Robert Thirsk - Education

Education

He attended primary and secondary schools in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba, attending R. T. Alderman Junior High and graduating from Calgary's Lord Beaverbrook High School. His post-secondary education began with receiving a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Calgary in 1976, and continued with a master of science degree in mechanical engineering from MIT in 1978, an M.D. from McGill University in 1982, and his M.B.A. from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1998 as a Sloan Fellow. He received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Calgary while on orbit on July 8, 2009. Fellow ISS crewmember Koichi Wakata had the honor of placing the convocation cape on Thirsk, which was later removed due to it constantly floating up to his face. This event made Thirsk the first person ever to receive a university degree from space.

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