Awards

Still an undergraduate student, Ashwini Selvakumaran has advocated for youth, and founded organizations that aim to amplify the voices of marginalized people. Jolie Gan, only in her first year at the ��Ƶ, established a national non-profit that seeks to increase youth visibility in law and promote access to justice.

Both students in U of T's Faculty of Arts & Science say childhood experiences steered them toward advocacy at an early age – and their respective impacts have already garnered international accolades.

Selvakumaran and Gan were among the 10 winners in Canada of a Diana Award, a prestigious prize named after Diana, Princess of Wales for youth aged nine to 25 recognizing extraordinary social action and humanitarian work.

The daughter of a United Nations diplomat, Selvakumaran said her upbringing in Yemen and Kazakhstan heightened her awareness of gender inequality and the lack of access to education for minority groups.

“We were constantly on the move because of my father’s work,” she recalled. “That was difficult. But when I got older, I realized that those experiences gave me a unique, global perspective.”

After coming to Canada for high school, she took an interest in helping others by taking a grassroots approach. “What kickstarted my advocacy was a need to engage the voices that needed to be validated the most,” she said.

The peace, conflict and justice studies major in the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and member of St. Michael's College at U of T has worked with a number of non-profits, including the Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club, Plan International Canada and the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace. She's also been instrumental in establishing organizations both within the university and beyond, including the Brown Citizen Circle, which aims to create opportunities for Black, Indigenous and South Asian youth.

Last summer, she led her team in raising over $10,000 for a national youth social policy case competition.

In 2020, as the recipient of U of T's COVID-19 Engagement Award, she produced an e-book with fellow student Aishwarya Patel that recorded youth perspectives on the pandemic around the world. Proceeds from the book went to frontline health-care workers.

Selvakumaran describes the book as an antidote to the despair that she and others were feeling at the outset of the pandemic. “Every single person we interviewed had a positive outlook, and saw COVID-19 as an opportunity to attack issues that need attention: even our youngest interviewee, who was only 11 years old. Just doing the book changed my own perspective so much,” she said.

Selvakumaran told Inside Halton that she was shocked to receive the Diana Award. “I never pursue advocacy work with the intention of winning an award, but I was nominated by three people and I’m so happy that they were touched by what I’ve done and felt it was important enough (to receive this award),” she said.

Gan, a Trinity College student who hasn't yet declared a major, said she took an interest in advocacy after her mom suffered a brain aneurysm. During her mom's recovery, Gan was required to juggle schoolwork while looking after her infant siblings, an experience that exposed gaps in Canada's health-care system.

“I saw how there wasn’t a lot of support for families, especially for young people, immigrants and people of colour. But I realized that there was no point in sitting around and not taking action,” she said.

Now, she says, her goal is “to become a health policymaker or lawyer, and create sustainable change in our health-care system.”

Gan says her parents' backgrounds as immigrants to Canada from Malaysia and Hong Kong also inspired her to promote youth access to education.

"I always hear stories like back when they were in their home countries about how they had to work long hours and their parents had to work day and night just to support them, you know, going abroad and also pursuing their studies. So that's really close to my heart," she told CBC.

She's served on the RCMP's youth advisory committee, and held volunteer policy positions with the United Nations, Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation. She has also worked as a health-law researcher at the University of Calgary. She's currently completing a global health policy and anti-poverty fellowship with Results Canada, and has been hired as a student employee to assess risk, risk management and policy with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

As the founding president of Youth Leaders in Law, a non-profit that seeks to diversify the law profession and help youth kickstart legal careers, she has helped connect 1,000 students in 11 countries with a wealth of mentorship opportunities and information.

Gan describes the Diana Award as a “huge honour,” noting that the awards presentation gave her the opportunity to meet changemakers from other countries. “It was a phenomenal experience,” she said.

Due to graduate this year, Selvakumaran says there's no time like the present to help others. “No avenue is too small," she says, "because everything you do can contribute to something bigger and more sustainable.”

U of T faculty, alumni and supporters named to Order of Canada

mattimar — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 16:19:16 +0000

U of T faculty, alumni and supporters named to Order of Canada

mattimar Tue, 01/04/2022 - 11:19

Cutline

(Photo by Sgt Johanie Maheu, Rideau Hall, OSGG-BSGG)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation

Alumni

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Rotman School of Management

Faculty of Information

St. Michael's College

University College

University Health Network

Victoria College

After making their mark in spheres ranging from health care to social justice, more than two dozen members of the ��Ƶ community have been honoured with a new appointment to – or promotion within – the Order of Canada.

