Fall Convocation 2020
Enjoy every moment. You've earned it.
Honour song
A special message from the President and Chancellor
This is a momentous occasion; for you, and our community. We hope you can sense all of us – the thousands of us – here with you. Celebrating you. Though we are unable to gather on campus, we have embraced this new way of honouring your achievements. We are incredibly proud of you.
Activist Vandana Shiva says, “Hope is a duty.” Let us act with hope. Let us remain open to the idea of possibility; of working together. All people. All disciplines, all communities and all races since diversity will only strengthen our society. Now, more than ever, we need to work together.
Communities thrive though connections – ones that exchange ideas, spark innovation, meet challenges, respect and learn from one another. As you start your new journey you’ll notice how UM is closely linked to others throughout Manitoba and around the world. We are connected through research, partnerships with Indigenous communities and our ties with local organizations and industry.
Along the way, you will also encounter fellow alumni. Today, you join their network of more than 148,000 UM grads living in 140 countries around the world. Our alumni are our strongest ambassadors, advocates, champions and thought-leaders. They elevate our communities and propel us to make a difference.
During these challenging times, we have a responsibility to turn our ideas, knowledge and skills into a new path forward for all of us. We know you are ready. Our time – your time – is now.
Congratulations on your graduation!
Anne Mahon
Chancellor
Michael Benarroch, PhD
President & Vice-Chancellor
A message from Premier Pallister
A message from Minister Eichler
A message from Mayor Bowman
By faculty
Special messages from the Dean, as well as professors or alumni from your faculty.
Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
Fall 2020 Convocation Dean’s Message
Congratulations!
You are now a part of the deeply interconnected community of alumni from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, joining the multitude of past graduates who continue to make a difference across Manitoba and around the globe.
Our Faculty is focused on one of Canada’s most fundamental sectors – the provision of food, and with all the disciplines which connect with that essential activity. Wherever your path takes you, know that we are very proud of the contributions you will make to your chosen profession.
In your studies, and especially this year, you’ve learned to navigate obstacles and to succeed. As you chart your next adventure, we are confident that the skills you have acquired and your unique energy will make the world a better place. While we wish we were all together applauding your achievement, we join your family and friends in cheering you on from afar.
Sincerely,
Dr. Martin Scanlon, Dean
Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Celebrate on social
Faculty of Architecture
Farewell to our October Graduates
Greeting to the Graduates of October 2020! I am Dr. Karen Wilson Baptist, the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Architecture.
Over your years of study in the Faculty of Architecture, loved ones have witnessed an incredible journey as you advanced through this program - the fatigue and elation, the joy and despair, the fear and the tears. We all looked forward to celebrating your accomplishments at our formal celebration of graduation and convocation. After all the frustrations, hardships and the obstacles you have overcome, the way in which your studies come to an end may seem anticlimactic.
We launch you out into a world in increasing peril, one where, as David Suzuki wrote, “Doing nothing isn’t an option”. It has been our mission to teach you to take risks, to craft beauty, to be attentive, to be curious and to view both the extraordinary and the everyday equally with wonder; we have urged you to probe, to question, to research, to theorize and to speak out against injustice and environmental degradation, to anticipate your future with hope and with an open heart. And as strange as life under the cloak of COVID-19 has been, we see the world responding to our absence in surprising ways. This brave new world of possibilities awaits you. Please experience the pride we all take in your accomplishments as I extend a warm virtual handshake. Congratulations.
Karen Wilson Baptist, Ph.D., Acting Dean,
Faculty of Architecture
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Faculty of Arts
Message from the Dean
Congratulations graduate!
After years of dedication and sacrifice, you are now an alumnus of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Manitoba!
Welcome to a global family of Arts alumni who bring their unique talents and knowledge to help make our world a better place. Wherever your degree may take you, I wish you the best.
