Global

��˾��ֱ�� Mississauga grad aims to 'understand people on a deeper level'

lanthierj — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 19:59:56 +0000

��˾��ֱ�� Mississauga grad aims to 'understand people on a deeper level'

lanthierj Fri, 11/01/2024 - 15:59

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Nirmol Midha, an international student from India, says studying psychology at ��˾��ֱ�� Mississauga gave her insights into human emotions and behaviours (photo by Anmoal Midha)

Sharon Aschaiek

Topic

Our Community

Convocation 2024

Global

Mental Health

Psychology

��˾��ֱ�� Mississauga

Subheadline

Nirmol Midha studied psychology and volunteered with campus groups that offer mental health and wellness supports

As she prepares to graduate from the University of Toronto Mississauga, Nirmol Midha is taking time to reflect on the meaningful lessons, rich experiences and diverse connections that punctuated her journey – including a passion for supporting mental health.

“It’s a really emotional time, because at UTM I developed so much, not only academically but as a person,” says Midha, an international student from India who completed an undergraduate degree in psychology.

“It was a time of self-exploration, growth and discovering my resilience.”

Midha specifically chose to study at the ��˾��ֱ�� Mississauga campus because of its serene natural surroundings and the option to have two minors – in biology and political science.

She says majoring in psychology was a way for her to better understand human motivations and behaviours – and to learn how to support mental health.

“I felt a deep calling to understand people on a deeper level and support their emotional and mental well-being,” she says.

“I think that’s really important in today’s world.”

Midha says she was fascinated to learn about the how the mind develops, the structure and function of the brain, the evolution of cognition in children and how to conduct quantitative research.

She says her professors skillfully brought the topics to life.

“All of the professors at UTM taught really well. They made the concepts so engaging,” she says. “They were helpful, accommodating and always trying to offer a helping hand.”

Midha complemented her classroom learning with mental health-related extracurricular activities.

She served a term as the vice-president of the student club Mending Minds, for which she organized mental health awareness events. She also worked as the education and communication lead at The Wellness Den, a space connected with the Health & Counselling Centre that provides wellness services to support students. There, she created an escape room game to bring awareness to the Den’s offerings.

“The goal at the Den was to let students know that we all deal with academic and life pressures – and sometimes it’s a lot, but everything’s going to be fine,” she says.

Like other Class of 2024 grads, Midha’s education was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic that forced ��˾��ֱ�� to hold many classes virtually for an extended period. Missing out on so much campus life was difficult, she says, but notes she was able to find her stride with online learning and maintain her circle of friends.

She says remote learning also allowed her to attend her nephew, who was unwell.

“Everything’s going to have its positives and negatives,” she says. “You just have to look at the positive side and move on with it.”

While Midha is considering future studies in social work and speech-language pathology, she is currently focused on research, administration and mental health roles.

What she knows for sure is that she wants to apply what she has learned about human psychology and wellness so she can help others. That includes through her volunteer role as vice-president of marketing for UTM Campus Connections, a club that supports community members with intellectual disabilities.

“I want to use what I’ve learned at UTM to make a meaningful impact in people’s lives,” she says. “I hope to contribute to something bigger than myself in the future.”

How did she do it? Three questions with ��˾��ֱ�� grad who speaks 11 languages

mattimar — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 20:31:59 +0000

How did she do it? Three questions with ��˾��ֱ�� grad who speaks 11 languages

mattimar Wed, 10/30/2024 - 16:31

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Originally from Malaysia, Xin Yi Lim is graduating from ��˾��ֱ�� with a master’s in Hispanic linguistics with a collaborative specialization in diaspora and transnational studies from the department of Spanish and Portuguese (photo by Nicole In)

Topic

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Graduate Students

Subheadline

“My brain works in different channels … I’ve developed resources, tools and mechanism to prevent cross-linguistic contamination”

Xin Yi Lim arrived at the University of Toronto in 2019 with plans to become a cardiac surgeon, but she has since achieved a feat many would consider equally daunting: learning to speak 11 languages.

After shifting her focus during her undergrad, Lim is set to graduate from ��˾��ֱ�� this week with a master’s in Hispanic linguistics with a collaborative specialization in diaspora and transnational studies from the department of Spanish and Portuguese in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

Originally from Malaysia, Lim says she fell in love with Toronto’s diverse community and hopes to continue living in the city. Following fall convocation, she hopes to pursue a career that combines her passions for graphic design and languages.

“I wish to work in a capacity where I can converse and capitalize on all these skills I have amassed over the years,” says Lim, who also earned her bachelor’s degree from ��˾��ֱ�� and is considered a hyperpolyglot – the term generally used to describe someone who can speak more than five languages.

“I’d love to continue making meaningful connections with people and touching the hearts of others by learning their culture and language.”

In the near term, Lim is eager to find opportunities in entertainment – perhaps with Disney on Ice or Royal Caribbean Cruises – to showcase her figure skating skills. She competed with the Malaysian junior national figure skating team and was a member of ��˾��ֱ��’s Varsity training squad.

As she prepares to embark on a new chapter, Lim spoke with ��˾��ֱ�� News about how she learned so many languages, her university experience and, of course, what language she plans to tackle next.

How did you learn all these languages?

I will give a lot of credit to my home country of Malaysia. Growing up with five languages in my household built my brain to absorb different languages.

My brain works in different channels and compartments. With a photographic memory, learning languages is like translating these photographs in my head into these mental compartments.

Due to my perfectionism in linguistics and eagerness to not make mistakes, I’ve developed resources, tools and mechanism to prevent cross-linguistic contamination. For languages that are in similar linguistic families – like Portuguese, French, Italian and Spanish – I created mechanisms for active recall to help me avoid mixing them up while speaking.

How has studying at ��˾��ֱ�� shaped your path?

I came to ��˾��ֱ�� wanting to become a cardiac surgeon and now I have 11 languages under my belt. After my third semester of doing life sciences, I quickly found my love for linguistics and political activism.

I had to take political science and social science – and if I had never taken these courses, I wouldn’t have known I was so passionate about diaspora studies, transnational studies, anthropology or sociology.

That’s one thing about ��˾��ֱ�� that I really appreciate. Some may complain about its academic rigour, but I think it worked out in my favour. The well-rounded education I received here is hard to find in other institutions in Canada.

Being at ��˾��ֱ�� has enriched and amplified my experience in language and my love for different cultures. I took Italian in my second year and Turkish in my third year. In my final year, I had some wiggle room for more electives. So, I decided to take Portuguese for Spanish speakers, which was so super, super helpful. Then I took French and Swahili.

I believe the selection of different languages at ��˾��ֱ�� offers a great plethora of knowledge and I want to keep that going.

If you could instantly become fluent in one language, which one would it be?

Arabic is incredibly difficult to learn. I would really like to master this language – hopefully soon.

I also want to learn Greek, Albanian and Armenian, seeing as there is a huge population of these three ethnic groups in Toronto and I want to be able to connect with those cultures.

��˾��ֱ�� ranked 21st globally in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:23:26 +0000

��˾��ֱ�� ranked 21st globally in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 10/11/2024 - 10:23

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(photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

Times Higher Education

Subheadline

Among public universities, ��˾��ֱ�� ranked third in North America and 10th in the world

The University of Toronto has once again secured its position as a leading global institution in higher education, maintaining its rank of 21^st in the world in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

In addition to being the top-ranked university in Canada, ��˾��ֱ�� ranked third among public universities in North America and 10^th among public universities globally – again, the same as the previous year.

It also ranked 16^th overall in Times Higher Education’s “research environment” pillar.

“This closely watched international ranking underscores the University of Toronto’s excellence in research and teaching in an increasingly competitive sector,” said ��˾��ֱ�� President Meric Gertler.

“It also reflects the ongoing impact of the university’s scholars and researchers, whose contributions draw exceptional students and faculty from around the world to our three campuses.”

In the 2025 edition of its annual ranking, Times Higher Education evaluated 2,092 research-intensive universities from 115 countries and territories. That’s 185 new entries when compared to last year.

The ranking assesses schools across five broad pillars: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry and international outlook. It draws from data sources that include 157 million citations, 18 million research publications and survey responses from more than 93,000 scholars worldwide.

The top five universities in the ranking this year were: University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Princeton University and University of Cambridge.

Other Canadian schools in the top 100 were: University of British Columbia (41^st) and McGill University (45^th).

Overall, ��˾��ֱ�� continues to be the highest-ranked Canadian university and one of the top-ranked public universities in the five most closely watched international rankings: Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, ShanghaiRanking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.

In his words: Geoffrey Hinton reflects on his Nobel Prize win

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:26:59 +0000

In his words: Geoffrey Hinton reflects on his Nobel Prize win

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 10/10/2024 - 12:26

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Geoffrey Hinton, University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the University of Toronto and winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, takes questions during a virtual press conference hosted by ��˾��ֱ�� (image via YouTube)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Global Lens

Artificial Intelligence

Department of Computer Science

Faculty of Arts & Science

Geoffrey Hinton

Global

Nobel Prize

President Meric Gertler

Subheadline

"If you believe in something, don’t give up on it until you understand why that belief is wrong"

Empower curiosity-driven research. Follow your convictions. Think not just about how to advance technology, but how to direct its use for good.

These were among the key messages delivered by Geoffrey Hinton, University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the University of Toronto and winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics, during an Oct. 8 press conference held by the university to mark his historic award.

Widely regarded as “the godfather of AI,” Hinton was named a co-winner of the prize – alongside John J. Hopfield of Princeton University – for his work on Boltzmann machines and artificial neural networks, which laid the groundwork for advancements in AI and stimulated new research directions in physics.

��˾��ֱ�� President Meric Gertler hailed Hinton for having “a profound impact on multiple fields and disciplines,” crediting “his leadership and exemplary mentorship of young scholars” with helping ��˾��ֱ�� become a global leader in AI and machine learning.

“I think one cannot overstate the impact of a win like this on the ability of Canada, Toronto and the University of Toronto to be able to welcome talented newcomers, great students and wonderful faculty from across the country and around the world because of the recognition that arises with Geoff’s win,” President Gertler said.

For his part, Hinton echoed his remarks from earlier in the day that he was “flabbergasted” to receive the prize and pleased that the Nobel committee recognized the advancements in artificial neural networks.

He also answered questions about his influences, legacy and how it feels to go from being an obscure researcher who toiled in a largely forsaken field to a Nobel Laureate – and his advice for researchers who hope to one day follow in his footsteps.

Here are five key themes that emerged from Hinton's news conference:

His legacy

“I’m hoping AI will lead to tremendous benefits, to tremendous increases in productivity and to a better life for everybody. I’m convinced that it will do that in health care.

“My worry is that it may also lead to bad things, and in particular, when we get things more intelligent than ourselves, no one really knows whether we’re going to be able to control them.

“We don’t know how to avoid [catastrophic AI scenarios] at present. That’s why we urgently need more research. So I’m advocating that our best young researchers, or many of them, should work on AI safety and governments should force large companies to provide the computational facilities they need to do that.”

A collaborative effort

“I think of the prize as a recognition of a large community of people who worked on artificial neural networks for many years.

“I’d particularly like to acknowledge my two main mentors: David Rumelhart, with whom I worked on the backpropagation algorithm … and my colleague Terry Sejnowsky, who I worked with a lot in the 1980s on Boltzmann machines and who taught me a lot about the brain.

“I’d also like to acknowledge my students. I was particularly fortunate to have many clever students, much cleverer than me, who actually made things work. They’ve gone on to do great things.

“I should also acknowledge Yoshua Bengio and Yann LeCun who were close colleagues and very instrumental in developing this whole field.”

Canada’s research strengths

“I think the main thing about Canada as a place to do research is there isn’t as much money as there is in the U.S., but it uses its money quite wisely.

“In particular, the main funding council for this type of research, called NSERC, uses money for basic curiosity-driven research, and all of these advances in neural networks came out of basic curiosity-driven research – not out of throwing money at applied problems, but out of letting scientists follow their curiosity to try and understand things. And Canada’s quite good at that.”

Many thought he was wasting his time

“It was a lot of fun doing the research, but it was slightly annoying that many people – in fact, most people in the field of AI – said that neural networks would never work.

"They were very confident these things were a waste of time and we would never be able to learn complicated things – for example, understanding natural language – using neural networks. And they were wrong."

Believe in your ideas

"My message is this: if you believe in something, don’t give up on it until you understand why that belief is wrong.

"Often, you believe in things and you eventually figure out why that’s a wrong thing to believe in. But so long as you believe in something and you can’t see why that’s wrong – like, ‘the brain has to work somehow so we have to figure out how it learns the connection strengths to make it work’ – keep working on it and don’t let people tell you it’s nonsense if you can’t see why it’s nonsense."

Congratulations pour in for Geoffrey Hinton after Nobel win

mattimar — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:43:16 +0000

Congratulations pour in for Geoffrey Hinton after Nobel win

mattimar Tue, 10/08/2024 - 15:43

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(Photo by Johnny Guatto/University of Toronto)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Our Community

��˾��ֱ��

Artificial Intelligence

Computer Science

Faculty of Arts & Science

University Health Network

Vector Institute

Subheadline

“You always knew when Geoff had a new idea. The excitement, the joy radiated out of his office down the hall. The air was buzzing with possibility"

Reactions to Geoffrey Hinton’s Nobel Prize win began almost immediately after it was announced Tuesday morning.

Known as the “godfather of AI,” the University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the University of Toronto shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with John J. Hopfield of Princeton University for groundbreaking work that laid the foundation for machine learning using artificial neural networks.

��˾��ֱ��’s Geoffrey Hinton and Princeton’s John J. Hopfield are pictured during the announcement for the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics (photo by Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)

At ��˾��ֱ��, students, faculty and staff gathered at an event hosted by the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, which Hinton joined as a professor in 1987.

Those in attendance described a revered and beloved figure, citing Hinton’s determination, playful approach to research and excitement for new ideas.

"I really don’t think there’s anyone more deserving of this recognition," said Chris Maddison, assistant professor in ��˾��ֱ��’s departments of computer science and statistical sciences, and one of Hinton’s former students.

"Geoff was a fantastic adviser. He worked really, really hard to remove the barriers for his students and he was laser focused on ideas and building his own understanding."

Hinton also received congratulations from universities and other research organizations around the world, including the Royal Society, the Alan Turing Institute and Cambridge University, Hinton’s alma mater.

Meanwhile, friends, colleagues and leaders in politics and business took to social media to express their congratulations for Hinton’s remarkable achievement.

Here’s a snapshot of what some of them said:

From left: Melanie Woodin, Chris Maddison, Nick Frosst, Kevin Swersky and Eyal de Lara (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“Congratulations to Geoffrey Hinton on this fantastic recognition which is a testament to the importance of supporting basic research and the long journey that can lead to profound discoveries like deep learning that forever change our world. Hinton's phenomenal work has seeded new and innovative research by his former students and many around the world who are using AI to solve global challenges in areas like medicine and climate change.“

– Leah Cowen, vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives at ��˾��ֱ��

“I would say his approach to science has stuck with me. Everything I know about how to do science, I mostly learned from him. It's his curiosity and playfulness ... that has been most impactful. I would also say his thoughtfulness, thinking about the consequence of the technology and how it affects society is something that we have taken seriously at Cohere as well.”

– Nick Frosst, ��˾��ֱ�� alumnus and co-founder of Cohere

“You always knew when Geoff had a new idea. The excitement, the joy radiated out of his office down the hall. The air was buzzing with possibility. He was famous for bursting into a room and pronouncing that, he now finally, after all these years, understood how the brain worked. Above all, he understood that research was a human endeavor. Research is really hard. It becomes personal. It's intertwined with tragedies and compromises. I saw him go through some of his own when I was a student in the group, and I went through my own. I remember when I was going through some health challenges, I went to him and I said, 'Geoff, sometimes it's really hard to go on.’ And he looked at me and he said, ’But we're not going to let that slow us down, will we?’"

