The Thirsk degreeFloating 400 kilometres above the Earth, Canadian Space Agency astronaut and U of C alumnus Robert Thirsk will become the first person in orbit to receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws.
Back on Earth, the historic ceremony on campus will include U of C Chancellor Joanne Cuthbertson, President Harvey Weingarten, invited guests and about 100 young teens from the Minds in Motion and Mini U summer camps. You can follow the event on the U of C's Twitter page.
"I could not think of a more deserving recipient than Bob Thirsk," said Weingarten. "He's an excellent ambassador for both the University of Calgary and Canada. His accomplishments are beyond impressive and he remains a thoroughly genuine and compassionate individual."
As he zips across the sky at more than eight kilometres per second, Thirsk is part of a history-making expedition aboard the space station. Launching into orbit on May 27, he is the first Canadian to undertake a long-duration space flight spanning six months. And he is one of a record-setting six astronauts now living and working aboard the station performing scientific experiments that will set the stage for future long-distance missions to the moon and Mars.
Thirsk earned his first degree in mechanical engineering at the U of C in 1976 from what is now the Schulich School of Engineering. And while he went on to earn two master's degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his medical degree from McGill University, he remains closely tied to Calgary with many friends and family still living here. He was the inaugural recipient of the U of C's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1985.