Faculty &amp; Staff

Convocation 2024

Trevor Young

Wesley Hall

Rose Patten

Chancellor

Meric Gertler

Subheadline

“As the 35th – and the first Black – chancellor in �Թϱ��’s almost 200-year history, I feel both pride and humility in donning these robes”

He’s a giant of corporate Canada, a successful investor, respected philanthropist and popular TV personality, but Wes Hall describes serving as chancellor of the University of Toronto as “the privilege of my life.”

Hall was officially installed as �Թϱ��’s 35th chancellor on Oct. 28 ahead of fall convocation ceremonies for students from the Faculty of Arts & Science.

As organ music filled the air, Hall was escorted into Convocation Hall by �Թϱ�� President Meric Gertler and a bedel carrying �Թϱ��’s ceremonial mace.

He expressed a “profound sense of responsibility” in taking on the role.

Hall, wearing his honorary degree robes in advance of his official installation as �Թϱ�� chancellor, is escorted into Convocation Hall by �Թϱ�� President Meric Gertler and a bedel carrying �Թϱ��’s ceremonial mace (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“As the 35th – and the first Black – chancellor in �Թϱ��’s almost 200-year history, I feel both pride and humility in donning these robes,” Hall said. “My presence here is a testament to the progress we’ve made at �Թϱ�� and in society as a whole, but it’s also a reminder of the work yet ahead of us.”

President Gertler described Hall as a “legendary figure on Bay Street” and a “dedicated philanthropist and community leader,” and welcomed him and his family members – Hall’s wife, children, father and step-mother were in attendance – to the �Թϱ�� community.

Friedemann Krannich, a PhD student in mathematics, assists Hall during the robing ceremony (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“This is a very special morning for the University of Toronto, one that occurs only rarely in our academic cycle – we simultaneously welcome our 35th chancellor and award degrees to graduates,” President Gertler said. “Members of this morning’s graduating class will therefore especially appreciate the importance of today’s installation for each of them and for all of us at the University of Toronto.”

After donning the chancellor’s robes, assisted by his predecessor, Rose Patten, Hall embarked on his first official act in the venerable venue: proclaiming, in Latin, the conferring of degrees to graduating students.

Hall said he felt both pride and humility in donning the chancellor’s robes (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Later in the day, Hall and �Թϱ�� announced the creation of the Chancellor Wesley J. Hall Journey of Dreams Scholarship. The scholarship will provide entrance awards to students starting at the university and, Hall said, advance �Թϱ��’s position as “a beacon of excellence, progression, and limitless possibilities.”

Hall’s track record as a business leader and philanthropist has exemplified progress, perseverance and a persistent social conscience. From humble beginnings in rural Jamaica, he rose to become one of Canada’s most influential business leaders as the founder of Kingsdale Advisors and WeShall Investments; a highly recognizable TV personality as a “dragon” investor on CBC’s Dragon’s Den; and an ardent philanthropist and anti-racism advocate as founder of the BlackNorth Initiative non-profit.

In 2021, he partnered with the Rotman School of Management to introduce the first Black entrepreneurship and leadership course in Canada, and he received an honorary doctorate from �Թϱ�� in 2023. The author of the memoir No Bootstraps When You’re Barefoot, Hall also serves on the board of directors of the SickKids Foundation.

Hall poses for a photo with a graduate (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Monday’s installation included dignitaries from the university and beyond. Donette Chin-Loy Chang, chancellor of Toronto Metropolitan University and board member at BlackNorth, said Hall “has broken barriers and subsequently worked to remove barriers for others who follow in his footsteps.” She was followed by Corwin Cambray, president of the �Թϱ�� Alumni Association, who said Hall’s life is a testament to his “perseverance, visionary leadership and a profound commitment” to the upliftment of others.

�Թϱ�� Vice-President and Provost Trevor Young, speaking on behalf of faculty, highlighted Hall’s tireless efforts to expand access to opportunity for people from under-represented communities. “As the chancellor, you will now bring your many talents to champion higher education – perhaps one of the greatest opportunities that exists,” Young said.

Sydelle Mago, an undergraduate student, speaks to graduating students and other attendees while Hall looks on (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Jodie Glean, �Թϱ��’s executive director, equity, diversity and inclusion, described Hall as “a vocal champion” of people from marginalized backgrounds who “has demonstrated the impact EDI can have both within post-secondary institutions and across our local and global communities.”

For Sydelle Mago, an undergraduate student, Hall’s journey is a source of personal inspiration. “Chancellor Hall came to Canada from Jamaica and is a living testament to what hard work and perseverance can achieve,” Mago said. “His story motivates students like me to pursue our ambitions.”

Hall makes his way out of Convocation Hall following his official installation as �Թϱ��’s 35th chancellor (photo by Johnny Guatto)

At a reception to celebrate his installation at Hart House, Hall said he had been asked by some well-wishers if he was too busy to add the role of �Թϱ�� chancellor to an already long list of responsibilities. He responded by sharing the example set by his grandmother Julia Vassel, who raised him – along with nine other grandchildren and an adult daughter with special needs – in a tin shack on a plantation worker’s wage.

“One of those kids that she worked so hard to raise is asked in the future to be the chancellor of the top university in Canada – and one of the top in the world – and that kid says, ‘I’m too busy.’ Could you imagine?” Hall said.

“I’m never too busy to put my hand up and say, ‘I want to be a part of change.’”

The man behind the music: �Թϱ��’s official organist retires after 45 years

lanthierj — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 17:58:13 +0000

The man behind the music: �Թϱ��’s official organist retires after 45 years

lanthierj Tue, 10/29/2024 - 13:58

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John Tuttle, who was first appointed �Թϱ��’s university organist in 1979, began playing the piano at age five and took up the organ at age 15 (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Topic

Subheadline

Playing as many as 44 convocation ceremonies a year, John Tuttle has become well acquainted with the century-old pipe organ in �Թϱ��'s Convocation Hall

After nearly a half century behind the pipes, the University of Toronto’s official organist is preparing to play his final graduation ceremony in Convocation Hall – and admits to still feeling nervous, depending on what he plans to play.

That’s because John Tuttle, who is retiring after 45 years, carefully selects the pieces for each ceremony, balancing familiar marches such as Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance with more challenging repertoire.

He says he wants to expose the audience to a wide variety of music.

“I have no idea whether anybody hears it or not,” says Tuttle, who was first appointed university organist in 1979. “Sometimes the talking is so deafening in the place … then afterwards somebody comes up and says, ‘I really enjoyed the Franck or the Bach’, so I guess some of it gets through the chatter.”

Tuttle says patience is required when learning to play the towering pipe organ in �Թϱ��'s Convocation Hall (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Tuttle begins playing approximately a half hour before each ceremony starts. When the last graduate crosses the stage, he returns to his bench to play Canada’s national anthem. He then often opts for a loud and boisterous symphonic-style organ piece as the crowd exits Convocation Hall.

Tuttle estimates that he’s played 1,500 convocation ceremonies, which �Թϱ�� holds every spring and fall, and says he is grateful for the opportunities the university has provided.

@uoft The man behind the music: #UofT’s official organist John Tuttle is retiring after 45 years this #UofTGrad24 Read the full story via the link in our bio or at uoft.me/b0M. #organist #convocation @�Թϱ�� Student Life @uoftmississauga @�Թϱ�� Scarborough @Hart House ♬ original sound - University of Toronto

He was an adjunct associate professor of organ at the Faculty of Music, conducted the Hart House Chorus from 1985 to 2005 and directed music at Trinity College from 2005 to 2020.

He’s also mentored many students who have gone on to have successful international careers.

“I had letters from people that were in the choir [at Trinity College] that said it grounded their experience at the university,” he says. “I had a chance to work with people across the university – from students to staff to professors – and that has been a great experience.”

Tuttle’s passion for music began early on. He began playing the piano at age five and took up the organ at age 15 after hearing it being played at church, leaving him fascinated with the instrument. His church’s organist provided Tuttle with free lessons in exchange for playing the piano at choir rehearsals – an act of generosity that shaped Tuttle’s teaching philosophy. Over the years, he has offered lessons to students with financial constraints.

“I love the repertoire. I’m very interested in good music in church,” he says. “When I can further that effort with somebody who gets excited about that idea, I find that quite gratifying.”

Tuttle recalls the first convocation speech he heard in 1979 – by honorary degree recipient Donald Coxeter, who had joined �Թϱ��’s department of mathematics in 1936.

Donald Coxeter (photo courtesy of University of Toronto Archives)

“I remember him saying, ‘I want to thank the university for paying me all these years for something I was probably going to do anyway,’” he says. “I modeled my career after that. Most of the things I do, I wanted to do. That was a significant convocation for me.”

He says memorable ceremonies included those attended by former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, classical pianist Angela Hewitt and jazz pianist Oscar Peterson – all �Թϱ�� honorary degree recipients.

Over the years, Tuttle has become well-acquainted with the organ in Convocation Hall and the challenges of maintaining it. Built in 1912, the organ has undergone several modifications and requires constant care.

“It’s a love-hate relationship,” he says.

“Every once in a while, it makes a sound that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It’s not an exact science.”

Tuttle notes that playing the organ requires strong, but flexible hands to sustain notes, as well as a unique co-ordination of hands and feet – making it different than the piano, which he played until his mid-teens.

Tuttle watches, middle row, first from left, as Oscar Peterson plays the piano during his honorary degree ceremony in 1985 (photo courtesy of the University of Toronto Archives)

“It’s a different technique,” he says, contrasting the piano’s subtle touch with the organ’s more mechanical nature.

“With the organ, you’re touching a key, and the valve opens, and the air goes in, and it goes in the same way every time – whether you strike it fast or slowly. The only real control you have is over the length of the note and you can make some notes legato and some notes shorter.”

His advice to students who want to learn the instrument: “Be patient … because you have to work to great detail.”

Angela Hewitt’s 2009 honorary degree ceremony, with Tuttle in the background to the right of the organ (photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Retirement is bittersweet for Tuttle. While he still loves music, he says he no longer feels like he can perform at the level he once did.

“When you get to this age, you know that many more things are going to go wrong than they did 10 or 20 years ago,” he says.

As for his future plans, he hopes to continue teaching privately.

“I don’t think I’ve ever gotten rich teaching the organ, but it’s been rich in other ways.”

From AI to Atari: What it's like to work with Nobel Prize-winner Geoffrey Hinton

mattimar — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 14:13:56 +0000

From AI to Atari: What it's like to work with Nobel Prize-winner Geoffrey Hinton

mattimar Fri, 10/25/2024 - 10:13

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From left: Chris Maddison, Nick Frosst and Kevin Swersky at a recent event celebrating �Թϱ�� University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton's 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Alumni

Computer Science

Geoffrey Hinton

Nobel Prize

Statistical Sciences

Subheadline

Three former students who worked with the "godfather of AI" recall his passionate and playful approach to research

In the wake of Geoffrey Hinton’s 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, former students and colleagues from the University of Toronto are sharing their favourite anecdotes about the “godfather of AI” – including one involving the classic Atari video game Asteroids.

Nick Frosst (photo by Nina Haikara)

Nick Frosst, a �Թϱ�� alumnus and co-founder of generative AI startup Cohere, said Hinton, University Professor Emeritus of computer science, once spoke of an intense, button-mashing session that left him with nerve damage.

“This kind of explains, perhaps, the way in which he types, which is still two fingers at a time,” said Frosst, who began working with Hinton as a �Թϱ�� undergraduate student and was his first employee at Google Brain.

He shared the story at a recent event hosted by the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, saying it offered a telling glimpse into Hinton’s character.

“It’s that fever-pitched intensity, passion and playfulness that he brings to everything … He found something that was fun and engaging and he played it until it damaged a finger and then he continued to push for it.”

Frosst said he also appreciates Hinton’s thoughtful consideration about the potential negative consequences of the revolutionary technology he helped create and praised him for looking past formal qualifications to spot potential and creativity.

“I don't have a master's degree or a PhD, but he was willing to work with me and I saw that in the types of people he brought into Google Brain to work with him,” Frosst said.

“He took lots of chances on people and gave them the time of day once they were there. And for that, I'll always be thankful and deeply privileged, and honoured, to have him in my life.”

Other former students at �Թϱ�� tell similar stories.

Chris Maddison (supplied image)

Chris Maddison, now an assistant professor in �Թϱ��’s departments of computer science and statistical sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science, was also an undergraduate student when he started working with Hinton in 2011.

He also painted a picture of Hinton’s vibrant office – where everyone knew when he had a new idea.

“The excitement, the joy radiated out of his office down the hall. The air was buzzing with possibility,” said Maddison. “He was famous for bursting into a room and pronouncing that, he now finally, after all these years, understood how the brain worked.”

Kevin Swersky (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Kevin Swersky, a research scientist at Google DeepMind, worked with Hinton as a graduate student at �Թϱ�� and similarly described visiting Hinton as a memorable academic experience.

“Normally when you go to a supervisor's office, you give them a progress update. You go through what your latest results are, you talk about a couple of your ideas and you get some feedback,” he said.

“Going to Geoff’s office was a completely different story. He would be telling you what his latest idea was. He would show you his latest results. And his whole thing was just that he was really excited about it, and his hope was to inspire you enough to start running with it.”

He added that he was particularly inspired by Hinton’s focus on small, solvable puzzles that would ultimately lead to significant breakthroughs over time.

“Geoff would think completely intuitively – like the universe was a puzzle and he was just kind of figuring out where all the pieces went, and the math would always follow whatever he was talking about,” he said.

He also remarked on Hinton’s kindness.

“He offered to put me up for a few weeks,” he said of a time when he found himself looking for a place to stay in Toronto. “He offered to go and get dishes. I was thinking to myself, ‘Wow, Geoff Hinton wants to go out shopping for dishes for me so that I can be comfortable for a few weeks.’”

Geoffrey Hinton shakes hand at a recent �Թϱ�� event celebrating his Nobel Prize (photo by Mac Pattanasuttinont)

Frosst, too, has a Hinton home-making story: the AI luminary built him a desk from scratch.

“He's a carpenter,” Frosst said. “It’s a small wooden desk that fits in the corner of my room at home.

“That's where I keep my computer and work from.”

‘This is where change happens’: Wes Hall on becoming �Թϱ��’s 35th chancellor

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 17:49:07 +0000

‘This is where change happens’: Wes Hall on becoming �Թϱ��’s 35th chancellor

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 10/24/2024 - 13:49

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(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Topic

For much of his childhood, Wes Hall lived in a tin shack in rural Jamaica, where he and his siblings were raised by their grandmother.

At 16, he moved to Toronto to live with his father. Two years later, he struck out on his own, working various menial jobs to get by – including as a dishwasher and as a poultry company’s “chicken catcher.”

“For me to get through all those circumstances in life, I had to fight to be able to succeed,” Hall says.

And succeed, he did. Hall is now one of Canada’s most influential people – a major player on Bay Street, an investor and TV personality on CBC’s Dragons’ Den and a philanthropist dedicated to tackling systemic racism in the business world and beyond.

At an Oct. 28 convocation ceremony for graduates from the Faculty of Arts & Science, Hall will be officially installed as the 35th chancellor of the University of Toronto. He will then proceed to confer more than 4,000 degrees to graduating students during 10 ceremonies in Convocation Hall throughout the week.

Hall says he’s honoured to serve as an advocate and ambassador for an institution committed to empowering the next generation of leaders and changemakers drawn from all sections of society.

“The University of Toronto, in my opinion, is the biggest source of upward mobility in Canada,” said Hall, who began his term as chancellor on July 1, succeeding Rose Patten.

In particular, Hall cited the diversity of �Թϱ��'s student body, with representation from 180 countries and territories, and the university's extensive student financial supports – which include a pledge that no student admitted to the university should be prevented from studying because of a lack of financial means – as key elements that are setting the stage for a brighter future.

“Think about the impact that will have on our society moving forward,” he says. “This is why I wanted to be a part of this university. This is where change happens.”

For Hall, change didn’t come quickly or easily. After he moved out of his father’s home, he worked during the day and took courses in the evening to earn a law clerk certificate. He began his Bay Street journey as a mailroom clerk and law clerk, before eventually landing his first managerial role at CIBC Mellon, as a relationship manager.

As a young Black man managing 11 employees, many of whom were much older and white, Hall said earning the respect of his team was far from straightforward, teaching him importance of leaving his ego at the door.

“I don’t necessarily want to be the smartest person in the room. I want to be the person who figures the room out and understands how people there operate,” he says.

Hall adds that figuring out what made his reports tick helped him turn his biggest detractors into powerful allies.

Years later, Hall would confront doubters again when he came up with a business idea for a service that provides strategic advice to shareholders on corporate governance matters. He pitched it to his then-employers. “They thought it was nuts,” he says.

Undeterred, he approached banks for a loan so he could build the company on his own. “And they go, ‘That’s so wacky, we’re not going to fund that.’”

Eventually, Hall convinced his wife to borrow $100,000, using their house as collateral. He used the funds to set up his firm, Kingsdale Advisors. That was in 2003. Today, Kingsdale is regarded one of Canada’s top shareholder services and advisory firms, while Hall is one of the most respected power brokers in Canadian business.

In recent years, his reputation has expanded beyond executive boardrooms into living rooms across the country as a sought-after investor on CBC’s Dragon’s Den, where he says he’s constantly inspired by the creativity and drive of Canada’s entrepreneurs. “Most people come up with ideas in their mind, but entrepreneurs actually act on them – even ideas that are far-fetched in a lot of cases – and make it happen in spite of naysayers telling them they can’t do it,” Hall says.

Hall says he’s passionate about using his platform to help uplift people from underrepresented backgrounds.

In 2020, following the killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, he set up the BlackNorth Initiative, an NGO that provides scholarships for students, mentorship and networking for entrepreneurs, and a homeownership bridge program to help Black families own a home.

“Home ownership allowed me to start Kingsdale and create the value that I have today,” Hall said. “I want to create that same pride and opportunity for as many under-served families as possible.”

Hall has also sought to contribute to the empowerment of entrepreneurs through WeShall Investments, a private equity firm dedicated to supporting BIPOC-owned ventures.

Hall is mindful of the fact that his success story – and those of other immigrants, people of colour and people from other underprivileged backgrounds – shouldn’t be used to downplay the scale of inequality in society.

“How many others are out there who have been deprived from fulfilling their true potential?” he asks.

A staunch believer in �Թϱ��’s mission to empower people of all backgrounds to flourish, Hall said he urges students to adopt a positive, forward-looking attitude to overcome obstacles.

He cited, as an example, Cree actor, artist and filmmaker Shirley Cheechoo, who said she preferred to be recognized as a “warrior” rather than a “survivor” of Canada’s horrific residential school system. She made the remark during a keynote address at a �Թϱ�� event to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which Hall attended.