– Chris Maddison, assistant professor in ��˾��ֱ��’s departments of computer science and statistical sciences, Faculty of Arts & Science

��˾��ֱ�� is the only computer science department with a Nobel Prize winner, says Professor Michael Brudno (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate an award for somebody who has made huge contributions – obviously in AI broadly, [and] to this department. No other computer science department can say that they have a Nobel Laureate. But I think beyond that, it really goes back to show how the birthplace of modern AI is Toronto, how this is the place where it all started and how it's upon us as the AI faculty in this department to continue this legacy.”

– Michael Brudno, professor in ��˾��ֱ��’s department of computer science, acting vice-dean, graduate education in Faculty of Arts & Science, a chief data scientist at University Health Network and a faculty member at the Vector Institute

Geoffrey Hinton shares a laugh with fellow AI researcher Raquel Urtasun, left, at the Vector Institute’s opening in 2017 (photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

"Geoff is the most influential person in AI, and our field would certainly not be the same without his immense contributions. He is also a tremendous educator, and has mentored many students and postdocs who have gone on to become very influential in the field of AI. Geoff cares deeply about the Toronto and Canadian ecosystem and was the driving force in the formation of the Vector Institute, which we co-founded together. Through our time as colleagues at the University of Toronto, I've deeply admired his commitment to the advancement of AI for good. This recognition is well-deserved and acknowledges his decades of work leading AI innovation and building the foundation for the AI revolution that is happening today.”

– Raquel Urtasun, professor in ��˾��ֱ��’s department of computer science, faculty member and co-founder at the Vector Institute, founder and CEO of Waabi

“I was the first to call Geoff Hinton “Godfather of Deep Learning,” which later became “Godfather of AI.” Thrilled to see him win the Nobel prize together with John Hopfield for AI. Congrats @geoffreyhinton.”

– Andrew Ng, co-founder of Coursera, founder GoogleBrain, former chief scientist at Baidu

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with Geoffrey Hinton at a 2019 event (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

“Dr. Hinton is a stalwart in his field. Celebrated as one of the ‘Godfathers of AI’, he brings decades of leading expertise in AI research as a Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto’s Department of Computer Science, and the current Chief Scientific Advisor at the Vector Institute in Toronto – one of our three national AI institutes. Dr. Hinton is also an outspoken advocate for the responsible development and adoption of AI, educating the world about the benefits and challenges this technology poses.

“Canada is at the forefront of AI technology thanks to trailblazers like Dr. Hinton. His curiosity for discovery and contributions to innovation will inspire generations to come. On behalf of all Canadians, I congratulate him on his remarkable achievement.”

– Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

A.M. Turing Award winners Yann LeCun, left, Yoshua Bengio, middle, and Geoffrey Hinton at an AI summit in Montreal (photo courtesy of RE•WORK)

"@HopfieldJohn and @geoffreyhinton, along with collaborators, have created a beautiful and insightful bridge between physics and AI. They invented neural networks that were not only inspired by the brain, but also by central notions in physics such as energy, temperature, system dynamics, energy barriers, the role of randomness and noise, connecting the local properties, e.g., of atoms or neurons, to global ones like entropy and attractors. And they went beyond the physics to show how these ideas could give rise to memory, learning and generative models; concepts which are still at the forefront of modern AI research. Their ideas inspired me so profoundly that I decided to choose learning in neural networks for my own research as a graduate student. They motivated me to look for abstract principles that could be as simple as the laws of physics, but could explain biological as well as artificial intelligence. I'm truly delighted for them and for our field."

– Yoshua Bengio, professor at Université de Montréal and co-winner of the A.M Turing Award with Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun

“It was the first thing I saw in the morning. I opened my phone, and it was the headline of The New York Times and I was like, ‘Yes!’ I was very excited. I saw his perseverance – he always goes with what he believes, not what the flow is – and it's quite inspirational for me. That’s what I look for, especially in the health care area. I want to do something meaningful, something big.”

–Tina Behrouzi, second year PhD student in ��˾��ֱ��’s department of computer science

Geoffrey Hinton poses with graduate students Ilya Sutskever, left, and Alex Krizhevsky, right, in 2013 (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“Congratulations to @geoffreyhinton for winning the Nobel Prize in physics!!”

– Ilya Sutskever, ��˾��ֱ�� alumnus, co-founder of OpenAI and co-founder and chief scientist at Safe Superintelligence

“Going to Geoff’s office was always fun. Normally when you go to a supervisor's office, you give them a progress update. You go through what your latest results are, you talk about a couple of your ideas and you get some feedback. Going to Geoff’s office was a completely different story. He would be telling you what his latest idea was. He would show you his latest results. And his whole thing was just that he was really excited about it, and his hope was to inspire you enough to start running with it.”

– Kevin Swersky, ��˾��ֱ�� alumnus and research scientist at Google DeepMind

“[Hinton's] pioneering research at the University of Toronto not only revolutionized the field of AI but has also been instrumental in establishing Canada as a global powerhouse in AI research and innovation."

– Tony Gaffney, president and CEO of the Vector Institute

Fei-Fei Li and Geoffrey Hinton speak at a 2023 event in Toronto (photo by Polina Teif)

“This is beyond exciting! #AI’s far reaching impact is just beginning.”

– Fei-Fei Li, professor of computer science at Stanford University and co-director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute

“Congratulations to @geoffreyhinton, University Professor Emeritus at@UofT, on winning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics! Widely regarded as the “godfather of AI,” Hinton’s pioneering work in artificial neural networks has transformed the global AI landscape. Dr. Hinton’s achievement highlights the best of #Ontario’s world-class talent and thriving AI ecosystem, driving innovation and shaping the future of critical #technology!

– Victor Fedeli, Ontario’s minister of economic development, job creation and trade

"On behalf of the Department and the University, we are very proud to acknowledge Geoff's global achievements and this international recognition. His contributions to machine learning and artificial intelligence have benefited virtually every discipline in science, engineering, social sciences and medicine. As we celebrate the department’s 60th anniversary, this award embodies six decades of impact and innovation in computer science and technology.”

– Eyal de Lara, professor and chair of ��˾��ֱ��’s department of computer science, Faculty of Arts & Science

“Heartfelt congratulations to Geoff Hinton @geoffreyhinton on winning the Nobel Prize! What an incredible honor! I feel deeply privileged to have had the opportunity to be your PhD student, work with you, and learn from you.”

– Russ Salakhutdinov, professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University

Hinton approached his research with an “almost childlike playfulness,” says Graduate student Ujan Sen (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“Waking up today, seeing that news, just motivates me even more and reaffirms the decision that coming to ��˾��ֱ�� was the absolutely the best decision I could have taken. I think one of the people who had previously worked with him mentioned something along the lines of: Geoff didn't really care too much about pedigree. He cared about ideas, regardless if you have a master's or PhD. And the way he approached his research and the almost childlike playfulness and innocence he had with sort of getting to the answer is something that I really resonate with.”

– Ujan Sen, master’s student in ��˾��ֱ��’s department of computer science, Faculty of Arts & Science

"I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Geoffrey Hinton on winning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics. His groundbreaking work in machine learning has made Canada world-renowned in the field of AI. He is a true inspiration for the next generation of Canadian researchers!"

– François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry

“I’m originally a chemist. It was a surprising thing for me that a Nobel Prize is being awarded to a computer scientist. This is a big moment for computer science. I think it will bring recognition to physics-based approaches and core thinking.

“I think it’s great that some universities like ��˾��ֱ�� are willing to believe in crazy ideas. People need to encourage outside-the-box thinking.”

– Ella Rajaonson, PhD student in the Matter Lab with ��˾��ֱ�� professor Alán Aspuru-Guzik

“Congratulations!”

– Olivia Chow, mayor of Toronto

Going digital to save lives: ��˾��ֱ�� grad student aims to eliminate barriers to health care

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 13:40:31 +0000

Going digital to save lives: ��˾��ֱ�� grad student aims to eliminate barriers to health care

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 10/07/2024 - 09:40

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Naturinda Emmanuel, a Mastercard Scholar who grew up in Uganda, studies intelligent medicine and electronic medical records at ��˾��ֱ��'s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (supplied image)

Tina Adamopoulos

Topic

Global Lens

Black Research Network

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

Africa

Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Subheadline

Naturinda Emmanuel, a scholar and entrepreneur, says the digitization of medical records, when coupled with AI, will reduce errors in patient care and help spot public health threats before they occur

Growing up in Uganda, Naturinda Emmanuel aspired to be a medical doctor and health leader who eliminates barriers to health-care access for those in underserved, remote communities.

“I always wanted to address different health-care issues in my country – that is my motivation,” he says. “I want to gain the skills and expertise to strengthen health-care systems to ensure that those who need care can receive it.”

Naturinda (his surname) is now a graduate student at the University of Toronto, where he studies intelligent medicine and electronic medical records in the master of health informatics program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health's Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME).

He’s also actively involved with the startup community, having launched a successful, impact-focused enterprise in Uganda and training other entrepreneurs.

Naturinda joined IHPME with the support of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, a global education initiative focused on the next generation of African leaders, and Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative (AHEHC), a partnership between ��˾��ֱ��, the Mastercard Foundation and leading African universities. The AHEHC was established in 2022 to drive primary health-care workforce education, entrepreneurship and innovation across Africa.

This is Naturinda’s second time studying abroad with the Mastercard Foundation. He became the first in his family to study outside the country when he was awarded a scholarship to pursue an undergraduate degree in laboratory medicine at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana.

He later returned home during the COVID-19 pandemic to volunteer in the clinical microbiology and immunology departments at a local hospital. The experience prompted him to think about how to improve systems that were suddenly facing new pressures at already burdened hospitals – namely the continued use of paper records.

Medical records are the building blocks for developing efficient and effective intelligent medicine models, he says, while intelligent medicine refers to the use of machine learning models to process medical data and reduce errors in patient care. Large datasets may also allow medical professionals to spot health patterns – an emerging epidemic, for example – to better prepare for public health threats.

However, low-to-middle-income countries face many barriers to digitizing medical data, including limited access to technology and the absence of standardized data formats. The use of paper records also causes delays in retrieving laboratory results and makes it difficult to understand patients’ medical histories efficiently.

“The digitization of medical records is essential for developing and training predictive models,” Naturinda says. “Unique electronic datasets from these communities provide the more accurate and reliable information needed to account for unique socio-cultural factors and effectively develop models tailored to address those specific challenges.”

Naturinda will work under the guidance of Karim Keshavjee, an assistant professor and director of the master of health informatics program. In addition to intelligent medicine, Naturinda says he also has a key interest in implementation science, or the study of methods to ensure research is translated into policy, programs and startups.

One of Canada’s few professional graduate programs in the field, the master of health informatics program provides students with the skills and strategic vision to take on leadership positions in health-care landscape.

The opportunity to learn industry-specific knowledge from health leaders is what made the program a perfect fit, Naturinda says.

