School of Graduate Studies

The annual fellowships are designed to offer doctoral students the opportunity to explore the world of public scholarship. Fellows focus on engaging the public through their scholarly work – this can take a range of forms, from describing their work in a public forum to partnering with a school, community organization or cultural institution in an ongoing two-way exchange of knowledge and practices.

"The School of Graduate Studies is proud to support the creative work being done by our Connaught PhDs for Public Impact fellows as they find novel ways to engage the public with the incredible research being done at U of T," said Vina Goghari, vice-dean, research and program innovation at the School of Graduate Studies. "We are grateful for the generous support from the Connaught Fund in enabling this type of innovative scholarship, and we congratulate this new cohort of fellows as they begin work on their projects."

The 2024-25 Connaught PhDs for Public Impact Fellows are:

Hanne Bartels, Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Rhonda Boateng, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME), Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Mohammadamir (Amir) Moghaddam, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Mathew Iantorno, Faculty of Information
Nicolas Ivanov, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Yojana Miraya Oscco, department of political science, Faculty of Arts & Science
Kashoro Nyenyezi, department of social justice education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
Adrian Petterson, Faculty of Information
Paul Pritchard, department of sociology, Faculty of Arts & Science
Jenna Quelch, department of political science, Faculty of Arts & Science
Shivam Sharma, Faculty of Dentistry
Mercedes Sobers, Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Rhonda Solomon, department of geography, geomatics, and the environment, U of T Mississauga
Lily Takeuchi, department of biomedical engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Sarah Urquhart, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)

Five faculty members receive School of Graduate Studies Supervision Awards

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 27 May 2024 15:48:00 +0000

Five faculty members receive School of Graduate Studies Supervision Awards

Teaching

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 05/27/2024 - 11:48

Faculty

St. George

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Department for the Study of Religion

Department of Anthropology

Early Career Supervision Award

Faculty of Arts & Science

JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

Rehabilitation Sciences Institute

School of Graduate Studies

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

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(L-R) Angela Colantonio, Elizabeth Peter, Pamela Klassen, Angela Mashford-Pringle and Cillian O'Hogan (supplied images)

Five faculty members have been honoured with School of Graduate Studies Supervision Awards in recognition of their outstanding and thoughtful supervision of graduate students.

Pamela Klassen, a professor in the Faculty of Arts & Science’s department for the study of religion who is cross-appointed to the department of anthropology, and Angela Colantonio, a professor in the department of occupational science and occupational therapy at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine who is cross-appointed to the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, received JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Awards, which recognize excellence in supervision over a minimum 15-year period. Elizabeth Peter, a professor in the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, received an honourable mention.

Cillian O’Hogan, assistant professor in the department of medieval studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science, and Angela Mashford-Pringle, an assistant professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, received Early Career Supervision Awards, which recognize pre-tenure faculty members who have been supervising graduate students for up to six years.

Read about the School of Graduate Studies Supervision Awards

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Daphne Tan and Kevin Golovin receive 2023 SGS Early Career Supervision Award

siddiq22 — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 15:49:03 +0000

Daphne Tan and Kevin Golovin receive 2023 SGS Early Career Supervision Award

Teaching

siddiq22 Thu, 07/20/2023 - 11:49

Faculty

St. George

Early Career Supervision Award

Graduate Students

School of Graduate Studies

landscape

Kevin Golovin (L) and Daphne Tan (supplied images)

Daphne Tan, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Music, and Kevin Golovin, an assistant professor in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, have been recognized with the 2023 Early Career Supervision Award.

The award, given annually by the School of Graduate Studies, aims to recognize pre-tenure faculty at the university who have demonstrated excellence in graduate supervision within the first six years of their graduate faculty appointment.

Two awards are offered every year: one for the humanities/social sciences and one for the physical/life sciences.

“Graduate supervision is the best part of this job,” Tan says. “The students I work with are very talented, and they come with their own skillsets and perspectives. I always learn from them in some way.”

Tan, whose research explores questions related to music and the mind, has supervised four doctoral theses and co-supervised a fifth, supervised seven master’s independent projects and served as an advisory committee member on nine doctoral theses.

Golovin, who is currently supervising 10 PhD students and three master’s students, is the principal investigator of the Durable Repellent Advanced Engineering Materials (DREAM) Laboratory at U of T.

“Supervision is my favourite part of the job,” he says. “Just teaching my students how to think in a way that’s new and interesting, and teaching them to observe the things they see in a lab in a way that’s scientific.”

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Brenda Cossman and Jonathan Abbatt receive 2023 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

siddiq22 — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 14:46:41 +0000

Brenda Cossman and Jonathan Abbatt receive 2023 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

Teaching

siddiq22 Thu, 07/20/2023 - 10:46

Faculty

St. George

Graduate Students

JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

School of Graduate Studies

landscape

Brenda Cossman (L) and Jonathan Abbatt (supplied images)

Brenda Cossman, a professor in the Faculty of Law, and Jonathan Abbatt, a professor in the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science, are the recipients of the 2023 JJ Berry Smith Award for Doctoral Supervision.

The award, given annually by the School of Graduate Studies (SGS), aims to recognize outstanding performance in the multiple roles associated with graduate supervision. Candidates must be active faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in supervision at U of T over a period of at least 15 years.

Two awards are offered every year: one for the humanities/social sciences and one for the physical/life sciences. Each winner receives a conference or travel grant to award to a student, a framed certificate of recognition and has their name inscribed on a plaque at SGS.

“As a supervisor, I am so honoured to be given this award,” Cossman says. “Knowing that my students saw fit to support my nomination – that to me is worth its weight in gold.”

Cossman has supervised eight master's students and 14 doctoral students since 2003 – a high number for the Faculty of Law, which typically admits fewer than 50 graduate students per year.

Abbatt, an atmospheric and environmental chemist, has supervised 16 PhD students and 12 master’s students since joining U of T in 2000.

“A lot of the value for me of this position comes from interacting with people,” he says. “And to know that students have found those interactions meaningful is wonderful.”

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Emily Majaesic wins first place at the Ontario Regionals Three-Minute Thesis competition

siddiq22 — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 19:42:37 +0000

Emily Majaesic wins first place at the Ontario Regionals Three-Minute Thesis competition

Research & Innovation

siddiq22 Thu, 07/06/2023 - 15:42

Students

St. George

Chemistry

Faculty of Arts & Science

Research & Innovation

School of Graduate Studies

landscape

Emily Majaesic (supplied image)

Third-year Chemistry PhD student Emily Majaesic has won first place at the 2023 Ontario Regional Finals of the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

Held on May 17 at Queen’s University, the regional finals followed Majaesic’s first-place win at the ��Ƶ’s tenth 3MT competition in April.

The 3MT competition challenges graduate students in thesis-based programs to present their research to a non-expert audience in under three minutes, using one static slide. The presentations are assessed for communication, comprehension and engagement, rather than the quality of the student’s research.

"Distilling a complex concept down to its essence, and then being able to communicate that, is a skill I am glad to have developed," Majaesic said.

For her achievement, Majaesic received a prize of $1,000. In November, she and the second-place winner will represent Ontario at the National 3MT Competition in Victoria, B.C.

“Emily took a complex concept – the early detection of leukemia through protein markers – and not only made it accessible but also humanized it,” said Christopher DeLuca, associate dean at Queen’s University’s School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs.

“Through a personal narrative, humour, and clear communication, Emily’s 3MT talk made us understand the cutting-edge work she is pursuing, which has clear, life-saving potential through the early identification and treatment of diseases.”

The award-winning presentation, "Catch A Protein By Its Tail," refers to Majaesic’s research on the latest application of the enzyme, ClpX. One possible application of this technology is the detection of very low-level biomarker proteins, which could alert doctors to the onset of disease at very early stages.

Read the Faculty of Arts & Science story

Watch Emily's award-winning presentation

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Denise Belsham, Jane Freeman, Sharon Switzer-McIntyre and Steven Thorpe receive President's Teaching Awards

lanthierj — Fri, 26 May 2023 20:35:44 +0000

Denise Belsham, Jane Freeman, Sharon Switzer-McIntyre and Steven Thorpe receive President's Teaching Awards

Teaching

lanthierj Fri, 05/26/2023 - 16:35

Faculty

St. George

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

President's Teaching Award

School of Graduate Studies

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

landscape

(clockwise from top left) Denise Belsham, Steven Thorpe, Sharon Switzer-McIntyre and Jane Freeman

Four faculty members at the ��Ƶ are receiving the President’s Teaching Award, in recognition of their ongoing contributions to educational leadership and innovation and their sustained excellence in teaching.

The winners are:

“Congratulations to this year’s recipients of this very important distinction,” said President Meric Gertler. “U of T’s excellence in teaching is fundamental to our local and global impact, and our educators make a big difference for the better in the lives of our students. Members of the President’s Teaching Academy provide an example and an inspiration for all of us, at the heart of our academic mission.”

The President’s Teaching Award is the university’s highest honour for teaching. Winners receive $10,000 per year for five years to be used towards professional development. They also become members of the U of T Teaching Academy, which meets regularly to discuss matters relevant to teaching and offers advice to the president and the vice-president and provost, as well as the director of the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation.

Marie-Josée Fortin receives 2021 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

lanthierj — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 20:16:49 +0000

Marie-Josée Fortin receives 2021 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

Teaching

lanthierj Thu, 07/08/2021 - 16:16

Faculty

St. George

Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Faculty of Arts & Science

JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

School of Graduate Studies

landscape

(Photo by Diana Tyszko)

Marie-Josée Fortin, a University Professor in the Faculty of Arts & Science’s department of ecology and evolutionary biology, has been recognized with a 2021 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award.

The awards are presented by the School of Graduate Studies to a faculty member who, over a minimum 15-year period, has demonstrated graduate supervision excellence at the ��Ƶ.  

Fortin investigates the role space plays in ecological processes, biodiversity and ecosystems. Known for saying “my success is in my students’ achievements,” Fortin has been inspiring graduate students for more than 25 years, advising or co-advising 60 doctoral students whose work has resulted in more than 90 research publications and almost 200 talks delivered in scientific meetings and symposia.

