At the 2025 fall convocation, six doctoral students from the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing were hooded in the Faculty’s first-ever academic hooding ceremony.
Honoured in front of their family, friends, and supervisors, the graduates were recognized for what is considered the pinnacle of academic achievement. Leigh Chapman (PhD 2019), Canada’s Chief Nursing Officer, and a Bloomberg Nursing alumna, spoke to the graduates of the significance of their success, and the importance of their role in the nursing profession as leaders, educators, and scholars.
The decision to host an academic hooding ceremony was made to provide graduates with an intimate and meaningful celebration of their accomplishment, says Dean Robyn Stremler.
“We wanted our graduates to feel that they were acknowledged beyond the short crossing of the stage at convocation hall. Giving them this opportunity to celebrate with their families and thesis supervisors at Bloomberg Nursing, honours their dedication and their commitment to their scholarship over these last few years,” says Stremler.
The six graduates honoured include:
- Argin Malakian – PhD
- Michelle Boersema – Doctor of Nursing
- Kandis Harris – Doctor of Nursing
- Lori Jessome-Croteau – Doctor of Nursing
- Morgan Krauter – Doctor of Nursing
- Patricia Wilson – Doctor of Nursing
The history behind academic hoods
The tradition of hooding dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries where it was often seen in medieval European universities to signify the academic status of the bearer. Academic hoods are distinct in colour and pattern, designed to be emblematic of the institution conferring the degree. U of T’s colours for the doctoral degree, are red and white.
Morgan Krauter, a graduate of the Doctor of Nursing program, says that the hooding ceremony was a chance to pay tribute to all the hard work she and her fellow graduates had done.
“It gave special emphasis to the perseverance required to reach this point. The ceremony added an extra sense of pride in my work and served as a meaningful reminder of the magnitude of this accomplishment,” says Krauter.
A celebration of the doctoral journey
As part of the hooding ceremony, graduates have their academic hood – part of the academic regalia worn at convocation – placed on them by their supervisor. This ritual emphasizes the close working relationship between a supervisor and their student, a central component of the doctoral journey.
“It was very meaningful to have my supervisor place the hood on me in front of my family and nursing faculty—many of whom had been our instructors throughout the DN program,” says Lori Jessome-Croteau, also a graduate of the Doctor of Nursing program. “It was a very special way to be welcomed into the Bloomberg Nursing community of nurse scholars.”
As the ceremony concluded, Associate Professor Samantha Mayo, Director of the doctoral programs shared a toast for the new graduates.
“To our brilliant new scholars, today’s hooding ceremony marks the end of your doctoral journey, but it also signifies the beginning of your legacy in nursing leadership. You have demonstrated resilience, curiosity, and a deep commitment to advancing knowledge. May your scholarship, critical inquiry and decision making, continue to transform lives and health care. Here’s to your future—bold, impactful, and beautifully earned.”