Sustainabilty

U of T grads aim to electrify - and simplify - the package delivery business

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 17:33:25 +0000

U of T grads aim to electrify - and simplify - the package delivery business

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 03/20/2024 - 13:33

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GoBolt co-founder Mark Ang, who graduated from Rotman Commerce in 2017, says he and co-founder Heindrik Bernabe, an alum of U of T Engineering, “wanted to be change-makers in an antiquated industry” (photo by Kemeisha McDonald)

David Goldberg

Topic

Our Community

Alumni

Electric Cars

Entrepreneurship

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Subheadline

GoBolt got its start as a storage solution for students living in residence, but co-founders Mark Ang and Heindrik Bernabe switched gears after deciding they wanted to have a positive impact on the planet

What started as a side hustle for University of Toronto graduate Mark Ang has since evolved into a multi-million-dollar third-party logistics company – one that aims to have a positive impact on the planet by using electric vehicles for package deliveries.

Ang’s startup GoBolt has raised more than US$160 million from investors to support expansion of its fulfillment, last-mile delivery and returns management services to major urban areas across Canada and the United States.

It’s also using the funding to increase the percentage of electric vehicles (EVs) it has on the road.

“I always tell the team, ‘We need to be fiercely competitive to win enough volume to have an environmental impact,’” says Ang, who earned his bachelor of commerce degree from U of T in 2017 as a member of Trinity College.

GoBolt estimates that its approach currently prevents 20 tonnes of CO2 emissions each month, a number that increases as it adds more EVs to its fleet. The company also invests in tree planting and other restorative projects to sequester the emissions GoBolt does produce, with the goal of being carbon neutral by the end of 2023.

“What we do today is a great start, and it is a beacon for people, but it's not nearly enough to make a difference globally,” says Ang. “We're fiercely competitive in making this business a multi-billion-dollar global enterprise – and then we can start to effect real change.”

GoBolt Co-Founders Mark Ang and Heindrik Bernabe with one of their electric delivery vehicles (photo by Kemeisha McDonald)

The story of GoBolt began when Ang was a U of T undergraduate student in Rotman Commerce. He founded Second Closet, a storage service aimed at international students who needed to clear out their dorm rooms for the summer. Ang’s team rented trucks and scurried around campus to collect hundreds of boxes and random items. It was a lot of driving, a lot of parking tickets and a lot of stairs.

By offering a convenient service for a fraction of its competitors’ prices and an effective, flyer-based direct marketing campaign, the venture soon experienced rapid growth. Within two weeks, Second Closet was making $20,000 a month – pushing its resources to the limit.

“Every year got progressively crazier,” says Ang. “We had a dozen five-tonne trucks around U of T every day in April and September. We would do thousands of pickups. It was just bananas.”

They needed help and they needed it fast.

Enter Michael Hyatt of the Creative Destruction Lab, a seed-stage accelerator that was founded at the Rotman School of Management.

The angel investor raised US$500,000 for Second Closet in a single day.

“In the realm of exceptional founders, Mark stands out as an evangelist who possesses the acumen to drive the business forward,” says Hyatt, entrepreneur and CDL founding partner who sits on GoBolt’s board of directors.

“Mark's intelligence and adeptness at building relationships were readily apparent. His ability to hustle and propel the business forward was instrumental in leveraging the connections within CDL.”

Hyatt also connected Ang with U of T engineering student Heindrik Bernabe, who went on to become a GoBolt programmer, co-founder and CTO.

The business thrived but Ang and Bernabe still weren't satisfied.

“I didn't want our legacy to be that we help people hoard their stuff more efficiently,” says Ang.

Ang and Bernabe wanted to make a difference in the world, and so, with their fleet of trucks from Second Closet, they pivoted to logistics and shipping with GoBolt. At the time, using EVs commercially was a novel idea, but the newly formed GoBolt already had relationships with EV makers in Ontario and Quebec, as well as goods producers who cared about the fate of freight and addressing climate change.

“We wanted to be a 21st-century business for 21st-century brands, shoppers and merchants,” says Ang, whose clients include Endy mattresses and Frank And Oak apparel.

“We wanted to be change-makers in an antiquated industry.”

GoBolt’s made-in-Canada electric delivery vehicles can travel up to 400 kilometres on a single charge, depending on the payload and the EV battery’s natural enemy – freezing weather. But range is just a minor speed bump as technology improves and GoBolt adds service hubs and charging stations on its busiest routes.

“We're excited about what we're doing,” says Ang. “We don't feel super altruistic about it – we just know it's the right thing to do.”

