Dublin Awards. Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Students, faculty and staff from eight post-secondary institutions, including the ��Ƶ, will meet with officials from the City of Toronto for a free, two-day virtual event focused on developing an equitable and inclusive pandemic recovery policy framework.

Karen Chapple

The CivicLabTO Academic Summit, to be held on Nov. 23-24, will focus on issues such as public health, housing, transit, transportation, climate change, green recovery and the future of public space. It will tap leading experts from the city and local post-secondary institutions to share best practices.

The event, hosted by York University, will also examine potential partnerships, innovations and solutions through the lens of equity and inclusion.

Writer Ravisha Mall recently spoke with Karen Chapple, director of U of T’s School of Cities and a professor in the department of geography and planning, about the impetus for the broader partnership between the city and the eight post-secondary institutions and the potential for such events to contribute to the development of a “Toronto School” of urbanism.

Why is this type of discussion happening now?

Crises of all kinds produce openings for radical change. Yet, this particular moment is not just the simple convergence of multiple crises – pandemic, climate change, income inequality, resurgent nationalism and systemic racism – but a juncture that is reaffirming the need for collective action. As much as we hate the masks and distancing, dread the climate extremes and feel upset or oppressed by the ongoing political, economic and cultural polarization, we still share hope. And we can take comfort in the fact that our institutions continue to push on. We are in it together, we learn and that’s inspiring.

How have you seen cities and academic institutions collaborate effectively to create real change?

One obvious example is the University of Chicago’s civic engagement program, which makes sure that disadvantaged high school students have a pipeline into college, builds civic capacity in the community and ensures that local universities procure from local businesses. I love this example because a university that was the birthplace of urban sociology 100 years ago continues to this day with intense empirical urbanism that has transformed both how we think about cities and how we empower their communities. As I look at the many disciplinary perspectives coming together in CivicLabTO to address urban challenges, I get excited about the potential for a “Toronto School” that is just as transformative as the Chicago School.

I would also note that, during the pandemic, U of T also found many ways to support municipalities, including hosting vaccination clinics across the tri-campus, rethinking aging apartment towers and supporting small businesses.

What is the School of Cities’ role in all of this?

We are the School of, for, and by Cities. We build and translate knowledge about cities, we connect communities and stakeholders around the world to support sustainable urbanism and we make sure that our urban residents have the capacity and power to create their own communities. To borrow from Toronto’s own David Miller, the former mayor, we see the cities as the solution to the crises we face. So, we teach the world why cities matter so much for our future.

Leveraging the work being done across the university’s divisions, the School of Cities curated a list of speakers for the event – many of whom contributed to public policy during the pandemic and are providing advice in the recovery.

Here is a list of members of the U of T community, including students and faculty, who are scheduled to appear at the summit:

Matti Siemiatycki, department of geography and planning, Faculty of Arts & Science
Catherine Chandler-Crichlow, School of Continuing Studies
Mark Campbell, department of arts, culture and media, U of T Scarborough
Beth Coleman, Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology, U of T Mississauga
Andrew Boozary, Dalla Lana School of Public Health and University Health Network
Andrew Bond, department of family and community medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Shoshanna Saxe, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Menilek Beyene, PhD student at U of T Scarborough
Zahra Ebrahim, department of geography and planning, Faculty of Arts & Science

'A part of my identity now': Meet U of T's four Schulich Leaders

perry.king — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 04:00:00 +0000

'A part of my identity now': Meet U of T's four Schulich Leaders

perry.king Wed, 09/25/2019 - 00:00

Cutline

U of T's four Schulich Leaders, from left: Caleb Lammers, Adam Glustein, Aidan Britnell and Tommy Moffat (photos by Perry King)

Perry King

Topic

Our Community

Dublin Awards. Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Schulich Leader Scholarships

STEM

Trinity College

U of T Mississauga

Undergraduate Students

As they begin their post-secondary lives, four ��Ƶ recipients of prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarships have already forged a bond.

Aidan Britnell, Adam Glustein, Caleb Lammers and Tommy Moffat are four of 50 students nationwide named Schulich Leaders, a scholarship program that recognizes and connects top students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Selected among 1,400 nominees, the 50 students have been recognized for a combination of community, business and entrepreneurial leadership, as well as academic excellence and financial need. They receive entrance scholarships valued at $100,000 for undergraduate studies in engineering, and $80,000 for students in science or mathematics – and gain access to a large network of students and mentors.

It is that network that Britnell, a Burlington, Ont., native who is attending U of T Mississauga, finds just as valuable as the scholarship funding.

“I feel more like a leader in the sense that I’m able to connect and network with all the other people through the Schulich network,” says Britnell, who will be studying in the computer science, mathematics and statistics program.

