#UofTGrad17

�鶹��Ƶ in videos: The best of 2017

vzaretski — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 05:00:00 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ in videos: The best of 2017

vzaretski Thu, 12/14/2017 - 00:00

Cutline

Richard Marsella, executive director of the Regent Park School of Music and �鶹��Ƶ PhD student, was featured this year in an episode of the On Location series (photo by Romi Levine)

Veronica Zaretski

Topic

City & Culture

Art Museum

Centre for Medieval Studies

Convocation

#UofTGrad17

Undergraduate Students

Throughout 2017, we shared with you how members of the �鶹��Ƶ community pushed boundaries, innovated and made the year a little more fun and inspiring for the rest of us. As the year winds down, we look back on some of the best �鶹��Ƶ stories from the year – in videos.

The people of #UofTGrad17

Convocation ceremonies bring an atmosphere of celebration to �鶹��Ƶ – and a couple of musicians brought a melodic spin to this year’s spring convocation.

Michael Bridge started playing the accordion when he was five years old. He completed his undergraduate degree at �鶹��Ƶ and graduated with a master's degree in accordion performance during this year’s spring convocation. Now, he is continuing his education at �鶹��Ƶ with a PhD in accordion performance.

In the video above, he plays the accordion and tells us about the complexity of the instrument and his love for it. “My experience at �鶹��Ƶ has changed my understanding of what the accordion can do,” he tells videographer Lisa Lightbourn.

During spring convocation, we went behind the scenes with another musician at �鶹��Ƶ: Roy Lee, �鶹��Ƶ alumnus, Carillonneur, and the man behind the bells at Soldier’s Tower.

Precilla Veigas moved everyone with her indomitable spirit. After facing many challenges, including immigrating twice and rebuilding her credentials after arriving in Canada in 2005, Veigas found out that she had terminal cancer halfway through her PhD degree.

Veigas completed her PhD program, contributing research that could help save future emergency room patients who require blood transfusions. She died in October.

“I feel I’ve accomplished what I wanted to do,” said Veigas back in the spring, when she received her PhD in a private degree-presentation ceremony. “Cancer didn’t prevent me from doing that.”

On Location

In the On Location series, �鶹��Ƶ News reporter Romi Levine explores the impact of �鶹��Ƶ experts and their research on the city.

Levine and Lightbourn-Lay head to different neighbourhoods in Toronto, and speak with experts on topics ranging from forensic sciences to architecture and installation art.

The episode above takes viewers to Regent Park, to explore a collaboration between �鶹��Ƶ Faculty of Music researchers, Regent Park School of Music and Turning Point Youth Services, a housing facility for young men who have been involved with the youth criminal justice system.

The collaboration brings youth from the housing facilities to Regent Park to learn how to play an instrument of their choice. “It brings people together 100 per cent and mends a lot of relationships,” says one of the participants about the initiative.

Truth and Reconciliation

Crowds of visitors came to see artist Kent Monkman’s art at �鶹��Ƶ’s Art Museum last winter as Canada was getting ready to mark its 150th year. “At this moment in time it’s important to have a critical perspective on Canada,” Monkman said. His large-scale paintings, explored in the video above by Lightbourn-Lay, subvert a classical style while challenging the history of colonialism in Canada.

Art Museum Director Barbara Fischer asked Monkman in 2014 to put something together for Canada 150, part of an effort by the Canadian Museums Association to reflect on how museums have framed Canadian history.

“What is the function of art and what is the purpose of art?” Monkman asks in the video above. “Is it only to show beauty or pleasure? I don’t believe so. Art has to be challenging, and sometimes it has to take us to dark places or challenging places.”

A dictionary of very old words

What does Old English sound like? Turns out, not a whole lot like English.

Robert Getz and Stephen Pelle are the drafting editors of the Dictionary of Old English, a project that various scholars at the Centre for Medieval Studies have been working on since the 1970s.

The dictionary maps around 35,000 words of the oldest period of the English language (from the middle of the 7th century to 1150).

In the video above, the two take us behind the world of old English, where rain is described as “heaven’s showers," and share the meaning behind their favourite words, like heolop-helm (helmet of invisibility) and wite-hus (house of punishment).

Back to school

NerdyAndQuirky (a.k.a. YouTube superstar and �鶹��Ƶ student Sabrina Cruz) gave first-year students five tips to survive their first year. “Participate, make friends with people as lost and confused as you are,” says the popular Cruz.

The working life at �鶹��Ƶ

Photographer Ken Jones has worked at �鶹��Ƶ Scarborough for 36 years and has spent 24 as staff photographer, capturing countless memories in unforgettable photographs.

In the video above, the man behind the camera is finally in front of it, explaining his work, which also happens to be his passion.

And then there's Terry Gardiner. A former ballet dancer with a life-long commitment to serving communities, Gardiner pivoted his career after graduating with a master’s degree in social work from the university. He is now the manager of diversity, equity and student experience at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.

In the video above, he takes us to Regent Park, where he volunteers as a ballet teacher at the Coleman Lemieux dance school.

A new chapter for �鶹��Ƶ Mississauga

When Ulli Krull was installed as �鶹��Ƶ Mississauga’s ninth principal, the renowned chemist and judoka described his vision to build on �鶹��Ƶ Mississauga’s record of excellence, and performed his signature fingertip push-ups.

He also advised students to open their minds and ask themselves, “with what I have learned, what can I do next?”

The holidays are around the corner

Krull took a different approach to chemistry in this recent video celebrating the holiday season at �鶹��Ƶ Mississauga.

And to mark the end of 2017, �鶹��Ƶ President Meric Gertler looks back on everything we have to celebrate during this holiday season.

“It’s about innovation and discovery, striving for excellence and standing up for what’s right: As a community we greet neighbours and friends and turn vision into reality,” says Gertler in the video above.

From everyone at �鶹��Ƶ News: Enjoy this holiday season and Happy 2018.

#UofTGrad17: How Indigenous studies helped Julie Blair connect with her culture

hjames — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 20:00:26 +0000

#UofTGrad17: How Indigenous studies helped Julie Blair connect with her culture

hjames Thu, 11/09/2017 - 15:00

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Julie Blair in the courtyard of Woodsworth College (photo by Hannah James)

Hannah James

Author legacy

Hannah James

Topic

City & Culture

#UofTGrad17

Convocation 2017

Faculty of Arts & Science

Humanities

Indigenous

Woodsworth College

After working in Toronto nightclubs for years, Julie Blair wanted a career change so she came to the University of Toronto.

What she got out of the next five years was more than just a degree – she was able to reconnect with her Indigenous roots.

“Before I came to �鶹��Ƶ, I didn’t really know anything about my culture,” says Blair, who is Anishinaabe and Dutch. “There was a lot of stuff I hadn’t been taught.”

She said learning about her Indigenous heritage “was very emotional.”

Today, Blair collected her diploma in Indigenous studies from the Faculty of Arts & Science during �鶹��Ƶ's fall convocation. She is the first Indigenous student to receive the Brookfield Peter F. Bronfman Gold Scholarship from Woodsworth College. It's a $12,000 prize awarded to a student who has demonstrated academic excellence and volunteerism in their community. She has also received the President's Award for Outstanding Indigenous Student of the Year.

In her 40s, Blair has led various Indigenous committees and clubs at �鶹��Ƶ, and she's worked as the Indigenous Education Network coordinator at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education – all while maintaining a 3.9 grade point average.

“That’s really stunning,” says Cheryl Shook, assistant principal and registrar at �鶹��Ƶ's Woodsworth College, who was part of the group that selected Blair for the gold scholarship. “The award is meant to provide somebody, who has shown this much potential, who is so involved, and who has overcome obstacles, an opportunity to take that funding and do even more things with it.”

Julie Blair (right) with OISE dean Glen Jones (left) at fall convocation (photo by Gary Beechey, BDS Studios)

Blair, who is a member of Serpent River First Nation, says she's always done well academically and attributes her success now to finding an area of study she's passionate about. After high school, she did a brief stint at �鶹��Ƶ Scarborough, but left to work in the fashion industry for a bridal accessories company. She then worked in the service industry, in restaurants and bars, but eventually wanted to do something else.

At �鶹��Ƶ, Blair says she's found a community she can relate to. She recalls her first visit to �鶹��Ƶ's First Nations House, which she says brought back an unexpected sensation, a deep-rooted memory passed on from generations before her.

“I remember one day I went in there, and someone was smudging. I hadn’t smudged before that I could recall, but as soon as I smelled the sage burning, it brought back some memory I didn’t even know I had. It smelled so familiar. It smelled like home to me.”

For the Native Students' Association at �鶹��Ƶ, she served as a clan leader. She's also been a member of the Indigenous Studies Student Union executive body, helping to organize the university's first major pow wow in 20 years. She's also been a mentor in the Aboriginal Peer Mentorship Program, and is a part of a community-based research team looking into Indigenous mental health, led by Suzanne Stewart, director of Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health at �鶹��Ƶ.

Outside �鶹��Ƶ, Blair has volunteered for the Toronto Cat Rescue, Hot Docs Festival and The Stop's YIMBY (Yes in My Backyard) community garden program.

Blair's studies won't end with her bachelor's degree. She's already begun classes at �鶹��Ƶ's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work in a master's program. She'll be focusing on Indigenous Trauma and Resiliency and hopes to one day work in mental health and addictions in Toronto.

#UofTGrad17: Meet some of this year's graduates in the Faculty of Medicine

rasbachn — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 17:41:49 +0000

#UofTGrad17: Meet some of this year's graduates in the Faculty of Medicine

rasbachn Wed, 11/08/2017 - 12:41

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Celine Nathoo graduated on Tuesday with a master of science in physical therapy

Topic

This week more than 4,800 graduate and undergraduate students from all three campuses are receiving their degrees during the University of Toronto's fall convocation. Among them are students from the health sciences in the Faculty of Medicine, whose ceremony was held on Tuesday. Julia Soudat interviewed several of them. Here are some highlights:

Celine Nathoo, master of science in physical therapy (above)

"I am most interested in neurorehabilitation. When I was 19, my dad had a stroke. After seeing how big of a role his allied health team played in his recovery, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in physiotherapy. While growing up as a competitive figure skater, I had some experience seeing a physiotherapist in a private clinic, but it wasn’t until my dad has his stroke that I realized how many other settings physiotherapists could work in and have an impact.

"I hope that I can gain work experience and eventually do my PhD in stroke rehabilitation.

Advice for new and incoming students: "Soak in every minute of the program because the two years goes by quicker than you think. Take advantage of your internships, don’t worry about making mistakes."

Read the full interview

Tyler Saumur, master of science from the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute

“I have always had an interest in the human body, especially in the context of enhancing task performance. During my undergraduate degree in kinesiology, I began to develop a passion for studying the brain. In parallel, a friend of mine had experienced a stroke. Being able to understand the changes and rehabilitation that she was undergoing with the biological context that I was studying in tandem, further accentuated my desire to pursue movement and brain sciences.

"My research focuses on understanding how the body prepares for unpredictability in the environment. Specifically, it is centered on changes in the sensitivity of the central nervous system during preparation for movements that need to be performed rapidly and correctly."

Advice for new and incoming students: "Embrace the experience, get involved, and find time to enjoy yourself."

Read the full interview

Mhairi Kay, master of science in occupational therapy

"My research interests are mostly focused on mental health. I am interested in the benefits that can be accrued from participation in alternative, holistic, and harm-reduction focused approaches to wellness. I believe that one of the critical components of mental health recovery is helping people redefine their identity apart from their current struggle or diagnoses and facilitating participation in meaningful activity. My interest in this field was sparked through the work that I do for a non-profit organization in Toronto called Young Ones that provides free treatment and support to youth with mental health and addiction issues. I am currently the vice-chair of the board, the education program co-ordinator, and a public educator; I have worked closely with youth who are struggling with their mental health and I’m passionate about advocating for those in need."

Advice for new and incoming students: "Take advantage of all the learning opportunities you are presented with during your time at �鶹��Ƶ. So, while it may not seem relevant, desirable, or even feasible at the time – ask lots of questions, talk to the instructors, clinicians and guest presenters, make connections, join the school committees, and go to the optional workshops – it will make all the difference when it comes time to graduate and to start your own."

Read the full interview

Jaclyn Dawe, master of science in rehabilitation sciences

"My clinical background as an occupational therapist and my interest in neurodevelopment and neurologically based recovery led me to pursue research in rehabilitation sciences. I was interested in the opportunity to contribute to the development of evidence-based clinical tools for assessment and intervention with pediatric neuro-motor disorders."

