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(HALIFAX, N.S.) – Each year Dalhousie University celebrates the accomplishments of its students during its fall convocation ceremonies. On October 2 and 3, at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Dalhousie will also bestow honorary degrees to three extraordinary individuals who have demonstrated service to their community and made significant progress in their fields.

Dalhousie is pleased to recognize the following individuals with honorary degrees:

Dr. Susan Sherwin
A celebrated philosopher and trailblazer in feminist health ethics

Dr. Susan Sherwin, Dalhousie Professor Emerita, is one of Canada’s preeminent women philosophers. Her groundbreaking 1992 book, No Longer Patient: Feminist Ethics and Health Care, has been described as a “landmark event,” credited with helping define the entire field of feminist bioethics.

Dr. Sherwin was also instrumental in developing Dal’s Women’s Studies program (now Gender and Women’s Studies) and was the first woman President of the Dalhousie Faculty Association. Her awards and honours include the prestigious Killam Prize in the Humanities from the Canada Council for the Arts, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Bioethics Society and the Order of Canada.

Michael Burns
A business leader with a passion for supporting soldiers and veterans

Canadian business leader Michael Burns is co-founder of the True Patriot Love Foundation, which has raised millions of dollars to improve the health and well-being of military personnel and veterans. And as CEO of the Invictus Games Toronto 2017, Mr. Burns has provided an even bigger platform for celebrating the spirit, drive and determination of soldiers and veterans from around the world.

Mr. Burns has more than 20 years of leadership experience in marketing, financial services, entrepreneurship, and technology. Most recently, Mr. Burns worked as Vice-President, Corporate Development of AudienceView, an industry leader in intelligent ticketing and e-commerce. He is Chair of the Michael Garron Hospital Foundation Board (formerly the Toronto East General Hospital Board Foundation) and helped lead the team that secured the largest gift ever made to a Canadian community-teaching hospital.

Dr. Michael I. Posner
Helping unlock the mysteries of the mind and brain

Dr. Michael Posner’s contributions to experiential psychology and cognitive neuroscience have had a seminal influence on generations of brain scientists, dramatically improving our understanding of the mind and brain. Having spent much of his career at the University of Oregon, his work has revolutionized the understanding of some of our most important cognitive capabilities and provided ways to map “mental operations” onto the physical brain.

Dr. Posner was also founding director of the Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University in 1998, a leader in the investigation of how brain development results in growing cognitive capabilities. He has 10 honorary degrees from institutions around the globe and was awarded the Medal of Science in 2009 by U.S. President Barack Obama.

More information on Dalhousie University’s Honorary Degree recipients may be found on Dal News.
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Media Contact:
Lindsay Dowling
Media Relations Officer
Dalhousie University
902-494-4189
lindsay.dowling@dal.ca