Gilbert Ndikubwayezua

Black Founders Network to support Black entrepreneurs, create more Black-led businesses

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 17:33:00 +0000

Black Founders Network to support Black entrepreneurs, create more Black-led businesses

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 12/09/2021 - 12:33

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Efosa Obano, BFN's program manager, says a key priority is to connect Black entrepreneurs to the resources, mentorship and sponsorship opportunities needed to increase the number of successful Black-owned startups across Canada (photo by Ken Jones)

Gilbert Ndikubwayezua

Topic

Our Community

Alumni

Entrepreneneurship

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Startups

U of T Scarborough

Black entrepreneurs at the University of Toronto now have access to an inclusive community with the resources necessary to nurture and boost their businesses.

The goal of the Black Founders Network (BFN) is to support entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey – from those just starting out, to those needing help scaling up their businesses.

Efosa Obano, an alumnus of U of T Scarborough and the network’s program manager, says a key priority is to connect Black entrepreneurs to the resources, mentorship and sponsorship opportunities needed to increase the number of successful Black-owned startups across the country. He adds that the network’s initial consultations with the Black community – many of whom were U of T students or alumni – revealed that many Black entrepreneurs were facing challenges stemming from lack of inclusion and representation in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“A lot of people felt uncomfortable when they were trying to build something, but the people who were supposed to help them couldn’t relate to their lived experiences, and wanted them to build something different,” says Obano.

He also points to a recent survey that found as many as 76 per cent of Black entrepreneurs in Canada thought their race made it harder to succeed. During the network’s initial consultations, he says, it became clear that there was a lack of awareness about existing opportunities and resources at U of T to support their business.

It’s a national problem, says Obano. When the federal government launched the Canadian Emergency Business Account in March 2020 to support business owners who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as many as 70 per cent of Black-owned businesses were not eligible for the grants. Furthermore, Obano says that less than two per cent of all the venture capital raised in North America went to Black-owned companies, and as recently as 2018, only two of the 300 grants that the federal government offered went to Black-owned businesses.

Based on feedback from these initial consultations, Obano says it was clear that things could be better and that there was an opportunity for Black entrepreneurs to create a uniting space. Built by and for the Black community, he says the BFN is engaging founders, investors, allies and other partners with a desire to advance Black entrepreneurship.

The network, which launched this fall through U of T Entrepreneurship, aims to celebrate Black excellence in entrepreneurship, while also being centered around allyship.

“As part of the University’s strategy to promote equity, diversity and inclusion in confronting anti-Black racism, the Black Founders Network provides a much-needed space for Black founders to learn, grow, and thrive as successful entrepreneurs,” says Christine Allen, U of T’s associate vice-president and vice-provost of strategic initiatives

“At the core of its values, BFN will foster allyship, mentorship and sponsorship to nurture and celebrate Black excellence in entrepreneurship.”

There are three main pillars that make up the functioning of the network: Core, Accelerate and Scale.

Core is for those interested in entrepreneurship and looking to learn more as they begin their journey. Through the network, these entrepreneurs can apply for grants of up to $5,000 and access programs that can help them learn how to build a strong team, validate their ideas with target users and draft business plans.

For Accelerate, the network will support entrepreneurs whose ideas are ready to grow and meet the needs of their target market. This cohort-based program is the most structured of the BFN offerings and these entrepreneurs can apply for awards up to $25,000 plus other funds to cover legal and financial startup expenses. They will also get support with product development, value chain partnerships and revenue generation.

At the Scale level, the network will support entrepreneurs whose businesses are already generating revenue but want to scale in order to be sustainable. Up to $50,000 in BFN funding will be available for such companies in addition to seed investments from the network’s Black-focused investment partners. Startups at the Scale level will receive dedicated hands-on support, workspace and mentorship to increase their profitability and market share.

Applications for some of these network elements are expected to open in the new year. Meanwhile, Obano says they are actively looking for more founders and creators to join the network.

The network was built in consultation with over 100 Black founders and 50 partners earlier this year, while 533 people registered for the launch event on Oct. 7. Since then, the network has held five events focused on community-building. Obano hopes to get at least 1,000 founders and creators involved in the network annually, including a strong cohort of advisers and community partners. The group also wants to create a directory of Black-owned services and business leaders.

“My ideal story would be to have someone who started in the first stream, go through all the three levels, create their own successful company – and then be able to mentor an aspiring entrepreneur that’s coming in,” he says.

“It’s the notion of pulling others up as you climb the ladder. That’s how you truly thrive as a community.”

Shared experiences: How five international students are contributing to U of T's global outlook

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 14:47:03 +0000

Shared experiences: How five international students are contributing to U of T's global outlook

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 10/04/2021 - 10:47

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U of T Scarborough alumnus Ernest Nyarko teamed up with other U of T undergrads five years ago to create the African Impact Initiative, a non-profit organization that aims to solve problems faced by communities in Africa (photo by Jorian Charlton)

Cynthia Macdonald

Gilbert Ndikubwayezua

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Music

Global

Joseph Wong

Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship

Mathematics

New College

Rotman School of Management

U of T Scarborough

International students who come from around the world to study at the University of Toronto reap huge rewards – including a top education, life-long friendships and new career opportunities.

But the university and the surrounding community benefit, too.

Joseph Wong, U of T’s vice president, international, says U of T’s more than 20,000 international students provide domestic students with the opportunity to learn alongside peers who often have direct knowledge of the material being studied.

“It’s one thing to read about nationalist movements in Europe or South Asia,” Wong says. “It’s an entirely different learning experience when you can talk to – and learn from – your peers who are from these regions.”

The advantage extends beyond the classroom to co-curricular experiences and conversations in residence, he says, adding up to an immeasurable impact on life at the university.

“All U of T students gain a tremendous opportunity not only to be prepared academically for the world of work but also to be prepared socially and culturally for the literal ‘world of work,’” Wong says.

Meet five international students at U of T who are making an impact – both at the university and beyond:

Ernest Nyarko
Hometown: Accra, Ghana

Five years ago, Ernest Nyarko and his friend Efosa Obano, both graduates of U of Scarborough, teamed up with other U of T undergrads to create the African Impact Initiative, a non-profit organization open to all students. Their objective: to help solve some of the problems faced by communities in Africa.

Since then, the initiative’s volunteers have been collaborating with young people from Africa to contribute to the continent’s development through community work, mentorship and entrepreneurship. One of the group’s first activities was to fund a small project to improve health-care outcomes in the village of Ikot Eko Ebon in southeastern Nigeria.

In co-founding the initiative, Nyarko demonstrated that international students do much more than just study at U of T – their global experiences help their Canadian peers understand the world better.

“Diversity gives us the tools to challenge preconceptions and imagine the principles that will shape a better future,” says Nyarko, who came from Ghana to study in the co-op marketing and management program at U of T Scarborough and now works as a management consultant at Deloitte in Toronto.

As part of his classes and extra-curricular activities, Nyarko was able to describe some of Ghana’s “non-Western realities” to his fellow students.

“I made a point of sharing my experiences growing up,” he says, adding that he hopes to provide his classmates information to question stereotypes about Africa.

– Gilbert Ndikubwayezu

Jialiang Zhu
Hometown: Hainan Island, China

Jialiang Zhu loved attending concerts by visiting musicians when she was an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Music, but among the events that influenced her career, one stood out the most.

“It was a concert by the Imani Winds quintet, and I was in awe of how connected they all were to each other,” says Zhu, a pianist.

She vowed that she would play in a group like that one day.

Today, Zhu, who is pursuing a doctor of musical arts degree at U of T, is also a member of the Bedford Trio – an ensemble with a growing international following. She co-founded the trio in 2015 with fellow U of T music alumni Alessia Disimino, a violinist, and Andrew Ascenzo, a cellist. “We shared a passion for chamber music but were also interested in works by contemporary composers, so it was a great fit,” she says.

As part of Zhu’s doctoral work, she would like to extend the reach of compositions from her homeland – specifically songs based on classical Chinese poetry. Many of the poems she’s studying were part of the public school curriculum in China, where she memorized them in Mandarin.

“Unlike many of my classmates, I loved reciting them because the language had unique tonal inflections that already sounded like music to me,” she says. “My goal is to expose English-speaking musicians and audiences to this wonderful poetry and the contemporary art songs inspired by it.”

Zhu’s thesis offers practical tools for learning to understand the poetry, such as a Mandarin diction guide and recorded pronunciations.

Zhu has performed some of these songs in Canada and China and online with native Mandarin speakers and non-native speakers, including Chinese diaspora musicians and those from other cultures. “I’m grateful that my research and performance have connected me with contemporary artists from around the world,” she says. “I hope this will plant the seed for something that continues to grow.”

– Megan Easton

Jose Ignacio Valdez
Hometown: Lima, Peru

Jose Ignacio Valdez belonged to the Latin American business club when he was an MBA student at the Rotman School of Management, and he remembers talking to his fellow members about how strange the networking and recruitment events felt.

“To us, it was very odd approaching people we’d never met to give them our elevator pitch and try to strike up an engaging conversation,” says Valdez, who completed his MBA alongside his wife, Brenda Balcázar in 2010 and was accustomed to more formal practices such as relying on referrals and applying to posted positions.

Valdez, who grew up in Peru, knew he would have to get over his discomfort with this cultural difference to have any chance at landing a job, especially since it was the height of the 2008-2009 recession.

“You only get one shot at the best of times to make the right impression when a firm is recruiting,” he says. “Fortunately, a Rotman priority from day one is to ensure students understand how Canadian executives think and do business, both through classes and guest speakers.”

He turned out to be one of the few in his class to land an investment banking internship, which evolved into a full-time job at a Canadian bank. After working there for several years, he returned to Peru as director of the country’s investment banking team for Scotiabank.

Today Valdez is Scotiabank’s managing director, head of Latin America investment banking. “I feel like I have the best of both worlds,” he says. “I get to work for a Canadian company, but in the Latin American market.”

Being part of a diverse student body at Rotman not only assured Valdez he wasn’t alone in taking some time to acclimatize to a new business culture, but also prepared him for the challenges of working for one of Canada’s most international banks.

“We learned to be sensitive to cultural differences, a skill that’s very helpful in my current day-to-day work interacting with clients and colleagues from Canada, the U.S. and across Latin America – which is culturally diverse in itself,” says Valdez. “The MBA program was a great training ground for the real world of international business.”

– Megan Easton

Suddene Stone
Hometown: Central Village, Jamaica

It wasn’t until public health regulations required an end to in-person classes part way through Suddene Stone’s first year at U of T Scarborough that he truly understood how globally diverse his new classmates were.

“When the pandemic hit, and people went home, I suddenly had friends in many different time zones,” he says.

For Stone, who is in the third year of a psychology degree, moving to multicultural Toronto from his native Jamaica expanded his worldview in ways he didn’t expect – and it hasn’t been just about trying new foods. He has been able to observe – and compare – social, cultural and religious customs from Turkey, India and Egypt, to name just a few countries his classmates are from.

“You learn how to interact with different people across different cultures,” he says.

Community work is important to Stone, who attends U of T on a Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship (awarded to international students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, creativity and leadership qualities). In Jamaica, he often spent weekends in a student-led service club, helping to plant trees or paint schools. In his first semester at U of T Scarborough, he joined the Imani Academic Mentorship Program to volunteer as a tutor for local Black youth, encouraginh them to consider higher education.

Although eager to help, he says he didn’t understand at first why such a program was needed in Canada. He soon learned about racism in the Canadian education system, including high expulsion rates and discrimination from teachers. “Even in middle school, they understand that much more work needs to be done in Canadian society to achieve racial equity, especially for students,” he says.

With respect to his own studies, Stone plans to complete a master’s and PhD in clinical psychology, and aims to gain practical experience in the field while in Canada. “People who are seriously mentally ill often go undiagnosed or don’t have access to proper care,” he says. “I want to help change that.”

– Matthew DiMera

Mahak Khurmi
Hometown: Sri Ganganagar, India

Everyone knows that for mathematicians “show your work” is an important rule. So when Mahak Khurmi, who is majoring in computer science and statistics, talks about her success, she is eager to describe the problems she had to solve on the way there.

Dreading math at the beginning of high school, she attacked the subject with a tutor – and finished high school in the top one-tenth of one per cent of math students in India. It’s no surprise, then, that she tackled her first challenge as a U of T student in the fall of 2019 with similar fervour.

“When I came to Canada, I was very homesick,” says Khurmi, who grew up in a small city in northwest India and is the first in her immediate family to attend university. “One thing that helped me was reaching out when I was in trouble.” She joined a First-Year Learning Community, a small group of students registered in the same core courses.

She found other ways to connect with her peers, too. High school in India, for example, had equipped her with educational concepts and strategies that she was able to share with her Canadian classmates. One expressed curiosity about the speed with which she and another Indian student could solve certain math problems. “I told him about some of the formulas and methods taught to us, and he was very surprised and happy to learn about them,” she says.

Now entering third year, Khurmi helps others understand software development and machine learning – two subjects she is passionate about. She has taught concepts in artificial intelligence to more than 300 African students through an inter-university initiative. She has also worked as a software engineering intern for a Toronto startup.

Khurmi is ultimately thinking about pursuing a PhD. This year, however, she will be helping incoming students make a smooth transition to university life. As an academic programmer for New College residence, she’ll be a great resource for international students facing the same challenges she did.

“One really great thing about U of T is that you get to meet people from everywhere,” she says.

– Cynthia Macdonald

A version of this story was originally published in U of T Magazine

U of T researcher explores ways to make Toronto’s urban forests, ravines more inclusive

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 15:15:56 +0000

U of T researcher explores ways to make Toronto’s urban forests, ravines more inclusive

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 07/12/2021 - 11:15

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Ambika Tenneti, a PhD student at U of T, is investigating community engagement in the city’s urban forests, looking specifically at factors that lead to inclusion or exclusion among immigrant communities (photo by Don Campbell)

Gilbert Ndikubwayezua

Topic

City & Culture

Diversity and Inclusion

Cities

Forestry

Graduate Students

John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture

U of T Scarborough

When it comes to ensuring access to Toronto’s urban forests, Ambika Tenneti says simply living near a tree canopy is insufficient for many city residents.

“Access is not just about proximity,” says Tenneti, a doctoral student in the forestry department at the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

People may live near a ravine, but if there’s no entrance near where they live and they have to walk, bike or take the public transit before getting into it, then it’s not accessible, she says. She notes that such trips also cost time and money, which recent immigrants often lack when they first arrive.

There can also be psychological barriers that prevent people from enjoying the ravines and other natural areas in the city – which is where Tenneti’s research comes into play. As a recent immigrant to Canada from India, where she studied environmental science, Tenneti investigates community engagement in the city’s urban forests, looking specifically at factors that lead to inclusion or exclusion, with a focus on the experience of new immigrants.

Her research suggests that immigrant communities are interested in urban nature, and enjoy it, but tend to prefer parks over wilderness areas. She says that, in general, immigrant communities feel more comfortable going to well-maintained, multi-use green areas where children have access to playing fields and other amenities such as seating, equipment, trees and gardens. Access to washrooms and drinking water are also important for planning family outings.

She points to Morningside Park in Scarborough, which is a popular destination for nearby residents – especially during the annual salmon festival or other summer events.

“It is a beautiful park with a lot of amenities, but it’s also not easily accessible,” says Tenneti, whose PhD supervisor is U of T Scarborough Associate Professor Nicole Klenk, who is an expert on the role of environmental science in society. She adds that the park is only accessible by car or bus, and once people arrive at the nearest bus stop, they still need to walk about 200 meters down a steep incline into the valley – a major challenge for children, older family members or those using a wheelchair or other mobility devices.

Wilderness areas such as ravines are also relatively unknown to recent immigrants, Tenneti says, adding that they are often described as “hidden gems” or “secret spaces” by long-time residents of the city – the majority of them white, affluent residents who live nearby.

