Sarah McDonald

#UofTGrad16: Ten perks for grads

lavende4 — Mon, 30 May 2016 18:14:44 +0000

#UofTGrad16: Ten perks for grads lavende4 Mon, 05/30/2016 - 14:14

Sarah McDonald

Author legacy

Sarah McDonald

Topic

Our Community

Alumni

Convocation

Convocation 2016

Convocation is always one of the most exciting times of the year at the University of Toronto. It’s thrilling to see students’ hard work pay off and to imagine what they will go out into the world and achieve with the knowledge and skills acquired here.

That said, it is also a bittersweet time for many faculty, staff, and particularly students as they say goodbye to the community they have built and the place they have called home for the past few years.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for graduating students to stay in touch with fellow alumni, get help with their next steps in life, and remain an active part of the UofT family! We’ve rounded up a few great perks and programs that our 2016 graduates may want to consider taking advantage of as they look ahead to undoubtedly bright and boundless futures.

Shaker - From parties to professional development to lectures, SHAKER is a premier event series for young U of T alumni. Watch your inbox for evites to upcoming SHAKERs—all year round, U of T offers opportunities to get together with other alumni doing interesting things. Keep an eye on the #uoftshaker hashtag to learn more. http://alumni.utoronto.ca/events/shaker/
Career Centre – So you’ve graduated! Now what? The U of T Career Centre can help you figure out just that. It offers new U of T alumni help exploring careers, gaining experience, finding work and considering further education for up to two years after graduation. www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/cc
School of Continuing Studies – Just because you’ve received your degree is no reason to stop learning! U of T’s School of Continuing Studies offers over 500 courses to help you upgrade your professional qualifications or simply explore something new. They are pleased to offer each new graduate a credit of up to $750 towards their first course. http://learn.utoronto.ca/how-to-register/alumni-benefit
Connect with other alumni and see the world through the UofT alumni travel program. Their globetrotting trips are perfect if you want to relax and enjoy the sights without the hassle of planning every detail. Bring your sense of adventure and let U of T take care of the rest! http://alumni.utoronto.ca/travel/
Club Quarters Network – Speaking of travel, did you know U of T is a member of the Club Quarters network? Membership means alumni use full service hotels in prime locations and unique services at significant savings. You, your family, and friends can enjoy preferred rates when travelling for pleasure. http://alumni.utoronto.ca/travel/club-quarters-hotels/
Mentorship opportunities – Feeling nostalgic? Come back and share what you’ve learned with current students as part of our alumni mentorship program. You can even host “dinner with twelve strangers” and share your knowledge and give students an opportunity to learn from each other as well as from you. http://alumni.utoronto.ca/volunteer/host-a-dinner/
Faculty Club – The faculty club is not just for Faculty! Alumni can also become members of this historic club. It’s the perfect place to reminisce with your former classmates over cocktails and pub fare or gourmet dinners, host more formal meetings or take advantage of the wifi and workstations. New alumni get $200 off their first year of membership. http://alumni.utoronto.ca/services/faculty-club/
Libraries – Your alumni card gives you access to the U of T library system. Whether the libraries were your favourite places during your time on campus or not, you never know when having access to the largest academic library in Canada and one of the top five research libraries in North America will come in handy! http://alumni.utoronto.ca/services/libraries/
Loath to leave behind the great programs and facilities at U of T’s Athletic Centre, Varsity Centre and Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport? Good news, alumni qualify for a discounted rate that allows you to use all three, so you can sweat to your heart’s content! http://www.physical.utoronto.ca/FacilitiesAndMemberships/Memberships/Membership_Fees.aspx
Hart House Fitness Centre – If the cosier fitness environs at Hart House are more your style, you can take advantage of a half-price one-year membership for new alumni when signing up within three years of graduating. http://alumni.utoronto.ca/services/recreation/hart-house-and-athletics/

Don’t miss out on any of the benefits or events available to you as a U of T alum. We want to keep you in the know of the latest U of T news, information and events, so update your contact information and stay in touch! http://alumni.utoronto.ca/addressupdate

To keep up with the latest news from this year’s convocation ceremonies, don’t forget to follow the hashtag #UofTGrad16 and tag your photos for a chance to be featured on our channels or the social media wall in the convocation tent!

#UofTGrad16: 10 best places for Convocation photos

lavende4 — Mon, 30 May 2016 17:02:21 +0000

#UofTGrad16: 10 best places for Convocation photos lavende4 Mon, 05/30/2016 - 13:02

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True Blue shows the best spots for convocation pics (All photos by Johnny Guatto)

Sarah McDonald

Author legacy

Sarah McDonald

Topic

Our Community

Convocation

Convocation 2016

Ever wonder what it’s like to be hounded by paparazzi? Convocation could clear that right up for you. The combination of extremely proud family and friends, digital cameras and cell phones, and gussied-up grads makes an impromptu photoshoot or two inevitable.

