Meet the Honorary Degree Recipients of Fall 2025
McMaster University will be conferring honorary degrees upon two distinguished individuals during Fall 2025 convocation ceremonies: Dr. Daniel Drucker and Rumina Velshi. These awards recognize their exceptional contributions to their respective fields and to society as a whole.
Dr. Daniel Drucker, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, is a globally renowned biomedical scientist specializing in diabetes research. his groundbreaking work has garnered numerous accolades, including the Canada Gairdner International Award for Biomedical Science, the VinFuture Prize, the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award, the harold Hamm International Prize for Diabetes Research, the Novo Nordisk Foundation EASD Prize for Excellence in Diabetes Research, the Wolf Prize in Medicine, and the Helmholtz Diabetes Center Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Drucker has also been inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of fame and elected to the US National Academy of Medicine. Further acknowledging his influence, Time Magazine has twice recognized him – once as one of the world’s 100 most influential people in healthcare and again as one of the 100 most influential people overall.
Rumina Velshi brings a wealth of experience in the energy sector, especially in nuclear energy, and a strong commitment to diversity and international collaboration. Holding degrees in civil and chemical engineering,as well as an MBA from the University of Toronto,Ms. velshi spent over three decades at Ontario Power Generation and Ontario Hydro, rising to senior executive positions. She has served as chair of the Employment Insurance Board of Referees and as a member of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
From 2018 to 2023, Ms. Velshi served as President and CEO of the CNSC, during which time she launched the Women in STEM initiative and co-chaired both the International Gender Champions Impact Group on Gender Equality in Nuclear Regulatory Agencies, the Commission of Safety Standards for the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the International Nuclear Regulators Association. Currently, she serves on the boards of Hydro Ottawa and SaskPower, is a member of the International Nuclear Safety Advisory group, and chairs the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency High-level Group of Stakeholder Engagement and Trust.
Ms. velshi is also an expert advisor to Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority and the Canadian law firm Torys LLP, and co-founded ZettaJoule, a nuclear energy startup based in Japan. She is a dedicated advocate for women in STEM,co-chairing Canada’s first Nuclear Energy Agency International Mentoring Workshop for Indigenous young women and co-founding Canada’s Driving the Advancement of Women in Nuclear. She is a board member with the Canadian institute of Women in Engineering and Sciences and actively volunteers with organizations including the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, the Toronto Board of health, scientists in School, and Women in Nuclear Canada. Recognized for her leadership, Ms. Velshi was the inaugural recipient of the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation’s “Icon of Nuclear” award and currently holds positions as a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Nuclear Energy Policy Initiative and a distinguished fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and public Policy.
