On September 22, Bishop's University Chancellor Daniel Fournier presided a special 196th Convocation ceremony to officially welcome Dr. Sébastien Lebel-Grenier as the 19th Principal and Vice-Chancellor. For the occasion, Bishop's also conferred degrees, diplomas, and certificates in course to some 40 graduates in attendance for the Class of 2023.
Special Advisor in the Indigenous Student Support Centre, Vicky Boldo gave the welcoming address and greeted students, faculty, guests, and dignitaries to the land.
Convocation is also a time to recognize the outstanding achievements of deserving individuals, by conferring Doctorates in Civil Law (D.C.L.) upon Honorands - former rectrice at Université de Sherbrooke, Luce Samoisette and contemporary artist, Heidi Feldman Spector will be honored during this ceremony. Citation for Ms. Samoisette was given by former Bishop's University Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Michael Goldbloom, C.M., while Dr. Jean Manore, Bishop's University Dean of Humanities introduced Ms. Spector.
Sébastien Lebel-Grenier - Credit: Jessica Ford
"Convocation marks an important milestone for all Bishop's University graduates, a memorable life event for students who have been the heart of our community in recent years," remarks Bishop's University Chancellor Daniel Fournier "They are now ready to face the new challenges that await them, and we are confident that they are well prepared to do so."
"Bishop's is exemplary in that it epitomizes the best that society can achieve, standing together in respect of our differences and in appreciation of the wealth that comes with diversity", states newly installed Bishop's University Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Sébastien Lebel-Grenier, "I wanted to be at Bishop's because its identity embodies values that are fundamental to me: collaboration, respect, inclusion and curiosity."
Representatives from various universities were in attendance to bring greetings and to congratulate Dr. Sébastien Lebel-Grenier:
- Université de Montréal - Daniel Jutras, recteur;
- Brock University - Dr. Lesley Rigg, President and Vice-Chancellor, represented by Dr. Paul Gallina from Bishop's University;
- Université du Québec - Alexandre Cloutier, President;
- Concordia University, Philippe Beauregard, Chief Communications Officer;
- Champlain College - Lennoxville - Ms. Nancy Beattie, Campus Director.
The special ceremony concluded with the conferring of Bachelor's degrees to forty students from the Faculties of Humanities, Social Sciences, William School of Business, and Sciences. Master's degrees were presented to students from the Department of Computer Sciences
Honourands for this Special Convocation are:
LUCE SAMOISETTE
Luce Samoisette began her career in 1993 as a Professor of Tax law at the Faculty of Law of the Université de Sherbrooke. She was quickly invited to become involved in faculty management and became its Vice-Dean of Education in 1996. Her commitment then evolved into university administration. In 1998, she became the University's Secretary General until 2001 when she became the University's first "rectrice adjointe" and Vice-Rector administration. In December 2008, she presented her candidature for the position of rector. Elected first female rectrice of the Université de Sherbrooke for a five-year term, she took office on June 1, 2009. During this period, notably as President of the Bureau de coopération universitaire du Québec, she was committed to promoting the development of all universities and encouraging greater collaboration between them. In 2017, at the end of her second and final term, she joined the Department of Taxation in the School of Business as a full professor. Since 2019, she has been leading the Master's program in Taxation, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.
HEIDI FELDMAN SPECTOR
Heidi Spector is a geometric artist best known for her exploration of minimalism as studied through lines, repetition, color and reflection. Spector's work has been the subject of numerous solo and group shows including exhibitions in Montreal, London, Paris, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and New York. Her work is included in several corporate, private and museum collections worldwide.
Her paintings and sculptural cubes composed of acrylic painted as bands of color on Russian birch, are topped with resin, creating a surface where candy-like colors pulse and dance together, alluding to the impact of popular music on her work. Referred to by the artist as "geometric minimalism," Spector purposefully avoids injecting specific
emotional content to her paintings, instead opting for bold color choices that quickly establish an upbeat and lively mood.
Her shining repetitive pattern of vertical or horizontal stripes project a natural sense of optimism and joy informed by the techno beats and self-absorption of club life. Spector's paintings are influenced by popular music, taking on titles based on song lyrics by artists as varied as Duke Ellington, Roxy Music, Amy Winehouse and DJ Tiesto.
The color palette of each painting is in part a response to each song, infusing her works with the sensation of being an audio/visual playlist. The geometric opticality and slick surfaces of Spector's paintings connect her works with a tradition of hard-edge painters, such as Bridget Riley and Frank Stella. Her vision of the paintings as objects of desire and joy, however, also place Spector's work alongside contemporary pop artists embracing kitsch as profound.