Convocation is a momentous occasion, and it’s definitely worth capturing an image or two to represent the achievement that is graduating from the University of Toronto.

So, whether you’re notoriously photo-shy or the camera loves you like it loves U of T mascot True Blue, here are 10 great spots near Convocation Hall to snap a post-convocation portrait your family will be proud to frame (or at least snapchat).

1. Who can resist at least one photo with the tents and iconic University College in the background?

2. Speaking of iconic, the University College doors make a great background. Bonus points for sideplanking.

3. For a zen indoor foliage background, stroll over to the bamboo gardens in the Donnelly Centre.

4. The porticos in the University College courtyard have lovely light and protection from the elements if the weather isn’t ideal for photos.

5. For more great light and a dramatic backdrop, check out the lobby of the Leslie L. Dan Pharmacy building.

6. The walls of many of the buildings around King’s College circle are covered in ivy. Your grandma will love this collegiate-looking portrait.

7. Soldier’s Tower is a beautiful monument to photograph. And next door Hart House is nothing to sneeze at either!

8. Looking to add a pop of colour and a more modern background to your post-grad photos? Then pop into Rotman for a photo on their fuschia-accented stairs.

9. The portico on the south-west side of University College makes a perfect portrait frame.

10. And of course, nothing says convocation like a classic shot on the steps of Convocation Hall.

Don’t forget to tag your U of T convocation photos with #UofTGrad16 for a chance to be featured on our social media channels and our social wall in the convocation tents.

#UofTGrad16: 10 places to eat during convocation

lavende4 — Tue, 24 May 2016 15:58:58 +0000

#UofTGrad16: 10 places to eat during convocation lavende4 Tue, 05/24/2016 - 11:58

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The Gallery Grill: U of T's own own on-campus gourmet restaurant

Sarah McDonald

Author legacy

Sarah McDonald

Topic

Our Community

Convocation 2016

Convocation

In all the excitement surrounding convocation, it’s easy to forget that in between showing family and friends around campus, scouting out the best places to take photos in your grad getup, and, oh yes, attending your actual graduation ceremony, you’re going to need to eat.

To that end, we’ve rounded up 10 restaurants near U of T’s Convocation Hall that would be perfect for a celebratory meal with your loved ones.

Fresh: On the off-chance you’ve already been celebrating a little too hard, Fresh’s fruit-full smoothies and menu packed with healthy and delicious vegetarian fare might be the perfect spot to stop for a casual lunch or dinner to fuel your big day. http://freshrestaurants.ca/

Thai Basil: This Bloor Street spot boasts generous portions of reasonably-priced, authentic Thai food, modern décor and fun cocktails. Try the rosebud ginger tea if you need to calm pre- or post-ceremony nerves. There are plenty of vegetarian options here too! http://thaibasil.ca/

La Société: Feeling all dressed up with no place to go after your ceremony? Why not treat yourself and your folks to dinner at La Société? This stunning piece of Paris overlooking Bloor Street on the edge of Yorkville will make you think you’ve died and gone to heaven (if your version of heaven includes sumptuous 1920s décor and a seafood platter with champagne). http://toronto.lasociete.ca/

Mother’s Dumplings: This lively, casual spot on the edge of Chinatown is arguably the best dumpling restaurant in the city. In any case, it’s within walking distance from Convocation Hall, and is the perfect place to share a feast of house-made Chinese comfort food with your family and friends. http://www.mothersdumplings.com/

Gallery Grill: If you never treated yourself to lunch at U of T’s own on-campus gourmet restaurant during your time studying here, now might be the perfect time to check out the Gallery Grill in Hart House. The food is top notch and the vaulted ceilings and stained-glass windows looking out on to the Hart House courtyard are reminiscent of the Hogwarts dining hall. The restaurant is open for lunch, but we’d suggest making reservations for this one. http://harthouse.ca/gallery-grill/

Mercurio: L’espresso Bar Mercurio is another great option for a convocation day lunch. This bustling spot offers much more than espresso. Their lunch menu features scrumptious salads, sandwiches and a mean fish and chips, as well as a dedicated gluten-free menu. If the weather allows, you can also enjoy their lovely outdoor patio. http://www.lespressobarmercurio.com/dining.html 

Red Room: The ultimate in casual student dining, Red Room on Spadina is cheap, cheerful and shabby-chic, with plenty of room to relax with a group and grab a bite if you need a break from the pomp and circumstance of convocation. http://www.toronto.com/restaurants/red-room/

The Oxley: British food might not be the first thing you think of for a special dinner out, but this Yorkville gastro pub will change your mind. Their dinner menu is short but sweet and their bar snack menu is decidedly unique. Pheasant and rhubarb toast, anyone? http://theoxley.com/

Margaritas: As the name suggests, this 22-year-old Baldwin Village staple makes mean margaritas and delicious Mexican dishes. They also have a small patio if you’re jonesing for some fresh air with your guacamole. http://margaritasfiestaroom.ca/

Museum Tavern: This classically-styled bistro offers all your favourite pub classics, but better. Their soups, salads and burgers are delicious, and their truffled mushroom perogies are borderline addictive. Enjoy them with a view of the ROM and Philosopher’s walk from their patio. http://www.museumtavern.ca/

And of course, if you’re famished on campus, there are myriad cafeterias, coffee shops and food trucks to choose from! Happy eating, and don’t forget to tag your convocation-related photos with #UofTGrad16 for a chance to be featured on our social media channels.

The year in social media: favourite moments at U of T

sgupta — Mon, 21 Dec 2015 10:52:16 +0000

The year in social media: favourite moments at U of T sgupta Mon, 12/21/2015 - 05:52

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#UofT students let off steam by having an epic tri-campus snowball fight on Front Campus yesterday! Were you there? Photo by @jessie_hjw

Sarah McDonald

Author legacy

Sarah McDonald

Features

Undergraduate Students

Students

Social Media

Subheadline

UTC social media team shares some of the highlights

In a community as large and vibrant as the University of Toronto, it's just not possible to capture all the standout moments in a year.

But that didn't stop the social media team at University of Toronto Communications from trying.

They sifted through hundreds of images, posts and tweets from 2015. Their conclusion? From the labs, classrooms, dorms, libraries, and athletic facilities to the communities surrounding our three campuses, there is some amazing U of T-related thing happening at any given moment.

Below, the social media team shares just a few of its favourite funny, heartwarming and inspiring moments from 2015:

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Convocation 2015: social media highlights from the fall ceremonies

sgupta — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 10:02:34 +0000

Convocation 2015: social media highlights from the fall ceremonies sgupta Mon, 11/16/2015 - 05:02

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(photo by Roberta Baker, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering)

Sarah McDonald

Author legacy

Sarah McDonald

Top Stories

Undergraduate Students

Nothing brightens up a gloomy autumn day like stepping into a hall filled with graduates ready to change the world with their hard-earned knowledge.

Convocation definitely brings out the love between U of T grads and their proud families and friends – and last week’s ceremonies were no exception.

Families, friends and fiancées turned out in droves to celebrate their graduates. Those unable to attend in person got in on the party from afar thanks to a livestream that was broadcast throughout the ceremonies or, in at least one case, through a play-by-play from a tech-savvy dad with an ipad.

Throughout the week, grads were encouraged to use the hashtag #UofTGrad15 to take part in the U of T convocation story as it took shape online.

These posts were projected on the social media stream inside a large party tent on front campus, known as Convocation Plaza, and included in our weekly wrap-up stories.

Below, our social media team shares some of the most memorable moments on social media from Fall Convocation 2015.

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Light up the night at U of T: Scotiabank Nuit Blanche

sgupta — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:51:47 +0000

Light up the night at U of T: Scotiabank Nuit Blanche sgupta Wed, 09/30/2015 - 08:51

Sarah McDonald

Author legacy

Sarah McDonald

Top Stories

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche

Subheadline

Five installations to catch before sunrise

One night a year for the past decade, Scotiabank Nuit Blanche has transformed Toronto into a colossal celebration of art, illuminating the city’s incredible talent and imagination for all to enjoy.

With so many amazing installations and locations to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start your Nuit Blanche adventure. Fortunately, U of T students, faculty and staff don’t have to go far to immerse themselves in the Nuit Blanche experience as the university welcomes the city to a number of on-site installations.

Here’s a round-up of five Nuit Blanche installations to see on the downtown campus:

CEIExSKAM

Street Art Installation
55 St. George St.

See a unique collaboration between U of T and Jason Wing (a.k.a. SKAM), one of Canada’s best-known graffiti artists. This installation brings to life the spirit of the new Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CEIE), the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and the engineering profession.

Stretching along the east side of St. George Street north of College Street, the project is the longest single graffiti installation in the City of Toronto and highlights some of the connections between the university and the city.

During Nuit Blanche, the exhibit will also feature a video about the creation of the mural. Student ambassadors will be on site to answer questions about the mural, the field of engineering and the CEIE. Follow along with the hashtags #CEIExSKAM and #uoftengineering.

CEIExSKAM is a sponsored exhibit by the University of Toronto. For more details visit www.engineering.utoronto.ca/events/ceiexskam-at-scotiabank-nuit-blanche/

Time of the Empress

(Image via http://amt.parsons.edu/finearts/faculty-aziz-cucher-in-a-public-art-pro…)

Light Projection on the outside of OISE
252 Bloor St. W.

Reflect on the nature of time and the impermanence of empires while you watch images of modernist buildings suspended in loops of simultaneous construction and disintegration, projected onto the front of OISE. This installation is best viewed from across the street, on Bloor Street and Devonshire Place, next to Varsity Stadium.

(For more details visit www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/project.html?project_id=1533)

Muscle Memory

(Image via: www.marloweporterphotography.com/#/dance-projects-muscle-memory/)

Dance performance
Hart House, East Common Room on the first floor, 7 Hart House Circle

Investigate the body’s capacity to carry memories with this dance work by Marlowe Porter. Involving a creative process using various methods to physicalize personal and collective memory, the vigorous and fluid choreography brings memories back to life, conveying them in their most visceral form, through flesh, bone and breath.

(For more details visit www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/project.html?project_id=1601)

Raptor’s Rapture

(Image via: http://arcthemagazine.com/arc/2013/07/tarrawarra-international-2013-pre…)

Performance Art
Hart House, the Great Hall, 7 Hart House Circle

Ever wonder what a flute carved 35,000 years ago from the wing bone of a griffon vulture sounds like? Wonder no more. Artists Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla invited a flutist to play such an instrument in the presence of a live endangered griffin vulture. They captured the results on a film to be played in the Great Hall at Hart House.

(For more details, visit www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/project.html?project_id=1540)

I've Got Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

(Image via: http://catherinechan.ca)

Light installation
University College Quadrangle, 15 King's College Circle, entrance off Tower Road.)

Reflect on the power of love and light with this text-art installation inspired by the Temptations’ 1964 hit, “My Girl.” The artist investigates the ways that love opens our hearts and how memories of love evolve over time as well as the ways in which our memories can be affected by mental health conditions.

(For more details visit www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/project.html?project_id=1577)

2015 marks the 10th edition of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche. From Saturday, Oct. 3 at 6:55 p.m. to sunrise on Sunday, Oct. 4, Scotiabank Nuit Blanche is set to transform Toronto into an all-night celebration of contemporary art.

Produced by the City of Toronto, Scotiabank Nuit Blanche is one of the largest contemporary art events in North America. Last year, the event attracted an audience of more than one million, including nearly 200,000 out-of-town visitors, and generated an economic impact of $40.5 million.

The schedule and information about sponsors are available at www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca.

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Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games: an opportunity to make sports more LGBTQ-friendly

sgupta — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:49:41 +0000

Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games: an opportunity to make sports more LGBTQ-friendly sgupta Wed, 06/24/2015 - 06:49

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(photo courtesy Kinnon Ross MacKinnon)

Sarah McDonald

Author legacy

Sarah McDonald

Features

Students

Sports

Sexual and Gender Diversity office

Pan Am

LGBTQ

Subheadline

Access to sport a human rights and public health issue, says U of T powerlifter

Public health researcher and competitive powerlifter Kinnon Ross MacKinnon says it's crucial that as the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games prepare to host thousands of athletes from 41 countries, advocates and organizations such as PrideHouse Toronto are supported in their work to ensure all athletes feel equally welcome – regardless of gender or sexuality.

MacKinnon says the issue of access to athletics is not only one of human rights, but also public health.

“We know that LGBTQ individuals experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, substance use, and smoking when compared to heterosexual and cisgender groups, which means that sexual and gender minorities have poorer mental and physical health outcomes,” said MacKinnon, who is pursuing a PhD at U of T's Dalla Lana School of Public Health. “Engaging in regular exercise, and playing sports can mitigate these health concerns, as research shows that regular physical activity improves mental and physical health.”

The world of sport has long been the domain of men who are heterosexual and cisgender (a person whose gender identity conforms with the gender that corresponds to their biological sex). MacKinnon says that in the minds of many fans and participants, physical ability is often tied to traditional ideas about masculinity.

With this idea consistently reinforced by sports media coverage, he says, it can be nearly impossible for those who don’t fit into that traditional ideal to find a place for themselves in athletics.

“Reducing discrimination based on gender identity and sexuality in sporting culture is the key to increasing participation, at least at the amateur levels,” said MacKinnon. “This work needs to begin with youth, because 49 per cent of Canadian LGBTQ youth already identify that their physical education change room feels unsafe. So, how likely are these youth to play on sports teams when they don't feel safe in their locker rooms?”

Current conversations about LGBTQ inclusion in sports tend to centre around established athletes feeling comfortable with being open about their sexuality, MacKinnon says. He emphasizes the importance of athletes feeling at ease in expressing their true selves, so they can focus on performing at their best. And celebrating “out” role models in sport is key to inspiring aspiring athletes, he adds.

But MacKinnon also notes that a significant number of LGBTQ persons avoid playing on sports teams or going to the gym before they ever have a chance to become an athlete.

“Sexual minority youth are 46 to 76 per cent less likely to play team sports when compared to their same gender heterosexual peers. In Ontario, a study conducted by the Trans PULSE Project found that 44 per cent of trans people avoid going to the gym for fear of experiencing harassment or being outed,” he said. “So I think while we encourage LGBTQ athletes to come out, and celebrate those who do, we also need to be working on decreasing the barriers that sexual and gender minority persons encounter when trying to participate in recreational level sports and athletics.”

By hosting events aimed to foster growth in sport, MacKinnon says organizations like PrideHouse Toronto – a province-wide initiative dedicated to engage LGBTQ people in sport, para-sport and recreation – do a lot to promote inclusion in sports in ways that will hopefully have a positive impact beyond the Pan Am games.

Allison Burgess, from U of T’s Sexual and Gender Diversity Office, says the university community recognizes that sports need to be made more inclusive. This year, along with their annual series of events surrounding the Pride Toronto Festival, they also hosted an event on June 19th called “Transforming Sport: LGBTQ Athletes in Action,” featuring former George Washington University basketball player Kye Allums and Olympic rhythmic gymnast Rosie Cossar.

Burgess said Allums and Cossar shared personal stories reflecting on the relationship between their identities and their athletic careers.

She added that Pan Am “will be an incredible opportunity for the University of Toronto community to reflect on the great work around diversity and inclusion that has already been done, but also to point to the places where we can continue to challenge homophobia, transphobia and all forms of discrimination in sport, across our campuses and in all aspects of our community.”

The Sexual and Gender Diversity Office works towards equity and challenging all forms of discrimination, especially discrimination based on sexual and gender diversity and at the intersection of all other identities, says Burgess.

“One of the ways that we do so is by engaging the campus communities in ongoing learning. By raising the profile of LGBTQ voices at an event such as 'Transforming Sport' on the University of Toronto campus, we work to eradicate stigma by sharing the personal stories of these tremendous athletes who are leaders for our time in the struggle to challenge homophobia and transphobia in sport and in our communities.”

MacKinnon says that kind of discrimination is one he is all too familiar with as a former competitive soccer player, golfer, and nationally-ranked skier and snowboarder. He observed homophobic and transphobic slurs made by other athletes.

“Comments about teammates' gender presentations, or speculations about sexuality were topics of conversation that came up from time to time, which ultimately does affect the level of comfort for LGBTQ-identified athletes,” he explains. “As a trans athlete today, though, I have personally experienced transphobia and sexism.”

MacKinnon says strength, the number one deliverable in powerlifting, is still considered an inherently male quality. He has been asked if he uses performance enhancing drugs by people who discover he can bench press 255 pounds and was not born male, a question that he says would not be asked if he were a cisgender male.

“I would be simply congratulated on my strength and motivation levels,” he says. “Instead, I have been suspected of cheating. This is just an example of sexist ideas that contribute to transphobia within sports and athletics, that trans male athletes must deal with when disclosing their identity.”

MacKinnon says the upcoming Pan Am/Parapan Am Games are a great opportunity for Torontonians to help make sports a more inclusive environment, but many questions remain.

“How do we ensure that LGBTQ individuals are going to have access to facilities free of sexism, homophobia, and transphobia? How about women? We know that women also experience barriers to participate in sport. How do we ensure that economically marginalized individuals can afford to access the new sports centres? How do we make these new athletic programs open to individuals living with physical limitations, or mental health issues?” he asks.

“These are questions that must be addressed leading up to, during, and following the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games in order to make access to sports and athletics more equitable. And this is the perfect time to do it – while the world is watching Toronto. We have the opportunity to set an example and be role models for other international sporting events.”

Sarah McDonald is a writer with University of Toronto Communications.

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NSERC invests $5.3 million in U of T research

sgupta — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 10:19:41 +0000

NSERC invests $5.3 million in U of T research sgupta Tue, 02/10/2015 - 05:19

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NSERC funding will allow Professor Frank Wania (above) and Professor Carl Mitchell to test their simple, inexpensive technique for sampling mercury in the atmosphere

Sarah McDonald

Jenny Hall

Author legacy

Sarah McDonald and Jenny Hall

Topic

Subheadline

Better, cheaper mercury detection among 12 funded projects

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has awarded more than $5.3 million to 12 University of Toronto research projects.

