University Professor

Department of Political Science

Faculty of Law

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Ran Hirschl (supplied image)

Ran Hirschl, the David R. Cameron Distinguished Professor in Law and Politics in the Faculty of Arts & Science’s department of political science, has been appointed a University Professor, a designation bestowed on a small number of faculty members in recognition of exceptional scholarly achievement and pre-eminence in their fields.

Hirschl, who is cross-appointed to the Faculty of Law, is regarded as a leading expert of comparative constitutional studies, a cross-disciplinary area of inquiry that explores the dynamic interaction, mutual influence and power relations between the constitutional domain and the political sphere.

“The University of Toronto owes much of its reputation for excellence to its world-class professors, and I am delighted that Ran Hirschl – one of our finest faculty members – has been recognized as a University Professor,” said Trevor Young, U of T's vice-president and provost. “The title 'University Professor' is U of T's highest and most distinguished academic rank, which reflects Professor Hirschl’s long and honourable record of scholarly achievement.”

Hirschl began his academic career at U of T as a Canada Research Chair in Constitutionalism, Democracy and Development. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and considered one of the world’s leading scholars of comparative constitutional law, courts and jurisprudence.

“It is a tremendous honour to be recognized in this special way, and to have my name added to the long list of distinguished, world-class scholars at the University of Toronto who embody the University’s ‘defying gravity’ maxim,” said Hirschl.

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Geoffrey Hinton named Fellow of Association for Computing Machinery

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 16:58:23 +0000

Geoffrey Hinton named Fellow of Association for Computing Machinery

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 01/26/2024 - 11:58

Department of Computer Science

Artificial Intelligence

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

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University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Geoffrey Hinton, University Professor Emeritus of computer science who is often dubbed the “godfather of AI,” has been named a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).

The ACM Fellows program recognizes the top one per cent of ACM Members and celebrates exceptional contributions to computing science and technology. Hinton is among 68 inductees for 2023 who have been honoured for their transformative work.

Hinton was recognized “for conceptual and engineering breakthroughs that have made deep neural networks a critical component of computing.”

His groundbreaking research lies in deep learning and artificial neural networks — a field of artificial intelligence that mimics the way humans acquire certain types of knowledge.

Hinton adds the ACM Fellow recognition to a list of accolades that includes an election to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, a Royal Medal from the Royal Society, Companion of the Order of Canada, Fellow of the Royal Societies of Canada and London and the ACM’s A.M. Turing Award, widely considered to be the Nobel Prize of computing.

Read the full announcement from the ACM

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Cristina Amon, Maydianne Andrade and John Dick named University Professors

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 19:33:30 +0000

Cristina Amon, Maydianne Andrade and John Dick named University Professors

Academic Achievement

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 06/09/2022 - 15:33

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

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(L-R) Cristina Amon, Maydianne Andrade and John Dick

Three University of Toronto faculty members have been appointed University Professors, a prestigious designation that represents the university’s highest and most distinguished academic rank.

The newest members of this elite group – recognized for scholarly achievements and pre-eminence in their fields – are:

Cristina Amon of the department of mechanical and industrial engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. A former dean of U of T Engineering, Amon’s leadership of the faculty included a commitment to outreach, diversity and inclusion, particularly among women, while her research has helped pioneer the field of Computational Fluid Dynamics.
Maydianne Andrade of the department of biological sciences at the University of Toronto Scarborough. An internationally recognized expert on black widow spiders, Andrade’s scholarly focus also includes knowledge translation supporting the implementation of principles of equity in academia.
John Dick of the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. Dick’s work at U of T and the University Health Network has made him a world-renowned pioneer in the field of cancer stem cell biology, and has led to discoveries that have revolutionized our understanding of normal and leukemic hematopoiesis.

“Please join me in congratulating Professors Cristina Amon, Maydianne Andrade and John Dick for this impressive achievement,” said Cheryl Regehr, U of T’s vice-president and provost.

“All three are influential leaders in their respective fields – computational fluid dynamics, integrative behavioural ecology and cancer stem cell biology – and their internationally recognized, discipline-shaping research is helping to address some of the world’s grand challenges.

“I am also extremely proud of the positive impact U of T’s newest University Professors are having on our society – from setting a new standard for engineering schools worldwide and championing equity in education to transforming our understanding of the nature of cancer and paving the way for new treatments and therapies.”