I encourage you take a moment to think about your achievements during your time in Arts - the relationships you built, the accomplishments you realized and the decisions you made about your future. It’s time now for new challenges and opportunities. Stay connected so we can see what comes next for you. Stay involved with your Faculty by responding to future calls for volunteers, feedback, participation or service.
While I wish we were together celebrating your graduation… we join your family and friends in cheering you on from a distance.
Dr. Jeff Taylor, Dean
Faculty of Arts
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Celebrate on social
School of Art
Director’s Message – University of Manitoba’s Fall 2020 Virtual Convocation
Your long hours spent in studios, your anxiety in critiques, and your fastidious attention to detail have all paid off, culminating in this day, a brand new beginning in your life and career.
As an artist, you are uniquely positioned to be able to help explain the world around you, because when words fail us, artists help us make sense of the world’s challenges. The visual arts help us to express emotions and ideas that transcend language and eliminate the divides between us. Art brings us joy, challenges us to consider issues in a different light, examines previously unexamined lives, and can also serve as a salve for our pain.
As a graduate of the University of Manitoba’s School of Art, you are stewards of culture whose talents will help to define Manitoba, Canada, and beyond. We can’t wait to see how your art shapes this era in history. Congratulations!
Dr. Edward Jurkowski, School of Art
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Celebrate on social
Details about social media
I. H. Asper School of Business
Dean's message
Congratulations Asper Graduates!
On behalf of all of us at the Asper School of Business, we want to congratulate you on this momentous occasion. You have demonstrated perseverance and determination in successfully completing your studies in this unprecedented time of a global pandemic.
While we have worked with industry to ensure the skills you gained at Asper serve you well into the future, it is your own inventiveness, resilience and drive, that will help you lead and innovate in an ever-changing global environment.
You are joining a community of more than 19,000 Asper School of Business alumni from around the world. While this number seems vast, it remains a close and supportive network with shared values and commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as sustainable and ethical business practices.
No matter where you go from here, please stay connected - for career advice, lifelong learning, and future opportunities.
Dr. Gady Jacoby
Dean and CPA Manitoba Chair in Business Leadership
I.H. Asper School of Business
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Celebrate on social
Faculty of Education
Dean's message
Boozhoo! Tansi!
On behalf of the Faculty of Education, I congratulate all our October Education graduates! You made it – and your work has just begun. Ubuntu, a traditional African philosophy of life, suggests that “a person is a person because of other persons. Hence, failure to act humanely towards other people is thus considered as a lack of humanness or lack of Ubuntu” (Murove, 2014, p. 37). I wish you lots of Ubuntu as you start or continue bringing your learning into your and other people’s lives – be it as a parent, partner, colleague, neighbour, or fellow human riding the same bus – be it as a teacher, a politician, union member, employer, or social activist. I truly hope that your experience in your education program provided you with lots of opportunities to develop your Ubuntu.
Thomas Falkenberg, Ph.D.
Professor and Acting Dean
Faculty of Education
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Celebrate on social
Price Faculty of Engineering
Dean's message
On behalf of the Price Faculty of Engineering, we would like to congratulate you on achieving your goal of graduation. Although we cannot be together this year to celebrate in person, please take some time to reflect on your accomplishments. This milestone celebration is a testament to your persistence and determination; use this to guide you through challenges and let the skills and knowledge you have gained at the University of Manitoba guide your future success.
Nariman Sepehri, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Acting Dean, Price Faculty of Engineering
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources
Congratulations!
Today we celebrate your achievements. Even though the celebrations differ from tradition with remote festivities, our pride in your success remains unchanged. We at the Riddell Faculty honour and applaud your bold accomplishments with delight. You did it! You, the next generation of top scientists, trailblazers, dreamers, and thoughtful leaders will help preserve mother earth sustainably for generations to come.
You are transitioning from being a student to entering the real world. We are proud that the Riddell Faculty could be your steppingstone. Your education from our Faculty will allow you to make a difference in the community. Helping others better understand our earth, environment, use of resources, human conditions, and even competently change the world for the better.
