Convocation 2024

In photos: �r��’s graduating students celebrated at 2024 spring convocation

davidlee — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 15:52:33 +0000

In photos: �r��’s graduating students celebrated at 2024 spring convocation

davidlee Thu, 06/27/2024 - 11:52

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Family and friends cheer on graduating students as they cross the stage at Convocation Hall during one of 34 ceremonies this spring (photo by Johnny Guatto)

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Convocation 2024

The �r�� celebrated the graduation of more than 16,000 students this spring, some 13,000 of whom crossed the stage inside Convocation Hall, cheered on by friends and family.

Many members of the Class of 2024 began their studies at �r�� amid the early periods of the COVID-19 pandemic, showcasing admirable resilience and perseverance on their way to earning their degrees.

The ceremonies, held June 3-21, featured traditions that date back more than a century alongside more recently introduced elements such as the Eagle Feather Bearer leading the chancellor’s procession – and the inaugural appearance of the Eagle Feather Bearer’s Stole.

Here are some of the highlights of spring convocation ceremonies as captured by �r�� photographers:

A �r�� Mississauga grad receives a celebratory hug (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Convocation Hall is bathed in sunshine as new grads from �r�� Mississauga meet up with friends and family members (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

A graduand is all smiles during a �r�� Scarborough ceremony (photo by Ruilin Yuan)

A graduand’s service dog surveys their surroundings (photo by Polina Teif)

A graduating student receives congratulations on the big day (photo by Sally Lee)

Leanne Grosbeck, executive assistant in the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, leads a chancellor's procession as Eagle Feather Bearer (photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

A graduating student celebrates the culmination of years of hard work and dedication (photo by Johnny Guatto)

A former esthetician, �r�� grad looks forward to pursuing a new career as a lawyer

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 15:15:26 +0000

A former esthetician, �r�� grad looks forward to pursuing a new career as a lawyer

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 06/27/2024 - 11:15

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Kavery Bedar quit her job as an esthetician to further her education at �r�� – and is now looking forward to starting law school in the fall (supplied image)

Coby Zucker

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Our Community

Convocation 2024

Faculty of Arts & Science

Woodsworth College

Subheadline

Kavery Bedar went through the Academic Bridging Program at Woodsworth College as a mature student before earning her honours bachelor of arts degree

For Kavery Bedar, convocation marked the next step in a major career change from esthetician to future lawyer.

Bedar, who completed the Academic Bridging Program at Woodsworth College prior to starting her undergraduate degree, graduated with her honours bachelor of arts with a major in history and minors in sociology and critical studies in equity and solidarity.

Her accomplishments include her work on the hidden homelessness research and outreach project at Sistering, a non-profit organization and women's shelter, which was carried out in partnership with �r��’s Multidisciplinary Urban Capstone Project. The project led to the creation of a tool to assist women and gender-diverse people experiencing hidden homelessness in Toronto.

Bedar recently received her admission to Osgoode Hall Law School at York University. She spoke to Faculty of Arts & Science writer Coby Zucker about her decision to come to �r��, her experiences as a mature student and her ambitions for the future.

What made you decide to pursue your degree as a mature student?

After high school, I jumped into work. I worked as a makeup artist for about seven years, and then I transitioned to being an esthetician. I quit in February and although it was a fulfilling career, I couldn't see myself in it for another 20 years.

I felt like if I didn’t ever try, I would regret it. I don't mind trying and failing, but I think the biggest regret would have been not trying. Ultimately, it was about following my heart and then laying out a step-by-step action plan on how to achieve my dream.

How was your experience at the Academic Bridging Program at Woodsworth?

Coming in, I was really nervous. Would I be able to succeed? It's been a long time since I wrote an essay or did academic reading. I also was not a very strong student in high school. So even though I had the determination and the passion, I didn't know if I had the skills. The Academic Bridging Program really instilled those fundamental skills, like how to read an academic paper. They made me feel like there is no stupid question.

Can you tell us about Sistering and your work there as a community liaison?

Sistering is a 24-hour women's drop-in shelter. We serve women and gender diverse folks experiencing homelessness, poverty, social isolation and food insecurity. It's an amazing organization. My interest in the position also came from the social advocacy piece. After my undergrad, I’m going to law school – and the goal was always to do some type of human rights law or some type of social advocacy in my work. Hence why I quit the salon and now work full-time at Sistering. It aligns well with my career-change goal.

Were there any professors or courses that stood out to you as you reflect on your degree?

There are two professors specifically that I will carry in my heart forever. One is Jon Johnson. He was my professor in the Academic Bridging Program. He's been a great role model on how to think about social justice issues, how to talk about social justice issues and how to do it in a human, empathetic way.

Another professor who is just such a joy to be around is Nakanyike Musisi, who specializes in African history. When I got into law school, she actually got me a cake saying ‘Congratulations.’ She celebrated our achievements and our successes. In her fourth-year seminar, she challenged us to think deeper. And she just created this warm, fuzzy community in this massive institution.

Do you have any advice for others considering earning a degree as a mature student?

I would say just go for it. Just do it. It might not work for everyone but for me, the fear of trying something new is worth the risk because the payoff can be so amazing. The fact that I am actually going to go to law school is amazing to me. Nobody thought I could do it.

And really advocate for yourself. If there's one thing I've learned in my life, it's that although folks want what's best for you, sometimes they don't know what's best for you. You are the expert of your life. Advocate for yourself, especially for women, who are sometimes socialized to not talk as loud or be as open.

�r�� grad completes a journey that began over 50 years ago

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 13:44:23 +0000

�r�� grad completes a journey that began over 50 years ago

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 06/26/2024 - 09:44

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Patrick Elo says the education he received at �r�� enriched his life and expanded his horizons (supplied image)

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Convocation 2024

St. Michael's College

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Patrick Elo started at St. Michael's College in 1972, completed his course requirements in 2000 - and graduated this June

When Patrick Elo crossed the stage at Convocation Hall this June, it marked the culmination of a goal that he first began pursuing more than half a century ago.

The newly-minted St. Michael’s College grad started studying at the �r�� in 1972. In the years that followed, he moved between full-time and part-time studies before settling into a career as a men’s clothing salesman.

Recently, while trying to renew his �r�� library privileges, he learned that he had completed his course requirements back in 2000 but never received his diploma. “I had completely forgot about it,” he says. The St. Michael's College Office of the Registrar confirmed he had completed the 15 courses required for a three-year Bachelor of Arts degree.

Elo says his education has expanded his horizons – and he wanted to mark the accomplishment. “My education has certainly helped me. It has enriched my ability to communicate and conversations are a little bit deeper,” he says. “I’m not [graduating] to show off or anything. It’s for personal reasons to honour what I did and the effort I made.”

Elo was 21 when he started at �r��. Having attended the Basilian-run Michael Power High School in Toronto, he felt a natural connection to St. Michael’s College, which was also founded by Basilians. However, he was unable to complete his degree in one go. “I did complete some courses in my 20s, but I was not persistent in my studies,” he says.

In the late 1980s, he returned to �r�� to achieve a personal ambition of reading the texts of Homer in the original ancient Greek – a language that he held a fascination for since reading the great myths as a child. “Children’s stories are all retold Greek myths. I was attracted to the legendary world,” he says.

Alongside his studies, he was advancing in his career as a men’s clothing salesman. “I would come down to the campus early in the morning and have breakfast in Yorkville and go to class for 9 a.m. Afterwards I would go home or go directly to work for an afternoon or evening shift," he says. “I worked at Yorkdale at the time. I was getting up at 5:30 a.m. to study Greek and going to bed at midnight.”

Elo began to excel in his studies, earning a place on the Dean’s List. In his third year, he was recognized as the top student in the Greek program. He took his final course, a fourth-year seminar course on the Athenian general Thucydides, when he was 49 years old.

He then needed to focus his energies elsewhere: his career, buying a house and recovering from neck surgery. “When I was studying Greek, I would study sometimes for six hours without stop. My posture was so bad that it took me some years to learn how to erect myself properly and I was very reluctant to read at length,” he says.

Nowadays, Elo continues to delve into the Greek myths that drew him back to �r�� in the ‘80s, reading parts of the Iliad and Odyssey. “From time to time, I still go back to the ancient Greek and dip into it and review.”

This fall, he will travel to Italy – his first trip to Europe – and visit the ancient sites that inspired his love of the classics. He also hopes to continue his education by auditing courses.

Reflecting on his experiences as a mature student, Elo says the age gap between him and younger students was never a barrier. “You’re sharing a passion and a common interest that you’re devoting so much of your energy and your time to. It doesn’t really matter what the age is,” he says. “It was very wonderful to work with young people and to see their effort and intelligence.”

�r��'s top undergraduate says he fell in love with the process of learning

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 14:13:32 +0000

�r��'s top undergraduate says he fell in love with the process of learning

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 06/25/2024 - 10:13

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Jeff Chen achieved perfect grades in 17 of his 46 courses on his way to graduating with a bachelor of applied science in civil engineering (photo by Bronson Lo)

Safa Jinje

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Our Community

Convocation 2024

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Subheadline

Jeff Chen was awarded the 2024 John Black Aird Scholarship as the top student from an undergraduate degree program at �r��

Jeff Chen says he's always prioritized his academics, but what really elevated his performance to the next level was pouring his energies into the process of learning and self-improvement – rather than obsessing over the outcome.