In 2012, businessman and philanthropist Seymour Schulich established a $100-million scholarship fund to encourage students to become the next pioneers of global scientific research and innovation. To date, about 370 Canadians have been named Schulich Leaders.

“These students will make great contributions to society, both on a national and global scale,” Schulich says. “With their university expenses covered, they can focus their time on their studies, research projects, extracurriculars, and entrepreneurial ventures.

“They are Canada’s next generation of technology innovators.”

U of T News spoke to U of T's four new Schulich Leaders about their interests and their first few weeks on campus.

Aidan Britnell

From King’s Christian College in Burlington, Ont.
Computer science, mathematics and statistics student
U of T Mississauga

As a high school student, Aidan Britnell first volunteered and then worked in the school’s IT department, maintaining its server and network infrastructure.

“It was really good for gaining practical operations experience,” he says.

Working there from Grades 9 to 12, he says he was grateful for the opportunity to try things he wouldn’t normally get a chance to do. In Grade 11, he successfully pitched a mobile app he created that allowed students to store their student cards electronically.

“It’s better for students because it’s always with you – you never lose your phone – and it’s better for the school because you don’t have to print plastic cards and get some company to print them,” says Britnell, recalling his pitch.

Students continue to use the app, he says, adding that he hopes to develop a similar app for other schools.

He intends to specialize in information security.

For now, he is adjusting to life at U of T Mississauga, where he says he has been able to connect with other students.

“There’s so many different orientation events. I’m not scared, just excited for learning and meeting new people.”

Caleb Lammers

From St. Ignatius High School in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Mathematics and physics student
St. George campus

When his high school didn't offer any STEM-related clubs, Caleb Lammers and his friends decided to create their own.

With a teacher’s help, they established the school’s first robotics team with an organization called FIRST Robotics, which builds robot fighters for competitions.

The team became very popular, with 25 to 30 students participating each school year.

“By the end of it, I was loving the programming I was doing and having fun teaching the younger kids and giving them a real introduction into it. It was an awesome time,” says Lammers, who is studying at Trinity College.

Lammers combined his love for linguistics and science in the Canada-Wide Science Fair, where he won a bronze medal for a labour-intensive project comparing the speech patterns of children, teenagers and adults. His passion for mentorship led him to establish a private tutoring business.

As a Schulich Leader, he says his goal at U of T is to be challenged intellectually. He is also considering exploring his interest in teaching. “Teaching is something that I found real value for and I love watching students learn,” he says.

Adam Glustein

From Northern Secondary School in Toronto
Engineering science student
St. George campus

Adam Glustein had the highest academic average in his high school's graduating class and was named a national biology scholar with distinction. He also held leadership positions in the school’s athletic association and STEM group, and took part in math tutoring outside the classroom.

He comes to U of T with a number of interests, including genetics, nanotechnology and software engineering, and chose engineering science in U of T's Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering to try out different things before committing to a specialty after second year.

He says he likes the challenge of the rigorous curriculum.

“When you go there, it feels different than a regular classroom – they’re challenging you to succeed,” says Glustein, who is leaning towards pursuing biomedical engineering after second year. “It’s not in a way that I found to be competitive against other people, but it’s a way that brings all of us together and we have to tough it out.”

Glustein loves the tradition around U of T and appreciates the culture among the engineering community – a growing bond, he says.

Becoming a Schulich Leader is “a part of my identity now,” he says. It’s something of which he is deeply proud.

“It’s a nice culmination of all the effort I put in.”

Tommy Moffat

From Assumption Catholic Secondary in Burlington, Ont.

Tommy Moffat begins his Schulich experience as a junior quantum engineer with Rigetti, a quantum computing firm based in California. Deferring his U of T admission for a year, Moffat will first have a chance to work in the field about which he is passionate.

“This year has been a lot about learning as much as possible, even more so than before, about quantum computing,” he says. The Burlington, Ont., native intends to study engineering science when he returns.

His position at Rigetti is the culmination of different STEM opportunities throughout the years. It began for him as a 10-year-old, taking part in STEM camps with E-Bots, a program that builds robots for competitions. Moffat came to lead an E-Bots team, incorporating programming, building and design into his seminars.

“It was a fortunate culture to be in, at an early age,” says Moffat of E-Bots. “The standards were really high. There was always a question of how we always aim to be the best.”

His interest in quantum computing also bloomed through his participation with the Knowledge Society (TKS), a STEM program that teaches concepts like genetic engineering, virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

“Through TKS, I was able to gain access to some opportunities, some mentors, different inroads into the field,” he says.

So far, Moffat has consulted on network infrastructure for Fortune 500 companies, including Airbnb, and has spoken about quantum computing at large technology conferences.

Moffat says he is honoured to be named a Schulich Leader. “Meeting everyone made me really excited for the network possibilities it opens up,” he says.