Advice to new and incoming students: "To new students, my advice is to start with (and work to maintain) an openness – to making new friends and connections, and to new experiences and perspectives. �鶹��Ƶ has so many great opportunities for extra-curricular learning, inter-cultural sharing, recreation and leisure, and personal and professional development. Seek out the resources and communities on campus that resonate with you, and build up the courage to explore and maybe even dive in."

Read the full interview

Amy Verschuuren, master of health science in speech-language pathology

"A lot of my classmates and colleagues have had personal experiences receiving speech-language pathology services, whether for themselves, their grandparents, or their siblings. My story is much less interesting. A high school teacher (presumably whose child was receiving speech therapy at the time) mentioned the career to me in the 10th grade. At the time, I had never heard of speech-language pathology before. So I went home and did some research, and ended up falling in love with the idea of it. When I began volunteering a couple years later, I discovered I also loved the practice of it."

Advice to new and incoming students: I think it's really important to have a "big picture" attitude, especially in health care. The reason I got into this field is to help people. And I think that can be said for most, if not all, students in the Faculty of Medicine. So, my advice would be not to fret about getting the highest marks or knowing every single detail about every single theory (but good for you if you do). Study to understand, not to know. Learn to be a good problem-solver, not an information-regurgitator."

Read the full interview

#UofTGrad17: Nine favourite moments of fall convocation in photos

geoff.vendeville — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 16:00:57 +0000

#UofTGrad17: Nine favourite moments of fall convocation in photos

geoff.vendeville Wed, 11/08/2017 - 11:00

Cutline

Graduates line up outside Convocation Hall in front of the fall foliage (photo by Laura Pedersen)

Topic

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Honorary Degree

�鶹��Ƶ Scarborough

Subheadline

Autumn colours serve as backdrop to thousands of students receiving diplomas

As the University of Toronto campus turned a vibrant auburn, yellow and red, thousands of new graduates donned gowns to collect their diplomas at Convocation Hall. �鶹��Ƶ photographer Laura Pedersen captured the emotion of the ceremonies against a backdrop of fall foliage, while photographer Steve Frost recorded the excitement inside the hall.

Love was in the air outside the hall. This couple asked Pedersen to take their picture using a cellphone. She obliged and then took one of her own. “He's gazing so lovingly in the picture. He's truly proud of her,” Pedersen says.

The sun highlighted the serious expression of this student exiting University College (photo by Laura Pedersen).

Three-year-old James, wearing a Superman cape, waits with his grandfather Donald Philip for James's mom, Emily King, who received a PhD from the department of mechanical and industrial engineering (photo by Laura Pedersen).

“It's so cool that when the students come out for convocation, they face the CN Tower,” says Pedersen, who was covering convocation for the first time (photo by Laura Pedersen).

“Every single person in this photo is smiling,” Pedersen says. “Convocation is just as much about the family” (photo by Laura Pedersen).

This graduate's pink hair stands out in a sea of black-and-white gowns (photo by Laura Pedersen).

University presidents have Instagram, too. �鶹��Ƶ President Meric Gertler photographs honorary degree recipient, and former chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Murray Sinclair with �鶹��Ƶ Scarborough Principal Bruce Kidd (photo by Laura Pedersen).

World renowned soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan performed for students at convocation while accepting an honorary degree with her former teacher and mentor Mary Morrison (centre) of the Faculty of Music (photo by Steve Frost).

“Beautiful fall colours,” Pedersen says. “And they happen to have kick-ass hair" (photo by Laura Pedersen).

Meet four of fall convocation's impressive graduates

Meet some of this year's graduates from the Faculty of Medicine

#UofTGrad17: Murray Sinclair, chair of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, receives honorary degree

hjames — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 05:00:00 +0000

#UofTGrad17: Murray Sinclair, chair of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, receives honorary degree

hjames Mon, 11/06/2017 - 00:00

Cutline

Senator Murray Sinclair, who was conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, speaks to the graduating class on Monday (photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Topic

Truth and Reconciliation

University of Toronto Scarborough

Senator Murray Sinclair, the former chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, has been awarded an honorary degree from the University of Toronto for his outstanding service to Canada as a lifelong advocate for Indigenous people.

As the head of the TRC, Sinclair travelled across Canada, participated in hundreds of emotionally charged hearings and gathered oral and written statements and testimonies from approximately 12,000 Indigenous people affected by Canada's system of Indian residential schools. Many survivors of the schools were speaking about their experience for the first time.

“I think Murray Sinclair is probably one of the bravest and strongest persons who has ever lived,” says Douglas Sanderson, associate professor in the Faculty of Law.

“Running a commission like that is monumental, just in terms of the administration of it,” says Sanderson, who is a member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

“Senator Sinclair had to listen and read about it, and these are stories of such incredible and appalling abuse day after day for years to absorb that all and be able to press on and be sincere and kind and generous. That is such an amazing gift of humanity that very few people could do.”

The TRC’s work culminated in a five-volume final report that Sanderson calls “substantial, honest and thoughtful.” The report contained 94 “calls to action” for the Canadian government and Canadians to respond to in order to move towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

Senator Murray Sinclair (centre) poses with �鶹��Ƶ Scarborough Principal Bruce Kidd (right) while �鶹��Ƶ President Meric Gertler takes a picture at the convocation ceremony (photo by Laura Pedersen)

"Reconciliation is about atonement. It's about making amends. It's about apology. It's about recognizing responsibility. It's about accounting for what has gone on," said Sinclair in a speech earlier this year to the Canada School of Public Service. "But ultimately it's about commitment to maintaining that mutually respectful relationship throughout, recognizing that, even when you establish it, there will be challenges to it."

Sinclair – whose Ojibway name Mizanay Gheezhik means “the one who speaks of pictures in the sky” – grew up near Selkirk, Man. After his mother died when he was just a baby, he was raised by his kokum (grandmother).

Senator Murray Sinclair's work as head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has had an impact on �鶹��Ƶ (photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

In an interview in Maclean's, Sinclair said members of his family went to residential schools and distrusted the schools as a result. In spite of this, he said his family instilled in him an “obligation to get an education and to do something with it.”

Read the Maclean's interview with Senator Sinclair

And that is exactly what he did.

Sinclair graduated as his high school's valedictorian and athlete of the year in 1968. He earned a degree in sociology at the University of Winnipeg in 1975. He studied law at the University of Manitoba and was called to the Manitoba bar in 1980.

Sinclair has served the justice system in Manitoba for more than 25 years. He was the first Aboriginal judge appointed in Manitoba, and the second in Canada. He served as co-chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in Manitoba before being appointed as chief commissioner for the TRC.

(From left): �鶹��Ƶ Scarborough’s Indigenous Elder Wendy Phillips, Senator Murray Sinclair, �鶹��Ƶ Chancellor Michael Wilson and �鶹��Ƶ President Meric Gertler (photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Sinclair worked on the TRC from June 2009 until its completion in December 2015.

He was appointed to the Senate of Canada in March 2016 and recently, following the deaths of several Indigenous youths in Thunder Bay, was appointed by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) as the independent investigator to look into the Thunder Bay Police Services Board.

Sinclair's work has had an impact at the �鶹��Ƶ as well. President Meric Gertler and Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr established a TRC steering committee in early 2016. After much deliberation and many discussions, the committee released its final report, Wecheehetowin, with 34 calls to action for the university to work towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Faculties, departments and individuals have started to work on ways they can change their practices and spaces and create a more inclusive environment for Indigenous peoples, cultures and knowledges.

�鶹��Ƶ President Meric Gertler (left) and �鶹��Ƶ Scarborough Principal Bruce Kidd (right) take part in Monday's convocation ceremony (photo by Laura Pedersen)

Andrew Wesley, an Elder-in-Residence at �鶹��Ƶ who advised the university's TRC steering committee in its deliberations and presented the final report to Gertler and Regehr at an entrustment ceremony in January, was present when Sinclair was conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.

�鶹��Ƶ Scarborough’s Indigenous Elder Wendy Phillips gave Sinclair an Eagle feather, and an honour song was performed by the Red Hawk Singers.

Sanderson was also present with a hand drum, which he sounded at various moments as a way to celebrate and honour Sinclair for his work in changing the dialogue about Indigenous peoples, cultures and knowledges in Canada.

“The work of the Truth and Reconciliation commission set the stage for the possibility of long-term change,” says Sanderson. “And it’s up to institutions like the university to embrace conceptual change and not just ticking the box because that’s just one step in a very long journey of change.”

Read about Truth and Reconciliation at �鶹��Ƶ

#UofTGrad17: Opera singers who were teacher and student at �鶹��Ƶ to receive honorary degrees

geoff.vendeville — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 12:50:49 +0000

#UofTGrad17: Opera singers who were teacher and student at �鶹��Ƶ to receive honorary degrees

geoff.vendeville Fri, 11/03/2017 - 08:50

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Soprano Barbara Hannigan studied under Mary Morrison in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music (photos by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images and Vince Talotta/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Topic

Two acclaimed voices in Canadian opera who met as student and teacher are receiving honorary degrees from the University of Toronto on Wednesday.

Before singing at venues like the Royal Opera House in London or conducting leading orchestras, Barbara Hannigan studied music under Mary Morrison, an accomplished soprano in her own right who has taught at �鶹��Ƶ since 1979.

Despite Hannigan’s packed schedule – she has engagements in 10 cities before the new year – she keeps in touch with her university mentor.

“I usually know what she’s up to,” Morrison says, “and she knows that I’m here.”

Although their singing careers are separated by decades, Hannigan and Morrison’s biographies offer striking parallels.

Both studied music from an early age and left their hometowns before their 18th birthday to pursue singing in Toronto and earn recognition as new-music sopranos.

Morrison, who turns 92 next week, grew up in a Scottish family in Winnipeg. She started singing almost as soon as she could speak, winning awards at Gaelic competitions. While in her teens, she made her radio debut on CBC. She has performed lead roles in Canadian Opera Company productions from Marguerite in Faust to the countess in The Marriage of Figaro, and is known for bringing contemporary music to ears around the world.

Morrison says her policy with students has always been to be honest about their progress. She can be blunt, but she tries not to.

Like her �鶹��Ƶ mentor, Hannigan is also known as an advocate of new music. “Mary makes sure that all her students respect the composers of our time, but with me it was clearly a passion that needed attention,” she says.

Hannigan grew up in the gold rush town of Waverley, N.S., singing and playing piano and oboe before moving to Toronto when she was 17.

She says Morrison encouraged her to take risks in performance, ”to not choose the safe route, and rather pursue other heights which are not possible when one plays it safe under pressure.”

Morrison also taught her how to sing in less than perfect circumstances. “We are never working under ideal conditions,” Hannigan says.

Flight delays, dry throats and colds are obstacles all opera singers must contend with. “And yet we need to maintain a certain level of not only consistency but musicianship under the pressure of performance.”

Morrison remembers Hannigan as a keen student with a work ethic to match her rare talent. “She was tremendously disciplined and she just knew where she was going,” she says.

Morrison warned her student before her university audition that she might be too young to pass, but she breezed through it. Morrison looked back on the audition in a 2016 video by �鶹��Ƶ Music: “Whoever was adjudicating at the time said, ‘Oh, you know this piece,’ and Barbara said, ‘Never seen it in my life.’”

Hannigan went on to star as Berg’s Lulu and Debussy’s Mélisande and to premiere about 80 works.

In 2011, she made an unusual step for a female soprano: a foray into conducting. It was a career choice that hadn’t crossed her mind when she was young because she had never seen a woman conduct an orchestra, she told The New York Times.

#UofTGrad17: Meet four of fall convocation's impressive graduates

rasbachn — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 22:20:51 +0000

#UofTGrad17: Meet four of fall convocation's impressive graduates

rasbachn Thu, 11/02/2017 - 18:20

Katherine Fernandez-Blance

Topic

City & Culture

#UofTGrad17

Convocation 2017

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty of Arts & Science

They spent years in lecture halls, libraries and laboratories, volunteered in communities across Canada and interned with companies around the world – and now they’re graduating from the University of Toronto.

From Monday to Thursday, more than 4,800 students from all three campuses will receive their undergraduate and graduate degrees, becoming �鶹��Ƶ's latest alumni.

