Gavin Au-Yeung / en A word to the wise /news/word-wise <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">A word to the wise</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-09-06T07:46:19-04:00" title="Friday, September 6, 2013 - 07:46" class="datetime">Fri, 09/06/2013 - 07:46</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Pictured here (left to right) Professors Nick Mount, Yu-Ling Cheng and Mark Kingwell</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gavin-au-yeung" hreflang="en">Gavin Au-Yeung</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Gavin Au-Yeung</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/our-faculty-staff" hreflang="en">Our Faculty &amp; Staff</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/teaching" hreflang="en">Teaching</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/engineering" hreflang="en">Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/back-school" hreflang="en">Back to School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Three U of T professors share their thoughts on great teaching and learning</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>With the Ƶ’s 186th academic year underway, U of T News asked <strong>Nick Mount</strong>, <strong>Yu-Ling Cheng</strong> and <strong>Mark Kingwell</strong> - three members of the University’s Teaching Academy - what they loved about teaching and what advice they would give to students and teachers just embarking on their academic careers. (<a href="http://www.teaching.utoronto.ca/teaching/rewardingteaching/past-winners-uoft/pta-winners.htm">Learn more about U of T’s Teaching Academy</a>)</em></p> <p><strong><em>Professor Nick Mount of English</em></strong></p> <p><strong>What do you love about teaching?</strong></p> <p>Many things. Perhaps weirdly, one of them is preparing to teach something, before class time. I love finding or figuring out the perfect example, discovering just the right window on a problem or a book, the moment when it falls into place for me and I hope for them.</p> <p><strong>What advice would you give to new students beginning their university studies?</strong></p> <p>Don't take so many notes. Just write down the a-ha moments: yours, not the professor's. Those are the only notes that matter. Pretty much everything else is on the Internet or at Robarts, so you can always look it up.</p> <p><strong>What advice would you give to new teachers beginning their U of T careers?</strong></p> <p>Funny you should ask. I happen to have on my shelf the third edition of <em>Mistakes in Teaching</em>, prepared by one James L. Hughes. It's undated, but since it belonged to my grandfather, I'd say it's from the 1920s. Here's some sound advice from Dr. Hughes:</p> <p>"It is a mistake to censure trifling errors too severely. Some teachers pour out their 'vials of wrath' to the last drop on the heads of those whose offenses are not of a very serious nature. Their sternest countenance, and harshest language are called into requisition to find fault with the little unfortunate who carelessly lets fall his slate, or turns to look at his neighbor behind him. Pupils of such teachers soon learn to disregard even a command, unless it is accompanied by a thunderbolt..... It is of the utmost importance that the teacher should never confound the accidental with the intentional, or thoughtlessness with design."</p> <p>For the curious, Dr. Hughes also has a whole chapter on how to whip a student effectively. Apparently it's all in the wrist.</p> <p><strong><em>Professor Yu-Ling Cheng of Chemical Engineering &amp; Applied Chemistry</em></strong></p> <p><strong>What do you love about teaching?</strong></p> <p>I love interacting with students who are eager to learn, and I learn a lot myself when I have to know something well enough to explain it and to answer tough questions from very bright students.<br> <br> <strong>What advice would you give to new students beginning their university studies?</strong></p> <p>University is about a lot more than what happens in the classroom. Get to know professors by going to their office hours and look for opportunities to do research or do an internship, or participate in clubs.&nbsp;<br> <br> <strong>What advice would you give to new teachers beginning their U of T careers?</strong></p> <p>Try to make it fun. Teaching can be hard work - I don't know anyone who enjoys marking for example, but it can also be a lot of fun to interact with students and to think of clever explanations for difficult concepts.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><em>Professor Mark Kingwell of Philosophy</em></strong></p> <p><strong>What do you love about teaching?</strong></p> <p>Pretty much everything, except maybe grading! Being in the classroom or lecture hall is when I feel most alive, that sense of connecting with students, with ideas, with the process of thought itself. It’s intimate and public at once. I suppose that’s one reason I’m skeptical of online teaching: I can’t, myself, imagine being happy without the sense of shared space, being in a room together, thinking.</p> <p><strong>What advice would you give to new students beginning their university studies?</strong></p> <p>Read even more than you think you should. I mean, read all your required course materials, and then read some more, and some more. Read everything, fiction, history, science, biography, poetry, philosophy. You will literally never get this chance again, to live your interior life 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (I know many students have to work as well as study. Look for a job where you can read.)</p> <p><strong>What advice would you give to new teachers beginning their U of T careers?</strong></p> <p>As Johnny Cade says in <em>The Outsiders</em>: “Stay gold, Ponyboy!” There are lots of things that challenge the intellectual enthusiasm that got us here in the first place: institutional duties, publishing pressure, performance stress. I just try to remind myself of the pure joy that is at the heart of all intellectual life. Cultivate a sense of irony. Also, make sure you have a beer or a glass of wine every now and then.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/advice-fromprofs-13-09-06.jpg</div> </div> Fri, 06 Sep 2013 11:46:19 +0000 sgupta 5573 at Meet three new professors at U of T /news/meet-three-exciting-new-professors-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Meet three new professors at U of T</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-09-03T10:20:18-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 3, 2013 - 10:20" class="datetime">Tue, 09/03/2013 - 10:20</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Professors Kamboureli, Fu and Becker begin teaching at U of T this September</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gavin-au-yeung" hreflang="en">Gavin Au-Yeung</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Gavin Au-Yeung</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/our-faculty-staff" hreflang="en">Our Faculty &amp; Staff</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ischool" hreflang="en">iSchool</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/back-school" hreflang="en">Back to School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Profiling new faculty from Political Science, English and Information Studies</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>September marks a new beginning for the more than 14,000 students joining U of T— as well as for the newest additions to the university's teaching staff.