St. Michael&#039;s College

Convocation 2024

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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 ��ϲ�� 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 ��ϲ�� 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 ��ϲ��. 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 ��ϲ�� 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 ��ϲ�� 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.”

‘Give yourself grace’: Pharmacy grad from Nigeria reflects on ��ϲ�� journey

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 13:46:18 +0000

‘Give yourself grace’: Pharmacy grad from Nigeria reflects on ��ϲ�� journey

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 06/13/2024 - 09:46

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Theodora Udounwa completed her ��ϲ�� undergraduate degree in just two years before studying to be a pharmacist at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy (photo by Steve Southon)

Eileen Hoftyzer

Topic

Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

Convocation 2024

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At age 21, Theodora Udounwa is graduating with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree

Theodora Udounwa was 15 years old when she left her family in Nigeria and traveled to Canada to begin a bachelor of science at the ��ϲ��.

Born and raised in Abuja, Udounwa graduated from high school at an unusually young age due to a combination of an early start to kindergarten and skipping a grade due to outstanding academic performance.

It was a trend that would continue at ��ϲ��. After only two years as an undergraduate, specializing in pharmacology and biomedical toxicology with a minor in physiology, Udounwa began her doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.

“Pharmacy was always the plan. I enjoyed pharmacology greatly, but I was also interested in patient care, and I saw pharmacy as a bridge between applying those theoretical principles to patient care,” says Udounwa, who graduated with her PharmD last week at only 21 years old. “There are also a lot of career options in addition to patient care, like academic and research, that I thought would be a good fit for me.”

Like many youths in Nigeria, Udouwna attended boarding school during middle school and high school – an experience that stood her in good stead when she moved into St. Michael’s College residence, where she was younger than her peers. The proximity to her older sister – who attended university in nearby Hamilton – and an aunt in Ajax meant she was able to spend holidays with family members in the area.

Udouwna also took it upon herself to get involved with student groups such as the Nigerian Students’ Association, where she was able to meet students from her home country and share her culture.

Starting the PharmD program during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Udounwa grasped the opportunity to contribute to the public health response and strengthen her training, delivering more than 1,600 COVID-19 vaccinations as well as numerous flu shots at Discovery Pharmacy pop-up clinics.

She also completed rotations at Shoppers Drug Mart, the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto General Hospital, St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto), the outpatient pharmacy at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Canadian Armed Forces.

All along, she stayed involved with student groups, holding several positions with the Black Pharmacy Students’ Association and the ��ϲ�� chapter of the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns (CAPSI).

She says one of the highlights of her time at ��ϲ�� was attending CAPSI’s 2023 professional development week in Saskatoon, where she supported 16 ��ϲ�� delegates and took advantage of several educational and networking opportunities. “It was great to connect with students from other pharmacy schools, and I appreciated the opportunity to expand my professional skills and clinical knowledge,” she says. “We also had the chance to visit an Indigenous heritage site, Wanuskewin, and learn about Indigenous history and culture, which was very enriching.”

Udounwa’s involvement in extracurricular activities earned her numerous accolades including a ��ϲ�� Student Leadership Award and a Canadian Pharmacists’ Association Centennial Leadership Award. “Devoting time to volunteering and participating in student groups has enabled me to facilitate macro-level changes that directly impact the pharmacy student community. It has also fostered my personal and professional growth through forming connections with and learning from students and practice leaders," Udounwa said upon receiving her Student Leadership Award earlier this year.

Looking ahead, Udounwa says she’s keeping her options open but envisions working directly with patients in some capacity. Her next step: an industry residency at pharma giant Novo Nordisk's medical affairs and strategic operations department.

Having navigated the challenges of moving to a new country for university and experiencing a new culture, Udounwa says she would advise incoming university students to be kind to themselves as they forge their journey.

“This is a pivotal moment in our careers; be patient and give yourself grace as you go through the process and navigate through that uncertainty to the next great opportunity.”

Founded by sibling team, ��ϲ�� startup partners with university to sell apparel

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:23:52 +0000

Founded by sibling team, ��ϲ�� startup partners with university to sell apparel

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 03/07/2024 - 12:23

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Along with younger sister and creative partner Calille, left, Malik and Sydnie Pottinger worked with ��ϲ��'s Trademark Licensing Office to create a capsule collection for their clothing brand MOTUS (photo by Varenya Danthurthy)

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Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Startups

ThisIsThePlace

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Clothing brand MOTUS, co-founded by two ��ϲ�� students and their younger sister, is collaborating with the university on a capsule collection

Startup co-founders and siblings Sydnie and Malik Pottinger are set to make history by becoming the first students to partner with the ��ϲ��’s Trademark Licensing Office to create a capsule collection with their clothing brand MOTUS.

Sydnie, a third-year student at St. Michael’s College, and Malik, a fifth-year student in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE), will see their MOTUS line of fashion wear, complete with the university’s iconic T-and-leaf logo, go on sale at the ��ϲ�� Bookstore’s St. George campus location in March.

The collection includes a varsity jacket, sweatsuits, beanies, soccer jerseys and T-shirts.

Bringing this dream to fruition has been a family affair for the Pottingers, whose younger sister Calille is also involved in the company – and whose parents have been a constant source of encouragement.

The siblings, whose university years saw them turn out for the Varsity Blues – with Malik playing basketball and Sydnie, volleyball – began to consider creating a line of comfortable but stylish fashion pieces during the pandemic. They launched MOTUS in January 2023, taking on everything from designing clothing and creating a logo to arranging manufacturing and shipping orders.

Malik says the brand name MOTUS is derived from the Latin word for motion. “It fits us because we are always pushing ourselves and each other to have one foot forward, and it signifies always progressing and elevating,” says Malik.

The business began booming shortly after the e-commerce brand was launched, with Malik and Sydnie soon making regular trips from their small warehouse to the post office to mail orders.

It wasn’t long before they met their first benchmark of success: seeing people on the street wearing their clothes.

“Success is your brand being recognized,” Sydnie says.

The siblings then began to think of how to create a brick-and-mortar presence and pondered whether they could reach an arrangement to sell their items in the ��ϲ�� Bookstore.

“We brought up the idea to our parents. They encouraged us and said, ‘The worst that can happen is that the bookstore says no,’” Sydnie recalls.

Soon, they were in contact with ��ϲ��’s Trademark Licensing Office, where they were introduced to manager Ivan Canete, who previously managed the Under Armour portfolio for the Sport & Rec programs at KPE. Together, they discussed how ��ϲ�� branding and logos could be integrated into a MOTUS x UofT collection.

In addition to the bookstore stocking their items, MOTUS also received support from Spaces & Experiences, which invested in initial inventory and connected the siblings with resources such as the Black Founders Network.

“We haven’t done a lot of this before,” Canete says of the collaboration, noting that only recently have big brands begun to create collaborative clothing collections with ��ϲ��.

Canete says that since ��ϲ�� Bookstore royalties are poured back into student experience, partnering with students is a great path. “��ϲ�� is pioneering this kind of thinking and developing a model for other schools to follow,” he says, describing the arrangement as part of the bookstore’s evolution.

“It's a great feeling to know that something that my sisters and I created in our parents’ living room is going to help other people,” says Malik, who is set to graduate from KPE this year. “We are the first students to collaborate with the university’s Trademark Licensing Program and it’s really nice to see MOTUS among big-name brands like OVO, Roots and Peace Collective.”

Malik plans to spend at least a year following his graduation solely focused on building the business. Sydnie, who has two years of school remaining and also coaches volleyball, will also continue to make a full-time commitment.

Among MOTUS’s next steps is to produce leather goods, says Malik, who has been looking into suppliers in Portugal. “We are already developing an assortment of items of this category for our brand. Our goal for MOTUS is to have an international footprint,” he says. “We are so grateful for ��ϲ��’s backing.”

Malik says he would advise students to not let their studies box them into a corner. “Just take everything you learned from ��ϲ�� and apply it in whatever direction you want to take in your life,” he says.

“My first two years at KPE provided me with a great foundation and perspective to figure out what I like. That structure, combined with playing on the varsity basketball team in the first two years of my studies, provided me with discipline and routine that come in handy today.”

Uncovering untold stories: ��ϲ�� course explores Black Canadian history

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 19:01:44 +0000

Uncovering untold stories: ��ϲ�� course explores Black Canadian history

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 02/28/2024 - 14:01

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Archival photograph of the Emanuel African Methodist Church congregation, early 1920s, in Edmonton (photo by Glenbow Archives, University of Calgary, ND-3-1199, and via the research of Jennifer R. Kelly, professor emeritus, University of Alberta, for the Edmonton City as Museum Project)

Topic

History

Trinity College

How familiar are you with Black Canadian history?

“So many people educated in Canada, or external to Canada, don't know about the long-standing presence of Black people in this country,” says Funké Aladejebi, an assistant professor of history in the ��ϲ��’s Faculty of Arts & Science.

“This breadth of knowledge on Black Canadian history often gets ignored or is not often inserted into broader courses on Canadian history.”

Determined to change this, Aladejebi is teaching a year-long course titled “Black Canadian History.” It’s part of a new Certificate in Black Canadian Studies offered through University College and open to all students in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

“Many of the students in this class come from health and science, equity studies and Indigenous studies, and a lot of them like the idea of being able to say they have specific expertise on Black Canadian studies more broadly,” says Aladejebi.

“It's trying to give students a broad overview of the movements and migrations of persons of African descent into the land that is now called Canada and thinking in complex ways about how people were living and existing in this country.”

Salt Spring Island's Central School, 1929 (photo courtesy of the Salt Spring Island Archives)

The course goes as far back as 1604, which marks the earliest records of persons of African descent in Canada. It also explores the experiences of Black Loyalists – people of African descent who sided with the British during the American Revolutionary War – passengers of the Underground Railroad, as well as lesser-known movements to the West Coast, the Prairies and Maritimes.

Funké Aladjebi (supplied image)

“We tend to forget about these regions where Black people resided in smaller numbers,” says Aladejebi. “But it's our responsibility as historians to show the breadth of where Black people have been and where they still are.”

For example, most Canadians are unfamiliar with the history of the Jamaican Maroons in Nova Scotia.

After a series of wars fighting for freedom from British control in Jamaica, more than 500 Maroons – men, women and children – were forcibly transported to Halifax in 1796.

Despite an inhospitable reception, the Maroons flourished and maintained a strong sense of community in exile, says Aladjebi, adding that they were connected to the city’s larger community, having been involved in the construction of the Halifax Citadel. However, many in the community spent years petitioning the colonial government to leave Nova Scotia, and in 1800, most of them left for the free Black colony of Sierra Leone in West Africa.

“But it’s widely believed some Maroons stayed behind and their continued presence is reflected in the surnames, accents, idioms, customs, oral histories and traditions of African Nova Scotians,” Aladejebi says.

The Halifax Citadel (photo by Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0)

The second half of the course dives into more contemporary issues such as racial violence, anti-Black racism, immigration trends, equity and inclusion for Black communities, and injustice in Canada.

“We never just stay in the history, we always bring it to the contemporary with these historical foundations and track why this continues to exist today,” says Aladejebi. “By the time we move through the course, students understand the roots of anti-Black racism in Canada, and they're able to navigate institutions in a clearer way.”

Aladejebi says she is intrigued by the range of emotions the students experience as she teaches the material.

“They move through emotional stages where they are surprised at first and then get frustrated because of what they didn't know,” says Aladejebi. “The Black students go through a variety of feelings, but at end of the class, they’re feeling like they know a little bit more about themselves and the experience of persons of African descent.

“Non-Black students also go through a series of emotions. They feel better equipped to talk about Black Canadian history, they’re able to better understand various social relationships that are part of Black experiences across the diaspora.”

There can be anxious moments.

“Students have to talk about, ‘What was my experience in school? What was my experience and engagement with policing and the judicial system?’ So we go through pockets where students are nervous about saying the right and wrong things.”

For many students, working through these tensions leads to knowledge and understanding.

“As a Black Canadian political science major pursuing a career as a policy analyst, the course’s material, conversations and activities are crucial to both my academic and professional development,” says Dacian Dawes, a third-year member of St. Michael’s College who is double majoring in political science and critical studies in equity and solidarity, with a minor in African studies and a certificate in Black Canadian history.

“It has increased my understanding of systemic inequalities, inspiring me to use this information to build on my political science studies and future career.”

Erinayo Adediwura Oyeladun, a second-year student in African studies and a member of Trinity College, says she has been empowered by studying the work of Black Canadian history scholars, and sees how historical understanding can be a powerful tool in creating change.

“The historians’ research teaches me the importance of situating your work as more than just an intellectual discovery. Your work should also represent your community and serve a broader purpose in making a positive impact for your community.”

For Aladejebi, teaching the course has been equally as energizing, with her students continually challenging the way she delivers – and receives – information.

“We all come with our limitations, biases and prejudices. This course is helping us to think about where they come from, why they exist, and how we can interpret them. It's about interrupting the cycles, unlearning what we thought we knew, and re-imagining something better.”

Randy Boyagoda appointed ��ϲ��’s provostial adviser on civil discourse

lanthierj — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 20:12:34 +0000

Randy Boyagoda appointed ��ϲ��’s provostial adviser on civil discourse

lanthierj Tue, 01/16/2024 - 15:12

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(photo by Derek Shapton)

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Professor Randy Boyagoda has been appointed the ��ϲ��’s first provostial adviser on civil discourse.

A faculty member in the department of English in the Faculty of Arts & Science and a noted novelist, essayist, book critic and scholar, Boyagoda will serve an 18-month term effective Jan. 1, 2024.

He will establish a working group that will lead community consultations and develop a plan for tri-campus events, resources and other initiatives for students, faculty and librarians to engage in and promote productive and respectful dialogue on all kinds of topics. The group will also learn from other institutions around the world that are pursuing their own efforts with respect to civil discourse.

“I was very glad to have been invited by the provost to take up this appointment,” Boyagoda said, adding that he’s looking forward to fostering “a tri-campus conversation in a variety of formats and scales that invite students and faculty to live out civil discourse.

“As part of that, we’ll be drawing on and benefiting from the excellent programming, teaching and research already taking place in this respect, in departments and programs across our three campuses.”

Boyagoda, who will continue to serve as vice-dean, undergraduate in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has previously served as principal and vice-president of St. Michael’s College and as acting vice-provost, faculty and academic life. He has also served as president of PEN Canada, the national chapter of the international non-profit organization that celebrates literature, defends freedom of expression and aids writers in peril.

“I am certain that Professor Boyagoda’s combination of skills and knowledge will serve the university well in this important role,” said Trevor Young, ��ϲ��’s vice-president and provost. “I am grateful to him for his willingness to serve as the provostial adviser on civil discourse.”

Young noted that ��ϲ�� President Meric Gertler addressed the issue of civil discourse at a meeting of the university’s Governing Council in December, saying: “Disagreements on our campuses can and will be heated. But they cannot be allowed to descend into hateful, demeaning or harassing behaviour. Our university must demonstrate to the world how civil, informed debate about difficult issues can be conducted.”

Boyagoda is well-suited to the task of helping to guide the university in answering President Gertler’s call, Young said.

Boyagoda has grappled with high-profile issues around free speech and civil discourse in his own writing and scholarship, including teaching a graduate seminar last fall – “The Satanic Verses and the Public Life of Books” – that considered the impact of author Salman Rushdie’s controversial novel.

“What’s important with civil discourse is to create the conditions, inside and outside the classroom, especially at a place as inherently and variously diverse as our university, for discussions that acknowledge difference while working towards shared understandings,” Boyagoda said. “This matters throughout our shared life on campus, and not just when it comes to the most divisive issues of a given moment.”

Ultimately, he said, the goal is to create the conditions for members of the university community to have the willingness and capacity to engage productively with people who hold viewpoints opposite to their own. This might involve public events, teaching fellowships, undergraduate, graduate and faculty research opportunities and other ideas and projects that emerge from consultations.

“When I was principal of St. Michael’s College, I would propose to incoming students that it was so very important to approach your years at university as an exciting and demanding opportunity to do more than just think for yourself – which strikes me as a lonely, boring, self-confirming exercise. To my mind, university is a time and space to discern who you want to think with, who you want to think against, and how to do so, with others, for the greater good,” Boyagoda said.

“Doing this difficult thing, together, and for the greater good: that’s what civil discourse is all about.”

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Provost Trevor Young

Beverly Glenn-Copeland, a musician who pushed boundaries, receives honorary degree

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 20:25:14 +0000

Beverly Glenn-Copeland, a musician who pushed boundaries, receives honorary degree Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 06/13/2023 - 16:25

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(photo by Steve Frost)

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As a musician, he has blended genres and pushed boundaries, drawing on his love of nature and science fiction to create a sound that is uniquely his own. And as a trans artist with a diverse family background, he has been a strong advocate for Black, Indigenous and LGBTQ2S+ communities in Canada and abroad.

Today, for his innovative and influential musicianship known around the world and his sterling artistic reputation, Beverly Glenn-Copeland receives a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the ��ϲ��.

Born in Philadelphia in 1944, the only child of musical parents, Glenn-Copeland grew up listening to his father playing Chopin, Bach and Mozart on the piano. His mother played piano, too, and sometimes sang spirituals. Although the family identified as Black, their ancestry was diverse. “None of us are entirely this or that,” Glenn-Copeland once told an interviewer.

Glenn-Copeland started singing lessons at age 17 and won a scholarship to study classical music at McGill University, where he was one of the first Black students. He left before graduating and moved to New York to train with Metropolitan Opera soloist Eleanor Steber. “She loved my voice and I think she could see into my personality, and she could see that I wasn’t suited to it, you know, flouncing around in the opera world,” he said in a 2005 Globe and Mail interview.

He represented Canada at a concert for Expo 67 in Montreal and over the next several years recorded two bluesy folk albums. Then a friend who worked at CBC’s Mr. Dressup wrote him into an episode as a singer-songwriter; he soon became a regular and performed on the popular kids’ TV show for 25 years.

While working at the CBC in Toronto, Glenn-Copeland taught himself how to use a computer and began exploring electronic music. He was driven by the idea that the computer could help him produce sounds that had never been heard before.

Inspired partly by nature and a deep interest in science fiction, he recorded Keyboard Fantasies using an Atari computer, a synthesizer and a drum a machine. It was nothing like his previous musical work. “I felt like electronic music … pushed something,” he told Paper magazine in 2020. “It helped me imagine new sounds.”

A writer in the Guardian newspaper described Keyboard Fantasies, which Glenn-Copeland self-released in 1986, as a “trippy mix of electronica, folk and new age, overlaid with Copeland’s sumptuous contralto tenor.” He made 200 copies of the album on cassette and sold 50. Discovered by a Japanese collector in 2015, the album was reissued the following year by Toronto’s Invisible City Editions to considerably more success. It is now considered his masterpiece.

(photo by Steve Frost)

His most recent recording, Transmissions (2020), compiles tracks spanning his 50-year career and covering a range of genres – from folk to ambient electronic to worldbeat.

Glenn-Copeland lived as a woman for much of his life, coming out as transgender in his late 50s. In an interview with the CBC, he says that the realization had come to him several years earlier as he was on a beach, reading a book by a transgender man. In the author’s description of his childhood, Glenn-Copeland recognized himself. “I was lying on the sand, and I just kind of sat up and went, ‘I am transgender.’ And I had never put those words to it.”

His mother told him that when he was three, he had declared that he was a boy. He recalls she dismissed the idea, and the thought “faded into my subconscious.” After reading the book, he decided to act. “From that moment on, I knew I was actually a man in what was nominally a woman’s body, and I just went, ‘Oh well, I have to follow this,’” he says in the CBC interview.

By the time Glenn-Copeland decided to have gender affirmation surgery, his mother was onside with the idea (his father had died at 51 of lung cancer). “She had come to a very supportive you-must-be-yourself courageous parental stance around it,” he says in the Globe interview.

Over some 50 years, Glenn-Copeland has also drawn support from Buddhism. He told Lion’s Roar magazine that participating in the ancient philosophical tradition has been the single most important thing in his life. “The message of my Buddhist practice is, ‘Be courageous. You are exactly what is wanted. We’re all different.’”

In 2020, Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s Keyboard Fantasies (1986) was awarded the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize. Now in his 70s, his experiences on tour for the first time, with the band Indigo Rising, were captured by the filmmaker Posy Dixon in Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story (2019).

In his convocation address to graduates of Faculty of Music and St. Michael’s College, Glenn-Copeland says he titled his new album The Ones Ahead in honour of young people, like today’s graduating students, and future generations. “Its purpose is the same as my purpose here today: to encourage you to find your inner gold.”

Edwin Leong, a property developer who puts people first, receives honorary degree

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 12:00:31 +0000

Edwin Leong, a property developer who puts people first, receives honorary degree Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 06/13/2023 - 08:00

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(photo by Steve Frost)

Scott Anderson

Topic

Convocation 2023

Hospital for Sick Children

Honorary Degree

As a property developer in Hong Kong, Edwin Leong has helped revitalize communities desperately in need of a boost.

As a philanthropist, he often directs support to the most vulnerable in society.

Today, for his sustained and profound commitment to bettering the lives of others through volunteerism and philanthropic support of higher education and health globally, Leong receives a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the ��ϲ��.

Born in China’s Guangdong province and the youngest of his siblings, Leong remembers a lesson his parents instilled in him that has influenced his approach to philanthropy: the importance of respecting elders and caring for young people.

“That had been deep in my mind for ages,” Leong told the Globe and Mail in a 2019 interview.

As a teenager in the late 1960s, in the midst of China’s tumultuous cultural revolution, Leong travelled to Vancouver to finish high school. He went on to study computer science at the University of British Columbia, travelled back to Hong Kong briefly, and then returned to Canada to enrol in a master’s program in computer science at ��ϲ��. After graduating, and with the unrest at home subsiding, he returned again to Hong Kong, where he stayed and launched a real estate venture.

Leong founded Tai Hung Fai Enterprise in 1977 as a property investment company, specializing in retail properties and hotels. The firm grew rapidly, and its portfolio expanded to include residential, office and industrial buildings. According to Forbes magazine, Leong earned the nickname “King of Shops” for his company’s vast holdings of retail and commercial properties. Over the years, the firm has also earned a reputation for its commitment to urban redevelopment and community revitalization projects.

Leong credits his success in part to good timing. He also does a lot of homework before investing in property, has expert knowledge of the Hong Kong market and is known for keeping his cool. When others were pessimistic about the city’s future, such as during the 2003 SARS outbreak, Leong doubled down, predicting – correctly – that recovery would come.

(photo by Steve Frost)

With the aim of making good on his childhood goal of caring for people throughout the human lifespan, in 2005, Leong established the Tai Hung Fai Charitable Foundation. Its three-fold mission: to provide care and medical support for disadvantaged seniors and underprivileged children around the world; to support education through scholarships and fellowships; and to fund global research related to healthy aging and pediatrics. To date, the foundation has provided more than $60 million in philanthropic support.

Leong has targeted some of his philanthropy to initiatives in Toronto and Vancouver, supporting students and researchers at both of his alma maters. In 2018, he created a scholarship that supports bright students from Hong Kong to study at the ��ϲ��. The following year he established the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children at ��ϲ��, which, in partnership with SickKids, develops interventions for healthier, happier children around the world. At UBC, meanwhile, he established the Edwin S. H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging.

“I am pleased to report that so far both the Healthy Children Centre and Healthy Aging Centre have attracted lots of enquiries from individual scientists and distinguished institutions around the world interested in collaborating,” Leong says. “In putting intelligent minds together, in committing to information sharing, and in learning from one another, we can generate enormous power and momentum in the medical field.”

A governor of the ��ϲ�� (Hong Kong) Foundation, Leong holds three other honorary degrees. He has served as a director and vice-chairman of Po Leung Kuk, a Hong Kong charity that provides support for orphaned children, education and other services, and is a patron of the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation. He is also an honorary patron of the Hong Kong University Foundation.

In his convocation address to students graduating from St. Michael’s College, Leong urges grads to give back to society – particularly, education – and to carefully sift fact from fiction: “Always use critical thinking and objective view in analyzing this mountain of information that you have access to. Use your sound judgement. Seek advice from seniors whom you find reliable and wise.”

Five spots at ��ϲ�� to take convocation photos with family and friends

mattimar — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 17:24:38 +0000

Five spots at ��ϲ�� to take convocation photos with family and friends

mattimar Fri, 06/02/2023 - 13:24

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Hart House (photo by Polina Teif)

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The best places on campus for convocation selfies, family portraits and celebratory group photos

With spring convocation in full swing at the ��ϲ��, graduating students might be wondering: where are some of the most Instagrammable places on campus?

From lush green spaces to quirky quads and eye-catching architecture that ranges from the mid-19th century to the modern day, there are many picturesque locations across the three campuses to take selfies, family portraits and celebratory group photos.

In addition to the photo booth operated by Alumni Relations on Galbraith Road, there are many photo locations across ��ϲ��’s three campuses that graduates and their friends and families can explore.

Hart House

Hart House and Arbor Room patio (photo by David Lee)

Hart House is a picturesque backdrop to any convocation photo, with its eye-catching architecture and almost Hogwarts feel. The quad, meanwhile, is home to large bronze sculptures and offers elegant views of the building’s stonework and windows.

When the selfies are done, head inside for something to eat. During the week, the Gallery Grill is open for from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a charming convocation lunch while the Arbor Room is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for tasty snacks and drinks.

Philosopher’s Walk

Philosopher's Walk (photo by Polinta Teif)

From the Queen Alexandra Gateway in the north to the Bennett Gates in the south, the leafy Philosopher’s Walk is a meandering path that connects bustling Bloor Street to Hoskin Avenue.

A calming space in the middle of downtown Toronto, the walk features wide cobblestone paths dotted with benches and lush lawns set against a backdrop of old masonry – all of which offer a variety of backgrounds for a great post-convocation snapshot.

The colleges and quads

Sir Daniel Wilson Quad (photo by Polina Teif)

Several stunning quadrangles on the St. George campus are roughly within a 10-minute walk from Convocation Hall.

The nearest to Con Hall is the Sir Daniel Wilson Quad, which can be accessed via King’s College Circle.

Crossing Queen’s Park to the eastern edge of campus, you will find Victoria College’s quad, with its stunning views of Burwash Hall; and St. Michael’s College, whose campus includes Odette Hall – constructed in 1856 and ��ϲ��’s oldest building in continuous academic use.

Watkins Pond (and bridge) at ��ϲ�� Mississauga

Watkins Pond Bridge at UTM (photo by Randy Landicho)

A stone bridge, gently arching over a peaceful, leaf-strewn pond, surrounded by a grove of cool, shady trees.

Watkins Pond is a photographer’s dream and it’s located right alongside Principal’s Road at ��ϲ�� Mississauga. To get there, follow Outer Circle Road from the campus’s north entrance and take the small road to the left, which will lead you down Principal’s Road to the pond and bridge.

Valley Land Trail at ��ϲ�� Scarborough

Valley Land Trail at UTSC (photo by Matthew Dochstader)

The Valley Land Trail is a favourite destination for nature-lovers and photographers at ��ϲ�� Scarborough. This 500-metre-trail connects the campus to the Highland Creek Ravine and boasts several lookout points with accessible seating.

The trail overlooks the gorgeous Highland Creek Valley, so don’t be surprised if you’re photobombed by one of the many colourful birds that inhabit the area – and keep an eye out for opportunities to add a pic of a white-tailed deer or red fox to your convocation camera roll.

Medieval studies students bring the diverse gender experiences of the past into the present

siddiq22 — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 20:16:38 +0000

Medieval studies students bring the diverse gender experiences of the past into the present

siddiq22 Thu, 06/01/2023 - 16:16

Cutline

Medieval studies student Dena Abtahi researched the trial of Katherina Hetzeldorfer, who was executed in 1477 (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Sean McNeely

Topic

LGBTQ

Medieval Studies

New College

Faculty of Arts & Science Staff

Undergrad Research

Subheadline

Exhibit highlighted examples of saints and other historical figures who challenged traditional gender roles

Students from the ��ϲ��’s department of medieval studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science recently presented an exhibit that highlighted the diverse gender experiences of people during the medieval period.

Students from the Medieval Genders and Sexualities course held a poster fair at St. Michael’s College that showcased specific historical figures (including many saints), offering evidence of people who lived outside of – or challenged – gender norms.

The exhibition capped the upper-year undergraduate course, which explores ideas about sexes, genders and sexualities in the medieval Christian West.

For the exhibit, second-year student Hilary Packard explored the history of French saint Joan of Arc
(photo by Diana Tyszko)

“Parts of our society tend to think that aspects of sexualities and genders that we see now are part of some social change that's gone on in the past decade,” Murray says. “These misunderstandings are fueling the harshness and the almost inhumane treatment that we see of trans people in some quarters of society, particularly in the United States.”

Twelve students working individually and in groups presented six posters covering important figures from the 5th to 15th centuries, highlighting how they have been understood and misunderstood throughout history.

Hilary Packard, a second-year visual studies student in the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design who is also taking courses in medieval studies, was part of a trio that created a poster about Joan of Arc, a French saint who was burned at the stake for heresy.

“I loved the fact that I got to dive deeper into Joan’s story,” Packard says.

Scholars and artists have more recently begun to see Joan’s cross-dressing as more of a representation of masculine gender expression, as opposed to the more traditional view that she wore masculine clothing to appear sexless.

“I'm American and I’m trans, so being able to put this into the context of history and to say, ‘We've been here all along and we belong here’ is a very powerful thing because a lot of the arguments people are making are that people just started being trans in this century,” Packard says.

"I’m getting to see the historical re-evaluation that is currently happening, this new wave of understanding with people reflecting their own stories back on things – that's how history should work.”

The Trans Middle Ages Poster Fair was held in the John M. Kelly Library at St. Michael's College (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Fourth-year student Dena Abtahi created a poster covering the trial of Katherina Hetzeldorfer, who is considered the first woman to be executed for homosexuality – a then-nameless crime – in 1477. Originally from Nuremberg, Hetzeldorfer moved to Speyer in 1475 and dressed as a man in the company of a woman, where they both lived together as a married couple.

“Katherina’s is one of the first historical accounts of trans people, which allows for people in our generations to look back and see that LGTBQ+ individuals have always been around,” says Abtahi, who is studying human biology and molecular biology.

“In this sense, Katherina is a symbol of the importance of self-expression and self-identification. “And in so many ways, Katherina's story highlighted how in some respects our society has remained stagnant on views pertaining to LGBTQ+ people and their rights.”

For Abtahi, researching a person being persecuted for simply being who they want to be struck a personal chord.

“People in Iran, where I am from, are being killed for being gay or being transgender,” she says. “And in Iran, when people do come out as homosexual, there are some instances where they are forced to undergo transgender surgery, as way of a correction.”

Sasha Jennings, left, discusses her research on Hildegund, a German saint (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Sasha Jennings, a third-year student studying classics, medieval studies and Celtic studies, was part of a duo that created a poster about Hildegund, a German saint who was assigned female at birth but adopted the name Joseph and joined a Cistercian monastery as a man.

In fact, it was only after Joseph’s death in 1188, as his body was being prepared for burial, that his fellow monks discovered that their brother was in fact born female.

Joseph’s life went on to be recorded as an example of piety for Cistercian nuns and monks to aspire to – portraying Joseph as a physically and spiritually pure asset to the monastery.

“When it comes to religious identity, there's a really interesting relationship between gender fluidity and piety and sanctity,” Jennings says.

“There was an idea that if you could shed your biological limitations – especially if you were a biological woman – that put you on the path to religious piety and sanctity, and that was seen as a very good thing.”

Course instructor Jacqueline Murray, a graduate of ��ϲ��'s Centre for Medieval Studies and a university professor emerita from the University of Guelph, says that in researching these ancient examples of gender fluidity, the students have come away with an understanding of what the stories of Hetzeldorfer, Hildegund, Joan of Arc and others mean in the modern context.

“Understanding trans issues and trans people has become so important in our society,” Murray says.

“We're trying to be part of this process of giving trans people their history, because there are – and have always been – many ways that individuals experience and live their identity.”

��ϲ�� prof to offer experimental course taught with AI tools like ChatGPT

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 18:36:36 +0000

��ϲ�� prof to offer experimental course taught with AI tools like ChatGPT

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 04/10/2023 - 14:36

Cutline

Paolo Granata, associate professor and program coordinator in the Book & Media Studies program at St. Michael's College, has developed a new course that explores the ethics and impact of AI tools (supplied image)

Topic

Experiential Learning

Academics

Artificial Intelligence