The objective of NSERC’s strategic project grants program is to increase research and training in targeted areas that could strongly enhance Canada's economy, society and/or environment within the next ten years. The program is aimed particularly at funding early-stage, high-risk projects that might otherwise have trouble attracting the funds needed to carry out their research.

One of the winning projects is helmed by Professors Frank Wania and Carl Mitchell of the department of physical and environmental sciences at U of T Scarborough. The pair has developed a simple, inexpensive technique for sampling mercury in the atmosphere.

A neurotoxin that accumulates in the food chain, mercury finds its way into fish and sea creatures and ultimately threatening human health. Measuring mercury’s prevalence in the air helps us understand where it’s coming from.

“Right now we have very good machines to measure mercury in the atmosphere,” said Wania. “But they are complicated and expensive machines that need trained personnel to set up, operate and maintain. That limits where such measurements are made. Most of the measurements are made in rich countries, and even there the spatial coverage is really small.”

Wania and Mitchell already have a prototype built; the NSERC funding will allow them to calibrate and test it. They’ll be looking at how quickly their tool takes up mercury, and how it’s affected by forces like wind and temperature.

“These 12 projects have the potential to bring great benefit to society in coming years, and we are extremely grateful to NSERC for championing this kind of work, and for its continued investment in U of T research,” said Professor Vivek Goel, U of T’s vice-president of research and innovation.

Other recipients of NSERC Strategic Project Grants are:

D. Grant Allen, chemical engineering and applied chemistry, “Developing biofilm-based microalgal bioreactors for the efficient production of fuels, chemicals and clean water.”
Ya-Huei Cathy Chin, chemical engineering and applied chemistry, “Catalytic conversion of methane from alternative feedstocks to higher value products.”
George V. Eleftheriades, electrical and computer engineering, “Field-discontinuity metasurfaces for electromagnetic wave manipulation.”
Ramin Farnood, chemical engineering and applied chemistry, “Developing novel electro-spun nano-fibre membrane absorption systems for water treatment.”
Peter Herman, electrical and computer engineering, “Quantized structuring of transparent film and plates with ultrafast laser interference and filamentation.”
Charles Jia, chemical engineering and applied chemistry, “High performance, low-cost porous carbons from oil sands petroleum coke.”
Ryan Johnson, computer science, U of T Scarborough, “A novel system architecture for online operational analytics.”
Frank Kschischang, electrical and computer engineering, “Error control for terabit links: spatially-coupled staircase codes.”
Kiriakos Kutalakos, computer science, “Computational and optical processing architectures for next-generation mobile cameras.”
Gerald Penn, computer science, “Articulatory speech synthesis for natural user interfaces.”
Konstantinos Plataniotis, electrical and computer engineering, “DREAMs: Enhancing driver interaction with digital media through cognitive monitoring.”

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Transatlantic Science Week 2014 at U of T

sgupta — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:00:33 +0000

Transatlantic Science Week 2014 at U of T sgupta Thu, 10/23/2014 - 11:00

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(Photo by Wen Nag via Flickr)

Nicole Bodnar

Sarah McDonald

Author legacy

Nicole Bodnar and Sarah McDonald

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Collaboration

Faculty of Arts & Science

Subheadline

Arctic experts to tackle challenges from climate to health to human rights

As the world grapples with the question of how best to address climate change, many scientists are looking to some of the coldest places on Earth for answers.

Transatlantic Science Week 2014 (TSW2014) brings together scientists, policy-makers and industry leaders from Norway, Canada and the United States to share knowledge and approaches for dealing with the challenges unique to the Arctic, with a focus on societies, sustainability and safety. The conference also aims to strengthen the link between research and education surrounding arctic issues.

This year, the Royal Norwegian Embassies in Ottawa and Washington, D.C., have partnered with the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, the Research Council of Norway, the National Research Council Canada, the University of Toronto and others to bring TSW14 to Toronto. It will be held at the MaRS Centre and Hart House October 27-29.

This is only the second time in its 13-year history that this important annual conference will be held in Canada.

Speakers and moderators from U of T include:

History professor and director, Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History, John English, who will moderate the opening session
Physics professor and director of the School of the Environment, Kimberly Strong, who will moderate a panel on arctic climate science
Physics professor and principal investigator of the Canadian Sea Ice and Snow Evolution Network, Paul Kushner, who will speak on arctic climate science
PhD candidate in political science, Wilfred Greaves, who will speak about arctic safety and cross border knowledge needs
Director of strategic initiatives, in the Office of the Vice President Research & Innovation, Elissa Strome, who will give a talk on international institutional research collaborations
Scientific director of the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research (ICHR) and assistant professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Susan Chatwood, who will moderate a panel on current and emerging issues around the impacts of climate change on human rights and health of indigenous peoples.

Chatwood is working with Professor Adalsteinn Brown, director of U of T’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and chair of public health policy at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, to adopt health systems performance and measurement to a northern context.

“As we usher in an age of health system evolution that is deeply affected by the changing environment – both physical and political – it’s crucial that we strengthen our partnerships in the north and consider new research avenues that support Canadian health system improvement,” says Brown (pictured at right with Chatwood on a visit to the ICHR last month).

Approximately 60 per cent of the Northwest Territories is covered by one electronic patient record system – more than any of the Canadian provinces. That means there is tremendous opportunity to harness technology and reduce disparities in access and outcomes between northern and southern Canada, says Chatwood.

“The first step in health service transformation is building research capacity and keeping an open dialogue with policy makers,” Chatwood says. “With leadership support from health systems and public health experts across the University, we are partnering with local governments to transform health systems and outcomes across the north and conduct comparisons across the eight arctic states.”

Chatwood says there is a need to avoid falling into narrow paradigms of what “health systems” mean because of people’s connection to the land. She works with multiple disciplines using cross sector approaches that include wildlife management, education, justice, and architecture perspectives among others.

“The land as we know it is changing and it’s leaving us vulnerable to a host of public health and health systems challenges,” says Chatwood, noting that climate change has affected ice stability, weather patterns, causing bridges to collapse and complete community isolation. Emergency measures and systems responsiveness are high priorities for systems improvements and research in northern communities.

Since 2005, ICHR has supported 11 U of T students in research projects that examine health systems, emergency response and suicide prevention in the context of northern communities. ICHR is closely linked with circumpolar centres in Alaska, Greenland, Sweden and Norway, and works to build collaborations that promote program comparisons between countries to see what gaps need to be addressed.

“Recognizing the diversity of knowledge systems within academic and Indigenous communities is crucial to fill these gaps,” Chatwood says. “Public health professionals have a huge role to play in supporting harmonized approaches to a healthy community.”

Professor Peter Lewis, U of T’s interim vice-president, research and innovation, who is slated to moderate one of the plenary sessions, says the conference will provide a valuable chance to share knowledge essential to ensuring responsible development in the Arctic.

“U of T is honoured to have been asked to host,” he says. “This is a wonderful opportunity to bring together northern countries to identify common issues and work together to address them.”

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How bad is sugar? Try really, really bad

sgupta — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 10:09:27 +0000

How bad is sugar? Try really, really bad sgupta Tue, 09/09/2014 - 06:09

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Soft drinks are the world's primary source of sugary calories but "sugar-laden junk food is particularly seductive to children, the newest victims of type 2 diabetes," says Elizabeth Abbott (photo by Daniel Horacio Agostini via Flickr)

Sarah McDonald

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Sarah McDonald

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Tasty, unhealthy substance "has caused greater loss of biodiversity on the planet than any other single crop"

The World Health Organization recommends keeping sugar consumption to below five per cent of daily caloric intake, yet the fact that most North Americans consume far more than this on a daily basis continues to make headlines and is even the subject of a viral video lecture.

Writer Sarah MacDonald spoke with Elizabeth Abbott, senior research associate at Trinity College and author of Sugar: A Bittersweet History, about the history and the far-reaching impact of the Western world’s sugar consumption.

There has been a lot of news coverage in recent years about the negative impact of sugar consumption on North Americans’ health. How bad is sugar for us really?
It is very bad if too much is consumed, and too much isn’t very much. Sugar is still targeted as the main cause of dental decay, although flossing and brushing might counter its effects. Sugar stands accused as well of complicity in contributing to obesity and hence the terrible duo of type 2 diabetes and heart disease that obesity triggers. It does this in delicious but dangerous combination with fats such as butter or carbohydrates like flour and cereal, creating chocolate bars, breakfast cereals and other instruments of obesity.

It also does this through soft drinks. The soft drink is the world’s primary source of sugary calories, and Coca-Cola alone accounts for one billion of a calculated 47 billion beverage servings human beings consume daily.
As obesity rates soar, so does the type 2 diabetes it so often sets off. Medical experts identify sugar as an accessory. It contributes to obesity although sugar itself causes neither diabetes nor heart disease.