</p> <p>“The first time I heard about U of T was on the most momentous plane trip of my life,” says Professor <strong>Diana Fu</strong>, recalling her immigration from China to Canada as a child.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I distinctly remember overhearing Chinese passengers on the plane talking about Toronto. They were going there because they had spouses studying at the Ƶ. And from the tone of their voices, I could sense that Toronto was a big, dynamic city.”</p> <p>This fall, Fu&nbsp;joins the Ƶ at Scarborough as an assistant professor of political science.</p> <p>“My main project is completing a book manuscript on state control and civil society contention in authoritarian China,” says Fu, who specialises in comparative politics, with an emphasis on China.</p> <p>A native from China, Fu will bring her global experience to the classroom as she has lived and studied in areas as diverse as Manitoba, Minnesota, the United Kingdom and California.</p> <p>Last year, as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University's Walter H. Shorenstein Asia Pacific Research Center, Fu worked to better conceptualize the governance in China and the United States.</p> <p>Fu says she is glad to finally be at the school which initially piqued her curiosity as a child.</p> <p>“I look forward to exploring the three campuses, to stimulating conversations with students and colleagues, to breaking new ground in my research, and to engage with the broader community.”&nbsp;</p> <p>The Department of English will benefit from Professor&nbsp;<strong>Smaro Kamboureli</strong>'s arrival. Kamboureli, a Canada Research Chair at Guelph before moving to U of T, now holds the position of Avie Bennett Chair in Canadian Literature. Her past&nbsp;work has focused on multicultural and diasporic texts, landscapes of the Canadian literary marketplace and humanities research, and more.</p> <p>“I’ll do what I love doing the most, teach CanLit to undergraduate and graduate students and continue my research on the field,” says the U of T professor who began July 1st.</p> <p>Born in Thessaloniki, Greece, Kamboureli considers Winnipeg her Canadian hometown.</p> <p>She attributes the calibre and size of U of T to what attracted her to Toronto.</p> <p>“I wanted, at this point of my life, to have the opportunity to work in a bigger graduate program and in a program that has more people working in Canadian literary studies.”</p> <p>Her past teaching experience speaks for itself. Kamboureli has taught overseas and across Canada including 17 years at the University of Victoria and eight years at the University of Guelph.</p> <p>“I’ve always thought of U of T as a city within a city. So, I look forward to getting to know its particular culture, especially its student body,” says Kamboureli. “This is the best way to figure out what an institution is all about, through its students, as well as the structure of its programs, how things get done.”</p> <p><strong>Christoph Becker</strong> will bring an interdisciplinary skill set, combining information studies, engineering and computer science, to the Faculty of Information.</p> <p>Becker will be teaching Information Systems Design and Digital Preservation while looking to expand his research on the challenges in information systems and digital longevity.</p> <p>“Keeping digital information alive across time and space is a big challenge in a whole number of areas – almost anywhere from electronic art to scientific data, health care, and of course private life,” Becker says.</p> <p>Raised in Salzburg, Austria, Becker spent the last decade and a half in Vienna at the Vienna University of Technology as a senior scientist at the department of Software Technology and Interactive Systems at the Faculty of Informatics.</p> <p>When the Faculty of Information created the position of Digital Preservation, Becker jumped at the opportunity to bring his expertise to Toronto.</p> <p>“U of T really is an incredibly rich environment where lots of different ideas meet and combine to make great things happen,” says Becker.</p> <p>“I am really looking forward to working with students and colleagues with diverse interests and backgrounds.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/New-Profs-2013-13-08-30.jpg</div> </div> Tue, 03 Sep 2013 14:20:18 +0000 sgupta 5562 at Five U of T programs that strengthen the Toronto community /news/five-u-t-programs-strengthen-toronto-community <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Five U of T programs that strengthen the Toronto community </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-09-03T08:14:42-04:00" title="Tuesday, September 3, 2013 - 08:14" class="datetime">Tue, 09/03/2013 - 08:14</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Volunteers at IMAGINE Clinic, the first student-run and student-led health clinic. (photo courtesy of Enoch Ng)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gavin-au-yeung" hreflang="en">Gavin Au-Yeung</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Gavin Au-Yeung</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/back-school" hreflang="en">Back to School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/local" hreflang="en">Local</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Service learning opportunities available across several disciplines</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Using university-acquired skills to improve lives in the community doesn’t have to wait until after graduation. For many students at U of T, enlivening the city with expertise and passion is already a part of their studies—benefitting both their learning process and the community around them.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Working in the community keeps us connected to the heart of why we are studying in the first place,” says <strong>Enoch Ng</strong>, a fourth-year in the combined MD/PhD program.</p> <p>Ng is involved with IMAGINE (Interprofessional Medical and Allied Groups for Improving Neighbourhood Environments) Clinic, Canada’s first student-run and student-led health clinic. The clinic promotes and provides holistic healthcare for those with little social support in downtown Toronto.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Applying what we learn in the classroom to the community is what really consolidates learning so it is not just words in a textbook, but something we have seen with our own eyes, felt the impact of with our own hearts, and used to make a difference with our own hands,” says Ng.</p> <p><a href="http://www.torontomeds.com/imagine/"><em>(Learn more about IMAGINE Clinic)&nbsp;</em></a></p> <p>Service learning – the combination of formal learning and in-community service – has become popular among eager students wanting to impact the community while studying.</p> <p>Especially for upper-year students, egaer to put their skills to work and restless from years in the classroom alone.</p> <p>“After so many years of education, we become much too familiar with the chairs inside the lecture halls that we sometimes become disconnected from the world outside,” says <strong>Gary Yang</strong>, a third-year student from Ƶ Mississauga’s Academy of Medicine.</p> <p>“Whether we are learning to be lawyers, engineers, architects, musicians or gymnasts; our future is intertwined with our community.”</p> <p>Yang hopes to do so through Adventures in Science, a Mississauga-based community outreach program. The scientific engagement program aimed at youth has influenced more than 300 students in the Peel Region.