“These remain a secret by lack of access, and a lack of knowledge and awareness among ethnically diverse immigrant communities,” says Tenneti. “Ravines are meant as throughways for walking, hiking or biking, but often these community members don’t see themselves engaging in these activities and this makes them hesitant to use ravines.”

One misconception is that immigrant communities fear wilderness areas because of bears. “That’s not so,” says Tenneti. “The immigrants I have spoken to know there are no bears in Toronto. Their fear stems from other factors such as getting lost or not finding the exits, especially in trails and woods.”

She says fear of getting robbed or attacked, off-leash dogs, coming across people indulging in inappropriate behaviour or activities are also a concern.

There is also fear stemming from a lack of ecological knowledge about nature in the Greater Toronto Area. Immigrants may hear about ticks, coyotes, giant hogweed and poison ivy, adds Tenneti, but many don’t know how to recognise such threats or what to do if they come in contact with them. Tenneti says immigrant communities are keen to learn how to identify plants that they need to be wary of – as well as those they need to protect – but the necessary resources are seldom available.

“One fear that surprised me was ‘the gaze’ or ‘the look,’” Tenneti says. “This was shared by Muslim and Black youth who said they were comfortable going to parks and ravines in their neighbourhoods, but not in white-dominant areas. Despite no one saying anything, they felt othered and uncomfortable.”

Another issue is that education organizations tend to focus on engaging children and youth, but not necessarily the adults who often decide where kids and other family members will go for a walk or outdoor recreation.

For the city’s urban forests and canopies to thrive and be representative of its diverse population, Tenneti says it is important to make the necessary investments in the city’s ethnically diverse neighbourhoods. In addition to having proper signage, trails, garbage bins, public washrooms and seating, she says there is a need to engage people in stewardship activities, organize outdoor education workshops and leaning activities, and actively promote participation. Such programs should also be shared through local community centres, settlement agencies and ethnic media organizations.

“Ultimately, without social justice you cannot have environmental justice,” Tenneti says.

Jamaal Magloire helps launch summer program at UTSC

sgupta — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 09:20:07 +0000

Jamaal Magloire helps launch summer program at UTSC sgupta Wed, 07/17/2013 - 05:20

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Basketball, financial literacy and community building are just some of the items on the agenda for youth in the UTSC summer program

Gilbert Ndikubwayezua

Author legacy

Gilbert Ndikubwayezu

Features

UTSC

Local

Subheadline

Shooting hoops, building character

Kids from around the University of Toronto Scarborough community shot hoops late into the night at UTSC’s Athletics & Recreation Centre, in a Midnight Madness event July 12.

It's part of a new community engagement program that gives youth an opportunity to develop personal and professional skills through basketball – with evening sessions and shoot-arounds that run until one am.

Throughout the summer, 70 kids between ages 14 and 16 will also take a series of workshops including leadership development, community building and healthy active living, managing and avoiding conflict and violence, and financial literacy.

The program is a partnership between UTSC and Toronto Community Housing. Participants come from social housing neighbourhoods such as Alexandra Park, Flemingdon Park, Jane Street, Morningside and Rexdale.

“We use our infrastructure to uplift local communities in a bid to make a better place,” said Desmond Pouyat, dean of student affairs, as he welcomed members of the program at UTSC.

Participants also heard testimonials from grown-ups who’ve had similar experiences in the past.

One was Jamaal Magloire, former Toronto Raptors player and now a basketball development consultant and community ambassador.

Magloire grew up in Scarborough and played in UTSC’s summer community basketball league as a teen before being drafted into the NBA. He urged the kids to make sacrifices and work hard to achieve their goals, while at the same time behaving appropriately.

“Nobody wants to be around a jerk,” he told an admiring crowd. “So, work hard in class and work hard on your game. You have no excuse; the reason why we are here is because we care about you.”

UTSC summer league players will be providing mentorship, helping them with practice on court and other assistance.

Atheena Dy is a UTSC alumna currently working as a summer program assistant at the athletics and recreational centre. As a student, she was involved in helping organize and run the summer leagues, and now she is among the planners.

“It really warms my heart to see the smile on these kids’ faces, and to have our summer league guys give back to the community through this program,” she said.

