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Martine Rothblatt receives honorary law degree from University of Victoria

The inventor has broken ground in communications, medicine and artificial intelligence
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Martine Rothblatt (left) received an honorary law degree from the University of Victoria. Here she stands with MLA Mitzi Dean, LGBTQ activist Kimahli Powell and Aaron Devor, chair of Transgender Studies at UVic. (Photo by Rebecca Cotterell)

A woman who has shattered the realms of possibilities was the recipient of an honorary law degree at the University of Victoria on Wednesday.

Martine Rothblatt has done no less than found SiriusXM, discover a cure for a rare lung disease, start a company researching regenerative organ medicine, invent the first electrical helicopter and make ground-breaking discoveries into the world of artificial intelligence.

READ MORE: University of Victoria presents honorary degree to tech, medicine and AI mastermind

Rothblatt is also a transgender person and has written – among more than 60 book chapters and journal articles and six books – literature on the understanding of sex, gender and humanity.

On Nov. 13, after being nominated by UVic’s chair of transgender studies, Aaron Devor, Rothblatt received the honorary degree and mingled with an excited crowd filled with prolific community members such as Esquimalt-Metchosin MLA Mitzi Dean and LGBTQ activist Kimahli Powell.

ALSO READ: B.C. to offer gender-affirming surgeries for transgender people

On Thursday night, Rotblatt will be featured in a fireside chat alongside Devor. The discussion is available to the public by donation at the David Lam Auditorium at UVic at 3800 Finnerty Rd.

Devor hopes to ask Rothblatt about her career and her vision of the future, among other questions.

Tickets are available and the door and the event starts at 7:30 p.m.

nicole.crescenzi@vicnews.com

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Crowds gathered after Martine Rothblatt received an honorary law degree from the University of Victoria. (Photo by Rebecca Cotterell)