</p> <p><a href="http://torontomeds.com/aismississauga/"><em>(Learn more about Adventures in Science)&nbsp;</em></a></p> <p>Engineering students can partake in the Engineering Strategies and Practices (ESP) course which incorporates service learning by following through with a design project from start to finish.</p> <p>“ESP was one of the most useful courses, simply because it was practical,” says <strong>Maria Xirui Xie</strong>, a first-year electrical and computer engineering student. “This course created an environment very similar to the environment that engineers may potentially work in.”</p> <p>Through ESP, students are assigned to local clients where they put their engineering expertise to work. In the past, students have taken on projects such as designing safer scaffolding for construction sites, making a house more dog-accessible and devising a new process that makes it easier to package dried foods.</p> <p>“Students find the experience of the course extremely challenging. But after a few years – and more real world experience – they often say that ESP was where they learned the most important basic skills,” says <strong>Peter Weiss</strong>, ESP communication coordinator.”</p> <p><em><a href="http://www.esp.engineering.utoronto.ca/Page4.aspx">(Learn more about ESP)&nbsp;</a></em></p> <p>New College’s Community Engaged Learning Program (CEL) allows students to work a few hours each week with a community partnered organization. Students integrate classroom knowledge with workplace experience to explore ethical and social justice issues present in the workplace.</p> <p>“My service learning experience allowed me to connect on a personal level with a marginalized population that I had previously learned about only through my academic work,” says <strong>Kousha Azimi</strong>, a human biology student who had a placement with The Coffee Shed and Common Ground Cooperative.</p> <p>“As a science student, I have rarely been exposed to questions of social justice and community activism in my academic work,” says <strong>Roman Zyla</strong>, a pharmacology student who worked at Toronto General Hospital through CEL. “The class discussions and assignments in the CEL program were pivotal in introducing me to the importance of these concepts and strongly shaped the way I reflect on issues in the biomedical field."</p> <p>“CEL course assignments prompt students to make meaning and think critically about all aspects of what they are experiencing, to identify and question their own and others’ assumptions, to figure out the relationships of power and inequality that lurk in the way that social contexts are shaped,” says Linzi Manicom, CEL coordinator.</p> <p><a href="http://www.newcollege.utoronto.ca/academics/new-college-academic-programs/community-engaged-learning/"><em>(Learn more about CEL)&nbsp;</em></a></p> <p>The Faculty of Arts and Science offers service learning opportunities embedded into many courses including, Cornerstones in Social Justice for St. Michael's One program students and New College's Buddhism and Psychology.</p> <p>“The best part of service learning is how efficient it is,” explains <strong>Jessie Ji Huang</strong>, a third year architectural studies undergraduate student.</p> <p>Huang previously enrolled in Introduction to Urban Studies—a course which features optional service learning with non-profit organizations such as food banks, community shelters and community centers.</p> <p>“It's this rare activity where you simultaneously reify class concepts, explore others' lives, contribute to the city, and get class credit, and meet new people,” says Huang.</p> <p>“It's studying in Robarts except more fun, more effective, and better for your city.”<br> &nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/service-learning-13-08-29.jpg</div> </div> Tue, 03 Sep 2013 12:14:42 +0000 sgupta 5558 at How to travel abroad at U of T /news/back-school-asia-europe-or-south-america <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">How to travel abroad at U of T</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-08-26T09:13:52-04:00" title="Monday, August 26, 2013 - 09:13" class="datetime">Mon, 08/26/2013 - 09:13</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Biology major Charise Currier spent five months in New Zealand, where she encountered kiwi birds, penguins, dolphins and giant boulders (all photos courtesy Charise Currier)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gavin-au-yeung" hreflang="en">Gavin Au-Yeung</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Gavin Au-Yeung</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/student-life" hreflang="en">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/back-school" hreflang="en">Back to School</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Back to School... in Asia, Europe, South America</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>With its emphasis on global citizenship and a wide variety of opportunities and programs, the Ƶ encourages students to travel abroad - while earning credits towards their degrees.</em></p> <p><em>Travelling can be a challenge, but as Faculty of Arts &amp; Science undergraduate Charise Currier says in a blog she kept during an exchange to New Zeland's University of Otago:</em></p> <p><em>"This time I had a community in which to belong: my university. Maybe it was just easier because this time I was ready for it: I expected culture shock. But what ever it is, I have had the chance to learn about myself, meet new people, and see a part of the world that is so beautiful and unique, and usually so inaccessible. I have lived more in these few months than I have in the last two years. It has still had it’s hard moments. I have still missed home, but it is all worth it. I wouldn’t trade it for the world."</em></p> <p><em>Here are just a few of the opportunities for students – new and returning alike – to explore new cultures, gain international experience and put theory into practice.</em></p> <p><strong><em>Summer Abroad</em></strong><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>“Seeing a whole different culture than what we normally experience in Canada was very exciting,” says <strong>Madeline Klimek</strong>, a history and international relations student, “I immensely enjoyed our trip to Bosnia during the second portion of the program where we had 10 days to travel throughout the region and to do research for our final essay.”</p> <p>Klimek travelled through Summer Abroad, a program designed to help students participate in meaningful learning experiences and engage with the world outside the classroom.</p> <p>“The most rewarding part about the program was being able to experience first-hand the region we were studying,” says <strong>Aditi Ratho</strong>, a specialist in international relations, part of the Southeast Europe program last year. “The most challenging part of the program was trying to fit in so much knowledge in so short a time.”</p> <p>Summer Abroad includes 45 courses across 18 countries and allows students to complete a U of T course in four to six weeks.</p> <p>“Students are able to relate what they learn in the classroom to real-world situations abroad through critical analysis and synthesis of the course materials,” says program Director <strong>Sarah Witol</strong>. “They become ‘knowledgeable global citizens’ which should be an advantage in today’s competitive environment.”</p> <p>(<a href="https://www.summerabroad.utoronto.ca/">Read more about Summer Abroad</a>)</p> <p><strong><em>Centre for International Experience</em></strong></p> <p>Through the Centre for International Experience (CIE), students have the opportunity to study at one of U of T’s 150-plus partnered global institutions while earning credits toward their U of T degree.</p> <p>“This is a great way for our students to internationalize their degree, expand language skills, or develop international contacts in industry or academia,” says <strong>Loraine Au Tham</strong>, a CIE exchange officer who oversees outbound students. “We strongly encourage all our students to take advantage of the opportunities offered through the student exchange program and ‘experience the world’.”</p> <p>CIE students can choose study period durations of an entire academic year, a single semester, or throughout the summer.</p> <p>“The wonderful part about being abroad is that most of your days are distilled, concentrated&nbsp;versions of life,” writes <strong>Charise Currier</strong> in her CIE blog."You feel like you just don’t have enough time to do and see everything, and so you have to experience the most you can before the clock runs out,"</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/back-to-school-spelunking13-08-22.jpg" style="margin: 10px; width: 400px; float: right; height: 267px">A third year biology major, Currier (pictured centre) recently spent five months on an exchange with the University of Otago in New Zealand. Among her experiences: exploring caves lit by glow worms, while tubing.</p> <p>"I would have never enrolled without encouragement…but I’m so glad we did!" Currier writes. "Basically, the adventure is composed of suiting up in a wetsuit and helmet, grabbing a tiny inner tube, and climbing into an underground cave. THEN, without hesitation, we all jump backwards off a waterfall into cool, dark, eel-infested waters. Okay, so it was a small waterfall, and the eels are pretty friendly. But still."&nbsp;</p> <p>(<a href="http://cie.utoronto.ca/" style="color: rgb(0,42,92)">Read more about CIE</a>)</p> <p><strong><em>International Course Module Program</em></strong></p> <p>Through week-long excursions, the International Course Modules (ICM) program provides ways to enhance student learning while providing an innovative method to integrate learning beyond the classroom.</p> <p>“I went on the research project because I knew that having the opportunity to concurrently marry academic studies and real-world applications is well beyond the scope of what any other university can provide you,” explains <strong>Assad Quraishi</strong>, a recent Computer Science graduate who traveled to the UK in February.</p> <p>“We were able to move beyond the realms of textbooks and lectures, and actually apply the practices and methodologies.”</p> <p>Modules are integrated into existing course plans and can be planned to coincide with reading week. Students submit ICM proposals which include a sponsoring faculty member. Past students have travelled to destinations in Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe.</p> <p>“We are working to provide a wide variety of international opportunities that will allow as many students as possible to integrate an international experience into their academic program,” says Director, International Programs and Partnerships, <strong>MP Stevens</strong>. “These opportunities allow students to apply the theories and concepts they study in the classroom to sites that are directly tied to their subject area.”</p> <p>(<a href="http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/international-programs/students/a-s-students/coursework-opportunities/icms">Read more about ICM</a>)</p> <p><strong><em>Munk School of Global Affairs</em></strong></p> <p>Students enrolled in the Munk School of Global Affairs’ Master of Global Affairs (MGA) program are required to participate in a mandatory summer internship between their first and second year of the program.</p> <p>MGA students have been offered placements around the world with institutions such as the World Bank, NATO, Bombardier and the World Trade Organization – to list a few.</p> <p>“Working abroad offers the opportunity to really immerse oneself in the values and day-to-day habits of other societies,” says <strong>Kristen Pue</strong>, who is currently in Brussels working for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada at NATO.</p> <p>“I really think that this offers a new perspective on Canadian life.”</p> <p>“[The internships are the] cornerstone of the entire program,” says <strong>Smadar Peretz</strong>, internship director for the MGA program. “We are pleased to offer a wide range of opportunities which keep expanding because of the caliber of our students.”</p> <p>(<a href="http://munkschool.utoronto.ca/mga/internships/mga-internships.htm">Read more about MGA internships</a>)</p> <p><em>Gavin Au-Yeung is a writer with University Relations at the Ƶ.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/back-to-school-charise-currier.jpg</div> </div> Mon, 26 Aug 2013 13:13:52 +0000 sgupta 5550 at What to read this summer /news/what-read-summer <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">What to read this summer</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-08-16T11:53:21-04:00" title="Friday, August 16, 2013 - 11:53" class="datetime">Fri, 08/16/2013 - 11:53</time> </span> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gavin-au-yeung" hreflang="en">Gavin Au-Yeung</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Gavin Au-Yeung</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/local" hreflang="en">Local</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>With a library system that ranks third in North America, the Ƶ is home to millions of works.</p> <p>And, throughout its history, U of T has also been home to hundreds of distinguished authors and editors.</p> <p>The award-winning poets, playwrights, screenwriters, novelists, essayists and journalists who number among the alumni and faculty of U of T are too many to list. <strong>Sheila Heti</strong>, <strong>Lee Maracle</strong>, <strong>Margaret Atwood</strong>, <strong>Anne Carson</strong>, <strong>Graham Yost</strong>, <strong>Guy Gavriel Kay</strong>, <strong>Atom Egoyan</strong>, <strong>Rohinton Mistry</strong>, <strong>Heather Mallick</strong>, <strong>Michael Cobb</strong> and<strong> Michael Ondaatje </strong>are just a few of today’s writers, following in the literary footsteps of the late U of T authors <strong>Stephen Leacock</strong>, <strong>Robertson Davies</strong>, <strong>Morley Callaghan </strong>and <strong>Jay Macpherson</strong>.</p> <p>And what of this year’s releases? &nbsp;</p> <p>At the top of anyone’s must-have list for the personal library is <em>The Ƶ, A History </em>(second edition) by <strong>Martin L. Friedland</strong>, University Professor and professor emeritus of Law at U of T, which traces the history of the University from its origins as Kings College in 1827 to the millennium.</p> <p>But this year’s books include everything from fiction to non-fiction and texts that represent years of path-breaking academic research.</p> <p><strong>Robert McGill</strong> reimagines the impact of the Vietnam War in his novel <em>Once We Had a Country</em>, <strong>Hillary Scharper</strong>’s <em>Perdita</em> tells a gothic tale of love and loss, while <strong>Ron Deibert</strong>’s latest book <em>Black Code </em>explores the dangers of the cyberspace on which our society greatly depends.</p> <p>Check out<em> Operative Landscapes</em> by <strong>Alissa North</strong> to learn how landscape can shape a community, explore <strong>Colin McCartney</strong>’s contributions to <em>Principles and Practice of Regional Anaesthesia </em>and&nbsp;meet<em> The <em>American </em>Pragmatists </em>by <strong>Cheryl Misak</strong>.</p> <p>You’ll find more reading possibilities in the photo gallery below. Whatever your interests, there is sure to be a U of T author with a book for you.</p> <p>Happy reading!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="rtecenter"><object height="487" width="650"><param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2F71041967%40N02%2Fsets%2F72157635084872498%2Fshow%2Fwith%2F9517533604%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2F71041967%40N02%2Fsets%2F72157635084872498%2Fwith%2F9517533604%2F&amp;set_id=72157635084872498&amp;jump_to=9517533604"><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=124984"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2F71041967%40N02%2Fsets%2F72157635084872498%2Fshow%2Fwith%2F9517533604%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2F71041967%40N02%2Fsets%2F72157635084872498%2Fwith%2F9517533604%2F&amp;set_id=72157635084872498&amp;jump_to=9517533604" height="487" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=124984" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="650"></object></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Did we miss you? If you have published or will publish a book in 2013, or you know a U of T alumnus, researcher or student with a new book, please let us know. Send an email to <a href="mailto:uoftnews@utoronto.ca">uoftnews@utoronto.ca</a>.&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/AuthorBookGallery-13-08-14.jpg</div> </div> Fri, 16 Aug 2013 15:53:21 +0000 sgupta 5544 at Understanding Biogenesis: how professional sports deal with drugs /news/understanding-biogenesis-how-professional-sports-deal-drugs <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Understanding Biogenesis: how professional sports deal with drugs</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-08-02T10:38:15-04:00" title="Friday, August 2, 2013 - 10:38" class="datetime">Fri, 08/02/2013 - 10:38</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Alex Rodrigues (photo by Keith Allison via Flickr)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gavin-au-yeung" hreflang="en">Gavin Au-Yeung</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Gavin Au-Yeung</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kinesiology" hreflang="en">Kinesiology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Major League Baseball is poised to announce a flurry of player suspensions involving high-profile athletes linked to Florida-based wellness clinic, Biogenesis, and the use of performance-enhancing drugs or PEDs.</em></p> <p><em>Writer <strong>Gavin Au-Yeung</strong> asked Professor <strong>Bruce Kidd</strong> of the Faculty of Kinesiology&nbsp;&amp; Physical Education about the history of professional athletes doping, the World Anti-Doping Code, and the responsibilities of those who run today’s sports industries.</em></p> <p><strong>When it comes to PED regulations, American sport industries play by their own rules.</strong><br> I think the good news is that it means the American corporate sports industry (like the MLB, NFL and NBA) appear to be getting more serious about monitoring and cracking down on use of performance enhancing drugs.</p> <p>However, American corporate sports never adopted the World Anti-Doping Code, which require a credible and independent third party regulator for sample collection, testing, result management and arbitration processes. That’s the big issue for me – it means they are still a long way from the world standard.</p> <p><strong>Widespread drug use among athletes led to the creation of the World Anti-Doping Code.</strong><br> In terms of corporate sports in the United States I would say the abundant, completely unregulated, use of steroids by sluggers and pitchers all during the 90s was way bigger than the Biogenesis scandal.</p> <p>Doping was a much more widespread practice in the 80s and 90s. The International Olympic Committee faced a crisis of legitimacy – how could the Olympics present true sport when everyday it was clear that athletes were doping?</p> <p>That led to a series of international meetings involving sports bodies and governments to create an independent third party testing body for all athletes in sports that bought on. And in the course of those meetings they hammered out the World Anti-Doping Code: an international agreement on what substances would be banned, what the testing procedures and penalties would be and so on. That was achieved and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) was established.</p> <p>Most international sports have signed on, but not without some important exceptions. The continental pro sports have been a big exception. And it doesn’t give us confidence because we wonder why they aren’t signed on to the world list.</p> <p><strong>It could be a lot worse for guys like Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun</strong>.<br> According to the World Anti-Doping Code, the minimum suspension is two years for systematic use of PEDs. So basically, [Rodriguez would] have to sit out 2014, but he’d be back playing in 2015. He’s in athletic rehab now, so that would mean he would get effectively a one year suspension. That’s only half of what athletes in other sports would face.</p> <p>The same goes for Ryan Braun. If MLB signed on to the World Anti-Doping Code, an independent body would have found Braun guilty and suspended him for two years instead of the 65 games he received.</p> <p>I know these guys are headline players, and they generate revenue. But on the other hand, at some point, members of the sporting public are going to question how the MLB can present themselves as a viable sporting organization with integrity if they are taking such a lenient stand on dopers. And ultimately, I think, it’s going to bite them.</p> <p><strong>The MLB is headed in the right direction… but not quickly enough.</strong><br> Major League Baseball and the other sports are beginning to monitor PED use, and to crack down on the outrageous examples. So in that sense, the investigation of Biogenesis is a step in the right direction, and I would say it’s not anywhere near as big or serious in terms of the culture of sport as to what happened in the past. That being said, while it’s a step in the right direction, it’s not a sufficient step because they still have not signed on to the World Anti-Doping Code.</p> <p>Doping has been put back on the headlines because of the visibilities of these issues. And the fact that MLB is lenient is what I fear may encourage the dopers. The organization that leads baseball is still taking such a hesitant approach to cracking down on doping. On the other hand, there is such a strong message against doping in other sports and from sports leaders. I think there’s still a strong anti-doping message out there, but it’s discouraging to see doping in such a visible and lovely sport as baseball.</p> <p><em>Gavin Au-Yeung is a writer with University Relations at the Ƶ.