Convocation 2014: meet honorary grad Indira V. Samarasekera

Indira V. Samarasekera is now in her second term as president and vice-chancellor of the University of Alberta.

Appointed in 2005, some of her notable accomplishments include the development of a renewed vision and mission in Dare to Discover, the establishment of numerous international partnerships, and the initiation of construction of several major capital projects on campus, which together, total in excess of $1 billion.

On June 18, the University of Toronto recognized Samarasekera's extraordinary accomplishments, awarding her a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. 

Over a professional career spanning three decades, Samarasekera has distinguished herself as one of Canada’s leading Metallurgical Engineers. As a Fulbright-Hays Scholar, she earned a master of science from the University of California in 1976, and in 1980, she was granted a Doctorate of Metallurgical Engineering from the University of British Columbia.

A sought-after speaker, Samarasekera has addressed local, national and international audiences on various issues in post-secondary education and research, and has served as moderator, presenter and facilitator at several World Economic Forums. She also sits on several national and international boards, such as ScotiaBank and STIC (Science, Technology and Innovation Council) and served a term as chair of the WUN (World Universities Network).

In 2002, Samarasekera was awarded the Order of Canada in recognition of her outstanding contributions to steel process engineering. In 2014, she was named a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Engineering. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIMM) and an honorary member of AIME (American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers).