Brianna Goldberg

Five weird things that will make you want to fill out course evaluations

sgupta — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 14:18:36 +0000

Five weird things that will make you want to fill out course evaluations sgupta Fri, 11/20/2015 - 09:18

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Inspired by feedback from students on course evaluations, Fiona Rawle (centre), associate professor, teaching stream, introduced walking office hours to her classes (photos by Blake Eligh)

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Re-arrange the cosmos, take learning to the streets and give your prof a boost – all with the click of a survey

Students are focussed on the finish line for exams and final projects at this time of year – so when email reminders for course evaluations start pouring in, it can be tempting to let them slide.

But taking a few short minutes to click through the online evaluations can wield a surprising amount of power on the future of teaching at U of T and on the career of a professor or TA. It’s also a way to turn a stressful time of year into one that celebrates one of the best things about U of T: teachers who go the extra mile.

Actual course evaluations are confidential but U of T News asked a couple of students to share what they would like to say about their favourite teachers.

“In a time where I felt like I wasn't ready for university, you made me realize that I could achieve success here. And for that, I thank you,” wrote Edwin White Chacon, a fourth-year political science student and co-founder of the urbanist student group called CivicSpark, in sharing a U of T Prof Shout-Out for Associate Professor Walid Saleh of the department of Near and Middle Eastern civilizations and department for the study of religion.

“I want you to know that your POL305Y1 class was one of the best courses I have ever taken at U of T,” wrote Bushra Nassab, a fourth-year student of peace, conflict and justice studies and president of the U of T Association of Political Science Students, in sharing her U of T Prof Shout-Out for Donald Kingsbury, lecturer, department of political science. “Thank you for increasing my interest in (and understanding of) Latin American politics. I always recommend your course to my friends. Keep up the amazing work!!"

Below, two of the great teachers U of T recognized with its first-ever Early Career Teaching Awards this year unpack a few reasons why students might want to quickly click through course evals. (Read more about early career teaching awards)

Biologist Fiona Rawle, associate professor, teaching stream, from U of T’s Mississauga campus, and astronomer Mike Reid, a lecturer in the department of astronomy and astrophysics at the downtown Toronto campus, share their perspectives on the impact of those approximately 15 minutes of online survey. Rawle and Reid say students can:

Shape the geography of teaching at U of T
“Students would comment on my course evals that, in large classes, they wish they had more interaction with the prof. Because of this feedback I started to do “walking office hours” wherein students can join me for hikes on campus and talk both about course content and other non-course related things.”
Rawle

Alter the motion of the planets
“The thing I most want students to know about course evaluations is that we do read them and make changes based on them. The more detailed and specific students can be on their evaluations, the better. If there’s an aspect of a course that isn’t working for students, we need them to tell us about it so we can fix it. For example, when our students told us on evaluations a few years ago that they didn’t really like the style of planetarium shows we were doing and didn’t find them helpful, we stopped doing them that way. We scour our evaluations every year, looking for trends in the feedback, things we can change to make the course better next year. Then we check the evaluations the following year, looking to see whether the changes we made worked.”
Reid

Make your voice heard – and tell your prof or TA things you might be too shy to mention otherwise
“I tend to get really excited about what I¹m lecturing and I know I tend to talk fast sometimes – student opinion surveys remind me to pause and slow down. I really appreciate the time it takes for my students to do these surveys, and I make sure I read through all the comments. Student opinion surveys are valuable for giving the professor a snapshot of how the students are feeling.”
Rawle

Influence whether or not a great teacher gets promoted
“Student evaluations are also critical in supporting professors in their careers. In the same way that students try hard to do well on tests, professors try hard to do well on evaluations. I’m not sure if students understand that when professors are considered for tenure or promotion, teaching evaluations play a big role.

“For teaching-stream faculty like me, student evaluations are one of the biggest parts of the promotion package we have to submit to the university. When I submitted my promotion package recently, it included literally hundreds of pages of student evaluations spanning about ten years of teaching at two universities. I have to be able to demonstrate that not only am I using modern, evidence-based teaching techniques, but that I’m doing so in a way that students find helpful.”
Reid

Help improve things for future generations (or at least for future students in the course)
“Sometimes certain issues will be of interest to students, but aren’t on the professor’s radar. For example, when we implemented active learning tutorials for genetics last year, student feedback showed they didn’t know what to expect about this new format and felt rather nervous about it. As a professor, these comments made me realize that it is important to have very clear expectations – so when we teach genetics next, we will do a “mock active learning tutorial” in lecture first, so that students know what to expect when they go into the active learning classrooms.”
Rawle

(Photo below by Blake Eligh, University of Toronto Mississauga communications)

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U of T's grads are top ten in the world for employability, survey says

sgupta — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 15:24:02 +0000

U of T's grads are top ten in the world for employability, survey says sgupta Thu, 11/12/2015 - 10:24

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(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

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Read the full THE article on the 2015 rankings

Laurent Dupasquier, associate director of Emerging, told THE that as “recruiters develop a better knowledge and understanding of the global higher education market, reputation plays less of a role and expertise [plays] more.”

“The nationality of young graduates, the country in which they studied and the nationality of the company that employs them is becoming increasingly irrelevant,” he said, adding that employers from all continents seek specific skills as the most important factor, then work experience and degree area, with grades at the bottom of their priorities.

This is the latest of 2015’s global rankings in which U of T performed highly, including Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings (19th globally, number one in Canada), Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities (25th globally, number one in Canada), U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities ranking (16th globally, number one in Canada) and the National Taiwan University Ranking which set U of T at third place in the world behind only Harvard and Johns Hopkins.

These teachers are transforming the learning experience at U of T

sgupta — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 11:05:22 +0000

These teachers are transforming the learning experience at U of T sgupta Wed, 11/04/2015 - 06:05

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(all photos by Johnny Guatto)

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Meet undergrad Frank Gu, one of the U of T interns lighting up Nanoleaf

sgupta — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 06:01:59 +0000

Meet undergrad Frank Gu, one of the U of T interns lighting up Nanoleaf sgupta Wed, 11/04/2015 - 01:01

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Frank Gu says the energy at Nanoleaf shouts “We are going to do great things, so if you are ready, hop aboard!” (photo courtesy Blue Sky solar racing)

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Travelling to Shenzhen, China, the second-year Engineering student discovers he has no limits

How does a second-year undergraduate student nab a coveted internship with a global lighting startup like Nanoleaf?

It helps to offer critical thinking, creativity and boundless energy – but having the boss share your intellectually impressive hobby doesn't hurt.

When Nanoleaf CEO Gimmy Chu met electrical and computer engineering student Frank Gu, he discovered that the young applicant was a member of U of T's Blue Sky Solar Racing Club. Chu had worked on the acclaimed Blue Sky car almost a decade earlier.

“Gimmy gave me an assignment to prove my capability for the intern position,” Gu says. “Then, Gimmy and I proceeded to talk about Blue Sky Solar Racing at U of T.”

U of T News is profiling some of the interns helping to power Nanoleaf, an LED startup from U of T Engineering alumni that recently announced a new product launch in partnership with Apple. (Read about the fourth-year math and statistics undergrad and the science undergrad working for Nanoleaf.)

“The U of T presence is still very strong at Nanoleaf, and I believe it always will be,” says Nanoleaf spokesperson Leslie Chen. “When we were looking for interns to join our team, the first place we looked was at U of T.”

(Read the latest news about Nanoleaf and Apple)

U of T News writer Brianna Goldberg spoke with Gu about his experiences at Nanoleaf, which he joined in early 2015.

How did Nanoleaf recruit you?