“I was successful in fighting, and it’s now my job to show people that in order for you to go through things successfully, you have to be a fighter,” Hall says.

“It’s all about us changing our mindset and being more positive. If we do that, we can walk through life appreciating every day, celebrating every accomplishment and never taking it for granted.”

�Թϱ�� receives $52 million to upgrade SciNet supercomputer

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 15:54:56 +0000

�Թϱ�� receives $52 million to upgrade SciNet supercomputer

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 10/22/2024 - 11:54

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From left: Charmaine Dean, Timothy Chan, Bryan May, Nolan Quinn, George Ross, Bardish Chagger, Ranil Sonnadara and Eleanor McMahon (supplied image)

Adam Elliott Segal

Topic

SciNet

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Research & Innovation

Subheadline

The upgraded supercomputer, housed at �Թϱ�� and available to researchers across Canada, will boast roughly three times the computing power of its predecessor

The University of Toronto will receive more than $52 million to upgrade one of the fastest supercomputers in Canada – a shared resource housed at �Թϱ�� that allows researchers across the country to address key challenges in areas such as health care, drug discovery, sustainable transportation, AI and advanced manufacturing.

In a recent announcement, the Digital Research Alliance of Canada – a non-profit organization funded by the Canadian government – and the Government of Ontario committed to investing more than $95 million into advanced research computing (ARC) in Ontario at host sites at �Թϱ�� and the University of Waterloo.

The more than $52 million earmarked for �Թϱ��’s SciNet – which includes matching funds from the province and Compute Ontario – will go toward replacing the Niagara supercomputer with a new computer network with roughly three times the raw computing power, more GPU capacity and storage boosted by an estimated 80 per cent.

“This computational infrastructure is critical for our community and for the Canadian research community at large – from the biomedical sciences to aerospace manufacturing,” said Timothy Chan, �Թϱ��’s associate vice-president and vice-provost, strategic initiatives and a professor in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

“It supports research in all fields, plus users benefit from the extensive education and training programming offered by SciNet.”

He added that the investment supports Canada’s desire to lead in advanced technologies, and that it comes on the heels of �Թϱ�� University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton being awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for laying the foundations for today’s AI boom through his seminal work on deep learning.

“By expanding Canada’s supercomputing capabilities, we ensure that the country continues to excel in science and research while staying competitive on the global stage,” François-Phillipe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry, said in a statement.

Chan, for his part, said the shared computing infrastructure, which will utilize a more sustainable, state-of-the-art cooling system, is a savvy use of public funding.

“These investments result in cost savings,” he said. “Ontario’s publicly funded ARC ecosystem costs users 80 per cent less than commercial cloud systems.”

He said students and researchers across Canada should be encouraged by the news.

“It's a unique resource,” he said. “If my students are doing computational research, they can use the cloud, which is expensive. Or they can build their own computer to do it, but they’re not going to have the same kind of power, scale or expert support as something like SciNet.

“It plays a big role in being able to speed up research, speed up discovery with whatever they're working on and access more computational memory, more storage and more computational power.”

For example, Chan says students can run an algorithm at much faster speeds and test multiple algorithms at the same time – something that’s not always possible on local machines.

“Equipping the next generation with job-ready skills in high-performance computing, machine learning and AI is critical to industries including manufacturing, automotive, finance, and the life sciences. When we invest in advanced research computing, we help our students get skilled jobs and attract highly skilled workers to Ontario.”

‘One of the great minds of the 21st century’: �Թϱ�� celebrates Geoffrey Hinton’s Nobel Prize

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 17:24:21 +0000

‘One of the great minds of the 21st century’: �Թϱ�� celebrates Geoffrey Hinton’s Nobel Prize

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 10/17/2024 - 13:24

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University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton, who won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, attends a celebration event held at the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus (photo by Mac Pattanasuttinont)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus

Leah Cowen

Wesley Hall

Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society

Department of Computer Science

CIFAR

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Subheadline

The 2024 co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics - known to many as the "godfather of AI" - was honoured at an event attended by a who's who of the Toronto research community

There were standing ovations, peals of laughter and even a few tears as the University of Toronto welcomed Geoffrey Hinton back to campus after he won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics.

A University Professor Emeritus of computer science, Hinton traded the “cheap hotel room in California,” where he received the life-changing news, for an emotional reception in the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus’s airy event hall.

The Oct. 10 event drew �Թϱ�� leaders, supporters, dignitaries and other luminaries. They included Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, University Professor Emeritus John Polanyi, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986, and Massey College Principal James Orbinski, who accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Doctors Without Borders in 1999.

Several of Hinton’s many collaborators and proteges also attended the event – not to mention students who were simply eager to catch a glimpse of the “godfather of AI.”