Among the U of T community members most recently named to the Order are: Professor Eleanor Fish, who has done groundbreaking work in the use of interferon-alpha in the treatment of disease; University Professor Emeritus Michael Patrick Collins, a world-renowned expert in concrete and structural engineering; Professor Gregory Marchildon, an expert in health-care policy; Professor Sharon Straus, who heads the knowledge translation program at St. Michael’s Hospital; and Professor Emerita Helene Polatajko, an internationally respected occupational therapy scholar.

Also named to the Order is U of T honorary degree recipient Murray Sinclair, a former judge, senator and chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission whose work informed U of T’s own Truth and Reconciliation steering committee.

Created in 1967, the Order of Canada is one of the country’s highest civilian honours. It recognizes people whose service, innovations and compassion shape Canadian society, foster imagination and unite people and communities.

A total of 135 appointments and promotions were announced on Dec. 29 by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon.

Here is a list of U of T faculty, alumni, supporters and friends who were appointed to, or promoted within, the Order of Canada in the latest round:

Current and former faculty

Michael Patrick Collins

Michael Patrick Collins, a University Professor Emeritus in the department of civil and mineral engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, was named a Member of the Order for his research involving reinforced concrete. A world-renowned expert in his field, he addresses how engineers can prevent the collapse of buildings by using new approaches in design to better assess and repair structures.

Eleanor N. Fish, a professor in the department of immunology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and a senior scientist at University Health Network’s Toronto General Research Institute, was named a Member of the Order for her groundbreaking studies on the use of interferon-alpha in the treatment of disease. A U of T alumna, Fish is an expert in several infectious diseases including SARS, H1N1 and Ebola.

Gregory Marchildon

Gregory Marchildon, a professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and an Ontario Research Chair in Health Policy and System Design, was named a Member of the Order for his contributions to health-care policy in Canada and mentorship of the next generation of policy-oriented researchers.

Helene Polatajko, a professor emerita in the department of occupational science and occupational therapy in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named an Officer of the Order for her work in significantly advancing the understanding of developmental co-ordination disorder in children. Polatajko, who earned her master’s degree and PhD from U of T’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) is an internationally recognized scholar of occupational therapy.

Sharon Straus

Sharon Straus, a professor in the department of medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine with a cross appointment at IHPME who is director of the knowledge translation program and physician-in-chief at St. Michael’s Hospital, was named a Member of the Order for her academic contributions in the field of knowledge translation and mentorship in epidemiology. A U of T alumna, she has also conducted research on the transmission of COVID-19 in long-term care.

Alumni and friends

Liona Boyd
(photo by Marta Iwanek/
Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Liona Boyd is known as Canada’s “first lady of guitar.” Boyd was promoted to the rank of Officer in recognition of her contributions to music. The classical guitarist and five-time Juno Award winner graduated from the Faculty of Music and received an honorary degree in 2004. She has released 28 albums of classical, folk and world music and has composed and arranged hundreds of pieces for guitar.

Sandra Chapnik was named a Member for her leadership in the community and the legal sector. Chapnik, who graduated from U of T as a member of University College, is a former judge of the Superior Court of Justice for Ontario who has held many leadership roles in the community and is widely recognized for her efforts to promote the advancement of women and encourage best practices in the field.

Robert Eisenberg was named a Member for his commitment to the revitalization of Toronto’s architectural heritage, as well as his community service benefiting the environment and youth. Eisenberg, who graduated from U of T as a member of University College, is co-founder of York Heritage Properties, which known for its innovative and sustainable work in areas such as Liberty Village in Toronto.

Patricia Feheley, director of the Feheley Fine Arts and board member of the Cultural Human Resources Council and Canadian Eskimo Arts Council, was named a Member for her long-standing contributions to the country’s art scene, and for her promotion of Inuit art and culture. A former curator of the Ontario Science Centre and consultant with the Smithsonian Institute, Feheley earned a master’s degree in museum studies from U of T’s Faculty of Information.

Evelyn L. Forget, known for her work advancing anti-poverty initiatives in Canada and around the world as a leading health economics researcher, was named an Officer of the Order. Forget received her master’s degree and PhD from U of T. She is a professor of economics in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba.

Gerald Friesen, an author and professor of Canadian history with specialties in western Canada, Manitoba, labour and communication, was named a Member for his contributions to Canadian historical discourse through his inclusive and comprehensive research on Indigenous and ethnic groups in western regions. Friesen earned a PhD from U of T’s department of history in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

Janice Fukakusa was named a Member for her leadership and mentorship in banking, and for her boundless community engagement – notably in education and health care. Fukakusa, who earned a bachelor of arts degree from U of T as a member of Victoria College, is a former chief administrative officer and chief financial officer at RBC. She was also the first female chancellor of Ryerson University.

