The year in review: 2017

Year in review montage

Take a look back at some of the top stories of 2017

It was a memorable year for the University of Toronto Scarborough in more ways than one.

From ground-breaking research to generous gifts by alumni, from remarkable changes on campus to campus visits from celebrities and royalty, narrowing down the list of top stories from the past year was a challenge.

This is just a snapshot of what happened at U of T Scarborough in 2017. We hope you enjoy these highlights as much as we enjoyed being there to cover them.

Alumni Gave Back as Never Before

Tenniel Chu shaking hands with President Gertler and Vice-President Kidd.

Tenniel Chu shaking hands with President Gertler and Vice-President Kidd.

Our alumni always make us proud and two distinguished members of this growing group, Ravi Gukathasan and Tenniel Chu gave something back in a big way.

Chu made the largest ever gift to Management for new programming in sports management and scholarships for Management and International Business (MIB) students, while Gukathansan’s gift to Tamil studies was the largest ever made by an alum.

We explored our role in truth and reconciliation
Wendy Phillips
Traditional Elder, Wendy Phillips.

As U of T continues its journey towards reconciliation, we took an in-depth look at the history of residential schools and what universities need to do in response. Meanwhile, we were excited to welcome our first full-time traditional elder, Wendy Phillips, and awarded Senator Murray Sinclair, who was chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, an honorary degree. 

 

 

We hosted international competitions that drew honoured guests
Prince Harry awarding a medal to an Invictus champion.
Prince Harry awarding a medal to an Invictus champion.

We got a royal treat and then some in September when Prince Harry and former U.S. president Barack Obama paid a visit to the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. The pair, joined by former vice-president Joe Biden and his wife Jill, were on campus to watch the Invictus Games.

This past summer we also welcomed athletes from all across Canada as part of the North American Indigenous Games. Four events were held on campus, while student volunteers – and even some alumni – helped to make the games a success. 

 

Music and art found a home here
The Weeknd.
The Weeknd (Abel Makkonen Tesfaye).

R&B royalty also paid us a visit earlier this year. Canadian singer and songwriter The Weeknd (Abel Makkonen Tesfaye) was on campus to film scenes for the music video to his song Secrets.

Artside Out turned 10, celebrating a decade of highlighting the many talents of our students.

 

 

 

Researchers, influencers, community and students converged on campus
Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan speaks at the Math in Motion conference.
Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan speaks at the Math in Motion conference.

There’s a lot to love about Scarborough and the most significant part is the people. For Canada’s sesquicentennial, we celebrated a selection of these people through our 150 Neighbours project.

U of T Scarborough hosted some important international conferences this year, including the annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society, attended by more than 750 international experts in animal behaviour.

We also made it possible to become your own skywalker! Now that the Solar Walk has been installed on campus, you can walk the world’s soon-to-be largest scale model of the solar system.

To top off an exceptional year, our very own Math in Motion … Girls in Gear! conference welcomed Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan, who delivered the keynote address. The annual event, which aims to motivate Grade 9 girls to study math and pursue careers in STEM, also featured a special message from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Our programs continued to grow
Abdul Sidiqi set to attend medical school.
Abdul Sidiqi set to attend medical school.

The Department of Management and Economics celebrated 25 years of educating tomorrow’s leaders.

The campus introduced a couple of program firsts. The new Masters in Accounting and Finance is the first of its kind in North America and the first non-science graduate program on campus, while the Health Humanities minor is the first of its kind in Canada. A new academic department was also announced – the Interdisciplinary Centre for Health and Society.

This year we welcomed four students who were recipients of Pearson Scholarships, the most prestigious international scholarships offered at U of T Scarborough.

Our campus community also bid bon voyage to beloved student Abdhul Siddiqi who graduated this past fall to start medical school at U of T.

U of T Scarborough also created a new executive position and appointed Professor Maydianne Andrade to the role of Vice Dean, Faculty Affairs and Equity.

Research and innovation reached for the stars
Members of the Rouge App development team.
The Rouge App development team.

Members of the community had a chance to hear from some of our distinguished experts at the Celebration of Research Excellence and Great Explorations lecture series.

Researchers at the Centre for Planetary Sciences not only did important work on the recently-discovered TRAPPIST-1 System, they also discovered an entirely new exoplanet.

Our undergraduates also showed off innovative new products. A group working out of the Hub developed an app for the Rouge National Urban Park, while award money for a start-up company that transforms restaurant waste into usable materials continued to flow. It was also a milestone year for our entrepreneurship incubator The Hub, which saw funds made by student start-ups exceed $1-million.

Award-winning organic chemist Professor Frank Wania added fellow of the Royal Society of Canada to his impressive resume in September, while The Hon. David Onley, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, received the Order of Canada for his advocacy of disability rights.

History Professor William Nelson won the prestigious Notting Hill Editions Essay Prize, and it was also a banner year for the Doris McCarthy Gallery (DMG) which was shortlisted for four provincial awards.
 


It was a remarkable year for U of T Scarborough and we look forward to sharing even more exciting stories in 2018.