“In my first year, I spent a lot of time anticipating the marks I would need to get a 4.0 GPA,” says Chen. “I stopped doing that in second year and cared more about the effort I put in to get the result.”

The approach bore fruit. Chen graduated this June with his bachelor of applied science in civil engineering, achieving 100 per cent in 17 of his 46 courses for an overall average of 96.5 per cent – the highest among his cohort of graduates across �r��’s three campuses.

His performance earned him the 2024 John Black Aird Scholarship, which is awarded annually to the top student from an undergraduate degree program at �r��. His stellar academic record also led to him receiving a Governor General’s Silver Medal.

“This honestly wasn’t something I was expecting but I am immensely grateful,” says Chen. “I am treating these awards as a culmination of four years of hard work.”

Chen adopted a methodical process to course work, starting his mornings by writing a list of what he wanted to accomplish that day. The items would be small, such as studying lecture notes for 15-minute increments, and he preferred to spread assignments and projects across several days. “I found that breaking things up helped me not get distracted and everything was continually fresh in my mind,” he says.

Chen also applied the same approach to his pastimes, which include playing chess, hiking and working out. “My hobbies allow for me to set and fulfill goals in the same way I approach my academics,” he says. “I’ve recently gotten into powerlifting, and I always aim to hit higher weights for the squat, bench and deadlift.”

One of the highlights of Chen’s undergraduate career at �r�� was his fourth-year thesis, which explored the use of deep neural networks – a form of artificial intelligence – to predict the behaviour of structures during earthquakes.

The research focused on the seismic response of structural systems that exhibit non-linear stress-strain behaviour when subjected to strong forces. “Under an earthquake, dynamic forces on the structure are often strong enough that they enter this non-linear range, which has complex, difficult-to-predict behaviour,” Chen says.

The work, supervised by Professor Oh-Sung Kwon of the department of civil and mineral engineering, began when Chen received an undergraduate summer research award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

“The thesis project was completely open-ended and self-directed, unlike my course work, where outcomes are determined by the professors,” Chen says. “I got to explore the intersection between artificial intelligence and structural engineering, and how we can utilize deep neural networks to design better and more resilient structures in the case of disasters.

“I really enjoyed the challenge of working on this research, so I spent a lot of time on it.”

This fall, Chen will take on his next academic challenge as a law student at the University of California, Berkeley. He says he’s looking forward to gaining foundational legal knowledge during his first year of law school before committing to a specific area of law. “I am keeping my options open, but I know my engineering degree will be useful, especially if I go into intellectual property law, since working on patents can be very technical.”

Reflecting on his time at �r��, Chen says he hopes his experiences will inspire other students to enjoy the journey of higher learning.

“�r�� has opened many doors for me and there are many paths I can take going forward.”

In photos: Student-run Black Grad event celebrates community, culture and excellence

davidlee — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 16:47:24 +0000

In photos: Student-run Black Grad event celebrates community, culture and excellence

davidlee Mon, 06/24/2024 - 12:47

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Graduating students and recent graduates from across the three campuses sit in Hart House’s Great Hall during the student-run Black Grad celebration, organized annually by �r��'s Black Student Association (all photos by Polina Teif)

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"Your success is not just personal, but a beacon of hope and inspiration for future generations"

Peals of applause reverberated through Hart House’s Great Hall as dozens of graduates and graduating students at the �r�� took to the stage at the Black Student Association’s annual Black Grad celebration, which brings together �r�� community members from across the three campuses.

Taking a page from their U.S. peers, students at �r�� began organizing Black Grad celebrations in 2017 as a way to honour students’ resilience, diversity and academic accomplishments.

�r�� News writer Adina Bresge and interactive digital producer Polina Teif captured the celebration earlier this month:

(photo by Polina Teif)

Rows of graduates and graduating students waited to be called to the stage, where each was congratulated by ambassadors from across �r��’s three campuses.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Doyin Adeyemi, president of �r��'s Black Students' Association and head of the 2024 Black Grad Planning Committee, said she was honoured to be in a room filled with such Black excellence, acknowledging the challenges her fellow graduates had faced to reach this milestone.

“Your success is not just personal, but a beacon of hope and inspiration for future generations,” Adeyemi said.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Meshach Homer said the significance of the occasion hit him as soon as he donned his kente stole.

