StFX to graduate one of its biggest classes ever on May 4
St. Francis Xavier University will honour three outstanding individuals with honorary degrees during Spring Convocation ceremonies set to take place on Sunday, May 4.
Receiving the degree Doctor of Law honoris causa are Clara Hughes, one of Canada’s most exceptional and highly accomplished athletes and public figures; Dr. Michael Higgins, a StFX alumnus, and a teacher, writer, documentarian, and university president whose contributions to Catholic higher education have impacted the country and beyond; and Dr. Peter Nicholson, a leading voice for innovation and science policy in Canada.
StFX will also graduate one of its largest classes ever. More than 1,140 students are set to graduate during Spring Convocation 2025, with two ceremonies: a morning ceremony at 9 a.m. and an afternoon ceremony starting at 3 p.m. to be held in the Charles V. Keating Centre.
Several StFX faculty members will also be honoured with major awards during the ceremonies. Political science professor Dr. Yvon Grenier and sociology professor Dr. John Phyne will receive the distinction of Professor Emeritus and psychology professor Dr. Margo Watt will be honoured with the distinction of Professor Emerita. Biology professor Dr. Ricardo Scrosati will receive the University Research Award while the President’s Research Award will be bestowed upon BASc in Health professor Dr. Arlinda Ruco. Dr. Ruco and chemistry professor Dr. Geniece Hallett-Tapley will both be honoured with the University’s Outstanding Teaching Award.
Bios of the honorary degree recipients follow.
Clara Hughes
Clara Hughes is a legendary Canadian athlete and Olympian as well as a distinguished mental health advocate, philanthropist, and humanitarian. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Ms. Hughes is renowned for her exceptional accomplishments in both cycling and speed skating. She is the only athlete ever to win multiple medals at both the Summer and Winter Olympics. Prior to her retirement from cycling and speed skating, Ms. Hughes distinguished herself as a philanthropist and advocate for various causes. She is an athlete ambassador and a role model who has demonstrated inspirational leadership in society and her field. Her unprecedented success in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, a feat achieved by very few, sets her apart. As a six-time Olympic medalist in cycling and speed skating, Ms. Hughes demonstrated unparalleled versatility, perseverance, and excellence in her athletic career. No other Canadian athlete of any gender before or since her retirement has earned medals at both Winter and Summer Olympic Games. She has been one of the few recognized as an Olympian for Life by the International Olympic Committee. Ms. Hughes has received extensive accolades for her work both on and off the field. Amongst other honours, she is an Officer of the Order of Canada (O.C.), a member of the Order of Manitoba (O.M.), and has received a Meritorious Service Cross-Civil Division (M.S.C.) from the Governor General for exceptional contributions. Ms. Hughes has also been recognized with honorary doctorates from the University of Manitoba and the University of British Columbia. She has been inducted into the Canadian Sport Hall of Fame, Canada’s Walk of Fame, and has been awarded the Olympic Committee’s Sport and Community Trophy. Beyond her sporting achievements, Ms. Hughes has made a significant impact on young people as a passionate advocate for mental health. Drawing from her personal experiences, she has been a leader in reducing the stigma associated with mental illness. In 2010, she became the inaugural national spokesperson for the Bell Let’s Talk Campaign. Her involvement with the campaign raised substantial awareness and funds for mental health initiatives across Canada. She has also made generous donations of her full earnings for earning Olympic medals to Right to Play ($10,000 in 2006) and Vancouver charity Take a Hike ($10,000 in 2010), as well as showed support for youth, physical activity, and mental health programs, including the Nunavik Youth Hockey Development Program, the Axel Merckx Youth Development Foundation, and her own Big Ride for Mental Health. Ms. Hughes is an author and public speaker, and she also serves as an Honorary Witness for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, advocating for Indigenous communities affected by the residential school system.
Dr. Michael W. Higgins
Dr. Michael W. Higgins, a native Torontonian and a StFX alumnus from the Class of 1970, is the Basilian Distinguished Fellow of Contemporary Catholic Thought at the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto. Dr. Higgins has been involved with investigating and expanding the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, particularly in Canada, for over 40 years. As a teacher, a writer, a documentarian, a university president, a public speaker, an administrator, and more, his contributions to Catholic higher education have impacted the country from coast to coast and have extended outside Canada as well. Dr. Higgins has had an extensive career as a senior university administrator, serving as President and Vice-Chancellor of St. Jerome’s University in the University of Waterloo, St. Thomas University, and St. Mark’s and Corpus Christi Colleges at the University of British Columbia, and was Vice-President and Professor of Religious Studies for Mission of Sacred Heart University (Connecticut). Dr. Higgins is the author and co-author of numerous books, including many bestsellers, some of which have been translated into Italian, French, German and Norwegian. His most recent book is The Jesuit Disruptor: A Personal Portrait of Pope Francis, which was published by House of Anansi Press in September 2024. In addition to his university leadership responsibilities and his scholarship, Dr. Higgins has sustained a long career in the media as a CBC documentarian, narrator and researcher, working on programs of theological and philosophical interest for Ideas, Celebration, Testament, and Man Alive. He has served as CTV Papal Commentator and is a regular contributor on literary and religious matters to The Globe and Mail, the Literary Review of Canada, Commonweal and The Tablet of London. Furthermore, Dr. Higgins has been writing a blog, Pontifex Minimus, for over a decade. These weekly posts explore the Catholic educational presence in Canada and beyond. Dr. Higgins has also served as the President of the International Thomas Merton Society. Dr. Higgins has always credited St. Francis Xavier University as giving him the foundation for his academic career. He was recognized by his Class of 1970 as the distinguished alumnus of his graduating class. He is also the recipient of two honorary degrees. Dr. Higgins lives with his wife Krystyna, a writer, editor and liturgical musician, in Guelph, ON. They have four adult children.
Dr. Peter J. M. Nicholson
Dr. Peter Nicholson, a native of Halifax, NS, and educated in physics (BSc, MSc, Dalhousie University) and mathematics (PhD, Stanford), has been a central force for policy changes in national and regional economic development, science and technology, telecommunications, developing-country debt, and the Atlantic fishery. He is deeply committed to finding new and better ways of doing things. Dr. Nicholson was the principal author of the 1980s Task Force on Atlantic Fisheries that set out principles that still govern the Canadian fishery. As senior vice-president of the Bank of Nova Scotia, he proposed a resolution to the Latin American debt crisis of the late 1980s. As a senior advisor to the federal Minister of Finance in the mid-1990s, he helped turn around Canada’s deteriorating fiscal position. Internationally, he has been special advisor to the secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. Nationally, he has contributed to many initiatives in science and technology policy. He is currently founding Chair of the Board of the Canadian Climate Institute. Among volunteer services in the fields of science and technology, he has variously chaired, directed, or served on the National Advisory Board on Science and Technology, the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematics, the National Research Council, the Research Council of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Millennium Scholarship Foundation, the Institute for Quantum Computing, and the Centre for Drug Research and Development. In particular, he was the inaugural president and CEO of the Council of Canadian Academies, where from 2006 to 2010 he led science-based expert assessments to inform public policy. Dr. Nicholson’s ability to engage deeply in a topic and profoundly influence others has made him a leading voice for innovation and science policy in Canada. He has tackled some of our most complex issues and mentored leading innovators. Dr. Nicholson’s life’s work has contributed to science policy and economic growth in Nova Scotia and beyond. He has received six honorary degrees and is a member both of the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia.