U of T alumnus uses automation, robotics to keep Canadian Tire's operations rolling

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 28 May 2019 20:53:40 +0000

U of T alumnus uses automation, robotics to keep Canadian Tire's operations rolling

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 05/28/2019 - 16:53

Cutline

Carlos Menezes, Canadian Tire’s vice-president of distribution and operations planning, is working with U of T researchers to automate the process of unloading shipping containers in its Brampton, Ont. distribution centre (photo by Jason Bailey)

Topic

Dublin Awards. Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Mechanical & Industrial Engineering

Robotics

It’s Carlos Menezes’s job to keep things moving. Thousands of things: tea kettles, barbeques, car parts, sleeping bags, garden gazebos. From his vantage at the centre of Canadian Tire’s vast supply chain, he tracks products from more than 2,000 suppliers worldwide. They’re shipped across oceans, transported by railway to four national distribution centres and loaded onto trucks that deliver them to 500 Canadian Tire stores, where you lift them off the shelf in perfect condition and take them home.

Like any extraordinarily complex system, the retailer’s supply chain benefits from precision engineering – and Menezes, Canadian Tire’s vice-president of distribution and operations planning, has built his career on continuously fine-tuning it.

“If you think about industrial engineering happening wherever there’s people, systems and process, there’s always an opportunity to improve and to optimize,” says the ��Ƶ engineering alumnus.

“With the Canadian Tire supply chain being as large and as complex as it is, there’s no shortage of opportunities to find ways to make our operation run optimally.”

The way products are designed, created and moved through today’s global marketplace has undergone a seismic shift in recent years. Advanced manufacturing – which encompasses innovations in materials, processes and distribution logistics – combined with escalating transportation costs, has made the retail industry more competitive than ever. And for a company with locations spread coast-to-coast across the second-largest country in the world, even minuscule improvements in operational efficiency can yield big savings and confer a valuable edge.

“When you factor in our inbound transportation costs, outbound transportation costs and the handling of our goods in our distribution centres, we’re into hundreds of millions of dollars,” says Menezes.

“Even if we could figure out a way to shave a point or two off, we’re talking tens of millions. I’m always thinking of ways to make our operations more efficient while maintaining service, quality, and above all, the safety of my workers.”

To help hone that competitive edge, Menezes turned to his alma mater and Goldie Nejat, an associate professor in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering and director of the Institute for Robotics & Mechatronics.

Menezes and his team had developed a list of 17 projects they thought might benefit from the introduction of robotics and automation to their workflow. They then toured Nejat through Canadian Tire’s distribution centre located in Brampton, Ont. and settled on the ideal place to start: automating the process of unloading shipping containers.

When a 53-foot shipping container arrives at the distribution centre, it’s been loaded floor to ceiling, back to front, with whatever else came off the ship. “It might be 6,000 kettles,” says Menezes. “It might be 3,000 kettles, in two different models, and 3,000 coffee makers in five colours and a dozen different kinds of exercise equipment.”

A human then needs to start removing each item and sorting it into pallets. Forklift drivers move full pallets to the designated section of the distribution centre, where the products are available to be re-packed into trucks and delivered to stores. The distribution centre runs 20 hours a day, with staff working in two shifts from 5:45 a.m. through 1:45 a.m., seven days a week. It’s hard, physical, repetitive work.

“The current process is very time consuming, and that costs us a lot of money. It’s also tying up a receiving door for probably 20 hours a day – if that container of kettles is tying up that door, guess what: something else can’t get in there,” says Menezes.

“So what we’re trying to do is twofold: one, we’re trying to see if robotics could speed up the offloading process; and the other piece is we think there’s going to be a big health and safety benefit for our folks.”

Menezes and his operations team are no strangers to robots in their midst. Five years ago, they introduced automated guided vehicles (AGVs) into the A.J. Billes Distribution Centre in Brampton, Ont. and, in the summer of 2017, they added them to Bolton as well. The AGVs are driverless forklifts that automatically deliver pallets around the floor along pre-programmed paths. The Brampton distribution centre is also home to an elaborate custom robotics system that receives shipments of vehicle tires and sorts, moves, puts away and retrieves them – entirely without human intervention.

“You can imagine if your role was to be handling tires for 10 hours a day… with all of the SUVs and light truck tires on the road today, the tires are getting bigger and heavier to handle,” Menezes says. “We definitely had to find a way to make life easier for our staff. And being Canadian Tire, we handle a lot of tires.”

Menezes hopes to have his newest robotic prototype in place in the next 12 to 18 months. And, like a true industrial engineer, he’s already considering how to scale and make his system smarter and more efficient – he and Nejat even discussed the potential of integrating artificial intelligence into a robotic packing system.

