University to award honorary degrees to Bob McNutt, Izzeldin Abuelaish
Bob McNutt, left, and Izzeldin Abuelaish will be awarded honorary degrees at McMaster's Fall Convocation ceremony Friday.
McMaster will honour a distinguished former faculty member and an accomplished medical doctor at Friday’s Convocation ceremony.
The University will award honorary degrees to Bob McNutt, a retired geology professor and past dean, as well as Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Palestinian medical doctor and author.
McNutt has had a long and distinguished career as both an academic and an administrative leader.
A former McMaster dean of science and faculty member for more than 30 years, McNutt went on to serve seven years as the principal of the University of Toronto at Mississauga. During his retirement, he returned to McMaster to serve as acting Provost, acting dean of humanities and interim dean of business.
Abuelaish was born and raised in a refugee camp. He received a scholarship to study medicine in Egypt, and later earned a master’s degree from Harvard.
He founded the Daughters for Life Foundation, which provides scholarships for young women, after three of his daughters were killed during the Gaza War.
He is the author of the book “I Shall Not Hate” and has earned a number of awards and honours, including the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award, the Middle East Institute Award and the Stavros Niarchos Prize for Survivorship. He is also a member of the Order of Ontario.
McNutt will earn an honorary doctor of science degree, while Abuelaish will earn an honorary doctor of laws.
