OCAD U announces 2024 honorary degree recipients

Photo: Top row (left to right) Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller; Michael Massie. Bottom row: (left to right) Andrew Pringle; Siamak Hariri.

On June 14, OCAD University graduates will hear from remarkable individuals who have distinguished themselves across several fields – from the arts to architecture to philanthropy.

Among this year’s five honorary doctorate recipients are award-winning architect Siamak Hariri who delivers transformational and inclusive designs, and mixed-media artist Michael Massie, CM, RCA, whose distinguished art and design-based career reflects his mixed Inuit, Métis and Scottish heritage.

“We are excited to honour these inspiring individuals who have left indelible marks in their respective fields, making positive change possible,” says OCAD U’s President and Vice-Chancellor Ana Serrano. “They all share the same exceptional passion and commitment to driving meaningful, long-lasting impact that we encourage at OCAD U.”

The honorands will address graduands during the University’s spring Convocation Ceremonies being held at Roy Thomson Hall. More than 1,000 students are graduating this year.

Meet the 2024 honorary doctorate recipients:

• Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller are internationally renowned for their ground-breaking collaborative media works, audio walks and installations. They represented Canada at the 49th Venice Biennale in 2001 and were recognized with the La Biennale di Venezia International Prize and the Benesse Prize for their installation, “The Paradise Institute.” No other Canadian artist has received this honour. In 2023, they opened a large museum space, the Cardiff Miller Art Warehouse in Enderby, British Columbia, to showcase several of their large immersive installations.

• Siamak Hariri is the recipient of more than 100 architectural awards, including five Governor General Medals in Architecture. The celebrated architect has delivered transformative architectural designs, which includes the Bahá’í Temple of South America in Santiago, Chile; the Tom Patterson Theatre at the Stratford Festival; Casey House and the BARLO MS Centre in Toronto; redesigns at the Art Gallery of Ontario and Royal Ontario Museum, including the current OpenROM project to reimagine the ground floor; and the offices of McKinsey & Company, the youngest building to be recognized with City of Toronto Heritage designation. 

• Andrew Pringle, CM, is being recognized for his significant contributions to the arts and culture, community wellness and education sectors. He currently chairs the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR). He is a member of the boards of the Shaw Festival Foundation, Fidelity Canada LTD, Atlantic Salmon Federation and Mount Sinai Health Foundation. Formerly Managing Director, Head of Global Fixed Income at RBC Capital Markets from 1972 to 2002, Pringle and his two business partners founded RPIA in 2009, a fixed income asset management firm. RPIA has now grown to 100 employees, managing $10 billion for individuals, families, institutions and investment advisors across Canada. 

• Michael Massie, CM, RCA, is a Newfoundland-based multi-media artist who channels his diverse Inuit, Métis, and Scottish heritage into his creations. An exceptional silversmith, Massie has garnered international acclaim for his sculpture, seamlessly blending stone, wood and metal. His pieces draw inspiration from both his Indigenous and European roots; each embodies a rich narrative, intertwining personal, communal, and global themes. 

OCAD U’S HONORARY DOCTORATE RECIPIENTS

The following honorary doctorate recipients will receive their degrees during the morning ceremony for the Faculty of Design at 10:30 a.m.

SIAMAK HARIRI

DOCTOR OF DESIGN, HONORIS CAUSA

Siamak Hariri is founding partner of Hariri Pontarini Architects, a 150-person practice in Toronto that entered its fourth decade in 2024. His portfolio comprises cultural, academic, health care, spiritual and residential projects throughout Canada and abroad. The practice has won more than 100 awards, including five Governor General Medals in Architecture and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Architectural Firm Award and Innovation in Architecture Award. 

To each creative project, Hariri brings a profound interest in light, form, site, material and craft, through which he has delivered admired and transformative architectural design. Among his many notable works are the Bahá’í Temple of South America in Santiago, Chile; the Tom Patterson Theatre at the Stratford Festival; Casey House and the BARLO MS Centre in Toronto; redesigns at the Art Gallery of Ontario and Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), including the current OpenROM project to reimagine the ground floor; and the offices of McKinsey & Company, the youngest building to be recognized with City of Toronto Heritage designation. 

