During fall convocation ceremonies to be held October 18, 2026, Mount Saint Vincent University will recognize the achievements of several hundred students and bestow an honorary degree on Jane Bertrand.
About Jane Bertrand, ECE Diploma, MEd, Hon D.Litt
Jane Bertrand has contributed to improved outcomes for countless children and families through her impact on early childhood education practice, policy, and research in Canada and internationally.
[Image description: a head and shoulders photo of Jane Bertrand]
Jane is the Program Director at the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Foundation, which advances initiatives focused on early childhood development, learning, and care. She was an Adjunct Professor at OISE, University of Toronto, and participated in OISE’s Early Learning PhD program; an Honorary Fellow with the Mitchell Institute, Melbourne, Australia; and an advisor to Our Place, Victoria, Australia.
Throughout her career, Jane has played a pivotal role in some of Canada’s most influential early childhood research initiatives. She worked in collaboration with Dr. Fraser Mustard and the Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain and was the research coordinator for the landmark Early Years Study (1999), Early Years Study 2 (2007) and Early Years Study 3 (2011). In 2013, Jane received an honorary doctorate from the University of New Brunswick in recognition of her contributions to the field.
An influential educator and mentor, Jane was a professor at the School of Early Childhood at George Brown Polytechnic until June 2011. She has collaborated with the Ontario government on curriculum and policy initiatives related to early childhood education. Jane also shared her expertise as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development and contributed to Australia’s Goodstart Thought Leaders Advisory Group, and previously contributed to the Toronto First Duty Research team. In keeping with her deep commitment to making research accessible, she is a contributing author to The Science of Early Child Development, a knowledge translation and mobilization initiative, and author of Becoming and Being An Early Childhood Professional, 2nd Edition (Cengage, 2026).
Convocation Ceremony Details
Jane Bertrand will be honoured during the convocation ceremony taking place at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 18. Convocation ceremonies will be held in the Seton Academic Centre Auditorium and will be livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook.
About the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa
MSVU recognizes distinguished individuals whose accomplishments are consistent with the mission of the university by granting the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (honoris causa) – an honour which can only be bestowed by the University Chancellor at the request of Senate. The university honours worthy recipients who have contributed to the betterment of society and humanity in any field, but in particular, improvement of the status of women, contribution to higher education, humanitarian and social service, involvement with and fostering of culture and the arts, or leadership in a field of endeavour. The convocation at which the degree is awarded is greatly enriched by the presence of honorary graduands who share the joy of the occasion.