On November 18, during MacEwan's Fall 2025 Convocation ceremonies, Dr. Bryan Edward Kolb will receive a Doctor of the University honorary degree.

 “It is my pleasure to welcome Dr. Kolb into the MacEwan community of honorary doctorates, and I look forward to hearing him address our graduates at Convocation,” says Dr. Annette Trimbee, president and vice-chancellor. “He has dedicated his career to science and using research to help us better understand human behaviour and development. Our strategic vision, Teaching Greatness, talks about the importance of a commitment to exceptional learning and valuable research. Dr. Kolb exemplifies these qualities.”

Dr. Kolb has been recognized nationally and internationally for his groundbreaking work in advancing understanding of the human brain. He is an Emeritus Professor and was a Board of Governors’ Research Chair in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge. Dr. Kolb was also instrumental in establishing the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience research facility at the university. 

Dr. Kolb has studied the organization of the cerebral cortex in humans and lab animals for over 50 years. He has published seven books, including two textbooks, as well as over 450 articles and chapters.

Dr. Kolb was a member of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research’s program in Child and Brain Development for over 20 years ending in 2025. He is the former president of both the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive Science (CSBBCS); and the Experimental Division of the Canadian Psychological Association.

In 2016, Dr. Kolb was inducted as an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was a senior Fellow with Canadian Institutes for Advanced Research, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the American Psychological Association, Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), Association for Psychological Science, and the CSBBCS. In 2000, he was awarded the CPA’s Donald O. Hebb Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Science, and in 2002, the CSBBCS's Donald O. Hebb Distinguished Contribution Award. Dr. Kolb is a recipient of the Killam Fellowship from the Canada Council and the Queen's Diamond and Platinum Jubilee Medals. 

Dr. Kolb has undoubtedly inspired many faculty members at MacEwan, contributing meaningfully to their excellence as researchers and educators in the field of neuroscience. He will receive an honorary doctorate of the university degree on Tuesday, November 18 at 2:30 p.m.