{"id":10512,"date":"2011-06-13T15:11:13","date_gmt":"2011-06-13T20:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=10512"},"modified":"2011-06-13T15:11:13","modified_gmt":"2011-06-13T20:11:13","slug":"convocation-meant-speeches-degrees-and-memories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2011\/06\/convocation-meant-speeches-degrees-and-memories\/","title":{"rendered":"Convocation meant speeches, degrees and memories"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"students<\/p>\n

Here is a summary of Spring Convocation ceremonies. For archived video of the ceremonies, visit livestream.com\/brockuniversity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tuesday, June 7 \u2013 Faculty of Humanities; Faculty of Mathematics and Science<\/strong><\/p>\n

More than 530 graduates received their degrees in the Ian D. Beddis gymnasium on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

At the ceremony, Chancellor Ned Goodman spoke of how to \u201csearch for values in a competitive world.\u201d<\/p>\n

“I have learned that it is optimism that creates happiness. And in my business I know that I have never met a rich pessimist,\u201d Goodman said. \u201cSo for a long time and a long time ago, I became an optimist and remain so today.\u201d<\/p>\n

President Jack Lightstone spoke about the \u201crelationships between a university education and the world of work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe capacity to analyze, to innovate and to be creative is most closely tied to the development of intellectual capacity that is the hallmark and the objective of a university education across any programs of study whether it\u2019s a professional program or not,\u201d said Lightstone.<\/p>\n

Rudi Kroeker, chair of Brock\u2019s Board of Trustees, addressed Convocation and, along with David S. Howes, immediate past chair, handed out the Board of Trustees Spirit of Brock medals.<\/p>\n

Recipients were, from the Faculty of Humanities, Christine Rougoor<\/strong> (undergraduate) and Elizabeth Cherniak<\/strong> (graduate), and from the Faculty of Mathematics and Sciences, Gordon Prodger<\/strong> (undergraduate) and Ivana Komljenovic<\/strong> (graduate).<\/p>\n

Faculty Awards for Excellence in Teaching were presented to Professor Bozidar Mitrovic<\/strong>, Physics, and Professor Neta Gordon<\/strong>, English Language and Literature. Gordon delivered the Convocation address.<\/p>\n

\"Neta

Neta Gordon addresses Convocation<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cYou are critical thinkers. You are citizens,\u201d she said. \u201cYou are crucial contributors to some of the most important conversations human beings can have about our relationship to the each other and our world. You are university graduates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Val Andrei Fajardo<\/a><\/strong> was presented with the Governor General\u2019s Gold Medal, awarded to the student who achieves the highest academic standing at the graduate level.<\/p>\n

Humanities Dean\u2019s Medals were presented to Christie Adams<\/strong> and Donna Pearce<\/strong>, and Mathematics and Science Dean\u2019s Medals were awarded to Nicholas Borich<\/strong> and Vincenzo Coia<\/strong>. Dean\u2019s Medals are awarded to students with the highest standing in either a first Honours or pass degree.<\/p>\n

Wednesday June 8 \u2013 Faculty of Education<\/strong><\/p>\n

At Wednesday\u2019s morning ceremony for graduates from the Faculty of Education\u2019s Hamilton campus, Kroeker handed out the Spirit of Brock Medal to undergraduate student Angela McGillion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Professor Jennifer Rowsell<\/strong>, Canada Research Chair in Multiliteracies, delivered the morning Convocation address. She spoke about 21st century learning and told the crowd of graduating educators that it is an \u201cexciting time to be a teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"convocationmitrovic\"

Bozidar Mitrovic takes a bow at Convocation.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cChildren, adolescents, teenagers, swim in sea of online and offline texts. As part of their daily routines they view, they tap, they click and they slide screens,\u201d said Rowsell. \u201cThey move through two- and three-dimensional worlds, they speak across networks of friends and family, and they are often insistently online.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis communication competence is both a blessing and a curse. The trouble is that as educators we still need to teach our students how to decode and encode printed books, and read poems, and study social studies textbooks. We need to teach students how to write formal essays, and how to complete math equations. And teaching all of these things is no easy feat.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Dean\u2019s Medal was awarded to Nicole Macri<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

At the afternoon ceremony for graduates from the St. Catharines campus, Professor Michael Manley-Casimir<\/strong>, Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in Education, was presented with the Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. He also delivered the Convocation address.<\/p>\n