Nona Macdonald Heaslip, a retired public relations executive, was named a Member for her ongoing philanthropic contributions to Canada’s arts sector and for supporting academic scholarships across the country. Heaslip, who was the inaugural manager of public relations at U of T, earned a bachelor’s degree from U of T as a member of St. Michael’s College and an honorary degree in 2009. Heaslip has served on the boards of major theatres and, with her late husband, established the William and Nona Heaslip Scholarships to support education projects at 10 Canadian universities.

Tomson Highway: The acclaimed playwright and novelist was promoted to the rank of Officer in recognition of his distinguished contributions to theatre and Canadian culture. Renowned for such works as Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, The Rez Sisters, The Sage, and The Dancer and the Fool Highway is a former writer-in-residence and received an honorary degree from U of T in 2007.

William Humber, an author, journalist, environmentalist and educator, was named a Member for his contributions as Canada’s premier baseball historian, highlighting the many ways in which the sport’s history is linked to the nation. Humber, a selector for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Clarington Sports Hall of Fame, earned a bachelor’s degree from U of T.

Barbara Landau, a lawyer, psychologist and author, was named a Member for her contributions to dispute resolution and family law reform, and for her advocacy of interfaith initiatives. Landau, who earned her bachelor of arts and law degrees from U of T, is lauded for her leadership in family mediation, justice and dispute resolution in Canada.

Patricia Livingston was named an Officer for her contributions to global health and anesthesia safety, as well as her commitment to improving medical education in underserved communities around the world. Livingston, who completed post-graduate medical training at U of T, is an associate professor at Dalhousie University.

Pradeep Merchant was named a Member for longstanding contributions to his community, including his philanthropy and leadership in the promotion of bilateral ties between Canada and India. Now serving as site chief of the Division of Neonatology at The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus, Merchant previously completed a post-graduate neonatology fellowship with U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

Lynn Posluns was named a Member for her contributions to research on women’s cognitive health and aging. Posluns, a philanthropist who is the founder and president of the Women’s Brain Health Initiative, earned an undergraduate degree in commerce and finance and a master’s degree in business administration at U of T before embarking on a career that included senior roles within the retail, fashion and private equity sectors.

Alexander Reford, a historian with a master’s degree in history from U of T, was named a Member in recognition of his leadership in the Canadian horticultural community, for bolstering regional tourism, and for promoting both heritage and environmental conservation. A former dean of St. Michael’s College and author of many books and articles on the history of Canada, Reford is the director of Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens, a 200-acre national historic site on the St. Lawrence River created by his great-grandmother Elsie Reford.

Graham Sher was named an Officer for his contributions to public health, including his role in the development of Canada’s largest blood system operator. Sher, who completed post-graduate medical training at U of T, served as vice-president of medical, scientific and clinical management of Canadian Blood Services when it launched in 1998, and has been CEO since 2001.

Murray Sinclair (photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Murray Sinclair, the former senator and former chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, was named a Companion of the Order – the highest rank – in recognition of his commitment to Indigenous legal issues and his dedication to reconciliation. Sinclair, whose Ojibway name Mizanay Gheezhik means “the one who speaks of pictures in the sky,” was the first Indigenous judge in Manitoba and the second in Canada. He received an honorary degree from U of T in 2017.

Carol Tator was named an Officer for her advocacy of social justice and commitment to identifying and dismantling systemic racism in Canadian society. Tator, who graduated from U of T as a member of University College, is a professor at York University and the co-author, with Frances Henry, of such books as The Colour of Democracy: Racism in Canadian Society.

Peter Vaughan, who received post-graduate medical training at U of T, was named a Member of the Order for his contributions to Canada’s health-care system, and for his pioneering leadership in the establishment and advancement of digital health. He was the deputy minister of health and wellness for Nova Scotia, CEO of the Canadian Medical Association and a Royal Canadian Air Force special operation flight surgeon and colonel commandant of the Royal Canadian Medical Services during the war in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2010.

Other new additions to the Order included: U of T supporters Graham Farquharson, Ralph Chiodo, Leo Goldhar, Vaikuntam Iyer Lakshmanan and Barbara Stymiest; former U of T professors Roderick McInnes and Peter Zandstra; and leaders from the public and private sectors such as Lawson Hunter, who attended the directors’ education program at U of T’s Rotman School of Management.

Did we miss anybody? If you know of an Order of Canada honouree with ties to U of T who was announced on Dec. 29, 2021 but isn't mentioned above, please let us know at uoftnews@utoronto.ca.