“I think in the past year here at Canadian Tire, robotics and automation has really taken off, in terms of us thinking about it, being much more open to the ideas.” Menezes says. “You’ve got to continually move with where the industry is going, and continually push the envelope to find better ways to do things, new ways to do things, and if you’re not trying that, you’re going to be left behind.”

Meet Medicine by Design’s 2018 Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award winners

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 14:41:20 +0000

Meet Medicine by Design’s 2018 Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award winners

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 07/06/2018 - 10:41

Cutline

"Some of the best research in Canada happens here in Toronto," says Daniel Dennis, one of five emerging researchers to receive a post-doctoral fellowship award from the ��Ƶ's Medicine by Design

Ann Perry

Topic

Our Community

Department of Chemistry

Dublin Awards. Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Medicine

Hospital for Sick Children

Medicine by Design

��Ƶ Mississauga

Five emerging researchers are pushing the frontiers of regenerative medicine in diseases ranging from Duchenne muscular dystrophy to heart failure thanks to the 2018 Post-Doctoral Fellowship Awards from the ��Ƶ's Medicine by Design.

The awards support high-calibre post-doctoral fellows at U of T and its affiliated hospitals who have outstanding potential to become independent researchers in regenerative medicine, a branch of medicine that develops methods to re-grow, repair or replace damaged or diseased cells, organs or tissues.

Each award is valued at as much as $50,000 per year for three years. This year’s award recipients work in laboratories at three faculties across U of T and at the Hospital for Sick Children, demonstrating the diversity of research excellence in regenerative medicine in Toronto.

The award program is part of the mandate of U of T’s Medicine by Design initiative to accelerate regenerative medicine breakthroughs and translate them into new treatments for common diseases. Medicine by Design is made possible thanks in part to a $114-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund – the largest single research award in U of T’s history.

Medicine by Design's Ann Perry caught up with each of this year's recipients for a quick Q & A.

Daniel Dennis

Supervisor: Freda Miller, SickKids Research Institute and U of T's department of molecular biology

Tell us about your post-doctoral research.

My post-doctoral research is on white matter damage, which occurs in demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. My focus is on determining the growth factors that naturally influence white matter formation and using them as a basis for discovering drugs that can help the brain heal itself when white matter damage occurs.

Why did you choose to do your post-doc in Toronto?

Toronto is an ideal place to do research in regenerative medicine because of the highly collaborative environment filled with people with diverse skills and expertise. Some of the best research in Canada happens here in Toronto, so it’s a tremendous learning environment. More specifically, being mentored by Dr. Freda Miller and Dr. David Kaplan is great for my professional development.

What do you plan to do after your post-doc?

After my post-doc, I plan to continue my research on white matter damage and repair, and I hope to get my own laboratory.

Ji-Eun Kim

Supervisor: Tae-Hee Kim, SickKids Research Institute and U of T's department of molecular genetics

Tell us about your post-doctoral research.

Intestinal cells are replaced every few days by a process called differentiation from self-renewing intestinal stem cells. Understanding this process is very important in gut health. I am studying the role of gut microbiota in stem cell differentiation, which affects the onset of necrotizing enterocolitis. This disease is the most common gastrointestinal disorder in pre-term infants, with a 30 per cent mortality rate.

Why did you choose to do your post-doc in Toronto?

Toronto has a tremendous concentration of internationally renowned researchers in regenerative medicine and developmental biology. The extremely collaborative and interdisciplinary environment and amazing facilities enable fast data generation and drive cutting-edge research.

What do you plan to do after your post-doc?

My long-term career goal is to become a principal investigator in academia, and I want to guide students by sharing what I have learned and experienced during my life.

Erica Scott

Supervisor: Aaron Wheeler, U of T's department of chemistry

Tell us about your post-doctoral research.

My post-doc focuses on developing a tool that enables analysis of neural stem cell networks at single-cell resolution. It does this by combining a single-cell laser lysis technique, microfluidics and then RNA and DNA sequencing. We hope to describe the high degree of variability between neural stem cells and their environment to best harness their therapeutic potential.

Why did you choose to do your post-doc in Toronto?

I chose Toronto because of its competitive, but also uniquely collaborative, research program, and because of the interdisciplinary nature and fantastic project brought forth by my laboratory.

What do you plan to do after your post-doc?

I am planning to apply for faculty positions in neurogenetics.

Eric Strohm

Supervisor: Craig Simmons, U of T's department of mechanical and industrial engineering

Tell us about your post-doctoral research.

Heart failure is the leading cause of death worldwide. It affects more than 26 million people globally and it is not curable. It often results from poor contraction of the heart’s muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes. This can occur due to genetic mutations, secondary effects from another disease or drugs such as chemotherapeutics, or from damage such as a heart attack. Professor Simmons is developing a cardiac microtissue platform that simulates a beating heart (a “heart-on-a-chip”) that can be used to model cardiac diseases and evaluate therapies for heart failure. The cardiomyocyte beat properties and contractility are important metrics in these systems, but there are limited ways to measure them.

