberta L. Jamieson

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. 

John McEntyre portrait

John McEntyre

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.  

Alanis Morissette portrait

Alanis Morissette

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 on the big and small screen.  

Égide Royer portrait

Égide Royer

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.  

The Honourable Michael H. Tulloch portrait

Michael H. Tulloch

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. 

University crest.

Past honorary doctorate recipients

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The nomination process

How are recipients chosen?

Nominations for honorary doctorates are submitted to the Honorary Degrees Committee. The committee is a standing advisory committee of the Senate. 

What do recipients receive? 

Recipients of an honorary doctorate receive a citation, an imposition, and the conferment of a diploma. 

The citation is the public declaration of the reasons that led the candidate to be presented to the Chancellor for the degree. This declaration is read by a member of Senate. 

The doctoral insignia, which is called a "patte", is worn on the left shoulder, over the academic hood. It is of red silk and ermine surmounted by the University coat-of-arms embroidered in metallic thread. The placing of it for the first time is called the Imposition. Thereafter it remains the property of the recipient of the honorary doctorate. 

The honorary doctorate is conferred to the recipient at Convocation by the Chancellor of the University with the following pronouncement: 

"As Chancellor of the University of Ottawa, by authority of the powers vested in me, I do hereby confer upon you the degree of Doctor of the University, with the title, honour and privileges that are proper to it." 

The recipient is then handed their diploma. 

How can you nominate someone for an honorary doctorate? 

Due to privacy rules, the personal contact information for honorary doctorates is not shared. In addition, the University does not keep up-to-date personal contact information for honorary doctorates. As such, we cannot forward any correspondence received which is addressed to them.