Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
October 13, 1999
Three to receive honorary degrees at fall convocation
The University of Guelph will award three honorary degrees and more than 600 degrees and diplomas during fall convocation Oct. 18 to 20. All three ceremonies begin at 7 p.m. in War Memorial Hall.
Honorary degrees will be presented to molecular biologist Arthur Chovnick, a retired University of Connecticut professor; Nunavut artist Irene Avaalaaqiaq; and child psychologist Eleanor Maccoby, a professor at Stanford University.
Convocation begins Monday, Oct. 18 with ceremonies for the College of Physical and Engineering Science, the Ontario Veterinary College and the College of Biological Science. Chovnick will receive a Doctor of Science degree and address students.
Chovnick is known for his contributions to understanding the structure and function of genes in higher organisms. His research has focused on the fruit fly, which has the same cellular structure as humans. He is also recognized for his work involving molecular genetics, purine metabolism, transposable elements and chromosomal position effects.
He served as associate editor of the journal Genetics and was treasurer of the Genetics Society of America. He retired from the University of Connecticut in 1994.
Tuesday, Oct. 19, Avaalaaqiaq will receive a doctorate of laws at the ceremony for the Ontario Agricultural College and the College of Arts. She will address the audience through a translator.
Avaalaaqiaq is being recognized for her contribution to the development of Inuit art and her leadership role in the Nunavut community of Baker Lake.
Her drawing, printmaking, wall hangings and sculpture have been featured in several national and international exhibitions and are part of numerous public and private collections, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre and the College of William and Mary in Virginia.
On Oct. 20, Maccoby will receive a doctorate of science and deliver the convocation address at the ceremony for the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences.
Maccoby is internationally recognized for her leadership and contributions to developmental psychology, family relations and the social development of children. She has shaped scientific perspectives on parenting and children's socialization since the 1950s and is considered a pioneer in her field. She has published 120 papers and chapters, nine books and three monographs.
Maccoby has served as president of the Western Psychological Association, the Society for Research in Child Development and the Consortium of Social Science Associations. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1993 and received the American Psychological Foundation Gold Medal Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Science of Psychology in 1996.
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