By McGill Reporter Staff
Talk about coming full circle. Principal Heather Munroe-Blum received an honorary degree Thursday from the University of Glasgow, in Scotland – the alma mater of the University’s founder, James McGill.
Prof. Munroe-Blum was made a Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) at the University’s Commemoration Day ceremony, which celebrates the founding of the University of Glasgow in 1451, the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world.
The ties between the two universities run deep. McGill also celebrated its Scottish roots in May 2012, as part of the 190th anniversary celebrations, when it bestowed honorary degrees on Prof. Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, and Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh.
Muscatelli and O’Shea at the time unveiled three commemorative benches made of Scottish granite installed in the McGill Visitor’s Garden to celebrate the longstanding ties that bind the three universities
“I am very pleased to be able to award an honorary degree to Professor Heather Munroe-Blum in recognition of her vital academic work in the fields of psychiatric epidemiology and public policy, and for her commitment to championing the role of universities in enriching society,” Muscatelli said Thursday.
“I welcome this occasion to celebrate McGill’s Scottish roots and our numerous academic ties with one of the world’s best – and oldest – universities,” said Prof. Munroe-Blum. “I thank the University of Glasgow, and its Principal, Professor Anton Muscatelli, for this prestigious accolade and wish to share it with my colleagues at McGill, whose engagement and dedication have been of tremendous support to me in my years as McGill Principal.”
Prof. Munroe-Blum’s 10½-year tenure as Principal and Vice-Chancellor comes to an end on June 30.
Stuart H. (“Kip”) Cobbett, Chair of McGill’s Board of Governors, remarked on the honour bestowed by the University of Glasgow.
“I wish to congratulate Principal Munroe-Blum on this distinction, a testament to her leadership in bringing McGill to new heights in research and scholarship and building on its international partnerships and collaborations, while always maintaining a strong commitment to its roots and heritage,” he said.
Prof. Munroe-Blum also holds honorary degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, McMaster University, École normale supérieure de Lyon, Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Toronto, the University of Edinburgh and the Université de Montréal.