Faculty of Art & Science

The University of Toronto is collaborating with the University Health Network, the Hospital for Sick Children and Sunnybrook Research Institute on a new program that aims to leverage the expertise of entrepreneurs and business leaders to advance commercialization of emerging medical technologies and regenerative medicine research.

Funded by the Government of Ontario, the Entrepreneur-In-Residence program will support projects that display high potential for clinical impact and spin-off company formation, spanning areas ranging from regenerative therapies and medical devices to AI-powered clinical tools and apps for patient care.

The one-year pilot program is being launched with the help of a $300,000 grant from Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON), a provincial agency that was established in 2022 to provide IP resources and supports to researchers and businesses.

“The Entrepreneur-in-Residence program will help take medical innovations developed in academic and hospital environments and translate them into the commercial arena, generating economic opportunity for the region and expanding clinical impact globally,” said Leah Cowen, ��˾��ֱ��’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.

“The University of Toronto is grateful to IPON for its support of this initiative, which stands to strengthen existing networks of knowledge exchange and collaboration between the university and its partner hospitals.”

Jill Dunlop, left,Ontario’s minister of colleges and universities, said post-secondary institutions are critical incubators of innovation and commercialization (photo courtesy of IPON)

The program will see Entrepreneurs-in-Residence – individuals with a track record of launching science-based ventures and shepherding projects from proof-of-concept to incubation, acceleration and seed funding – liaise with ��˾��ֱ��’s Innovations & Partnerships Office and IPON to generate and protect IP. It is designed to add capacity and scope to ��˾��ֱ��’s thriving entrepreneurship and commercialization ecosystem, including existing Entrepreneur-in-Residence initiatives such as those offered by the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Medicine By Design, an institutional strategic initiative (ISI).

“In today’s global knowledge-based economy, Ontario’s post-secondary institutions are critical – not just as centres of learning, but as incubators for innovation and commercialization,” said Jill Dunlop, minister of colleges and universities, in a recent announcement of new IPON-funded initiatives.

“Through the province’s support of IPON, our government is ensuring the social and economic benefits of publicly funded research stay in our province, so that Ontarians and the Ontario economy benefit from these new discoveries and innovations.”

Dunlop also spoke at an April 8 event with Christine Allen, a professor in ��˾��ֱ��’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy who has an extensive track record of translating and commercializing lab discoveries.

Christine Allen, far right, is a professor in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and the founder and CEO of Intrepid Labs (photo courtesy of IPON)

At the event, Allen highlighted the growth of her startup, Intrepid Labs Inc., which she co-founded with Alán Aspuru-Guzik, a professor in the departments of chemistry and computer science in ��˾��ֱ��’s Faculty of Arts & Science and director of the Acceleration Consortium. The company marries Allen’s prowess in drug formulation and development with Aspuru-Guzik’s expertise in AI and advanced computing in order to accelerate the development of next-generation medicines. In the fall, the company closed a pre-seed round of US$4 million.

“The availability of top-notch talent in AI and life sciences made Toronto a great place to launch our company,” says Allen, who is Intrepid’s CEO, noting all four of the startup’s co-founders are from ��˾��ֱ��.

She added that ��˾��ֱ�� is a powerhouse for entrepreneurship and intellectual property, ranked second in North America for university-based startups, and that companies with founders or co-founders from ��˾��ֱ�� make up a significant percentage of some of the fastest-growing companies in Ontario.

“This is the beauty of being at the University of Toronto and having the MaRS Discovery District across the street and all the hospitals around us. It’s such a rich environment,” she says.

“We can do this in Toronto.”

Allen stressed that a thriving lab-to-market ecosystem is critical to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

“Students are increasingly seeking out roles in the private sector,” she says. “For them to see other students and faculty members [found startups] helps them realize that it’s possible for them to start companies, too.”

'A very ornate, unique experience': ��˾��ֱ�� alumnus Kokichi Kusano debuts theatrical and musical performance

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 01 May 2023 18:23:17 +0000

'A very ornate, unique experience': ��˾��ֱ�� alumnus Kokichi Kusano debuts theatrical and musical performance

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 05/01/2023 - 14:23

Cutline

NAE, a theatrical and musical work created by ��˾��ֱ�� alumnus Kokichi Kusano, tells a story of life in Japan during a 13th-century famine (photo by Gak Tanaka)

Topic

Faculty of Art & Science

Theatre

University of Toronto alumnus Kokichi Kusano is preparing to debut his theatrical and musical work NAE, which translates to “The Rice Seedling,” at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre – a performance years in the making and inspired by his studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

NAE runs from May 5–7 and uses elements of traditional Japanese theatre, music and art to tell a story of life on the island nation during a 13th-century famine.

Kokichi Kusano (supplied image)

“It's going to be quite a costume spectacle and a very ornate, unique experience,” says Kusano, who earned his honours bachelor of arts degree from ��˾��ֱ�� as a member of Woodsworth College in 2005.

“I'm very excited to share that with Toronto.”

The story centres on a lonesome monk offering comfort to the dead as they float down a metaphorical river to the afterlife. The monk will soon discover the mysterious forces that hold the fate of humankind in the balance.

The monk’s character was inspired by a book Kusano read while studying in the department of East Asian studies: Hōjōki: A Hermit's Hut as Metaphor, by Kamo no Chōmei – one man’s chronicle of natural disasters and war in medieval Japan.

Many people and events in NAE are rooted in Kusano's studies and instructors at ��˾��ֱ��.

“He was a great student,” says Ikuko Komuro-Lee, a linguistics expert and associate professor, teaching stream, in the department of East Asian studies. “He was very motivated, diligent and it was obvious he cared a lot about his Japanese heritage.”

Kusano earned a scholarship through the Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies to study abroad at Kyushu University in Japan – on the same southern island his grandparents came from.

