Leaders who grow beyond

Every year, Mount Royal University awards Honorary Doctor of Laws to individuals whose achievements reflect the highest ideals of leadership, service and vision. This year’s recipients come from distinct paths: public service, the arts, health care and social justice, but they are united by a shared commitment to growth that goes beyond personal success.

They have grown beyond traditional expectations in their fields. Beyond barriers that stood in their way. And beyond what they once imagined possible shaping communities, inspiring change and advancing knowledge in bold and lasting ways.

As we prepare to celebrate the class of 2025 at MRU’s Convocation ceremonies from June 11 to 13, we honour these distinguished individuals whose lives and work remind us what it means to serve, lead and grow beyond.

Rosella Bjornson

Wednesday, June 11 at 2 p.m.
Faculty of Business and Communication Studies

Rosella Bjornson

Rosella Bjornson is a Canadian aviator who soared to new heights in aviation. Growing up on a farm near Champion, AB she was inspired by her father's passion for flying. At 17, she took her first flying lesson and earned her Private Pilot's Licence within two months.

Bjornson pursued a Bachelor of Science in geology and geography at the University of Calgary, dedicating her summers to flight training. In 1969, she began instructing at the Winnipeg Flying Club, and in 1972 she received the 89th Gold Seal of Proficiency from the Royal Canadian Flying Clubs Association.

In April 1973, Bjornson made history by joining Transair as a First Officer, becoming the first woman in North America to hold such a position. She was also the first female member of the Canadian Air Line Pilots Association.

Throughout her career, Bjornson achieved several milestones, including being the first woman promoted to captain with Canadian Airlines International in 1990. She was inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 1997 and continues to advocate for women in aviation.

I believe education plays a very important role in our lives. Learning to fly opens a person’s mind to new horizons and opportunities. There is so much to learn about the world around us … To all of the students here today, my advice is to set goals for yourself and work to accomplish them. Study hard. Learn all that is required.

Rosella Bjornson

Bob Steadward

Thursday, June 12 at 10 a.m.
Faculty of Health, Community and Education

Bob Steadward

Dr. Robert Steadward, PhD, a distinguished Canadian educator and sports scientist, has made significant contributions to the field of para-sports. His career began with his involvement in wheelchair sports, coaching the Edmonton Handicaddies wheelchair basketball club in the 1960s, and he played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Alberta Wheelchair Sports Association in 1971. Steadward’s academic career flourished at the University of Alberta, where he became a professor specializing in exercise physiology, anatomy and athletic injuries. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles focused on sports for para-athletes.

As the creator and founding president of the International Paralympic Committee, a position he held from 1989 to 2001, Steadward’s leadership helped elevate the Paralympic Games to international prominence, solidifying his legacy as a champion for para-athletes. His efforts have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Companion of the Order of Canada and induction into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. Recently, Steadward received special recognition from the Indigenous Peoples of Canada at the Maskwacis Nation of Alberta.

He was the recipient of a Chief Headdress and given the honorary Cree name Chief Walking Buffalo.

Throughout his career, Steadward has inspired others through his groundbreaking work in promoting accessible sports and advocating for the inclusion of para-athletes in global competitions.

Hard work, respect, trust, commitment, and responsibility are not just old-fashioned values; they are the foundation of every success story. Talent is great, luck is helpful, but neither can outmatch perseverance. The truth is, the most successful people are not necessarily the smartest or the luckiest — they are the ones who kept showing up, even on the days they did not feel like it.

Bob Steadward

Tom Wood

Thursday, June 12 at 2 p.m.
Faculty of Science and Technology

Tom Wood

Thomas Wood is a Canadian academic and visionary leader whose contributions helped transform Mount Royal College into the degree-granting Mount Royal University. His journey began in the classroom teaching philosophy, which soon led to a tenured position. In 1981, he was appointed vice-president, academic, and in 1989, became president of Mount Royal College, serving in that role for 14 years.

