St. Jerome’s University is pleased to congratulate alumni Melanie Adrian, BA ’97 (MA, University of Essex; MA and PhD, Harvard University) who has been appointed to the Order of Ontario. The province’s highest honour for both 2019 and 2020, was presented on New Year’s Day by Ontario Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell, recognizing “individuals whose exceptional achievements have left a lasting legacy in the province, in Canada and beyond.” The Order of Ontario acknowledges Adrian’s role establishing Carleton University as a global leader in protecting vulnerable scholars, and founding an organization to help cancer patients navigate the medical system.

Adrian is an associate professor in the Department of Law and Legal Studies at Carleton University, where she has won numerous awards for her teaching excellence. In 2019, she became an inaugural Chair in Teaching Innovation, a position awarded to educators who have demonstrated teaching excellence and innovation across their academic careers.

The focus of Adrian’s teaching and research is on rights of minorities in religiously, ethnically, and culturally diverse societies. In 2014, in collaboration with the University of Ottawa, she spearheaded a Canadian section of the Scholars at Risk (SAR) Network. It supports academics who are at risk in their home countries and offers them a unique opportunity to teach and interact with colleagues and students in safe environments.

Adrian, a breast cancer survivor, also co-founded Be the Choice, a not-for-profit organization that empowers patients to understand cancer diagnoses and navigate treatment options. An interactive, bilingual digital platform launched in June 2017, has helped hundreds of patients understand the labyrinth of clinical terms and pathways that accompany a diagnosis.

For more information about Melanie Adrian please visit her profile page here.