Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

Convocation 2024

Alumni

Black History Month

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Honorary Degree

School of Graduate Studies

Rosemary Sadlier has recalled, as a child, being asked where her father had come from – a question that arose because of the colour of his skin and suggested, “You don’t belong here.”

The query also suggested an ignorance of Black Canadian history, which stuck with Sadlier and played a role in shaping her career as an acclaimed author, historian, educator and social justice advocate who led a campaign to declare February Black History Month in Canada.

Today, for her advocacy and leadership in advancing Black history and heritage, and in promoting anti-racism, Sadlier will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the University of Toronto.

Growing up in Toronto, Sadlier earned a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Glendon College at York University. She worked for a few years before enrolling at the University of Toronto, earning a master’s degree in social work in 1982. She returned to �Թϱ�� several years later for a Bachelor of Education, then went on to complete her coursework for a doctorate.

Although she recalls being one of only a handful of Black students in �Թϱ��’s Faculty of Social Work (now the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work), which sometimes presented challenges, she also remembered some “incredible profs.”

Finding a job in the field wasn’t easy. Sadlier told Speak Truth to Power Canada, a human rights resource for teachers, that one potential employer told her they had thought she was white. “There was a sense that the people who are supposed to be doing the helping are supposed to be white, and the people who are supposed to be helped are supposed to be everybody else,” she said. “There I was showing up to be this person to help, and it was just jarring for them.”

(Photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Having no luck finding paid work, Sadlier sought volunteer experience in an area that was meaningful to her: she took a role with the Ontario Black History Society, and after a few years became its president. She soon launched a bid to bring Black History Month to a wider audience.

A week-long observance of Black history and culture had originated in the United States in the 1920s. Three decades later, the event came to Canada, where it was celebrated primarily in the Black community and later expanded to the entire month of February. Sadlier pushed for the event to be honoured more widely – seeking permanent recognition first from the City of Toronto, then from the province and finally from the federal government.

Her effort culminated in 1995, when Jean Augustine, a fellow �Թϱ�� grad and the first Black woman ever elected to Parliament in Canada, agreed to put Sadlier’s idea before the House of Commons. It passed unanimously, and the inaugural, nationwide Black History Month took place in February 1996.

Reflecting on her effort, Sadlier told Glendon College that her initial motivation had been personal: she didn’t want her children to face the same challenges she had. But she also knew that highlighting the contributions of Black Canadians was important in bigger ways. “It created a touchstone to focus on the presence, contribution, and experience of Canadians of African descent – lives that had been overlooked or not included in the national script.”

With the 30th anniversary of national Black History Month approaching, Sadlier says she’d like the subject to gain a higher profile during the rest of the year, too. To that end, she has written seven books about Black history. A new title – The Kids Book of Black History in Canada – is to be published in June.

Similar to her campaign for Black History Month, Sadlier also championed the formal recognition of August 1 as Emancipation Day at the local, provincial and national levels. Her goal: to mark the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in 1834 and generate “more discussion about slavery and the legacy of slavery.”

Ultimately, Sadlier aims to raise awareness about the Black experience in Canada, and the importance of contributions from the Black community, in the hope of achieving a more inclusive future. “I think with knowledge comes the opportunity for a real expression and a real appreciation of what inclusion means,” she said in the interview with Speak Truth to Power Canada.

In her message today to graduates of the Ontario Insitute for Studies in Education and the School of Graduate Studies, Sadlier encouraged them to consider how to turn their hopes into reality. “This chapter of your life is about marrying your bold and beautiful ideas with practical action,” she said. “It’s about anchoring your dreams in the physical and transforming sparks of inspiration into tangible success. It’s about planting the seeds of change in the collective consciousness and leaving behind a legacy that will inspire your descendants and your community.”

For her advocacy, Sadlier has received numerous honours, including the Order of Ontario, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award, the William Peyton Hubbard Race Relations Awards, the Harry Jerome Award, and the Lifetime Achiever Award from the International Women’s Achievers’ Awards. She also holds an honorary doctorate from OCAD University.

Global view: Students from around the world on what they give to – and gain from – �Թϱ��

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 16:13:41 +0000

Global view: Students from around the world on what they give to – and gain from – �Թϱ��

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 03/12/2024 - 12:13

Cutline

From left to right: Sapolnach Prompiengchai, Laura Ramos Barbosa, Mahmoud Rashid and Juliana Rivas Torrente (photo of Mahmoud Rashid by Safa Jinje, others supplied)

Adina Bresge

Topic

Global Lens

Centre for International Experience

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship

Global

Rhodes Scholars

�Թϱ�� Scarborough

Subheadline

With the relaunch of the $3-million International Student Experience Fund, international students to enjoy expanded supports across the university's three campuses

Applying for a study permit. Finding one’s place in a learning environment far away from home. Getting a handle on intercultural workplace etiquette.

International students come to the University of Toronto from all over the world, but share similar experiences adjusting to a new school, culture and country, says Juliana Rivas Torrente, a third-year student from Colombia who is majoring in economics and public policy in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

Thankfully, she says, �Թϱ�� offers services and resources to help international students navigate these transitions at every step of their academic journey.

Juliana Rivas Torrente (supplied image)

“I've had a support for everything that has come up in my time at �Թϱ��,” Rivas Torrente says.

Rivas Torrente is one of two student members of a committee that adjudicates proposals submitted by faculty and staff to the International Student Experience Fund (ISEF), which was launched in 2018 to help foster a supportive environment on �Թϱ��’s three campuses by supporting initiatives that enhance the experience of the university’s international students and set them up for success.

To date, ISEF has funded 33 projects that range from initiatives that promote health and physical activity to translating the stories of multi-language learners into comics that promote intercultural understanding.

Now, �Թϱ�� is building on the fund’s success by relaunching it with the approval of three new projects: the development of a digital tool that will help international students stay up to date on their immigration documents, a program to prepare graduate students for professional life across cultures and a project to enhance supports for undergraduate students in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education throughout their �Թϱ�� journey.

Rivas Torrente says the ISEF’s relaunch underscores �Թϱ��’s ongoing commitment to supporting international students on campus and beyond.

“There is truly a want on their part to have us here because of what we can bring to the table,” she says. “It also serves as reassurance that there are funds being allocated to creating programs that are specifically tailored to international students.”

As a member of the Centre for International Experience’s International Student Experience Student Advisory Committee, Rivas Torrente has helped shape the many supports available to international students across the university – both through targeted programs and campus-wide initiatives that have integrated the needs of international students into their services.

“�Թϱ�� has done a great job setting up an institution where people are going to thrive and learn and explore,” she says, noting that international students bring with them different experiences and perspectives that contribute to �Թϱ��’s growing reputation as a global learning institution.

“But what really ends up having that differential, beyond any other university, it's really getting to meet people that challenge your worldviews – your perceptions – that make you kind of shift your attention towards completely different concerns.”

As �Թϱ�� prepares to welcome some of the world’s top students for fall 2024, �Թϱ�� spoke to three other international students about how their experiences, backgrounds and ideas converged to invigorate �Թϱ��’s global community.

Mahmoud Rashid

(photo by Safa Jinje)

Though he wasn’t able to fly home to Tanzania during winter break, Mahmoud Rashid says staff at the University of Toronto’s Chestnut Residence made sure he wasn’t feeling left out or alone.

Wellness co-ordinators organized activities including cookie decoration, postcard writing, reflection time and a communal dinner, says Rashid, a second-year student in materials science and engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

It’s just one of the myriad ways �Թϱ�� supports international students at every step of their journey across the globe.

“There are so many resources that it can sometimes be overwhelming – academic and professional development, student life and mental health,” Rashid says.

He adds that he received an enthusiastic welcome to �Թϱ�� moments after stepping off the plane at Toronto Pearson International Airport, where volunteer students at the �Թϱ�� Airport Welcome Booth offered directions to campus and tips about Toronto.

As he settled in, Rashid says the Centre for International Experience smoothed his transition with resources about immigration, health care and life in Canada (including how to dress for the winter), while the First Year Office at �Թϱ�� Engineering offered academic advising to set him up for success.

A Lester B. Pearson International Scholar, Rashid says the program, part of �Թϱ��’s growing menu of entrance scholarships for high-achieving international students, goes far beyond providing financial support for his four years of undergraduate studies.

It prepares Pearson scholars to not only excel academically, but give back to the community, says Rashid, providing resources ranging from workshops about time management to meet-and-greets with influential leaders.

“What’s a better way to learn about leadership than being with actual leaders and students who have similar dreams as yours?” he says. “They provide that platform where we get to learn from each other and make long-lasting connections.”

Whenever he feels homesick, Rashid says he turns to the African International Support Group for social support and a sense of community among students of several cultural backgrounds in Africa.

“Whatever place in the world you’re coming from, at �Թϱ��, you just know there’s a group or a club of people that have experienced something similar to you,” he says.

“There are so many supports that are there for you so that you can belong.”

Sapolnach Prompiengchai

(supplied image)

Sapolnach Prompiengchai, a fourth-year neuroscience student at �Թϱ�� Scarborough, credits the university’s international community for informing his research on mental health.

He says the diverse perspectives reflected in his work likely resonated with the committee who selected him for a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, making him the first student from Thailand to be selected through the Global Rhodes program.

“In mental health, to create culturally competent care, you need to understand that you need to incorporate diverse perspectives, and that was ingrained in me at the University of Toronto,” says Prompiengchai, who attended high school in Bangalore, India before coming to �Թϱ�� Scarborough.

“By understanding such diverse perspectives, I was able to truly appreciate the importance of reconciling differences to solve issues. And I think, in a way, that aligns with Rhodes’ mission of fostering a dynamic global community.”

Prompiengchai is among five �Թϱ�� students and learners who are headed to the University of Oxford as part of the latest cohort of exceptional young people from around the world to receive the coveted scholarship.

He says �Թϱ�� – a large and globally top-ranked research university with expertise across a broad range of fields – equipped him with a multidisciplinary outlook that will set him up to succeed among the world-renowned ranks of the Rhodes community. That includes learning how neuroscience intersects with global issues such as mental health and climate change.

Moreover, Prompiengchai says he gained a range of perspectives from the �Թϱ�� community, by making friends at the International Students Centre and learning from global leaders as a Pearson Scholar.

And he has contributed his own perspective in turn.

“Regardless of what you’re interested in, you're going to get an extensive, long-term network of exceptional students and faculty from around the world,” he says of the university.

“Within this diverse set of networks, you also shape the place and make the place even more diverse. It’s a really good cycle of learning.”

Laura Ramos Barbosa

(supplied image)

When she arrived at �Թϱ�� in 2019, Laura Ramos Barbosa remembers going to the Centre for International Experience (CIE) with questions about everything from getting a Social Insurance Number to navigating the St. George campus.

Now, with a bachelor’s degree under her belt, Ramos Barbosa is the one doling out answers as a University Health Plan co-ordinator at CIE as she pursues a master’s in social work.

She’s among a number of international students who have gone on to work at CIE as part of a knowledge exchange that spans graduating classes and continents.

“When you get to speak to other international students, you get to build more of that community, interact with people from other places and find people with common backgrounds.”

Originally from Brazil, Ramos Barbosa lived in a number of different places before landing in Toronto. She says she’s brought these experiences to bear in the classroom, particularly during her undergraduate studies in women and gender studies and anthropology, giving peers a perspective into parts of the world with which they might not be familiar.

“I was always trying to connect my experiences and identity with my education,” she says. “I was able to bring those experiences to the table for other people to learn about and, on the other hand, I got to learn from other people's experiences.”

Four �Թϱ�� leaders speak to CBC News about being Black in academia, inspiring future generations

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 16:34:52 +0000

Four �Թϱ�� leaders speak to CBC News about being Black in academia, inspiring future generations

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 02/27/2024 - 11:34

Cutline

From left to right: Charmaine Williams, Njoki Nathani Wane, Rhonda McEwen and Catherine Chandler-Crichlow (image via CBC)

Topic

Black History Month

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

School of Continuing Studies

�Թϱ�� Mississauga

Victoria University

Charmaine Williams, Catherine Chandler-Crichlow, Rhonda McEwen and Njoki Nathani Wane – all leaders at the University of Toronto – recently sat down with CBC News’s Dwight Drummond to discuss their many accomplishments, as well as the challenges they faced, as Black women in academia.

Airing in time for Black History Month, the roundtable interview underscored the importance of inspiring future generations.

"I certainly think representation matters,” said Williams, professor and dean of �Թϱ��’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. “I think that it's important not only for Black students, but for other students who don't see people like them in this space, to see us representing that possibility.”

McEwen, president and vice-chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto, told Drummond she always believed she belonged in these spaces.

"I think in every one of our origin stories, somewhere along the line, some people built into us a belief that we could attain it and we could get it," said McEwen, who is also a professor at the Institute of Communications, Culture, Information and Technology at �Թϱ�� Mississauga.

Chandler-Crichlow, dean of �Թϱ��’s School of Continuing Studies, said she was told early in her career to learn the system.

“You don't lose your culture, but you have to understand where you are,” she explained. “Because if you don't understand where you are, then you can't play the game. And we must be bold enough to see we are in the game.”

Wane, a professor and chair of department of social justice education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, has told her children to not let racism put them down.

“What you need to focus on is that you are grounded in your cultural identity, you are grounded in your goals, you are grounded in your vision,” she said.

Watch the CBC News interview

‘Incredible leadership’: �Թϱ�� provost Cheryl Regehr leaves an enduring legacy

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 20:26:44 +0000

‘Incredible leadership’: �Թϱ�� provost Cheryl Regehr leaves an enduring legacy

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 12/19/2023 - 15:26

Cutline

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Presidential and Provostial Task Force on Student Mental Health

Academics

Cheryl Regehr

Faculty

Faculty of Arts & Science Staff

Graduate Students

Meric Gertler

Provost

Undergraduate Students

Subheadline

In her 10 years as vice-president and provost, Regehr championed student well-being, inclusive excellence and teaching innovation

Champion of student success and wellness. Advocate for inclusive excellence. Compassionate leader in times of crisis.

This is how members of the University of Toronto community describe Cheryl Regehr as she prepares to step down as vice-president and provost at the end of the year – leaving a legacy that will shape �Թϱ�� for generations to come.

At a recent reception, �Թϱ�� President Meric Gertler said Regehr has “always put the University of Toronto first” regardless of whether she was supporting students, strengthening diversity or guiding the university community through the COVID-19 pandemic – “the worst public health crisis in a century.”

He added that Regehr’s commitment to student success and well-being was the “North Star” that guided her efforts, citing her stewardship of the transformation of mental health service delivery at the university.

“This is typical of [Provost Regehr’s] work over the past decade – acknowledging a pressing challenge, developing an action plan driven by collegial consultation and expert leadership, embracing recommendations, outlining an ambitious agenda for change, and then rolling up her sleeves to get it done with equal measures of creativity, determination and charm.”

After spending a decade leading the university’s academic mission, Regehr will return to a full-time research and teaching role as a professor in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work on Jan. 1. She will be succeeded as �Թϱ��’s provost by Professor Trevor Young of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

Regehr was first appointed vice-president and provost in September 2013, before being reappointed in January 2015 and one more time in January 2020 – racking up awards and honours along the way. She previously served as vice-provost, academic programs and as dean of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, where she has been a faculty member since 1999.

Regehr’s work on championing teaching excellence, experiential learning, and building a caring and supportive environment for students stand out among her many signature achievements.

Her office created the “teaching stream” professorial ranks to emphasize the importance of teaching to �Թϱ��’s academic mission, devised funding streams to support teaching innovation and launched an array of teaching fellowships and awards. It also opened the doors to many opportunities for students to gain first-hand experience in subjects through summer abroad, co-op and work-study programs.