I met the Nanoleaf team during the You’re Next startup career fair 2015. They had a booth in the lower level of the MaRS building, and a very bright light bulb for demonstration. I remember the first thought that flashed past my mind when I saw what they were doing: “MY EYES!” So that blinding experience was how the Nanoleaf people made their impression on me. (Read more about the You're Next career fair)

I did the standard routine of shaking some hands, taking a card, and dropping off a resume. After one day, no reply, not even a confirmation. One week, still nothing. Finally, I emailed Gimmy Chu, Nanoleaf's CEO, and he got back to me pretty quickly wanting to schedule a meeting to chat. We spoke briefly about some current technological trends. Gimmy gave me an assignment to prove my capability for the intern position. Then, Gimmy and I proceeded to talk about Blue Sky Solar Racing at U of T. Gimmy also worked on the Blue Sky car almost a decade ago, and I am an active team member of the Blue Sky team. I guess that’s how Nanoleaf recruited me! (Read more about Blue Sky Solar Racing at U of T)

Why did you want to work with them?

At first I just wanted a job for some additional learning experience and a challenge. But after meeting with Gimmy, I was immediately attracted to Nanoleaf. Of all the CEOs/managers/bosses that I have dealt with in the past, I can confidently say that Gimmy is the most “chill” (excuse my slang). At the time, I was merely a frosh in school for only half a year. Gimmy did not seem to mind.

He was interested in two things: what I can offer, and what I want to obtain from working with Nanoleaf. It is almost a feeling of urgency, a liveliness that shouts, “We are going to do great things, so if you are ready, hop aboard!” I think it’s this energy that drew me to them, and it’s because of this energy that I am staying with them. The first day at work, I stayed till 8 p.m. because I felt like I was finally in a place I belonged.

Does your work at Nanoleaf connect with or supplement what you’ve learned at U of T?

The projects I work on at Nanoleaf give me an opportunity to convert theoretical knowledge obtained in the classrooms into real applications that serve real purposes. Specifically, the project management and strategies I learned in my Engineering Strategies and Practice course were used heavily during the discussion and design of a solution at Nanoleaf. Computer Fundamentals taught the basics of the C/C++ programming language, and writing kernel drivers at Nanoleaf allowed me to apply this abstract knowledge. These are some aspects that connect directly with my courses.

I believe university is also a place to learn how to socialize and form new connections and friendships. Beyond the scope of courses at U of T, working at Nanoleaf has exposed me to an exciting cross section of different social groups in our society: programmers, PhDs, electrical engineers, artists, writers, marketing and strategists. As a surprise, during my stay in the Shenzhen office, I was also offered the opportunity to visit Nanoleaf’s production facility, providing me with a rich first-hand experience of the modern electronics manufacturing industry.

So yes, I would say working at Nanoleaf complements my academic and social pursuit at U of T greatly!

What have you learned in working with Nanoleaf that surprised you?

Your “limit” is where you define it to be. When I first started working at Nanoleaf, I had only a preliminary knowledge of the programming languages used: C, Javascript and Swift. However, Gimmy let me begin with a highly experimental project that involved networking, servers, databases, cloud architectures, and whatever other jargon that’s out there in the industry. I took it up as a challenge. A month into the project, and I was already comfortable with the technologies involved. Two months in, I began cooperating with the rest of the team in the main program development. By May, I was patching up kernel drivers (advanced development) with guidance from Tom.

At Nanoleaf, I was surprised by my “limit.” I have no limit. We all have no limits. If I take something as a challenge, I can always push myself ever harder and further to accomplish it no matter how daunting the task. The key is to always believe in yourself and acknowledge that you can be your own greatest enemy.

Interested in entrepreneurship and startups at U of T? Visit the Banting & Best Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

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These undergrad interns are helping to power Nanoleaf: Jeanny Yao and Josh Hwang

sgupta — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 10:59:15 +0000

These undergrad interns are helping to power Nanoleaf: Jeanny Yao and Josh Hwang sgupta Mon, 11/02/2015 - 05:59

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(image courtesy Nanoleaf)

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Why would a fast-growing LED lighting startup hire a statistician and a scientist as business development interns?

Nanoleaf – a global startup from U of T Engineering alumni – says it was for their different perspective and critical mindset. (Read more about Nanoleaf)

“The U of T presence is still very strong at Nanoleaf, and I believe it always will be,” said spokesperson Leslie Chen. “When we were looking for interns to join our team, the first place we looked was at U of T.”

The interns, who hooked into Nanoleaf's team through a specialized new venture internship course called IMC390, get to earn course credits while exploding all conventions of what they can do with their degree.

Interested in learning more about startups and entrepreneurship at U of T? Visit the Banting & Best Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship

(Video courtesy Nanoleaf's Smarter Kit Indiegogo)

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Early Career Teaching Award spotlight: Q & A with biologist Aarthi Ashok

sgupta — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 10:08:27 +0000

Early Career Teaching Award spotlight: Q & A with biologist Aarthi Ashok sgupta Mon, 11/02/2015 - 05:08

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Peer discussions can provide students with an authentic experience of how ideas and findings are debated within the scientific community," says Ashok.

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Heated in-class student debates may seem the territory of political science classes but they’re just as crucial to communicating the how’s and why’s of cell biology, says Aarthi Ashok.

Ashok is an associate professor, teaching stream, in the department of biological sciences at U of T’s Scarborough campus.

“Her ability to break down and convey information regarding various topics in biology, and explain them in accordance with my level and background was exceptionally valuable, as she was able to simplify complex ideas through analogies and questions.”

Ashok is one of four teaching leaders receiving the first-ever University of Toronto Early Career Teaching Awards this year. They are:

Aarthi Ashok, associate professor, teaching stream, department of biological sciences, UTSC

Fiona Rawle, associate professor, teaching stream, department of biology, UTM

Michael Reid, lecturer, department of astronomy and astrophysics, Faculty of Arts & Science

Kyle Smith, assistant professor, department of historical studies, UTM

This is the fourth and final instalment of the U of T News series profiling each of the winners (read about biologist Fiona Rawle; read about astronomer Mike Reid; read about historian Kyle Smith). They are set to receive their certificates at the University of Toronto Excellence in Teaching Reception on Nov. 3 from 5:00pm-7:00pm in the Common Room at Massey College.

What drew you to teaching?

The opportunity to continually learn with my students about the ever-evolving field of biology.

What do you love most about it?

The chance to inspire and connect with my students through in-class activities. I design interactive discussions and activities to spark dialogue with my students in all my courses. Eventually, even some of the most reticent students join the conversation.

One particularly introverted student once told me at the end of the term – and this is of course paraphrased from what I recollect – something like, “I thought you were nuts trying to get us to talk to you, act out cell biology, and discuss ethical dilemmas. I just wanted you to get on with the class. But you seemed to really want to hear what we had to say and I eventually started talking to people around me. Now, at the end of the term, I want to talk in all my courses. I remember what you teach in the class if I have the chance to think and discuss it while I’m learning.”

I believe peer discussions can provide students with an authentic experience of how ideas and findings are debated within the scientific community. Modeling this in my classes, however imperfect my technique, is what I really love to do!

How would you describe your teaching style?

My classrooms are spaces for mutual learning. I strive to create an atmosphere where learning is a group activity from which I am not exempt. My philosophy is firmly rooted in active, participatory learning through discussion.

Why is integrating research and teaching important?

In order to nurture students to have a lifelong appreciation of biology, I believe we need to ensure the biology they learn in class has significant implications for the societal or personal problems they encounter every day. My students appreciate their ability to evaluate scientific evidence in making personal life decisions about vaccinations, health treatments or even political stances (when scientific funding or concerns are part of political platforms).

Students learn how to evaluate evidence through the scientific process: proposing hypotheses, experimenting, rigorously analysing data and describing conclusions as evidence that supports or negates the original hypotheses.

Engaging students in original research at the bench or engaging them with active discussions of recent scientific findings in literature are both key to developing necessary scientific and critical thinking skills. I believe that by integrating research and teaching we make students part of the scientific community. It helps them learn how to think critically about the best approach to address future problems. It also helps them develop a positive attitude towards scientific research in general.

I continually incorporate research data and findings into my teaching materials as well, and continue to approach teaching with the same sense of inquiry I acquired through my scientific training.

What have you learned from your students?

I’ve learned a great deal! First, I’ve learned to listen and evolve. My courses have often morphed into much better versions of the original when I do my best to consider student opinions and provide them with opportunities for feedback in my courses.

My students have also helped me appreciate the human connection to learning. Showing students I genuinely care about their learning, and that I believe they can meet the high standards of a course, can have a big impact.

I will never forget the time I had a face-to-face meeting with a student to communicate that I was concerned about her performance on assessments and was deeply concerned about her learning experience. The student’s sullen expression broke into a smile as she said “You care? Really?” I won’t credit my one private interaction with this student as the sole reason for a grade change from a D to a B+ in the course, but I’ll certainly hold on to the message that communicating genuine concern for individuals, and expressing a firm belief in their potential, is exceedingly important!

Why have you chosen to teach at U of T?

My colleagues at U of T are amazing educators and researchers. And, while I am excited to be part of this community, what I enjoy most about teaching at U of T is the challenge and exhilaration that comes from guiding our outstanding students.

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Macleans 2015 University Rankings: U of T tops in reputation, research output and impact and faculty awards

sgupta — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 18:41:25 +0000

Macleans 2015 University Rankings: U of T tops in reputation, research output and impact and faculty awards sgupta Thu, 10/29/2015 - 14:41

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Macleans magazine released its 2015 university rankings on Oct. 28, placing U of T first in such categories as Faculty Awards, Reputation, Medical/Science Research Grants, Citations and Total Research Dollars.

The magazine groups universities into three categories: medical/doctoral (for institutions hosting a broad range of PhD programs, research and medical schools); primarily undergraduate and comprehensive. In the category of medical/doctoral, Macleans ranked the top three universities in Canada as McGill, U of T and UBC.

Macleans ranked U of T #1 for reputation (followed by UBC and McGill) across all categories of universities, based on its survey of business people, high school guidance counsellors and university faculty and senior administrators across the country. Respondents were asked to assess universities' reputation for innovation, quality and “leaders of tomorrow”.

“The specific results for U of T are in the same range as results from previous years,” said Marny Scully, assistant vice-president, government, institutional and community relations. “In the most prestigious international rankings from this year – Times Higher Education, National Taiwan University, Shanghai and US News & World – the University of Toronto placed first in Canada in each ranking and between third and 25th in the world, again consistent with previous years.”

Early Career Teaching Award spotlight: Q & A with historian Kyle Smith

sgupta — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 11:56:56 +0000

Early Career Teaching Award spotlight: Q & A with historian Kyle Smith sgupta Wed, 10/28/2015 - 07:56

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“There is little use in knowing every plot twist of a given text if one has no knowledge of the interpretive strategies at work, no idea of how to read the text within a larger rhetorical agenda, and no way of situating the text within a broader historica

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Facilitating self-directed learning and analysis, helping students see material from a different angle

Teaching analysis of reality TV alongside early Christian religion is one of the many ways assistant professor Kyle Smith of historical studies engages his students at U of T’s Mississauga campus.

“His uniqueness in teaching is his ability to expand the material beyond the books,” said Hammad Khan, a sociology PhD and one of Smith’s former Christian history undergraduate students. “His use of pop-culture, art, literature and material from other academic disciplines in topics of religion make his lessons insightful and fun.”

Khan said Smith “teaches with clarity and challenges his students to think critically” and inspired him to pursue a career in teaching. “His influence gave me the direction and motivation I needed in my own life.”

Smith is one of four teaching leaders receiving the first-ever University of Toronto Early Career Teaching Awards this year. They are:

Aarthi Ashok, associate professor, teaching stream, department of biological sciences, UTSC

Fiona Rawle, associate professor, teaching stream, department of biology, UTM

Michael Reid, lecturer, department of astronomy and astrophysics, Faculty of Arts & Science

Kyle Smith, assistant professor, department of historical studies, UTM

This is the third instalment of the U of T News series of profiles on each of the winners (read about biologist Fiona Rawle; read about astronomer Mike Reid.) They are set to receive their certificates at the University of Toronto Excellence in Teaching Reception on Nov. 3 from 5:00pm-7:00pm in the Common Room at Massey College.

What drew you to teaching?

