Photographs

The year in pictures: U of T News looks back at 2022

davidlee — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 17:38:49 +0000

The year in pictures: U of T News looks back at 2022

davidlee Tue, 12/20/2022 - 12:38

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The Toronto High Containment Facility, based at Temerty Faculty of Medicine, houses the largest containment level 3 lab in Ontario. Researchers can study high-risk pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2 and HIV, in a safe and secure way. (Photo by Nathan Cyprys)

Mariam Matti

Topic

City & Culture

Back to School 2022

Black Research Network

Eagle Feather Bearer

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Global

International

Photographs

Research & Innovation

Undergraduate Students

Members of the ��Ƶ community shared many memorable moments across the three campuses in 2022.

In spring, graduating students returned to Convocation Hall. In fall, more than 90,000 students from across Canada and around the world were welcomed back to U of T for what President Meric Gertler described as “our biggest back-to-school ever.” Through the year, the university’s renowned scholars continued to make their mark through pathbreaking research and innovation that made an impact locally and globally. Meanwhile, events with world leaders deepened the university’s international collaborations and partnerships.

For all those highlights and more, U of T News photographers were there. Below is a selection of striking images and special moments from 2022:

Indigenous artist Que Rock, a member of the Nipissing First Nation, stands in front of the mural he created honouring the 215 children whose unmarked graves were discovered at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., in 2021.

The mural is on the north facade of the building housing U of T’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. (Photo by Nadya Kwandibens/Red Works Photography)

The Hidden Stories project, co-ordinated by the research team at U of T Mississauga’s Old Books New Science Lab and funded by the Mellon Foundation, aims to explore the systems, peoples and cultures that make a book.

Alexandra Gillespie, U of T vice-president and U of T Mississauga principal, leads the Old Books New Science Lab. (Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

The founders of the Black Research Network, Alissa Trotz, Beth Coleman, Rhonda McEwen and Maydianne Andrade, appeared in an episode of Groundbreakers, a U of T multimedia series on Institutional Strategic Initiatives, to discuss Black research excellence and enhancing the research capacity of Black scholars across U of T's tri-campus community.

The renowned scholars and pathbreaking leaders also discussed the origins of the Black Research Network and opportunities for collaboration and policy change. (Photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, delivered an address and participated in a Q and A with students at U of T and other universities across Canada at an event hosted by U of T President Meric Gertler and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy in June. (Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

More than 90,000 U of T students were welcomed back to U of T for their fall term with a wide range of events, including a cheer-off at Varsity Stadium on the St. George campus. (Photo by Johnny Guatto)

The proximity of the U of T Scarborough campus to Highland Creek Valley and Rouge National Urban Park offered many opportunities for students to enjoy the outdoors throughout the seasons.

A year-round program started by Athletics and Recreation organizes activities such as snowshoeing, hiking, dragon boating and rock climbing. (Photo by Don Campbell)

U of T President Meric Gertler welcomed Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korean president, to Simcoe Hall to discuss artificial intelligence and opportunities for further collaboration between the university and South Korean partners.

The meeting included a roundtable discussion titled “AI for the Better Future of Humanity,” that featured AI leaders and luminaries, including University Professor Emeritus ��Ƶ and Lee Jong-ho, South Korea’s minister of science and ICT (information and communication technology). (Photo by Polina Teif)

Kaeliana Smoke, a master’s student in anthropology at U of T Mississauga, was a member of the inaugural cohort of Eagle Feather Bearers during spring convocation.

The Eagle Feather Bearer carries a ceremonial Eagle Feather into Convocation Hall at the outset of each ceremony. The new tradition symbolizes the university’s enduring partnership with Indigenous Peoples. (Photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

The U of T Scarborough Cheer Team – open to all U of T students, regardless of athletic ability – is one of hundreds of clubs and extracurricular options students participated in across U of T’s three campuses this year. (Photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

In 2022, a new ranking placed the university second in the world for sustainability, recognizing the way sustainability permeates U of T's entire mission of research and teaching as well as its operations.

The greenhouse atop the Davis Building at U of T Mississauga, which provides research opportunities for undergraduate biology students, is home to some annuals, including beans and corn and has a permanent collection of flora that includes hibiscus, orchids, mosses, peppers, cotton, bananas and figs. (Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

In photos: Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 return to U of T

davidlee — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 19:31:39 +0000

In photos: Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 return to U of T

davidlee Mon, 12/19/2022 - 14:31

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Rotman School of Management alumni gather in Convocation Hall (photo by Neil Ta)

Jenny Rodrigues

Topic

Our Community

2020 & 2021 Graduation Celebrations

Alumni

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture

Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

Photographs

Rotman School of Management

Thousands of ��Ƶ alumni crossed the stage at Convocation Hall over the last two weeks, in a very special series of in-person events to celebrate the classes of 2020 and 2021.

While every member of the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 graduated during virtual convocations, returning to the university to gather as a community and share in a U of T tradition cheered by friends and family was a chance to make new memories.

“It was my first experience graduating in Canada so I am grateful to have been present and have my moment on stage with all my peers and fellow graduates,” says Mariana Saraiva, who earned an executive MBA degree from the Rotman School of Management in 2020 and returned to celebrate with her classmates last month. “For me, it was extraordinary to return to campus and celebrate what we achieved in person.”

Over the 28 ceremonies, U of T photographers and videographers captured the heartfelt and triumphant moments as alumni donned their gowns, reconnected with their peers and walked across the historic stage.

Members of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education’s Class of 2020 and 2021 gather at Convocation Hall on Dec. 7 (Photo by Dewey Chang)

U of T Mississauga grads smile alongside Alexandra Gillespie (centre), U of T vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga. (Photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Alumnae from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy pose for a photo and show off their bouquets in front of Convocation Hall. (Photo by Steve Southon)

A pair of alumni from the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering are all smiles at their graduation celebration. (Photo by Tristan McGuirk)

Family and friends embrace outside Convocation Hall at the graduation celebration for the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. (Photo by Dewey Chang)

Jason Bazylak, professor, teaching stream, in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering, carries the Eagle Feather during Faculty of Applied Sciences & Engineering celebrations. (Photo by Tristan McGuirk)

Hey there, grad! An alumnus from the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design waves for the camera. (Photo by Harry Choi)

Wisdom Tettey, U of T vice-president and principal, U of T Scarborough, applauds an alumna as she waves to the crowd and crosses the stage at Convocation Hall. (Photo by Ruilin Yuan)

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In this video, U of T alumni share how it feels to return to the university for their in-person graduation celebrations. (Video by Nicole In)

U of T art historian shares insight on photography in the post-truth era

ullahnor — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 20:56:43 +0000

U of T art historian shares insight on photography in the post-truth era

ullahnor Fri, 02/24/2017 - 15:56

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Art historian Jordan Bear's new book looks at illusions in Victorian photography. He has been asked to speak about questions that arose about the size of the audience during U.S. President Trump's inauguration (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Elaine Smith

Author legacy

Elaine Smith

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

In today's age of fake news and alternative facts, Jordan Bear's research on the sociology of knowledge and how people can become convinced by photographs is extremely pertinent.

An art historian, Bear looks into how works of photography are received, rather than how they are produced. His first book, Disillusioned: Victorian Photography and the Discerning Subject, recently won the prestigious 2016 Historians of British Art book award for a post-1800 subject.

“I’m interested in the skills people develop or have imposed upon them to make sense of visual representations,” said Bear, an assistant professor of art history in the Faculty of Arts & Science. “In the past three months, terms like fake news and alternative facts have become common. This new vocabulary makes us aware that these questions are important and are relevant to what makes a citizen informed about his or her place in the world.”

For example, during President Trump’s inauguration, questions arose about the size of the crowd in attendance and photos were used to support the conclusions. Unsurprisingly, Bear received a number of emails as events unfolded.

“In our culture, visual representation and its relation to evidence, proof and the truth may be difficult to sort out,” he said. “Photographs themselves don’t tell us very much. Supplementary information is key. The idea that there is smoking gun proof from a photo is problematic.”

Given the timeliness of this subject, this year’s Historians of British Art book award was all the more appropriate.

“I had no idea that I was being considered at all,” Bear said. “It’s a nice surprise. The main benefit is recognition. It will allow my book to reach a wider audience, and I hope it will open doors for research.”

The book, which grew out of his doctoral research, explores why people are compelled to believe certain kinds of images and not others. Photography seemed like a good place to start because “people have heightened expectations for photographs to be an impartial reflection of the real world, and we know that’s not true.”

Bear took a trip back in time to the beginnings of photography as a medium to compare what sense people make of photos compared to older, more traditional media such as painting.

He is currently exploring historical paintings created before photography was invented and how they provide a public record of battles and other historical events.

“In the first quarter of the 19th century, historical paintings go from being the most important genre of painting to almost invisible,” Bear said. “Eventually, objects used in battle or live testimony from that battle seemed more immediate to viewers than paintings of them. My hypothesis is that they became less important because they don’t give viewers the same proximity to the past that other kinds of evidence do.”

Bear didn’t set out to become an art historian. Growing up outside New York City, he had access to an abundance of museums and loved the art he experienced. As he earned his bachelor’s degree in literature, Bear realized that his essays focused largely on the visual elements in the stories. He began incorporating art history courses into his curriculum and moved on to study art history at the graduate level at Columbia University.

“By then, I had some sense that I was interested in modern art,” Bear said. “Nineteenth century art provided me with a way of thinking about the origins of technological and social movements that seemed to offer a way to get sense of our own culture and moment.”