An expert in mental health, trauma and social work practice, Regehr also recognized the unique pressures faced by university-aged youth and advanced efforts to harmonize student mental health services across the three campuses. That included more funding for mental wellness and establishing a partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to create pathways for students requiring treatment for complex mental health problems.

As a result, �Թϱ�� students can now more easily access same- or next-day counselling in-person as well as 24-7 virtual support – part of a broader push to create a “stepped model of care” that prioritizes individually tailored treatment over lengthy assessments.

“I’m extremely proud of the work we have done on student mental health,” Regehr said in a recent interview for �Թϱ��’s Defy Gravity campaign. “Youth today are under immense pressure, and the pandemic exacerbated some of those stresses … in response to this, we’ve completely redesigned our mental health services to try to make sure that students who are struggling can get the assistance they need more quickly and responsively.”

Sandy Welsh, �Թϱ��’s vice-provost, students, said Regehr’s student focus stemmed just as much from her academic expertise as it did from a “deep sense that we need to listen to our students and can always do better for them” – including thinking constantly about improving every aspect of the student experience.

“There’s this creativity and thoughtfulness that she has. For example, she thinks about how our students move through and inhabit our three campuses,” said Welsh, adding that Regehr’s interest went far beyond ensuring there were ample spots to study. “There was a focus and encouragement to all three campuses and all the academic divisions to think about creating spaces where a commuting student who’s on campus all day can just sit in a comfortable place and relax.

“For Provost Regehr, the centre of her work is always, ‘How is this helping students?’”

In that vein, Regehr also accelerated �Թϱ��’s efforts to welcome more students from underrepresented backgrounds – with the number of access and outreach programs at �Թϱ�� growing from 30 to more than 135 since 2018. “We can only be great if we ensure that every single excellent student here in the city of Toronto believes the University of Toronto is a place for them, a place where they belong,” Regehr said during the launch of one of those programs, SEE �Թϱ��, in 2019.

Similar strides were made when it comes to making sure �Թϱ��’s faculty members better reflect the community in which �Թϱ�� resides, with Regehr overseeing the creation of the Diversity in Academic Hiring Fund that has resulted in the addition of 190 faculty from underrepresented groups – mostly Black and Indigenous – and post-doctoral fellowship programs for Black and Indigenous scholars.

Regehr also played a key role in advancing the university’s reckoning with various forms of racism, including collaborating with Indigenous community members to build a new Office of Indigenous Initiatives to strengthen reconciliation efforts. During her tenure, �Թϱ�� set up working groups to examine anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus and provide recommendations to support the university’s response.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early 2020, Regehr oversaw �Թϱ��’s efforts to provide academic continuity and supports as the university pivoted to a virtual learning environment.

“As we moved to remote, it meant figuring out new ways of managing things and continuing to support everyone as they tried to continue with their activities – and [Provost Regehr] provided incredible leadership through that,” said Vivek Goel, who served as special adviser to �Թϱ��’s president and provost on the pandemic and is now president of the University of Waterloo.

Regehr’s responsibilities as provost were carried out alongside distinguished scholarly work. During her 10 years in the role, she authored or co-authored more than 50 papers (including a paper describing �Թϱ��’s response to the pandemic, co-authored with Goel), and editions of four books.

“While I have continued to do research while I’ve been provost, I’m looking forward to focusing even more on this,” Regehr told the Defy Gravity campaign. She noted her work will explore topics like the impact of workplace stress and trauma on decision-making and cyber-violence against public service professionals.

Welsh said Regehr’s compassion and thoughtfulness were evident in the work environment she cultivated at �Թϱ��.

“She is just a beautiful combination of being direct around the priorities you need to focus on, but also encouraging your ideas and having compassion and understanding for the people that work with her and the challenges they may face,” Welsh said.

“I’ve learned a lot from her about what it means to be an academic administrator and a senior leader at the university. I’m going to miss her.”

Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, said academic leaders across �Թϱ��’s three campuses regarded Regehr with “widespread admiration.”

“Whenever we’re together, we inevitably end up in a conversation about the amazing qualities of our provost, Cheryl Regehr,” Woodin said during a recent event to honour the provost.

Regehr, for her part, told attendees at the same event she relished working with the expansive �Թϱ�� community during her many years in Simcoe Hall.

“I have loved being part of this incredible group of brilliant people,” she said. “Academic leaders, staff, faculty… and our students – our wonderful students – all of us working together as a team to ensure we achieve our mission of being a world-class institution with a local heart.”

A cancer survivor, �Թϱ�� grad Malia Robinson strives to support others on their healing journeys

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 18:29:41 +0000

A cancer survivor, �Թϱ�� grad Malia Robinson strives to support others on their healing journeys

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 11/08/2023 - 13:29

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Malia Robinson came to �Թϱ�� as a mature student via the Transitional Year Programme (supplied image)

Topic

Transitional Year Programme

Convocation 2023

Women and Gender Studies

Woodsworth College

Malia Robinson had to overcome an array of challenges to become a University of Toronto graduate. Arriving as a mature student amid a period of uncertainty and self-doubt, Robinson went on to complete an honours bachelor of arts degree in women and gender studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science, with minors in Buddhism, psychology and mental health, and contemporary Asian studies.

Along the way, she traveled to Central America for an experiential learning opportunity that altered the trajectory of her studies, volunteered at Women's College Hospital – having previously undergone surgery to treat cancer there – and won Woodsworth College's prestigious Brookfield Bronfman Gold Scholarship.

Now starting graduate studies in �Թϱ��'s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, Robinson recently spoke about her journey.

You came to �Թϱ�� through the Transitional Year Programme as a mature student – what made you want to study here?

I learned about �Թϱ��’s Transitional Year Programme at a difficult point in my life where I felt like I had hit rock-bottom and had zero prospects for the future. Seeing post-secondary as an opportunity to start over and build a brighter future, I swallowed my fear and made the decision to apply. Looking back, I can honestly say it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Why did you choose women and gender studies?

I wanted to learn as much as I could about the histories, systems and policies that contributed to the pain and dysfunction I was seeing in the world.

As I studied about the social determinants of health, gendered biases in medicine, colonialism in the Canadian context, systemic violence, and the social, cultural, physiological and mental impacts of intergenerational trauma, I felt overwhelmed by the depth of suffering in the world and was compelled to use my lived experiences and education to alleviate that suffering in some way.

I also realized that I needed to broaden my understanding of the world to be able to meet people where they are at. To do so, I enrolled in contemporary Asian studies and took courses in Latin American studies, which helped me understand colonialism and neoliberalism in different regional contexts. This introduced me to the different ways diverse cultures have reclaimed their languages and spaces, and decolonized their food systems, educational systems and healing practices.

In turn, these courses compelled me to deepen my understanding of healing trauma on an individual and societal level. To facilitate this, I enrolled in Buddhism, psychology & mental health, which gave me the skills needed to care for my own embodied trauma and inspired me to train in somatic therapies.

What personal challenges have you overcome during your studies?

The biggest challenge I faced was my limiting beliefs about what I was capable of achieving. With the immense support I received from the Transitional Year Programme, Woodsworth College, Accessibility Services, First Nations House, my professors, peers and partner, I was able to step outside of my comfort zone, make mistakes, learn from my failures and challenge myself in new and exciting ways.

Looking back, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow. And I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to make my Uncle Yogi proud and honour my Métis roots.

How did your studies take you to Central America?

In the summer of 2019, I participated in an experiential learning opportunity via the Dean's International & Indigenous Initiatives Fund, where I studied issues pertaining to Indigeneity and food sovereignty in Belize. This experience was one of the highlights of my undergraduate experience and was so impactful it changed the trajectory of my studies.

During this trip, I was inspired by the painstaking work that Indigenous Belizians undertook to revitalize the physical, emotional and generational health of their communities, and I came to the realization that I wanted to spend my life working in a similar capacity.

I really appreciated the guided tour of a local farm and getting the chance to learn about Mayan land rights, food systems and development initiatives. I believe that food is a powerful medicine and remember feeling inspired and humbled by the efforts locals undertook to protect their lands and traditional crops, and transmit their knowledge to the younger generations.

How did you become connected with Women’s College Hospital?

At the beginning of the pandemic, I underwent surgery at Women’s College Hospital to stop cervical cancer in its tracks. When I was in recovery, I was looking for a virtual opportunity to support folks during the crisis when I stumbled across New College’s Community Engaged Learning Program, which was looking for volunteers to help the Centre for Wise Practices in Indigenous Health draft a proposal to build a medicine garden at Women’s College Hospital.

At the time, I was struggling with the existential crisis that comes with anything cancer-related and felt like this was an incredible opportunity to channel my energy into building something meaningful that would support others who are at different stages of their healing journeys. I learned a lot during my placement and was excited to see the efforts of everyone involved give rise to a rooftop garden which officially opened this summer.

You started a master of social work at �Թϱ�� – what would you like to do in the future?

Once I’m qualified to offer counseling and work with trauma, I want to help people resolve their complex trauma issues and reconnect to their body’s inherent capacity for restorative sleep, health and wellness.

Given my incredibly positive personal experiences with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE), I wholeheartedly believe that somatic therapies – therapy that aims to treat PTSD and other mental and emotional health issues through the connection of mind and body – are the future of trauma therapy.

Because these therapies are still prohibitively expensive, I strive to provide accessible and affordable therapy to the people who need it most – and want to dedicate my life to supporting people on their healing journeys.

�Թϱ�� researchers receive grants for research projects that aim to transform lives

lanthierj — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 17:32:00 +0000

�Թϱ�� researchers receive grants for research projects that aim to transform lives

lanthierj Tue, 08/29/2023 - 13:32

Cutline

(photo by Dimensions/Getty Images)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Faculty of Law

Research & Innovation

SSHRC

Subheadline

Projects supported by SSHRC focus on girls and youth in sport, trans and gender diverse survivors of violence, and fighting poverty, racism and climate change

Catherine Sabiston, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) knows sport has the power to transform lives and boost mental health.

“Community sport is the most prevalent organized activity for youth in Canada and offers a multitude of benefits for growth and development, higher life satisfaction, positive peer relationships and development of leadership skills,” says Sabiston, who holds a Canada Research Chair in physical activity and mental health.

“Unfortunately, there is a discrepancy in the sport participation rates, commitment and sustained involvement among youth that is predominantly determined by gender, race and Indigeneity, ability, social class and weight identity factors, limiting sport’s potential for positive impact – particularly for girls.”