Following your dedicated pursuit and successful attainment of your degree, now is the time to relax. Look at your accomplishments, be thankful to your family and friends for supporting you and celebrate.
Most outstandingly, you are lifelong ambassadors of our Faculty and the University of Manitoba. On behalf of the entire Riddell Faculty, thank you. I, together with my colleagues, wish you all the best.
Sincerely,
Dr. Stephan Pflugmacher Lima, Dean
Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Celebrate on social
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Congratulations
You have achieved one of the highest degrees awarded by the University of Manitoba; take pride in your accomplishment, you deserve it! You did not achieve this alone so also take the time to thank all who supported you while realizing your goals. This milestone will be among the significant events you bookmark along your life’s journey.
The pursuit of graduate studies is challenging, marked by peaks and valleys; with this parchment in your hand, you have reached the summit! Rejoice in the satisfaction that you persevered beyond the limits you thought possible and have excelled in your chosen discipline. You have no doubt acquired skills, experiences and a network of colleagues and friends that will serve you for many years to come.
On behalf of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, congratulations; we are proud to share this moment with you and wish you much success in your future endeavours.
Sincerely,
Louise R. Simard, Acting Dean
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Celebrate on social
Details about social media
Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
Dean's message
Congratulations!
Take a moment to reflect on the journey that brought you here—and the people who supported you along the way.
You’re a part of the wonderful mosaic of people and ideas, of cultures and beliefs, of passions and dreams in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. You are collaborating in new ways with interprofessional colleagues for the well-being of all Manitobans.
Many of you are already providing exemplary care to patients, clients and families, especially during COVID. Some of you will go on to help improve care in underserved communities or choose to become educators, leaders or researchers.
Throughout your studies in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, you’ve learned to navigate obstacles and overcome. As you find your next challenge, I am confident you will bring that same energy, resilience, pride in your profession and compassion for patients and clients.
While I wish we were all together applauding your achievement … we are delighted to join your family and friends virtually in cheering you on.
Sincerely,
Dr. Brian Postl,
Dean, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and
Vice-Provost (Health Sciences)
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Celebrate on social
Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management
Message from the Dean
Your graduation parchment is a symbol of your academic accomplishments and personal growth in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management. Academic accomplishments required dedication, hard work and determination. Personal growth required curiosity, critical thinking and a willingness to engage with your community. As a new graduate, you should be proud of reaching this significant milestone. I am confident you will be successful and make a positive impact on society as you move on.
The world changed dramatically as you were making that final push to complete your last term as a University of Manitoba student. As the University and society responded to COVID-19, students like you adapted almost every aspect of your life, including how you studied, in an instant. Despite the uncertainties, you focused on the task at hand. You completed your courses and fulfilled the program requirements to graduate. I’d like to express my admiration and gratitude for the resilience you demonstrated during this trying time. I am so proud of the class of 2020.
On behalf of the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, congratulations and all the best in your future endeavors. Please keep in touch with the faculty.
Sincerely,
Dr. Douglas Brown
Dean
Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Celebrate on social
Faculty of Law
Dean's message
To our LLM grads completing their long journey, on behalf of all faculty and staff at Robson Hall I offer heartiest congratulations. Research can be a lonely endeavor in the ordinary course, and this was made doubly so under the unique circumstances of the pandemic that’s beset us. Achieving your LLM is a huge accomplishment, and I know for me it was a stepping stone to places I didn’t think possible. Good luck with what lies next and know that all of us are cheering for your next successes.
David Asper, Q.C.
Acting Dean
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Celebrate on social
Desautels Faculty of Music
Dean’s message
By the time you entered the Desautels Faculty of Music, you had already shown that you have the talent, grit, and perseverance to succeed. Like all true professionals, if a prop fell on stage, or if you missed your cue, you found ways to adapt and carry on with grace and poise. These past seven months, as strange as they have been, only serve to confirm that you will be able to tackle any challenge you face.