Smart and clean growth conference draws industry, government leaders

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 20:17:46 +0000

Smart and clean growth conference draws industry, government leaders

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 12/04/2023 - 15:17

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(photo by Liz Beddall)

Catrina Kronfli

Topic

Our Community

Climate Positive Energy

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

Climate Change

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Research & Innovation

Sustainabilty

Subheadline

Event organized by U of T’s Climate Positive Energy and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce brings together researchers and leaders from government and industry

From innovative clean technology to smart building standards, University of Toronto researchers are working with industry and communities to reduce emissions in infrastructure and transportation – and to support a cleaner energy grid.

That was among the takeaways from the inaugural Smart Growth Symposium, which recently drew more than 250 representatives from industry, academia and government to Hart House to showcase smart and clean technology solutions.

The event was co-hosted by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and U of T’s Climate Positive Energy (CPE) initiative, an institutional strategic initiative that brings together more than 500 researchers and students across U of T’s three campuses to develop social, scientific, technical, economic and policy solutions that will help policymakers reach net-zero by 2050 and ensure an equitable energy transition.

Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, said Climate Positive Energy is working with the university to create a climate positive campus (photo by Liz Beddall)

“While Climate Positive Energy is working to solve global problems, it maintains a laser focus on local impact,” Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, said in her opening remarks.

“CPE is working closely with other groups across the university to create a climate positive campus by engaging researchers in projects that can be piloted right here at the university, with our campus functioning as a ‘living lab.’”

The Ontario government’s priorities, meanwhile, include balancing housing construction with environmental objectives and increasing green space in the province, said Andrea Khanjin, minister of environment, conservation and parks.

David Sinton, CPE’s academic director, said U of T has deep expertise in all the fields needed to help Canada achieve its climate objectives.

“The critical role of strategic initiatives like CPE is that we bring together those disciplines, and match teams with industry, government, and other partners to achieve those goals,” he said.

The event brought together more than 500 researchers and students across U of T’s three campuses (photo by Liz Beddall)

The symposium included several panels that examined the shifts taking place across various sectors, including:

Building Smart: The building sector is increasingly adopting technologies – from digital twinning to smart energy monitoring to retrofits – to improve overall performance and efficiency. Dima Zreik, director of investments at the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB), spoke to the CIB’s Building Retrofits Initiative, which provides financing to decarbonize and improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings in both the public and private sector – including U of T’s Project Leap. Derek Goring, Northcrest Developments’ CEO, stressed that to adopt new technologies in the building sector, there must be shared standards on data governance, referring to his ongoing collaboration with the Centre for the Sustainable Built Environment led by Shoshanna Saxe, an associate professor in the department of civil and mineral engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

Advanced Mobility: Electric vehicles (EVs) are sparking change across the automotive supply chain. Brian Kingston, president and CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, noted the auto sector plans to spend nearly $1.2 trillion through 2030 to produce millions of EVs, along with the batteries and raw materials needed to support that production. For Kingston, a key challenge is ensuring EV demand since adoption sits at 13 per cent in Canada amid consumers’ concerns about the availability of charging infrastructure and grid capacity.

Smart Energy Grid: With electricity demand from EVs and a growing population expected to double electricity demand by 2050, concerns about the power grid’s reliability have grown. This is why CPE is spearheading the Grid Modernization, Testing and Simulation Centre with the support of 55 partners, said Shatha Qaqish-Clavering, CPE’s director of strategy and operations. Led by Professor Ali Hooshyar, the Ontario-based, state-of-the-art facility will help small- and medium-sized enterprises commercialize green technologies and develop solutions to ensure Ontario’s grid remains safe and reliable.

Industry partners said the Grid Modernization, Testing and Simulation Centre will accelerate the adoption of new technologies.

“We’re very excited about this centre,” said Frank D’Andrea, Hydro One’s vice-president and executive lead, enterprise strategy and energy transition. “One way to offset affordability issues is to become innovative. We view U of T as a partner and are looking to test technologies, scale them, and bring them to utilities for adoption.”

“Before we implement anything onto the grid, we need to ensure it’s safe and resilient,” said Shitiz Agrawal, vice-president of power systems, sales and operations at Schneider Electric. “What’s unique about this centre is that it’ll provide real-time simulation and engages all ecosystem players.”

The collaborative approach adopted by the Grid Centre initiative is also evident in another effort led by CPE: the CANSTOREnergy project. The project, which recently received a $24-million grant from the federal government’s New Frontiers in Research Fund, involves researchers from 11 Canadian universities, led by Sinton, who are developing clean energy technologies tailored to meet the needs of two Canadian communities – one in Ontario and the other in the Yukon.

Whether the domain is transportation, housing, or energy transmission, all panelists agreed that the time for action is now.