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Aephraim Steinberg appointed University Professor

lanthierj — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 17:57:25 +0000

Aephraim Steinberg appointed University Professor

lanthierj Fri, 06/18/2021 - 13:57

Department of Physics

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Aephraim Steinberg has been appointed a University Professor, an elite designation bestowed on a small number of University of Toronto faculty members for distinguished scholarly achievement and pre-eminence in their fields.

A professor in the department of physics in the Faculty of Arts & Science and founding member of U of T’s Centre for Quantum Information & Quantum Control, Steinberg is also director of the quantum information science program at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. He has been working on the foundations of quantum mechanics (experimental quantum optics and ultracold atoms) for more than 30 years.

“Aephraim Steinberg has been transforming our understanding of quantum physics ever since his thesis – completed in 1994 – which demonstrated that a single photon could tunnel across a quantum barrier seemingly faster than light,” said Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr. “His work has excited great public interest and was recently featured in an episode of Morgan Freeman’s documentary series Through the Wormhole.”

Steinberg, whose research also focuses on laser-cooled atoms, joined U of T in 1996. His group is renowned for its accomplishments using both entangled photons and ultracold atoms to study foundational quantum physics, quantum metrology, and quantum computation.

“I feel immensely honoured that my peers and colleagues should place me in the company of researchers who have been – and remain – such inspiring role models for me since I first came to Toronto,” Steinberg said. “This recognition is truly a testament to the group of remarkable and brilliant students I have been so lucky to work with, and who make U of T such an outstanding place to do research.”

Steinberg won a Polanyi Prize in 1997, a Premier’s Research Excellence Award in 1999, the CAP Herzberg Medal in 2006, the Rutherford Medal of the Royal Society of Canada in 2006, and a McLean and Steacie fellowship in 2007. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Optical Society of America, and the Royal Society of Canada.

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Dan Breznitz appointed University Professor

lanthierj — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 17:56:04 +0000

Dan Breznitz appointed University Professor

lanthierj Fri, 06/18/2021 - 13:56

Department of Political Science

CIFAR

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

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Dan Breznitz has been appointed a University Professor, an elite designation bestowed on a small number of University of Toronto faculty members for distinguished scholarly achievement and pre-eminence in their fields.

A professor of political economy at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, with a cross-appointment in the department of political science within the Faculty of Arts & Science, Breznitz is also a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research where he has co-founded and co-directs the program on innovation, equity and the future of prosperity.

“Dan Breznitz is a world-leading expert on rapid-innovation-based industries and their globalization, renowned for his pioneering research on the distributional impact of innovation policies – and the insights he has provided to governments and international organizations on science, technology and innovation policies,” said Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr.

An award-winning author, Breznitz’s first book, Innovation and the State: Political Choice and Strategies for Growth in Israel, Taiwan, and Ireland, won the 2008 Don K. Price for best book on science and technology. His second book (co-authored with Michael Murphree) The Run of the Red Queen: Government, Innovation, Globalization, and Economic Growth in China, was chosen as the 2012 Susan Strange Best Book in International Studies by the British International Studies Association. His most recent book, Innovation in Real Places: Strategies for Prosperity in an Unforgiving World, was published by Oxford University Press earlier this year.

“This is a great honor to become a part of a group of scholars I viewed as mentors all my life,” Breznitz said. “I am especially delighted by the fact that my work on the distributional outcomes of innovation and the public policy choices to impact that distribution, has been recognized as an exciting new area of research that the University of Toronto is pioneering.”

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Jutta Brunnée appointed University Professor

lanthierj — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 17:54:47 +0000

Jutta Brunnée appointed University Professor

lanthierj Fri, 06/18/2021 - 13:54

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Jutta Brunnée has been appointed a University Professor, an elite designation bestowed on a small number of University of Toronto faculty members for distinguished scholarly achievement and pre-eminence in their fields.

Brunnée, who joined the Faculty of Law as the Metcalf Professor of Environmental Law in 2000, became dean of the faculty on Jan.1, 2021.

“Jutta Brunnée is a leading scholar of public international law – and the world’s most significant scholar of international environmental law. Her research shapes disciplines,” said Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr. “Her work is critical to addressing global climate change.”

The recipient of almost every international honour in her field, Brunnée is one of very few scholars awarded two certificates of merit by the American Society of International Law, for her 2017 book International Climate Change Law (with Daniel Bodansky and Lavanya Rajamani) and for her 2010 book Legitimacy and Legality in International Law: An Interactional Account (with Stephen Toope). In 2017, she was elected to the Institut de droit international and recently appointed as co-rapporteur for its new commission on harm prevention rules applicable to the global commons. In 2019, Brunnée gave an invited course at the Hague Academy of International Law, the ultimate honour for an international lawyer.