Midnight Madness is one of many other UTSC experiential learning and mentorship programs that the university uses for community involvement, explained Scott McRoberts, director of athletics and recreation. It is similar to Henry Norrington Tennis program, an initiative that mentors kids between the ages of eight and 13 through tennis instruction.

Other partners in the Midnight Madness program include the Toronto Police Services, Ascot Co-Op, Concrete Roses Youth Services and the East Scarborough Boys and Girls Club.

Gilbert Ndikubwayezu is a writer with the University of Toronto Scarborough.

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Convocation 2013: Chinese students take Green Path to success

sgupta — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:18:43 +0000

Convocation 2013: Chinese students take Green Path to success sgupta Wed, 06/12/2013 - 04:18

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Dai He, Xin Qi and Mengtian Bao (photo by Ken Jones)

Gilbert Ndikubwayezua

Author legacy

Gilbert Ndikubwayezu

Joint undergraduate/graduate degree program launches at U of T

sgupta — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:51:20 +0000

Joint undergraduate/graduate degree program launches at U of T sgupta Tue, 06/11/2013 - 04:51

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Dean Rick Halpern and Dean Cristina Amon sign the memorandum of understanding (photo by Roberta Baker)

Terry Lavender

Gilbert Ndikubwayezua

Author legacy

Terry Lavender and Gilbert Ndikubwayezua

Subheadline

Students earn Bachelor of Science and a Master of Engineering

Students interested in both the environment and engineering can soon take advantage of a unique joint undergraduate/graduate program offered by the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) and the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE).

UTSC Dean & Vice-Principal (Academic) Rick Halpern and U of T Engineering Dean Cristina Amon signed a memorandum of understanding, agreeing to the creation of the joint degree program on June 6.

Participants in the five-year program will graduate with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Environmental Science and a Master of Engineering degree (MEng) in either Chemical or Civil Engineering.

In the first three years, students work on their BSc requirements. In their fourth year, they continue to take some undergraduate courses and some graduate courses. In the fifth year, they take their remaining graduate courses.

“This agreement marks two historic firsts: the first collaboration between FASE and UTSC and the first program of its kind in Canada,” Amon said at the signing ceremony.

The program is expected to start in September 2013.

Though it may mean harder work for students, the agreement creates a new opportunity for them and shortens the timeframe to graduation, said Bill Gough, vice-dean, graduate education and program development at UTSC.

“I think the excitement of being included in engineering in this fashion overrides the sense of extra work that has to be done,” he said.

Halpern noted that several other faculties and departments at U of T are also considering joint bachelor’s/master’s degree programs.

“We have others cued up behind us,” said Halpern.

Amon and Halpern thanked Gough and Chris Damaren, vice-deans of graduate studies at UTSC and U of T Engineering respectively, for bringing the program to fruition.

“This is a happy moment,” Halpern said. “It’s been a pleasure working with the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.”

Amon in turn said she was glad of the opportunity to collaborate with UTSC. “Our strengths complement each other perfectly,” she said.

Terry Lavender is a writer with the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto.

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Gilbert Ndikubwayezua

Black Founders Network to support Black entrepreneurs, create more Black-led businesses

Shared experiences: How five international students are contributing to U of T's global outlook

Ernest Nyarko Hometown: Accra, Ghana

Jialiang Zhu Hometown: Hainan Island, China

Jose Ignacio Valdez Hometown: Lima, Peru

Suddene Stone Hometown: Central Village, Jamaica

Mahak Khurmi Hometown: Sri Ganganagar, India

U of T researcher explores ways to make Toronto’s urban forests, ravines more inclusive

Jamaal Magloire helps launch summer program at UTSC

Convocation 2013: Chinese students take Green Path to success

Joint undergraduate/graduate degree program launches at U of T

Ernest Nyarko
Hometown: Accra, Ghana

Jialiang Zhu
Hometown: Hainan Island, China

Jose Ignacio Valdez
Hometown: Lima, Peru

Suddene Stone
Hometown: Central Village, Jamaica

Mahak Khurmi
Hometown: Sri Ganganagar, India