Four honorary doctorates recognized at Fall 2026 Convocation
Waterloo recognizes four outstanding individuals for their substantial contributions to academia and industry.
The University of Waterloo is proud to award four honorary doctorates at Fall 2026 Convocation, the highest honour conferred by the University.
Honorary doctorates recognize individuals with outstanding achievement, whether academic or through service to society. Current recipients have made significant developments and contributions to their fields in geometry, cultural heritage and medical technologies.
"These four honorary doctorate recipients represent the very best of what universities strive to inspire: an enduring pursuit of knowledge, the courage to explore the unknown, and a profound commitment to making the world better," says Bill Rosehart, President and Vice-Chancellor of Waterloo. "The University of Waterloo is proud to recognize these extraordinary individuals whose achievements have expanded the frontiers of mathematics, deepened our understanding of Arctic history and culture, and advanced medical technologies that are transforming patient care around the world. Their contributions have enriched society, improved lives, and exemplify the impact that scholarship, discovery, and innovation can have on humanity."
Learn more about this year’s honorary doctorates and their outstanding accomplishments:
Nigel Hitchin
Doctor of Mathematics, honoris causa
Dr. Nigel Hitchin earned a Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford and held positions at Princeton, NYU, Warwick, Cambridge and Oxford, where he was the Savilian Chair of Geometry. His research spans differential geometry, algebraic geometry, gauge theory and mathematical physics. As one of the most influential geometers of the past century, numerous mathematical objects or techniques carry his name. He was awarded the Sylvester Medal of the Royal Society, the De Morgan Medal of the London Mathematical Society (LMS) and the Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences. He has also served as President of the LMS and as a member of the Fields Medal Selection Committee.
Douglas R. Stenton
Doctor of Literature, honoris causa
Dr. Douglas R. Stenton is an acclaimed scholar and former Director of Heritage for the Government of Nunavut. For more than four decades, he has conducted pioneering archaeological research in the Canadian Arctic while shaping policies that protect one of the world’s most important cultural landscapes. His investigation of Sir John Franklin’s 1845 expedition — combining archaeology, archival research and Inuit oral history — led directly to the 2014 discovery of HMS Erebus.
A Member of the Order of Canada, Stenton’s legacy includes mentoring Inuit youth, co-authoring resources in Inuktitut and serving as an adjunct faculty member in Anthropology at the University of Waterloo.
As part of his visit to Waterloo campus, Stenton will present a special lecture about the breakthrough discoveries related to the1845 Franklin Northwest Passage Expedition. Join us Wednesday, October 21 to learn what human remains reveal about the ill-fated expedition.
Frank Headley Baylis
Doctor of Engineering, honoris causa
Frank Headley Baylis (BASc ’86) is Co-Executive Chairman of Baylis Medical Technologies. In 1989, he joined Baylis Medical Company, the business founded by his mother, Gloria, and served as President until 2015. Alongside his Waterloo classmate Kris Shah, they built the company into a leading developer of cardiac and spinal technologies. Baylis left the company from 2015 to 2019 to serve as the Member of Parliament for Pierrefonds–Dollard. During this time, he served on three committees and co-founded the Parliamentary Black Caucus. In 2022, Baylis Medical Company was acquired by Boston Scientific for $1.75 billion USD. That same year, Baylis and Shah launched Baylis Medical Technologies, continuing their work to develop innovative medical devices. Recently, Baylis and his wife, Valerie, made a gift to the Faculty of Engineering at Waterloo to honour the legacy of the late Dean, Dr. Pearl Sullivan, through the naming of the Pearl Sullivan Engineering Building.
That same year, Baylis and Shah launched Baylis Medical Technologies, continuing their work to develop innovative medical devices. Recently, Baylis and his wife, Valerie, made a gift to the Faculty of Engineering at Waterloo to honour the legacy of the late Dean, Dr. Pearl Sullivan, through the naming of the Pearl Sullivan Engineering Building.
Kris Kumar Shah
Doctor of Engineering, honoris causa
Kris Kumar Shah (BASc ’86) is Co-Executive Chairman of Baylis Medical Technologies. He began his career in the telecommunications industry at Bell-Northern Research before joining Baylis Medical in 1989. Alongside Waterloo classmate Frank Baylis, Shah built the company into a global leader in cardiovascular technologies and served as President at the time of its 2022 acquisition by Boston Scientific for $1.75 billion USD. Shah is named on more than 70 issued patents, reflecting his longstanding contributions to medical technology innovation. He also co-founded OME Group, a consulting firm acquired by EY in 2011.
Through the Shah Family Foundation, Shah and his wife, Neelam, have supported transformative health care initiatives, including the Shah Family Hospital for Women and Children at Trillium Health Partners, SickKids cardiology fellowship for physicians from developing countries, and a pediatric eye hospital in India.