The Spirit of Brock medal was presented to graduate student Danielle Hourigan<\/strong>, and a Dean\u2019s Medal was presented to Cara Crandlemire<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Thursday, June 9 \u2013 Faculty of Applied Health Sciences<\/strong><\/p>\n

At Thursday\u2019s ceremony, more than 450 students received their degrees.<\/p>\n

Goodman kicked off the ceremony with a series of questions he referred to as \u201cthe core of being.\u201d<\/p>\n

He asked the graduates: \u201cWhat are you? What is your vision? What are you values? What is the purpose of your life?<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are the questions that are at the centre of all our lives. And when we figure them out, we can get some focus and some content.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Claude

Claude Bouchard receives an honorary degree<\/p><\/div>\n

Kroeker handed out Spirit of Brock Medals to undergraduate student Jonathan Menchella<\/a><\/strong> and graduate student Ben Leber<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

An honorary degree was presented to Claude Bouchard<\/strong>, professor and John W. Barton Senior Endowed Chair in Genetics and Nutrition in the Human Genomics Laboratory at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. He also delivered the morning\u2019s Convocation address.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one can deny that you are talented and capable of facing challenges successfully,\u201d said Bouchard. \u201cYou have demonstrated clearly that you can set goals for yourself and devote time and energy everyday to ensure that these goals are met.\u201d<\/p>\n

He encouraged graduates “to be and remain a caring altruistic and kind citizen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professor Tim O\u2019Connell<\/strong> from Recreation and Leisure Studies was presented with the Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching.<\/p>\n

Applied Health Sciences Dean\u2019s Medals were presented to Paul Gerard Corkery<\/strong> and Catherine Johnson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Friday, June 10 \u2013 Faculty of Social Sciences<\/strong><\/p>\n

At Friday\u2019s two Convocation ceremonies, more than 850 students were presented with their degrees.<\/p>\n

Howes presented Spirit of Brock medals to undergraduate student Marie Claire Bouchal<\/strong> and graduate student Hilda Osae Affum<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

An honorary degree was presented to General Alfred John Gardyne Drummond de Chastelain<\/strong>, retired Canadian solder, diplomat and until recently, chairman of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (Northern Ireland). He delivered the Convocation address.<\/p>\n

In speaking about his involvement in the Northern Ireland peace process, de Chastelain spoke about the three factors that he felt were crucial to the success of the process \u2013 confidence, open-mindedness and respect.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are factors that I would commend to you seated here,\u201d he said, \u201cwho are about to start your lives having graduated from this university.\u201d\"convocationthumbsup\"<\/p>\n

Tanya Martini<\/strong>, Psychology, was presented with the Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching at the morning ceremony.<\/p>\n

At Friday\u2019s afternoon ceremony, another group of graduates received their degrees.<\/p>\n

Professor Stan Sadava<\/strong> from the Department of Psychology delivered the Convocation address.<\/p>\n

A Social Sciences\u2019 Dean\u2019s Medal was also awarded to Aidan Miller<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Saturday’s ceremony, the last of the week, will proceed as follows:<\/p>\n

Saturday, June 11, 10 a.m. \u2013 Faculty of Business<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Michael

Michael McCain<\/p><\/div>\n

At Saturday\u2019s ceremony, an honorary degree was presented to Michael McCain<\/strong>, President and CEO, Maple Leaf Foods Inc.<\/p>\n

In his Convocation address, McCain spoke to the graduates about \u201cqualities of leadership that the Maple Leaf organization embodies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo sum it up, I have come to believe over these years that leadership is, first and foremost, an attitude. It is not an attribute of authority or of title or of rank. It is an attitude of behaviours that can be lived and acted upon every day of your life no matter what you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professor Mark Julien<\/strong>, Department of Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources, Entrepreneurship and Ethics, was presented with the 2011 Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching.<\/p>\n

Business Board of Trustees Spirit of Brock medals were presented to undergraduate student Darryl Moyers<\/strong> and graduate student David Hurst<\/strong>. The Faculty\u2019s Dean\u2019s Medal was presented to Matthew Greenfield<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here’s what happened last week at Brock’s 2011 Spring Convocation ceremonies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[156],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10512"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10512"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10512\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10527,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10512\/revisions\/10527"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}