Beloved Canadian Olympic gold medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are among seven distinguished individuals who will receive honorary degrees from Western University this fall.
The post secondary institution announced on Tuesday that Doctor of Laws degrees will be bestowed upon the ice dancing duo at the October 23 convocation ceremony. The university is recognizing Virtue and Moir for their Olympic achievements. The pair, from London and Ilderton, are the most decorated ice dancers in Olympic history, having won a total of three gold medals and two silvers between 2010 and 2018.
After receiving their honorary degrees, Virtue and Moir will deliver an address to those in attendance at the convocation ceremony.
This will be the first time since August the pair have made a public appearance in the city. They were at Museum London on August 7 for the unveiling of Virtue's Canada’s Walk of Fame hometown plaque. Moir received his plaque earlier in the day at a special ceremony at the Ilderton Arena.
Others receiving honorary degrees from Western this fall include Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Senior Scientist Mina J. Bissell, who pioneered the field of tumor microenvironment; Donald Franklin Gerson, the founder and president of PnuVax, Inc. which develops vaccines for underserved populations worldwide; author and Holocaust educator Max Tibor Eisen; financial guru and philanthropist Tim David Hockey; and Stratford Festival Executive Director Anita Gaffney Misener.
Western's 314th Convocation ceremonies are scheduled to take place from October 23 to 25.