I didn't know too many academics when I was growing up but there was one father of a neighborhood friend who was influential. He was a law professor at the University of Kentucky. He had this very quiet and pensive demeanour. Unlike a lot of parents, he never told us anything. He'd just question us all the time and lead us to think about our own thinking.

For some reason, the trappings of an antiquarian academic life were also exotically appealing to me as an eleven-year old. My friend's father embodied all the old-fashioned, Oxbridge stereotypes of the university professor: he wore jackets with elbow patches; he rode a creaky bicycle to campus (years before bike-commuting was “green” or fashionable); his book- lined study smelled of old wood, pipe tobacco, and bourbon; and he rarely had any idea where he had left his keys. That seemed like an intriguing life to me, although it's far from the one I lead now!

Later on, when I was in high school, I spent a lot of time at Korean Zen Buddhist monastery in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. I'd drive there and camp out on their land for the weekend and spend most of the time reading rather than meditating in the zendo at 4 AM. That was very influential, too. I already knew that I wanted to study philosophy in university and, hopefully, become a professor someday, but those trips to the monastery confirmed it.

Why is integrating research and teaching important?

Although my research is focused mainly on Christian martyrdom literature from late antiquity, my teaching is not located solely in antiquity.

No matter what course I am teaching, I make a point of explaining how religious studies can be broadly important and applicable beyond seemingly discrete corners of abstruse research. For this reason, I am committed to integrating instruction in methodological approaches to religious studies alongside the primary material on which a course is based. My hope is that students do not passively receive the history of Christianity as an amusing catalog of dead antiquities, but actively engage it as a living object of inquiry with contemporary relevance.

My principal goal is to lay a foundation of primary material that orients students to a field of study. Upon that foundation, I seek to build a framework of analysis upon which students can rely to evaluate and synthesize the material they have learned. There is little use in knowing every plot twist of a given text if one has no knowledge of the interpretive strategies at work, no idea of how to read the text within a larger rhetorical agenda, and no way of situating the text within a broader historical context.

Uniting methodological instruction with primary material helps build direct and indirect links to a larger curriculum of study and the interstices between courses where the truest learning often occurs.

I can recall my own experience as an undergraduate in this regard: a course I took on The Brothers Karamazov came alive through a course on early modern philosophy that I was taking simultaneously. I intentionally design my syllabi along thematic and comparative lines to help facilitate this same sort of self-directed learning and analysis among my students. I often pair ancient texts with secondary sources that examine the thought-world of the primary texts, but then I integrate tertiary sources that may be temporally, culturally, or religiously distinct from the world of the primary sources. Introducing this third component is not intended as a way of making a blithe comparison, but rather of seeing the primary material anew and from a very different angle.

For example, in my seminar on early Christian asceticism we spend one session discussing the literary re-fashioning of female bodies that occurs in late ancient accounts of “harlots” who become holy women. Our primary sources are Greek and Latin hagiographical texts; our secondary sources are gender theory readings of these ancient texts; and our tertiary source is a chapter about the construction of female gender normativity from a recent study of “makeover” reality TV.

This approach allows students to use the primary sources to become familiar with the ancient texts themselves, the secondary sources to understand the primary texts more fully, and the tertiary sources to go beyond (and yet return to) both the primary and secondary sources to ask, in this case, fresh questions about gendered discourses in the late ancient Mediterranean world as well as twenty-first-century America and Canada.

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Nanoleaf launches new product for Apple home system

sgupta — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 16:25:27 +0000

Nanoleaf launches new product for Apple home system sgupta Tue, 10/27/2015 - 12:25

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The Nanoleaf Ivy bulb (hanging) and hub (on table) work in connection with Apple HomeKit

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Siri lets users wirelessly control alumni’s award-winning super-efficient LED bulbs

Nanoleaf, the fast-growing startup from University of Toronto alumni, launched a new product Oct. 27 tied to Apple's HomeKit line.

“We've received Apple's approval to join the HomeKit ecosystem,” said Nanoleaf spokesperson Leslie Chen.

