Ryerson University to recognize Judge Maryka Omatsu and entrepreneur Sajjad Ebrahim with Honorary Doctorate degrees, Oct. 16 and 17
TORONTO, Oct. 10, 2019 – As part of this year’s fall convocation ceremonies, Ryerson University will recognize the distinguished careers of Judge Maryka Omatsu and entrepreneur Sajjad Ebrahim with honorary doctorate degrees.
Judge Maryka Omatsu
A member of the Order of Ontario, Maryka Omatsu was named to the Ontario Court of Justice in 1993, becoming the first woman of East Asian heritage to be appointed a judge in Canada. She is the inaugural recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, and in 2013, she became the first Canadian to receive the Trailblazer Award from the United States-based National Asian Pacific Bar Association. She was recently named to the special advisory council of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and appointed co-chair of NAJC’s BC redress community consultations. Omatsu also played a key role in achieving redress for the internment of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War. In the 1980s, she served as legal counsel for the National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) and was a member of the organization’s strategy and negotiation team.
Omatsu will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree on Wed., Oct. 16 at 10:30 a.m.
Sajjad Ebrahim
In 1977, Sajjad Ebrahim immigrated to Canada and bought Par Pak Limited, a 20-employee company that manufactured plastic food containers. When he sold Par Pak in 2013, it had 900 employees, with an annual revenue topping $200 million. He has won multiple business and leadership awards, and is a member of the board of overseers for Columbia Business School, founder and president of the board of directors for Crescent Village, a not-for-profit housing complex in Richmond Hill, and is the principal supporter of The Society for the Prevention and Cure of Blindness in Pakistan. Ebrahim sponsored 20 Syrian refugee families through Ryerson University, helped raise $1 million for Brampton Civic Hospital and in 2015, donated $2.5 million to the urgent care centre at Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness.
Ebrahim will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree on Thurs., Oct. 17 at 10:30 a.m.
All ceremonies will take place at the Mattamy Athletic Centre at 50 Carlton Street, Toronto.
Seats are reserved for media. Any media wishing to attend, or for requests to interview honorary doctorate recipients, please contact Lindsey Craig, below.
WHAT: Honorary degree presentations and Convocation
WHEN: Judge Maryka Omatsu – Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 10:30 a.m.
Sajjad Ebrahim - Thursday, Oct. 17 at 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: Mattamy Athletic Centre at 50 Carlton Street, Toronto
If you require this in another format, please contact Ryerson University Public Affairs at 416-979-5000 x 7134.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lindsey Craig
Public Affairs, Ryerson University
lindseyc@torontomu.ca
416-979-5000 x 2126
@RyersonU