“I met a lot of musicians and artisans who were influential to my musical style and writing techniques,” he says. “��˾��ֱ�� opened so many doors inside and outside the classroom.”

Kusano was born and raised in Toronto, but his grandparents came to Canada from Japan more than a century ago. However, those decades of distance couldn’t erode the connection to his ancestry – a nexus that grew even stronger when he started at ��˾��ֱ�� in the late 1990s.

Kusano felt welcome right away, surrounded by students with similar life experiences who celebrated Asian cultures, languages and traditions in stark contrast to his childhood experiences.

"In the 1980s, being Japanese in Toronto was something that incited disgust in other people,” says Kusano. “The idea of eating sushi was cringe-worthy back then, but by the time I was in university, there were sushi restaurants all along Bloor Street.”

Canada recognized May as Asian Heritage Month more than two decades ago after ��˾��ֱ�� alumna Vivienne Poy, who would later become a chancellor at the university, put forward a motion while serving in the Senate.

At ��˾��ֱ��, Kusano noted a cultural shift. After a painful struggle, the Japanese community had found acceptance in Canada's largest city.

In first year, Kusano joined Toronto’s Nagata Shachu taiko drumming ensemble as a flutist. The group played many shows at Hart House and performed at Faculty of Music events, which prepared him for his post-university career as a professional composer.

Kokichi ramped up writing music and dialogue for NAE at the start of the pandemic, a time when he – and so many others – struggled with isolation and existential fears.

He was also dealing with his father’s terminal cancer battle. In the spring of 2020, Kusano’s family made the difficult decision to move his ailing father out of a locked down hospital, allowing him to spend his final days with loved ones.

“At the time, I had no control over outcomes or cancer treatments or symptoms, and some very key characters in the show are depictions of my father’s desperation as well as my own ups and downs,” says Kusano, explaining that NAE is about the struggle with uncontrollable forces.

"Several hundred years ago, people were at the mercy of nature because it was still very unknown and unconquered. Plays and stories from that time have a supernatural element; this belief that there are demons and ghosts around every corner and in every shadow.”

NAE marks the culmination of hard work, personal pain and virtual rehearsals with a cast across Canada that will be reunited just one week before showtime.

"We exercised great care as we took this from the original Japanese script and put it in English – all while we respected the shape of the traditions,” Kusano says. “We know our family, friends and the core Japanese community will come to support us, but we’re very excited to share this experience with a broader audience.”

Role reversal: ��˾��ֱ�� student and faculty dean swap jobs, gain insights

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 14:47:25 +0000

Role reversal: ��˾��ֱ�� student and faculty dean swap jobs, gain insights

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 04/14/2023 - 10:47

Cutline

Second-year student Chelsea Wang recently traded places with Faculty of Arts & Science Dean Melanie Woodin for a day, sending Wang to high-level meetings and Woodin to a class on modern East Asia (photo by Sarah Khan)

Christine Elstub

Topic

Our Community

Student Experience

Faculty of Art & Science

Undergraduate Students

Victoria College

Chelsea Wang has been busy during her two years as a University of Toronto student. The international relations major is vice-president of the East Asian Studies Students’ Union, a mentor to incoming Victoria College students and a ��˾��ֱ�� tour guide.

Now she can add “dean” to her already impressive resume – albeit for a single day.

Wang recently got to trade places with Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, after winning a raffle held by the Arts & Science Student Union (ASSU), with the money raised going to food banks. For one day, Wang attended Woodin’s meetings while Woodin attended Wang’s class and worked her shift as a campus tour guide – a role swap that gave each party new insights into the university.

Wang says the highlight of her “Dean for a Day” experience was chairing a meeting of Arts & Science vice-deans, where she learned about ongoing initiatives such as improvements to student spaces like Robarts Common and the Sidney Smith Commons.

“I was able to give feedback on what the student experience is like in those spaces,” says Wang, adding that she was pleased to learn about the team’s efforts to solicit student voices on the projects. “I offered ideas about what can be improved, especially during exam time.”

Chelsea Wang, centre, leads a meeting of Arts & Science vice-deans (photo by Sarah Khan)

Wang’s schedule also included back-to-back meetings with members of the faculty’s academic leadership team, including Acting Vice-Dean of Undergraduate Students Bill Ju and Acting Associate Dean of Student Affairs Alana Boland, as well as meetings with ��˾��ֱ�� Vice-Provost of Students Sandy Welsh and Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering Dean Christopher Yip.

Chelsea Wang and Sandy Welsh, vice-provost, students (photo by Sarah Khan)

Meanwhile, Woodin attended Wang’s modern East Asia lecture, where she chatted with instructor Yurou Zhong, an associate professor in the department of East Asian studies, interacted with students and even participated in the class discussion – although she admittedly had not completed the required readings.

Faculty of Arts & Science Dean Melanie Woodin arrives early for Chelsea Wang's morning lecture (photo Christine Elstub)

After the lecture, Woodin headed to the Nona Macdonald Visitors Centre to cover Wang’s shift as a ��˾��ֱ�� tour guide. She greeted a group of incoming students and their families at the centre before they toured the St. George campus.

Faculty of Arts & Science Dean Melanie Woodin, right, prepares to cover Chelsea Wang’s shift as a ��˾��ֱ�� tour guide (photo by Sarah Khan)

“I really enjoyed attending class and chatting with current and future students. It was a great reminder of what it’s like to be a student here,” says Woodin, an Arts & Science alumna. “The Dean for a Day fundraiser was a wonderful opportunity for Arts & Science students, faculty and staff to come together to learn from each other while giving back to the community.

“Trading places with Chelsea gave me fresh insight into the student experience, and my team gained invaluable feedback from Chelsea’s participation in meetings.”