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/alexrodrigues-biogenesis-13-08-02.jpg</div> </div> Fri, 02 Aug 2013 14:38:15 +0000 sgupta 5526 at Urban beekeeping at U of T /news/urban-beekeeping-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Urban beekeeping at U of T</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-07-25T06:41:55-04:00" title="Thursday, July 25, 2013 - 06:41" class="datetime">Thu, 07/25/2013 - 06:41</time> </span> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gavin-au-yeung" hreflang="en">Gavin Au-Yeung</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Gavin Au-Yeung</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/student-life" hreflang="en">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/local" hreflang="en">Local</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Faculty Club at the Ƶ is a heritage landmark, best known today for its ambiance and exquisite dining. So, why has it become the home for some 150,000 bees?</p> <p>“Beekeeping is a new and growing phenomenon in Toronto and beyond,” says <strong>Alissa Saieva</strong>, president of the Ƶ Beekeeping Education Enthusiast Society (B.E.E.S.).</p> <p>The student-run club aims to spread the importance of honeybees while providing hands-on beekeeping experience – and the three hives installed in June on the rooftop of the Faculty Club are just the latest example. The U of T B.E.E.S. is also in charge of maintaining two hives at Trinity College and one at the Earth Sciences Centre.</p> <p>Urban beekeeping is very much an active way to save the bee population, as they experience a decline in numbers due to unsustainable agricultural practices and global climate change, Saieva says.</p> <p>“There’s been a real push to the concern of the loss of the bees,” says <strong>Sandy Smith</strong>, professor at the Faculty of Forestry. “[Urban beekeeping] makes people more aware about questions on pesticide use, which is one of the big concerns for the loss of bees around the world.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Smith also believes the growing desire for locally grown and organic food makes urban beekeeping very attractive.</p> <p>“Honeybees are an integral part of healthy ecosystems; they are responsible for the pollination of 1 out of every 3 bites of food you take,” adds Saieva, a fourth-year undergraduate student in political science and environmental studies.</p> <p>The U of T B.E.E.S. isn’t alone in its commitment to beekeeping at the university. More U of T beehives can be found at the Sky Garden, New College, Earth Sciences Centre and at the Ƶ Scarborough’s Social Sciences Building. (<a href="http://uas.sa.utoronto.ca/about/">Read more about the Sky Garden</a>.)</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/urban-beekeepers.jpg" style="margin: 10px; width: 400px; float: right; height: 267px">Having so many hives on campus may cause unrest among pedestrians who may fear being stung, but Saieva says this is a common misconception due to confusion between honeybees and wasps.</p> <p>“Unlike wasps, honeybees are ‘vegetarians’ in the sense that they are only interested in nectar, not artificial sweets. This means that those unwelcomed guests at BBQs and picnics are typically wasps,” she explains.</p> <p>“Although honeybees do have stingers, there are only used when a honeybee feels threatened,&nbsp;after which&nbsp;they die. Wasps, on the other hand, can sting you repeatedly.”</p> <p><strong>Pieter Basedow</strong>, Science for Peace treasurer, works closely with the student club. He hopes the new beehives at the Faculty Club would help generate interest and lead to additional beehives.</p> <p>And at the heart of Toronto, the St. George campus provides an ideal location.</p> <p>“We have Philosopher’s Walk, Queen’s Park and a great selection of plants on campus, green spaces and lots of trees,” explains Basedow, who adds the bees can fly within a five kilometer radius of their hives.</p> <p>“Hopefully we can get together with the property managers and some faculty within the different departments and see how we can expand.”</p> <p>But for the time being, the Faculty Club is ecstatic about their new rooftop instalments.</p> <p>“It’s a real pleasure working with the U of T B.E.E.S.,” says <strong>Leanne Pepper</strong>, Faculty Club general manager. “We are very proud to be part of the urban bee keeping.</p> <p>“The chef is looking forward to creating fabulous dishes with the honey!”</p> <p><em>Gavin Au-Yeung is a writer with University Relations at the Ƶ.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/bees-13-07-25.jpg</div> </div> Thu, 25 Jul 2013 10:41:55 +0000 sgupta 5510 at U of T expert explores the George Zimmerman verdict /news/u-t-expert-explores-george-zimmerman-verdict <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T expert explores the George Zimmerman verdict</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-07-22T05:33:18-04:00" title="Monday, July 22, 2013 - 05:33" class="datetime">Mon, 07/22/2013 - 05:33</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">July 15, 2013 rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota to protest the Zimmerman verdict (photo by Fibonacci Blue via Flickr)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gavin-au-yeung" hreflang="en">Gavin Au-Yeung</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Gavin Au-Yeung</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Professor Rick Halpern discusses the Trayvon Martin case</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>On July 13, in a case watched around the world, an American jury found George Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter charges in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012.</em></p> <p><em>After the verdict, protests ranging from peaceful to violent broke out across almost every major American city.&nbsp;</em></p> <p><em>U of T News asked Bissell-Hyde-Associates Chair of American Studies <strong>Rick Halpern</strong>, a professor of History and the dean and vice-principal (Academic) at the Ƶ Scarborough, about the case and race relations in America.</em></p> <p><strong>What sort of impact could this case have on race relations in America?</strong></p> <p>It’s hard to say, seeing how it’s only been a week since the verdict came down. I can say that the history of race relations in the United States is regularly punctuated for 200 plus years with critical legal and judicial decisions that have decisively reshaped racial politics – cases such as Brown v. Board of Education, which led to the desegregation of public schools in the 1950s, or Dred Scott v. Sandford, which upheld segregation in the late 19th century under the legal fiction of “separate but equal,” come immediately to mind. But these were Supreme Court decisions that dealt with legal principle, not the lower courts weighing in, so it is really too early to tell.</p> <p><strong>We’re seeing public protests across America.</strong></p> <p>I’m struck by how little rioting there has been, how little violence has taken place in the aftermath of the decision. There have been some standoffs with local law enforcement officials, mostly in California. The mobilizations have struck me for being peaceful and interracial; which I think needs to be something emphasized – they have involved a huge section of the progressive community joining forces with African-Americans in almost every locale. The scale of the mobilization really requires we take them seriously. So far the mobilizations have been largely symbolic – they are primarily protests – the weeks ahead will tell whether a specific agenda will be put forward. And here it’s important to note that the Zimmerman acquittal came just days after the high Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, the legislative high watermark of the modern civil rights movement, so it will be significant if these things are joined.