University College

Sylvia Bashevkin receives Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:27:29 +0000

Sylvia Bashevkin receives Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case

Community

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 11/12/2024 - 10:27

Faculty

St. George

Department of Political Science

Faculty of Arts & Science

University College

landscape

Sylvia Bashevkin (supplied image)

Sylvia Bashevkin, professor emeritus in the department of political science in the Faculty of Arts & Science and former principal of University College, is one of six recipients of the 2024 Governor General’s Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case.

The annual awards are given on Oct. 18, marking the day in 1929 when Canada’s highest court of appeal declared that the legal definition of the word "person" included both women and men. The awards are given to individuals who inspire the next generation to continue the tradition of courage, integrity and hard work exemplified by the “Famous Five” – the five women activists whose legal challenge led to the landmark ruling.

Bashevkin was recognized for her research on the political marginalization of women and her findings on how female candidates were often placed in unwinnable legislative seats.

“These six women are an exemplary representation of the legacy of the Famous Five, evident through their dedication, passion, and commitment to making our country a better place to learn and to thrive,” said Marci Ien, Canada’s minister for women and gender equality and youth. “Their stories are reminders that when women succeed and offer inspiration to others, everyone across Canada benefits.”

Read the Government of Canada announcement

University College

Top Story (Hub page)

Off

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

landscape

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.”

National Magazine Awards recognize members of the U of T community

lanthierj — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 16:20:31 +0000

National Magazine Awards recognize members of the U of T community

Community

lanthierj Wed, 07/14/2021 - 12:20

National Magazine Awards

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

University College

��Ƶ Communications

landscape

Dawn Lim's photographs, published by Maclean's, captured the frontlines of the pandemic (photo by Dawn Lim)

For their writing, editing, photography and design, ��Ƶ faculty, staff, students and alumni have been recognized by the 2021 National Magazine Awards.

Dawn Lim, a UHN emergency physician and assistant professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, photographed the pandemic from the frontlines for Maclean's magazine, work that won the Grand Prix Gold for best cover.

"I believe we all remember events better through stories. The feelings we all felt then were overwhelming and scary,” Lim says. “When I look at this cover, I remember the tension as the team got ready to intubate. I remember nurses and doctors telling me that they were so glad I was photographing their lived experiences during the first wave. These are precious memories of our hospital coming together in a time of incredible vulnerability. Medicine is full of stories. I'm so pleased that my work as a clinician and as a photographer collided in this moment."

Other U of T winners included alumnae Pacinthe Mattar (gold) and Téa Mutonji (silver) in the essay category and The Varsity features editor Jadine Ngan, who received an honourable mention for best emerging writer. Alumni Malcolm Johnson and Hamutal Dotan received multiple nominations as handling editors, and Innis One instructor and University College writing centre instructor Simon Lewsen received an honourable mention for his long-form feature writing.

The spring 2020 issue of ��Ƶ Magazine, edited by Scott Anderson, won the Grand Prix Silver for its cover and honourable mentions for portrait photography and best editorial package. The magazine also won big in the B2B National Magazine Awards, with the spring 2020 edition taking gold for best art direction (entire issue) and receiving a nomination for best cover, while the winter 2020 edition, edited by Anderson, Patricia Lonergan and Don Campbell, received nominations for best photograph and best art direction (single issue or opening spread).

See the complete list of NMA winners and nominees

UTC

Top Story (Hub page)

Off

Euan Pound and team win top prize at Digital Inclusion Challenge

lanthierj — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 13:14:28 +0000

Euan Pound and team win top prize at Digital Inclusion Challenge

Academic Achievement

lanthierj Fri, 12/11/2020 - 08:14

Students

St. George

Faculty of Arts & Science

University College

landscape

First-year Faculty of Arts & Science student Euan Pound – and three high school friends – captured the $10,000 top prize at the recent Digital Inclusion Challenge 2020.

To improve access to mental health resources in remote communities, the Superior Innovations team – named for their former high school – developed a concept for a low-bandwidth video conferencing software called Face to Face. The software records movement from points on a person’s face and transmits that image as an avatar, enabling non-verbal communication between a client and a mental health professional without the bandwidth required by video, says Pound, who studies math and is a member of University College.

Lack of bandwidth prevents health-care providers from doing video consultations with clients who live in northern communities with poor internet service, Pound says. As well, many clients are uncomfortable showing their face on camera.

“We came up with a solution that could fix the problem of low bandwidth in northern communities and provide an alternative for camera-shy clients, while still allowing the caregiver to see expressions and non-verbal cues through the avatar.”

They beat 150 other teams from 30 countries in the Digital Inclusion Challenge, which was judged by a panel of experts including Senator Colin Deacon; Satya Tripathi, the United Nations assistant secretary-general; Kristine McLeod-Semmler, deputy grand chief of the Gwich’in Tribal Council; and Asyia Kazmi, global education policy lead for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Read the U of T News story

Faculty of Arts & Science

Top Story (Hub page)

Off

Jeffrey Fasegha named one of Canada’s Rhodes Scholars for 2021

lanthierj — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 13:59:05 +0000

Jeffrey Fasegha named one of Canada’s Rhodes Scholars for 2021

Academic Achievement

lanthierj Tue, 11/24/2020 - 08:59

Students

St. George

Rhodes Scholar

Faculty of Arts & Science

Rotman Commerce

University College

landscape

(Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Fasegha)

The ��Ƶ’s Jeffrey Fasegha has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University next year.

“I’m immensely grateful to my family, my friends and to the university for their support throughout the process,” Fasegha said. “It truly takes a village.”

In June, Fasegha graduated with a bachelor of commerce in finance with minors in psychology and economics. The University College grad grew up in Calgary and is passionate about entrepreneurship and using innovation as a tool for economic and social development – particularly in Nigeria, where he was born.

At U of T, Fasegha led independent research on social enterprises in the Nigerian energy industry, founded the Black Career Conference, co-founded Black Rotman Commerce, and held several leadership positions in finance student groups where he worked to increase equity for marginalized groups.

At Oxford, Fasegha plans to focus on African studies and public policy with a focus on the innovation economy. Joining him at Oxford will be fellow Rhodes Scholar Ikran Jama, also of the Faculty of Arts & Science.

“We are all incredibly proud of Ikran and Jeffrey, our newest Rhodes Scholars,” President Meric Gertler said. “Through their record of scholarly achievement, leadership and social engagement, they are an inspiration to all members of the ��Ƶ community.

“We look forward to hearing about their accomplishments in the years to come.”

Read the U of T News story

UTC

Top Story (Hub page)

Off

U of T Libraries recognizes six students for outstanding research

lanthierj — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 20:00:52 +0000

U of T Libraries recognizes six students for outstanding research

Academic Achievement

lanthierj Wed, 08/12/2020 - 16:00

Students

St. George

Faculty of Arts & Science

St. Michael's College

Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize

landscape

Clockwise from top left; Emma Sullivan, Tegan Ridge, Kiera Farrell-Beaulieu, Colin Stewart, Sally Walker-Hudecki, Braden Zufelt

Six undergraduate students have won the 2020 Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize from the ��Ƶ Libraries.

Open to undergraduate students from all campuses and disciplines, the $1,000 prize recognizes research conducted while completing course work. This year’s winners are all Faculty of Arts & Science students:

Kiera Farrell-Beaulieu (second year, Innis College)
Tegan Ridge (fourth year, St. Michael’s College)
Colin Stewart (fourth year, University College)
Emma Sullivan (third year, Victoria College)
Sally Walker-Hudecki (second year, Trinity College)
Braden Zufelt (fourth year, Trinity College)

“It is wonderful to see our talented students utilizing the wealth of information available at the libraries,” Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr said. “I was particularly impressed by the students’ innovation at navigating the various resources, exemplifying the extraordinary undergraduate work happening at the ��Ƶ.”

U of T Chief Librarian Larry Alford said he was deeply impressed by the winners' research.

“The students especially deserve to be commended for putting together their applications this year under the challenging circumstances of a global pandemic when the university had to quickly move online and classes were in the midst of transition.”

Read the U of T News story

UTC

Top Story (Hub page)

Off

Colin Stewart receives 2020 Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize

lanthierj — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 19:07:19 +0000

Colin Stewart receives 2020 Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize

Academic Achievement

lanthierj Wed, 08/12/2020 - 15:07

Students

St. George

Faculty of Arts & Science

University College

Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize

portrait

Colin Stewart is one of six winners of the 2020 Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize.

A Faculty of Arts & Science student in his fourth year at University College, Stewart is pursuing a double major in history and art history. He won for his research paper on objects in the ��Ƶ’s Malcove Collection, completed for the course VPHD 42Y3: Supervised Reading in Art History.

“Doing a year-long research project taught me a lot about information-seeking, principally how to exhaust my means of searching, and if I still could not find what I was looking for, to ask either a librarian or an expert,” Stewart says. He adds that his research was supported by “a whole network of people, in my case spread across three continents and many languages” and professions.