My post-doctoral work focuses on using ultrasound to measure the contractile forces of the cardiomyocytes and tissues. I’ve built a custom acoustic microscope that can focus ultrasound to a very small point to measure cell contractility in a range of platforms, including standard cell culture plates and specialized heart-on-a-chip systems. By changing the ultrasound frequency, this versatile system can scale from measurements of single cells to 3D microtissues. Applications include evaluating drug cardiotoxicity, screening drug candidates to treat heart failure, and quantifying stem cell-based therapies for regenerative cardiac repair.

Why did you choose to do your post-doc in Toronto?

I wanted to apply the ultrasound techniques that I developed during my PhD studies at Ryerson University to the exciting fields of stem cell research and regenerative medicine. I met with Professor Simmons and we identified several projects that could capitalize on our expertise in different fields. Toronto is a world leader in regenerative medicine, with excellent academic opportunities and a thriving startup culture. For these reasons, Toronto is an ideal place for me to continue my academic career.

What do you plan to do after your post-doc?

My goal is to create and develop ideas that have real-world utility. I’d like to lead a laboratory so I can pursue my own research interests.

Karen Yuen

Supervisor: Patrick Gunning, U of T Mississauga's department of chemical and physical sciences

Tell us about your post-doctoral research.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a highly aggressive muscular degeneration disorder that has no effective treatment or cure. Symptoms first appear when patients are between two and six years old, and they usually die in their twenties or thirties. Recently, a breakthrough study has indicated that blocking the activity of a transcription factor protein, STAT3, can induce the regenerative ability of the muscle stem cells. Building on this knowledge, we aim to develop a highly potent STAT3 inhibitor drug that would regenerate the disease-comprised muscle cells. To achieve this goal, we will chemically optimize the most advanced STAT3 inhibitors available to date for targeting muscle cells with reduced side effects. We will then evaluate these drug candidates in cell and animal models of muscular degeneration diseases, including DMD.

Why did you choose to do your post-doc in Toronto?

I chose Toronto to conduct my post-doctoral research because it is a well-known global hub of regenerative medicine expertise, with numerous world-renowned scientists that have made seminal contributions toward groundbreaking discoveries. The opportunity to work with Professor Patrick Gunning, who has made huge impacts in the field of STAT protein inhibitors, was instrumental in my decision to come to Toronto. His vast knowledge, coupled with state-of-the-art research facilities, offer an excellent working environment for me to further my research.

What do you plan to do after your post-doc?

Given my passion for science, I would like to remain in the field, but I am uncertain if that will happen in an academic or industry environment. With this award, I hope to become a better-rounded scientist through learning and collaboration, and contribute to regenerative medicine.

TD Bank embraces AI future with purchase of startup built by U of T alumni

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 17:08:49 +0000

TD Bank embraces AI future with purchase of startup built by U of T alumni

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 01/10/2018 - 12:08

Cutline

TD Bank, headquartered at the TD Centre in downtown Toronto, is purchasing Layer 6 for an undisclosed sum (photo by JasonParis via Flickr)

Chris Sorensen

Topic

Global Lens

Alumni

Artificial Intelligence

Computer Science

Dublin Awards. Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Entrepreneneurship

Faculty of Arts & Science

��Ƶ

Research & Innovation

Richard Zemel

Rotman School of Management

One of Canada’s biggest banks has purchased a promising artificial intelligence, or AI, startup that was co-founded by two U of T alumni and a local lawyer and entrepreneur – further evidence of how big corporations are eager to scoop up the country's top AI talent.

TD Bank said this week that it has agreed to buy Layer 6 for an undisclosed sum, although the Globe and Mail cites sources who say the price tag was in excess of $100 million when retention payments to employees are included.

The acquisition comes as the bank seeks to cut costs by using AI to automate repetitive tasks and scan large datasets in search of patterns that can help it better understand its customers.

“We’ve talked a lot in the past about disruption and what would happen to banks, and ‘Are your business models broken?’” Bharat Masrani, the bank’s CEO, said at an industry conference in Toronto, according to the Globe.

“And I say, ‘This [acquisition] is a great example of how TD’s adapting to this new reality and new expectation, and how we are remaining on the leading edge with our customers.’

Canada helps train the world’s tech talent – now it has to keep it here: U of T expert

rasbachn — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 16:39:19 +0000

Canada helps train the world’s tech talent – now it has to keep it here: U of T expert

rasbachn Wed, 11/01/2017 - 12:39

Cutline

U of T is perhaps “the single biggest IQ aggregator in North America, if not the world,” writes Illan Kramer in his Globe and Mail op-ed (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

City & Culture

Alumni

Artificial Intelligence

Dublin Awards. Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Entrepreneneurship

Graduate Students

Research & Innovation

Illan Kramer, the ��Ƶ’s director of international research partnerships, remembers what it was like to do his PhD in engineering at U of T from 2008 to 2013.

