At University of Victoria’s spring convocation ceremonies, three distinguished individuals from diverse fields will be awarded honorary degrees.
At UVic on June 11-13, honorary degrees will be given to James Carley, Margaret Lidkea and Eloise Spitzer.
Dr. James Carley, a 1969 UVic alum, is widely recognized as an exceptional scholar and book/medieval libraries historian, holding positions at York University, the University of Kent and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. Due to his contributions, he has earned international awards like the UK’s Bibliographical Society Gold Medal and national honours such as the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Pierre Chauveau Medal of the Royal Society of Canada.
Margaret Lidkea is a champion of environmental stewardship who has devoted her life to fostering ecological awareness and restoration efforts, particularly in Victoria’s Garry oak ecosystems. Drawing upon her Bachelor of Science in Zoology from UBC and a teaching certificate, Lidkea blended her passion for biology with a commitment to teaching.
Her accomplishments include being the Program Naturalist at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, where she led outdoor programs; starting restoration in Uplands Park and Anderson Hill as a Girl Guide leader; and co-founding Friends of Uplands Park and dedicating herself to its ecological restoration upon retirement. She has organized over 170 restoration and education events, dedicating more than 1000 hours in 2019 alone.
Eloise Spitzer is awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws due to her commitment to community engagement and social justice. As the first woman Cabinet Secretary, Deputy Minister in the Premier’s office in both the Yukon and B.C., Spitzer broke barriers. Her career in legal work and education included successfully litigating Canada’s first charter case, being a founding mother of LEAF and the first student at Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik (Legal Aid) in Nunavut.
Spitzer also contributed “significantly” to UVic’s Akitsitaq Law Program in Nunavut, said UVic. As co-op coordinator, she notably increased Indigenous law student participation.
Read more about the degree recipients at https://www.uvic.ca/news/topics/2024+uvic-fetes-spring-class-of-2024-convocation+news.
READ ALSO: Inductees announced for 2024 Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame
