News Briefs

Dal’s honorary degree recipients announced

Alongside this year’s graduating class, Dalhousie has named Peter MacKinnon, Robert Roberts and Romeo Dallaire as this fall’s honourary degree recipients.
MacKinnon is a Dal graduate who went on to become the president of the University of Saskatchewan from 1999 to 2012. In 2006 he was a candidate for the Supreme Court of Canada, and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011.
Robert Roberts is a leading figure in cardiology. He is the president, CEO and chief scientific officer of the largest cardiovascular health center in Canada, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.
Romeo Dallaire is a Canadian Senator known for heading the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda, during which he pressured for intervention in, and helped interrupt, the genocide against the Tutsis.

Molly Appeal
The Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation has begun calling for donations for its annual Molly Appeal, an initiative which aims to raise money for research in immunity, inflammation, and infectious diseases.
This year, the money raised will go towards the purchase of a high speed flow cytometer, a piece of equipment that allows researchers to examine cells efficiently, and will replace the old models currently used at Dal Medical School.
This will be the 33rd Molly Appeal, which has raised more than $5 million since its creation.

Bursar salary bursting
A list of salaries of University of King’s College staff, released in accordance with the Public Sector Compensation Disclosure Act, has created controversy on campus. It reveals that bursar Gerald Smith, currently on paid leave while he faces sexual assault charges, received $241,073 during the 2011/2012 fiscal year.
The second highest paid employee at the university was English professor and former president William Barker, who made $179,760.
Ken Burt, who holds the Dal position of VP (finance and administration), which is equivalent to the King’s bursar, made $224,657 during the same year. He is not highest paid staff member at Dal, as Thomas Marrie, the dean of medicine, was compensated $364,400.