</p> <p><strong>In terms of public opinion, why are people so divided?</strong></p> <p>The debate has broken into two general arguments. One is that the system has failed Trayvon Martin and that the system is broken. The other is that the legal system has functioned exactly as it has meant to function and how it has functioned throughout American history, and that is to underscore the second-class status of African-Americans, particularly African-American men.</p> <p><strong>What kind of impact does this case have on America’s international relations?</strong></p> <p>The persistence of racial discrimination and the history of racial violence have always handicapped the United States on the world stage. This was a major dynamic during the Cold War when it was fairly easy to point out a disconnect between American rhetoric on freedom and equality and actual American practice. In a post-Cold War era, this may complicate the United States’ ability to pressure countries like China, the former Eastern-bloc countries, and many of the Arab countries in the Middle East to be more respectful of human rights, more democratic, more inclusive and so on.</p> <p>But I think the Zimmerman decision has to be placed alongside a number of other developments. It’s very contradictory situation; you have an African-American president, an African-American attorney general, yet you have a larger judicial system that seems to be ideologically conservative and increasingly looking to undo some of the progressive gains of the last half-century. Yet, at the same time, the justification for many of these reversals is to argue the United States is in a post-racial era.</p> <p><strong>There seems to be&nbsp;an increasing amount of support for the black community from people outside that community. </strong></p> <p>Progressives in the United States have long understood that change must be made with coalitions, and coalitions built around African-Americans and the demands for equality are quite durable. The politics of the United States have moved into the 21st century and the identities of the two major parties have shifted. There are many openings and fluidity to progressive politics, and maybe there is the potential for mobilization around these issues and the forging of a broad coalition that might actually begin to impact politics.</p> <p><strong>What kind of changes might occur as a result of this case?</strong></p> <p>One thing I saw with great interest since the Zimmerman decision is growing awareness of the states that have the Stand Your Grounds provisions in their legal codes. So there’s a lot of potential here. Also, the last few days have seen calls to have the Department of Justice involve itself in a renewed prosecution, utilizing federal civil rights statutes.</p> <p>Laws and local regulations have regularly been used to define and circumscribe African-American rights, and to limit African-American mobility. This is not peculiar to the United States; South Africa is another key example of the ways that the legal system is used to limit black mobility. So there’s a long entrenched tradition working against a color-blind system.</p> <p>What is unknown is whether the decentralised judicial system made up of different states and federal circuits will begin to understand, refine, maybe even strike down these pieces of legislation.</p> <p><strong>Does this case illustrate any problems in ways youth are perceived in America – as more violent, less trustworthy?</strong></p> <p>Certainly black male teenagers and young adults are seen in the dominant white culture as a criminal element, and that came through very clearly in the trial. One could also look at the extraordinary high levels of incarceration of young African-Americans in American prisons. As well, one could point to the ubiquitous racial profiling that has become part of policing in almost every major city. So there certainly is an association in the larger consciousness between black youth and criminality and instability, and that’s something that is contributing to how young people of color are perceived.&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Gavin Au-Yeung is a writer with University Relations at the Ƶ</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/trayvon-martin-rally13-07-19.jpg</div> </div> Mon, 22 Jul 2013 09:33:18 +0000 sgupta 5505 at U of T startup, Ontario government give people a voice /news/u-t-startup-ontario-government-give-people-voice <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T startup, Ontario government give people a voice</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-07-16T11:26:44-04:00" title="Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - 11:26" class="datetime">Tue, 07/16/2013 - 11:26</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Tyler Austin is one of the users of the TalkRocketGo app, from U of T startup MyVoice</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gavin-au-yeung" hreflang="en">Gavin Au-Yeung</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Gavin Au-Yeung</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/more-news" hreflang="en">More News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneur" hreflang="en">Entrepreneur</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/commercialization" hreflang="en">Commercialization</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Cerebral palsy has always affected Tyler Austin’s abilities to communicate and interact with others. But TalkRocket Go, an app from Ƶ startup <a href="http://myvoiceaac.com/">MyVoice</a>, aims to change all that.</p> <p>And the Ontario government wants to help.</p> <p>“TalkRocket Go helps kids and adults with speech disabilities communicate out loud using an iPad or iPod Touch,” says <strong>Alex Levy</strong>, MyVoice chief executive officer and lead designer. “For someone with cerebral palsy, aphasia, or autism, TalkRocket Go can be a gateway to education, employment, social life, and the simple joy of conversation.”</p> <p>Eric and Pam Austin, Tyler’s parents, say their son learned to use the app quickly.</p> <p>“By using this app in his everyday activities, he&nbsp;has gained a new sense of independence,” says Pam Austin. “This summer, Tyler was able to speak directly to counsellors and fellow campers at sleepover camp. He was able to participate in more activities than ever before.”</p> <p>Tony Gross, MyVoice community director, recalls Austin’s first encounter with the application.</p> <p>“Within 20 minutes he was able to order his mother her favourite coffee at Tim Horton’s in a local rehab centre,” says Gross.</p> <p>“Just like&nbsp;a typical person with no disabilities, Tyler surpassed my skills with the iPad in no time; I was both embarrassed and bursting with pride at the same time.”</p> <p>The app can be purchased on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/talkrocket-go/id426135003?mt=8">iTunes</a> for $99.99. However, the Ontario&nbsp;Ministry of Health's Assistive Devices Program &nbsp;will now fund 75 per cent of the cost of a prescribed iPad or iPod Touch installed with the TalkRocket Go app.</p> <p>“Although TalkRocket Go is already used by thousands of Ontarians with speech disabilities, this new funding will help make the app available to thousands of more families, especially those with limited incomes,” says Levy, who graduated from U of T’s specialist program in political science in 2010.