Michael Kurts

Nine U of T researchers receive Connaught funding

lavende4 — Tue, 10 May 2016 15:56:30 +0000

Nine U of T researchers receive Connaught funding lavende4 Tue, 05/10/2016 - 11:56

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Chemistry professor Dwight Seferos is one of nine U of T Connaught Innovation Award recipients (photo by Blaise Calaycay)

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Researchers at the University of Toronto are receiving over $800,000 from the Connaught Fund, a research funding source unique to the U of T.

The funding comes from two Connaught programs. The Connaught Innovation Award accelerates the development of promising technologies and promotes knowledge transfer arising from the U of T. The Connaught Summer Institute brings together Canadian and international graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and other scholars to foster collaboration among disciplines and support new methods for research and innovation.

“The Connaught Fund builds on the university’s rich history of research,” said Vivek Goel, U of T vice-president of research and innovation.

Founded in 1972, the Connaught Fund was created from the sale of the Connaught Laboratories, which was established in 1914 to produce diphtheria antitoxin and later expanded to produce insulin and other vaccines and antitoxins. Insulin was discovered by Nobel Prize winners and U of T researchers Frederick Banting, Charles Best, John Macleod and Charles Collip. The university has managed the Connaught Fund for more than 40 years, over that time awarding more than $150 million to U of T researchers.

“That rich history is still paying dividends as the fund supports the work of today’s researchers, each of whom is making their own unique contribution to progress on a wide range of local and global research issues,” Goel added.

Today, the fund invests more than $4 million annually in emerging and established scholars from the full spectrum of research and scholarship at the U of T.

Nine U of T researchers are sharing in a total of more than $750,000 in support from the Connaught Innovation Award:

J. Stewart Aitchison of the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, for “An Optimized Waveguide Based Light Delivery System for Algal Biofilm Reactors”
Roman Genov of the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for “Pre-market Clinical Validation of a Seizure-Aborting Smart Implantable Neurostimulator for Treating Drug-Resistant Epilepsy”
Glenn Gulak of the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for “A Wireless CMOS Device for Rapid Point of Care Diagnosis of Bacterial Infections”
Boris Hinz of the Faculty of Dentistry for “Commercialization of a novel high-throughput screen to test the contractile function of heart muscle cells”
Shana Kelley of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy for a “Device for the Rapid Electrochemical Phenotypic Profiling of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria”
Robert Morris of the Department of Chemistry for “Sustainable iron catalysts for the hydrogenation of esters and carbon dioxide”
Dwight Seferos of the Department of Chemistry for “Development of a flexible thin-film battery”
Yu Sun of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering for “Development of an automated instrument to standardize embryo vitrification in IVF clinics”
Paul Yoo of the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering for “Novel electrical stimulation target for treating overactive bladder”

In addition, David K. Lam from the Faculty of Dentistry is receiving $50,000 in support from the Connaught Summer Institute for “Advancing the integration of pain research and knowledge translation”.

Coming soon: Student Commons to open on downtown Toronto campus

lanthierj — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 16:03:45 +0000

Coming soon: Student Commons to open on downtown Toronto campus lanthierj Tue, 04/26/2016 - 12:03

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“Students have put in a huge amount of effort to make this project a reality,” Vice-Provost, Students Sandy Welsh says

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Toronto architects Superkul to transform 230 College Street

It’s been an ambition since the 1960s and now, a new Student Commons is a tangible step closer to opening its doors on the university’s St. George campus.

Earlier this year, the university and the University of Toronto Students Union (UTSU) chose the Toronto architecture firm Superkul to transform 230 College St. from the home of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, into the Student Commons – a centre funded by and designed for students.

The Daniels faculty is moving to a new home at 1 Spadina.

UTSU President Ben Coleman says Superkul is well suited to the job of creating the campus’s first student-run centre.

“They’re creative. They’re imaginative. They worked at U of T before so they really know student needs,” said Coleman, pointing out that the firm was the lead architect on the renewal of another important student space, the university’s Chestnut Residence and Conference Centre.

The UTSU president says students need a space they can call their own to build community on campus, engage in student life and build school spirit. Students clearly agree and they have voted in favour of the Student Commons with their own money. A student levy to support the project has been in place since a vote in 2007.

“It’s the first St. George student centre,” says Coleman. “Scarborough has one and so does UTM. St. George students haven’t had a centre run by students. It’s filling a need that’s existed for a long time.”

The Student Commons will fill that need in a number of ways. It will operate throughout the week, 24 hours a day. The fully accessible main entrance will be located on Huron St.

Inside, students will find:

study and lounge space whenever they need it;
expanded UTSU services for students;
free bookable meeting and event space for student clubs;
a permanent home for the campus food and clothing bank; and,
rehearsal spaces for performing arts groups.

The Student Commons will also become home to many of the service groups funded by and for students.

Those include the popular cycling service, Bikechain, which will be housed in a location that will make it easy for riders to roll up their bikes and get the repairs and maintenance they need.

Students for Barrier Free Access (SBA) will also be housed in the new facility. “By moving into the Student Commons, a nexus of student and community activity, we will be able to have greater exposure within the student body and therefore better serve our members,” says Danie Tucker, centre coordinator for SBA. “We are also excited to have access to increased bookable meeting and accessible kitchen space, which in turns allows us to diversify our programming.”

Students have been calling for a student centre on the St. George campus for decades. In 1960, the U of T Student Administrative Council announced plans to build a $4 million student centre but that project was never made a reality.

The renewed momentum toward a Student Common began in 2007, when members of UTSU voted in favour of a student levy to support the project. In 2008, the university began collecting the levy. An operating agreement for the student commons was approved by the university’s Governing Council in 2015.

“Students have put in a huge amount of effort to make this project a reality,” said Sandy Welsh, vice-provost, students.

“The university is immensely pleased that opening day is getting closer and closer. This centre will benefit students on the St. George campus for decades to come.”

Construction on the Student Commons is expected to begin this coming fall.

U of T to directly run all food services on downtown Toronto campus

sgupta — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 09:23:33 +0000

U of T to directly run all food services on downtown Toronto campus sgupta Wed, 01/27/2016 - 04:23

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Located in the Gerstein Science Information Centre, the Green Beet offers exclusively vegan and vegetarian options

Krisha Ravikantharaja

Michael Kurts with files from Krisha Ravikantharaja

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Michael Kurts with files from Krisha Ravikantharaja

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Change means new options for students, staff, faculty

Nothing’s more likely to generate a spirited discussion than food options at a university. For the University of Toronto’s Monica Dairo, food is simply fuel.

“I make sure I have enough to sustain myself during the two-hour commute, both to and from school,” said the fourth-year environmental studies undergrad. “I eat before or during, so I am less likely to fall asleep during the commute.

“When I’m at home, food is comfort and food is family. But at school, when I’m rushed and stressed, food is energy.”

Helena Panico, a first-year humanities student who lives off-campus, said she is always looking for healthier options.

“Living by myself, I find myself grabbing a bag of chips, which is not the best. Now, it’s the new year so I’m trying to eat healthier.”

Food is likely to remain a topic of interest at U of T’s downtown Toronto campus, where the university is moving to directly run the food services currently operated by contractor Aramark. The change will get underway this summer.

“This move will allow us to take a more active role in creating comfortable and welcoming dining areas,” said Anne Macdonald, U of T’s director of ancillary services.

“We’ll also be able to enhance the food offerings available to students on the St. George campus, particularly those who don’t live in residence.”

Approximately 250 Aramark employees currently work in the food service locations (or in catering/beverage services) on the campus where these changes will occur and the university intends to present these employees with employment opportunities in the new food services operation. Town hall meetings are scheduled with the employees for next week to discuss the upcoming change.

The university said it is committed to the highest quality food services for students, staff and faculty.

“We have a number of marvellous chefs on campus already so managing our food services directly gives us a lot more options,” Macdonald said. “We’re looking at how we can increase the use of local products and reduce the use of pre-prepared and processed foods. We’re excited about those possibilities.”

Macdonald said the change to directly operated food services also increases the opportunity to develop meal plans that better meet the needs of students, both those who live in residence and those who commute to the campus. The residence dining operations at New College (pictured below) and Chestnut residence will be important dining hubs in the new model.

“We could not have undertaken this change without the cooperation and goodwill of New College,” Macdonald said. “We are very grateful for their assistance and look forward to a successful partnership in the years to come.”

The change comes after several years of planning about how to best meet food needs on campus for students, faculty and staff. As part of the process, students, staff and faculty were consulted. Macdonald said those discussions showed there is a strong appetite for improved food options, including some that are unique to the U of T.

“My favourite place to grab a snack or lunch would be the Green Beet at Gerstein because they’ve got all vegan and vegetarian options,” said Maya, a fourth-year undergrad who often brings lunch from home.

The university already directly operates a number of dining areas on the St. George campus, especially those located in student residences. All of the outlets currently on campus will remain in operation after the switchover, and the campus catering previously provided by Aramark will also transition to operation by the university. However, Macdonald says, change is coming. She’s encouraging everyone on the downtown Toronto campus to stay tuned for more news as the new academic year approaches.

Student athlete Avert Garrett-Patterson said she’s hoping to find healthy snacks throughout the day.

“I’m on the track varsity team so I don’t want to eat too unhealthily,” she said. “I’m one of those snackers who always eats while they’re studying.”

The university’s ancillary services department currently operates about 30 locations offering food services to the downtown Toronto campus community. Macdonald thanked Aramark for the services they’ve provided over the last decade, and the collaborative relationship that the university has enjoyed with them. She noted that the company’s contract was coming to an end so this was the right time for the university to decide how it wanted to manage food services on campus in the future.

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Remembering the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games

sgupta — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 09:03:11 +0000

Remembering the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games sgupta Mon, 11/02/2015 - 04:03

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Shelley Gautier, Jason Wurster and Josh Binstock with former Lieutenant-Governor David Onley (at right) and members of Governing Council

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Looking back on a fantastic summer - already enjoying the legacy

It was a few months ago but the memories of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games are still alive across the University of Toronto and the entire GTA.

The university’s Governing Council recently relived some incredible moments as athletes reflected on the legacy of the games.

Four U of T athletes were on hand – three in person and one on video.

U of T alumnus Zack Chetrat, who won a bronze medal in the 200-metre butterfly, told governors competing close to home made the 2015 games an unforgettable experience.

“On the night of my race, I looked up into the crowd and saw my entire family and all my friends,” said Chetrat, who spoke via video from the pool deck at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (TPASC) on the UTSC campus. “To see a bunch of my teammates there, all wearing their U of T gear and cheering me on, was something very special.”

Shelley Gautier, a 12-time Paracycling Road World Champion and a repeat silver medalist in the event this year (she also won silver at Guadalajara in 2011 and is training for next year’s Paralympics) showed off a picture of her medal. Her mother had the real thing and was getting it and all of her medals framed to occupy a prominent place in the family home.

Pole vaulter Jason Wurster, whose games and summer were made particularly memorable by the arrival of a baby boy, and current world champion beach volleyball player Josh Binstock, who’s training for next year’s Olympics, talked about how exhilarating it was to play in front of a home town crowd – a rarity for athletes who regularly compete at venues around the world.

Beyond the memories, one consistent theme was the importance of the legacy left behind by the 2015 games.

“Most dramatically, we improved significantly the facilities for co-curricular sport, physical activity, recreation, health and wellness for members of our internal and external community,” said U of T President Meric Gertler, pointing to TPASC, the UTSC Tennis Centre, the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport and the Back Campus Fields. “These facilities are also conducive to better teaching, research and community engagement in sport as well as basic sciences, such as stress physiology and cell biology.”

Former Lieutenant-Governor David Onley, was the university’s Special Ambassador to the games.

“One of the most remarkable success stories from the Games was their integration,” said Onley. “They were fully accessible to all: to the athletes who came to Toronto to compete, to the spectators who came to cheer them on.”

U of T facilities were host to some of Canada’s best athletes – a fact confirmed by the medal count. At UTSC venues, Team Canada won 140 medals. The games also provided a venue for the university to welcome the Americas and the community. U of T Houses at UTSC and the downtown Toronto campus hosted almost 3700 guests over the course of the games. More than 20 U of T athletes participated in the games.

Michael Kurts

Nine U of T researchers receive Connaught funding

Coming soon: Student Commons to open on downtown Toronto campus

U of T to directly run all food services on downtown Toronto campus

Remembering the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games

Read more about the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games