“One of the reasons I chose the MHI program is because it is training us to be leaders, innovators and policymakers. I wanted to seek mentorship from people who were making a big impact in strengthening health-care systems in Canada.”

Public health isn’t the only field where Naturinda is hoping to make an impact. He also wants to help others as an entrepreneur – a journey that’s already well underway.

During his undergrad, he co-founded the Nugget Poultry Farm to help smallholder farmers in western Uganda raise poultry more effectively and improve food access back home. The venture aims to support 1,000 farmers in 20 communities by 2027 and has received a Social Venture Challenge Award from the Mastercard Foundation and the Resolution Project.

Naturinda enhanced his business knowledge through the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship at Queen’s University. Now a program coach, he has trained more than 500 entrepreneurs from Africa-based startups addressing various issues in agribusiness, climate change and health care.

Naturinda is eager to tap into ��˾��ֱ��’s network of entrepreneurs and has wasted no time reaching out to various groups, including the Black Founders Network.

“When I train entrepreneurs, I see the impact of them pitching their ventures or winning a grant. It’s the type of impact that I want to see with my research, and bridging those two passions is an ideal step forward,” Naturinda says.

“As I progress at ��˾��ֱ��, I look forward to leveraging opportunities that speak to my background in entrepreneurship, health care and research to make sure that I implement them together.”

First 48 Hours: Documentary spotlights the journey of international students

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 19:53:06 +0000

First 48 Hours: Documentary spotlights the journey of international students

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 10/01/2024 - 15:53

Cutline

(supplied image)

Adam Elliott Segal

Topic

Global Lens

Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation

Centre for International Experience

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Global

Graduate Students

Student Life

Subheadline

International Students: First 48 Hours will be screened across ��˾��ֱ��’s three campuses this fall

The first few days of a new school year can be as frantic as they are exciting – but for several international students at the University of Toronto, there was an extra wrinkle: a new country.

The students are featured in a 22-minute documentary called International Students: First 48 Hours in Canada, which is directed by Cal Campos and was shot at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year.

It uses a combination of the students’ own footage and sit-down interviews to provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the excitement of packing, traveling and finally setting foot on each of ��˾��ֱ��’s three campuses.

Obinna Ezeani (supplied image)

Obinna Ezeani, who is featured in the film and spent 17 hours traveling from Lagos to Toronto, says he is thrilled to see the final product come to life.

“It’s an opportunity to relive those moments and memories from a year ago and remind myself why I embarked on this journey,” says Ezeani, who is working on a master’s degree in health informatics and recalls his first few days in Canada as “exciting.”

A joint partnership between ��˾��ֱ��’s Centre for International Experience and the Innovation Hub in the division of Student Life, the documentary is being screened across the three campuses in October and November – with the first screening scheduled at ��˾��ֱ�� Scarborough this week.

It will later be available for streaming on YouTube.

Julia Allworth, the Innovation Hub’s manager of innovation projects, says the goal of the project was to shine a light on the multitude of diverse global perspectives that make up nearly a third of the university’s student body.

“We wanted to zoom in on what it’s like for students when they first arrive in Canada. What challenges do they face as they step off the plane and into Canada? What decisions do they need to make along the way?” says Allworth.

“International students bring tremendous value to the university.”

The biggest challenge, according to Campos, was figuring out how to show the diversity and complexity of student life at ��˾��ֱ�� in just 22 minutes.

Jo Antonia Sepulveda Guzman (supplied image)

“The beauty of documentary is you think it’s going to go in one direction, and then it goes a totally different way,” says Campos, who was selected to helm the project for their thoughtful approach to equity and diversity.

Jo Antonia Sepulveda Guzman, who is from Chile and is working on a bachelor’s degree in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, says she is looking forward to sharing the doc with her family.

“[They were] so excited when I told them I would be doing the 48 hours project,” she says. “My sister started giving me tips on how to record and took me to change my phone screen protector so that the camera was not blurry. My mom is expecting to cry.”

Sepulveda is nostalgic about the experience.

“The person I was then is completely different from the person I am today. I worked so hard to come here. Remembering the beginning will be emotional for me.”

Shraddha Prasad, associate director, international student experience and global fluency at the Centre for International Experience, says she couldn’t be prouder of the year-long project, which received support from ��˾��ֱ��’s International Student Experience Fund.

“International students have such impact in the ��˾��ֱ�� community through the perspectives they bring to the university through their lived experiences and their cultural backgrounds,” she says, noting that funding is already underway for a second film project titled International Students: Life After Graduation.

“Being able to elevate these stories has been a huge highlight for us.”

Geoscientists confirm 'dripping' of Earth’s crust beneath Türkiye's Central Anatolian Plateau

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 10:35:54 +0000

Geoscientists confirm 'dripping' of Earth’s crust beneath Türkiye's Central Anatolian Plateau

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 09/18/2024 - 06:35

Cutline

Earth scientists have identified active sinking at the Konya Basin in Türkiye due to the dripping of lithospheric material beneath the planet’s surface over millions of years (photo by temizyurek/Getty Images)

Sean Bettam

Topic

Breaking Research

Earth Sciences

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Research & Innovation

Recent satellite data reveal that the Konya Basin in the Central Anatolian Plateau of Türkiye is continually being reshaped over millions of years, according to a new analysis led by Earth scientists at the University of Toronto.

The researchers say experimental simulations – combined with geological, geophysical and geodetic data – explain the enigmatic sinking of the basin within the rising plateau interior and further suggests a new class of plate tectonics that has implications for other planets that do not have Earth-like plates such as Mars and Venus.

The study, published in Nature Communications, shows the sinking in the region is due to multi-stage lithospheric dripping – a phenomenon named for the instability of rocky material that makes up Earth’s crust and upper mantle. As dense rock fragments beneath the surface detach and sink into the more fluid layer of the planet’s mantle, major landforms such as basins and mountainous folding of the crust form at the surface.

“Looking at the satellite data, we observed a circular feature at the Konya Basin where the crust is subsiding or the basin is deepening,” says lead author Julia Andersen, a PhD candidate in ��˾��ֱ��’s department of Earth sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

“This prompted us to look at other geophysical data beneath the surface where we saw a seismic anomaly in the upper mantle and a thickened crust, telling us there is high-density material there and indicating a likely mantle lithospheric drip.”

Artist’s impression of the multi-stage lithospheric dripping process in Central Anatolia (illustration by Nevena Niagolova)

The results echo a similar investigation by the researchers into the formation of the Arizaro Basin in the Andes Mountains of South America, suggesting the phenomenon can occur anywhere on the planet and explains tectonic processes typically found within mountain plateau regions.

Past studies show the Central Anatolian Plateau has risen by as much as one kilometre over the past 10 million years because of the lithospheric dripping phenomenon.

“As the lithosphere thickened and dripped below the region, it formed a basin at the surface that later sprang up when the weight below broke off and sank into the deeper depths of the mantle,” says Russell Pysklywec, a professor in the department of Earth sciences and a co-author of the study.

“We now see the process is not a one-time tectonic event and that the initial drip seems to have spawned subsequent daughter events elsewhere in the region, resulting in the curious rapid subsidence of the Konya Basin within the continuously rising plateau of Türkiye.”

Andersen adds that the new findings suggest a connection between plateau uplift and basin formation events through the evolution of primary and secondary lithospheric removal. “Essentially, subsidence is occurring alongside the ongoing uplifting of the plateau.”

Andersen and study co-authors, including colleagues at Istanbul Technical University and Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University in Türkiye, arrived at their findings after recreating the dripping process in laboratory experiments and analyzing their observations.

They built laboratory analogue models to establish how the process may have unfolded based on the data provided by the new measurements, filling a plexiglass tank with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) – a silicone polymer fluid approximately 1,000 times thicker than table syrup – to serve as Earth’s fluid lower mantle, adding a mixture of PDMS and modelling clay to replicate the upper-most solid section of the mantle, finishing with a sand-like layer on top made from ceramic and silica spheres to serve as Earth’s crust.

Artist’s impression of two types of lithospheric drip: one produces thickening and uplift of Earth’s crust, while the other results in the formation of a basin at the surface without horizontal deformation (illustration by Julia Andersen/University of Toronto)

The researchers activated the model by inserting a high-density seed into the PDMS and modelling clay layer to initiate a drip that was subsequently pulled downward by gravity. A set of cameras were positioned above and beside the tank to record any changes over time, capturing a high-resolution image roughly every minute.

“Within 10 hours, we observed an initial phase of dripping, which we call a primary drip. After that primary drip touched the bottom of the box, we saw a second drip had begun to sink to the bottom after 50 hours,” says Andersen. “Both the primary and secondary drip were not causing any horizontal deformation in our artificial crust, which we expect is typically associated with a mantle lithospheric drip.”

The researchers already knew that the primary drip had caused changes in surface topography of the experiment, and wanted to know if the secondary drip would have any effect on the surface since it was a smaller sized drip than the primary drip. “What we noticed was that over time, this secondary drip did pull the crust downward and started to create a basin, despite no horizontal movements in the crust at the surface,” Andersen says. “The findings show these major tectonic events are linked, with one lithospheric drip potentially triggering a host of further activity deep in the planetary interior.”

Stay connected, find community: International student shares tips from her guide to studying in Canada

davidlee — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 15:29:23 +0000

Stay connected, find community: International student shares tips from her guide to studying in Canada

davidlee Mon, 09/09/2024 - 11:29

Cutline

Ngọc Anh Thư (Tina) Huỳnh, a ��˾��ֱ�� Pearson scholar from Vietnam, wrote a Vietnamese-language guide for international students studying in Canada (supplied image)

Adina Bresge

Topic

Global Lens

Back to School 2024

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship

Rotman Commerce

St. Michael's College

Subheadline

“That's the great thing about being an international student in Canada ... Everyone is friendly. You can just reach out to anyone for help”

Unlike many first-year international students at the University of Toronto, Ngọc Anh Thư (Tina) Huỳnh already has plenty of experience living and studying in Canada – and the inevitable cultural shock that can come along with it.

She even wrote a book on it.

A Vietnamese student who has been attending school in Ontario since Grade 8, Huỳnh has cultivated the cultural fluency, study habits and – it must be said – winter survival tactics needed to thrive in Canadian classrooms.

After writing a guide for other Vietnamese students, she’s been helping her fellow Lester B. Pearson International Scholars adjust to life in Canada by sharing tips in a group chat on everything from what to pack to navigating the airport.

“It kind of reminds me of when I first came to Canada, because I had the same feeling – I was really nervous,” says Huỳnh, who is studying at Rotman Commerce in the Faculty of Arts & Science as a member of St. Michael’s College.