“There I was, surrounded by some of the smartest people one could ever hope to meet: I worked alongside graduate students from Greece, Iran, Italy, Germany, Mexico, China and, of course, Canada; postdoctoral fellows from the United States, Turkey, Brazil, Thailand, Bangladesh and Britain, and research scientists from Kazakhstan, the Netherlands and Serbia. My lab was a scientific United Nations.”

The problem, he writes in a Globe and Mail op-ed, is that after those graduate students received their PhDs, they had to leave to find jobs. “Canadian PhD holders have been in such high demand that they would get recruited to high-value jobs with the biggest and most exciting companies. Most of those jobs weren't here at the time.”

Kramer argues that Canada must keep working to keep the massive pool of talent we already attract here – he calls U of T perhaps “the single biggest IQ aggregator in North America, if not the world” – by fostering a robust, knowledge-based ecosystem that contains both major multinationals and burgeoning startups.

That is why he believes Canadian cities were right to put together pitches for Amazon’s second headquarters, dubbed HQ2. He understands the fear that Amazon will scoop up local talent, but in the long run, “Amazons beget Amazons: it's not accidental that when Apple, Intel and Hewlett-Packard started lighting up Silicon Valley, Google, Facebook and Uber eventually started there, too.”

Kramer writes that Toronto is having an international moment – in fields from artificial intelligence to advanced manufacturing and regenerative medicine – with companies not only looking to recruit here, but deciding to set up here.

“This influx of R&D jobs makes possible ever-more ambitious talent-growth opportunities,” he writes. “A decade ago, Toronto would have struggled to make a case as a home for tens of thousands of new technology jobs; finally, Toronto can credibly go after an HQ2."

Read the entire Globe and Mail op-ed by Illan Kramer

U of T researchers play important role in City of Toronto's Bloor Street bike lane evaluation

Romi Levine — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 16:28:28 +0000

U of T researchers play important role in City of Toronto's Bloor Street bike lane evaluation

Romi Levine Thu, 10/12/2017 - 12:28

Cutline

U of T researchers helped evaluate the Bloor bike lane pilot project (photo by Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Romi Levine

Topic

City & Culture

Cities

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Dublin Awards. Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Transportation

U of T Scarborough

Toronto City Council will decide the fate of the Bloor Street bike lanes on Nov. 7.

The lanes – running from Shaw Street to Avenue Road – were installed as a pilot project to encourage more Torontonians to get on their bikes.

Experts from all over the city, including the ��Ƶ, contributed to a massive and thorough evaluation of the bike lanes – looking at everything from safety to how the lanes affected local business.

The final report, released on Wednesday from the City of Toronto’s Transportation Services, will be used by city councillors to inform their vote. And based on the data collected and analyzed, the report recommends making the bike lanes permanent.

The evaluation involved U of T students – both undergraduate and graduate – as well as faculty and staff from across the university, including the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, department of human geography at U of T Scarborough, and the school of the environment in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

“I think it's really important for faculty and students to engage with our community and with the important decisions being made in the city,” says Beth Savan, a senior lecturer emeritus at the school of the environment. “We have a moral obligation to apply the skills that we have gained to help the city become a better place.”

U of T Engineering's Transportation Research Institute contributed to a report on Bloor Street bike lane safety. Its analysis of conflicts – when cyclists, motorists and pedestrians come close to crashing – found dramatic decreases in incidents, apart from those between cyclists and pedestrians.

Read about U of T Engineering's Bloor Street bike lane research

Savan was the research lead for a portion of the evaluation that looked at the economic impact of the Bloor Street bike lanes, working alongside Steven Farber, assistant professor in the department of human geography, Lee Vernich, research manager at Dalla Lana, and U of T students. The study was in partnership with the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation, the City of Toronto and local business improvement areas.

“There were concerns the bike lane would be bad for business,” says Farber, the study's data analysis lead.

U of T students took to the streets, interviewing business owners, cyclists, motorists and pedestrians and conducting bike counts before and after the bike lanes were installed to find out if this was the case.

“This was a great opportunity to put our training into practice,” says Farber.

The study found that despite a decrease in on-street parking, businesses on Bloor Street “continue to flourish.” Store owners reported an increase in customers, with more shoppers coming to the neighbourhood by bike, the report says.

It’s U of T’s research approach that made the university an asset to the bike lanes study, says Vernich, one of the data collection leads on the economic impact report.

“It's the unbiased and rigorous methodology – that is what we are committed to at the university.”

U of T students were important contributors to the study, which has the potential to make a real impact on city life, says Savan.