“When I got here and I saw so many Black people like me, it just feels like we've achieved something so great,” says Homer, who was graduating with an honours bachelor of arts degree from the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology at �r�� Mississauga.

He says the milestone was all the more special because he was sharing it with his mother, who flew in from Trinidad to see the son she’d raised as a single parent graduate from one of the world’s top universities.

“It’s a big thing to see me happy for all that I have achieved and all that she has achieved raising me the way I am.”

(photo by Polina Teif)

After the proceedings, graduates reunited with friends and family at a reception for hugs, photos and food.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Hannah Flores, a spoken word poet, scientist and life sciences student at New College in the Faculty of Arts & Science, performed a piece dedicated to “the only Black student in the room.”

In keeping with the 2024 theme, “Legacy in Motion: Passing the Baton of Excellence,” the student-run event’s speakers and performers recognized the rich tradition of Black community, culture, and excellence and reminded graduates of their role in carrying forward that mission of empowerment.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Dozens of graduates gathered in the Hart House courtyard for a Class of 2024 portrait.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Naomi Tekle Kiros said attending Black Grad felt like the culmination of a dream she’s been working toward since Grade 8.

“I felt that I was truly honoured and rewarded for what I've accomplished at this campus,” said Kiros, who is graduating with an honours bachelor of arts degree with a double major in sociology and critical studies in equity and solidarity.

Wearing the stole provided by the organizers, a traditional Ethiopian kemis and gold headpiece, Kiros said she was overwhelmed by the sense of fellowship and community permeating the hall and wanted her outfit to highlight how her heritage has shaped her vision for the future and plans to go to law school.

‘Not in my wildest dreams’: Refugee Jaivet Ealom on his journey to become a �r�� grad

mattimar — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 14:05:45 +0000

‘Not in my wildest dreams’: Refugee Jaivet Ealom on his journey to become a �r�� grad

mattimar Mon, 06/24/2024 - 10:05

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Jaivet Ealom, who arrived in Canada in 2017 after fleeing Myanmar four years earlier, stands in front of �r��’s Convocation Hall (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Political Science

University College

Subheadline

A member of the persecuted Rohingya minority in Myanmar, Jaivet Ealom fled the country in 2013 and travelled across three continents in search of asylum – surviving a near-drowning and several detentions along the way

As a teenager in Myanmar, Jaivet Ealom says he could hardly have imagined one day graduating from the �r�� with a double major in economics and political science.

“Not in my wildest dreams,” he says, noting that he’s now taking steps “to bring everything I’ve gained and learned” to help others who are suffering around the world.

Ealom’s incredible journey to �r��’s Convocation Hall began in 2013 with a harrowing escape from the Southeast Asian country where, as a member of the persecuted Rohingya minority, he faced systemic discrimination and was denied citizenship rights.

He left everything he knew behind, travelling through six countries and across three continents in search of asylum – and surviving a near-drowning and multiple detentions along the way.

(photo by Lisa Lighbourn)

Arriving in Canada in 2017, Ealom later began studies in �r��’s Faculty of Arts & Science as a member of University College. He also co-founded the Rohingya Centre of Canada and a refugee-focused non-profit called Northern Lights Canada, is a member of the Refugee Advisory Network of Canada and has attended forums for the UN Refugee Agency on resettlement.

Amid his advocacy work, he also found time to write his first book: Escape from Manus Prison: One Man’s Daring Quest for Freedom, detailing his triumphant journey.

As he crossed the stage inside Convocation Hall last week, Ealom says a sense of relief washed over him – the closing of one chapter and beginning of another.

He says his time at �r�� has helped him make sense of his tumultuous journey – and define his goals for the future.

“I only understood the symptoms of the problem because I have been the one on the suffering side,” Ealom says, adding that he initially viewed the issue purely as a humanitarian one.

“Academia helped me understand that it’s also a political problem and the refugees are a result of policies and discriminatory law.”

(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

After graduation, Ealom plans to dive into his policy work and advocate for representation of the Rohingya people in Myanmar’s politics following decades of persecution and disfranchisement.

He is currently working with a group of about 40 to form the Rohingya Consultative Council, which is hoping to feed into the National Unity Consultative Council – an advisory body to the National Unity Government of Myanmar.

“The Rohingya are the only group who don’t have a representative body there,” says Ealom, adding that through the Rohingya Consultative Council he hopes to achieve two goals: have a seat at the table; and define and build capacity for who sits in that seat.

He says he feels a sense of responsibility to use his privilege – and his �r�� education – to do what other members of his community may not be able to do on their own: achieve equality and justice for the Rohingya community in Myanmar.