Brunnée has authored, co-authored, or co-edited seven books and more than 100 articles, book chapters and book reviews. She serves on the board of the leading interdisciplinary journal, International Theory and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2013.

“Receiving this recognition from the University of Toronto has been the most meaningful of honours to me,” Brunnée said.

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Marie-Josée Fortin appointed University Professor

lanthierj — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 17:53:36 +0000

Marie-Josée Fortin appointed University Professor

lanthierj Fri, 06/18/2021 - 13:53

Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Women in STEM

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Marie-Josée Fortin has been appointed a University Professor, an elite designation bestowed on a small number of University of Toronto faculty members for distinguished scholarly achievement and pre-eminence in their fields.

A professor in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology in the Faculty of Arts & Science, Fortin is recognized internationally as a leader in spatial ecology – the discipline that focuses on the study and modeling of the direct and indirect roles of space on ecological processes, biodiversity, and ecosystem services

“Marie-Josée Fortin pioneered the field of spatial analysis of ecology,” said Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr. “She has devoted her career to the development of novel spatial statistics, quantitative methods, and spatially explicit simulation models in quantitative ecology.

“Her work is crucial for the conservation of global biodiversity and ecosystems in the face of climate and land use change.”

A fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Fortin holds a Canada Research Chair in spatial ecology and is the author of the acclaimed monograph Spatial Analysis: A Guide for Ecologists (Cambridge University Press, 2005, 2014) and co-author of a new textbook, Spatial Ecology and Conservation: Concepts and Modeling with R. (Springer International Publishing).

Her many awards include: Ontario Premier’s Research Excellence Award; Thomson Reuters’ Highly Cited Researcher in Ecology/Environment; Outstanding Scientific Achievements Award (from the International Association for Landscape Ecology) and the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution President’s Award.

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James Retallack named University Professor

lanthierj — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 22:12:35 +0000

James Retallack named University Professor

lanthierj Mon, 03/09/2020 - 18:12

Department of History

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(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Historian James Retallack, who has been described as “one of the most profound scholars of Imperial Germany writing in either English or German” has been named a University Professor.

The author of many award-winning books and publications based on decades of archival research, Professor Retallack was one of the first non-German scholars to discover the riches of the Saxon State Archive in Dresden, formerly behind the Iron Curtain.

“Professor Retallack’s research is central to any understanding of German history and speaks to present-day developments on how and when and to what degree political systems are able to democratize under the influence of authoritarian movements, institutions and leaders,” said Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regher.

Retallack has been awarded a Killam Research Fellowship; a John Simon Guggenheim Research Fellowship; and a SSHRC Insight Grant, which supports his current research on German Social Democratic leader August Bebel.

“I’ve always been aware of the mentors that I’ve had, the colleagues that I’ve had and the students who continue to inspire me – undergraduates almost as much as graduates – in my own writing and research,” said Retallack. “I’m very grateful for that.

“I’m very grateful to be a part of U of T now for 33 years.”

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Dr. Frances Shepherd named University Professor

lanthierj — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 21:40:28 +0000

Dr. Frances Shepherd named University Professor

lanthierj Mon, 03/09/2020 - 17:40

Faculty of Medicine

Department of Medicine

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(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Dr. Frances Shepherd, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine and a senior staff physician and the Scott Taylor Chair in Lung Cancer Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, has been named a University Professor.

“Professor Shepherd’s exceptional scholarly achievements have made her one of the most distinguished lung cancer researchers worldwide and established the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as one of the top lung cancer research centres in the world,” Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regher said.

Dr. Shepherd’s research has contributed to more than 530 publications. She has written 47 book chapters, designed and led more than 100 clinical trials, and mentored almost 50 post-graduate clinicians and clinician-scientists.

“It really is an honour to reach the pinnacle of academic success at a university that is at the pinnacle of academia at a global level,” Dr. Shepherd said. “Being a doctor, being a medical oncologist and in particular being a lung doctor is not a solo sport – it’s a team sport and that’s what the University of Toronto provides. I have so many colleagues that support me. I could never have done this on my own.”

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Anita McGahan named University Professor

lanthierj — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 19:09:47 +0000

Anita McGahan named University Professor

lanthierj Mon, 03/09/2020 - 15:09