He has served as a lecturer and guest critic, participated on design juries and was a member of the Toronto Community Foundation and Waterfront Toronto’s Design Review Panel. He lives in Toronto with his wife, artist Sasha Rogers, and their three children, Lua, Yasmin and David.

MICHAEL MASSIE, CM, RCA

DOCTOR OF DESIGN, HONORIS CAUSA

Newfoundland-based multi-media artist Michael Massie, CM, RCA, channels his diverse Inuit, Métis, and Scottish heritage into his creations. An exceptional silversmith, Massie has garnered international acclaim for his sculpture, seamlessly blending stone, wood and metal. His pieces draw inspiration from both his Indigenous and European roots; each embodies a rich narrative, intertwining personal, communal, and global themes.

Massie's breakthrough came in 2005 with his solo exhibition at Vancouver's Spirit Wrestler Gallery. With over 25 years devoted to both graphic and sculptural works, he has earned widespread recognition not only in Canada but also internationally.

In 2017, Massie was appointed to the Order of Canada, honouring his significant contributions to Canadian art. His creations have graced exhibitions worldwide and adorn esteemed public and private collections, including those of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the Heard Museum, the Royal Ontario Museum, the National Gallery of Canada and the Montreal Museum of Fine Art.

The following honorary doctorate recipients will receive their degrees during the afternoon ceremony for the Faculty of Art, Faculty of Arts and Science and the School of Graduate Studies at 3:30 p.m.

JANET CARDIFF AND GEORGE BURES MILLER

DOCTOR OF FINE ARTS, HONORIS CAUSA

Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller are known for their immersive multimedia sound installations and their audio/video walks. They have recently shown at the Museum Tinguely in Basel, Switzerland (2023); Lehmbruck Museum in Duisburg, Germany; Museum of Modern Art in New York City, New York (2019); Museum of Contemporary Art in Monterrey, Mexico (2019); Oude Kerk, Amsterdam (2018); 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan (2017); Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, France (2017); ARoS Aarhus Art Museum in Aarhus, Denmark (2015); Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, Spain (2015); Menil Collection in Houston, Texas (2015); 19th Biennale of Sydney in Australia (2014); the Cloisters, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (2013); and dOCUMENTA 13 in Kassel, Germany (2012).

In 2020, they were awarded the Wilhelm Lehmbruck Prize for sculpture and in 2011 they received Germany’s Käthe Kollwitz Prize. In 2001, Cardiff and Miller represented Canada at the 49th Venice Biennale, for which they received La Biennale di Venezia International Prize and the Benesse Prize. They currently live and work in British Columbia.

In 2023, they opened a large museum space, the Cardiff Miller Art Warehouse in Enderby, British Columbia, to showcase several of their large immersive installations.

ANDREW PRINGLE, CM 

DOCTOR OF LAWS, HONORIS CAUSA

Andrew Pringle, CM, worked in the investment business at RBC Capital Markets from 1972 to 2002, where he retired as Managing Director, Head of Global Fixed Income and a member of the firm's Executive Committee. He was one of the founding directors of Freedom International Brokerage in 1987. 

In 2009, Pringle and his two business partners founded RPIA, a fixed income asset management firm. RPIA began with six employees and $25 million in assets under management, and has now grown to 100 employees, managing $10 billion for individuals, families, institutions, and investment advisors across Canada. Pringle remains a Principal at the firm and serves as Chair. 

He also chairs the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR). He is a member of the boards of Fidelity Canada LTD, Atlantic Salmon Federation, Shaw Festival Foundation and Mount Sinai Health Foundation. He is a former Chair of the Shaw Festival, Toronto Police Services Board and Board of Governors of Upper Canada College. 

Active in politics, Pringle chaired the PC Ontario Fund from 2004 to 2008. A candidate in the October 2007 Ontario provincial election, he served as volunteer Chief of Staff at Queen’s Park to the Leader of the Official Opposition, John Tory, from December 2007 to June 2009. 

In June 2016, Pringle was awarded the Order of Canada. He lives in Toronto with his wife, broadcaster Valerie Pringle.