Massey College

Robertson Davies Library, Massey College

laurie.bulchak — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 18:20:41 +0000

Robertson Davies Library, Massey College laurie.bulchak Sat, 07/27/2024 - 14:20

URL

https://www.masseycollege.ca/library/

In photos: Lieutenant-Governor Edith Dumont meets Indigenous leaders at Massey College

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 19:12:12 +0000

In photos: Lieutenant-Governor Edith Dumont meets Indigenous leaders at Massey College

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 11/17/2023 - 14:12

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Edith Dumont, centre, Ontario’s newly installed lieutenant-governor, meets Indigenous leaders at Massey College – including Gimaa Stacey Laforme, far right, chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Topic

In her first official event as lieutenant-governor of Ontario, Edith Dumont paid a visit to Massey College at the University of Toronto to attend a ceremony honouring the enduring treaty relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the Crown.

Following her installation as the province's 30th lieutenant-governor Tuesday, Dumont headed to Massey’s Chapel Royal – one of three Chapels Royal in Canada, and the only one with its own title in an Indigenous language: Gi-Chi-Twaa Gimaa Nini Mississauga Anishinaabek AName Amik (The King’s Anishinaabek Sacred Place).

Joined by her husband and children, Dumont took part in an outdoor ceremony before making her way inside for a viewing of the chapel with Indigenous leaders.

Creative producer Lisa Lightbourn was there to capture the event:

(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Dumont presented a tobacco pouch to Elder Garry Sault of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation as part of the ceremony.

(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

The ceremony began with the lighting of a sacred fire, followed by a song from Elder Sault.

(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Attendees joined in a circle around the sacred fire.

(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Left to right: Anna Kennedy, chair of U of T’s Governing Council, and Nathalie Des Rosiers, principal of Massey College, welcomed Dumont as she arrived.

In photos: His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh meets with Indigenous leaders at Massey College

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 19:14:57 +0000

In photos: His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh meets with Indigenous leaders at Massey College

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 04/27/2023 - 15:14

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Indigenous Knowledge Keeper James Bird, a PhD student at U of T's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, welcomes the Duke of Edinburgh to Massey College at the University of Toronto (all photos by Lisa Sakulensky)

Topic

Truth and Reconciliation

His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh paid a visit to Massey College at the University of Toronto to engage members of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation in a dialogue about how his titular awards program could work to empower Indigenous youth.

Prince Edward, who became patron of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award upon inheriting his late father’s title in March, is also the first member of the royal family to visit Massey’s Chapel Royal since it received the designation in 2017.

It’s one of three Chapels Royal in Canada – and the only one with its own title in an Indigenous language: Gi-Chi-Twaa Gimaa Nini Mississauga Anishinaabek AName Amik, or the King’s Anishinaabek Sacred Place.

The event, organized by Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell, was styled as a “council” in tribute to the long tradition of similar meetings between Indigenous leaders and representatives of the Crown.

Photographer Lisa Sakulensky was there to capture the event:

Nathalie Des Rosiers, principal of Massey College, welcomes Prince Edward. His predecessor as Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, laid the college’s cornerstone in 1962.

Elder Garry Sault of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation presides over an outdoor ceremony, which started with the lighting of a sacred fire. Prince Edward later presented a tobacco pouch to Elder Sault.

The Duke of Edinburgh sprinkles seeds of Chapel Royal Tobacco in soil to be placed in gardens on the Mississaugas’ Territory and Queen’s Park.

Indigenous Knowledge Keeper James Bird, a PhD student at U of T's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design who is tobacco keeper at the Chapel Royal, speaks to the role of the Eagle Feather in Indigenous ceremonies.

Gimaa Stacey Laforme, chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, presents gifts to the Duke of Edinburgh.

Indigenous leaders and Crown representatives engage in a discussion about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program and its pathways for Indigenous youth. The international award program, founded by the late Prince Philip, recognizes youth for achieving goals related to volunteering, physical recreation, skill development and adventurous journey.

Council participants pose for a group photo.

Anna Kennedy, vice-chair and incoming chair of Governing Council, looks on as Prince Edward signs the University of Toronto Distinguished Visitors’ Guest Book.

Prince Edward chats with a group of students and Massey junior fellows before he departs.

U of T mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth II, lowers flags to half-mast

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 23:35:48 +0000

U of T mourns the death of Queen Elizabeth II, lowers flags to half-mast

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 09/08/2022 - 19:35

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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who died at the age of 96, was the longest-serving monarch in British history (photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Global Lens

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Sinai Health

Faculty of Arts & Science

Massey College

Meric Gertler

Mount Sinai Hospital

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Queen

Royalty

St. George

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

U of T Libraries

U of T Mississauga

U of T Scarborough

The University of Toronto is mourning the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history, who visited the university on numerous occasions.

Flags on all three U of T campuses are being lowered to half-mast in memory of the Queen, who died Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of 96. They will remain at half-mast until the day of her state funeral.

The university will also mark the event by having carillonists play the bells in Soldiers’ Tower on Friday at noon, tolling the largest bell once for each year of the Queen’s age at the time of her passing. The royal anthem and O Canada will also be played.

U of T President Meric Gertler said the U of T community joins all Canadians in mourning the loss of the sovereign, noting that, before acceding to the throne, she promised to devote her life to the service of her people.

“She fulfilled that promise with unparalleled grace and dignity, and in so doing set a magnificent example for us all,” President Gertler said in a statement. “Her unfailing devotion to duty has been a constant source of strength and continuity for generations of Canadians as well as countless others around the world.

“Indeed, it is difficult to imagine a world without her.”

Flags fly at half mast at, from left to right, U of T Mississauga, St. George and U of T Scarborough to mark the Queen’s death on Sept. 8, 2022 (photos by Nick Iwanyshyn, Johnny Guatto and Raquel Russell)

He also highlighted the Queen’s contributions to international peace and solidarity through the Commonwealth and noted the U of T community has been enriched by the contributions of students, faculty, librarians, staff and alumni who arrived from or live in fellow Commonwealth countries.

“In tribute to Her Majesty, in this time of sadness and in the years to come, let us remember and learn from her life of dedicated and extraordinarily generous service to others, and give thanks for a life very well lived.”

Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh are greeted at Hart House by U of T Chancellor Vincent Massey (Walter F. Mackenzie/University of Toronto Archives)

The Queen’s passing comes 14 months after her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died aged 99.

Princess Elizabeth visits Hart House with U of T Chancellor Vincent Massey on Oct.13, 1951 (Walter F. Mackenzie/University of Toronto Archives)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that it is with the “heaviest of hearts” that Canadians learned of the passing of the country’s longest-reigning sovereign.

“For most Canadians, we have known no other Sovereign. Queen Elizabeth II was a constant presence in our lives. Time and again, Her Majesty marked Canada’s modern history,” he said in a statement.

Born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926, Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the crown in 1952 at age 25. She went on to become the longest-reigning monarch in British history, marking her Platinum Jubilee this past February.

She is to be succeeded as monarch by her eldest son Charles, Prince of Wales – now King Charles III.

David Onley, former lieutenant governor of Ontario and a senior lecturer in the department of political science at U of T Scarborough, said he has warm recollections of meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2008.

“The experience my wife and I had was quite amazing to us in that the conversation was not superficial. The Queen really engaged in our conversation,” Onley said.

He added that the Queen took great interest in the results of Canada’s federal election, which had taken place the night before. “I was really quite amazed as to how well-briefed she was. She wanted to know about Stephen Harper, she wanted to know about why the Liberals had lost so badly on that occasion – so it wasn’t just a superficial chit-chat.

“At the same time, I would say that she interacted with everybody like that – and that was one of the fundamental reasons for her passing being felt by so many people. Because everybody has stories – if you met the Queen, you had a story – and that was because of her degree of engagement.”

Onley said the Queen’s impeccable reputation during her seven-decade reign – he noted that her first prime minister was Winston Churchill and her last, the recently elected Elizabeth Truss; and that she had met all but one of the U.S. presidents since the Second World War – was testament to her complete devotion to the role.

“This is a particular accomplishment, and you would not have that kind of reputation if you were just effectively mailing in the responsibilities,” Onley said. “She saw it as a lifetime of service and executed that service right to the very end.”

He added that the frequency and range of the Queen’s visits to Ontario and Canada “give you the sense of the degree of interest that she had in this province, and other provinces as well.”

Queen Elizabeth II attends the Festival of Ontario at the CNE in 2002, making a stop in front of the U of T Blue Sky Solar Racing Team’s display (photo via Flickr)

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Toronto seven times, with their first visit taking place in 1951, four months before the Queen’s coronation. On that occasion, the royal couple were driven to the steps of Hart House, where they waved to cheering crowds and posed for photos.

In 1973, the Queen returned to Toronto and laid the cornerstone for the new Mount Sinai Hospital, part of Sinai Health and one of U of T’s partner hospitals. The hospital is located next to Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, named in honour of the Queen’s sister.

In 2002, the royal couple visited Toronto again during the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, which coincided with U of T’s 175^th anniversary. During the celebrations, the Queen visited a U of T display where she spoke with undergraduate students from the Blue Sky Solar Racing team who were present with their solar-powered car.

“I recall that the Queen had such a presence,” said Nicolle Wahl, director of content in U of T Mississauga’s Office of Communications, who was present at the U of T display. “[She was] very warm and curious – and it was wonderful to see how excited the students were to meet her.”

A letter written by Princess Elizabeth to U of T Chancellor Vincent Massey dated Feb. 17, 1952 (photo by Larysa Woloszansky)

The Queen’s 22^ndand final tour of Canada took place in 2010 and included a visit to Queen’s Park – named in honour of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria and located amid U of T’s St. George campus – where she presented Ontario Medals for Good Citizenship and waved to thousands of cheering well-wishers.

The Queen’s impact on U of T did not end with her last visit to Toronto, however. In 2017, Massey College announced that the Queen agreed to designate the college’s St. Catherine’s Chapel as the third Chapel Royal in Canada, which made it the first interdenominational Chapel Royal in the country.The request for the designation was made by John Fraser, then the master of Massey College, with the support of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. It was inspired in part by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action.

U of T’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library has one of 25 souvenir Bibles created to mark the Queen’s coronation in 1953 (photo by Johnny Guatto)

The Queen’s ties with Massey College can be traced back to her close relationship with the college’s founder Vincent Massey, who was Canada’s 18^th Governor General and a U of T chancellor from 1947 to 1953.

Letters written by the Queen to Massey – and preserved at U of T’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library – speak to a warm personal rapport.

In one letter dated February 1952, the Queen responded to a letter of condolence sent to her by Massey upon the passing of her father, King George VI. In her letter, the Queen expresses her gratitude for Massey’s condolences and notes that her father was in much better condition when Massey had last met him, but had then taken a turn for the worse. The Queen also states her regret at the fact that she was on a tour in Africa when her father died and was saddened by not being able to be home to comfort and console her mother and sister.

Another letter written from Balmoral Castle – where the Queen would eventually take her last breath – thanked Massey for being a great governor general. In another letter to Massey, written from Buckingham Palace in 1957, the Queen recounts her visit to the United States.

A letter written by Queen Elizabeth II to Vincent Massey on the occasion of his retirement as governor general of Canada (photo by Johnny Guatto)

The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is also in possession of one of 25 souvenir Bibles created to mark the Queen’s coronation in 1953. Bible #1 was used for the coronation ceremony – the Queen gifted Bible #17 to Massey.

Randall Hansen, professor in the department of political science in the Faculty of Arts & Science and the director of the global migration lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, said the Queen’s many accomplishments include overseeing a modernization of the monarchy – noting as examples her decision to agree to pay income tax and the landmark wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

“Leaving aside how it all ended, the marriage of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was a moment of a highly modern monarchy – an inter-racial marriage and a Black Baptist American minister who oversaw the service.”

He added that the Queen’s son and heir to the throne will benefit from the prestige of the monarchy and the Queen’s impact on the institution.

“It is the institution of the Crown, it is the institution of the monarchy that bestows the prestige … that institution will bequeath on him the full prestige of the monarchy,” Hansen said. “I suspect that he’s going to be quite a successful King.”

Hansen said it was remarkable that Queen Elizabeth II, over the course of an extraordinarily long reign, was not embroiled in a scandal of any significance.

“The Queen somehow managed to be above all of that, decade after decade after decade.”

Censored in Iran, Scholar-at-Risk Negar Banisafar is eager to create a new future at U of T

mattimar — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 18:03:33 +0000

Censored in Iran, Scholar-at-Risk Negar Banisafar is eager to create a new future at U of T

mattimar Wed, 12/08/2021 - 13:03

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Negar Banisafar says a love of culture and critical thinking drew her to U of T, where she is studying Near and Middle Eastern civilizations (photo courtesy of Negar Banisafar)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Global Lens

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Massey College

Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations

Scholars at Risk

Negar Banisafar found it frustrating to be a humanities student in Iran – she couldn’t express her opinions freely and witnessed first-hand the brutality of the government during political protests.

Now a graduate student at the University of Toronto, Banisafar began studying English literature at Allameh Tabataba'i University in Tehran in 2008 and later continued her master’s studies at Soore University, which is considered one of the top art institutions in Tehran.

She hoped the opportunity would open doors. Instead, while working on her thesis, Banisafar received a crash course in the school’s heavy-handed ways.

“They told me I couldn’t use the word ‘desire’ because it has sexual connotations. I had to go through a lot of arguments and debates,” she says.

“I had to change the word ‘desire’ to ‘request.’”

She adds that studying English literature is generally frowned upon in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a theocracy that has a reputation for not allowing its citizens freedom of speech. “They had proposed the idea of eliminating this major in Iran because they believe it advertises Western ideas and opinions.”

At Allameh Tabataba'I University, Banisafar recalls searching for student groups on campus. When she couldn’t find any, Banisafar joined the women’s basketball team in the hopes of finding community.

“This is where I got to know other students and traveled to different cities in Iran,” she says. “It helped me learn more about the humanities, philosophy, economics and sociology. Later, I understood through these experiences that I learn from a certain approach called interdisciplinary approach to research.”

It was ultimately this love of culture and critical thinking that drew her to U of T, where she is studying Near and Middle Eastern civilizations in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

Banisafar is one of four scholars this year supported by the Scholars-at-Risk Fellowship. Awarded by the School of Graduate Studies in a partnership with Massey College, the fellowships provide $10,000 to outstanding graduate students who are seeking asylum or refugee status in Canada, or whose study has been affected by political upheaval in their country of study. It also grants recipients the status of Scholar-at-Risk at Massey College.

She says receiving the scholarship felt like a “miracle” that has motivated her studies and future goals.

“I want to be a helpful member of society, as a researcher, teacher or writer,” she says.

Although enrolled at U of T, Banisafar is living in Istanbul, Turkey, for the time being. Last month she received approval for her visa and hopes to travel to Toronto in late December.

Getting to North America has been a difficult process. Banisafar first attempted to study in Chicago, but was thwarted by Donald Trump’s presidency, which made it all but impossible for her to get a travel visa to the U.S. because of the administration’s order banning travel from some Muslim-majority countries.

Her first Canadian visa application, with her husband, was rejected, too. So, her second application did not include her husband.

“It’s extremely difficult for Iranian students to get a visa because of the bad reputation of Iran’s government,” she says. “I can say we are victims of our government without having committed a crime.”

Growing up in Iran, she was acutely aware of the limitations of living in a theocracy.

“The first thing you see is that women cannot choose what to wear in Iran. It’s a basic right that is being taken away from us,” she says. “And, academically, I understood that I couldn’t violate the regulations that the government decided for us – wrongly, in my opinion.”

The anti-government protests in 2009 had a profound effect on Banisafar’s studies. She joined the thousands on the streets who protested against the presidential election results. She did not participate in her exams that semester because she felt there was something more important happening in her country.

“It was a wave of mixed emotions,” she describes. “I had read history books about the cruelty of the Islamic regime, but I had not experienced it with my own eyes until the days of the protests. I saw how ruthless and inhumane they are and how relentlessly they kill people on the streets.”

That’s when she understood that she would never be protected by the government.

“It is there only to harm us,” she says.

It soon dawned on her that if she continued to live in Iran, she would have to suppress her beliefs and passions – so she left in 2017 and moved to Istanbul. Alongside her studies, she also teaches English to Turkish and international students at Istanbul Okan University.

She’s currently attending her U of T courses online – and says the experience is an about-face from her previous studies.

“I’m really enjoying my classes,” Banisafar says. “My professors are very patient and respect a wide range of opinions. Students are free to express whatever they’re feeling – even if the opinion is not completely formed in their mind. I know students at U of T are free to protest and they’re still protected. In Iran, it’s all about suppression and keeping silent.

“I look forward to being an active member of the university community where moral courage, lifelong learning, and collaboration are welcomed.”

As for the future, Banisafar hopes to give back to the Iranian and Turkish communities.

“My biggest wish is that one day scholars and academics don’t run away from these lands,” she says.

Kameka Morrison, a Scholar-at-Risk, has bold plans for the future of Black education

mattimar — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 15:52:41 +0000

Kameka Morrison, a Scholar-at-Risk, has bold plans for the future of Black education

mattimar Wed, 12/01/2021 - 10:52

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Originally from Jamaica, Kameka Morrison is developing an educational program as part of her coursework at OISE that aims to teach Black history through an emotional intelligence lens (photo courtesy of Kameka Morrison)

Topic

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Scholars at Risk

School of Graduate Studies

Kameka Morrison was sitting in a classroom watching a teacher explain segregation to elementary school students when she noticed something was wrong.

A Black student – the only one in the room – was clearly struggling to process the information, which was being delivered with little explanation about what led to those events in U.S. history, who was responsible and the sacrifices that Black people made at that time.

“I asked for permission to pull her outside,” says Morrison, who was a teaching assistant at the time. “I gave her a hug and told her: ‘You matter. That’s not all there is about you. There is so much more to your story.’

“I cried and so did she. She was holding all that shame.”

From that day forward, Morrison vowed to redefine how Black history is taught in Canadian classrooms. Now, she’s studying adult education and community development at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), where she’s working on developing an educational program, as part of her coursework, that aims to teach Black history through an emotional intelligence lens.

“The teaching of Black history must be done in such a way that it mitigates harm to Black bodies and Black students’ emotions,” she says.

Morrison is one of four scholars this year being supported by the Scholars-at-Risk Fellowship. Awarded by the School of Graduate Studies in a partnership with Massey College, the fellowship provides $10,000 to outstanding graduate students who are seeking asylum or refugee status in Canada, or whose study has been affected by political upheaval in their country of study. It also grants recipients the status of Scholar-at-Risk at Massey College.

Morrison, who came to Canada four years ago seeking asylum, has long advocated for Black voices. She has also helped women raising children without support from family or partners, newcomers adjusting to a different culture or women living in poverty.

“I want to gain relevant skills to challenge the experience of adult learners – mostly women – who come from all over the world and had led full lives in their own countries, but who are now learning English to meet language requirements for a fulfilling life in Canada,” she says.

Morrison also works as a resilience and mindset coach with Black and refugee women. “Starting over is hard, it’s very difficult and I can relate to it very much,” she says.

“My passion is to help women, especially those who are raising children by themselves.”

Morrison took a circuitous route to Canada.

In her home country of Jamaica, Morrison was the lead teacher in an English department, as well as a communication instructor with Heart Trust, the country’s technical vocational education and training institute. But she left in 2014 in search of a better life for her family.

She worked as an English, history and literature teacher in the Bahamas. However, Morrison struggled to make ends meet on a single income. She earned enough for rent, but not enough for other expenses.

Morrison eventually settled in southern Ontario, but soon realized her life wasn’t playing out the way she envisioned. A single mom of two at the age of 37, she was finding it difficult to start over in Canada.

Then came a chance encounter at Toronto’s Union Station that changed the trajectory of her life: a stranger – an alumna at OISE, as I turned out – handed her a mug and tote bag that were emblazoned with the U of T’s crest.

“She said to me, ‘I felt led to walk over to you and give you these,’” Morrison recalls. “I thought it was the most strange and amazing thing. I had never heard of OISE before. I said, ‘Wow, this is where I need to go.’”

“I went home and immediately looked it up. It felt like serendipity,” she said. “It felt like something was giving me direction.”

Morrison applied to several programs at OISE and was accepted into all three. She chose to study adult education and community development because it related to her work as an ESL instructor with the Durham District School Board.

Morrison hopes the educational program she’s developing at OISE will help guide teachers and raise awareness of the emotional impact Black history has in the classroom.

“A key consideration is for non-Black educators to demonstrate an appreciation of the responsibility that is inherently attached to the teaching of Black History with disclosure and congruence, and with a consciousness that does not diminish the realities of Black experiences within the community,” she says.

She hopes this approach opens doors for policy-makers and administrators to make space for more Black educators to share their own history.

She plans to continue the development of the program after the course ends. Her work with Black and immigrant women will also continue.

“If I could share anything with another woman who is facing challenges, I would say that no part of our life or our experiences is ever wasted. Experiences come to provoke us to move forward and if we examine each encounter, we will find that it came to teach us and once we learn and implement then we are prepared for the next lesson and with it, the next victory.

“Identify your core beliefs. Those are your non-negotiables. Hold those close and keep moving forward.”

Peter Loewen appointed director of U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 15:01:21 +0000

Peter Loewen appointed director of U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 09/29/2021 - 11:01

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(Photo by Alexis MacDonald)

Munk School Staff

Topic

Our Community

Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Massey College

U of T Mississauga

Professor Peter Loewen, a leading political scientist, has been appointed as the new director of the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy.

Currently the Munk School’s associate director for global engagement and director of PEARL (Policy, Elections and Representation Lab), Loewen will assume his new role on Nov. 1, 2021 for a term that ends on June 30, 2026.

“I am honoured and humbled to be the director of the Munk School,” said Loewen. “I have a deep connection to the school and I believe that we have a vital role to play in convening important conversations, producing rigorous and relevant research, and educating students to have broad, multi-disciplinary perspectives. The Munk School’s centres have exceptional regional expertise and our labs are at the forefront of their fields.

"We live in a time of shifting powers and great global challenges – the Munk School is generating and sharing answers for a world that wants to know how democracies will fit in a changing global order, how we can continue to equitably increase prosperity and how we can live in an increasingly digital world.”

Loewen holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Mount Allison University and a PhD in political science from the Université de Montréal. He joined U of T Mississauga in 2010 as an assistant professor in the department of political science, receiving tenure and promotion to associate professor in 2015 and promotion to professor in 2018. He has held visiting positions at the University of Melbourne, Princeton University and Stanford University.

He served as director of U of T’s School of Public Policy and Governance from 2016 until its amalgamation with the Munk School of Global Affairs in 2018. From 2013 to 2016, he was the director of the Munk School’s Centre for the Study of the United States. Loewen is a senior fellow at Massey College, a fellow of the Public Policy Forum and an associate director at U of T’s Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society.

Loewen’s research focuses primarily on how politicians can make better decisions, how citizens can make better choices, how governments can address the disruption of technology and harness its opportunities, and the politics of COVID-19. He has been published in several leading journals and he is the co-editor of four books. He is a frequent contributor in Canadian and international media, providing opinion and commentary in prestigious news outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Globe and Mail.

In his capacity as associate director, global engagement, Loewen has led discussions with leading thinkers from across the political spectrum. He chairs the David Peterson Public Sector Leadership Series and is a co-organizer of both the North American Colloquium and the Canada-UK Colloquium.

“Professor Loewen has distinguished himself as a leading academic and a convenor, bringing together scholars, politicians and practitioners to discuss some of the most pressing issues of our time,” said Melanie Woodin, dean of U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science. “He is an excellent choice to direct the Munk School and has been instrumental in building the school as we know it today.”

Loewen says he looks forward to working together with students, faculty, staff and the school’s fellows to advance new initiatives and to continue to foster a strong sense of community within the school. “In addition to building on the success of our degree programs and bolstering our public engagement, one of the key priorities over the next few years will be to complete the construction of the academic wood tower,” says Loewen. “Through the tower, we have the opportunity to come together as one school and create a shared culture and sense of place.”

Loewen assumes the role of director from University Professor Cheryl Misak, who has served as interim director since December 2020, following the departure of Michael Sabia, who was appointed deputy minister of finance.

“We are fortunate to be building on both Cheryl’s and Michael’s leadership,” said Loewen. “Through the creation of our strategic plan, the appointment of thematic leads and the hiring of new faculty to augment the school’s four areas of focus – the Digital World, the Political Economy of Innovation, the Changing Global Order and the Future of Democratic Societies – we are in an excellent position to grow the Munk School’s reputation and influence around the world.

“At the Munk School, we have exceptional faculty from multiple disciplines, each of whom brings an important lens to the study of global affairs and public policy. Through our areas of focus and the strength of our regional expertise, we will continue to produce cutting-edge research, shape global conversations and contribute ideas with real-world impact.”

U of T lowers flags to half-mast in memory of Prince Philip

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 20:31:41 +0000

U of T lowers flags to half-mast in memory of Prince Philip

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 04/09/2021 - 16:31

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In May 1962, Prince Philip laid the cornerstone of Massey College, an independent graduate college affiliated with the University of Toronto (photo courtesy of Massey College)

Topic

The University of Toronto has lowered its flags to half-mast in memory of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip, 99, died Friday at Windsor Castle, where he lived with the Queen during the pandemic.

“The thoughts of all Canadians are with her and the entire Royal Family as they mourn this significant loss,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter.

Flags across U of T’s three campuses will remain at half-mast now until sunset on the day of the funeral or memorial service.

Prince Philip visited Toronto 20 times over the years, stopping more than once at U of T. On their first royal visit to Toronto in 1951, the royal couple posed for pictures and waved to a crowd from the steps of Hart House. In May 1962, Prince Philip laid the cornerstone of Massey College, an independent graduate college affiliated with the university.

“It was a visible statement that Toronto took graduate studies seriously,” wrote historian Martin Friedland of the event.

Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip sit inside Hart House in 1951 while Chancellor Vincent Massey stands before a microphone (photo courtesy of the University of Toronto Archives)

In 2002, the duke returned to Massey to celebrate its 40th anniversary with about 300 people in attendance. According to the National Post, he said in his morning remarks that he felt right at home at Massey because he was chancellor of Cambridge University. University Professor Emerita Ursula Franklin, who was a distinguished physicist and metallurgist who taught at U of T for over 40 years, and John Polanyi, a Nobel laureate in chemistry and University Professor, draped a Massey gown over Prince Philip’s shoulders.

Novelist and U of T alumna Margaret Atwood, a fellow of the college, was quoted in the Toronto Star as saying the duke delivered a good speech. “It was funny. It was short. It had a shape and it was popular,” she said.

Massey was among the prince’s patronages with a Toronto connection, along with the Canadian Club of Toronto, Upper Canada College, the Toronto Club, Royal Canadian Yacht Club, Toronto Press Club and Loyal Canadian Prince Club.

“Prince Philip had a lengthy history of public service to the Commonwealth, particularly Canada,” said Toronto mayor and U of T alumnus John Tory. “Whether it was speaking at the Toronto Board of Trade in 1951 or surprising all with a visit to Toronto in 2013 at age 91 to present a ceremonial flag to the Royal Canadian Regiment’s 3rd Battalion, Prince Philip had a strong connection to our city.”

Buckingham Palace has created an online condolence book. The Canadian government, meanwhile, has set up a page to commemorate Prince Philip that also allows Canadians to share their messages of sympathy.

Nuclear physicist from Venezuela lands at U of T with help of Scholars-at-Risk Fellowship

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 16:49:34 +0000

Nuclear physicist from Venezuela lands at U of T with help of Scholars-at-Risk Fellowship

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 10/27/2020 - 12:49

Cutline

Diego Jesus Rada Rojas fled intimidation and harassment in Venezuela, where he worked in a national radiation safety lab, and is now conducting PhD research on air quality at U of T's Dalla Lana School of Public Health (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Global Lens

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Global

Massey College

Scholars at Risk

Diego Jesus Rada Rojas, a nuclear physicist from Venezuela, arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport in the summer of 2017 on a flight from Santiago, Chile. He had travelled on a tourist visa – but this was no vacation.

“I told the immigration officer, ‘I have to be honest with you – I’m not here as a visitor. I’m here because I’m terrified to return to my country, I’m desperate and I’d like to see if it’s possible to get political asylum,’” Rojas says.

For years, Rojas had been the head of a national radiation safety laboratory in Venezuela’s Ministry of Health. But his unwillingness to toe the line of the country’s authoritarian government, as well as his democratic thinking, led to intimidation and harassment – harassment that followed him even as he tried to build a future for himself elsewhere in South America.

Now, Rojas is putting down roots in Toronto and at the University of Toronto, where he is embarking on a PhD at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, focused on air quality. He is one of six scholars this year who are supported by the Scholars-at-Risk Fellowship awarded by U of T’s School of Graduate Studies in partnership with Massey College.

“It’s difficult to explain with words the gratitude I feel for the Scholars-at-Risk Fellowship and the University of Toronto,” said Rojas. “This fellowship helps me be protected and focus on my studies at U of T without worrying about persecution by the regime in Venezuela.”

The fellowship provides a $10,000 grant to outstanding graduate students who are seeking asylum or refugee status in Canada, or whose studies have been affected by the political situation in their country. It also grants recipients the status of Scholar-at-Risk at Massey College.

During his time working at Venezuela’s Ministry of Health, Rojas specialized in occupational and environmental health. He was tasked with improving radiation safety practices in medical facilities in poor and remote regions of the country, where it was not uncommon for defective and outdated equipment – such as X-ray machines and dental scanners – to be used, and where staff were often not adequately trained in radiation safety.

Rojas took it upon himself to create a comprehensive training program for best practices in radiation hygiene. The program was credited with reducing exposure to radiation among both patients and health-care workers.

He says he found the job fulfilling.

“Physicists often have the reputation of being robotic or not sensitive because we’re from exact sciences and usually very into calculation, and it’s not seen as a very human or social profession,” says Rojas. “So, I was so happy that I was able to apply my degree in physics to a very social and public service. It was a great job to be able to work with communities who, because of geographic and economic factors, didn’t have access to basic radiation hygiene education.”

Yet, while Rojas enjoyed his work, his government bosses didn’t always appreciate his democratic views and vocal opposition to the growing authoritarianism of the country’s leadership.

“I was always open with my ideas and convictions, and they made it clear to me that I should be thankful to the government and show my gratitude. They said I had to be loyal to the revolution,” said Rojas. “I said, ‘What revolution? We’re in a free country. What revolution are you talking about? If I’m in this job, it’s because I succeeded in an interview and I have the skills. I don’t have to pay loyalties.’”

Rojas says his bosses began pressuring him to attend meetings to study doctrine and tried to force him to attend parades to prove his loyalty to the government. He refused.

“I was excited to help people, like people in the Indigenous communities who were exposed to high doses of radiation and long-term health problems – and here they wanted me to attend courses to train my brain to communism,” said Rojas. “I didn’t attend them because I wasn’t hired to take courses in communism. It had nothing to do with my work.”

That’s when the overt harassment and bullying took off. Rojas’ benefits, including his health insurance and ration card, were cut and his salary reduced. People began to openly refer to him as “bourgeois” and a “traitor.” One day, he turned up at work to find his desk, computer and work documents destroyed.

Outside on the streets, he noticed he was being followed by men on motorbikes.

“At this point, I realized I was not safe anymore in Venezuela,” says Rojas.

He decided to move to Brazil, where he completed a master’s degree in biomedicine and was beginning to transition to a PhD program. However, the Venezuelan consulate refused to renew his passport, preventing him from continuing his studies in Brazil.

He was accepted into a PhD program in Puerto Rico, complete with a full scholarship and a salary. This time, the Venezuelan government refused to renew his passport. The university in Puerto Rico waited two years for Rojas to resolve his situation, but he was unsuccessful.

Next, Rojas was accepted into a PhD program in Chile, which didn’t require a visa. But Venezuelan authorities refused to certify his degree, so he couldn’t complete his studies there either.

“It was so catastrophic for me,” Rojas says. “I was losing my time, my life. All those international opportunities, PhDs, scholarships ... but the government of Venezuela – or the regime, because it’s not a government anymore – took that away from me.”

In 2017, Rojas was still in Chile as his passport neared its expiry date. He risked being deported to Venezuela, where he was concerned he would be imprisoned.

He had one last trump card: a visitor visa for Canada.

“I didn’t know anything about immigration regulations, refugee applications or political asylum,” Rojas says. “I decided to go to Canada because I had no other choice.”

After explaining his situation to officials at Pearson airport, Rojas was allowed to enter the country and apply for refugee status.

Being in Canada meant he was free from persecution, but Rojas still faced the challenge of re-igniting a career in a new and unfamiliar country. Despite being granted a work permit, he lacked Canadian work experience and struggled to make inroads in the job market.

He eventually enrolled at the City Adult Learning Centre, a secondary school for adults, which offered a co-op component. Through the program, he found a placement at Sporometrics Inc., an environmental microbiology testing lab founded and owned by James Scott, a professor at U of T’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health and head of the school’s occupational and environmental health division.

During his placement, Rojas noticed flaws in existing standards to determine air quality as it pertains to fungal spores.

“This problem with sanitary standards in terms of spores was because there were certain variables that can’t be calculated using regular observation laboratory techniques,” Rojas says. “So, my approach was to introduce some analytics techniques that I extrapolated from my experience with radiation safety and environmental radiation.”

Rojas worked on a methodology to establish improved standards for measurement of fungal contaminants in the air and presented his proposals to Scott. Impressed, Scott encouraged Rojas to apply to do a PhD in his U of T lab.

Rojas was accepted into the program. Now, he’s in the process of securing refugee status and ensuring his own financial security – both goals he says will receive a boost from the Scholars-at-Risk Fellowship.

“A PhD at Dalla Lana is a full-time commitment, so the financial aid will help me to not worry about what I’m going to eat or how I’m going to survive. I can focus completely on my studies,” he says. “Also, receiving the fellowship will help me a lot in receiving my refugee status and permanent residency in Canada ... this support from U of T is strong proof of how I’m contributing to Canada, which is now home to me – the place that I love and the place where I want to contribute and help.”

Ultimately, Rojas says what the fellowship and U of T represent for him is the opportunity to once again have that feeling of fulfilment and meaning that he derived from his job in Venezuela.

“My passion in my profession is to solve problems and to help people,” said Rojas. “This is what the Scholars-at-Risk Fellowship and the University of Toronto are helping me to do – giving me the tools and resources to solve a public health issue and help the Canadian community, which to me is the biggest reward that I can receive.”

'An outstanding scholar and a beloved teacher': U of T holds Ursula Franklin Street renaming ceremony

davidlee — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 17:06:38 +0000

'An outstanding scholar and a beloved teacher': U of T holds Ursula Franklin Street renaming ceremony

davidlee Tue, 09/22/2020 - 13:06

Cutline

Monica Franklin and Martin Franklin, children of the late University Professor Emerita Ursula Franklin, look at the street sign bearing her name on U of T's St. George campus (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

City & Culture

Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Alumni

Cheryl Regehr

Cities

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Massey College

Materials Science

The University of Toronto this week commemorated the renaming of a street on the St. George campus in honour of University Professor Emerita Ursula Franklin, the distinguished physicist and metallurgist who taught at U of T for more than 40 years.

Ursula Franklin Street connects Spadina Avenue and St. George Street on the western strip of campus, near the heart of U of T’s engineering footprint and such key buildings as the Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

Formerly Russell Street, the renamed roadway now commemorates one of the most influential scientists and engineers in Canada’s history and a feminist and peace activist whose contributions transcended her prolific scholarly achievements.

“Professor Franklin was an outstanding scholar and a beloved teacher who spent enormous amounts of time mentoring students,” said Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr at a small ceremony held on campus Monday. “She was also known for her incredible advocacy, as an advocate of women and girls and a peace activist.

“This street – this historical marker – is a true testament to Professor Franklin’s cherished intellect and societal impact. We are so very proud to have it here at the University of Toronto.”

Monday’s ceremony was also attended by several members of Franklin’s family and Professor Chris Yip, dean of U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

Councillor Mike Layton (left) delivers remarks at a small, physically distanced ceremony on U of T’s St. George campus (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Born in Germany in 1921, Franklin came to U of T as a post-doctoral student in 1949 after surviving the Holocaust. In 1967, she became the first female professor in what is now the department of materials science and engineering. In 1984, she became the first woman to receive the honorific of University Professor, a designation that recognizes unusual scholarly achievement and pre-eminence in a field.

Franklin received an array of honours including honorary degrees from more than 20 universities and was named a Companion of the Order of Canada, a member of the Order of Ontario and a recipient of the Award of Merit from the City of Toronto. Her work advancing the equality of girls and women was also recognized by a Governor General’s Award. Franklin died in 2016 at the age of 94.

From left to right: Councillor Mike Layton, Monica Franklin, Martin Franklin and U of T Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr take part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Local city councillor and U of T alumnus Mike Layton said the renaming of the street marked “a process of turning the past into a new interpretation of the people that made this city great, made this university great and made our country and the world a better and more special place.

“This means a lot not only to Professor Franklin’s family, but also to the wider university family, and is just a small way to recognize her contributions to the University of Toronto.”

University Professor Emerita Ursula Franklin was a distinguished physicist and metallurgist who taught at U of T for more than 40 years (photo courtesy of University of Toronto Archives)

Franklin's daughter, Monica Franklin, a U of T alumna, said her family was proud to see the street named in her mother's honour.

“I know my mother would be pleased by having a street named after her, as well as its location, a stone’s throw – although she would object to the analogy – from Engineering and the Wallberg Building where she spent most of her U of T Engineering life,” she said in her prepared remarks.

“It is also not far from Massey College, where she spent much of her last 20 to 25 years. As well, it is the address for other U of T departments – astrophysics, anthropology and Earth sciences – appropriate given her life’s work making connections between disciplines.”

Members of Ursula Franklin's family pose for a photo underneath the sign marking Ursula Franklin Street (photo by Johnny Guatto)

The naming of Ursula Franklin Street was set in motion following a request to Councillor Layton from Michael Valpy of the Munk School of Public Policy & Global Affairs and Massey College. The street was previously named for Peter Russell, the first administrator of Upper Canada and an opponent of efforts to abolish slavery in the colony.

The decision to rename the street was approved by a unanimous vote of the Toronto and East York Community Council in March.

Franklin’s daughter said her mother’s life and activism held within it a message that's timely to the ongoing reckoning with racism and intolerance in society.

“I knew she would abhor the tribalism and how easy it is to fear the ‘other’ – those who are not like us, who look and act differently, who come from different backgrounds,” she said. “She would urge us to find what we have in common – that we are all seeking a better, more just and equitable society for ourselves and our children.”

Massey College

Robertson Davies Library, Massey College

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Nuclear physicist from Venezuela lands at U of T with help of Scholars-at-Risk Fellowship

'An outstanding scholar and a beloved teacher': U of T holds Ursula Franklin Street renaming ceremony

Read more about Ursula Franklin’s life and legacy at U of T News