‘Change the system’: U of T marks 32nd anniversary of École Polytechnique massacre

geoff.vendeville — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 20:39:18 +0000

‘Change the system’: U of T marks 32nd anniversary of École Polytechnique massacre

geoff.vendeville Mon, 12/06/2021 - 15:39

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre

Indigenous Initiatives

Kelly Hannah-Moffat

Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

Graduate Students

Hart House

U of T Mississauga

Undergraduate Students

Members of the ��Ƶ community gathered virtually on Monday to remember the 14 women killed in the École Polytechnique massacre 32 years ago – and to reflect on how to combat gender inequality and gender-based violence today.

At a tri-campus event marking the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, Marisa Sterling, the assistant dean and director diversity, inclusion and professionalism in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, said she was a third-year chemical engineering student at U of T in 1989 when a shooter went on a rampage at the Montreal school and killed 14 women for being who they were.

Another 10 women and four men were injured.

“We need to change the system that allows violence to continue as a known and acceptable way of life,” Sterling said. “We need to speak up when we witness acts of bullying, harassment and violence. We need to all act no matter our gender identity and work together.”

She recalled feeling pressure to prove she belonged in her engineering classes in 1989, when women only accounted for about 15 per cent of students. Today, the share of women in undergraduate engineering programs at U of T has grown to 40 per cent (the national average was 22 per cent last year, according to University Affairs).

Sterling was one of several speakers at the event who spoke about the need for action to address gender inequality and gender-based violence at a time when domestic violence reports are on the rise during the pandemic. Separately, Kelly Hannah-Moffat, U of T’s vice-president, people strategy, equity and culture, noted in a statement that the Dec. 6 event also follows the recent attacks in Atlanta, Ga. against Asian women and the 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan, which reports that ‘Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or missing than non-Indigenous women.’”

“Ending gender-based violence on our campuses and in society at large requires individual and collective will,” said Hannah-Moffat. “In your reflections on December 6, please consider what choices you can make to help us move from remembrance to action.”

In a tribute video, U of T Engineering students read the names of each of the victims of the Polytechnique massacre aloud. The Skule orchestra also performed the intermezzo from Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana at the online event.

Meanwhile, at Convocation Hall on the St. George campus, U of T Engineering students marked the anniversary of the tragedy by erecting a memorial to the victims: a simple white rose stemming from a wooden base inscribed with the names of all 14 women.

The names of the 14 women killed in the École Polytechnique massacre were written on the base of a flower erected at Convocation Hall (Photo by Sara Hines)

The virtual event was also used to announce the winners of student scholarships for research in the area of gender-based violence.

Micah Kalisch

Micah Kalisch, in her third year of a bachelor’s in gender studies and sociology, with a minor in equity studies, was the undergraduate student winner. She was awarded the scholarship in part for founding and leading the PEARS Project (Prevention, Empowerment, Advocacy and Response for Survivors), a student-led sexual violence survivor advocacy group with 75 members across U of T’s three campuses.

The group’s work is guided by principles of autonomy, consent, equity, mutual aid and support and care, Kalisch told U of T News. The project has provided peer support to survivors of gender-based violence and connected them with access to safer housing, counselling, financial aid and trauma-informed medical care.

A survivor herself, Kalisch researches rape culture, trauma and survivor-centric practices.

“Today is about reflection, education, mourning, acknowledging and holding space for the feelings associated with this process and recognizing there is a national epidemic of gender-based violence and taking action to eradicate all forms of gender-based violence,” said Kalisch.

Ran Hu

Ran Hu, a PhD student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, was one of two graduate winners. She focuses on structural and interpersonal violence against women and issues related to commercial sex and human trafficking. In a paper published last year, Hu looks at the “hidden pandemic” of family violence in the background of COVID-19, using machine learning to analyze a million tweets.

The second graduate winner was Eugene Emeka Dim, a PhD student in sociology at the Faculty of Arts & Science. He researches intimate partner violence, gender studies and political participation in Africa and, in one recent published study, examined the dynamics of intimate partner violence in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Eugene Emeka Dim

Sandy Welsh, U of T’s vice-provost, students, congratulated Kalisch, Hu and Dim.

“All three of this year’s award winners should be commended on their contributions – in research, in action, on influencing a better way forward,” she said. “We thank you for your commitment and your passion in shining a spotlight on gender-based violence, and working toward, a better, safer future for women and girls, trans and non-binary people.”

In a panel to conclude the event, experts considered how to end gender-based violence after the pandemic.