The convocation plaza is set up and the diplomas are packaged and ready to give out. The students will be joined by three honorary degree recipients who have made notable achievements in their fields: Senator Murray Sinclair, who served as chief commissioner of Canada's Truth and Reconcilation Commission, longtime Faculty of Music instructor Mary Morrison and renowned soprano Barbara Hannigan.

When combined with spring convocation, �鶹��Ƶ’s Class of 2017 is more than 18,000 strong. Here are some of their stories:

Antu Hossain: Advocate for public health

Antu Hossain receives the 2015 Gordon Cressy student leadership award, flanked by �鶹��Ƶ President Meric Gertler (left) and Cressy (right)

Antu Hossain had her first "aha" moment when she was only 19.

In the summer of her second year at �鶹��Ƶ Scarborough, Hossain spent a summer volunteering in Kenya as a health project manager, part of a �鶹��Ƶ-run student international development club, now known as Partners for International Development.

“I wanted to get more hands-on experience of what health looked like outside of the classroom. I got that, and for me that was my life-changing experience from a really young age,” says Hossain.

“That’s when I realized I really wanted to pursue health equity.”

Hossain completed her undergraduate degree in 2015 and then pursued her master's degree. On Thursday, she will be part of �鶹��Ƶ's Class of 2017 when she receives her Master of Public Health from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

For Hossain, public health is about much more than health care – it’s about advocating for community needs and having a real impact.

Hossain’s time as a graduate student at �鶹��Ƶ included placements in a remote community in Labrador, where she worked on improving child health, and in Vienna, where she worked at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, focusing on prisoner health.

Both experiences challenged her to better understand inequities in health, and how advocacy can help reduce some barriers.

“As much as it is pushing for government to do something, your voice matters as well,” says Hossain. “Public health professionals have the privilege of speaking with community, engaging in those narratives and bringing them to the table.”

Hossain has utilized every opportunity she’s had to help move the dial on the public health issues about which she’s most passionate.

Earlier this year, she was selected to represent her federal riding as part of Daughters of the Vote – a multipartisan, Canada-wide initiative to acknowledge and celebrate women’s suffrage. In the three-minute speech she gave to Parliament’s Standing Committee on the Status of Women, Hossain spoke about migrant detention in Canada and how women are disproportionately affected.

Hossain hopes to continue applying the research and policy skills she gained from her time at Dalla Lana as she seeks opportunities after graduation. Ultimately, she plans on making the world a better place for racialized, migrant women.

“I want to continue trying to improve the health inequities that exist, not just within Toronto but also worldwide.”

Trina Moyan: Mature student and Indigenous organizer

When Trina Moyan’s son Shadrak Gobért graduated high school and began his undergraduate degree at �鶹��Ƶ, Moyan had reached a turning point.

She had a successful career working on Indigenous issues as a TV and video producer, communications specialist and business owner. But she wanted to pursue something that had been on her bucket list for a long time: a university degree.

She enrolled in Woodsworth College’s academic bridging program in 2012 as a mature student. Then her son began his studies at �鶹��Ƶ, and she knew it was the right time for her to continue on the path to completing her degree.

“I thought this was perfect. I could go back to school with my son,” she says.

For the next four years, Moyan and her son formed a unique support system. They chose the same major, which meant they took notes for each other when one of them couldn’t make it to class, and they studied for exams together.

On Thursday, she’ll cross the stage to receive her bachelor's degree in environmental studies, five months after her son received the same degree and 18 years after her husband John Kim Bell received an honorary doctorate of law from �鶹��Ƶ.

“We’re a whole family of Indigenous alumni from the University of Toronto,” she says.

Throughout her time at �鶹��Ƶ, Moyan has sought out numerous opportunities to contribute to Indigenous groups on campus. In March, she helped co-ordinate the university’s first powwow in 20 years. Currently, she is finishing up research to help First Nations House mark its 25^thanniversary.

“It’s been such an honour and privilege for me to be able to support … all of the Indigenous bodies that really paved the way for Indigenous students like myself to be comfortable and feel at home at �鶹��Ƶ,” she says.

While she may have completed her last undergraduate class this summer, Moyan hopes that her academic journey will have a second act.

“My son is taking a year off as well,” she says. “We’re talking about possibly taking the same master’s program.”

Kaela Newman: Inspired by physical therapy

Kaela Newman first discovered that she wanted to study physical therapy when she was recovering from a knee injury.

Newman, who had always been interested in science and anatomy, received therapy for her knee, and immediately knew this was the path she should pursue.

“As a physiotherapist, you take evidence-based knowledge of anatomy and function, and translate it into practice by working one-on-one with your patients,” says Newman. “It’s very rewarding to see how you can improve an individual’s function and quality of life through the combination of knowledge and hands-on expertise.”

On Tuesday, Newman will join her classmates on stage as she receives her master's degree in physical therapy from the Faculty of Medicine.

Studying at �鶹��Ƶ, she says, gave her access to world-renowned hospitals and unique placements.

She completed six placements in the two-year program, including one with a neurological focus.

“For me, this neurological placement was when my love for the brain, its plasticity, and our ability to help patients recover from a severe insult to their brain began.”

During the placement, Newman witnessed her patient take a few steps six months after a heavy stroke. She saw another patient walk out of the rehabilitation facility to go home after a year-long recovery from Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disorder.

“To be a part of someone’s rehab and recovery is one of the most satisfying feelings, despite the ups and downs they may face in their journey,” says Newman. “Having the autonomy as a health-care professional to assess, diagnose and treat a variety of patients makes each day different.”

After graduating, Newman plans on working in a private-practice setting, with a caseload of patients with musculoskeletal injuries and neurological conditions.

Terese Pierre: A detour on her way to medicine

For Terese Pierre, taking a less traditional path towards medicine has opened her up to experiences that she hopes will eventually shape her as a doctor.

Pierre started at �鶹��Ƶ studying life sciences, believing that to be the most typical path towards becoming a doctor.

She worked tirelessly throughout her first year, focusing primarily on her academics.

“I thought that if I didn’t join any clubs, that would somehow make my grades better, which wasn’t really true,” she says.

After taking a step back to assess her grades, she realized that her highest marks were in philosophy, which led to her changing her major to bioethics.

With her academics refocused, Pierre, whose previous experience with Hart House had been limited to using its gym, decided to explore the extracurricular opportunities the community had to offer. She found herself at home with the broad range of arts activities available at �鶹��Ƶ.

“I tend to think that you’ll do well in things that you love and things that don’t feel like a chore to do,” she says. “As long as I can remember, I’ve always been in a choir and I’ve always been writing.”

During her time at �鶹��Ƶ, Pierre has been student chair of the Hart House Singers, poetry editor of The Spectatorial, and choir director of the Healing Sounds of Music. She received the Student Engagement in the Arts Award from the university in April. And, on Monday, Pierre will graduate with a bachelor's degree in bioethics.

“I want to be able to make a positive impact in the lives of others,” says Pierre, who continues to be involved with Hart House activities even after completing her course work.

Pierre has already begun a master’s degree in philosophy at York University, and is looking at additional master’s programs, as well as her medical school ambitions, in the years to come.

“I hope that my philosophy degree will expose me to different ethical issues and ethical problems that I can later bring to my medical degree,” says Pierre. “I still want to be a doctor – that has never changed.”

See the full schedule of #UofTGrad17 convocation ceremonies

An accordion superstar, self-driving cars: Our favourite �鶹��Ƶ moments from the 2016-2017 academic year

Romi Levine — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 16:23:37 +0000

An accordion superstar, self-driving cars: Our favourite �鶹��Ƶ moments from the 2016-2017 academic year

Romi Levine Tue, 07/04/2017 - 12:23

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's appearance at the downtown Toronto campus in June was one of this academic year's highlights (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Romi Levine

Author legacy

Romi Levine and Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

Subheadline

That’s a wrap!

With the last grad crossing the stage in Convocation Hall, the 2016-2017 academic year came to a close.

We’re looking back at the incredible accomplishments made by University of Toronto faculty, students and alumni who made an impact this year in Toronto and across the world.

Standout students

Research

Tech royalty

Campus life

�鶹��Ƶ in the city

Going global

Standout students

We begin with Sandro Young of the department of electrical & computer engineering. He finished the year with the highest marks of any undergraduate across �鶹��Ƶ’s three campuses. (And no, he didn’t spend every waking hour in Robarts Library.)

A 4.0 GPA isn’t the only way to impress. At just 20-years-old, �鶹��Ƶ undergrad Joseph Moysuik led a team of scientists that determined where exactly an ancient marine creatures known as hyoliths belonged on the tree of life. His research earned a write-up in The New York Times.

If you thought 20 was young, here's someone even younger making headlines at �鶹��Ƶ. Xiaoxiao (Maddy) Zhang, who turned 15 in January, is likely the youngest student in the history of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

While some students set their sights on the stars, others aimed for Mars. �鶹��Ƶ engineering students completed a project with advisers from NASA – the undergrads came up with a way to make products like food, pharmaceuticals and fuel using elements of the Martian atmosphere.

Convocation brought smiles and tears. Precilla Veigas, who was diagnosed with a terminal cancer halfway through her PhD, received her degree from the University of Toronto's Institute of Medical Science in a special graduation ceremony in May. “I believed in miracles and I was ready to fight,” she said.

This list would be incomplete without Michael Bridge. He learned to play accordion when he was 5 and graduated with a master’s degree in music performance. He appeared on Breakfast Television and Metro News – with his accordion. Don’t miss his rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah but keep some Kleenex handy.

Thought-provoking research

The importance of scientific research was brought to the forefront with a long-anticipated review of federal science funding, chaired by �鶹��Ƶ President Emeritus David Naylor. The Fundamental Science Review made a number of recommendations, including increased support for early-career researchers and a funding boost. Conversation surrounding the report is still continuing with nearly 200 concerned researchers gathering in Toronto recently to devise a strategy on how to turn the recommendations into reality.

Researchers at �鶹��Ƶ gained insight into the creation of life on earth. They studied creatures living deep beneath the earth’s surface, and they helped an international team trace the origins of mankind hundreds of thousands of years into the past, with surprising results – our human ancestors may have originated in Europe, not Africa.

The cyber sleuths at Citizen Lab at �鶹��Ƶ's Munk School of Global Affairs uncovered a massive spyware campaign in Mexico, cyber espionage linked to Russia, governments turning to commercial spyware to intimidate dissidents in the UAE, a phishing campaign in Egypt and Chinese social media censorship this year – findings that led to extensive international coverage, including by the New York Times. A film adaptation of Ron Deibert's 2013 book Black Code premiered last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Engineering PhD student Justin Kim has built nine robots not much larger than a thumb that exhibit “swarm intelligence” (photo by Johnny Guatto)

�鶹��Ƶ students and faculty also harnessed the power of technology to save lives. PhD engineering student Justin Kim’s tiny robots could one day help rescue earthquake survivors or explore other planets while scientists at the Donnelly Centre are using deep learning to help reveal what makes cells healthy and what goes wrong in disease.

Some scientists are even finding inspiration from the tiniest members of the animal kingdom – flies. Andrew Mason, an associate professor of biology at �鶹��Ƶ Scarborough, is studying the ormia ochracea’s incredible hearing to help solve some of the biggest problems with hearing aid technology.

And what are the odds of this? Married �鶹��Ƶ professors Lei Sun and Radu Craiu won the same prestigious statistics prize one year apart.

Tech royalty

It became abundantly clear this year that �鶹��Ƶ is a global leader in artificial intelligence and an innovation powerhouse.

The launch of the Vector Institute – aimed at attracting and maintaining AI talent in Toronto – kept campus abuzz with excitement this past spring.

Geoffrey Hinton, considered the “godfather of deep learning,” who is a University Professor Emeritus in computer science at �鶹��Ƶ and vice-president engineering fellow at Google, will serve as Vector's chief scientific adviser. U of T Associate Professor and self-driving car expert Raquel Urtasun is one of its co-founders.

AI leaders Raquel Urtasun and Geoffrey Hinton

International companies are now setting up shop in Toronto to take advantage of �鶹��Ƶ’s AI talent.

Urtasun will be joining the team at Uber, which is opening its first international research lab in Toronto.

This year also saw �鶹��Ƶ AI legal research startup ROSS, which made it big in Silicon Valley, return to Toronto to open up a research and development lab.

While startups are returning home, �鶹��Ƶ’s Creative Destruction Lab accelerator is expanding across the country. It’s already set up shop at the University of British Columbia and will soon appear in business schools in Calgary, Montreal and Halifax.

