Royal Roads University President Philip Steenkamp has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal, recognizing those who have made significant contributions to Canada and their home provinces. Presented by The Honourable Janet Austin, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Steenkamp received the award July 18, 2024 at a ceremony at Government House.
"I'm deeply honored to be recognized with such a significant award, which is also a testament to the collaborative efforts of many dedicated individuals," Steenkamp says. "This recognition underscores the importance of community and collective action to drive meaningful progress in areas of great importance to us all."
Since taking on the role of RRU president in 2019, Steenkamp has been named one of the top five post-secondary leaders in BC. He has tirelessly worked towards the university's vision of inspiring people with the courage to transform the world. Among his notable achievements, he established the Cascade Institute, a world-leading research centre for complex system science led by Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon, and created Royal Roads' first Human Rights, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion office. He recently joined partners to announce that RRU has received the largest gift in the university's history. Valued at $9.93 million, the donation from the estate of the late Susan Bloom includes a property on Salt Spring Island, enabling expanded programming for the community.
He also helped secure $88 million in funding from local and provincial governments to build the first-of-its-kind collaborative post-secondary partnership with the University of Victoria and Camosun College. The collaborative West Shore campus is set to open in the fall of 2025.
Previously, he held roles of vice-president, external relations at the University of British Columbia and at Simon Fraser University. He has also held senior leadership positions in multiple provincial ministries over a 17-year career in the public service. In 2003, he was named a Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal recipient for outstanding public service to the people of British Columbia.
Thirty-thousand people have been selected from across the country for the Coronation Medal, the first Canadian honour to mark a coronation.