The Nanoleaf Smarter Kit combines “the world’s most energy efficient smart bulb” and a stylish, connected hub with Apple’s Siri-enabled HomeKit, Chen said. This will allow users to wirelessly control the startup’s award-winning LED bulb designs by simply using their voice. (Read more about Nanoleaf and the new Nanoleaf Smarter Kit)

“With the emergence of smart home products, lighting is entering a whole new territory,” said Chen, one of a growing number of recent U of T grads recruited to Nanoleaf.

“Imagine sitting in the living room and being able to control all of the lights in your home with just a few words,” she said. “Pretty revolutionary to say the least!”

Chen said the Ivy is an app-controlled bulb that users can turn on, off and dim using their Apple phone, tablet or smart watch. The Nanoleaf Smarter Kit is set for release in selected Best Buy locations in early November, she added, with more details still to come.

“Integrating technology like this, especially through a company as famed as Apple, is a great way to reach a wider audience and get access to a new market,” said Karen Sievewright, managing director of U of T's Banting & Best Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. “It’s a smart move by Nanoleaf.”

The green tech startup founded by Engineering alumni Gimmy Chu, Christian Yan and Tom Rodinger has grown from a massively successful Kickstarter project in early 2013, based on the strength of their stylish “world’s most energy efficient” bulb, to a bustling company with approximately 40 employees spread between its Toronto and Shenzhen, China, offices.

The venture recently scored funding from ‘Asia’s richest philanthropist,’ debuted products at fairs in New York, Shanghai and Tokyo and won a reddot design award for 2015.

Read about Nanoleaf’s Kickstarter surpassing its goal by 500 per cent

Read about ‘Asia’s richest philanthropist’ investing in Nanoleaf

Read about Nanoleaf creating green jobs in Canada and China

Read about Nanoleaf’s revolutionary dimming bulb

Chen says the next big step for Nanoleaf will be releasing a product they believe will change the way people think about lighting.

“Light is not merely illumination. Light is atmosphere, it wakes you up after a night of sleep, it keeps us safe and content, just as much today as two million years ago,” said Chu, CEO of Nanoleaf. “We want to make products that will transform simple lighting solutions into meaningful experiences.”

Nanoleaf made the announcement as U of T's Impact Centre prepared to host a symposium celebrating the International Year of Light. (Read more about the IYL Symposium)

Chen says the gains of Nanoleaf rely on the team members they continue to recruit from U of T.

“The U of T presence is still very strong at Nanoleaf, and I believe it always will be,” said Chen. “When we were looking for interns to join our team, the first place we looked was at U of T.”

Watch for U of T News stories profiling Nanoleaf's three undergrad interns, Jeanny Yao, Frank Gu and Josh Hwang in the coming week.

“Nanoleaf will always be very closely connected with U of T: our three founders are all alumni and without the school, they would have never met in the first place,” said Chen.

“It will always be part of our identity and I think that’s why U of T grads are a good fit for us.”

(Video courtesy Nanoleaf's Smarter Kit Indiegogo)

Learn more about entrepreneurships and startups at U of T: visit the Banting & Best Centre for Entrepreneurship.

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These eight U of T undergrads were invited to Dublin thanks to their research: global Undergraduate Awards

sgupta — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 14:47:14 +0000

These eight U of T undergrads were invited to Dublin thanks to their research: global Undergraduate Awards sgupta Tue, 10/27/2015 - 10:47

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Misha Boutilier, Roshaan Wasim, Dominic Liao-McPherson, Tim Liu, Raghav Singal, Winnie Lieu, Ira Halpern and Dean McHugh)

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Papers explored fuel savings in space, mindfulness and the student experience, pacemaker tech and more

As U of T undergrads, their research explored such diverse topics as the properties of things, fuel-efficient satellites, the role of botany in The Faerie Queene and improved cancer tests.

Their papers, written during their final years of undergraduate study at U of T, were so impressive they made the Highly Commended list at this year’s Undergraduate Awards – the international competition for top students from around the world.

To make that list and receive an invitation to the awards’ Global Summit in Dublin starting Nov. 10, a student's academic paper or research must be ranked in the top 10 per cent of more than 5,000 submissions. The competition is open to students in their final or penultimate year of studies, which means U of T's eight participants are already alumni.