Sabiston aims to change all that through a new project that seeks to build equitable, diverse and inclusive participation, access and quality experiences in youth sport – with a special focus on improving community sport participation, access and quality experiences in sport for girls.

Called the “Partnership for Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive Participation, Access, and Quality Experiences in Youth Sport: Sport4All,” the project involves partnerships with 66 national sport organization leaders, researchers and sport advisers, including parents, coaches, officials, youth, and international experts.

Sabiston is one of two researchers at �Թϱ�� whose innovative research received support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) through Partnership Grants announced today. The grants support formal partnerships between academic researchers and community partners, other academic institutions and businesses that will advance knowledge and understanding on critical issues of intellectual, social, economic and cultural significance.

Janice Du Mont and Catherine Sabiston (photo of Sabiston by Jing-Ling Kao-Beserve)

Janice Du Mont, a senior scientist at Women’s College Research Institute and a professor at �Թϱ��’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, also received a Partnership Grant for her project, “The trans-LINK Canada Network: Partnering to create and exchange knowledge on supporting transgender and gender diverse survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence.”

“Trans and gender diverse persons face high rates of gender-based violence,” Du Mont says. “We are collaborating with diverse organizations across Canada to create a national network dedicated to working across sectors to generate the evidence, policies, protocols and curricula essential to better addressing the needs of trans and gender diverse survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence.”

Sabiston and Du Mont were each awarded the full amount of $2.5 million over 7 years for their projects.

“Professors Sabiston and Du Mont are addressing issues that are of critical importance to communities here in Canada and around the world through innovative and collaborative research projects,” says Professor Leah Cowen, �Թϱ��’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives. “The University of Toronto is grateful for the federal government support of their work, which has the potential to transform lives.”

Five researchers at �Թϱ�� were also awarded Partnership Development Grants (see list below) and a further 46 projects at the university received funding through Insight Grants, which support research excellence in the social sciences and humanities. The federal government announced the funding alongside its release of the new and renewed Canada Research Chairs – which included 36 �Թϱ�� faculty members.

For Sabiston, the Partnership Grant – the largest SSHRC grant in KPE’s history – will help accomplish four main goals that were co-developed and informed by the needs of partner organizations:

Document and describe how intersecting identities affect girls’ experiences of community sport.
Build a national sport data system to collect meaningful and timely data on community sport experiences and participation trends, and to identify predictors and outcomes of quality sport.
Develop, deliver, assess and standardize supportive resources for community sport leaders and girls to help foster participation, access and quality sport experiences.
Integrate and mobilize research outcomes to develop an open-access toolkit for organizations to collaborate on, engage in and contribute to the timely equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) issues in Canadian youth sport; and to secure a sustainable partnership model for researchers and community leaders.

The ultimate goal, Sabiston says, is to build a sustainable community youth sport institute.

“The Government of Canada recognizes that sport is transformative and plays an important role in building stronger and healthier communities across the country, especially in the aftermath of COVID-19,” she says. “This is the perfect time to innovate for sport access, participation and quality experiences for girls in Canada.

“Sport4All will change sport knowledge, innovate sport practices, evolve sport access, improve sport participation – and positively change sport experiences for girls in Canada.”

Here is the list of recipients of SSHRC Partnership Development Grants at �Թϱ��:

Anver Emon in the Faculty of Law for “Uncovering systemic Islamophobia in Canada”
Lin Fang in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work for “Asian Parents Participatory Action (APPA): A community-university partnership to curate an Asian-centred approach to talking about racism at home”
Fiona Miller in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the Dalla School of Public Health for “Strengthening health-care's contribution to city-led climate action: Exploring the potential of partnerships”
Sophie Soklaridis in the department of psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine for “The promotion process as an act of power: An institutional ethnography of faculties of medicine in Canada”
Daniyal Zuberi in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work for “Poverty reduction in the Peel Region: System mapping and community-engaged research”

Two �Թϱ�� faculties join forces to boost mental and physical health of local seniors

siddiq22 — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 16:45:47 +0000

Two �Թϱ�� faculties join forces to boost mental and physical health of local seniors

siddiq22 Fri, 07/28/2023 - 12:45

Cutline

Participants in the Work it Out, Talk it Out program, jointly created and run by �Թϱ�� social work and kinesiology professors and students, stretch in their chairs at the Jane/Finch Centre (photo courtesy Work it Out, Talk it Out)

Topic

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Mental Health

Subheadline

Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education partner with community centre

Two University of Toronto faculties are teaming up on a new pilot project that aims to improve the physical and mental health of local seniors through a combination of exercise and talk therapy.

Partnering with the Jane/Finch Centre in northwest Toronto – a multi-service community centre focusing on poverty reduction – the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education developed the Talk It Out, Work It Out program for the centre’s clients, particularly seniors.

Graduate students from each faculty also contributed to the program’s curriculum.

Kinesiology students focused on the “Work It Out” section of the program, where participants do some basic exercise before moving on to the “Talk It Out” part, where trained Master of Social Work students shepherd the clients into small groups so they can share their thoughts and concerns to the degree and depth they choose.

Over seven 1.5-hour sessions, the participants’ anxieties are soothed and their comfort level rises through the combination of physical stress release and expert peer support.

Catherine Sabiston and Lin Fang

“We planned it this way so that seniors could first get activated through exercise,” says Lin Fang, associate professor of social work and Factor-Inwentash Chair in Children’s Mental Health at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.

