St. FX to Confer Honourary Degrees to Entertainer Natalie MacMaster, Elder Kerry Prosper and Business Leader and Philanthropist Mark Wallace at Spring Convocation

Apr 20, 2026 | Local News

St. Francis Xavier University will honour three distinguished individuals at its Spring Convocation ceremonies on Sunday, May 3, presenting the degree Doctor of Laws upon Natalie MacMaster, one of Canada’s most celebrated fiddlers; Mi’kmaw Elder Kerry Prosper ’09, whose decades of leadership have advanced Mi’kmaq cultural practices and strengthened advocacy for Indigenous rights; and Mark Wallace ’80, a respected business leader and philanthropist known for his principled leadership and lasting community impact.

Natalie MacMaster (St. FX University photo)

More than 1,000 students are set to graduate during morning and afternoon convocation ceremonies to be held at the Charles V. Keating Centre on May 3.

Elder Kerry Prosper

Dr. Susan Vincent, Department of Anthropology, will be recognized as Professor Emerita. Dr. Darien DeWolf, Department of Math & Statistics, will receive the Outstanding Teaching Award. The President’s Research Award will go to Dr. Kailin Wright, Department of English, and the University Research Award will be awarded to Dr. Charlene Weaving, Department of Human Kinetics.

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When Howard, a radio veteran and one of the original Broadcast News anchors, founded Broadcast Dialogue in 1992, he saw a need for both timely delivery of Canadian broadcast industry news, but also recognized the importance of creating a sense of community.

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