Campus life

Women made up 40.1 per cent of students in first-year engineering classes, the highest share in university engineering programs province-wide. Meanwhile, Bruce Kidd, principal of �鶹��Ƶ Scarborough and former Olympian, saluted a move by the Ontario government to ease women’s path into sports.

�鶹��Ƶ students led the charge for more diversity.

They hosted the university’s first powwow in two decades at the Athletic Centre. And in June, black students held a special graduation ceremony for their peers to add to the convocation experience. “To see our Black grads celebrated with their family, friends and faculty to support them was really beautiful,” said Nasma Ahmed, one of the organizers.

In another first for the university, �鶹��Ƶ began teaching the ancient Ethiopic language of Ge’ez thanks to donations from the local community, History Professor Michael Gervers and Grammy-winning singer The Weeknd. A �鶹��Ƶ alumnus, Ravi Gukathasan, CEO of Digital Specialty Chemicals Ltd. in Scarborough, also gave a historic donation of $2 million to �鶹��Ƶ Scarborough to support a new Tamil studies program. “I want UTSC to be a star when it comes to the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora, its culture, its language, its perspective in the world,” says Gukathasan. “We have the biggest Tamil diaspora in the world in Scarborough. They need to be proud.”

Felipe Branco and Brettany Colette plate a dish during a practice session for Iron Chef 2017 (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

It was also a year for ripening taste buds. For the first time, �鶹��Ƶ hosted the inter-university Iron Chef culinary competition, finishing second. Over at �鶹��Ƶ Scarborough, Professor Dan Bender gave his students food for thought, asking them to cook curries from different eras for their midterm in “Edible History.”

Here's a stunning fact: students learned this year that even in university, there’s room for fun.

�鶹��Ƶ students showed off video games that they designed at the Level Up Showcase. In the first-ever Entrepreneurship@UofT Week, students pitched, networked and demoed at the Startup Showcase.

�鶹��Ƶ in the city

From our pop star exports to our sports teams making the playoffs, this year all eyes are on Toronto – and our scientific community is no exception.

In December, pharmaceutical giant Bayer AG and venture capital firm Versant Ventures announced a $225 million investment to help turn stem cell science into real-world treatments in Toronto. The investors said they were attracted to the city because of �鶹��Ƶ’s regenerative medicine “dream team” of Gordon Keller and Michael Laflamme.

“We go where the science is best,” said Jerel Davis, a managing director at Versant Ventures.

This spring, the university invited the public to explore its architectural gems including the newly opened One Spadina building on its downtown Toronto campus during Doors Open, and helped kids and families to learn about science in fun and interactive ways during Science Rendezvous.

Meanwhile, �鶹��Ƶ’s army of city builders remain hard at work, finding ways to improve urban life in Toronto and globally.

�鶹��Ƶ News has been telling their stories in a new video series called On Location. Check out the first two episodes – one on �鶹��Ƶ's debut at Winter Stations, the annual design competition where teams from all over the world build art installations across Toronto's east-end beaches, and the �鶹��Ƶ architecture professor who is an advocate for laneway housing.

One Spadina was in the spotlight at this year's Doors Open (photo by Peter MacCallum)

So how can we improve our cities? University Professor and director of Rotman School of Management’s Martin Prosperity Institute (MPI) Richard Florida says it starts with tackling inequality. His new book, The New Urban Crisis, explores how the back-to-the-city movement has led to rising housing prices, economic disparity and the decline of middle-class neighbourhoods. He and his team have launched a massive online open course (MOOC) to teach the public about cities.

But perhaps we can also look to the future to ensure we’re on the right path. That was the aim of a Toronto Life feature that imagines t he city in 50 years, using data collected by �鶹��Ƶ's Martin Prosperity Institute and interviews with �鶹��Ƶ’s cities experts including Mark Fox and Shauna Brail.

Meanwhile at the St. George campus, work has begun to raise funds for the Landmark project, which hopes to make the campus more pedestrian friendly and accessible. �鶹��Ƶ Mississauga is also looking ahead with a vision plan for the future of its campus.

Going global

Even as Europe and the United States became more isolationist with Brexit and U.S. President Donald Trump, �鶹��Ƶ opened itself up to students from around the globe.

University officials kept an eye on U.S. travel restrictions, and faculties and departments organized town halls, and supported international students and scholars who were affected by America's new travel policy. Khaled Almailaji, a Syrian doctor stranded by the U.S. travel ban, was invited to continue his studies in public health at �鶹��Ƶ while the university covers his tuition.

International students seemed keener than ever to study in Canada and at �鶹��Ƶ. From Australia to Zimbabwe, they applied to the university in record numbers. There was a flurry of interest from American students, especially after the presidential election.

�鶹��Ƶ held events in the U.S. and India this year to give students a glimpse of the university and Toronto. Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels, who graduated from �鶹��Ƶ in 1966, spoke to prospective students in New York. “When I went (to �鶹��Ƶ), it was very, very conducive to learning,” he said. “Also winter helps because it narrows your choices and you’re perfectly happy to be reading a book when it’s cold and snowy.”

The university welcomed the first generation of Lester B. Pearson international scholars, an award named after the former prime minister, Nobel Laureate and �鶹��Ƶ alumnus. At the same time, �鶹��Ƶ said goodbye to the first graduating class of MasterCard Foundation Scholars.

Where do �鶹��Ƶ graduate students go after convocation? �鶹��Ƶ News checked in with former PhD and postdoctoral students. One founded a child language lab at New York University, another started a nanoenergy lab at Johns Hopkins and a third designs aerospace software simulating how materials bend, break or vibrate.

Selfie Moments

While convocation with this year's popular frame was a huge hit with grads and their families, it was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's appearance for a Rotman event last month that drew the most snaps.

The event, co-organized with the New York Times and MPI, marked the first major sit-down interview with Trudeau on Canadian foreign policy following Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister (and �鶹��Ƶ area member of Parliament) Chrystia Freeland's June 6 speech to the House of Commons about Canada’s changing role and position in geo-politics.

Students lined up outside Desautels Hall and cheered as Trudeau entered. As he exited, they flocked to the back of the room for selfies.