Hinton chats with �Թϱ�� Scarborough Professor David Fleet and Google Research Scientists Sara Sabour and Daniel Watson (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Though sleep deprived, Hinton regaled the audience with fond recollections of his early years as an AI researcher, snapshots of his trademark dry humour and warm expressions of gratitude for mentors, collaborators and, of course, his many students.

“I’ve been blessed to have brilliant graduate students and post-docs,” Hinton said.

“I had a principle when selecting graduate students: ‘If they’re not smarter than me, what’s the point?’ And I’ve had quite a number of graduate students who were smarter than me.

“They did things I wouldn’t have been able to do, so I’d like to thank them.”

He said two figures in particular played a huge role in the work that led to his Nobel Prize, which he shared with Princeton University’s John J. Hopfield. The first was Terry Sejnowsky, a computational neuroscientist and former student of Hopfield’s, who worked with Hinton on Boltzmann machines – a period Hinton described as “the most happy research time of my life.”

He also praised the contributions of the late David Rumelhart, a psychologist at Stanford University, who worked with him to develop backpropagation algorithms, a key breakthrough.

“[He] should have won the Nobel Prize,” Hinton said. “But unfortunately, Dave got a horrible brain disease and he died quite young.” (The Nobel organization doesn’t award the honour posthumously).

Hinton poses for a picture with Assistant Professor Chris Maddison, who was one of the last graduate students Hinton supervised (photo by Mac Pattanasuttinont)

Chris Maddison joined Hinton’s research group as an undergraduate and was one of the last students he supervised. Now an assistant professor in �Թϱ��’s departments of computer science and statistical sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science, Maddison lauded Hinton as “a steadfast mentor and supporter who saw strength in me that I didn’t see” and said one of his greatest attributes was his sheer enthusiasm.

“No matter what’s going on, you can find him in the lab on Sundays at 8 p.m. playing with his MATLAB scripts like a child playing with Legos,” Maddison said. “He never lost that child-like sense of wonder that buoyed him and the group.”

�Թϱ�� President Meric Gertler said, via video message from Indonesia, where he was on university business, that Hinton is “one of the great minds of the 21st century” (photo by Johnny Guatto)

�Թϱ�� President Meric Gertler, who was in Indonesia on university business when the prize was announced, hailed Hinton in a video message as “one of the great minds of the 21st century” and someone who “literally created new ways of thinking about thinking and learning.”

He noted that Hinton’s AI leadership extends to the pressing question of responsible and safe development of the technology.

“With his Nobel win, he’s now perfectly positioned to amplify this concern on a world stage.” President Gertler said.

Hinton shares a laugh with University Professor Molly Shoichet of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (photo by Johnny Guatto)

The event’s guest list served as a reminder of Hinton’s outsized influence on the research community in Toronto and beyond, drawing key figures from: the Vector Institute, where Hinton is co-founder and chief scientific adviser; the Schwartz Reisman Institute of Technology and Society, where he sits on the advisory board; and CIFAR (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research), where Hinton is an adviser and longtime fellow.

Hinton poses for a photo with Leah Cowen, �Թϱ��’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Leah Cowen, �Թϱ��’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, reminded the accomplished audience that Hinton’s historic achievement – both the Nobel Prize and the AI revolution he helped spark – was the result of years toiling in an “unpromising backwater” of AI research.

“It is tempting to think that it happened almost overnight, but it didn’t,” Cowen said.

University Professors Emeriti – and fellow Nobel Prize-winners – Geoffrey Hinton and John Polanyi have their photo taken together (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Hinton took time to reflect on periods of personal struggle and tragedy – and thank those who helped him in his hour of need.

When his wife had an incurable form of cancer, he recalled how �Թϱ�� President Emeritus David Naylor, a physician, medical researcher and former dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, carried out research on a possible alternative treatment that was being explored – incorporating input from top medical experts – and presented him with a report of his findings.

“He’s a tremendous human being,” Hinton said of Naylor, who was in the audience.

Hinton shares a moment with �Թϱ�� President Emeritus David Naylor (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Hinton also recalled how, when his first wife became ill in 1993 – also with cancer – his post-doctoral trainee Peter Dayan, now a director at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, stepped in to advise Hinton’s graduate students, giving him time to care for his ailing spouse.

“At times like this, you remember the people who helped you most when things were very difficult,” Hinton said.

He later pointed out that Dayan went on to supervise one of this year’s winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Demis Hassabis, joking that this made Dayan “the meat in a Nobel sandwich.”

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada was lucky to have Hinton, who was born in the U.K., and thanked his daughter for sharing her father with the country, with science and the world (photo by Johnny Guatto)

For Minister Freeland, Hinton’s award showcased the value of ideas and of fundamental research. She said Hinton’s Nobel Prize sent waves of pride across Canada, which she said was “lucky as a country” that Hinton arrived on its shores back in 1987.