The panel featured: Angela Treglia, U of T’s director of sexual violence prevention and support; Bristy Chakrabarty, sexual violence prevention and response co-ordinator; Tee Duke, U of T Mississauga’s assistant director of Indigenous Initiatives; Paulette Senior, CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation; Reenita Verma, co-ordinator of anti-violence initiatives at the 519 community centre; and Selena Zhang, a fourth-year U of T Scarborough student who was a work-study student at the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre.

Zhang, who is an international student from China, called attention to the intersection of gender-based violence and anti-Asian hate.

“The look of an Asian face adds another layer of danger,” she said.

Earlier in the pandemic, her mom suggested she dye her hair blonde to look “less Asian,” she added.

Duke, a member of the Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation, noted the high rate of gender-based violence inflicted on Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. “Unfortunately, for many, home is not a place of safety or peace,” she said.

Chakrabarty described the fight against gender-based violence as a collective effort “in which we all must do our parts – especially those of us with privilege.”

“Whether by supporting someone individually, contributing through our daily work or research, offering financial support, volunteering, or through other means – we all have a role to play in actualizing a world without gender-based violence,” she said.

A historian’s hat trick: U of T’s Lynne Viola receives SSHRC Gold Medal for her work on Stalinist Russia

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 17:39:06 +0000

A historian’s hat trick: U of T’s Lynne Viola receives SSHRC Gold Medal for her work on Stalinist Russia

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 11/30/2021 - 12:39

Cutline

Lynne Viola, pictured arriving in Arkhangelsk, Russia in the late 1990s, is celebrated for archival research into the Stalinist era that provided revelations about perpetrators of violence and gave a voice to the oppressed (photo courtesy of Lynne Viola)

Rahul Kalvapalle

History

Humanities

Research and Innovation

Russia

Lynne Viola was forced to contend with what she calls a “Cold War mentality” in Soviet studies after publishing her first book in 1987 – one that explored social support for Stalinism among the Russian working-class.

“The book entailed looking at a group of factory workers who would now be called perpetrators and that was extremely controversial in the West,” Viola says of The Best Sons of the Fatherland.

“People were so sure that the only perpetrators, so-called, were Stalin or Stalinism – and, of course, they’re central, but looking at [other] perpetrators was extremely important as we saw in later years in German history … so that caused me some trouble.”

Nearly 35 years later, Viola, a University Professor in the department of history at the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Arts & Science with a cross-appointment to the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, is celebrated for her archival research into the Stalinist era that has provided revelations about perpetrators of violence and given voice to those who were oppressed by the Soviet dictator’s regime. She has authored five books and more than 30 articles, and supervised more than 20 PhD students since starting her professorial career at U of T in 1988.

Her extraordinary contributions were today recognized with the highest research honour bestowed by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC): a Gold Medal. One of the SSHRC Impact Awards, it recognizes a scholar whose research and leadership have significantly advanced understanding in their field.

Viola says she’s humbled by the recognition and felt a wave of imposter syndrome during a recent virtual rehearsal for the SSHRC Impact Awards roundtable session.

“I kept thinking of all the other Impact Award recipients – that, ‘God, they’re so much more interesting than me,’” she says. “So, it’s shocking, but it’s a great honour and I’m very, very grateful.”

The SSHRC Gold Medal completes a clean sweep of Canada’s three most prestigious humanities and social sciences awards for Viola, who won the Canada Council for the Arts’ Molson Prize in 2018 and Killam Prize in 2019. Her lengthy list of honours also includes a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2003 and induction into the Royal Society of Canada in 2014. “These honours are a tribute to her passion and fearlessness in sharing knowledge about Stalinist Russia that continues to benefit students and scholars at U of T, as well around the world,” said Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science.

Viola’s fascination with Russia’s history began in high school, when her teachers introduced her to 19^th-century Russian literature, including the works of Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. Her interest continued in college even though she opted to study psychology.

“I thought I’d never be able to learn Russian,” she says.

But Viola’s command of the language improved and she ultimately switched majors – a decision that would ultimately help reshape the way 20^th-century Russian and Soviet history is understood.

“As someone who shares Lynne Viola’s focus on documentary evidence, I have always been amazed at her diligence, expertise and command of Soviet archives,” says J Arch Getty, distinguished research professor at the University of California, Los Angeles and a leading scholar of the Stalinist period.

“Few scholars can match her intuitive understanding of the worlds of Russian workers, peasants and officials, and no one can understand the formative period of the Soviet Union without studying her work.”

Viola completed her graduate and doctoral degrees at Princeton University in the early 1980s amid the later phase of the Cold War – a period that she says posed varied complications for historians who were interested in the then-Soviet Union.