Sugar remains cheap in the United States. Its accessibility coupled with its deliciousness – not to mention its ubiquity – make trying to persuade over-indulgers to cut back their consumption very difficult. Sugar-laden junk food is particularly seductive to children, the newest victims of type 2 diabetes.

Worldwide, an estimated 30 million people had diabetes in 1985. By 2000 this number had risen to 171 million, and the WHO expects this to double to at least 366 million by 2030. Raging diabetes will burden health care systems, erode the labor force, hobble military enlistment and transform the families of unwell diabetics.

Are all types of sugar created equal, or are some kinds more detrimental to human health than others?
In any but modest quantity, no type of sugar is healthy. However, the producers of the various varieties resort to “spin” and imply that their type – sugar beet or sugar cane or high fructose corn syrup or whatever – are healthier than the others. For example, the cane and beet people argue that a teaspoon of their sugar contains only about 15 calories, is all natural, is fat free and satiates hunger while high fructose corn syrup may “go straight to fat,” though this is not scientifically the case. Biochemically, they are pretty much the same and that’s how the body responds to them.

How did we become so hooked on sugar? When was it popularized?
Sugar was once the luxury of nobles and the very wealthy – they did fantastic things with it, including making sugar sculptures unparalleled today. The price of sugar plunged lower and lower and soon sugar was deemed a necessity rather than a luxury or discretionary item. As sugar trickled down to the lower classes, it was served in new forms: confectionary, candy, ice cream, cake, cookies, puddings. English cooks sweetened wine and added sugar to meat and other main course dishes.

Sugar became the opiate of the people.

The invention of the Mason Jar contributed to the need for cheap refined white sugar, used to can fruits and vegetables instead of brown sugar or molasses. It also introduced much more sugar into people’s diets.

The invention of freezers helped popularize ice cream and made it part of even modest homes.

The 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri facilitated the fast-food revolution, with sugar a chief component – root beer, Dr. Pepper, ice cream served in cones (making it portable) – a revolutionary change in eating culture. Before, eating-on-the-go was considered vulgar. After the Fair, it was embraced as convenient and efficient.

Candy was a huge commodity because it targeted children as consumers. Penny candy was a venue of capitalism, with penny candies meant to attract children who could afford them – a vast range of choice was available and children were encouraged to consider, choose and spend on candy.

The candy and chocolate industry fuelled cultural changes and put sugar at the heart of all celebrations – Christmas, Easter, birthdays, weddings, Halloween. In wartime, soldiers got gifts of candy to remind them of home.

What are some of the effects the Western World’s demand for sugar has on the wider world?
Sugarcane (but not sugar beet) has caused greater loss of biodiversity on the planet than any other single crop because planters have destroyed so much habitat to plant it. It is also the "thirsty crop" – it requires vast amounts of water and, because cane culture uses so many agricultural chemicals in the form of fertilizer, disgorged wastewater pollutes adjacent fields and water sources.

Cane culture has killed off millions of animals and plants, including monkeys and birds – at least 16 kinds of parrots.

In Florida, Big Sugar, the term for most of the sugar industry's major companies, has devastated the Everglades – and politics have trumped environmentalists so that huge sugar companies – (notably the Fanjul Brothers who also own La Romana sugar plantations in the Dominican Republic) – can continue to plant and ruin the Everglades.

Coral reefs exposed to the detritus of cane field runoffs are now bleached to the point of no return.

Do you think we do enough to regulate sugar intake and nutritional labelling in Canada?
First, let’s remember that after huge amounts of effort, Canada mandated that warnings about tobacco’s lethal effects had to be printed on cigarette packages. How effective are they? Do young people resist the “coolness” of cigarettes because of those scary labels? Does warning people really have much of an effect?

If people know about the dangers of sugar, some may be guided by their knowledge to cease and desist eating the product, or to eat much less but I’m not optimistic that it is a great help. Not eating prepared foods is absolutely the best way to go, but I can’t fool myself. That’s a long shot.

Canada is beginning to take labeling seriously. But you can’t equate “sugar intake and nutritional labeling.” The government can regulate the latter but not the former, alas.

Infographic above created by Mel Racho using Lollipop designed by Paulo Sá Ferreira from the Noun Project; Birthday Cake designed by Marcela Abbade from the Noun Project; Mason Jar designed by Brandosaur.us from the Noun Project; Sundae Float designed by Olive Q Wong from the Noun Project; Gumball Machine designed by Straw Dog Design from the Noun Project; Calavera designed by Simon Child from the Noun Project; Soda designed by Blaise Sewell from the Noun Project; Parrot designed by nikki rodriguez from the Noun Project; Bar Graph designed by Scott Lewis from the Noun Project; Heartbeat designed by hunotika from the Noun Project

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