Philanthropists, volunteers and dedicated alumni, Brian and Joannah Lawson receive �r�� honorary degrees

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 20:29:02 +0000

Philanthropists, volunteers and dedicated alumni, Brian and Joannah Lawson receive �r�� honorary degrees Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 06/21/2024 - 16:29

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(image by Lisa Sakulensky)

Scott Anderson

Topic

Our Community

Convocation 2024

Joannah & Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition

Alumni

Faculty of Arts & Science

Honorary Degree

Trinity College

University College

Together, they have inspired countless others with their thoughtful leadership and generous spirit. And as donors, they like to think ahead. With an eye on future generations, Joannah and Brian Lawson have made climate change and child nutrition central to their philanthropy, including at the �r��.

Today, for their outstanding service to the university as supporters, ambassadors and thoughtful advisers, and for their commitment to making a positive difference in everything they do, the Lawsons will each receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from �r��.

Raised in Toronto, Brian attended �r��, earning a bachelor of arts degree in 1982, with an emphasis on economics and computer science. After graduation, he joined Touche Ross (now Deloitte) and decided to study accounting, becoming a chartered accountant in 1985.

Joannah, who also grew up in Toronto, completed a master’s degree in industrial relations at �r�� in 1989.

Brian joined Brookfield, an investment firm, in 1988 and soon moved into senior roles, including chief financial officer of Brookfield Asset Management, which he held from 2002 to 2020. In 2013, he was selected as Canada’s CFO of the year by Financial Executives International Canada, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Robert Half International.

During Brian’s tenure as CFO, Brookfield evolved into a large, global investment firm, with assets under management of US$600 billion in 2020 and operations in more than 20 countries – principally in Canada, the United States, Australia and Brazil.

(photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Joannah, meanwhile, worked in change management in the high-tech sector before launching a second career as a nutritionist in 2012 via her own consulting business: Appetite for Change.

She is also co-founder and president of the Brian and Joannah Lawson Family Foundation, which collaborates with other philanthropic foundations, not-for-profits, universities and think tanks to make food systems around the world healthier and more sustainable. The couple created the foundation in 2008 to advance two causes they believe in: addressing climate change and promoting healthy dietary patterns. Joannah has since shifted her focus to leading the foundation.

“Our particular emphasis is on supporting and sponsoring initiatives that improve the health and well-being of our communities [and] the environment,” Brian told the Globe and Mail in 2014.

In an interview with �r��, Joannah drew a connection between healthy food and sustainability, noting that “nutrient-empty foods take a heavy toll on the planet.”

These concerns are reflected in how the couple has supported �r�� philanthropically, with significant donations to establish the Lawson Centre for Sustainability at Trinity College and the Joannah and Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

They view their focus on child nutrition as strategic, adding that a person’s first few years is a critical window for lifelong health. “If you start changing things in childhood, you have the greatest opportunity to have a bigger impact on a person’s life,” Joannah told the Temerty Faculty of Medicine in 2017. “It’s going further upstream to get to the root of the problem.”

“It’s an inflection point for parents too,” Brian said in the same interview. “Parents often start trying to eat healthier when kids come along, so focusing on children benefits the whole family.”

“Ultimately,” Joannah said, “the number one thing we’re doing is setting out to prevent chronic disease. If you prevent chronic disease, you reduce suffering, improve quality of life and improve economic outcomes. It’s a win-win-win.”

Both Brian and Joannah have volunteered extensively with �r��. Brian is chancellor of Trinity College, co-chair of the Defy Gravity Campaign and a past chair of �r��’s Governing Council. Joannah is a past member of the Trinity College Board of Trustees and continues to serve as an adviser to the college. Together, they have served as co-chairs of the campaign cabinet at �r��’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and on the Boundless Campaign executive

Both have received the university’s Arbor Award for volunteer service, and honorary doctorates from Trinity College.

In his speech today, Brian urged graduates of Trinity and University colleges to focus their efforts on opportunities that tick three boxes: what they’re good at, what they’re passionate about and where they can make a difference. “Think of how you want the world to be – and exemplify that yourself,” he said. “People around you will notice. And that might be the greatest impact of all.”

In her speech, Joannah encouraged graduates to draw inspiration from others. “Find out who is already working on the issues you care about most, and look for ways to contribute, either directly by working with them or indirectly by building on their work.”

And if no one else is working on the issue? “Lead the way.”

After almost losing her mother, �r�� grad dedicates herself to understanding brain disorders

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 19:16:10 +0000

After almost losing her mother, �r�� grad dedicates herself to understanding brain disorders

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 06/21/2024 - 15:16

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Olivia Hawco, whose research seeks to understand and treat brain disorders, is graduating from �r�� Scarborough with an honours bachelor of science degree and plans to become a clinician-scientist (photo by Don Campbell)

Topic

Research & Innovation

�r�� Scarborough

Subheadline

“The only thing I wanted when I was a little girl was for my mom to be OK. And I want that for other people, too”

Olivia Hawco was eight years old when she heard a scream from the bathroom – it was her mom, who had just felt something pop in her brain.

Hours later, Hawco learned her mom had suffered a massive stroke, the kind that kills most people before they can even get to the hospital. She was given a 50 per cent chance of surviving.

Doctors couldn’t operate or intervene, so they transferred her to another hospital for more tests. Miraculously, they found the bleeding in her brain had spontaneously healed itself.

“I remember the neurologist saying, ‘Your mom won the lottery,’” says Hawco, who is graduating from the �r�� Scarborough with an honours bachelor of science degree and plans to become a clinician-scientist. “The only thing I wanted when I was a little girl was for my mom to be OK. And I want that for other people, too.”

Her mother’s recovery was difficult. She was hospitalized for a week and had to relearn how to walk. Doctors never figured out how she healed herself so suddenly, or why her only lasting symptom was minor difficulties with short-term memories.

The harrowing experience ignited Hawco’s lifelong passion to understand and treat brain diseases – and ultimately prevent them from happening in the first place.

At age 16, Hawco began volunteering at the Markham Stouffville Hospital, where her mom was initially treated. She started in the gift shop as a cashier and worked her way through the wings, assisting with CT scans, cardiology and oncology, and eventually helping in the same ICU where her mother almost died.

It was difficult to be back in that space, Hawco says, but that only made her more certain she was on the right path.

She later enrolled at �r�� Scarborough to pursue a specialist in human biology and, in her third year, took a course taught by Assistant Professor Kathlyn Gan in the department of biological sciences. Hawco grew fascinated with Gan’s neuroscience research and eventually landed a position in Gan’s lab, where she has remained ever since.

“Although she joined my lab with no prior research experience, Olivia quickly grasped a wide variety of sophisticated experimental techniques that can elude experienced trainees,” Gan says. “Notably, she designed and executed her own undergraduate research project from scratch, systematically troubleshooting and optimizing her own experiments.”

Hawco is investigating neurons, the cells responsible for transmitting information around the brain. More specifically, she’s studying how neurons communicate by linking to one another through connections called synapses. Synapses degrade over time, leading to many of the aspects of aging that people dread, including memory loss, cognitive decline and dementia.

For her undergraduate thesis, Hawco focused on a protein called SLIT1, which guides neurons to their proper place during early brain development. Hawco suspected SLIT1 could also be impacting the way neurons connect to one another. By working backwards, Hawco is examining how the brain first forms to hopefully create a drug or treatment that can help a damaged brain reform.

“If you're able to form synaptic connections and prevent neuronal death sooner after a stroke, you wouldn't have the same detrimental side effects,” she says. “Maybe that can prevent some of the cognitive decline we see.”

Her work earned her the prestigious NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award last year and she will be supported by the NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s Program as she prepares to build on her data and embark on more experiments during her master’s degree this fall. She also won the �r�� Excellence Award to support her research this summer.

Along with her family, Hawco credits the support she received from her mentors in the department of biological sciences, including Gan and faculty members Aarthi Ashok and Emily Bell. When she wasn’t in the lab, Hawco was involved in several campus clubs, including the Biology Students Association and MedLife, a non-profit that partners with low-income communities in Latin America and Africa to improve access to medicine, education and community development projects.

Hawco also played soccer for most of her life and became a referee when she was just 16 – a role that she credits for having an influence well beyond the pitch.

“Being a referee was hard as a young girl. You have parents – grown men – yelling at you and it can be daunting. I’ve heard my fair share of sexist comments. But I wouldn't trade it for anything, because it's made me realize the importance of confidence, having a thick skin, being a leader and advocating for yourself.”

Renowned architect Bruce Kuwabara receives �r�� honorary degree

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 19:40:50 +0000

Renowned architect Bruce Kuwabara receives �r�� honorary degree Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 06/20/2024 - 15:40

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(photo by Steve Frost)

Topic

John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture

One of Canada’s most distinguished architects, Bruce Kuwabara has designed some of the country’s finest structures. An accomplished city-builder, he is also a valued campus-builder – a �r�� alum who has helped shape the university’s development and contributed to the success of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

Today, for his superlative architectural and design sensibility, and for his outstanding contributions to the university, Kuwabara will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from �r��.

