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Thorneloe University at Laurentian will recognize the significant contributions of three individuals at its Convocation on Thursday, October 8, 2015. The ceremony will begin at 7:30 pm in the Ernie Checkeris Theatre.

University of Guelph professor Dionne Brand, a renowned poet and writer of both fiction and non-fiction, will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate for her important contribution to the literary world. Ms. Brand has held a number of professorships across North America, including the Ruth Wynn Woodward Chair in Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser University. Students in Women’s Studies at Thorneloe University have been greatly inspired by her works. In her fiction, students have found the characters to be deeply layered and complex, much like their own lives.

Dr. Gary Kinsman, professor of sociology at Laurentian University, will be awarded the Thorneloe Mitre in recognition of his important scholarship in the area of the history of Canadian sexuality. Dr. Kinsman, a long-time advocate for women’s rights and social justice for sexual minorities, has been an unfailing supporter of Women’s Studies at Thorneloe University and the liberal arts more generally at Laurentian.

A long-time supporter of Thorneloe University, Mrs. Muiriel Checkeris will be awarded on Honorary Fellowship for her significant contribution to education and the arts. A former school board trustee and Chair, she is a talented artist whose leadership has enriched Sudbury’s artistic landscape. An active volunteer with the Laurentian University Museum and Arts Centre, she served as Chair of the new Art Gallery of Sudbury. In 2004, she organized a group of artists to open “Artists on Elgin”. Muiriel Checkeris was the 2014 recipient of the Community Builders Award for the arts.

In addition to the presentation of these awards, students will receive special scholarships from Thorneloe University. Degrees, diplomas and certificates will also be granted for Thorneloe’s School of Theology. Members of the public are cordially invited to attend the Convocation ceremony.

Thorneloe University has offered programming in the humanities for more than 50 years. As a founding member of the Laurentian University Federation, on the campus of Laurentian University in Sudbury, Thorneloe is home to the departments of Classics and Ancient Studies, Theatre, Religious Studies, Women’s Studies, as well as academic programs in Motion Picture Arts and Theology. In addition to the Ernie Checkeris Theatre, Thorneloe also operates a residence that accommodates 58 students as well as a chapel.