#UofTGrad17: Munk One celebrates its first cohort of �鶹��Ƶ graduates

Romi Levine — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:35:31 +0000

#UofTGrad17: Munk One celebrates its first cohort of �鶹��Ƶ graduates

Romi Levine Thu, 06/22/2017 - 11:35

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Munk One grad Nicoli Dos Santos

Adrienne Harry

Author legacy

Adrienne Harry

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

International

Since it launched in 2013, the Munk One foundation program for students in their first year has attracted and taught some of the University of Toronto’s most audacious students.

After their time in Munk One, students have gone on to create an app that reduces food waste on university campuses, launch an initiative to prevent heat-related deaths on construction sites in Qatar, and conduct field research on poverty in Brazil.

Now, the program is celebrating its first cohort of students to graduate from �鶹��Ƶ.

“The first cohort was the one that set the bar for me,” says Teresa Kramarz, director of the Munk One program. “They made me realize what untapped potential the University of Toronto had in its first-year students. I came to fully understand the hunger that these students brought to �鶹��Ƶ.”

Offered by the Munk School of Global Affairs, Munk One teaches first-year undergraduate students how to take their hunger and curiosity and apply it to some of the world’s most complex challenges. The small classroom environment allows students to network closely with their peers and professors, and the seminars and labs help to prepare students for the rest of their �鶹��Ƶ experience, and beyond.

“Munk One was a good experience. First year can be a very isolating time and Munk One was a good way to get to know people and build a social group,” says Nicholas Sopuch (pictured above). The peace, conflict and justice major graduated on June 21.

Set to begin his master’s degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the fall, Sopuch credits Munk One with shaping the rest of his academic experience. “The workload and the readings helped me become comfortable in a seminar setting. It was good to work with these really bright students in such a collaborative environment.

“Munk One was an intensive warm-up for the rest of my undergrad.”

Nicoli Dos Santos, another of the program’s very first students, agrees.

“Munk One gave me my first real taste of what research looks like in academia. Not just theory, but also field research,” says Dos Santos, who, through her Munk One professors, had the opportunity to spend six weeks in Northern Ireland advising on an app that diagnoses post-traumatic stress disorder.

“The program helped me to see problems differently and examine my approach. I gained the confidence to seek out more research opportunities.”

Dos Santos, along with other Munk One alumni, went on to study Brazil’s Bolsa Familia social welfare program with the Reach Project, an initiative led by Professor Joseph Wong, who teaches a seminar course in the Munk One program. This trip helped Dos Santos, an aspiring doctor, to think about health and medicine from a more social perspective. She writes her MCAT in August and begins a master of social work at �鶹��Ƶ in the fall.

“In Munk One, I realized how crucial it is to think about the socio-political context in which diseases emerge, spread and are treated. I’m interested in family medicine and I want the skills to be able to address the social issues that may contribute to physical and mental health.”

Sopuch recommends Munk One to anyone hoping to make valuable connections with their peers and professors. “A lot of my friends today are people I met in Munk One. It was useful to have that initial connection,” says Sopuch. “And in terms of academic preparation, Munk One is great. The connections you build really do last throughout your undergrad.”

Kramarz is excited to see Munk One students now becoming �鶹��Ƶ alumni, and sees them making a profound impact as they move on to other pursuits.

“Over the last four years, I have watched these students grow as scholars and as people. I have this sense of wonder as I look at their trajectory. I’m proud of our students and happy that Munk One has helped prepare them to be engaged global citizens.”

#UofTGrad17: Up-and-coming actor, playwright Augusto Bitter

Romi Levine — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:24:21 +0000

#UofTGrad17: Up-and-coming actor, playwright Augusto Bitter

Romi Levine Thu, 06/22/2017 - 11:24

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Augusto Bitter (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Jessica Lewis

Author legacy

Jessica Lewis

Topic

Augusto Bitter knows he’s special. And yes, he knows how that statement sounds.

But he has to be special, if he wants to make a career out of his passion for theatre. Bitter, 22, was recently named one of the Toronto theatre artists on NOW Magazine’s radar for 2017, in which they wrote: “Even though he was still completing his studies... Bitter managed to impress us in a handful of shows.” He’s clearly hit on something.

“I'm a tricky combination of goofy and arrogant,” Bitter says. “I have to be arrogant enough about the work to survive the difficulty of the business and the creative process. But I also have to be goofy enough to laugh at how pretentious we can be as artists. I like laughing, a lot.”

In the last four years, Bitter has been developing his strengths in acting and playwriting as a drama specialist in the University of Toronto’s Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies as well as performing in productions and participating in programs across Toronto. Most recently, he’s been in Theatre Rusticle’s production of Our Town at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and has been a part of Factory Theatre’s actor-training program for the 2016-2017 season.

For Bitter, the stage is his canvas as an artist – a place where he can learn, find expression and enjoy himself.

“As a performer, I have fun easily,” he says. “I have a high energy level by nature, so it's about channelling it in meaningful ways.”

Bitter was born in Venezuela and moved to Alberta with his family in 2004. Though he credits his first dive into theatre in Grade 12 to an inspiring teacher, he acknowledges that he’s been destined for the limelight all along, and that his everlasting supply of energy has always been his propeller.

“I was super hyperactive. I was never coordinated enough for sports,” he laughs. “So my hyperactivity always translated itself into performance. My dad’s a huge jokester, so I picked that up from him, and I’m the little brother in the family. Trying to make people laugh as a kid was always very important to me.”

Bitter credits the Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies for its breadth of opportunities, saying that because it’s not structured like a conservatory, he was able to study acting as well as history, criticism and performance in general. He’s also taken up playwriting. As a Resident Artist at Theatre Passe Muraille, he’s currently writing a full-length solo show called CHICHO. In it, a “man-boy on the cusp of manhood tries to reconcile three pillars of his identity: Venezuelan, Queer, and Catholic.” Chicho is obsessed with Miss Universe, plays the ukulele, and talks to an avocado.

Now that he’s graduating, Bitter wants to share what he’s learned with future students: find what makes you special.

“Coming out of school you’re going to find out there’s a lot of you,” he says. “You have to figure out early on what are the little things that set you apart, and perfect those things. It’s what you make of it.”

Bitter also recommends using the Toronto theatre scene as a textbook.

“Go see theatre! You can get student rates! Make it a part of your schedule. I considered that almost like studying. It’s really nice to see what kind of work is out there, and to see where it’s going and where I could fit in it.”

At the rate things are going for Bitter, it is likely that �鶹��Ƶ drama students will be seeing him on stage when they go out to the theatre to ‘study’.