To recognize her role as an explorer, filmmaker, educator, author, photographer, deep diver and more, Jill Heinerth is being awarded an honorary doctorate from Victoria University in the University of Toronto.
The ceremony will take place on October 11, 2023, at 6:30 PM at the Isabel Bader Theatre on Victoria University’s campus. The honor will be conferred on Heinerth by University Chancellor Nick Saul.
Heinerth is a well-known figure in the diving community and is often described in glowing terms. Commenting about her in the past, Academy Award-winning director James Cameron stated:
“More people have been to the moon than to places that Jill Heinerth has explored deep inside our watery planet. A world-class technical diver and filmmaker, Jill’s extraordinary path from under Antarctic icebergs to tropical blue holes is proof that real life is far more exciting than fiction.”
While Sports Illustrated Women described her as follows:
“On the farthest fringe of adventure is a world unseen, a place with the merest hint of light, short breaths of air, abundant danger and one extraordinary woman, Jill Heinerth.”
Commenting on the award, Dr. Rhonda McEwen, the president and vice-chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto, stated:
“At Victoria University, we are committed to helping our students explore big ideas and landscapes so that they can envision their roles in shaping our world in meaningful ways. Jill Heinerth exemplifies someone who, through deep exploration and determination, is helping us all understand our relationship with our wondrous planet, and we are so pleased to celebrate her remarkable achievements.”
You can find out more about Jill Heinerth here.
(Featured Image credit: Rosemary E. Lunn)