“Geoff shows that you can be a really brilliant intellectual and also a really great human being who cares about his community and his country,” Freeland said. “I am constantly struck by how Geoff thinks about the bigger implications of his ideas and how Geoff thinks about really wanting to make Canada and the world a better place.”

Hinton chats with Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, who thanked him for his friendship and mentorship – and his dedication to science and scholarship (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Following the program – which also featured remarks by �Թϱ�� Chancellor Wes Hall, Faculty of Arts & Science Dean Melanie Woodin and Christine Szustaczek, �Թϱ��’s vice-president, communications – Hinton mingled with members of the audience, shook hands with students and caught up with former colleagues and trainees.

Clockwise from top left: Christine Szustaczek, Wes Hall, Chris Maddison, Leah Cowen, Geoffrey Hinton and Melanie Woodin (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Brendan Frey, professor in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and CEO of AI-powered therapeutics startup Deep Genomics, said he was one of many who earned his PhD under Hinton’s supervision.

“I think of Geoff as the father of a community that includes myself, other graduate students and all the people who didn’t believe but then came to believe – and he inspired all of us,” said Frey, who shared a hug with his former supervisor following the event.

“I’m really happy for him.”

�Թϱ�� ranked 21st globally in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:23:26 +0000

�Թϱ�� ranked 21st globally in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 10/11/2024 - 10:23

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(photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

Times Higher Education

Subheadline

Among public universities, �Թϱ�� ranked third in North America and 10th in the world

The University of Toronto has once again secured its position as a leading global institution in higher education, maintaining its rank of 21^st in the world in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

In addition to being the top-ranked university in Canada, �Թϱ�� ranked third among public universities in North America and 10^th among public universities globally – again, the same as the previous year.

It also ranked 16^th overall in Times Higher Education’s “research environment” pillar.

“This closely watched international ranking underscores the University of Toronto’s excellence in research and teaching in an increasingly competitive sector,” said �Թϱ�� President Meric Gertler.

“It also reflects the ongoing impact of the university’s scholars and researchers, whose contributions draw exceptional students and faculty from around the world to our three campuses.”

In the 2025 edition of its annual ranking, Times Higher Education evaluated 2,092 research-intensive universities from 115 countries and territories. That’s 185 new entries when compared to last year.

The ranking assesses schools across five broad pillars: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry and international outlook. It draws from data sources that include 157 million citations, 18 million research publications and survey responses from more than 93,000 scholars worldwide.

The top five universities in the ranking this year were: University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Princeton University and University of Cambridge.

Other Canadian schools in the top 100 were: University of British Columbia (41^st) and McGill University (45^th).

Overall, �Թϱ�� continues to be the highest-ranked Canadian university and one of the top-ranked public universities in the five most closely watched international rankings: Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, ShanghaiRanking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.

In his words: Geoffrey Hinton reflects on his Nobel Prize win

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:26:59 +0000

In his words: Geoffrey Hinton reflects on his Nobel Prize win

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 10/10/2024 - 12:26

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Geoffrey Hinton, University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the University of Toronto and winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, takes questions during a virtual press conference hosted by �Թϱ�� (image via YouTube)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Global Lens

Department of Computer Science

Geoffrey Hinton

Global

Nobel Prize

President Meric Gertler

Subheadline

"If you believe in something, don’t give up on it until you understand why that belief is wrong"

Empower curiosity-driven research. Follow your convictions. Think not just about how to advance technology, but how to direct its use for good.

These were among the key messages delivered by Geoffrey Hinton, University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the University of Toronto and winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, during an Oct. 8 press conference held by the university to mark his historic award.

Widely regarded as “the godfather of AI,” Hinton was named a co-winner of the prize – alongside John J. Hopfield of Princeton University – for his work on Boltzmann machines and artificial neural networks, which laid the groundwork for advancements in AI and stimulated new research directions in physics.

�Թϱ�� President Meric Gertler hailed Hinton for having “a profound impact on multiple fields and disciplines,” crediting “his leadership and exemplary mentorship of young scholars” with helping �Թϱ�� become a global leader in AI and machine learning.

“I think one cannot overstate the impact of a win like this on the ability of Canada, Toronto and the University of Toronto to be able to welcome talented newcomers, great students and wonderful faculty from across the country and around the world because of the recognition that arises with Geoff’s win,” President Gertler said.

For his part, Hinton echoed his remarks from earlier in the day that he was “flabbergasted” to receive the prize and pleased that the Nobel committee recognized the advancements in artificial neural networks.

He also answered questions about his influences, legacy and how it feels to go from being an obscure researcher who toiled in a largely forsaken field to a Nobel Laureate – and his advice for researchers who hope to one day follow in his footsteps.

Here are five key themes that emerged from Hinton's news conference:

His legacy

“I’m hoping AI will lead to tremendous benefits, to tremendous increases in productivity and to a better life for everybody. I’m convinced that it will do that in health care.

