Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: May 12, 2016
• Invested on: August 25, 2017

Deborah Poff has worked to build bridges between Indigenous people and the university
system. As vice-president academic at the University of Northern British Columbia,
she spearheaded initiatives to support the Indigenous community’s pursuit of higher
education and advised the Nisga’a when they established their own post-secondary
institution. Later, as the president of Brandon University, she championed the creation
of First Nations language degrees and led campaigns that revitalized many aspects of
the university. An ethicist by training, she is also highly regarded for her work in
business and research ethics, and is the co-founder and long-time editor of the two
leading international journals in this field.