Music has survived throughout the ages not only due to the strength of the score or performance, but because of the strength it instills in its audiences. The creative contributions you make to the world will inspire and motivate us to conquer even the most difficult circumstances. Your hard work and gifts will help to lift audiences up in joy. The stage and spotlight await you! Congratulations on your well-earned achievement, and toi, toi, toi!
Dr. Edward Jurkowski, Desautels Faculty of Music
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Faculty of Science
Dean's message
To graduate is literally to step forward. It marks a moment in time to take pride in all you have learned, to reflect on challenges faced, risks taken, friendships built, kindnesses offered and received, hard work rewarded.
"No person steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and they are not the same person." *
As you step towards your future, be bold. Let curiosity, a love of learning, and a sense of connection light the way. Who knows what contributions you will make, what discoveries await you, what future you will invent?
Step proudly - you have joined the ranks of the graduates of the Faculty of Science at the University of Manitoba. You are ever a part of our ecosystem.
Dean Stefi
* Heraclitus ~500 BC
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Celebrate on social
Faculty of Social Work
Message from the Dean
Dear graduates, on behalf of our faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters of the Faculty of Social Work, we offer our most sincere and caring congratulations on your wonderful accomplishment. In this wonderful moment of celebration, it is important to remember that your passion and commitment to social justice, the well-being of others, and the need for social change have brought you here. You have studied and worked so hard to bring you to this moment and, along with your family, relatives, and friends, we are so proud of your effort and hard work. We acknowledge that your academic journey has not always been easy or certain and has required sacrifice and much effort, especially during this time of the global pandemic which has forced us to adapt, think, and act in new ways. Despite the challenges, you have persevered, gone the distance, and have now graduated! We encourage you to celebrate and revel in this important moment and know that you have an important future ahead of you. Congratulations!
Dr. Michael Yellow Bird
Dean, Faculty of Social Work
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Celebrate on social
Details about social media
Division of Extended Education
Watch the livestream and search for graduates
Message from the Dean of Extended Education
Dear graduands,
On behalf of my colleagues in the Division of Extended Education at the University of Manitoba, I want to congratulate you on your achievements. Earning a Post- Baccalaureate Certificate, Certificate or Letter of Accomplishment at any time is worth celebrating but at this particularly challenging time in our lives, it is even more noteworthy. The pandemic has reminded us all of the importance of being able to adapt quickly, learn independently, and search for new ways to apply what we learn, and I trust that the courses you have taken through Extended Education have allowed you to “extend” your learning in these ways. Although there is much uncertainty that lies ahead, we have faith that all 305 of you graduating from 19 different programs will be able to navigate any turbulence that lies ahead thanks to what you have learned in Extended Education. Congratulations once again and best wishes for the future. Stay safe and keep well!
David Mandzuk Ph.D.
Acting Dean, Extended Education
Good luck, graduates
Alumni and faculty members share a special message on your convocation.
Celebrate on social
Teaching awards
Celebrate with us! #umanitoba2020
Congratulations grads! Before the big event remember to share your best UM photos and memories on social using our Convocation hashtag #umanitoba2020. Also try the Instagram and Facebook Giphys and stickers we created for this special occasion.
Here's how:
- Take a selfie or use a photo of you celebrating for Instagram or Facebook.
- Search umanitoba or University of Manitoba on Instagram or Facebook for the Giphys / stickers.
- Add the Giphy to your photo and share your Virtual Convocation moments with the rest of the UM community by tagging @umanitoba and using #umanitoba2020
- View your photos and those of your classmates tagged with #umanitoba2020 on Instagram or Facebook.
To celebrate virtually on campus:
- Download your favourite UM background onto your phone. (Find some here!)
- Go into Instagram stories and search Instagram ‘Green Screen’ in effects.
- Select the background you downloaded.
- Take a selfie with your parchment and tassel or whatever celebratory pose you like.
- Upload it to your stories or feed and tag @umanitoba and #umanitoba2020.
The UM backgrounds can also be used when video conferencing!