For Wang, who is involved in student government, her experience as dean was also not entirely unfamiliar. “I found the meetings I attended similar to how student government meetings work, with members of different teams working together to get feedback and make improvements.”

Wang says she would participate in any future Dean for a Day raffles and encourages other students to do the same. “It supports a great cause, so it’s a nice way to get to know ASSU and participate in administrative life for a day.”

Researchers develop new insight into the enigmatic realm of 'strange metals'

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 15:02:52 +0000

Researchers develop new insight into the enigmatic realm of 'strange metals'

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 04/11/2023 - 11:02

Cutline

Better understanding of non-Fermi liquids could help realize the potential of technologies like those based on graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms (photo by ktsimage\iStock)

Chris Sasaki

Topic

Our Community

Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control

Faculty of Art & Science

Graduate Students

Physics

Research & Innovation

The behaviour of so-called “strange metals” have long puzzled scientists – but a group of researchers at the University of Toronto may be one step closer to understanding these materials.

Electrons are discrete, subatomic particles that flow through wires like molecules of water flowing through a pipe. The flow is known as electricity and it’s harnessed to power and control everything from lightbulbs to the Large Hadron Collider.

In quantum matter, by contrast, electrons don’t behave as they do in normal materials. They are much stronger and the four fundamental properties of electrons – charge, spin, orbit and lattice – become intertwined, resulting in complex states of matter.

“In quantum matter, electrons shed their particle-like character and exhibit strange collective behaviour,” says condensed matter physicist Arun Paramekanti, a professor in the ��˾��ֱ��’s department of physics in the Faculty of Arts & Science. “These materials are known as non-Fermi liquids in which the simple rules break down.”

Now, three researchers from the department of physics and Centre for Quantum Information & Quantum Control (CQIQC) have developed a theoretical model describing the interactions between subatomic particles in non-Fermi liquids. The framework expands on existing models and will help researchers understand the behaviour of these “strange metals.”

Their research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The lead author is physics PhD student Andrew Hardy, with co-authors Paramekanti and post-doctoral researcher Arijit Haldar.

From left: Andrew Hardy, Arijit Haldar and Arun Paramekanti

"We know that the flow of a complex fluid like blood through arteries is much harder to understand than water through pipes,” says Paramekanti. “Similarly, the flow of electrons in non-Fermi liquids is much harder to study than that in simple metals.”

Hardy adds: “What we've done is construct a model, a tool, to study non-Fermi liquid behaviour. And specifically, to deal with what happens when there is symmetry breaking, when there is a phase transition into a new type of system.”

“Symmetry breaking” is the term used to describe a fundamental process found in all of nature. Symmetry breaks when a system – whether a droplet of water or the entire universe – loses its symmetry and homogeneity and becomes more complex.

For example, a droplet of water is symmetrical no matter its orientation – rotate it in any direction and it looks the same. But its symmetry is broken when it undergoes a phase transition and freezes into an ice crystal. As a snowflake, it is still symmetrical but only in six different directions.

The same thing happened with all subatomic particles and forces following the Big Bang. With the explosive birth of the cosmos, all particles and all the forces were the same, but symmetry breaking immediately transformed them into the manifold particles and forces we see in the cosmos today.

“Symmetry breaking in non-Fermi liquids is much more complicated to study because there isn’t a comprehensive framework for working with non-Fermi liquids,” says Hardy. “Describing how this symmetry breaking occurs is hard to do.”

In a non-Fermi liquid, interactions between electrons become much stronger when the particles are on the brink of symmetry breaking. As with a ball poised at the top of a hill, a very gentle nudge one way or the other will send it in opposite directions.

The new research provides insight into these transitions in non-Fermi liquids and could lead to new ways to tune and control the properties of quantum materials. While still a serious challenge for physicists, the work is important for the new quantum materials that could shape the next generation of quantum technology.

These technologies include high-temperature superconductors that achieve zero resistance at temperatures much closer to room temperature, making them much more practical and useful. There are also graphene devices – technologies based on one-atom thick layers of carbon atoms which have a myriad of electronic applications.

“Quantum materials exhibit both unusual electron flow and complex types of symmetry breaking which can be controlled and tuned,” Hardy says.

“It is exciting for us to be able to make theoretical predictions for such systems which can be tested in new experiments in the lab.”

Good for you, better for the planet: ��˾��ֱ�� cyclists pedal toward a more sustainable future

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 20:13:42 +0000

Good for you, better for the planet: ��˾��ֱ�� cyclists pedal toward a more sustainable future

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 10/20/2022 - 16:13

Cutline

Beth Austerberry, executive director of Bikechain, helps Walid Maraqa, a grad student in biostatistics, perform basic maintenance on his bike (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

Mariam Matti

Topic

City & Culture

Climate Positive Energy

Cycling

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

Cell and Systems Biology

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Art & Science

One of Ayush Sharma’s first stops upon moving to Canada to attend the University of Toronto was Bikechain on the George campus.

An international student from Delhi, Sharma says he had barely been in Toronto a week before visiting the educational bike repair space for students.

“I enjoyed cycling back home in India and I wasn’t sure how to go about doing it in Toronto,” says Sharma, who is completing a major in biodiversity and conservation biology and a minor in geographic information systems. “It’s a big city and it seems a little intimidating – and bikes are expensive.

“I wasn’t really sure where to start.”

Bikechain proved to be a great landing pad. The non-profit organization, which has been around since 2005, not only offers free workshops on how to fix a flat tire, do-it-yourself bike repairs and free bike rentals to students – it’s part of a supportive and growing local cycling community in and around campus.

“People come here on a basic level to fix their bike,” says Beth Austerberry, executive director of Bikechain. “A lot of people also come here because they want to learn.”

