Alumni

U of T Engineering professor, alumni receive 2024 Ontario Professional Engineers Awards

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 10 May 2024 14:16:16 +0000

U of T Engineering professor, alumni receive 2024 Ontario Professional Engineers Awards

Community

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 05/10/2024 - 10:16

Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

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(Clockwise from top left) Inga Hipsz, Michael Kropp, Serena Mandla, Giovanni Grasselli, Paul Acchione and David Poirier (supplied images)

Six members of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering community – one professor and five alumni – have been recognized by the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers and Professional Engineers Ontario with 2024 Ontario Professional Engineers Awards.

These awards recognize engineers who have made exceptional contributions to the profession and to society.

Giovanni Grasselli, professor, department of civil and mineral engineering – Entrepreneurship Medal
Paul Acchione – Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award
Michael Kropp – Engineering Excellence in Industry Medal
Inga Hipsz and David Poirier – Management Medal
Serena Mandla – Young Engineer Award

“These outstanding engineers demonstrate the range of contributions that our faculty and alumni are making across multiple fields, from founding new companies and managing significant Canadian organizations, to serving in leadership roles in the profession and in the community,” said Christopher Yip, dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

“On behalf of the faculty, my heartfelt congratulations on these well-deserved recognitions.”

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Pailin Chiaranunt and Peter Serles named 2024 Schmidt Science Fellows

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 15:11:13 +0000

Pailin Chiaranunt and Peter Serles named 2024 Schmidt Science Fellows

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 04/24/2024 - 11:11

Alumni

St. George

Alumni

Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Immunology

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

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Pailin Chiaranunt and Peter Serles (supplied images)

Pailin Chiaranunt and Peter Serles, both of whom carried out doctoral research at the ��Ƶ, have been named 2024 Schmidt Science Fellows in recognition of their efforts to wield interdisciplinary research to drive sector-wide change.

Schmidt Science Fellows is an initiative of Schmidt Sciences, a philanthropic organization founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt to advance scientific exploration and discovery and develop solutions to global issues. The program is delivered in partnership with the Rhodes Trust.

"It's at the edges of things – ecosystems, borders, disciplines – where the most interesting ideas are developed, solutions that don't arise from any single approach," said Wendy Schmidt in a press release. "We're excited to welcome the 2024 cohort of Schmidt Science Fellows to approach these edges, look at problems anew, share insights with each other and the world and, we hope, go on to develop solutions to some of humanity's most pressing challenges."

Chiaranunt and Serles join a cohort of 32 fellows who will undertake a year-long science leadership program to prepare them to join the next generation of interdisciplinary science leaders, alongside a one to two-year research placement at a new institution.

“To address the world's greatest challenges today, I believe that we need an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to science,” said Chiaranunt, who completed her PhD in immunology at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and is conducting post-doctoral research at the University of California, San Francisco. “I am delighted that the Schmidt Science Fellows program appreciates these values, and I'm excited to use this unique opportunity to study how inflammation and infection can impact brain health – a growing crisis in today's post-pandemic world.”

“Being given the freedom and support to work on high-risk, high-reward research will allow me to ask the biggest questions I can and develop entirely new areas of expertise that I can eventually bring back to Canada,” said Serles, who is set to graduate from the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering with a PhD in June, and will take on a post-doctoral fellowship at the California Institute of Technology. “Nano-3D-printed scaffolds for neural organoids combines cutting edge-technologies in mechanical engineering and neuroscience to, hopefully, solve some of our most pressing issues."

Read the Schmidt Sciences announcement

Paul Cadario recognized with Rose Wolfe Distinguished Alumni Award

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 15:02:50 +0000

Paul Cadario recognized with Rose Wolfe Distinguished Alumni Award

Community

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 04/08/2024 - 11:02

Alumni

St. George

Alumni

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Paul Cadario (centre) receives his Rose Wolfe Distinguished Alumni Award from Chancellor Rose Patten, U of T Alumni Association President Corwin Cambray and U of T President Meric Gertler (photo by Gustavo Toledo)

Paul Cadario has received the Rose Wolfe Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of nearly five decades of service to the ��Ƶ as a volunteer and supporter.

The award recognizes alumni for outstanding professional achievements, dedication to civic and social causes, and service to the university. It is named for Rose Wolfe, who served as U of T’s chancellor from 1991 to 1997.

Cadario was one of the first students elected to Governing Council and went on to become the first openly gay president of the U of T Alumni Association. He has taken on more than 35 volunteer positions at U of T and undertaken philanthropic efforts in support of numerous faculties, disciplines and scholarships.

U of T Chancellor Rose Patten said Cadario embodies the values championed by Wolfe and U of T’s ideals. “His extraordinary record of service to our university is an inspiration to our entire community. His tireless commitment to lifting the student experience through his involvement and philanthropy will resonate for generations to come,” Patten said.

“My motivation for giving, whether it’s time or money, is to strengthen the student experience,” Cadario said. “Even though I’ve long since graduated, I continue to have formative learning experiences at U of T. It’s an incomparable ecosystem in Canada for students to learn how to learn and to become strong, contributing members of society.”

Read the Alumni Relations story about Paul Cadario

Watch Paul Cadario's acceptance speech

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U of T recognizes 92 volunteers with Arbor Awards

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 17:32:14 +0000

U of T recognizes 92 volunteers with Arbor Awards

Community

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 01/25/2024 - 12:32

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Three of this year's Arbor Award winners (left to right): Hannah Hadfield, Orysia Goddard and Carolina Garcia, all from Haley Sharpe Design, with U of T President Meric Gertler (photo by Gustavo Toledo)

The ��Ƶ has presented the 2023 Arbor Awards to 92 dedicated volunteers in recognition of their exceptional and sustained contributions to the university.

Created more than 30 years ago, the Arbor Award is the highest honour granted by U of T to volunteers. This year’s recipients have significantly impacted virtually every aspect of life at the university, ranging from academic programming and experiential learning to governance and mentorship.

“Our success is due in no small measure to the excellence of our alumni and friends, whose dedication is exemplified by our Arbor Award winners, past and present,” said President Meric Gertler at a ceremony honouring award recipients on Jan. 16.

The celebration marked the first in-person Arbor Awards ceremony since 2019, before the implementation of COVID-19 restrictions. Award winners from 2020, 2021 and 2022 were also invited so they could be thanked face-to-face for their service.

David Palmer, U of T's vice-president of advancement, said Arbor Award recipients exemplified the importance of volunteerism to U of T’s mission and commitment to inclusive excellence. “That’s why, for the first time ever in a U of T campaign, we have included alumni engagement as a primary goal for Defy Gravity alongside our fundraising goals,” Palmer said. “We are exceptionally grateful to all nominees, past and present, for their tremendous contributions that have elevated every aspect of life at U of T.”

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U of T community members named in Forbes 30 under 30 Local Toronto list

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 19:06:16 +0000

U of T community members named in Forbes 30 under 30 Local Toronto list

Community

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 08/16/2023 - 15:06

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Members of the ��Ƶ community are well-represented on a new Toronto-focused “30 under 30” list published by Forbes magazine celebrating up-and-comers who are making waves from the fashion world to the bioplastics industry.

Anishinaabe designer Lesley Hampton, a recent U of T Mississauga grad, and Genecis CEO Luna Yu, a recent U of T Scarborough grad, are among 19 local leaders on the list who count U of T as a stop on their path to success.

“Toronto, the pulse of Canada’s business and tech life, has been called the next Silicon Valley,” the magazine says. “It’s a city renowned for its entrepreneurial and multicultural spirit and world-class educational institutions, like the ��Ƶ.

“The first-ever Forbes 30 Under 30 Local Toronto list reflects the city’s strengths, which lie in industries like finance, technology, science, sports and the arts.”

The list, which also includes such non-U of T celebrities as actor/writer Bilal Baig and athletes Bianca Andreescu, Brooke Henderson and Summer McIntosh, highlights the impact of a diverse array of U of T entrepreneurs across a wide range of fields. Among the alumni and U of T community members in the spotlight are:

Dalia Ahmed, Alexandra Assouad and Akanksha Shelat, co-founders of Mind-Easy
Mark Ang, co-founder of GoBolt
Alex Cui and Edward Tian, co-founders of GPTZero
Ben Gigone and Abtine Monavvari, co-founders of Chexy
Francois Gouelo and Peter Sorbo, co-founders of Enso Connect
Ayaan Haider and Shayaan Haider and Bashir Khan, co-founders of AirMatrix
Charlie Hua and Frank Yu, co-founders of Myo Palate
Pimyupa Manaswiyoungkul and Nabanita Nawar, co-founders of HDAX Therapeutics
Christine Yuen, co-founder of Shakudo

See all the U of T community members recognized by Forbes 30 under 30 Local Toronto

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U of T alumna Abigail Ralph named a McCall MacBain Scholar

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 16:22:44 +0000

U of T alumna Abigail Ralph named a McCall MacBain Scholar

Academic Achievement

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 06/29/2023 - 12:22

Alumni

Scarborough

Alumni

McCall MacBain Scholarships

U of T Scarborough

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Abigail Ralph (supplied image)

��Ƶ graduate Abigail Ralph has been named a McCall MacBain Scholar for 2023. She’ll head to McGill University in the fall to study neuroscience.

Ralph’s achievements in research and community leadership, plus her skills, potential and character, landed her the prestigious award, which founders John McCall MacBain and Dr. Marcy McCall MacBain modelled after the Rhodes Scholarship. In addition, nine further U of T graduates received runner-up awards (see below).

“It definitely wasn’t easy to be so interested in so many things,” says Ralph, who earned a bachelor’s of science degree from U of T Scarborough this year. “But I found that pursuing them all anyway is honestly great. In neuroscience, people are moulded to think a certain way, but when you have a lot of experiences and learn how to deal with many different personalities, you can really add a lot of nuance. I know now that the more interdisciplinary a person is, the easier it becomes to problem-solve.”

Startup founders recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 list

lanthierj — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 00:15:55 +0000

Startup founders recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 list

Community

lanthierj Wed, 12/14/2022 - 19:15

Faculty of Arts & Science

Forbes 30 Under 30

Rotman School of Management

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(L-R) Kritika Tyagi, Nuha Siddiqui, Lauren Watkins and Sagar Jaiswal

Entrepreneurs behind two startups that got off the ground at ��Ƶ, and an alumna who launched a frozen food startup while working on her master's degree are among the young up-and-comers on Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Erthos co-founders Nuha Siddiqui and Kritika Tyagi were recognized in the social impact category, while Argentum Electronics co-founder and chief technology officer Sagar Jaiswal was recognized as a rising talent in manufacturing and industry. PuraVida Foods founder and CEO Lauren Watkins was recognized in the Food & Drink category.

Siddiqui and Tyagi started Erthos, formerly known as EcoPackers, while studying at U of T. The plant-based plastics venture received early support from U of T’s entrepreneurship community, including Creative Destruction Lab at the Rotman School of Management. Founded in 2018, the company has raised US$5.5 million in funding and is bringing in six figures in annual revenue, Forbes reports.

U of T Engineering alum Jaiswal shared a spot on the list with Argentum Electronics co-founder and president Bolis Ibrahim. The Ontario-based company, which changes the way electricity is distributed in buildings from AC to DC to reduce energy consumption, was boosted by the Impact Centre’s Techno2018 entrepreneurship program. Its patented DC power distribution system can cut a building’s electricity costs by 40 per cent. The company has raised $1.1 million, per Forbes.

Watkins, who earned a master's degree in human resources and industrial relations in 2021, launched PuraVida in 2020. The company's ethically sourced, nutrient-rich frozen foods are sold in roughly 1,000 stores in the U.S., Forbes reported.

The annual Forbes 30 Under 30 list spotlights hundreds of leaders across an array of industries who have made a mark in their fields before their 30^th birthday.

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Lorne Michaels receives Kennedy Centre Honor

lanthierj — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 21:45:37 +0000

Lorne Michaels receives Kennedy Centre Honor

Community

lanthierj Mon, 12/06/2021 - 16:45

Alumni

St. George

Alumni

Faculty of Arts & Science

Hart House

Kennedy Centre Honours

University College

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Honoree Lorne Michaels attends the 44th Kennedy Center Honors at The Kennedy Center on December 05, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images)

Alumnus Lorne Michaels, best known as the creator and executive producer of Saturday Night Live, has been recognized by the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts with a 44th Kennedy Centre Honor for lifetime artistic achievement.

The Washington Post reported that U.S. President Joe Biden told Michaels, “If you can’t laugh at yourself, you’re in real trouble. And you make me laugh at myself a lot.”

Michaels graduated from the ��Ƶ in 1966, having served as a writer and director with UC Follies and Hart House Theatre, and launched SNL nine years later. Over the years, the award-winning screenwriter has also produced feature films such as Mean Girls and Wayne’s World and served as executive producer of television shows such as Kids in the Hall, 30 Rock, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Meyers among others. He has received more Emmy® nominations than any other individual – 93 so far.

Named a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2018, Michaels was also awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, a Peabody Award in 2013 and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humour in 2004. He received an honorary degree from U of T in 2002. In a video tribute posted on the Kennedy Centre site before the celebration, musician Paul McCartney congratulated Michaels on this latest honour.

“You’ve done so much in the world of humour, TV, film – the list is endless – so you really deserve this,” McCartney says. “And, more than that, I’d really like to thank you for being such a good friend over all these years. I love you. You’re a good man.”

Jillian Sprenger awarded Gates Cambridge Scholarship

lanthierj — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 15:18:41 +0000

Jillian Sprenger awarded Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Academic Achievement

lanthierj Mon, 04/19/2021 - 11:18

Faculty of Arts & Science

Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Graduate Students

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

landscape

(Photo courtesy of Jillian Sprenger)

The ��Ƶ’s Jillian Sprenger has been named a Gates Cambridge Scholar.

A former John. H. Moss Scholarship winner, Sprenger is one of 74 scholars from 30 countries to receive the prestigious scholarship this year.

“At Cambridge, I'll be pursuing a master of philosophy in environmental policy, with a focus on environmental law,” Sprenger says. “I plan to study how the law at both national and international levels may be used effectively to address the climate crisis.

“We need new and creative ways of addressing this defining challenge of our time, and I think the law will be a powerful tool in this regard. Whether through the pursuit of litigation to hold governments and organizations accountable for their environmental records, or through the creation of legal mandates to enable transition to a net-zero economy, the law may play a vital role in precipitating the wide-reaching societal change we need to protect our planet.”

As an undergraduate at U of T majoring in global health, Sprenger was part of the Reach Alliance at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. She studied such issues as food insecurity, forced migration, and antimicrobial resistance – conducting research that took her to Myanmar, Taiwan, Ecuador, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka. She will graduate this year with a master of science in biophysics.

Alumnus Alfred Aho wins A.M. Turing Award

lanthierj — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 15:46:27 +0000

Alumnus Alfred Aho wins A.M. Turing Award

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Thu, 04/01/2021 - 11:46

Alumni

St. George

A.M. Turing Award. Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Alumni

landscape

(Photo by Roberta Baker)

��Ƶ Engineering alumnus Alfred Aho and his collaborator, Jeffrey Ullman, are the 2020 A.M. Turing Award recipients.

They received the award – widely considered the Nobel Prize of computing – for their influential work in algorithms and compilers.

“It’s impossible to overstate the significance of Professor Aho’s foundational contributions to programming and software engineering,” says Professor Will Cluett, director of Engineering Science. “He is a towering figure in the field, and an inspiration to classes of Engineering Science students, past, present and future.”

Aho, the Lawrence Gussman Professor Emeritus of computer science at Columbia University, graduated from U of T's Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering in 1963 and received an honorary degree from U of T in 2015.

“The software researchers develop today would not be possible without the fundamental work of Alfred Aho and Jeffrey Ullman. They helped define the modern programming industry, and therefore shaped the very world around us,” says Professor Chris Yip, dean of U of T Engineering. “On behalf of U of T Engineering, my enthusiastic congratulations on this incredibly prestigious recognition.

“We have long been tremendously proud to call Professor Aho a U of T Engineering alumnus.”

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Alumni

U of T Engineering professor, alumni receive 2024 Ontario Professional Engineers Awards

Read the U of T Engineering story

Pailin Chiaranunt and Peter Serles named 2024 Schmidt Science Fellows

Read the Schmidt Sciences announcement

Read more about Pailin Chiaranunt’s research

Read more about Peter Serles’s research

Paul Cadario recognized with Rose Wolfe Distinguished Alumni Award

Read the Alumni Relations story about Paul Cadario

Watch Paul Cadario's acceptance speech

U of T recognizes 92 volunteers with Arbor Awards

Read the Alumni Relations story

U of T community members named in Forbes 30 under 30 Local Toronto list

See all the U of T community members recognized by Forbes 30 under 30 Local Toronto

U of T alumna Abigail Ralph named a McCall MacBain Scholar

Read more about Abigail Ralph at U of T Alumni

Startup founders recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 list

Lorne Michaels receives Kennedy Centre Honor

Read more about Lorne Michaels

Jillian Sprenger awarded Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Read more about Sprenger

Alumnus Alfred Aho wins A.M. Turing Award

Read the U of T News story