Fortin has been especially active in mentoring women in the biological sciences. Her doctoral students have gone onto careers in academia as well as NGOs and the private sector – and she is known for supporting her students long after they leave her lab.

“Although I had graduated from her lab several years previously, Marie-Josée was very involved in helping me prepare for my first academic job interview,” says one student. “She spent time with me ensuring that my job talk effectively highlighted my skills and achievements while tailoring my presentation to the expectations and needs of the hiring institution.”

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Matthaeus Ware receives Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award

lanthierj — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 15:56:10 +0000

Matthaeus Ware receives Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award

Community

lanthierj Fri, 04/16/2021 - 11:56

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

School of Graduate Studies

Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award

landscape

(Photo by Connie Li)

For his outstanding leadership and commitment to academic excellence, Matthaeus Ware has received the Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award.

The honour is one of the Awards of Excellence presented by the ��Ƶ Alumni Association in collaboration with the university. The prestigious program dates back to 1921 and recognizes outstanding faculty, staff and students.

Ware, an MD/PhD student in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and School of Graduate Studies, is pursuing doctoral work in brain cancer biology and leading an independent research project in the emerging field of cancer neuroscience. The outgoing co-editor-in-chief of Toronto Notes, the internationally acclaimed medical textbook organization, Ware also co-directs the Adventures in Science program, in which graduate and medical students mentor high school students. He plays the violin, sings and co-directs the Noteworthy Music Program, which brings U of T volunteers with musical talents into hospitals.

Ware aspires to be a leader in the field of academic paediatric oncology. In honouring Ware, the alumni association notes that his mentors describe him as a rising star in biomedical research who possesses a rare combination of insight, creativity and compassion.

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Professor Doug McDougall wins 2020 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

s.anderson — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 20:35:49 +0000

Professor Doug McDougall wins 2020 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

Teaching

s.anderson Fri, 07/03/2020 - 16:35

Faculty

St. George

OISE

JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

School of Graduate Studies

landscape

(photo by Gary Beechey)

OISE professor Doug McDougall has received the 2020 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award.

This School of Graduate Studies (SGS) award recognizes outstanding performance in the multiple roles associated with doctoral supervision. Two awards are offered annually: in the humanities and social sciences, won this year by McDougall, and in the physical and life sciences, won this year by University Professor Ted Sargent, of electrical and computer engineering.

“I am just so grateful for being able to work with graduate students because they brought and continue to bring me enriched learning experiences,” said McDougall, a professor of mathematics education from the department of curriculum, teaching and learning who has supervised almost 70 grad students through the completion of their degrees.

The two recipients each receive a JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award certificate, an SGS Travel or Conference Award to support a current doctoral student’s participation in a conference or research travel, and have their name inscribed on a plaque housed at SGS.

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OISE

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Professor Ted Sargent receives the 2020 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

s.anderson — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 13:25:48 +0000

Professor Ted Sargent receives the 2020 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

Teaching

s.anderson Fri, 07/03/2020 - 09:25

Faculty

St. George

School of Graduate Studies

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

landscape

University Professor Ted Sargent, the ��Ƶ's vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, has received the 2020 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award.

This School of Graduate Studies (SGS) award recognizes outstanding performance in the multiple roles associated with doctoral supervision. Two awards are offered annually: in the physical and life sciences, won this year by the department of electrical and computer engineering's Sargent; and in the humanities and social sciences, won this year by Doug McDougall, a professor of mathematics education at OISE.

Sargent, who has advised 80 graduate students throughout his career at U of T, said receiving the award means a great deal to him.

“Working with brilliant, energetic, and entrepreneurial U of T graduate students has consistently been the most rewarding aspect of my life as a faculty member,” he said. “The pleasures of learning from and – when I can – helping to resource and empower these infinitely talented scholars as they continue to pursue their dreams, are a source of sustaining energy.”

The recipients each receive a JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award certificate, an SGS Travel or Conference Award to support a current doctoral student’s participation in a conference or research travel, and have their name inscribed on a plaque housed at SGS.

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School of Graduate Studies

15 doctoral students receive Connaught PhDs for Public Impact fellowships

Read more about the 2024-25 Connaught PhDs for Public Impact Fellows

Five faculty members receive School of Graduate Studies Supervision Awards

Read about the School of Graduate Studies Supervision Awards

Daphne Tan and Kevin Golovin receive 2023 SGS Early Career Supervision Award

Read the School of Graduate Studies story

Brenda Cossman and Jonathan Abbatt receive 2023 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

Read the School of Graduate Studies story

Emily Majaesic wins first place at the Ontario Regionals Three-Minute Thesis competition

Read the Faculty of Arts & Science story

Watch Emily's award-winning presentation

Denise Belsham, Jane Freeman, Sharon Switzer-McIntyre and Steven Thorpe receive President's Teaching Awards

Read more about the 2023 President's Teaching Award winners

Marie-Josée Fortin receives 2021 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

Read the Faculty of Arts & Science story

Matthaeus Ware receives Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award

Professor Doug McDougall wins 2020 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

Read the OISE story

Professor Ted Sargent receives the 2020 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award