Bikechain is a non-profit on the St. George campus that offers free workshops on how to fix a flat tire, do-it-yourself bike repairs and free bike rentals to students (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

While Toronto is often criticized for its car-focused infrastructure, there’s no denying the rapidly growing popularity of cycling as a healthy, sustainable mode of transportation – a future that ��˾��ֱ�� is actively supporting through research, infrastructure and community building efforts.

On the St. George campus alone, there are 36 Bike Share Toronto stations – part of a larger, city-wide network of 680 stations and 7,185 rental bikes (��˾��ֱ�� Scarborough also has a Bike Share station near the bus loop on Military Trail). There are also bike lanes that run through the campus along University Avenue, College Street, St. George Street, Wellesley Street, Bloor Street, Hoskin Avenue and Harbord Street, among others.

��˾��ֱ�� is also adding hundreds of new above-ground and below-ground spaces to park your bike as part of as part of the Landmark Project, which will transform the historic heart of the St. George campus into a greener, more pedestrian friendly space on top of a massive underground geoexchange system that will significantly reduce campus emissions.

At ��˾��ֱ�� Scarborough, cycling admittedly requires a bit more planning than it does on the St. George campus – but there are enviable upsides, too.

Hanno Rein, an associate professor in the department of physical and environmental sciences at ��˾��ֱ�� Scarborough, says he discovered a particularly scenic cycling route to campus that he felt compelled to share via a blog post.

“The nice thing about it is that there are no cars around, so the entire trip is all trails,” he says. “I wanted to encourage others to commute by bike, even if it is in Scarborough.”

Rein, who also teaches in the David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics and the department of physics on the St. George campus, says he loves cycling because of the environmental and health factors.

“It’s very enjoyable,” he said. “It’s the nicest commute I can think of.”

However, he’s also quick to point out that infrastructure for cyclists could be better and safer.

Many ��˾��ֱ�� students, staff, faculty and librarians treat cycling as a year-round activity in Toronto (photo by Daria Perevezentsev)

At ��˾��ֱ�� Mississauga, BikeShare offers 48-hour bicycle, helmet and lock rentals to ��˾��ֱ�� Mississauga students free of charge. Located in the Student Centre extension, BikeShare has commuter-style bikes and mountain bikes for rent and is open until the end of October. The program also offers educational repairs similar to Bikechain, providing tools for basic fixups.

Cyclists at ��˾��ֱ�� Mississauga also have access to the 3.4-kilometre Nature Trail Loop along Credit River and nearby Erindale Park offers a scenic route for cyclists and mountain bikers in the area. Meanwhile, the City of Mississauga is considering the implementing a system similar to Bike Share Toronto to expand transportation options. The system would include stations with bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters.

Southern Ontario’s snowy winters can pose a challenge to bicycle commuters on all three campuses – though many are increasingly treating it as a year-round activity.

Tony Harris

Tony Harris, a professor in the department of cell and systems biology in the Faculty of Arts & Science, says he appreciates being available to avoid traffic on his commute and likes that he’s reducing his environmental footprint by not driving.

His approach to slush and snow?

“I think it’s really important to find good routes that are safe,” he says, adding that it takes him about 30 minutes to bike to the St. George campus from his home. “In the winter, you have to be more cautious about slippery conditions.”

A long-time cycling commuter, Harris adds that he’s perfected the art of cycling during a Toronto winter.

“I wear my normal clothes and then my fleece and I have a yellow cycling jacket on top,” he described. “I wear two pairs of gloves and that really helps my hands. I have an inner glove that’s a running-type glove and then I wear a fleece glove over top. I also wear a toque underneath my helmet. “One other thing is long underwear.

“Having two layers everywhere seems to be the key.”

His advice to students who are new to cycling? Map out your routes.

“Before you head out, find where the dedicated cycling lanes are. If there aren’t dedicated cycling lanes, find one-way side streets that allow you to avoid the busier streets and cars,” he says.

��˾��ֱ�� researchers are also playing a key role in helping to map out the university’s transportation future with sustainability – and cycling – in mind.

Marianne Hatzopoulou

Marianne Hatzopoulou, a professor in the department of civil and mineral engineering in the Faculty of Arts & Science, belongs to a research team that’s trying to understand how ��˾��ֱ�� commuters’ habits and other personal choices contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

The project, funded by the Climate Positive Energy research initiative, will launch a travel survey in January to collect data from students, staff, faculty, and librarians to understand how they commute to campus every day.

“The second part of the project is to quantify the carbon footprint of commuting and the greenhouse gasses associated with commuting to ��˾��ֱ�� to measure what our footprint is from transportation,” explained Hatzopoulou.

“The third element is to run some experiments to understand what would make people switch their mode of transportation, especially those who are driving.”

Hatzopoulou’s team wants to understand where there are opportunities to promote more sustainable and active modes of transportation and where the challenges lie.

“There’s a lot of research out there that actually quantifies the benefits of cycling as a mode of transportation,” she says.

As for Sharma, riding his bike around campus not only introduced him to the city, it saved him precious time traveling between classes on the St. George campus – not to mention lowering his carbon footprint.

Most importantly, he says, it has helped him find a community through Bikechain, where he is now a co-president and runs workshops.

“There is a mix of undergraduate, graduate, PhD students as well as faculty and non-��˾��ֱ�� students,” he says of the group. “Bike shops in general can be dominated by cis males and it can be an unwelcoming space for other people, but Bikchain has always been an inclusive and open space for everyone.

“That’s one of the main reasons I’ve stuck with the community for so long.”

With $4 million in funding, ��˾��ֱ��-based program aims to improve local taxation in lower-income countries

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 15:41:37 +0000

With $4 million in funding, ��˾��ֱ��-based program aims to improve local taxation in lower-income countries

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 04/08/2022 - 11:41

Cutline

Building on a pilot project in Freetown, Sierra Leone, the Local Government Revenue Initiative seeks to help local governments in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia collect more local revenue equitably and fairly (photo Abdul Karim Jalloh/Unsplash)

Munk School Staff

Topic

Global Lens

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Faculty of Art & Science

Global

Political Science

An applied research initiative based at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy aims to improve public services and governance in lower-income countries through more effective local taxation.

The Local Government Revenue Initiative (LoGRI) – which has drawn more than $4 million from funders including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the French Ministry of Economics, Finance and Recovery – is developing policy-relevant research and tools to help local governments in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia collect more local revenue, more equitably and fairly, and in ways that promote trust, transparency and accountability.

LoGRI is an initiative of the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD), a leading global policy research network dedicated to improving the quality of tax policy and administration in lower-income countries. The ICTD is based at the Institute of Development Studies in Brighton, U.K., with a large hub at ��˾��ֱ��.

“Our goal is to improve people’s lives by helping local governments raise the revenue they need to provide better local public services and strengthen local governance,” said Wilson Prichard, an associate professor at the Munk School and the department of political science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, and chief executive officer of the ICTD. “We are especially focused on supporting stronger property taxes, which can provide the stable source of income cities need to provide key services like sanitation, critical small-scale infrastructure and environmental services. Yet in practice property taxes are the least effectively collected major tax in lower-income countries due to significant barriers such as incomplete property tax rolls, inconsistent ways of valuing properties and mistrust and low compliance among taxpayers.”

LoGRI works at the intersection of research and practice to overcome both technical and political challenges to reform and support the construction of more effective systems of local revenue raising. This includes building research-informed tools and resources to support reforms and partnering with local governments and international development agencies on property tax reform programs. It extends and expands the previous work of the African Property Tax Initiative (APTI), which counts among its achievements a highly successful pilot project in Freetown, Sierra Leone. That project tested a fairer, simpler and more consistent way of valuing properties in lower-capacity environments, led the design of a new IT system for property tax administration, supported the introduction of automated payments at banks and introduced and led a process of participatory budgeting for allocating a share of property tax revenues.

LoGRI has attracted support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the French Ministry of Economics, Finance and Recovery and German Development Cooperation implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Several international development agencies have already contracted LoGRI to provide property tax reform expertise for their country programs and LoGRI is in discussions with additional donors to further expand the initiative.

“One of the exciting things about LoGRI is that it bridges the gap between traditional academic research, policy and practice,” said Titilola Akindeinde, executive director of LoGRI. “Our research is informing more effective approaches to property tax administration, while partnering with local governments across multiple countries to design and pilot reform programs that provide unique insights and experience that we can incorporate into our research. We believe this mutually reinforcing approach will enable us to develop robust tools and resources that will demonstrably improve property tax systems and quality of life in lower-income countries.”

Key to LoGRI’s success is engaging its project teams’ local tax experts and researchers to ensure its findings reflect a deep understanding of the complex legal, political and social contexts in the countries where it works. LoGRI is focusing initially on both francophone and anglophone countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with future plans to engage in south Asia. Projects are already planned in Zambia, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Malawi, with more expected to be developed as LoGRI expands its networks.

“LoGRI is part of the Munk School’s strategy to shape global conversations about major challenges of the future of democratic and democratizing societies,” said Peter Loewen, director of the Munk School and a professor at both the Munk School and the department of political science in the Faculty of Arts & Science. “As many countries grapple with uneven economic growth, rapid increases in population, poverty and inequality, we see a tremendous opportunity to learn from and collaborate with partners in these regions to address these pressing issues through better governance. We also look forward to deepening our engagement and networks in Africa.”

How can lizards adapt to a changing climate?

lanthierj — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 21:02:00 +0000

How can lizards adapt to a changing climate?

lanthierj Fri, 10/22/2021 - 17:02

Cutline

A common wall lizard at a sun bath (Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann/Unsplash)

Topic

Faculty of Art & Science

Research & Innovation

School of the Environment

Trinity College

Undergraduate Students

Victoria College

Researchers at the University of Toronto and Ohio Wesleyan University are collaborating in a quest to find out how lizards can adapt to the world’s changing climate.

Sophie Berkowitz and Simone Collier, undergraduate students at Trinity College and Victoria College in the Faculty of Arts & Science, are using computational tools to analyze lizard movement and body temperature under the supervision of Vianey Leos Barajas, an assistant professor in the department of statistical sciences and the School of the Environment.

They’re working closely with ecologists at Wesleyan, Assistant Professor Eric Gangloff and undergraduate students Ciara Pettit and Sierra Spears, who cared for the lizards and provided the primary data of lizard movement and temperature.

The team’s research focuses on analyzing movements of lizards when placed in an arena with a “thermal gradient,” meaning an observation area where one end is warmer than the other. The sand-filled arena is one metre long and has a lamp as a heat source. Using open-source object-recognition software, statistical and environmental science student Berkowitz extracted movement data from hours of lizard footage to prepare a dataset for statistical analysis.

A key challenge was tracking the movement of the lizard when it crawled into the sand or attempted to crawl up the side of the observation arena, out of view of the camera, Berkowitz says.

“They try to bury themselves in the sand and get caught. Then the ecologists have to fish them out,” Berkowitz says. “Lizards have minds of their own, and our research definitely has to accommodate for that.”

With the dataset of lizard movements, body temperature and environmental temperature, mathematics and environmental science student Collier used hidden Markov models to gain insight into the lizards' movements and behaviour.

“What we're trying to do with these models is to determine their thermoregulation behaviours,” Collier says. “We want to find patterns in the lizards’ movement based on how they move between these different temperature zones.”

Lizards are ectothermic, which means they rely on the temperature of their environment to regulate their body temperature. One would expect, then, rising temperatures to affect a lizard’s behaviour. These changes in behaviour in turn hold important clues about how lizard species might be affected by climate change.

"It's really important for us as scientists to get a better understanding of how their thermoregulation works, and how it is affected by their environment,” says Berkowitz. “The hidden Markov models work on the premise that the observations are the product of an underlying behavioural process.

“If we can understand things that we can't readily observe, we can help understand the future of our lizard species in terms of climate change."

The research partnership highlights the intersection of statistics and ecology: Gangloff’s team of ecologists provided the primary data to the statistical and environmental sciences team at ��˾��ֱ�� for further analysis.

“We get to do a lot of fun projects and work with a lot of diverse students that are quite capable. They are using their statistical skillset to expand the notion of what statistical sciences mean in practice,” says Barajas.

The team is continuing their modelling and plans to publish their results, along with their modelling tools.

In addition to contributing to the field, the two ��˾��ֱ�� students say they enjoyed gaining hands-on research experience under the supervision of a professor while building important skills. Berkowitz and Collier encourage students to pursue research projects if they are interested in the topics.

“If you meet a professor that's researching something you're interested in, just reach out and see what comes of it. You never know,” says Collier.

In fields ranging from math to medicine, ��˾��ֱ�� researchers awarded 27 Canada Research Chairs

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 13:29:50 +0000

In fields ranging from math to medicine, ��˾��ֱ�� researchers awarded 27 Canada Research Chairs

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 06/15/2021 - 09:29

Cutline

Brenda Andrews, a pioneer of functional genomics, is one of 27 ��˾��ֱ�� researchers to be awarded a new or renewed Canada Research Chair (photo by Michael Schertzberg)

Jovana Drinjakovic

Topic

Our Community

Sunnybrook Health Sciences

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research

Canada Research Chairs

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Chemistry

Computer Science

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Art & Science

Faculty of Law

Hospital for Sick Children

Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

Mathematics

Mount Sinai Hospital

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Philosophy

Psychology

Research & Innovation

St. Michael's Hospital

��˾��ֱ�� Mississauga

University Health Network

In Brenda Andrews’s lab at the University of Toronto, researchers are working toward understanding why cells with the same errors in their genetic codes don’t always develop the same defects.

Known as incomplete penetrance, the phenomenon is familiar to those with a history of genetic disorders, since people with the same disease-causing gene variant can experience different disease symptoms and severity.

“We are beginning to appreciate that any kind of genetic perturbation can have a highly variable penetrance and there’s a large cell-to-cell variability,” says Andrews, a University Professor of molecular genetics in the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research and the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

“That has implications for understanding the mechanisms of disease, and for thinking about potential treatments.”

Andrews is one of 27 researchers at ��˾��ֱ�� awarded new or renewed Canada Research Chairs today. The prestigious federal appointment aims to recruit and retain top researchers and scholars in the country.

At the same time, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) – in collaboration with the CRC program – announced support for two ��˾��ֱ�� researchers through its John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF), which helps universities pay for laboratories and equipment. They are Kelsie Thu of the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, and Daniel Schramek of the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System.

Researchers at ��˾��ֱ�� were also awarded more than $37 million in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s Discovery Grants program and more than $20 million in funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council programs.

“I want to personally congratulate all of the researchers at the University of Toronto who were either named new Canada Research Chairs or had their existing chairs renewed – as well as those who received funding through other programs,” says Professor Leah Cowen, ��˾��ֱ��’s associate vice-president, research.

“Your inspired work in critical fields, ranging from mathematics and medicine to engineering and human development, is expanding knowledge and developing innovative new ideas that will ultimately benefit Canadians and people around the world.”

Andrews, for one, is a pioneer of functional genomics and has dedicated her career to studying cells as dynamic systems composed of a multitude of components whose roles need to be co-ordinated to sustain health. Using Baker’s yeast cells as a model, her lab has shown how thousands of genes engage in interactions with each other, and that it’s these webs of interactions that hold the clues to health and disease.

Her tier one chair in systems genetics and cell biology includes seven years of funding (renewable once). It is the latest among many honours recognizing her leadership in the field. Andrews is a Companion to the Order of Canada, the highest national honor which can be held by a civilian. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a foreign member of the American National Academy of Sciences, among other honours and appointments.

As well as running her lab, Andrews also served as inaugural director of the Donnelly Centre through three successive five-year terms. During that time, the centre became globally renowned for its multidisciplinary research, education and innovation in biomedical science.

Now, Andrews’s interdisciplinary team are working to find out how cell-to-cell variability arises and may contribute to severity of a genetic disorder. Co-supervised by Andrews and her long-term collaborator Charles Boone, a professor of molecular genetics and interim director of the Donnelly Centre, they are collecting measurements from millions of individual cells in a mixed population.

“By looking at all kinds of different mutant scenarios and by measuring how that affects cellular traits at the single cell level, we can begin to [decipher] the mechanisms behind disease penetrance,” Andrews says.

The entire process – from cell culture to image acquisition and data analysis – is automated and took about a decade to develop. It includes some of the first machine-learning tools for computer vision applications in cellular biology.

“This is an exciting time for research thanks to the range of new technologies and endless possibilities they present,” Andrews says. “When you have people collaborating across scientific fields, the potential to do important work is just extraordinary.”

