5 December 2022 News Releases
Dr. Kevin McCormick, President and Vice-Chancellor of Huntington University, is this year’s recipient of the Paul Harris Fellowship. The award is the highest honour that Rotary can grant to an individual, and was bestowed upon Dr. McCormick, by both the Sunrisers and Rotary Club of Sudbury, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Greater Sudbury, country and globe. The award is named after Rotary’s founder and is given to individuals whose outstanding contributions best exemplify Rotary’s motto – Service Above Self.
“I am truly humbled by this honour, as community service and volunteering with amazing people in support of others has always been extremely important to me,” said Dr. Kevin McCormick, President and Vice-Chancellor of Huntington University. “I would like to thank all of the inspirational community leaders, innovative organizations on local, national and international levels, that I’ve had the privilege and honour of working with for decades. I am also extremely fortunate to work with incredible and passionate community advocates in Greater Sudbury and Northern Ontario who are committed to human rights and social justice for everyone.”
Since 1960, Huntington University has promoted the importance of excellence in learning alongside community service. As President and Vice-Chancellor of Huntington University, Dr. Kevin McCormick is not only a champion for education, he is also a local hero who has demonstrated unwavering dedication to the numerous personal causes he supports.
At present he is the Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the Irish Regiment of Canada – second Battalion, a Patron of St. John Ambulance – Ontario Council, and also devotes much of his time and talent to support organizations at the local, provincial and national levels, such as Maison Vale Hospice, Vitanova Foundation, United Way, Sudbury Theatre Centre, Sudbury Food Bank, Access Aids Network, and Big Brothers / Big Sisters.
Working independently and voluntarily Dr. McCormick often invests his own personal funds towards initiatives that support veterans and military families, refugees, and educational awareness campaigns for teachers, learners and scholars in developing countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Myanmar-Burma.
Internationally recognized as a humanitarian of distinction, Dr. McCormick has also worked to promote human rights in India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Laos. In addition, he has raised significant funds in support of international aid agencies such as UNICEF and UNHCR, leading him to be recognized by the United Nations, numerous governments and human rights agencies.
Dr. McCormick is the recipient of countless awards in recognition of his volunteerism, as well as his educational and philanthropic contributions. These include, to name but a few: the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubiliee Medals awarded by the Governor General of Canada, the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship, the Community Builders Award for Excellence in Education, and Canadian Professor of the Year. HLCol McCormick is also an Officer in the Order of St. John – one of Canada’s five national honours. He has also been recognized with numerous citations from local governments, and the offices of both the Prime Minister of Canada and the Premier of Ontario. In 2011 he was named a Member of the Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Thailand, by the King, for his contributions to international education and humanitarianism.