Chancellor named to Order of B.C.

UVic Chancellor Dr. Norma Mickelson can soon add the letters O.B.C. after her name.

Mickelson is one of 10 people recently named to the Order of British Columbia — the province’s highest award for outstanding achievement. She’ll be presented with the award in a ceremony at Government House in September.

Mickelson, who has served as UVic’s chancellor since 1997, holds a master’s degree in education from UVic and a PhD in education from the University of Washington. She became the first female academic dean in Canada after being appointed UVic’s dean of education in 1980 and has long been a leader on the issue of gender bias in university teaching and research.

After being named special advisor to the president on equity issues in 1989, Mickelson set up UVic’s equity office and played a key role in the creation of the university’s equity policy. She continues to be a passionate champion of improving the status of women in Canadian universities.

Mickelson, an expert on literacy, has 140 publications to her credit, including books, articles, poems and educational videos that enriched the field of children’s verbal learning and literacy evaluation.

Her activities have not been limited to the university. In 1992, she was a member of the provincial primary program steering committee and was a key member of the 1992 provincial government student assistance review committee. She was chair of the board of the B.C. Assessment Authority from 1992–95, and is a past member of the board of the Greater Victoria Music Festival and the United Way.

Among her many honours are the inaugural Sarah Shorten Award (1991) for contributions to equity in Canadian universities, UVic’s Distinguished Alumni Award (1995), and the Victoria YM/YMCA Women of Distinction Lifetime Achievement Award (1998). In 2000 she was named to the Order of Canada.

Joining Mickelson in the Order of B.C. is Dr. George Pedersen who served as UVic’s dean of education from 1972–75 and vice president academic in 1978 before moving on to the presidencies of five other universities. He’s currently chancellor of the University of Northern B.C.