Under Wood’s leadership, the institution experienced remarkable growth and change. He championed the shift from a transfer college to a university, advocating for degree programs, securing funding and overseeing the expansion of campus facilities. His student-centred approach earned Mount Royal a national reputation for academic excellence and student satisfaction.

After stepping down as president, Wood continued to shape higher education on a global scale. He served as a visiting scholar at Columbia University, helped establish the Asia Pacific Institute at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, and led curriculum development at Sea to Sky University in British Columbia.

Wood has also served on numerous education and community boards, including the United Way and the Morningside Music Bridge Program. His leadership and dedication to education have left an enduring legacy at Mount Royal and across the Canadian post-secondary landscape.

Truth is the bedrock of science and human understanding. Of human knowledge, human intelligence, even human communication. Without truth, there can be no science, no history, no reconciliation, no redemption, no human progress … Without truth, we are left with mere noise and chaos.

Tom Wood

Patti Pon

Friday, June 13 at 10 a.m.
Faculty of Arts

Patti Pon

Patti Pon is a respected arts leader in Calgary, known for her transformative role in shaping the city’s cultural landscape. As the president and CEO of Calgary Arts Development, Pon has been instrumental in advancing the arts and supporting local artists. Throughout her career, she has held key leadership positions at notable institutions such as Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts (now Arts Commons), Alberta Theatre Projects and the Alberta Performing Arts Stabilization Fund, contributing significantly to Calgary’s arts infrastructure.

Pon’s leadership extends beyond her professional endeavors, as she has made impactful contributions as a volunteer and sector citizen. Her community service includes being a board member of the Agora Foundation, publisher of The Philanthropist Journal and chairing the program committee for the Action Chinese Canadians Together national leaders summits in 2019, 2021 and 2023. She was also the first person of colour elected to the board of the Calgary Stampede.

Pon has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal as well as the 2013 Harry and Martha Cohen Award, recognizing significant contributions to Calgary’s theatre community. In 2021, Pon was deeply honoured to be gifted the Blackfoot name of Miss’tommohtsaamiaakii, which means Two Standing Headdress Woman. In 2024, Pon was a recipient of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal.

We live in one of the most peaceful, prosperous, and safest places in the world. We are fortunate. But we must also see that not everyone shares in that fortune. There are those among us who have had much taken from them, even in a place like this. So let your heart remain open. Let your actions be rooted in understanding.

Patti Pon

Cynthia Provost

Friday, June 13 at 2 p.m.
Faculty of Health, Community and Education
Faculty of Arts

Cynthia Provost

Cynthia Provost is a respected leader from Piikani First Nation who has made significant contributions to both law enforcement and Indigenous communities in Calgary and beyond. In 1997, she became the first Blackfoot woman to join the Calgary Police Service, where she dedicated over two decades of duty and distinguished service. As the Indigenous Strategic Engagement Officer, Provost worked to build stronger relationships between the police, community and all people.

Her efforts included organizing initiatives to increase cultural competency within policing, the Calgary community, provincially and nationally. Her advocacy and volunteerism for Indigenous rights and social justice was awarded with a pinnacle career appointment to become a Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces (M.O.M.), by the Chancellor’s Command in 2019.

In 2023, Provost was elected into Piikani Nation leadership. Her leadership extends beyond her professional work, with past involvement in various organizations, including the City of Calgary, the Calgary Stampede, the Calgary Foundation, the Centre for Newcomers, the Calgary Catholic Board of Education, the Alberta Solicitor General and Public Safety, and the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

You are entering a world that needs you. It needs compassionate nurses, ethical justice professionals, creative designers, skilled midwives, and steady hands in emergency care. But it also needs people of integrity, people who are willing to grow beyond their roles, beyond expectation, and beyond what is easy, to serve with humility, courage, and purpose … Do not be afraid to serve.

Cynthia Provost