TORONTO—Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto is pleased to announce that its honorary degree recipients for 2026 are Mr Byran Stevenson and Mrs Carol Boettcher. Both will receive their honorary degrees at Wycliffe’s spring convocation, which will take place at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 11 in Wycliffe College’s Sheraton Hall.
Mr Bryan Stevenson is a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer who has dedicated his career to helping the poor, the incarcerated, and the condemned. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a human rights organization in Montgomery, Alabama. Under his leadership, EJI has won major legal challenges eliminating excessive and unfair sentencing, exonerating innocent death row prisoners, confronting abuse of the incarcerated and the mentally ill, and aiding children prosecuted as adults. He led the creation of EJI’s highly acclaimed Legacy Sites, including the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and Freedom Monument Sculpture Park.
Mr Stevenson’s work has won him numerous awards, including the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Prize, and the ABA Medal, the American Bar Association’s highest honor. He is a graduate of the Harvard Law School and the Harvard School of Government; the author of the award-winning New York Times bestseller, Just Mercy, which was adapted as a major motion picture; and the subject of the Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary True Justice.
In 2023, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Biden.
Mr Stevenson will be awarded the degree Doctor of Sacred Letters (honoris causa), and he will deliver the Convocation Address.
Mrs Carol Boettcher is a human resources, labour relations, and organization change leader with over 40 years of experience in both the healthcare and education sectors. She has served as the Co-Chair, HR Council, Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network, as a member on several Board committees of the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, and as a management nominee for arbitration panels.
A member of Wycliffe College’s Board of Trustees for 10 years, Mrs Boettcher was appointed Chair in 2019, a role she held until spring 2025. During her tenure, Mrs Boettcher chaired the HR Committee, led the College with a steady hand through the pandemic, and sat on the selection committees for two principals.
Mrs Boettcher and her husband live in Toronto and attend Little Trinity Anglican Church.
She will be awarded the degree Doctor of Sacred Letters (honoris causa).
The honorary degree is Wycliffe College’s highest distinction. It is awarded to people whose lives and service to the Church and society align with the values of Wycliffe College and merit recognition.