“It was a great chance for them to be involved in something on the ground and to get some appreciation through that experience of what all the complex issues are that get raised,” she says. “They had a chance to develop and apply skills to help the city make sound, evidence-based decisions.”

The study also provided an opportunity for different faculties to work together.

“It's a multidisciplinary approach and it shows the impulses for collaboration all the researchers on the project share,” says Savan.

U of T students who crushed it in 2016

geoff.vendeville — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 22:29:42 +0000

U of T students who crushed it in 2016

geoff.vendeville Fri, 12/16/2016 - 17:29

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Stephanie Gaglione, U of T's latest Rhodes Scholar, was one of many students who truly shone this year

Geoffrey Vendeville

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Geoffrey Vendeville

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Undergraduate Education

Dublin Awards. Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

It was a big year for ��Ƶ students – they reached the Olympic podium, won Rhodes scholarships, designed cooling vests for labourers in the Middle East and marched at the head of Toronto's Pride Parade.

U of T News looks back on some of our student highlights from this year, checking in with some students for their aspirations for the coming year.

Rhodes scholars

Stephanie Gaglione’s professors always knew she had a bright future. This fall, the chemical engineering major, rock climber and Varsity figure skater was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship. The prestigious annual scholarship covers up to three years of postgraduate study at the University of Oxford.

She joins James Flynn, Jessica Phillips and Kaleem Hawa, U of T students who won the scholarship last year and were set to begin their studies at Oxford this fall. Flynn is a political science student and former managing editor of The Varsity who wants to pursue a master's degree in social science of the Internet as well as a public policy degree, Phillips hopes to study penguins in Antarctica, and Hawa plans to study immunology and global governance and diplomacy, learning more about pandemic threats such as Ebola and SARS.

“In the new year, I hope to continue learning and growing in my academic and personal life,” Flynn said. “I also plan to continue giving back to my community including people at the ��Ƶ who have offered me so much guidance and support.”

Writers

Benson Cheung, who majored in history and political science, was one of five U of T students who were invited to the Undergraduate Awards summit in Ireland (photo courtesy of Benson Cheung)

Five U of T undergrads travelled to the Emerald Isle to attend a summit with other bright young minds from around the world after being commended for writing insightful essays on topics like the American political climate after 9/11 through the lens of monster blockbusters and using modern data analysis to review an influential 19th-century linguistics book.

Leah Brainin, Benson Cheung, Anna Deregowski, Anneliese Mills and Hilary Pang were invited to the Undergraduate Awards summit in Ireland after their essays made the top 10 per cent of submissions in their category. The awards recognize creative and outstanding undergraduate coursework.

In the coming year, Pang wants to organize a public policy campaign with the U of T chapter of the Heart and Stroke Foundation to reduce sugary marketing to kids.

Future systems engineers

The National Academy of Engineering honoured two ��Ƶ undergrads – Rachel Andrade and Clara Stoesser – with a first-place award for their video “Refugee Crisis,” which explored how systems engineering can be applied to the plight of refugees.

Stoesser, a fourth-year student in industrial engineering, and Andrade, a third-year student in media studies at U of T Scarborough, examined how engineers can help improve everything from conditions in refugee camps to supports for newcomers in host countries.

Pride ambassador

In her late 20s, Jordyn Samuels has already worked with LGBTQ community groups for more than a decade. At 16, she volunteered at a community health centre, training in equity and anti-oppression. More recently, she has worked for a community development program at the Sherbourne Health Centre for queer and trans spectrum youth.

In recognition of her contributions to the LGBTQ community, the equity studies and sexual diversity studies double-major was chosen to be Pride Toronto’s Youth Ambassador.

“Oh my goodness, my mother is coming to the Pride Parade to watch me co-lead it!” she tweeted the day of the event. “What is the magic that is this weekend?”

Class of 2016

Clive Davies, a retired police officer, graduated from the history specialist program this year. He was 59 years older than his youngest classmates. (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Who can forget U of T's spring 2016 grad Clive Davies? A former Toronto police officer, he started studying history at U of T in 1977.

That’s when he took a break – one which lasted a quarter century.

He stood out at Convocation this spring. But although he has graduated, he isn’t finished with school just yet - he plans to come back in January to take a language course.

“Since I’m going to Lisbon in June, I might try learning a little Portuguese,” he said.

For Mihil Patel, it was while he was at his grandmother’s bedside in India in her dying days, that he decided to become a doctor. She was able to say goodbye to her family thanks to the treatment she received.

The U of T Scarborough student got one step closer to his goal after graduating last summer and receiving the John Black Aird award for the top undergrad at the university.

Helping disability advocate Kathleen Forestell graduate this fall and walk across the stage at Convocation Hall to receive her master's degree in counselling psychology was her guide dog, Tiffany, a two-year-old black Labrador retriever.