“Later on, as seniors were used to the Talk It Out section and needed more time for it, we switched it around so that they could have time to speak first. The program was designed to be fully integrated.”

The Talk It Out program was inspired by the growing mental health crisis during the pandemic, which hit marginalized communities hard.

Social work students were trained to provide free counselling sessions online or by phone, but Fang knew some seniors would remain resistant to the idea of counselling – even if it was free.

So she joined forces with Catherine Sabiston, a professor of exercise and sport psychology at the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education who holds a Canada Research Chair in physical activity and mental health. Sabiston had led a similar initiative called MoveU.HappyU – an exercise and mental-health coaching program overseen by KPE students from her lab to help �Թϱ�� students.

Both sets of graduate students partnered on adapting their programming to meet the needs of the senior clients Fang had in mind.

They’ve since seen real progress during the sessions at the Jane/Finch Centre, where many of the seniors initially lamented the lack of social support in their lives. Not only do they now have the support of the Talk It Out, Work It Out facilitators, but participants have been coming together themselves – making new walking buddies and friendships beyond the sessions.

“That’s the best part of ‘talking it out,’” says Jane/Finch Centre program worker Sandra Anderson.

“Everyone has a story. Your story reflects what you’re going through, but I can identify with it, too. By talking, we’ve helped each other make it through another day.”

Read the full story at the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Read the full story at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

New graduate credits �Թϱ��’s Transitional Year Programme for her success – and plans to pay it forward

siddiq22 — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 17:09:52 +0000

New graduate credits �Թϱ��’s Transitional Year Programme for her success – and plans to pay it forward

siddiq22 Fri, 06/16/2023 - 13:09

Cutline

Floria Kangootui, wearing traditional clothing from her homeland of Namibia, graduated this week after �Թϱ��'s Transitional Year Programme helped her achieve her dream of attending university (supplied image)

Topic

Transitional Year Programme

University College

Subheadline

After overcoming challenges to achieve her dream of attending university, Floria Kangootui aims to help others by drawing on her own experiences

As Floria Kangootui crosses the stage at Convocation Hall this week, she’ll be thinking about how far she’s come.

While the University of Toronto graduate always planned to continue her education when she fled Namibia for Canada 12 years ago, obstacles kept getting in the way – until she discovered the Transitional Year Programme (TYP).

“I wanted to go to a country where I would just feel safe and be who I am. I came not having any friends or family, not knowing anyone – I just made a huge decision to come here and really wanted to go to school,” recalls Kangootui, 40, who earned a bachelor’s degree in the Faculty of Arts & Science with a major in critical studies in equity and solidarity and a double minor in Indigenous studies and African studies.

“When I arrived, I came in as a refugee claimant and did not have my immigration status yet. Due to my challenges supporting my family back home, I dropped out of school. I didn’t know what to do – I didn’t have a voice for myself.”

Kangootui wears a stole from Black Grad 2023, a student-run celebration that highlights the accomplishments of Black graduates at �Թϱ�� (supplied image)

Kangootui, a member of University College, left Namibia because of societal pressures, including a longstanding tradition within her family to promise girls in marriage to their cousins, as well as deeply rooted homophobia within the country.

Once in Canada, she took a job in 2013 with a mining company in Timmins, Ont. – pushing her aspiration to finish high school even further off.

But when an Indigenous colleague at the company shared stories about residential school and the Sixties Scoop, Kangootui's desire to learn was rekindled.

“I really began questioning why I didn’t know anything about this history and realized I wanted to go back to school and learn more about the history of Canada.”

After becoming a single parent in 2016 and moving back to Toronto, she was set to study community services at college when a Facebook post about �Թϱ��’s Transitional Year Programme caught her eye.

The eight-month program, which helps adult students who have not completed high school enter university, offers supports – including an academic adviser, access to counselling, funding options, spaces to work and social events – to ensure students succeed in transitioning to undergraduate studies.

“I remember going to my first TYP meeting – it was opening doors to people who never would have had the qualifications or background to go to university,” Kangootui says.

Kangootui’s interest in social justice quickly found a home in her studies, which opened her eyes to inequities at home and abroad and underscored her desire to effect change.

“For example, I have people from my community who are LGBTQ – they don’t want to come out because of the stigma,” she says.

“Learning more about equity has really changed my understanding about so many things.”

Kangootui credits the TYP with allowing her to fulfil her dream of higher education – and for helping her to cultivate a network of peers who have overcome everything from addiction, language barriers, homelessness and more to work toward the same goal.

“Every story is so unique – most of us didn’t have parents who went to university. I think all of us realized that it was something we had to do,” she says. “The people that I have met in the program, we are still together to this day – it’s a real community.”

“Even though we may come from different backgrounds and speak different languages, we all still need a place where we feel that we belong.”

She’s also grateful for the mentorship and guidance of faculty and lecturers Francis Ahia, Stan Doyle-Wood, Chevy Eugene and Joanne Valin, as well as program director Lance McCready, registrar Shane Wallace and program administrator Maru Rodriguez.

“Floria was a committed, conscientious TYP student who built a strong network of support,” says McCready, associate professor of leadership, higher and adult education at �Թϱ��’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

“She is a shining of example of the transformative power of undergraduate studies and the importance of investing in education access for mature students.”

During her studies, Kangootui served as the upper-year representative of the African Studies Course Union and volunteered with Fife House, an organization providing supportive housing and support services to people living with HIV.

