2025 honorary doctorate
During the second ceremony, a special honour was reserved for a Canadian icon, Olympian and public health leader Abby Hoffman, who received an honorary doctorate.
Hoffman has been a big name in the world of sports for decades, both as an athlete and in sports governance, nationally and internationally, in addition to working in health policy. She has had a lifelong commitment to equity and excellence in Canadian sports and health.
A trailblazer from the beginning
Hoffman鈥檚 interest in sports began early. At just nine years old, she cut her hair short in order to play hockey in a Toronto boys Junior A league. This story made national headlines and marked the start of her fight for equal opportunity for girls and women in sport. In her teens and 20s, she became a national champion and four-time Olympian in the 800m run. Hoffman set a Canadian record and served as Canada鈥檚 flagbearer at the 1976 Montreal Games, the first woman to receive this honour at a Summer Olympics.
Off the track, Hoffman became the first woman to serve as director general of Sport Canada. In this role, she promoted gender equality, athlete funding, and inclusion across Canadian athletics. She was also the first woman elected to the executive of the Canadian Olympic Committee and one of the first elected to the executive committee of World Athletics (formerly known as the International Association of Athletics Federations), on which she continues to serve today.
Shaping Canadian sport policy and Health Canada
In addition to her impact in sport, Hoffman went on to serve as assistant deputy minister at Health Canada. In this role, she worked on matters affecting the health of all Canadians, including women鈥檚 health, access to pharmaceuticals, the Canada Health Act and access to medical assistance in dying. Her high-impact work in sport and in health has been widely recognized, including by national and international halls of fame and through honorary doctorates from three other universities.
In every step Abby Hoffman has taken, she has broken barriers and forged new pathways for others, leaving a lasting mark on Canadian athletics and health.
A snapshot of our graduating class!
After many years of work, these graduates are now members of our large alumni community.
Class of 2025 in numbers*:
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences: 411 (undergraduate), 18 (graduate)
- School of Human Kinetics: 207 (undergraduate), 72 (graduate)
- School of Nursing (including collaborative program with Algonquin College): 352 (undergraduate), 67 (graduate)
- School of Nutrition Sciences: 45 (undergraduate), 10 (graduate)
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences: 100 (graduate)
*Includes all diploma recipients between September 2024 and June 2025.
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