“I’m going to very proud to walk across the stage with her,” she says. “I want people to see, ‘Yes, we’re here, and yes, you can do this, too!’”

Horizon, the solar car designed, built and raced by the ��Ƶ’s Blue Sky Solar Racing team races across Missouri at the American Solar Challenge 2016 (photo courtesy of Blue Sky Solar Racing)

Racing innovators

��Ƶ's Blue Sky Solar Racing team won a bronze medal in the American Solar Challenge – an eight-day, rally-style solar car race. The event, which is divided into four stages, covers 3,178 kilometres through the American Midwest.

Horizon is an eighth-generation vehicle at U of T. It made the trip with an official time of 62 hours, 11 minutes and three seconds, powered only by electricity generated from sunlight.

Indigenous Students of the Year

Audrey Rochette and Atik Bird are top students, but that isn’t the only reason they earned the President’s Awards for Indigenous Student of the Year in December. Both have contributed to their Indigenous communities. Rochette has made a difference through her leadership in the Native Student Association and by organizing on-campus screenings of Indigenous films with the imagineNATIVE film and media arts festival. Bird was recognized for her work with at an Indigenous women's shelter in Toronto.

Scholars & Activists

Three U of T PhD students were among the 15 winners of the Trudeau Scholarship, widely regarded as the most prestigious doctoral award for the social sciences and humanities in Canada. The scholarship provides an annual grant of $60,000 for at least three years.

Christopher Campbell-Duruflé, who was an observer at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21), hopes to use the scholarship to study a new emphasis on reporting and review mechanisms to compel states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ido Katri has been a trans community advocate for a decade. He told U of T News he wants to use the scholarship “to bring those marginalized voices to the forefront of current and future public debates.”

Cynthia Morinville uses documentary filmmaking and photography to tell the stories of informal workers who extract rare metals from discarded electronic waste.

“Whenever you ask questions about environmental sustainability, you have to start with social justice and equality,” she said.

Chizoba Imoka, a PhD student at OISE, received the Clarkson Laureate for Public Service award for her work with Unveiling Africa (photo by Johnny Guatto)

After Chizoba Imoka moved from Nigeria to Alberta, she learned that many Canadians had misconceptions about her native country and Africa. As an undergrad at the University of Alberta, she started Unveiling Africa, an organization to counter misperceptions about Africa and a platform for African youth in diaspora to contribute to the continent’s development.

Now a PhD student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and junior fellow at Massey College, Imoka received the college’s highest honour in January – the Clarkson Laureate for Public Service – for her ongoing work with Unveiling Africa and for spreading awareness about the importance of diversity at Massey.

Entrepreneurs

Adam Sheikh’s eureka moment came watching a video of Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame put on a costume from the movie Aliens at a comic convention. The vest was meant to keep the actors cool under their heavy costumes.

Why not put that concept to work elsewhere?

He and fellow U of T students started the non-profit, Aegis, to equip construction workers in the Gulf region with vests to keep them cool despite the sweltering heat. Last summer, Aegis tested the vests in Qatar with migrant labourers working on infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup.

“In a one-month period, the number of workers who had high blood pressure dropped by 50 per cent,” Sheikh said.

And finally...the Olympians

Trampolinist Rosie MacLennan, a U of T alumna and master’s student in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, won Olympic gold for the second time at the Rio 2016 Games.

Rosie MacLennan, a U of T graduate who is now a master's student in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, competed at the Rio Games (photo by Sandy Nicholson)

The three-time Olympian became the first Canadian summer athlete to defend an individual Olympic gold medal. She was the only Canadian gold medal winner at the London Games in 2012.

Fellow KPE student and Varsity Blues swimmer Kylie Masse won the bronze in the 100-metre women’s backstroke. Masse earned praise from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Twitter.

Do you have a favourite student story from 2016? We’d love to hear about it!

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Experts from U of T, city and other post-secondary institutions meet to discuss pandemic recovery

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Aidan Britnell

From King’s Christian College in Burlington, Ont. Computer science, mathematics and statistics student U of T Mississauga

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From St. Ignatius High School in Thunder Bay, Ont. Mathematics and physics student St. George campus

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From Northern Secondary School in Toronto Engineering science student St. George campus

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From Assumption Catholic Secondary in Burlington, Ont.

U of T alumnus uses automation, robotics to keep Canadian Tire's operations rolling

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Daniel Dennis

Ji-Eun Kim

Erica Scott

Eric Strohm

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U of T students who crushed it in 2016

From King’s Christian College in Burlington, Ont.
Computer science, mathematics and statistics student
U of T Mississauga

From St. Ignatius High School in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Mathematics and physics student
St. George campus

From Northern Secondary School in Toronto
Engineering science student
St. George campus