OCAD U announces 2026 honorary degree recipients

Press Release

June 3, 2026

OCAD University is recognizing four accomplished individuals for their outstanding contributions to design, arts and culture, and philanthropy by conferring honorary doctorate degrees to arts visionary and advocate Rita Davies; innovative entrepreneur, inventor and digital trailblazer Joshua Greer; award-winning journalist, author and filmmaker Tanya Talaga; and distinguished scholar and philanthropist Ash K. Prakash.

“Through their unique accomplishments in their respective fields, these remarkable individuals embody OCAD University’s mission of imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world – a world where art, design and philanthropy are catalysts in advancing positive and meaningful change,” says OCAD U President and Vice-Chancellor Ana Serrano. “As we approach our 150th anniversary this fall, these honorees inspire us to continue our rich tradition of creative impact across all sectors.”

The four honorary doctorate recipients will join more than 800 students from OCAD U’s Faculty of Design, Faculty of Art, Faculty of Arts and Science, and the School of Graduate Studies at two Convocation ceremonies on June 19.

OCAD UNIVERSITY’S 2026 HONORARY DOCTORATE RECIPIENTS

Rita Davies, C.M.

Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa

Rita Davies is a cultural visionary who has galvanized Toronto and Ontario’s artistic landscape for more than three decades, demonstrating that the arts and culture sector is a powerful economic engine and city-builder. Her advocacy and commitment to enriching lives, communities and our society through support for artists, designers and the arts and culture sector has had a profound and lasting impact across Canada.

As the first executive director of the Toronto Arts Council, Davies transformed the organization to become a fierce champion of the arts and a major culture and arts funding institution. She oversaw the groundbreaking Arts Council report, Cultural Equity, which was adopted by the City of Toronto, and used as a model by arts funding bodies throughout Canada and world-wide. As the first executive director of the City of Toronto’s Culture Division, she spearheaded the creation of diverse and inclusive programs and helped develop more vibrant arts spaces in Toronto, including Nuit Blanche.

Joshua Greer

Doctor of Design, Honoris Causa

Joshua Greer is a visionary entrepreneur, inventor and digital trailblazer who has more than 30 years of experience transforming the entertainment and health care industries through innovative technology. Greer doesn’t just adapt to the future—he builds it. For example, at RealD, he designed and introduced the world’s first all-digital 3D projection system that has redefined cinematic experiences worldwide and is now the gold standard for 3D cinema.

As president of Digital Planet, he spearheaded web strategies for Hollywood powerhouses such as MCA Universal, MGM UA, 20th Century Fox, Sony and Warner Bros during the web’s early era and led digital innovation for director James Cameron’s visual effects empire Digital Domain. He produced the first-ever streaming media site for General Motors and led new media initiatives for landmark films, including Fight Club, What Dreams May Come and the Fifth Element. He also developed a comprehensive digital technology strategy for Walden Media, an entertainment company focused on family-friendly content for young audiences, including Holes, Charlotte’s Web and the Chronicles of Narnia. More recently, as co-founder of Tandem Care, he is focused on designing a new system for caring and aging in place for senior citizens.

Ash K. Prakash, C.M.

Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa

Ash K. Prakash is an internationally respected scholar, author and philanthropist whose four-decade career has shaped how Canadian art is studied, collected and understood around the world.

He has helped assemble art collections for leading private collectors, corporations and major museums, championing the depth and diversity of Canadian art. His influential books, Canadian Art: Selected Masters, Independent Spirit: Early Canadian Women Painters and Impressionism in Canada: A Journey of Rediscovery, have reframed art history with clarity, conviction and a collector’s eye.

Since 2012, he has made a transformative endowment of $30 million in art and funding to the A. K. Prakash Foundation for advancing scholarship in historical Canadian art and promoting Canadian medical expertise by increasing access to health care in the Global south, creating a dual legacy of cultural and humanitarian impact.

Tanya Talaga

Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa

Tanya Talaga is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author and filmmaker of Anishinaabe and Polish descent and a proud member of Fort William First Nation in the Robinson-Superior Treaty territory. She is one of Canada’s most compelling voices in contemporary media who brings lived experience, rigour and urgency to her storytelling.

After more than two decades shaping national conversations at the Toronto Star, Talaga is a regular columnist with The Globe and Mail. Her three national bestsellers, Seven Fallen Feathers, All Our Relations and The Knowing, examined the enduring impacts of colonialism on Indigenous communities while honouring the strength, resilience and interconnectedness of Indigenous communities. The Knowing inspired a four-part documentary series for CBC that earned the 2025 Canadian Screen Award for Best Writing.

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