Gordon Semenoff has been awarded an honorary degree from the University of Lethbridge at their Spring Convocation in June 2011. The Doctor of Science, honoris causa, recognises Gordon as an expert on quantum field theory.

Gordon has been a professor at UBC since 1990. He is noted for his co-invention of the parity anomaly in odd-dimensional gauge field theories and his pioneering work on graphene. Among his other awards and honours are the Canadian Association of Physicists Brockhouse Medal for Achievement and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.