UBC Announces 2025 Honorary Degree Recipients
Eleven remarkable individuals will receive honorary degrees this year from The University of British Columbia-four of them at UBC Okanagan during its June 5 and 6 graduation ceremonies.
UBC grants honorary degrees-the highest distinction granted by the university-to deserving individuals who have made substantial contributions to society. Honorary degrees are conferred honoris causa, meaning “for the sake of honour,” and are awarded as one of three types: Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters and Doctor of Science.
“At UBC, we believe in the power of ideas and action to change the world,” says UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon. “The individuals we are honouring this year have each, in their own unique way, made profound contributions to their communities, their fields and to society. It’s a privilege to celebrate their incredible achievements with our graduating students this year.”
UBC Okanagan will confer honorary degrees upon Barry Lapointe, a visionary aviation entrepreneur and community philanthropist; Nancy McKenzie, a financial leader and former Chair of the UBC Board of Governors; the Honourable Justice Malcolm Rowe, Supreme Court of Canada Justice and legal scholar; and Wilbur Turner, a national 2SLGBTQIA+ rights advocate and founder of Advocacy Canada.
“While a university’s primary role is to teach our students and conduct research, we also hope our university helps to inspire people-just as we have been inspired by this year’s honorary degree recipients and the immense impact they have collectively made through their leadership in aviation, law, public service and advocacy,” adds UBC Okanagan Principal Dr. Lesley Cormack. “It will be wonderful for our students to hear directly from those individuals receiving their honorary degrees at this year’s graduation.”
At UBC Vancouver’s spring graduation ceremonies, recipients will include Marjorie Violet Birdstone, a Ktunaxa linguist and language activist dedicated to Indigenous language revitalization; Erik Lindholm, a UBC alumnus and visionary inventor behind GPU innovations powering the AI revolution; Alex Nelson ‘Ok’wilagame’, a champion for Indigenous sport and wellness; Mary-Woo Sims, former Chief Human Rights Commissioner for BC and a lifelong advocate for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights; and Dr. David Turpin, a distinguished biological scientist and post-secondary leader whose contributions have shaped research and higher education across Canada.
Later this year during fall graduation, UBC Vancouver will also honour Dr. Philippe Cury, a global leader in ocean and fisheries science, and Kenneth Edzerza, a Tahltan Nation leader and youth advocate working to dismantle barriers and promote Indigenous community empowerment.
Below is more information about this year’s UBCO’s honorary degree recipients:
Barry Lapointe is an accomplished leader in the Canadian aviation industry as well as the founder and chairman of KF Aerospace, Canada’s largest commercial aircraft maintenance provider and the largest private employer in the Okanagan. Since establishing KF Aerospace in Kelowna in 1970, he has also been a dedicated philanthropist and community servant, lending vital support to health care and education, including serving as a member of the UBC Board of Governors. The Barry Lapointe Foundation, founded in 2003, has contributed to numerous causes, including the United Way, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the KGH Foundation.
Nancy McKenzie is an accomplished, collaborative and visionary leader in both the public and private sectors. Her numerous volunteer leadership positions have included service to UBC as a director of UBC Investment Management, The UBC Foundation and as a member and chair of the Board of Governors. She is equally distinguished in the BC business community as a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant. As CFO of Seaspan ULC, a global leader in marine services and shipbuilding, she oversaw complex financial and strategic initiatives, including securing a multi-billion-dollar non-combat shipbuilding program for British Columbia.
Justice Malcolm Rowe has a long and diverse record of distinguished achievement in law, public service and academia. His 25 years of judicial experience includes his current role as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. Since his appointment to that court in 2016, he has written more than 100 judgements, as well as numerous influential academic papers that provide historically informed theoretical frameworks for addressing some of the most complex and contested legal questions facing Canadian courts, government and citizens today.
A trailblazing advocate in 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, Wilbur Turner’s 30 years of leadership and activism have profoundly impacted inclusivity and equity both locally and nationally. He is the founder and chair of Advocacy Canada, and the visionary behind You Belong, a national campaign that promotes inclusivity through Indigenous art and language. As president of the Kelowna Pride Society, he transformed the Kelowna Pride Festival into an annual signature event. He also represents 2SLGBTQIA+ sectors as a member of the Community Advisory Board on Homelessness, an initiative aimed at reducing homelessness across Canada.
https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2025/03/31/ubc-announces-2025-honorary-degree-recipients/