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The University of New Brunswick will award honorary degrees to six outstanding individuals at its spring graduation ceremonies in Fredericton and Saint John on May 25, 26 and 27.

Dr. HEA (Eddy) Campbell will receive an honorary doctorate of science degree in Fredericton on May 25 at 2:30 p.m. Over his 10-year tenure as president and vice-chancellor of UNB, Dr. Campbell made significant and lasting impacts on the university. He dedicated efforts to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and appointed the university’s first Elder-in-Residence and Piluwitahasuwin. Dr. Campbell campaigned tirelessly with government, research and philanthropic partners to expand the resources available to UNB students and faculty, all while doubling the university’s endowment fund from $150 million to $300 million.

Drs. Kenneth and Elaine Carty will each receive an honorary doctorate of letters degree in Fredericton on May 25 at 10 a.m.

Ken Carty is an internationally renowned specialist on political parties and electoral systems. He served on federal Electoral Boundaries Commissions for British Columbia and was director of research for the British Columbia Citizen’s Assembly on electoral reform. As one of the country’s foremost experts on democratic party politics, Dr. Carty was honoured with the Mildred A. Swartz Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Political Science Association in 2013.

Elaine McEwan Carty is one of Canada’s pioneers, educators, researchers and advocates for women’s health. In 2016, she was appointed to the Order of Canada in recognition of her commitment to advancing healthcare options for women and for her instrumental role in establishing professional midwifery care in British Columbia. Dr. McEwan Carty received a Distinguished Alumnae Award from the Yale University School of Nursing and the Award for Excellence in Nursing from the Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia.

Dr. Jaishree Deshpande, co-founder of the Deshpande Foundation, will receive an honorary doctorate of science degree in Fredericton on May 26 at 2:30 p.m. Dr. Deshpande and her husband established the Deshpande Foundation in 1996 to foster social entrepreneurship. The foundation focuses on uplifting rural India by developing scalable, impactful solutions that specifically address micro-entrepreneurship, agriculture, skill development and education, and start-ups. Her extensive acts of philanthropy, including the entrepreneurship centres that she has worked to establish in Massachusetts, India, New Brunswick and Ontario, are creating a culture of innovation that is transforming the way we see the world.

William (Bill) MacMackin will receive an honorary doctorate of letters degree in Saint John on May 27 at 3 p.m. A leader in the New Brunswick business community, he is co-owner of Atlantic Canada’s largest privately held funeral service company. MacMackin has been instrumental in building among the largest athletic scholarship endowments for UNB’s track and field teams, leading to the sport regaining its place in the U Sports landscape at UNB. As president of Athletics Canada and the Saint John Track Club, founder of the East Coast Games, athletics head coach for Team New Brunswick at the 2021 Canada Games, and head of the Irving Oil Field House fundraising effort, MacMackin’s dedication has made a lasting impact on athletics throughout the region.

Wayne Squibb will receive an honorary doctorate of letters degree in Fredericton on May 26 at 10 a.m. Squibb, a native New Brunswicker, is CEO of Realstar Group, an international real estate company based in Toronto that he co-founded in 1974. Joining UNB’s Board of Governors in 1994, he served with distinction for 25 years and played a critical leadership role in the sustainable development and the creation of new master campus plans for the Fredericton and Saint John campuses. He has been a champion of green building and energy management investments, leading efforts to address this significant mind-shift within the university. In 2014, he received an Alumni Award of Honour.

Additional information related to UNB’s spring graduation ceremonies is available at unb.ca/graduation.

Media contact: Kristen d’Entremont