Born in Hamilton, Ont in 1949, Kuwabara earned a degree in architecture from �r�� in 1972. After graduating, he joined the teaching studio of architect George Baird, whose interest in public spaces, Jane Jacobs and Scandinavian urban design influenced how Kuwabara thought about city-building. (Decades later, Baird would serve as dean of the Daniels Faculty.)

Following the apprenticeship with Baird, Kuwabara joined Barton Myers Associates, where he worked for 12 years. When Myers left in 1987, he handed over his Toronto practice to Kuwabara and two of his fellow associates at the firm – Marianne McKenna and Shirley Blumberg – and a friend, Thomas Payne. Together, they created the new firm KPMB. (Payne ventured out on his own in 2013, but the remaining principals kept the “P.”)

As an architect – and a citizen – Kuwabara is deeply engaged with how architecture and landscape design can work together to bring about a more diverse, equitable and sustainable city. In his projects, he aims to marry performance with aesthetics in ways that improve people’s well-being, while also being kind to the planet. His philosophy is visible in the evolution of Waterfront Toronto and �r��, where he has helped steer design choices to create a greater number of beautiful and vibrant public spaces.

(photo by Steve Frost)

His work in Toronto includes cultural and academic institutions such as the Gardiner Museum, the Rotman School of Management, Canada’s National Ballet School and TIFF Bell Lightbox, in which he often blends contemporary details with historical elements. His designs for Kitchener City Hall, Richmond City Hall and Vaughan City Hall have all won Governor General’s Medals in Architecture. “What’s important to [KPMB] is to be very consistently good,” Kuwabara told the Globe and Mail in 2014.

Larry Richards (who has also served as dean of the Daniels Faculty) wrote in Canadian Architect that “Kuwabara’s agenda is not just about making objects and places of great beauty but something more active, more profound. Something that is simultaneously both culturally stabilizing and transforming.”

As part of his creative process, Kuwabara still sketches every day, putting ideas onto paper at every stage of design. In an interview with the CBC earlier this year, he described what he does as a “tug of war” between his “intuition about what things should be like” and “the reality of not having it all figured out…. For me, it’s a way of tracking thought.”

His colleagues have tried to convince him to switch to a computer or tablet, but he prefers the old-fashioned way. “The key,” he told the CBC, “is to find a way to slow things down so you can actually make a really good decision ... There’s so much flux, there’s so much confusion, there’s so much thrown at you every single day.”

In Kuwabara’s body of work, it’s difficult to discern a single, unifying “look.” Globe and Mail architecture critic Alex Bozikovic observed two commonalities in his 2014 article: “an intense attention to the public realm” (such as creating spaces for people to gather) and “carefully conceived details and material choices.”

“Those two impulses – to look out to the city and inward to small things – have been KPMB’s since the beginning,” Bozikovic wrote.

Even before climate change became the high-profile issue it is today, Kuwabara found ways to integrate sustainability into his practice. As the principal designer for the Canadian Embassy in Berlin, he studied international strategies for reducing energy consumption, and continued to put the ideas into use when he returned home.

The foundation for his commitment to sustainability formed early. In his 2006 acceptance speech for the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal (the country’s highest award for architecture), Kuwabara made a connection between the tropical fish he kept as a child and his green mindset: “Aquariums are finite ecologies, fragile environments within which everything needs to be balanced and maintained,” he said.

In his convocation address to this year’s architecture graduates, Kuwabara encouraged them to think about the challenges of the day. “We have a collective responsibility as architects, landscape architects, urban designers, visual artists and foresters to engage with the issues of our time. We can only be contemporary. Your area of study will be meaningful if it serves the needs of society and the world.

“Develop your natural intelligence while asking what you can do to enhance the lives of others. Keep working towards making the world we want. Keep reminding yourself to move beyond ‘what’s good for me is all that counts.’ Keep thinking and acting in citizenship.”

Kuwabara is an officer of the Order of Canada. His firm, KPMB, has won 18 Governor General Awards, with Kuwabara himself the lead partner on 14 of the winning projects.

History-making politician and educator Zanana Akande receives �r�� honorary degree

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 18:52:41 +0000

History-making politician and educator Zanana Akande receives �r�� honorary degree Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 06/19/2024 - 14:52

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(photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

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Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

A passionate and determined advocate for social justice, Zanana Akande made history in Canada as the first Black woman to serve as a cabinet minister. As an educator and community-builder in Toronto, she has dedicated her career to the well-being of others, particularly those in marginalized communities.