“Now I can understand others’ struggles based on my experience, and want to give back in any way I can. That’s my goal for the future,” she says.

Kangootui plans to live up to that commitment through the next step in her educational journey – she’ll start a master’s degree at �Թϱ��’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work in the fall – and hopes her achievement will inspire her seven-year-old daughter.

She has a simple message for others facing challenges on the path to university: “School does not have any age – we can all do it. If I was able to go to school given my whole journey, and as a single mother, then everyone can do it.”

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Derrick Rossi, the stem cell scientist who co-founded Moderna, receives honorary degree

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 20:04:37 +0000

Derrick Rossi, the stem cell scientist who co-founded Moderna, receives honorary degree Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 06/09/2023 - 16:04

Topic

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Honorary Degree

Vaccines

A stem cell scientist and successful biotechnology entrepreneur, Derrick Rossi knew he was onto something big in 2009, when his Harvard University lab was able to successfully modify messenger RNA – molecules that relay genetic information in the body.

He immediately recognized the potential to develop new treatments for disease and co-founded the biotechnology firm Moderna – the name a play on “modified mRNA.”

What the University of Toronto alumnus couldn’t anticipate at the time was the arrival, a decade later, of COVID-19 – and the role Moderna would ultimately play in developing a vaccine that would save countless millions of lives.

“That was not foreseen,” he told �Թϱ�� in 2021.

Today, for his ground-breaking scientific research that has been translated into effective therapeutics with global impact, and for his extraordinary contributions to global public health and biotechnology innovation, Rossi will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the University of Toronto.

Rossi was born in Toronto, the youngest of five children to Maltese immigrant parents. He attended Dr. Norman Bethune High School in Scarborough, where he says a science class instilled in him a passion for molecular biology. “As soon as I learned about molecular biology that was it, I knew what I wanted to be,” he told the National Post in 2020.

He went on to earn two degrees in molecular genetics at �Թϱ��, then a PhD from the University of Helsinki. He did a post-doc at Stanford University, and in 2007 was appointed assistant professor at Harvard University, where he ran his own lab.

From left: Dalla Lana School of Public Health Dean Adalsteinn Brown, Derrick Rossi, Chancellor Rose Patten and President Meric Gertler (photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Rossi’s research focused on stem cells. In particular, he was interested in determining whether he could modify the messenger RNA molecules to relay genetic code to human cells. “Genes and mutations in genes underlie pretty much all human genetic diseases, which is a large fraction of human diseases,” Rossi said in the interview with �Թϱ��.

He realized that if you could “reprogram” a cell to bypass bad genes and mutations, then you could, in theory, treat a large range of genetic disorders, from Parkinson’s disease to sickle cell anemia and more.

Rossi initially didn’t expect the discovery to serve as a platform for a new kind of vaccine. The reason was financial, not scientific: vaccines are generally not very profitable. “It’s not something that a biotech company would be thinking about because there’s not much money to be made there,” he told �Թϱ��.

The exception, it turns out, is a global pandemic.

Having undergone a career transition in 2010 from scientist to scientist-entrepreneur, Rossi says his research became increasingly focused on real-world applications. “As a biologist in a lab, you can answer a question that’s really interesting but isn’t going to move the needle on patient health at all,” he told �Թϱ��. “Or you can ask a different question that, if you get an answer to it, might solve a [patient’s] problem.

“As soon as I realized that, pretty much all the questions we asked in my lab had that type of focus.”

He notes that co-founding Moderna gave him the entrepreneurial “bug.” Since leaving the company in 2014 (he is still an investor), he has co-founded four other biotech startups: Intellia Therapeutics, which uses the genome editing technology CRISPR/Cas9 to create novel medicines for genetic diseases; Magenta Therapeutics, which is developing ways to use stem cell transplants to reset patients’ immune systems to cure autoimmune and other diseases; Stelexis Therapeutics, which focuses on the discovery of drug targets for cancerous stem cells: and Convalo Therapeutics, which has identified promising drug targets for treating neurological disorders.

Rossi, who retired from Harvard in 2018, is a recipient of the Princess of Asturias Award for scientific research – an honour previously conferred on Stephen Hawking and AI pioneer and �Թϱ�� University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton. He serves as a mentor at the Rotman School of Management’s Creative Destruction Lab and conducts many media interviews in an effort to expand public knowledge about vaccine efficacy and safety. In 2011, Time magazine named Rossi one of the world’s 100 most influential people.

In his convocation address today to graduate students in social work and public health, Rossi urges them to choose the road less travelled. “And if there isn’t a road there? That’s even better. Grab a machete and whack your way through the jungle of life, forging your own path. By doing so, you will maximize your life experience by colouring it in hues and pigments that you didn’t even know existed ... this is also a great strategy to prepare oneself for whatever may come your way in the future.”

Over her long career, �Թϱ�� alumna Ellen Sue Mesbur has seen and led change in social work education

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 26 May 2023 17:22:50 +0000

Over her long career, �Թϱ�� alumna Ellen Sue Mesbur has seen and led change in social work education

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 05/26/2023 - 13:22

Cutline

Ellen Sue Mesbur earned multiple degrees in social work from �Թϱ�� before going on to a long career in the field and in educating the next generation of social workers (supplied image)

Dale Duncan

Topic

Alumni