Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: May 1, 2002
• Invested on: May 09, 2003

He has devoted his career to developing educational opportunities for young people to acquire the tools they will need to compete successfully in our knowledge-based world. Former president of the University of Alberta and now in his second term as president of the University of Western Ontario, he continues to champion the benefits of post-secondary education as a critical component of a just and compassionate society. To this end, he worked diligently while chair of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, convincing both the private and public sectors of the economic benefits of an educated workforce.