Tuesday, June 10, 2025

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• Convocation turns up the heat to 7,700 degrees

• Convocation begins with the Faculty of Environment

• Faculty of Health ceremony takes place this afternoon

Convocation turns up the heat to 7,700 degrees

The pomp and ceremony of the University of Waterloo's one hundred and thirtieth Convocation will be on full display on campus this week as more than 7,740 degrees, certificates and diplomas will be awarded to deserving Waterloo graduates over 14 ceremonies from Tuesday to Saturday.

The Convocation ceremonies will all be held in the Physical Activities Complex, which has been decked out in black and gold for the occasion. Convocation proceedings follow a pattern developed over 66 years since the University's first convocation was held in what was then Seagram Stadium in June 1960. First, the graduating students enter, filling up the main body of the hall. After the graduands have come in, the academic procession will begin. At the head of the academic procession is the ceremonial Eagle Staff, a symbolic representation of Indigenous peoples and the University's commitment to indigenization, which will be carried in by Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Elder Myeengun Henry. Next, a selected faculty member will carry the mace, a traditional symbol of the University’s authority. Then, faculty members enter, walking two by two, dressed in their academic finery. The final party to arrive is the Chancellor’s party.

President Vivek Goel (alternately James W.E. Rush, Vice-President, Academic and Provost) will provide a territorial acknowledgement and welcome the Indigenous opening led by Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Myeengun Henry, which includes traditional drumming. Gladwyn Badger will bear the Eagle Staff at each ceremony.

As the ceremonial head of the University of Waterloo, the Chancellor presides over convocation ceremonies every June and October and awards all degrees, diplomas and certificates, including honorary degrees. The Chancellor also offers an inspirational message for the graduands.

14 exceptional students have been selected as valedictorians for each convocation ceremony. Check out the Waterloo News story about their experiences.

Myeengun Henry will conduct an Indigenous closing ceremony.

Following each convocation ceremony, graduates and their guests are invited to the BMH Green to celebrate with their classmates, professors and family members who supported them through their Waterloo student experience.

The June and October Convocation ceremonies form the pinnacle of the University's academic calendar, and this week's ritual celebration represents the culmination of years of effort by students, faculty and staff alike, as the newest members of Waterloo's alumni family take their first steps off the stage as graduates of this institution.

The ceremonies will be livestreamed on the Convocation website.

Congratulations to all Waterloo graduands, their families and supporters.

Convocation begins with the Faculty of Environment

The first graduands to take the convocation stage this year come from the Faculty of Environment in a ceremony that begins at 10:00 a.m. 353 undergraduates, 82 Master's, and 19 PhD candidates will receive their degrees. Watch the live-stream beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Julie-Anne Desrochers will sing the national anthem.

Dr. Sarah Burch will bear the mace.

Michelle Anagnostou will receive the Governor General’s Gold Medal for highest standing in a doctoral program.

Putri Cullinane will deliver the valedictory address.

The special guest speaker at the Environment ceremony is Dr. Brent Doberstein. Dr. Doberstein is Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management. Doberstein earned a Master of Arts in Geography from the University of Waterloo and PhD in City, Urban, Community, and Regional Planning from the University of British Columbia. For more than 20 years he has dedicated his teaching and research to resource and environmental management, hazard mitigation, and post-disaster adaptation. As an educator, Dr. Doberstein shares his research and passion for community impact through teaching and supervision with an emphasis on getting students out into the field. His accolades include the Faculty of Environment teaching award and the Canadian Association of Geographer’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Geography.

Felicia Mae Watterodt will be named University Finalist for the Governor General's Gold Medal at the Master's level.

Neha Jayesh Lal will receive the University of Waterloo President's Award of Excellence for highest standing in an undergraduate degree program.

Receiving the University of Waterloo Alumni Gold Medal for outstanding academic achievement is Eloise Amy Fan, who graduated in fall 2024.

Departmental awards for distinguished academic achievement will go to:

• Salma Ahmed Mohamed Hafez Ibrahim, Environment and Business
• Eloise Amy Fan (Fall 2024), Environment, Resources and Sustainability
• Jason Szilard Simrak, Geography and Aviation
• Benjamin Peter DePetris, Geography and Environmental Management
• Harry Cheung, Geomatics
• Sophia Paige Melody Armstrong, Knowledge Integration
• Ricardo Darius Dabydeen, Planning
• Alexander John Walton, International Development

Faculty of Health ceremony takes place this afternoon

The Faculty of Health Convocation ceremony will begin this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. 454 undergraduates, 60 Master's, and 17 PhD candidates will cross the stage. Watch the live-stream beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Julie-Anne Desrochers will sing the national anthem.

Dr. Kelly Anthony will bear the mace.

Dr. Paul Stolee will be named Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Dr. Stolee retired at the rank of Professor from the School of Public Health Sciences. His research is recognized for its significant impact on older persons’ experiences with care systems. Dr. Stolee received the Distinguished Member Award from the Canadian Association on Gerontology, the association’s highest honour. At the University of Waterloo, he served in key governance roles including Director of the University’s Network for Aging Research and as Interim Dean of the Faculty of Health. He is the former Director of the Geriatrics Health Systems Research Group (GHS). Dr. Stolee is also known for his exemplary student mentorship, as recognized with the University of Waterloo Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision. 

Dr. Bryan Smale will be named Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Dr. Smale’s distinguished academic career spans nearly four decades of scholarship, service, and leadership. As Director of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing, Dr. Smale led a transformative national initiative that reshaped how policymakers and communities across Canada conceptualize and measure quality of life. Dr. Smale is a prolific scholar and internationally recognized expert in leisure studies, having authored more than 100 publications and delivered keynote addresses across the globe, including to the Government of Scotland. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Leisure Sciences, past President of the Canadian Association for Leisure Studies, and the founding editor-in-chief of Leisure/Loisir, Canada’s premier journal in the field.

Raksha Aravind will deliver the valedictory address.

Fasih Rahman will receive the Governor General's Gold Medal award for highest standing in a doctoral program.

The Governor General's Academic Silver Medal for highest standing in an undergraduate degree program will go to Emiko Okamoto Arshad. 

Shreya Chatterjee will receive the University of Waterloo Alumni Gold Medal for outstanding academic achievement.

Receiving departmental awards for distnguished academic achievement will be:

• Emiko Okamoto Arshad, Kinesiology and Health Sciences
• Jennifer To (Fall 2024), Recreation and Leisure Studies
• Shreya Chatterjee, School of Public Health and Health Sciences