Over the years, U of T students have regularly numbered among this elite group. (Read more about previous Highly Commended U of T alumni)

This year’s finalists and their categories are:

Raghav Singal - Engineering and Built Environment

Dominic Liao-McPherson - Engineering and Built Environment

Xiyu [Tim] Liu - Engineering and Built Environment

Misha Boutilier - History

Ira Halpern - Literature Pre-1710

Roshaan Wasim - Literature Pre-1710 & Literature 1710-Present

Dean McHugh - Philosophy & Theology

Winnie Lieu - Psychology

U of T News profiled all of this year’s Highly Commended alumni in a series on the Undergraduate Awards. Below is a wrap-up of all participants.

RAGHAV SINGAL & WINNIE LIEU

The series began with a look at Raghav Singal's improved model for cancer scanning and Winnie Lieu's work on psychology and student mindfulness.

Singal (right) “I believe in making the world a better place, and cancer is one of the biggest problems faced by us.”

Lieu (left) “I wanted to see what research had been done on mindfulness in higher education settings, given that mindfulness has been gaining momentum in university campuses as a method to better address student mental health needs.”

Read about Singal and Lieu

IRA HALPERN & DEAN MCHUGH

Next, U of T News spoke with Ira Halpern about his paper on botany in the Faerie Queene, and with Dean McHugh about his paper on tropes and properties in philosophy.

Halpern (right) “I found that botanical imagery served as a way of accessing themes in The Faerie Queene such as decay, the transience of pleasure, and death – great stuff for an English specialist.”

McHugh (left) “Some philosophers talk about properties as abstract things (red-ness or atom-ness, for example) existing above and beyond the physical world. But I think that’s a bit too mystical. Theory should strive to be grounded in concrete reality.”

Read about Halpern and McHugh

ROSHAAN WASIM

Roshaan Wasim’s work research was recognized twice by the awards, once for her work on medieval plays and again for an exploration of post-apocalyptic literature.

Wasim “I became interested in [post-apocalyptic literature] after reading about several landmark legal cases in which judges around the world stopped deforestation projects by specifically citing the right of future generations to survive in centuries to come.”

Read about Wasim and her research

MISHA BOUTILIER

Misha Boutilier, commended for his work on foreign policy, roundly thanked U of T supporters including Tina Park, Mairi MacDonald, Robert Bothwell and colleagues from his work with the university’s Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect.

Boutilier “By exploring misperceptions that led to [U.S. involvement with the 1971 India/Pakistan crisis], the essay may shed light on other cases in which great powers support states actively committing mass atrocities for strategic reasons.”

Read about Boutilier and his research

DOMINIC LIAO-MCPHERSON & TIM LIU

The Undergraduate Awards series wrapped with a look at Dominic Liao-McPherson’s research on satellites and Tim Liu’s work on body-implanted electronic devices.

Liao-McPherson (left) “Unfortunately, it costs fuel to keep spacecraft in a desired orbit. So we looked at ways of reducing the amount of fuel needed by taking advantage of forces caused by the Earth’s magnetic field. The control strategies to accomplish this were the main focus of my research.”

Liu (right) “As a biomedical systems engineer, I am extremely passionate about bringing these implantable devices to life and providing new treatment options for those in need.”

Read about Liu and Liao-McPherson

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Rank	Institution	Country
2	University of Cambridge	United Kingdom
3	University of Oxford	United Kingdom
10	University of Toronto	Canada

Rank	Institution	Country
1	Harvard University	United States
2	University of Cambridge	United Kingdom
3	University of Oxford	United Kingdom
4	California Institute of Technology	United States
5	Yale University	United States
6	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	United States
7	Stanford University	United States
8	Columbia University	United States
9	Princeton University	United States
10	University of Toronto	Canada

Brianna Goldberg

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These eight U of T undergrads were invited to Dublin thanks to their research: global Undergraduate Awards

RAGHAV SINGAL & WINNIE LIEU

IRA HALPERN & DEAN MCHUGH

ROSHAAN WASIM

MISHA BOUTILIER

DOMINIC LIAO-MCPHERSON & TIM LIU