Here are the new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at ��˾��ֱ��:

New Canada Research Chairs

Brenda Andrews of the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, tier one in systems genetics and cell biology
Isabelle Boileau of the department of psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, tier two in endocannabinoid imaging in mental illness
Grant Brown of the department of biochemistry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, tier one in genome integrity
Yaron Finkelstein of the department of paediatrics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Hospital for Sick Children, tier one in pediatric drug safety and efficacy
Spencer Freeman of the department of biochemistry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and SickKids Research Institute, the Hospital for Sick Children, tier two in immune surveillance
Stephen Girardin of the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, tier one in intestinal inflammation
Linda Hiraki of the department of paediatrics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and SickKids Research Institute, the Hospital for Sick Children, tier two in genetics of rare systemic inflammatory diseases
Michael Laflamme of the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and McEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Health Network, tier one in cardiovascular regenerative medicine
Robert McCann of the department of mathematics in the Faculty of Arts & Science, tier one in mathematics, economics and physics
Padmaja Subbarao of the department of paediatrics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Hospital for Sick Children, tier one in pediatric asthma and lung health
Walter Swardfager of the department of pharmacology and toxicology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, tier two in clinical pharmacology of cognitive neurovascular disorders
Kelsie Thu of the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, tier two in lung cancer therapy response

Renewed Canada Research Chairs

Ya-Huei (Cathy) Chin of the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, tier two in advanced catalysis for sustainable chemistry
Yasmin Dawood of the Faculty of Law, tier two in democracy, constitutionalism and electoral law
Abby Goldstein of the department of applied psychology and human development in the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, tier two in the psychology of emerging adulthood
Prabhat Jha of the division of epidemiology in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Centre for Global Health Research, St. Michael’s Hospital, tier one in global health
Gillian King of the department of occupational science and therapy in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, tier one in optimal care for children with disabilities
Loren Martin of the department of psychology at ��˾��ֱ�� Mississauga, tier two in translational pain research
Aleksandar Nikolov of the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, tier two in algorithms and private data analysis
Elizabeth Page-Gould of the department of psychology in the Faculty of Arts & Science, tier two in social psychophysiology
Keith Pardee of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, tier two in synthetic biology and human health
Elodie Passeport of the department of civil and mineral engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, tier two in environmental engineering and stable isotopes
Tarek Rajji of the department of psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, tier two in neurostimulation in cognitive disorders
John Ratcliffe of the department of biology at ��˾��ֱ�� Mississauga, tier two in neuroethology
Sophie Rousseaux of the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science, tier two in organic chemistry
Daniel Schramek of the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, tier two in functional cancer genomics
Nicholas Stang of the department of philosophy in the Faculty of Arts & Science, tier two in metaphysics and its history

Spooky subjects: ��˾��ֱ�� 'Monsters' course explores our fascination with the frightful

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 14:33:54 +0000

Spooky subjects: ��˾��ֱ�� 'Monsters' course explores our fascination with the frightful

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 10/30/2020 - 10:33

Cutline

Mythological monsters like Medusa are among the many frightening subjects studied by students in Professor Erik Gunderson's first-year foundations seminar (photo by Araldo De Luca/Corbis via Getty Images)

Sean McNeely

Topic

Our Community

Classics

Faculty of Art & Science

Halloween

St. Michael's College

Undergraduate Students

University College

Victoria College

As Halloween approaches, with its eerie collection of ghosts, goblins and beasts, University of Toronto Professor Erik Gunderson remains fearless as he explores frightening creatures both real and imagined in his course aptly called “Monsters.”

In the course, Gunderson compares ancient and mythological monsters with what is considered monstrosity in the modern world.

He also examines the concept of human “monsters.”

“I want students to have a sense of the ways that monsters are deployed,” says Gunderson, who is in the department of classics in the Faculty of Arts & Science. “What kind of thinking is facilitated when one starts talking about monsters and the problems they pose to normal society?”

The course is one of the faculty’s many first-year foundations seminars, which are available to first-year students and focus on issues, questions and controversies surrounding a particular topic or theme.

Althea Draghici, a first-year student and a member of St. Michael’s College who is planning to double major in psychology and criminology, says she’s a fan of the course’s class discussions and the way they have encouraged her to think critically.

“The concept of monstrosity is very subjective,” she says. “The things labelled as ‘monstrous’ depend greatly on the cultural context of society, and yet there are many common themes in monstrosity that occur again and again. As an aspiring psychology major, I've been especially excited to explore how classical monsters can reflect the so-called hidden monsters within a society.

“Overall, every aspect of the class has expanded my knowledge and perspectives on monstrosity, and has given me a new lens through which I can view literature outside of this course.”

Ancient monsters include monsters from the Greco-Roman world, as well as the exotic and often inhuman monsters that are woven into tales of mythology like Medusa or the Minotaur.

“The classic ancient monster has lots of heads, their physical morphology is distorted – whether it's half man and half something else – or a mix of different animals,” says Gunderson. “This is something the ancient world was very interested in – that kind of bodily chaos.”

In turn, Gunderson is interested in what the monsters represent and what is achieved by defeating them.

“The point of monsters does seem to be the idea of bringing order to chaos – that there's something about the world that needs to be dominated or mastered,” he says.

“And there's a kind of politics to this ridding the world of monsters. So that's what we're trying to focus on: What does the monster seem to be doing in any given story? What kind of society does it enable?”

Gunderson’s course moves between studying ancient monsters and more modern monsters. It explores a variety of different genres: epic, tragedy, history, biography and even contemporary film. It is also interested in places where one entertains the idea that there are real monsters like witches, werewolves and vampires lurking within our world.

And the course extends to human “monsters” throughout history – tyrants or leaders whose shocking acts go well beyond acceptable human behaviour.

“Emperors like Caligula and Domitian, they really lived and they really killed people,” says Gunderson. “They were described as monsters. But what do we really mean by that? Why do we invoke the word ‘monster’ instead of just saying, ‘murderer’?”

It’s questions like this that students say make the course so engaging.

“What I love most about this course is that we’re able to discuss the monsters from the readings in a modern context by comparing them to contemporary material,” says Janna Abbas, a first-year student pursuing a double major in English and German, and a member of Victoria College.

“In one of our classes, we compared Euripides’s The Bachae to the movie Mean Girls. These comparisons make the readings much more interesting because I’m able to relate them to something I’m more familiar with, which in turn helps me understand the texts on a deeper level.”