“It was very difficult to get into archives if you were studying the Soviet period,” she says. “When I was a graduate student, I got into archives for about four months and that was it.”

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, more archives became accessible and Viola explored them in the company of eminent Russian historians.

“I really learned the ins and outs of the Soviet archives at that time,” she says. “It was like doing a second PhD.”

The improved access to archival information took Viola’s research in new directions. In the case of her 2007 book The Unknown Gulag: The Lost World of Stalin’s Special Settlements, she delved into previously classified documents to shed light on the plight of some two million peasants who were banished from their homes and farms en masse in the early 1930s and thrown into exile in the icy hinterlands. Hundred of thousands perished over the course of a decade.

Using peasants’ letters and other primary sources, the book captures the day-to-day life and suffering of families following Stalin’s brutal crackdown on the peasantry.

“I was able to follow them onto the trains, and then on foot or by small boat into the desolate wastelands and watch and learn how they built these little villages out of nothing in the dead of winter,” Viola says.

While historians from Russia tended to take a more state-oriented approach towards studying the mass repression of peasants, Viola says she sought to place more emphasis on conveying the peasants’ stories and experiences.

“[Aleksandr] Solzhenitsyn once said that peasants are a silent people – but they’re not,” Viola says. “The fact of the matter is they wrote thousands upon thousands of letters about all sorts of things through the 1930s to various agencies and people. And their children, who often became city-dwellers and professionals, wrote about their parents. That’s not silence.

“I don’t know that one, particularly an outsider – whether an outsider in time or in geography – can ever do full justice to these violated people. But that was certainly my motivation.”

In 2014, Viola was presented with another timely opportunity with the opening up of NKVD (former KGB) archives in Ukraine following the Maidan Revolution.

At the time, she had been searching – with little success – for quality sources on the experiences of perpetrators during the Great Terror of the late 1930s, when secret police arrested more than 1.5 million people at Stalin’s behest. So, when the KGB archives opened up, Viola and a colleague from Germany traveled to Kyiv to have a look.

“It was just amazing material,” she says. “They were basically the criminal files of the NKVD secret police who were arrested at the end of the Great Terror – Stalin’s scapegoats in short.”

The research resulted in Viola’s most recent book, Stalinist Perpetrators on Trial, which drew on interrogation records, written confessions, court transcripts and other revelatory documents to outline how NKVD operatives were charged, tortured and executed by Stalin for crimes that he sanctioned during the Great Terror.

Viola describes the rush of excitement that swept the cramped reading room in the archives as she and historians from Ukraine and the Russian province of Siberia pored over the never-before-seen documents: “We were constantly jumping up and saying, ‘Read this! Read this!’ because nobody had seen this kind of material before. In most cases, [the other historians] were much more experienced in researching this topic than I was, but they, too, were shocked.”

Following the publication of Stalinist Perpetrators on Trial, Viola began to be contacted by people seeking guidance on how to use archives to track down information about family members.

“Some of them were quite successful in being able to get a sense of the experiences of their grandparents or great-grandparents,” Viola says.

The importance of putting names and faces to the ordinary people caught up in historical events is something Viola says she’s tried to impart to undergraduate students over the years – often by taking them, figuratively, into archives.

“They seemed very receptive to that because it brought home that we’re talking about real people – not just state institutions, not just ideologies.”

For Viola, working with undergraduates is a source of energy and inspiration. “I really like the way undergraduates think,” she says. “Their minds are so good and fresh and they come up with really original ideas, and it’s a joy to watch that.”

Viola adds that she derives tremendous fulfilment – and knowledge – from supervising PhD students. “I love to work with PhD students because they’re so smart, first of all, but second, I learn so much from them,” she says. “They choose original topics, they do original research in Russia and Ukraine – wherever they may need to go – and they become the experts on the topic. So, I benefit by learning about these things.”

Viola says she tries to guide young scholars on how to plan research, structure a dissertation and acquire the necessary discipline to write theses that are hundreds of pages long.

Leah Cowen, U of T’s associate vice-president, research, hailed Viola for enriching the landscape of Russian history and providing a springboard for younger researchers.

“Professor Viola’s tireless work over the decades has helped ensure that the real-life impacts of atrocities are not buried away, and that the truths and nuances of these tragic chapters are preserved in the pages of history,” Cowen said. “A passionate teacher and mentor, she has generously passed on her specialized knowledge to countless students and graduate researchers, and given the next generation of historians the foundations upon which to flourish.”

Viola also places a high priority on fostering a “standard of civility” in how her students carry themselves in academia and throughout their future careers.