Nolan Andres, chief of technology and innovation for Kindred Credit Union, said the existential threat of climate change is increasingly being met with a collaborative response — one that is "driving us closer together."

The year in pictures: U of T News looks back at 2022

davidlee — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 17:38:49 +0000

The year in pictures: U of T News looks back at 2022

davidlee Tue, 12/20/2022 - 12:38

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The Toronto High Containment Facility, based at Temerty Faculty of Medicine, houses the largest containment level 3 lab in Ontario. Researchers can study high-risk pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2 and HIV, in a safe and secure way. (Photo by Nathan Cyprys)

Mariam Matti

Topic

City & Culture

Back to School 2022

Black Research Network

Eagle Feather Bearer

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Global

International

Photographs

Research & Innovation

Undergraduate Students

Members of the University of Toronto community shared many memorable moments across the three campuses in 2022.

In spring, graduating students returned to Convocation Hall. In fall, more than 90,000 students from across Canada and around the world were welcomed back to U of T for what President Meric Gertler described as “our biggest back-to-school ever.” Through the year, the university’s renowned scholars continued to make their mark through pathbreaking research and innovation that made an impact locally and globally. Meanwhile, events with world leaders deepened the university’s international collaborations and partnerships.

For all those highlights and more, U of T News photographers were there. Below is a selection of striking images and special moments from 2022:

Indigenous artist Que Rock, a member of the Nipissing First Nation, stands in front of the mural he created honouring the 215 children whose unmarked graves were discovered at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., in 2021.

The mural is on the north facade of the building housing U of T’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. (Photo by Nadya Kwandibens/Red Works Photography)

The Hidden Stories project, co-ordinated by the research team at U of T Mississauga’s Old Books New Science Lab and funded by the Mellon Foundation, aims to explore the systems, peoples and cultures that make a book.

Alexandra Gillespie, U of T vice-president and U of T Mississauga principal, leads the Old Books New Science Lab. (Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

The founders of the Black Research Network, Alissa Trotz, Beth Coleman, Rhonda McEwen and Maydianne Andrade, appeared in an episode of Groundbreakers, a U of T multimedia series on Institutional Strategic Initiatives, to discuss Black research excellence and enhancing the research capacity of Black scholars across U of T's tri-campus community.

The renowned scholars and pathbreaking leaders also discussed the origins of the Black Research Network and opportunities for collaboration and policy change. (Photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, delivered an address and participated in a Q and A with students at U of T and other universities across Canada at an event hosted by U of T President Meric Gertler and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy in June. (Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

More than 90,000 U of T students were welcomed back to U of T for their fall term with a wide range of events, including a cheer-off at Varsity Stadium on the St. George campus. (Photo by Johnny Guatto)

The proximity of the U of T Scarborough campus to Highland Creek Valley and Rouge National Urban Park offered many opportunities for students to enjoy the outdoors throughout the seasons.

A year-round program started by Athletics and Recreation organizes activities such as snowshoeing, hiking, dragon boating and rock climbing. (Photo by Don Campbell)

U of T President Meric Gertler welcomed Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korean president, to Simcoe Hall to discuss artificial intelligence and opportunities for further collaboration between the university and South Korean partners.

The meeting included a roundtable discussion titled “AI for the Better Future of Humanity,” that featured AI leaders and luminaries, including University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton and Lee Jong-ho, South Korea’s minister of science and ICT (information and communication technology). (Photo by Polina Teif)

Kaeliana Smoke, a master’s student in anthropology at U of T Mississauga, was a member of the inaugural cohort of Eagle Feather Bearers during spring convocation.

The Eagle Feather Bearer carries a ceremonial Eagle Feather into Convocation Hall at the outset of each ceremony. The new tradition symbolizes the university’s enduring partnership with Indigenous Peoples. (Photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

The U of T Scarborough Cheer Team – open to all U of T students, regardless of athletic ability – is one of hundreds of clubs and extracurricular options students participated in across U of T’s three campuses this year. (Photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

In 2022, a new ranking placed the university second in the world for sustainability, recognizing the way sustainability permeates U of T's entire mission of research and teaching as well as its operations.

The greenhouse atop the Davis Building at U of T Mississauga, which provides research opportunities for undergraduate biology students, is home to some annuals, including beans and corn and has a permanent collection of flora that includes hibiscus, orchids, mosses, peppers, cotton, bananas and figs. (Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

U of T ranked 2nd in the world in first-ever QS sustainability ranking

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 14:40:25 +0000

U of T ranked 2nd in the world in first-ever QS sustainability ranking

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 10/26/2022 - 10:40

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(Photo by Matthew Volpe)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Global Lens

Geoexchange

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Climate Change

Faculty of Arts & Science

School of the Environment

Sustainabilty

The University of Toronto has been ranked second in the world and first in Canada in the inaugural QS World University Rankings: Sustainability, which assesses universities for their environmental and social impact.

The new ranking, released this week by London-based Quacquarelli Symonds, placed U of T second out of 700 post-secondary institutions around the world. Only the University of California, Berkeley ranked higher.

In the two broad areas comprising the ranking – which tracks how post-secondary institutions are taking action to tackle the world’s greatest environmental, social and governance (ESG) challenges – U of T was ranked third in the world for environmental impact and seventh for social impact.

“The University of Toronto community is delighted to be ranked second in the world by QS for our leadership in sustainability,” said U of T President Meric Gertler. “Our faculty members make a massive contribution to global scholarship pertaining to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Our students are deeply committed to long-term leadership in the field, as reflected in their extensive engagement in the huge range of sustainability-related learning opportunities we offer.

“And as an institution, U of T has made it a top priority to ensure that sustainability permeates our entire mission of research and teaching, while setting an example in our own operations.”

The QS sustainability ranking evaluates all universities eligible for the QS World University Rankings and takes into account data on reputation, research publications, third-party data concerning alumni impact and publicly available national-level data.

The ranking is based on 37 indicators grouped into eight lenses that each fall under the two broad categories of environmental impact and social impact. The environmental impact category comprises the lenses of sustainable education, sustainable institutions and sustainable research, while the social impact category includes employment and opportunities, equality, life quality, impact of education and knowledge exchange.

Canada had a particularly strong showing in the ranking, with two universities in the top 10 (the University of British Columbia placed third) and five in the top 50.

In a blog post, Quacquarelli Symonds noted the ranking goes beyond looking at universities’ commitment to sustainability and focuses on evidence of progress “from the impact that alumni are making in science and technology to solve climate issues, to the impact of research being done across the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.”

It also noted that the ranking “evaluates the social and environmental impact of universities as [centres] of education and research, as well as major employers with the operational sustainability challenges of any large and complex organisation.”

As an institution, U of T has undertaken several high-profile sustainability initiatives in recent years, including a commitment to divest from fossil fuel investments and a pledge to achieve a climate-positive St. George campus by 2050. The latter includes the construction of Canada’s largest urban geoexchange field – in connection with the Landmark Project – that will enable U of T to curb emissions by 15,000 tonnes per year.

U of T Mississauga is embedding sustainability into every facet of campus life, as outlined in its Sustainability Strategic Plan featuring 102 targets and more than two dozen goals. Its New Science Building, for example, will feature a geothermal system that will cover 90 per cent of the building’s energy load.

In fall of 2023, U of T Scarborough is opening the country’s largest passive house student residence, continuing its commitment to developing low carbon infrastructure and embedding social procurement in its campus operations. The campus’s accessible and sustainable open spaces are also being reimagined through the award-winning Valley Land Trail, research and teaching farm, and other green spaces.

U of T’s longstanding commitment to sustainability also pervades its research and teaching. The university offers more than 3,000 sustainability-oriented undergraduate courses and more than 100 graduate and PhD programs with sustainability-related content. Undergraduate students in all degree programs can also take part in the Sustainability Pathways program, which lets them take clusters of courses and pursue co-curricular activities that help them incorporate sustainability learning into their respective disciplines.

Both undergraduate and graduate students can also enroll in “Campus as a Living Lab” and “Community-Engaged Learning” courses that allow them to contribute to real-world sustainability initiatives at U of T or with private and public sector partners.

“We are very pleased to be recognized for our ambitious sustainability programs and activities,” said John Robinson, co-chair of the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability (CECCS) and a professor in the School of the Environment and Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. “It is important for the higher education sector to step up its efforts to contribute to the sustainability transition and our goal is to make sustainability part of the core identity of U of T in research, teaching, operations and external partnerships.

“Two of our flagship sustainability initiatives – committing to become climate-positive in our operations on the St George campus by 2050 and making sustainability curricular and co-curricular opportunities available to all undergraduate students – reflect this commitment and are part of a suite of activities across our three campuses.

“Much more remains to be done, and we are dedicated to further expansion of our sustainability ambitions.”

Overall, U of T continues to be one of the world’s top-ranked public universities in the five most closely watched international rankings: U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities, Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, ShanghaiRanking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities, and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.

From Syria to U of T Engineering: How one student fled civil war to complete his degree

geoff.vendeville — Mon, 30 May 2022 19:48:38 +0000

From Syria to U of T Engineering: How one student fled civil war to complete his degree

geoff.vendeville Mon, 05/30/2022 - 15:48

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Edmund Shalhoub, a student in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, will be graduating this June after coming to Canada in 2017 as a Syrian refugee (photo by Safa Jinje)

Safa Jinje

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

This June, Edmund Shalhoub will finally achieve his long-held ambition of graduating with a bachelor’s degree in engineering – a journey he started 12 years ago in Syria.

“In 2010, my life was quite normal: I went to school, I spent time with friends and I wanted to specialize in automobile and heavy machinery engineering, as part of a mechanical engineering degree,” says Shalhoub, who studied materials science and engineering at the University of Toronto.

“I always believed that having an engineering background – with all the technical and theoretical knowledge – would be my vehicle to make positive change in this world, to discover new things and to solve current problems.”

But achieving this goal was far from straightforward. In 2013, three years into his mechanical engineering education, Shalhoub was forced to flee his home country of Syria, where a civil war was raging. When an explosion occurred near Damascus University, close to Shalhoub's home, he realized it was no longer safe for him in Syria.

He arrived in Turkey in September 2013, determined to continue his studies. But since he only spoke Arabic and English, he spent his first year in Istanbul learning Turkish before starting over at Yildiz Technical University – where he earned a spot in the materials science engineering program.

While in Turkey, Shalhoub applied for refugee status through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and his application was approved and referred to the Canadian Embassy.

“When I got accepted to come to Canada, I was told I would have to leave Turkey soon,” he says. “I had to quit my studies again, and that was hard, but I was motivated by the great opportunity.”

Still, arriving alone in a new country was a terrifying experience, Shalhoub says. The experience was made easier by the support of the Canadian government through a resettlement and assistance program, which provided income for his first year in the country.

But Shalhoub was eager to pick up his studies where he left off.

“I started researching U of T while I was in Turkey and I learned it was one of the best universities in the world,” he says. “I felt like it was going to be my school – I actually felt it.”

Soon after arriving in Canada in 2017, Shalhoub visited the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering admissions office and spoke with a representative, who listened to his story and advised him to take an English language assessment test as part of his application.

“I passed and received an offer for the 2017-18 academic year,” Shalhoub says. “I was able to transfer 10 courses from my previous universities, so I was a part-time student for my first two years.”

While his time at U of T Engineering proved to be challenging and full of emotional highs and lows, Shalhoub found a supportive community through his part-time work as a communications assistant in the office of the chief librarian at Robarts Library.

“Last November, I became a Canadian citizen, and my colleagues at the library threw me a surprise party to celebrate,” he says. “Everyone there has always made me feel so welcome.”

To overcome personal struggles during his second and third years of study, Shalhoub was able to rely on on-campus resources such as mindfulness and meditation sessions, as well as support from the Health and Wellness Centre. As for tuition, he received support from the university through the Scholars and Students at Risk Award Program, for asylum-seekers or refugees whose education was impacted by a changing political climate in their country of current or future study.

Living outside his country of origin has helped Shalhoub learn things about himself, he says. “I’ve discovered my strength and my ability to accomplish things I didn’t know I was even capable of when I lived in Syria. And I now know I want to help develop solutions for protecting our environment,” he says.

Shalhoub’s passion for environmentalism ultimately led him to pursue a minor in environmental engineering through U of T Engineering's cross-disciplinary programs office. He is still weighing his next move after graduation but says that his time at U of T will always stay with him.

“I am still not sure how exactly I am going to contribute to solving these problems,” he says, “but I know that I want to use my materials science and environmental engineering education, along with all the technical skills I learned during the last 12 years, to make a difference in the world.”

Listen to Edmund Shalhoub on CBC’s Metro Morning

School of the Environment to showcase undergrads' work at annual Research Day

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 13:23:04 +0000

School of the Environment to showcase undergrads' work at annual Research Day

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 04/19/2021 - 09:23

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(Photo courtesy of NASA Johnson, CC BY-NC 2.0)

Chris Sasaki

Topic

Our Community

Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Faculty of Arts & Science

Graduate Students

Political Science

School of the Environment

Sustainabilty

Trinity College

Undergraduate Students

This year’s Research Day, an annual event put on by the University of Toronto’s School of the Environment, will, for the first time, showcase the environmentally-focused work of undergraduates in addition to that conducted by the school’s faculty and graduate students.

“We’ve always had undergraduate students work with our professors but we've never really had a way of showing off what they do – until this year,” says Steve Easterbrook, director of the school and a professor in the department of computer science.

The April 22 online event, which coincides with Earth Day, is free and open to the public. It includes keynote presentations as well as breakout rooms in which participants can listen to and interact with presenters. Part of the Faculty of Arts & Science, the School of the Environment is an interdisciplinary hub for education and scholarship on the environment and sustainability.

Among the students showcasing their work at this year’s event is Minsheng Hung, a second-year physics and immunology student at Trinity College.

Hung examined the feasibility of augmenting the solar-generated energy outlined in U of T’s Low Carbon Action Plan with battery storage systems. Because solar is an intermittent energy source and battery systems can store excess generated electricity and discharge it when needed, the systems have the potential to reduce the waste of surplus electricity generated when the sun is shining.

Graduate students participating in the event include Angela Day, a PhD student in the department of geography and planning. Day studies the ways that resource extraction and environmental decision-making intersect with gender and violence in the ancestral and unceded territories of the Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqey nations.

She will describe how, for a proposed mining project in New Brunswick, gender was considered in the environmental assessment process, and how the environmental assessment process implicated health, well-being and settler-Indigenous relations.

Attendees will also be able to hear about research conducted by U of T faculty.

Njal Rollinson is an assistant professor at the school and in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology. He will kick off the day with a keynote talk describing his research into cold-blooded amphibians and reptiles – such as salamanders and snapping turtles – in Algonquin Park. Rollinson’s research suggests the creatures are not responding to climate change as expected.

Jessica Green, an associate professor at the school and in the department of political science will end the day with a talk titled “The Existential Politics of Climate Change.” Green’s research focus is on the politics of decarbonization, transnational private regulation and the interactions between public and private regulation. She is the author of Rethinking Private Authority: Agents and Entrepreneurs in Global Environmental Governance. Other research topics explored during the event reflect the diverse and interdisciplinary nature of the school, including:

the animal-industrial complex and the politics of resistance
the accumulation of chemicals from the air in air-breathing organisms
the dynamics of deforestation in areas undergoing shifting – or slash-and-burn – cultivation
a study of faith-based environmentalism delivered by faith leaders in Canada.

“I’m looking forward to this year’s event very much,” says Easterbrook. “Even before I became the school’s director, I would attend Research Day. I always enjoyed the diverse and thought-provoking talks – and I always learned a lot.”

Earth-friendly fashion: U of T startup turns food waste into wearables

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:15:18 +0000

Earth-friendly fashion: U of T startup turns food waste into wearables

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 10/13/2020 - 16:15

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U of T alumna Avneet Ghotra co-founded ALT TEX, a startup that is developing a clothing fabric made from unused industrial food waste (photo by Myra Arshad)

Sharon Aschaiek

Topic

Our Community

U of T Entrepreneurship

There may come a time when the next blouse or pair of gym shorts you buy is made of banana peels, rotten tomatoes, coffee grounds or mouldy bread.

It’s not as strange as it sounds. In fact, the future of fashion depends on the use of biodegradable and carbon-neutral materials, says Avneet Ghotra, a 2018 alumna of the University of Toronto Mississauga who specialized in environmental science and biochemistry.

She is putting that notion to the test with ALT TEX, a startup she co-founded last fall with her best friend, Myra Arshad, who studied business at York University. Currently part of the Scale Up program at U of T Mississauga’s ICUBE business incubator, ALT TEX recently awarded a grant of $30,000 from the Lo Family Social Venture Fund.

“We are in a space involving intensive research and development, and that requires a lot of investment, so we are really grateful for this support,” Ghotra says.

A chief problem in today’s fashion industry, she adds, is that most textiles are blended with synthetic and non-renewable fibre polyester, rendering them unrecyclable. Decomposable bioplastics are an alternative that have emerged in recent years. They can be used for food packaging, medical implants and 3D printing.

Decomposable bioplastics are typically made from cornstock, but Ghotra doesn’t want to compete with a crop already used for feedstock, human consumption and alternative fuel. Plus, she notes, there’s no need to plant more corn when there is an existing supply of unused post-industrial food waste – from growers, producers and retailers – containing the same biological building blocks for their bioplastic.

Ghotra and Arshad have been conducting lab experiments, starting with discarded apples, to create a polyester-replacement fabric that is strong, durable, decomposable and cost-effective. They are also working to build partnerships with farmers and juiceries to access their waste. Such efforts, if successful, promise to divert significant amounts of organic waste – which emits the greenhouse gas methane – from landfills, while enabling the fashion industry to be more sustainable.

ALT TEX is one of three ICUBE-affiliated companies that received grants from the Lo Family Social Venture Fund, which awarded funding to a total of 14 U of T startups. The fund champions U of T students or recent graduates with ideas for promising social enterprises that could have a global impact. Another winner is Yi Ru, a graduate student in mechanical and industrial engineering whose YourTable app is trying to combat loneliness by helping people eat together. Billed as a LinkedIn for food, it allows solo diners to connect with each other to enjoy a meal at an eatery and take advantage of specials from its restaurant partners.

Recipient Jamie Lee, a U of T Rotman Commerce alumna, has also created a food-focused mobile app. Swate tracks the ingredients in your fridge and pantry to help you know what to cook and when to cook it. After you scan your grocery receipt, the app will notify you when your spinach or eggs are about to expire. Swate will also suggest healthful, delicious recipes in the order of your food’s best-before dates. The goal is to help people make smarter food choices and save money while reducing household food waste.

The three startups are among several that are nurtured each year by ICUBE, one of several entrepreneurship hubs at U of T and a centre for exploring new business ideas and supporting students and community members with early-stage enterprises. Workshops, mentorship, a co-working space, special events and connections to funding opportunities are among ICUBE’s core offerings. The recently introduced ICUBE Studio helps U of T-based startups in the university accelerator network access graphic design, marketing and software development help from talented U of T Mississauga students, who gain work-integrated learning experience.

“ICUBE has been a huge catalyst in terms of helping us understand the areas of our business that need attention, instilling confidence in our idea, helping us understand the patent process and how to access investment,” Ghotra says. “It’s pushing us forward and exposing us to more opportunities.”

U of T Mississauga to collect data on large scale to understand relationship between cities and environment

davidlee1 — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 18:52:37 +0000

U of T Mississauga to collect data on large scale to understand relationship between cities and environment

davidlee1 Thu, 10/10/2019 - 14:52

Cutline

A view of Toronto's Don Valley. A new initiative led by U of T Mississauga’s Centre for Urban Environments will gather real-time data from dozens of sites across the Greater Toronto Area (photo by Katrin Ray Shumakov via Getty Images)

Topic

Research & Innovation

Sustainabilty

U of T Mississauga

A new initiative led by U of T Mississauga’s Centre for Urban Environments (CUE) will create the first large-scale data collection system to understand the complex relationship between cities, the local environment and global climate change.

“More than 80 per cent of the world’s population lives in cities, but we really don’t understand how cities are changing the environment that we live in, and how this is driving – and being affected by – climate change,” says Marc Johnson, CUE’s director and an associate professor of biology.

“We hope to learn more so we can make cities healthier and more sustainable.”

The centre’s Urban Environmental Network, or UrbEnNet, will gather real-time data from dozens of sites across the Greater Toronto Area. “CUE’s UrbEnNet will provide unprecedented data about how urbanization and urban development shapes the environment that we live in, including the physical environment, the air we breathe, the temperatures we feel and the quality of water we drink, and the impact of this on life,” Johnson says.

“These elements affect every living creature in the Greater Toronto Area, from the salmon swimming up the Credit River to the people living in the urban GTA.”

Johnson points to a heatwave that resulted in the deaths of more than 90 people in Montreal. “In urban areas the lack of green cover means the city areas becomes hot,” he says.

Buildings absorb the sun’s energy and radiate heat, even after sundown. Elevated temperatures can contribute to heatstroke and extra stress on human cardiovascular systems, putting vulnerable people in urban areas at risk.

“If we can better locate the location of heat island or air pollution hot spots, we can create better mitigation strategies and policies to keep people healthier during these events, which are becoming more common as a result of climate change,” Johnson says.

The research team – which includes 38 researchers from U of T – has interdisciplinary expertise in geography, biology, chemistry, robotics and more. Regional conservation authorities and municipal and provincial policy-makers are also contributing partners.

A pilot project, led by Matthew Adams, an assistant professor in U of T Mississauga’s department of geography, is currently managing a mobile pilot project to monitor air pollution levels around the GTA. By collecting real-time data, Adams hopes to pinpoint pollution hot spots.

“This will tell us where we need to focus our attention,” Johnson says.

Monika Havelka, an associate professor, teaching stream, in the department of geography, will use 100 remote wildlife camera traps to capture images and data. “These cameras can help us look at species diversity, population density, as well as seasonal dynamics, demography, and temporal and spatial patterns in activity, behaviour and habitat use,” Havelka says.

“The camera traps have been relatively underused in urban environments, and we hope that they can contribute significantly to our understanding of how wildlife survive and navigate their way through urban environments.”

“The idea is to ramp this up exponentially, to have over 100 bioclimatic stations around the GTA to measure air quality, temperature, soil chemistry and more,” Johnson adds.

In the coming months, CUE’s UrbEnNet will seek federal support for the initiative, which will cost about $18 million. Results will be published in journals and delivered through lectures and public conferences.

“We will also work with policy-makers to help them understand what we’re learning,” says Johnson, who hopes to see the project replicated around the globe. “CUE’s UrbEnNet will create a world model for understating how cities and urbanization influence the environment where most of us live.”

Wisdom Tettey walks CTV News through Valley Land Trail at U of T Scarborough

perry.king — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 15:49:30 +0000

Wisdom Tettey walks CTV News through Valley Land Trail at U of T Scarborough

perry.king Wed, 09/25/2019 - 11:49

Cutline

Wisdom Tettey, vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough, speaks to CTV News on the campus's new Valley Land Trail (photo by @UTSC via Twitter)

Topic

City & Culture

Sustainabilty

U of T Scarborough

The recently opened Valley Land Trail at University of Toronto Scarborough “reflects our commitment to inclusive excellence,” Wisdom Tettey, vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough, told CTV News.

Tettey said the 500-metre trail, which was opened to the public on Aug. 29, was put in place to help the community better access and enjoy the ravine abutting the campus. It was designed for accessibility year-round.

Tettey said U of T Scarborough hopes that, by using the trail, the community will become better stewards of the environment.

“It’s been a fabulous experience for people who’ve had a chance to enjoy it,” Tettey said.

Watch Wisdom Tettey on CTV News (clip begins at 24:31)

From Mississauga to Massachusetts: Sonic 'Futurity Island' art installation hits the road

noreen.rasbach — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 14:04:27 +0000

From Mississauga to Massachusetts: Sonic 'Futurity Island' art installation hits the road

noreen.rasbach Mon, 08/26/2019 - 10:04

Cutline

“Futurity Island” was part of a 10-day outdoor art festival exploring climate change, environmental crisis and resilience that was curated by Christine Shaw, the director of U of T Mississauga's Blackwood Gallery (photo courtesy of the Blackwood Gallery)

Topic

What does it take to move an island? Lots of planning, a big truck and plenty of patience.

“Futurity Island,” a towering art installation built from blue water pipes, is being moved from Mississauga to its new home at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Mass. where it will be reassembled on site next to the Charles River.

Created by MIT-based artists Gediminas & Nomeda Urbonas, “Futurity Island” was a showcase feature of The Work of Wind: Air, Land, Sea, 10-day contemporary outdoor art festival exploring climate change, environmental crisis and resilience that was curated by Christine Shaw, the director of the University of Toronto Mississauga’s Blackwood Gallery.

Installed next to Clean Harbours Canada, the pile of municipal water pipes broadcast an ambient sonic creation inspired by swamp creatures and environmental contamination.

“This is not just a sculpture,” says Shaw, who is also an assistant professor, teaching stream, at U of T Mississauga’s department of visual studies. “It’s a transmission device. There’s a sense that it’s meant to be on the move, or that similar ‘Futurity Islands’ could be formed.”

It’s no small feat to move the intsallation, which was presented by the Blackwood Gallery in partnership with the MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology. Plans to relocate the sculpture, which is constructed from 20,000 lbs. of municipal water pipe donated by The Work of Wind sponsor IPAC Services Corp., have been in the works since December 2018. That’s just a few months after The Work of Wind closed and “Futurity Island” was packed away into shipping containers stored on the site of another festival sponsor, Musket Transport Inc.

Over the past week, Blackwood Gallery project co-ordinator Fraser McCallum has been working with the Musket Transport team to re-pack the pipes into a single tractor-trailer container. “It’s really just figuring out how to fit it all in and keep the pipes organized so it can be reassembled in exactly the same way,” says McCallum, who will accompany the piece on its cross-border trip.

The resurrection of “Futurity Island” coincides with the launch of climate change action initiatives at MIT. “There is a gathering of minds that is happening around that initiative for the university,” Shaw says. At MIT, the sculpture will be reassembled in time for two days of programming, including talks, performances and panel discussions.

Shaw will attend the opening celebrations on Sept. 6 and Sept. 7, where she will deliver a talk about the The Work of Wind and “Futurity Island” alongside the artists and Etienne Turpin, editor of the “The Work of Wind” book series. Chilean artist and “Futurity Island” collaborator Nicole L’Huillier will contribute a live performance of the sculpture’s “Amphibian Songs” experience.

“Sending the work to MIT enables the Blackwood Gallery to think about different ways to tour an exhibition, which is standard practice for museums and galleries,” Shaw says.

“I love the thought of ‘Futurity’ on the move. I would love to see ‘Futurity Island’ travelling from site to site, to different localities, inspiring more thinking about the environmental conditions of each place.”