Distinguished Alumni Award

Dr. Michael DeGagne, ‘87 currently serves as the 7th President and Vice-Chancellor of Nipissing University. Dr. DeGagne has twenty-five years of public sector leadership experience and his career also includes work with the federal? government in the management of Aboriginal programs and as a negotiator of comprehensive claims. In addition, he has served as the founding Executive Director of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, a national organization that addressed the legacy of Indian Residential Schools.

Dr. DeGagne has a PhD. in Education focusing on aboriginal post-secondary success from Michigan State University, and Masters's degree in Administration from Central Michigan University (CMU), and Masters's of Law degree from York University. He lectures nationally and internationally in the areas of Indigenous governance and reconciliation. He is a recipient of the Order of Canada and the

Order of Ontario as well as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. Dr. DeGagne has served on numerous Boards of Directors in the health and university sectors including Chairman of Ottawa's Queensway-Carleton Hospital and Chairman of the Child Welfare League of Canada.

Dr. DeGagne has authored a number of publications on Aboriginal reconciliation and healing both in Canada and Australia, and he speaks regularly on the International stage on First Nation’s issues including residential schools. Dr. DeGagne consistently displays a strong belief in service above self and he is a strong respectful educator and role model. Both Dr. DeGagne’s father and wife

are CMU grads and he attributes his opportunities in post-secondary education to his father’s pursuit of a Master’s Degree through the CMU Global Campus programs in the 1980’s. Dr. DeGagne often states, “CMU provided the opportunity for me to complete my Master’s which lead to lifelong learning and

eventually to the position I occupy today.”

Dr. DeGagne has been a strong supporter of the CMU Alumni Association in Ontario and has been a key-note speaker on CMU’s main campus.