2019 Recipients
Honorary Doctor of Laws
Rick Hansen, CC, OBC
On Friday, June 7, an honorary Doctor of Laws was conferred on Rick Hansen in recognition of his dedication to creating a world that is accessible and inclusive for all. The founder of the Rick Hansen Foundation, an organization committed to creating a world without barriers for people with disabilities, he is best known as the Man in Motion, after undertaking an epic 26-month, 40,000 km journey around the world in his wheelchair to prove the potential of people with disabilities and raise funds for spinal cord injury research. Hansen is also a three-time world champion, nine-time Pan American Games gold medalist, and three-time Paralympic Games gold medalist in wheelchair racing.
Honorary Doctor of Athabasca University
Professor Asha Kanwar
On Saturday, June 8, 2019, an honorary Doctor of Athabasca University was conferred on Professor Asha Kanwar in recognition of her global leadership in open and distance learning. Professor Kanwar has a prolific history in implementing open and distance learning globally, and has over 35 years of experience in teaching, research and administration. She currently serves as President and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) an intergovernmental organization created by Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1987 to promote the development and sharing of open learning and distance education knowledge, resources and technologies.
Updated June 25, 2021 by Digital & Web Operations, University Relations (web_services@athabascau.ca)