</p> <p>“My husband faces communication challenges as a result of a stroke,” says Bonni Scott, whose husband was diagnosed with aphasia. “TalkRocket Go is the best aid we have found to help him be more comfortable and successful in communicating.”</p> <p>MyVoice is proving to be a leader in the ongoing movement towards innovative technologies for people with speech disabilities, says Levy, adding the new provincial funding is a great vote of confidence.</p> <p>“Our products began life as a little research prototype in the Technologies for Aging Gracefully Lab (TAGLab),” recalls Levy. “Many of the technologies we developed there are still fundamental parts of our commercial products today.</p> <p>“U of T has been an incredible supporter along the entire journey.”</p> <p>To access the benefits of the new funding, families must first seek an assessment at one of 26 qualified <a href="http://www.accpc.ca/pdfs/Ontario AAC Clinics - Nov2012.pdf">Assistive Devices Program</a> clinics throughout Ontario.</p> <div> <em>Gavin Au-Yeung is a writer with University Relations at the Ƶ.</em></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/myvoice-rocket.jpg</div> </div> Tue, 16 Jul 2013 15:26:44 +0000 sgupta 5500 at Understanding the deal: Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw /news/understanding-deal-shoppers-drug-mart-and-loblaw <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Understanding the deal: Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-07-16T05:50:25-04:00" title="Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - 05:50" class="datetime">Tue, 07/16/2013 - 05:50</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Loblaw turned a corner July 15 with a $12.4 billion friendly takeover bid for Shoppers Drug Mart (photo by Jay Goldman via Flickr)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/gavin-au-yeung" hreflang="en">Gavin Au-Yeung</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Gavin Au-Yeung</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-school" hreflang="en">Rotman School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/local" hreflang="en">Local</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>It's a deal that would join two of Canada's biggest retailers: Canadian supermarket chain, Loblaw Companies Ltd. wants to acquire&nbsp;Shoppers Drug Mart for $12.4 billion in cash and stock.&nbsp;</em></p> <p><em>U of T News asked marketing professor <strong>David Soberman </strong>from the Ƶ's&nbsp;Rotman School of Management, to reflect on the deal and what it could mean for the Canadian retail landscape.</em></p> <p><strong>We recently saw Sobeys acquire Safeway; and now Loblaws with Shoppers. Are these transactions more beneficial to the acquiring or acquired companies?</strong></p> <p>The real point here is that the acquired company and the acquirer still exist; that is Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaws will continue to exist as a stand-alone organization that has a lot of brand equity and notoriety with Canadian consumers. But often times a merger – at least from the perception of the buyer and the seller – can unlock new value that wasn’t possible before when the organizations operated independently.</p> <p><strong>So is it a win-win for both sides?</strong></p> <p>It’s hard to tell if it’s a win-win for both sides. Clearly the argument of Loblaw and people from Shoppers Drug Mart is that it will be, because it will unlock efficiencies that will not be there if the firms do not merge. As you know, many Shoppers Drug Marts have substantial grocery/convenience sections in their stores where people can go after-hours to buy various things they need. So there’s a real opportunity there for Loblaw to gain added distribution for its President’s Choice products.</p> <p><strong>How does this change the retail landscape in Canada?</strong></p> <p>One of things it does do is create a greater degree of concentration. The only caveat I would suggest – to contrast with the Sobeys-Safeway deal – is that these are deals between firms that operate in quite different sectors (groceries vs. pharmaceuticals). While we sometimes worry about excessive market power, generally when organizations are operating in different sectors, the degree to which a merger can create less competition is much more limited.</p> <p><strong>What does this mean for consumers?</strong></p> <p>Shoppers Drug Mart will continue to operate in very much the way it has before, in the sense that their Optimum program and Life brand will continue. Similarly in Loblaws, they will continue pursuing their strategies with quality prevalent private label products under the President’s Choice brand.</p> <p>What we’re seeing now is that the things we eat and the way we eat them can actually have a big effect on your health. In that regard, both brands have a similar objective. And there you may see some opportunities for synergy between Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw because these were always perceived as very different sectors. This might offer opportunities for the combined organizations to do something in the future that are quite creative</p> <p><strong>What will regulators (the Competition Bureau) need to look at before this deal goes through?</strong></p> <p>One of things they’ll need to look at is the degree to which these firms compete with each other. If you have a merger between two firms, but they don’t compete with each other, then it really doesn’t affect or reduce competition in any significant way. For the most part people go to Shoppers Drug Mart or Loblaw with different shopping experiences in mind, so the degree to which there’s overlap would seem to need to be quite limited. This would then suggest that the Competition Bureau would have little concern.</p> <p><strong>Why is Loblaw paying such a significant premium (27 per cent) for Shoppers?</strong></p> <p>One reason is that Shoppers is a very well respected brand. It’s got a very strong equity with Canadian consumers, and for that reason it’s very attractive.</p> <p>Secondly, Shoppers Drug Mart has actually demonstrated the ability to be very innovative with the sorts of things that it does. They are very real pioneers in terms of developing higher quality private label products that you see in the healthcare and beauty and household categories. Furthermore, their Optimum Program has gained real traction with Canadian consumers and people wait for the days when they can get double or triple points.</p> <p>That sort of loyalty and commitment is something which is worth money – it may not be reflected in the stock price, but it’s reflected in the acquisition price.</p> <p><strong>Are we seeing a general trend towards stores which don’t just sell one product?</strong></p> <p>Absolutely, what you see is the traditional categories breaking down. Traditionally people went to Loblaws for groceries. But the first thing we saw was the addition of pharmacies in the store where you can get prescriptions filled and buy healthcare products. And now they’ve got even one step further, when you start thinking about them as major retailers of clothing, with Joe Fresh.</p> <p>The biggest challenge for the retailer is trying to get a shopper in your store, and once the shopper is in the store they may have multiple needs. If you can figure out what those needs are, you have the opportunity to increase the size of the shopping basket and this could generate a lot of value for the retailer in question.&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/loblaws.jpg</div> </div> Tue, 16 Jul 2013 09:50:25 +0000 sgupta 5496 at