Honorary degrees, teaching awards and citations

From her early work with the Manitoba Métis Federation to founding two national Indigenous consulting firms, Ms. Bruce has bridged Indigenous and non-Indigenous worlds with integrity and strategic vision. She managed and co-authored the groundbreaking Options for Action report on child welfare reform following the Phoenix Sinclair inquiry, led cultural awareness training for private sector, crown corporations and organizations and facilitated regional and national consultations on health, housing and violence against Indigenous women, girls and Two Spirit people.  

As a co-lead of UM’s Indigenous Identity Policy, and as Elder for other institutions, she advances Truth and Reconciliation daily in our province, nationally and globally. She co-founded Medicine Wolf Healing Place, hosting North America’s first two-spirit Sundance Ceremony in 2023 and she was an international observer and peace monitor of the first democratic election in South Africa.

Throughout her distinguished career, she has earned many honours, including the Order of Manitoba, the Manitoba 150 Women Trailblazer Award, the King Charles III Coronation Medal and was recognized by the Indigenous community as a Kookum/Grandmother by Keeping the Fires Burning.  

Barbara Bruce exemplifies the transformative power of Indigenous knowledge and leadership. The University of Manitoba is proud to confer upon her the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. 

Raised in Winnipeg, Mr. Kay earned his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Manitoba in 1975 before completing a law degree at the University of Toronto. As a young man, he was invited to Oxford to assist Christopher Tolkien in editing J.R.R. Tolkien's posthumous work, The Silmarillion—an experience that foreshadowed a remarkable literary career.  

Beginning with The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy, Mr Kay went on to pioneer a distinctive genre of historical fantasy, crafting richly imagined worlds rooted in meticulous research and illuminated by a touch of the magical. Across sixteen novels, his work explores with poetic precision themes of cultural memory, moral complexity and our shared humanity.

Mr. Kay's novels have been translated into more than thirty languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. His contributions have been recognized with the Order of Canada, the World Fantasy Award, the Aurora Award, the Sunburst Award and numerous international honours. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Arts in 2011.

The University of Manitoba is proud to award a Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, to Guy Gavriel Kay, a writer of extraordinary imagination whose work inspires readers around the world to see themselves in the stories of others. 

Born and raised in Morris, Manitoba, she began her career as a Crown Attorney and became the first female prosecutor to handle proceedings in several Northern Manitoba circuit courts. She served as Legal Policy Counsel for the Government of Canada, advising on laws relating to extradition and counter-terrorism. Her talents led her to advise Canadian delegations at the United Nations before embarking on her own extraordinary career with the global body.  

Over more than three decades, Ms. Kran held senior leadership positions with the UN around the world, from Bangkok to Vienna, strengthening criminal justice systems and advancing human rights. In 2016, she became the first Canadian in over a decade to be elected to the UN Human Rights Committee. In 2020, she was re-elected with support from a resounding 109 countries.  

Her impact on the global human rights agenda earned her the prestigious Walter S. Tarnopolsky Prize from the International Commission of Jurists, UM’s Faculty of Arts Celebrated Alumnus Award, and appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada.  

Through her integrity, expertise and steadfast commitment to equity and accountability, Marcia Kran made an enduring contribution to Canada and to the international community. The University of Manitoba is proud to posthumously confer upon her the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. 

Across the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr. Hryniuk helps students understand anatomy not as a body of information to memorize, but as knowledge they will use to think through clinical problems, interpret diagnostic images and prepare for patient care. In her courses, complex structures become connected to the real decisions her students will one day make as health professionals.

Known for thoughtful and inventive teaching, Dr. Hryniuk creates experiences that help difficult material click. Her anatomy lab activities, clinical cases and imaging assignments connect classroom learning to patient care and give students confidence in material that can feel daunting.

Her influence reaches learners from undergraduates to surgical residents. Through new and revitalized courses in anatomy, embryology and diagnostic imaging, she has strengthened curriculum across programs and brought fresh energy to future health professional training.

A dedicated researcher in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Hryniuk uses evidence, reflection and student feedback to refine her practice. She also shares her expertise through faculty workshops, peer mentorship and student supervision, helping build a stronger teaching culture.

The University of Manitoba is proud to honour Dr. Alexa Hryniuk with the Olive Beatrice Stanton Award for Excellence in Teaching.

She is a Senior Instructor whose redesign of Applied Finite Mathematics significantly improved the learning experience, resulting in an increase in overall student performance and reduction in withdrawal and failure rates. In her classes, such as Introduction to Calculus, students consistently achieve outcomes that exceed departmental averages. Her effort to improve the learning experience is reflected in the feedback from her students, with student-evaluations giving her a near perfect teaching score.  

Dr. Barr has also led two important programs that retain and strengthen student interest in mathematics. She co-developed LevelUp, a remediation platform for university students, as well as the Path2Math Academy for Indigenous undergraduate students. Since 2016, she has served as the coordinator and instructor for the PIMS Math Academy for the Pathway to Indigenous Nursing Education (PINE), where she integrates rigorous mathematical preparation with culturally responsive support.

Nationally, Dr. Barr has been recognized by the Canadian Mathematical Society, and has received significant grants from the McCall MacBain Foundation to develop a Prep for Calculus program in partnership with JUMP Math, a national charitable organizations.  

For her dedication, leadership, and passion that inspires generations, the University of Manitoba is honoured to present Dr. Darja Barr with the Dr. and Mrs. H.H. Saunderson Award for Excellence in Teaching. 

His teaching with the Joint Master’s Program in Peace and Conflict Studies has inspired students to think critically about justice, reconciliation and peacebuilding in complex global contexts. 

Dr. Khan is known for his intellectually rigorous and compassionate approach to teaching. He creates inclusive learning environments where students are encouraged to question, reflect and grow.  

His teaching style has been praised by students as engaging, effective and inspiring, bringing a rare combination of clarity, depth and passion to the classroom. Students consistently commend his ability to challenge them while remaining deeply supportive, thoughtful and accessible.

As an advisor and mentor, he has guided graduate students with exceptional care, helping to strengthen their scholarship and professional development.  

Dr. Khan’s research explores human rights, radicalization, transitional justice and peacebuilding, with publications and presentations recognized nationally and internationally. His work bridges academic inquiry with practical engagement, including mediation initiatives, anti-racism education and programs countering radicalization and violence in schools.

For his outstanding dedication to teaching excellence, mentorship and student success, the University of Manitoba is proud to recognize Dr. Saad Ahmad Khan with the University of Manitoba Graduate & Postdoctoral Society Teaching Award.