“My worry is that it may also lead to bad things, and in particular, when we get things more intelligent than ourselves, no one really knows whether we’re going to be able to control them.

“We don’t know how to avoid [catastrophic AI scenarios] at present. That’s why we urgently need more research. So I’m advocating that our best young researchers, or many of them, should work on AI safety and governments should force large companies to provide the computational facilities they need to do that.”

A collaborative effort

“I think of the prize as a recognition of a large community of people who worked on artificial neural networks for many years.

“I’d particularly like to acknowledge my two main mentors: David Rumelhart, with whom I worked on the backpropagation algorithm … and my colleague Terry Sejnowsky, who I worked with a lot in the 1980s on Boltzmann machines and who taught me a lot about the brain.

“I’d also like to acknowledge my students. I was particularly fortunate to have many clever students, much cleverer than me, who actually made things work. They’ve gone on to do great things.

“I should also acknowledge Yoshua Bengio and Yann LeCun who were close colleagues and very instrumental in developing this whole field.”

Canada’s research strengths

“I think the main thing about Canada as a place to do research is there isn’t as much money as there is in the U.S., but it uses its money quite wisely.

“In particular, the main funding council for this type of research, called NSERC, uses money for basic curiosity-driven research, and all of these advances in neural networks came out of basic curiosity-driven research – not out of throwing money at applied problems, but out of letting scientists follow their curiosity to try and understand things. And Canada’s quite good at that.”

Many thought he was wasting his time

“It was a lot of fun doing the research, but it was slightly annoying that many people – in fact, most people in the field of AI – said that neural networks would never work.

"They were very confident these things were a waste of time and we would never be able to learn complicated things – for example, understanding natural language – using neural networks. And they were wrong."

Believe in your ideas

"My message is this: if you believe in something, don’t give up on it until you understand why that belief is wrong.

"Often, you believe in things and you eventually figure out why that’s a wrong thing to believe in. But so long as you believe in something and you can’t see why that’s wrong – like, ‘the brain has to work somehow so we have to figure out how it learns the connection strengths to make it work’ – keep working on it and don’t let people tell you it’s nonsense if you can’t see why it’s nonsense."

‘Godfather of AI' Geoffrey Hinton’s Nobel Prize makes headlines around the world

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 19:24:35 +0000

‘Godfather of AI' Geoffrey Hinton’s Nobel Prize makes headlines around the world

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 10/09/2024 - 15:24

Cutline

(photo by Polina Teif)

Topic

Global Lens

Computer Science

Geoffrey Hinton

Nobel Prize

Research & Innovation

News of Geoffrey Hinton’s Nobel Prize in Physics travelled around the globe, making international headlines for the British-Canadian scientist known as the “godfather of AI.”

A University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the University of Toronto, Hinton won the prize jointly with Princeton’s John J. Hopfield for early discoveries and inventions in the realm of physics that laid the groundwork for today’s artificial intelligence boom.

Hinton told The New York Times he was, “shocked and amazed and flabbergasted. I never expected it.”

After receiving the call from Stockholm in the wee hours, Hinton, who was in California, spent much of the day attending press conferences and speaking with reporters from a “cheap hotel room with no internet,” even oscillating mid-interview between the Times and the BBC.

Nevertheless, he seized the moment to emphasize both the promise and pitfalls of AI-based technologies.

“It’s going to be like the Industrial Revolution – but instead of our physical capabilities, it’s going to exceed our intellectual capabilities," he told the BBC. “… but I worry that the overall consequences of this might be systems that are more intelligent than us that might eventually take control.”

Independent UK acknowledged the unusual nature of Hinton’s win in the physics category.

“I’m not a physicist, I have very high respect for physics,” Hinton said. “I dropped out of physics after my first year at university because I couldn’t do the complicated math. So, getting an award in physics was very surprising to me. I’m very pleased that the Nobel committee recognised that there’s been huge progress in the area of artificial neural networks.”

Closer to home, Hinton’s award was lauded in the national media, from CBC: The National – which highlighted his emphasis on the importance of supporting curiosity-driven research and his role in training many of today’s AI leaders – to the front pages of The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail.

“I want to emphasize that AI is going to do tremendous good,” Hinton told the Globe after receiving the news about the win. “In areas like health care, it’s going to be amazing. That’s why its development is never going to be stopped. The real question is can we keep it safe?”

Read Hinton’s interview in the New York Times (paywall)

Read the BBC story

Read the Globe and Mail story (paywall)

Watch CBC: The National’s report

Congratulations pour in for Geoffrey Hinton after Nobel win

mattimar — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:43:16 +0000

Congratulations pour in for Geoffrey Hinton after Nobel win

mattimar Tue, 10/08/2024 - 15:43

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(Photo by Johnny Guatto/University of Toronto)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Alumni

Computer Science