Born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, Huỳnh moved to Canada at age 13, starting her studies in Windsor, Ont. with a Vietnamese host family and later continuing her education at a school in nearby London, where she lived in residence.

Far away from her family and the familiarity of home, Huỳnh says she had to learn how to be independent. But she soon discovered that connecting with others eased the transition.

“What I found helpful was to find a community,” she says. “It could be a group of friends – maybe from your old country, or just someone you meet [here] ... You need someone by your side.”

She also discovered that Canadians were eager to make newcomers feel at home.

“That's the great thing about being an international student in Canada,” says Huỳnh. “Everyone is friendly. You can just reach out to anyone for help.”

A polyglot with fluency in Mandarin, Korean, Spanish and French in addition to Vietnamese and English, Huỳnh says she is quick to pick up new languages, but it still took her a while to get the hang of Canadian slang. For example, she recalls scratching her head when a Tim Hortons cashier threw around strange words like “loonie” and “toonie.”

“I was actually really confident with my English. But then it was destroyed because … communication styles were so different,” she says, encouraging international students to not be deterred by initial language barriers.

When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, Huỳnh responded by building international connections through business. She founded an online venture to retail Korean merchandise to customers in the United States and Canada, which later expanded to serve more than 10 countries globally.

“It was really hard to purchase face masks or any medical supplies, so I thought of starting my business as a way to earn profits to support people during that time.”

The experience, while challenging, proved rewarding, with Huỳnh eventually donating a portion of her earnings to those in need.

In addition to her entrepreneurial ventures, Huỳnh began to consider how her journey could benefit others. With a deep love for writing, she drew on her notebooks to organize her thoughts on navigating culture shock, adapting to new learning environments and finding community.

Huỳnh’s insights formed the basis of her published book: Cẩm Nang Du Học Canada (A Complete Guide to Studying in Canada).

“I figured it may be a good idea to share all of my knowledge and understanding from my experience with high school students and their parents who are looking for this information.”

Huỳnh founded an online venture to sell Korean merchandise to customers in the U.S. and Canada, which later expanded to serve more than 10 countries (supplied image)

As a Pearson Scholar, Huỳnh is now hoping to build more connections and share her experiences as part of a global community of future leaders.

“I've already connected with a lot of amazing people – a lot of amazing students, alumni, even professors,” Huỳnh says. “The Pearson community is so supportive.”

Here are some of Huỳnh’s tips for international students arriving in Canada:

Stay connected to home: “Stay connected with your family and friends, because maybe you don't notice how much you miss them when they're right next to you. But when you're away from them – especially like for me, half the Earth away – it's really nice to talk to your parents, talk to your siblings, your friends, and just share your life.”
Find comfort in food: “For homesickness, one of the most healing ways, at least for me, is through food. And I think for Toronto, at least, I don't think people have to worry too much about having difficulties finding restaurants for their own culture.”
Dress smart for winter: “My advice would be to stick to thermal clothing – those are just very thin and cling close to your body. When I tell people about that, they’re surprised because thermal clothes are so thin compared to puffy layers of jackets. But trust me, they’ll keep you warmer."\
Take notes in class: “I know that in a lot of countries, especially Asian countries, people are probably used to teachers outlining everything. But it’s different in Canada … Professors can go really fast in lectures, so scribbling some notes – even if you have ugly handwriting – is a great way to learn and revise for exams.”
Embrace Canadian culture: “If you’re walking on the street, and a stranger says, ‘Hi’ – don’t freak out. They’re just being nice!”

��˾��ֱ�� ranked fourth in the world in research-focused NTU World University Rankings

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 15:51:19 +0000

��˾��ֱ�� ranked fourth in the world in research-focused NTU World University Rankings

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 09/06/2024 - 11:51

Cutline

(photo by Matt Volpe)

Topic

National Taiwan University

Rankings

Research & Innovation

Subheadline

The National Taiwan University ranking evaluates universities based on research output and impact

The University of Toronto climbed one spot to fourth place globally in the latest National Taiwan University ranking, which evaluates universities based on their research output and impact.

��˾��ֱ��’s strong performance in the 2024 edition of the NTU World University Rankings, released this week, puts it in elite global company. The four other schools in the top five were Harvard University, Stanford University, University College London and the University of Oxford.

Among public universities, ��˾��ֱ�� placed second globally and first in North America.

“This ranking is yet another reminder that the research produced at the University of Toronto is truly world-class,” said Leah Cowen, ��˾��ֱ��’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.

“It also reflects our reputation for research excellence and impact across a broad range of fields – from medicine to the social sciences.”

The NTU ranking analyzes scholarly papers and research citations, scoring each institution based on productivity, impact and excellence. The top 1,000 universities were ranked this year with more than 1,500 considered.

In addition to the overall ranking, NTU ranked universities by six broad fields and 27 specific subjects.

��˾��ֱ�� ranked among the top 50 institutions worldwide – and first in Canada – in four of the six broad fields. Notably, that includes a rank of second globally in medicine, the same as last year, and third globally in social sciences – up three spots.

��˾��ֱ�� also ranked among the top 10 universities globally in five subject categories: clinical medicine (second), neurosciences and behaviour (third), social sciences (third), psychiatry and psychology (fourth) and biology and biochemistry (sixth).

Two other Canadian universities made the top 100 in the main NTU ranking: University of British Columbia (37th) and McGill University (57th).

Overall, ��˾��ֱ�� continues to be the highest-ranked Canadian university and one of the top-ranked public universities in the five most closely watched international rankings: Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, ShanghaiRanking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.