“His ability to simultaneously conduct original research while assessing the quality and contribution of the scholarly sources is a formidable combination, rarely seen in undergraduate-level projects,” says Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Erin L. Webster, who is supervisor of the course.

The Patricia and Peter Shannon Wilson Undergraduate Research Prize is made possible due to an endowment by Mrs. Patricia Wilson and Mr. Peter Wilson.

Read the U of T News story

UTC

Top Story (Hub page)

Off

Faculty of Arts & Science staff recognized for outstanding contributions

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 17:32:04 +0000

Faculty of Arts & Science staff recognized for outstanding contributions

Community

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 08/05/2020 - 13:32

Staff

St. George

Faculty of Arts & Science

Department of Cell & Systems Biology

University College

School of the Environment

landscape

Clockwise from top left: Yvonne MacNeil, Dana Patterson, Lisa Matchett, Laurane Harding

Four staff members from the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Arts & Science are the recipients of Outstanding Staff Awards for 2020.

Established in 1999, the Outstanding Staff Awards recognize staff-appointed administrative and technical employees who have achieved excellence in support of the faculty’s mission of teaching and research. These staff have earned the respect of their colleagues for their professionalism, team work and morale; have demonstrated their commitment to the faculty by performing services beyond their job responsibilities; and have made an impact that extends beyond their unit or department.

The recipients of the 2020 Faculty of Arts and Science Outstanding Staff Awards are:

Laurane Harding, School of the Environment — Dean’s Distinguished Long Service Award
Yvonne MacNeil, University College — Dean’s Outstanding Administrative Service Award
Lisa Matchett, Department of Cell & Systems Biology — Dean’s Outstanding Technical Service Award
Dana Patterson, Human Biology Program — Dean’s Student Life Award

Read the Faculty of Arts & Science story

UTC

Top Story (Hub page)

Off

Alumni Brian H. Greenspan and Gillian Hnatiw to be honoured by Toronto Lawyers Association

lanthierj — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 21:20:59 +0000

Alumni Brian H. Greenspan and Gillian Hnatiw to be honoured by Toronto Lawyers Association

Community

lanthierj Fri, 12/13/2019 - 16:20

Alumni

St. George

Faculty of Law

Faculty of Arts & Science

University College

landscape

��Ƶ alumni Brian H. Greenspan and Gillian Hnatiw will be honoured March 5 by the Toronto Lawyers Association.

Greenspan, an alumnus of University College in the Faculty of Arts & Science, and a special lecturer in criminal law at U of T’s Faculty of Law from 1984 to 1998, will receive the association’s Award of Distinction. He was named as a Toronto lawyer who has a demonstrated record of excellence, and who has made an extraordinary contribution to the integrity and worth of the law and to the legal profession.

Hnatiw, an alumna of U of T's Faculty of Law, receives the Honsberger Award for exemplifying the association’s pillars of knowledge, community and advocacy. Hnatiw has used her practice to push for new legal remedies for combatting tech-facilitated violence against women and is recognized as an advocate for women’s civil rights and empowerment and a compassionate representative for victims of violence in the courtroom and in the community.

With files from the Toronto Lawyers’ Association

Faculty of Law

Top Story (Hub page)

Off

Justice Rosalie Abella receives Rose Wolfe Distinguished Alumni Award

lanthierj — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 13:41:41 +0000

Justice Rosalie Abella receives Rose Wolfe Distinguished Alumni Award

Community

lanthierj Fri, 10/11/2019 - 09:41

landscape

(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Supreme Court Justice Rosalie Abella, a champion of human rights and social justice, has received the Rose Wolfe Distinguished Alumni Award for 2019.

Abella, an alumna who has served for 15 years on Canada’s highest court, is an expert on equality and discrimination who has been instrumental in extending legal protection to women, refugees and same-sex couples.

At the formal presentation, ��Ƶ President Meric Gertler noted that the award – named after Rose Wolfe, the late chancellor who served from 1991 to 1997 – is presented to “the U of T graduate who stands out for their professional achievements, dedication to charitable and social causes, and service to the university.”

Abella “is a passionate champion of human rights for all, including those who may be marginalized by public opinion or majority rule,” President Gertler said. Her public service “has made an impact across the country and indeed on jurisprudence around the world. Her life and work are an inspiration to all of us.”

Read the U of T News story

UTC

Top Story (Hub page)

Off