Today, for her tireless leadership in public service and her fearless advocacy for equity and diversity, Akande will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the �r��.

Born in downtown Toronto in 1937 to parents from St. Lucia and Barbados, Akande attended Harbord Collegiate Institute and then �r��, where she earned bachelor of arts and master of education degrees. In training to be an educator, she was following in the footsteps of her parents, who had worked as teachers in the Caribbean but were denied positions in Canada because of their backgrounds. Akande went on to teach in the Toronto District School Board, where she also served as a vice-principal and principal.

Akande says her parents stressed the importance of education and credits her father, in particular, for cultivating in her a sense of social justice and a desire for change. “Both of my parents were interested in politics,” she told the Financial Post in 2018, “but it was really my father who encouraged us from a very young age to watch the news and consider why certain decisions were being made.”

As a citizen, Akande identified with the platform of the New Democrat Party and helped with canvassing during elections. “I supported their platform because I thought it spoke to the issues that were most unfair and needed to be addressed,” she told The Kit in 2018.

(photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

In 1990, just two weeks before the Ontario election, the NDP approached Akande about being a candidate. She accepted and ran in the Toronto riding of St. Andrew-St. Patrick – and won, becoming the first Black woman elected to the provincial legislature. When Premier Bob Rae named her Minister of Community and Social Services, she became Canada’s first Black woman ever appointed to a cabinet position.

Reflecting on her achievement many years later, Akande said being first was important because it opened the door for others. “It becomes more possible to elect another Black person, so that it seems not that exceptional,” she told The Kit.

But being first through the door isn’t easy. Akande made progress on issues such as employment equity and services for youth and the elderly, but later spoke about the challenges she faced as a Black woman in government.

“Change is not always welcomed,” she told The Kit. “The default position for many of the people in government is white male.”

After leaving politics in 1994, Akande continued to work for change. She told The Kit, “I felt I could do more on the outside, which I continued to do working for long-term care and integrated services for children.”

Akande returned to the school board as a principal. She served on numerous boards, including the YMCA and Centennial College. She was president of Harbourfront Centre, and a founding board member of Milestone Radio, the owner of Canada’s first urban music radio station. She also co-founded Tiger Lily, a magazine for women of colour. Until 2021, she served as the chair of the board of the Black Legal Action Centre.

In her speech to graduates of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education today, Akande urged them to get involved in their community and to act on behalf of others. “Take a stance about issues – not only those that affect you and yours directly, but also those that affect the learning, the inclusion, the direction and the rights and paths of others.”

Akande has received many awards recognizing her commitment to education and community-building. In 2018, she was selected one of the women of distinction by the YWCA Toronto, and presented the key to the City of Toronto by Mayor John Tory for her work in equity and social justice.

At the key-to-the-city ceremony, then-mayor Tory praised Akande’s “unwavering belief in the human spirit” and “how deeply she cares about other people.

“She has found ways to improve the lives of other people and to lift them up in many different ways,” he said.

Convocation 2024

In photos: �r����’s graduating students celebrated at 2024 spring convocation

A former esthetician, �r���� grad looks forward to pursuing a new career as a lawyer

�r���� grad completes a journey that began over 50 years ago

�r����'s top undergraduate says he fell in love with the process of learning

In photos: Student-run Black Grad event celebrates community, culture and excellence

‘Not in my wildest dreams’: Refugee Jaivet Ealom on his journey to become a �r���� grad

Read more about Jaivet Ealom in �r���� Magazine

Philanthropists, volunteers and dedicated alumni, Brian and Joannah Lawson receive �r���� honorary degrees

After almost losing her mother, �r���� grad dedicates herself to understanding brain disorders

Renowned architect Bruce Kuwabara receives �r���� honorary degree

History-making politician and educator Zanana Akande receives �r���� honorary degree

In photos: �r��’s graduating students celebrated at 2024 spring convocation

A former esthetician, �r�� grad looks forward to pursuing a new career as a lawyer

�r�� grad completes a journey that began over 50 years ago

�r��'s top undergraduate says he fell in love with the process of learning

‘Not in my wildest dreams’: Refugee Jaivet Ealom on his journey to become a �r�� grad

Read more about Jaivet Ealom in �r�� Magazine

Philanthropists, volunteers and dedicated alumni, Brian and Joannah Lawson receive �r�� honorary degrees

After almost losing her mother, �r�� grad dedicates herself to understanding brain disorders

Renowned architect Bruce Kuwabara receives �r�� honorary degree

History-making politician and educator Zanana Akande receives �r�� honorary degree