Shirley Chan, former chair of UBC's Board of Governors, political journalist Peter C. Newman and Physics and Astronomy Prof. Emeritus Erich Vogt are among the seven individuals who will be receiving honorary degrees from UBC this year.
Recipients are recognized for their distinguished career achievements and for their contributions to UBC and to Canada.
Honorary degrees will be awarded during Spring Congregation May 26-June 2 and during Fall Congregation Nov. 26 and 27.
Shirley Chan, manager of non-market housing for the City of Vancouver, was appointed to UBC's Board of Governors in 1992 and served as chair from 1995-98. She holds a master's degree in environmental studies from York University and has served as an environmental and community planner.
Chan has been a director of Van-City Savings Credit Union since 1987. She also serves on the President's Advisory Committee on developing a downtown presence for UBC.
Peter C. Newman is one of Canada's most prominent journalists. He served as editor-in-chief at the Toronto Star before taking the helm of Maclean's magazine from 1971 to 1982, establishing it as Canada's first weekly newsmagazine. Newman has also written 21 books on Canadian politics and business.
Erich Vogt is one of Canada's best-known nuclear physicists and was founder and former director of TRIUMF, the sub-atomic physics laboratory based at UBC. He has served the university as a researcher, teacher and former vice-president, Academic.
Vogt was the first chair of the Science Council of B.C. and took a lead role in developing Science World, the Vancouver Institute and the B.C. Cancer Foundation.
Other honorary degree recipients include UBC alumnus and retired Canadian ambassador William Barton and forest research scientist Kalman Roller, who helped faculty colleagues escape the Hungarian revolution and join UBC's Faculty of Forestry.
Canada's Chief Justice Antonio Lamer and UBC alumnus and leading Canadian economist Richard Lipsey will receive honorary degrees at Fall Congregation.