Honorary Degree Recipients

Fall 2023 Honorary Degree Receipient

Gary Drummond

Total surprise was Gary Drummond’s reaction when he first learned he would be the recipient of a University of Regina honorary degree. As one of the most successful business people in the province’s history there is no denying his qualifications. 

Drummond was one of the founding partners of Direct Energy in the late 1980s and since that time he has successfully lead businesses in real estate, farming, ethanol production, brew pubs and tap houses, a string of oil and gas companies, an electricity and natural gas marketing company, a smart meter supplier, a security firm, and an upscale hotel in Kelowna. He also practiced commercial law for 18 years and served four years as the president of hockey operations for the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes.

Drummond credits the success that he’s had to what he learned in university, particularly about focusing, prioritizing and building long-term relationships. A post-secondary education does not guarantee health or happiness, he says, but it is a foundational building block to a creative and successful career, and, generally, a better life.

“It is much more difficult without a post-secondary education to achieve that level of success, and so I feel that the grads receiving their degrees from the U of R are very fortunate, and will have opportunities open up to them, as they did for me,” says Drummond. “Having a university in a community certainly opens up paths for individuals, and contributes to the overall well-being of the community.”

Spring 2023 Honorary Degree Recipients

MARK McMORRIS

Mark McMorris is one of the most decorated athletes in snowboarding history, holding three Olympic medals, twenty-two X Games medals, and four U.S. Open Championship wins. A decade after winning his first X Games, McMorris has emerged as a leader in the sports world. He is a trailblazer on social media and has partnered with many top brands to help create a more inclusive sport for all.

McMorris and his brother Craig launched the McMorris Foundation in 2012 with the goal of inspiring youth in need to find their passion through sport. The McMorris Foundation has raised over $350,000 and helped to provide over 3,500 Canadian kids with athletic opportunities.

His history of comebacks and resilience has shown that there are no limits for what he is willing to do to achieve his goals.

Growing up in pancake-flat Saskatchewan, McMorris never expected to become one of snowboarding’s biggest stars. McMorris is feeling the same way about receiving a University of Regina honorary degree.

“Honestly, I never thought I would receive anything like this,” he says. “Being recognized with an honorary degree from the University of Regina is a huge honour.”

GLORIA MEHLMANN

Access to a good education is a theme that runs through Gloria Mehlmann’s life. She says her choice to pursue teaching was one of the best decisions of her professional life. She taught at four schools in the Regina Public Schools system from 1962 to 1983, and was later seconded to serve as the Director of Research and Development with the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, now First Nations University of Canada.

As the director of Aboriginal Education for the provincial Department of Education from 1994 to 2004, she oversaw the integration of Indigenous perspectives and content into the K-12 curriculum.

She also served as a member and chair of the Regina Public Library board and was the representative to the University of Regina Senate for the Saskatchewan Library Trustees' Association. A gifted writer, Mehlmann penned Gifted to Learn, a memoir of her teaching career and Adam’s Tree, a firsthand account of the impacts of Indian Act policies and residential schooling.

In 2005, Mehlmann received the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal in recognition of her contributions to education, libraries and community development.

She describes her honorary degree as an incredible honour. “I’m not sure what I will say to the graduates at the ceremony, but it will be about my love of learning, and it will be from my heart.”

Gloria Mehlmann received an honorary Doctor of Letters honoris causa (DLitt) on June 15, 2023.