“When I was in graduate school, it was during the Cold War and people were vicious to one another. And I don’t mean Soviets to Americans or Canadians – I mean your fellow scholars, your fellow students,” she says.

“It seems to me that if anything is not conducive to learning, it’s that kind of discourse. So, I try to encourage a level of civility in how we conduct our work and engage with each other.”

U of T's Sajeev John receives Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for work on harnessing flow of photons

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 15:36:54 +0000

U of T's Sajeev John receives Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for work on harnessing flow of photons

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 11/17/2021 - 10:36

Cutline

Physicist Sajeev John received the award for his groundbreaking research and fundamental advancements in confining and harnessing the flow of photons of light in a manner analogous to harnessing the flow of electrons (photo by Sylvie Li/Shoot Studio)

Chris Sasaki

Topic

Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal

Institute of Biomedical Engineering

NSERC

Physics

Rersearch & Innovation

Theoretical physicist Sajeev John has received Canada’s highest science and engineering honour, the prestigious Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal.

John is receiving the award for his groundbreaking research and fundamental advancements in confining and harnessing the flow of photons of light in a manner analogous to harnessing the flow of electrons.

The medal also recognizes John for his leadership in efforts to transform this research into groundbreaking applications in optical micro-chips, optical communications and information processing, laser technologies, solar-energy harvesting and clinical medicine – including life-saving surgical tools and techniques.

“I am profoundly honoured and feel singularly energized to bring to broader fruition the work I began on light-trapping crystals,” says John, a University Professor in the Faculty of Arts & Science's department of physics.

“The Herzberg Gold Medal offers a unique opportunity for creativity and unfettered pursuit of essential applications such as the world’s most efficient, lightweight silicon solar cells; light-trapping to enhance artificial photosynthesis for solar fuel production; development of the most compact lab-in-a-photonic-crystal sensors for early-stage disease detection and diagnosis; and much more.”

Named after the Canadian physicist and Nobel laureate in chemistry, the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal recognizes the excellence and impact of a recipient’s research. It is awarded annually by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

“Professor John is truly deserving of the country’s highest scientific honour,” says Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science. “Not only has his work been foundational, it has also had an impact in physics, chemistry, engineering and medicine, and is leading to advancements that are benefiting people’s lives.”

John's research provides a solution to the problem that photons do not tend to flow along confined pathways like electrons but instead disperse or are absorbed.

According to Kim Strong, chair of the department of physics, “Professor John’s research laid out the theoretical foundation for special materials – called Photonic Band Gap (PBG) materials – that allow confinement, or localization, of photons to a microscopic region with the size of the wavelength of light.”

“Once you know how to confine photons to a single location,” she says, “you can confine their motion along prescribed microscopic circuit paths, analogous to the way the motion of electrons is controlled on the nanometer scale in semiconductors.”

Following up on his theoretical work, John and his collaborators built the first large-scale silicon PBG material out of a synthetic opal and have created PBG materials that are even easier and cheaper to manufacture.

The groundbreaking work has sparked the development of novel micro-structured materials known as photonic crystals, now referred to as “semiconductors of light.” Ultimately, the breakthrough will enable computer chips to operate with photons instead of electrons.

Among many impacts beyond the lab, research into PBG materials has already produced life-saving advancements in clinical medicine. In 2004, laser surgery was performed on a patient to remove a previously treated tumour that was recurring and remained life-threatening. A final, successful surgery was carried out using a hollow-core photonic band gap fibre. Thousands of similar procedures have been performed using PBG fibres and several major medical centres are now testing PBG-fibre-based laser surgery tools.

"The ��Ƶ congratulates Sajeev John on this important recognition,” says Professor Leah Cowen, U of T’s associate vice-president of research. “From his groundbreaking work on confining and harnessing the flow of photons to his leadership in exploring applications for his research in optical micro-chips, optical communications and information processing, laser technologies, solar energy-harvesting and clinical medicine – his impact has been remarkable.”

In 1984, John received his PhD in physics from Harvard University, where he published the original paper on light localization. He was an assistant professor at Princeton University, where he pioneered the concept of photonic band gap materials. He joined U of T in 1989.

John’s research and scientific leadership earned him the 2001 King Faisal International Prize in Science (with Nobel laureate C.N. Yang). In 2007, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) awarded him with the International Quantum Electronics Award for “the invention of and development of light-trapping crystals and the elucidation of their properties and applications.”

He is holder of a Canada Research Chair in optical sciences and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2017.

