2026 Founders Award Recipient – Duncan Watt

The Founders Award, Carleton University’s highest non-academic honour, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of Carleton through their dedication, generosity and commitment to the university’s values. This year, the Carleton Board of Governors presents this honour to Duncan Watt.

Watt dedicated more than 22 years of his career to Carleton as Chief Financial Officer, Associate Vice-President (Finance and Administration), and Vice-President Finance and Administration. In these roles, Watt brought in multi-year financial planning processes, governance frameworks and institutional initiatives that support Carleton’s mission to this day. Prior to his retirement in 2016, Watt was an accessible presence on campus, engaging directly with students, faculty and staff.

Watt’s continuing contributions to the campus community are reflected in the university-wide programs he helped establish, including the Office of Quality Initiatives, the Healthy Workplace program, Mental Health at Work and the Carleton Leader program. These initiatives elevated collaboration, wellness, mentorship and shared leadership across departments, becoming lasting pillars of Carleton’s culture.

Watt demonstrated exceptional and sustained community involvement. Motivated by a desire to improve public institutions and demonstrating his deep commitment to stewardship, he served in national and provincial organizations dedicated to the post-secondary sector. His contributions helped to enhance Carleton’s reputation as a values-driven institutional parter.

Watt held senior volunteer roles with the Canadian Association of University Business Officers, where he helped to lead national initiatives that improved governance, advanced facilities stewardship and strengthened collaboration across institutions. Watt also served as Chair of the Council of Senior Administrative Officers. He played a foundational role in the Ontario chapter of the Higher Education Facilities Officers, leading to the creation Facility Condition Assessment program adopted by Ontario’s universities, school boards and hospitals.

Watt’s willingness to give his time, leadership and experience exemplifies the commitment to service and community engagement for which the Founders Award seeks to acknowledge.