A pre-eminent Canadian poet, an Indigenous entrepreneur and community builder, and a celebrated science communicator will receive honorary degrees from the University of Alberta this June during spring convocation.
"The university traditionally recognizes individuals who make extraordinary contributions to research, innovation, society and the world with an honorary degree," explains U of A chancellor Nizar Jaffer Somji. "These three exceptional people remind us how the beauty of Canadian poetry, visionary Indigenous business leadership and inspiring passion in the natural world are integral to leading with purpose."
Lorna Crozier is a pre-eminent poet and award-winning professor who has made enduring contributions to post-secondary education and Canadian literature.
Born in Swift Current, Sask., she completed her bachelor of arts at the University of Saskatchewan in 1969 and earned her master of arts from the University of Alberta in 1980 before taking a professorship at the University of Victoria in 1991, where she is now Distinguished Professor Emerita.
Crozier has published 23 volumes of poetry, including the Governor General's Award-winning Inventing the Hawk and her two acclaimed memoirs, Small Beneath the Sky and Through the Garden: A Love Story (with Cats). She has also been a mentor to renowned authors such as Richard Wagamese and Esi Edugyan, and as co-editor of the Breathing Fire anthologies with her late husband and fellow poet, Patrick Lane, she has played an influential role in highlighting new Canadian poets.
A lifetime member of the League of Canadian Poets, she was named a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2009 and an officer of the Order of Canada in 2011. Her enduring relationship with the U of A was celebrated in 2005 when she received an Alumni Honour Award.
Lorna Crozier will receive an honorary doctor of letters degree June 10 at 3 p.m.
David Tuccaro, a member of the Mikisew Cree First Nation, is a business leader and philanthropist who has used his knowledge, expertise and influence to advance economic development in the Wood Buffalo region and enrich the lives of Indigenous youth and entrepreneurs across Canada.
As founder and CEO of the Tuccaro Group of Companies, he took a struggling business and built it into a multimillion-dollar empire providing essential services to the oilsands industry in northeastern Alberta and to communities throughout Western Canada.
His lifelong dedication to education, inspired by his mother's example, has guided his mission of using his businesses to create opportunities for Indigenous people at every level of education and employment.
He is a founding member and past president of the Northeastern Aboriginal Business Association, a board member and supporter of Keyano College, and a former board chair of Indspire, a national charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people. He was named a member of the Order of Canada in 2024.
David Tuccaro will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree June 11 at 3 p.m.
John Acorn is a renowned entomologist, author and broadcaster who has had a lasting impact on public science literacy.
He earned his bachelor of science in zoology in 1980 and his master's in entomology in 1988, both from the U of A. For nearly 30 years, he has served his alma mater as a faculty service officer and lecturer, mentoring countless students in the Department of Renewable Resources.
He is widely celebrated as the host of the TV show Acorn the Nature Nut from 1994 to 1999, and the author of influential field guides such as Birds of Alberta.
An avid naturalist, he is deeply involved in community leadership, co-founding the Alberta Lepidopterists' Guild, and serving as president of the Entomological Society of Alberta and patron for Nature Alberta.
His accolades include the Royal Society of Canada's McNeil Medal, the NSERC Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion and the Entomological Society of America's Medal of Honor. He received the U of A's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005.
John Acorn will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree June 17 at 3 p.m.
Honour with Purpose
Nominate someone you believe deserves the University of Alberta's highest honour.
Find more information at uab.ca/hdnoms