'I wanted to do everything I could': U of T Scarborough student recognized for saving stabbing victim's life

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 20:45:02 +0000

'I wanted to do everything I could': U of T Scarborough student recognized for saving stabbing victim's life

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 08/05/2021 - 16:45

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Chris Luongo, a political science student at U of T Scarborough, recently received a Canadian Red Cross Rescuer Award for helping save the life of a stabbing victim while he was at a restaurant with his young daughter (photo by Don Campbell)

Topic

Undergraduate Students

Chris Luongo was waiting to buy his daughter a McDonald’s Happy Meal when he felt something graze his shoulder. He turned around to see a teenager, covered in blood, faintly ask, “Call 911.”

“It was surreal,” says the third-year political science student at the ��Ƶ Scarborough. “When I initially saw him, I had to make sure it wasn’t a TikTok or YouTube prank.”

But Luongo quickly grasped the gravity of the situation when he saw a long trail of blood. “I knew it was serious, and I needed to do everything I could to help.”

After gesturing to his daughter to sit tight, he asked restaurant employees to call 911 and to pass him gloves and towels.

By this point, the teen had fallen to the ground from a significant loss of blood. So, Luongo asked two bystanders to elevate the victim’s legs to help circulate blood to his vital organs. Their efforts succeeded and the teen regained consciousness.

“I remember him repeatedly saying ‘I can’t breathe,’” says Luongo, who rolled the teen onto his side to clear his airway. “It was such a relief to hear him breathing again.”

Luongo says he knew the most critical step was to stop the bleeding. After locating the stab wound under the teen’s left armpit, he pressed down on it as hard as possible. Having secured the injury, he began asking the teen questions that might help with a police investigation.

Meanwhile, as he was attending to the teen’s wound, he asked the crowd that had gathered around them to move aside so he could make sure his daughter was still safe. One of his biggest concerns, he says, was to shield her from the traumatic incident. To his surprise, a woman and a teen were sitting with his daughter, and had even given her a cell phone to play with as a distraction.

“I became filled with so much emotion – not only from caring for the stabbing victim, but also from seeing two strangers go out of their way to help my daughter.”

When paramedics arrived, Luongo was able to transfer pressure on the wound. The last time he saw the teen, he was being brought outside on a stretcher into a waiting ambulance.

He says he remembers being asked for a hug by the woman who helped his daughter and a few of the bystanders who witnessed what happened, as well as walking through the scene twice with police investigators.

He also made sure his daughter finally got something to eat.

“One of the most challenging things following the incident was trying to keep a poker face to keep her as calm and relaxed as possible,” he says.

Luongo says he spent days worrying whether the teen was OK. Good news arrived a short time later when the lead police investigator called to tell him the teen had survived, and that the paramedic who reviewed CCTV footage of the incident wanted to recommend him for an award.

For his actions, Luongo earlier this year received a Canadian Red Cross Rescuer Award, which is given to non-professional or off-duty first responders who volunteer to save a life.

In the award citation, the responding paramedic said, “Without Chris’s quick, calm action and heroism, this injured person would have bled out and died. The young man is alive today because of Chris’s actions.”

Luongo says he is mostly grateful that his daughter wasn’t traumatized by the incident.

“My daughter means everything to me. I’ve reflected on what happened, and I think a big reason I did what I did is because I am a parent,” he says.

“I couldn’t imagine my child not coming home, not being able to hug her or hold her again. In the same way, I wanted to do everything I could to help that teen make it home to his family.”

Luongo, who is the first in his family to attend post-secondary school at the university level, initially enrolled at U of T in 2003 but had to leave after one semester in order to help support his family. He later re-enrolled at U of T Scarborough in 2018 as a mature student, studying political science, public policy and anthropology. He was also diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, the result of suffering multiple concussions while playing football in high school, and says he has personally overcome many physical, cognitive and emotional challenges over the past decade. He’s says he is thankful for the additional supports he’s received through AccessAbility Services since 2020.

Luongo hasn’t let his diagnosis limit his potential. In addition to playing goal on the champion U of T Scarborough intramural soccer team, he was also nominated for a Scarborough College Athletics Association award and continues to maintain a high GPA. His goal is to attend law school and become a lawyer.

“Hopefully this story can inspire others to believe in themselves and the importance of working hard in pursuing their dreams,” he says. “I also want to encourage people to look out for those around them, to positively influence their lives with compassion and care – especially in times of need.”

Four U of T scholars awarded Guggenheim Fellowships

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 19:26:03 +0000

Four U of T scholars awarded Guggenheim Fellowships

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 04/12/2021 - 15:26

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From left to right: Kamari Clarke, Eugenia Kumacheva, Kevin Lewis O'Neill and Amira Mittermaier.

Cynthia Macdonald

Topic

Global Lens

Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies

Anthropology

Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies

Chemistry