Ireland Egan, a first-year humanities student and a member of University College who plans on majoring in English and cinema studies and minoring in philosophy, was hooked immediately after reading the course description.

“The horror film buff and gothic literature nerd in me completely took over,” says Egan. “Looking at the complexities and motivation of monsters in film and literature is what makes them so interesting.

“It’s given me an opportunity to develop a unique perspective on the definition of monstrosity that I’ve since used in other classes. I even find myself considering it when watching films and reading books in my own time.”

90 Queen’s Park: ‘An incredible new gateway to the campus’

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 00:08:13 +0000

90 Queen’s Park: ‘An incredible new gateway to the campus’

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 07/14/2020 - 20:08

Cutline

(all renderings by Diller Scofidio + Renfro)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Our Community

Institute of Islamic Studies

Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies

School of Cities

Faculty of Art & Science

Faculty of Law

Faculty of Music

History

Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations

ROM

The University of Toronto and members of the public are taking part in a virtual community consultation organized by the City of Toronto for the new building planned for 90 Queen’s Park.

The site was acquired by ��˾��ֱ�� in 2009 and is envisioned as a major centre of scholarship in urban issues, as well as a city landmark and key gateway to the St. George campus. Located on the site of Falconer Hall and the former McLaughlin Planetarium, it is adjacent to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).

The university hopes to obtain approval for the building in September and begin construction in the spring of 2021 on what would be a three-year project.

The building will be home to ��˾��ֱ��’s new School of Cities as well as the departments of History, Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, the Institute of Islamic Studies and an arm of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies. It will include spaces for the Faculty of Music, Faculty of Law and the ROM. A public plaza, outdoor café and 250-seat recital hall are also among the designs for the building.

Since 2010, there have been many community meetings and workshops over ��˾��ֱ��’s plans for the site, with resulting refinements and improvements. Ahead of the latest consultations, ��˾��ֱ�� News spoke to Assistant Vice-President, University Planning, Operations and Real Estate Partnerships Christine Burke, about the building, its envisioned impact on Toronto and the importance of the community engagement.

Tuesday’s virtual consultation follows over a decade of community meetings and consultations. Why has ��˾��ֱ�� placed so much importance on consulting with the city and community members on this particular project?

We always consult broadly on our projects, but this one in particular has far exceeded what is typical for consultation on a project in the City of Toronto. At the university level, because this site has been in conception all the way since 1997 and then in our 2011 Campus Master Plan, there has been significant consultation both by the city as well as ourselves even before hiring architects.

There have been several ��˾��ֱ��-hosted consultation meetings held in advance of making the secondary plan application for the St. George campus in 2016, over five city-hosted consultation meetings as well as five additional city-led meetings, including Community Council and Council in 2017-18 on the secondary plan for the St. George campus, and this is one of the development sites covered in the secondary plan. But more specifically on this project, we’ve had two Community Liaison Committee meetings in advance of submitting a development application in February 2019, a public, joint city and ��˾��ֱ�� design review panel meeting and the city has hosted a community consultation.

We’ve also had four additional working group meetings led by the local city councillor, and those included resident associations and other members of the public that are outside the typical radius reached during consultations.

So this project in particular has had a significant amount of consultation, and we think that’s important at this gateway location. We have modified our plans significantly through this engagement, and we are pleased with how the design of the building and its significant public realm component has evolved. Tuesday’s further consultation is an opportunity for us to present all the changes and once again participate in public dialogue and clear up any misinformation.

Does this project involve a heritage district and are there plans for demolition of any heritage buildings?

There has been some community discussion about an existing Queen’s Park heritage district, but there is no such district. This site is not located within a heritage conservation district.

However, we acknowledge that the site is critical given its proximity to key open spaces like Philosopher’s Walk as well as many heritage buildings like Falconer Hall, the ROM and being across the street from the buildings at Victoria University.

We have heritage consultants who are working closely with us to ensure that the approach to the site is appropriate. One of the ways we’ve done that is, for example, the proposed building exposes the southern façade of the east wing of the ROM and allows the ROM heritage façade to remain clearly visible.

We’re also cantilevering a very small portion over the rear part of Falconer Hall, which is one of our heritage buildings, so that it really maintains the prominence of Falconer Hall on Queen’s Park. The former Planetarium, which is not listed on the heritage register or designated, and determined to not be suitable for reuse, is being removed to make way for the large public plaza and new entrance/café.

It’s true that the site is a complex one and has a significant number of heritage structures in its vicinity. There has been a lot of discussion with city heritage staff along the way and there has been special care taken to make sure that this is done right and we are working hard to blend the old and new in a thoughtful design.

What measures are being taken to ensure that the building is in step with the surrounding neighbourhood from an aesthetic standpoint?

Design excellence is important to the University in all of its capital projects. We play a key role in Toronto in terms of being a city builder so we take design excellence to heart.

This is a prominent site in the city in the Bloor Street Cultural Corridor, so we felt that meant we needed to find the right architects for the project because it will be a landmark building. We engaged Diller Scofidio + Renfro, with Architects Alliance as the local firm, a firm of international renown, whose projects have included reimagining the High Line in New York City and several buildings at Columbia University.

For this project, because of its integration with heritage and contemporary architecture, we were really looking for a firm that would be able to provide a calibre of design that would be unexpected but beautiful, have a presence and perform, at this key gateway to the campus.

That doesn’t mean it would detract from its heritage context but rather try to find a design solution that would both engage the city as well as contextually fit in its very unique landscape. With this project we have integration of a historic building with a brand new building and a critical role to play along the street, to engage and welcome in the city.

How has the design of the building changed since the first proposal?

We have altered the design of the building significantly to both incorporate city and community feedback as well as ensure that aesthetic elements better respond to its surroundings.

The height of the building has been reduced significantly over the years in response to community and city feedback and meets the test in terms of protection of the Ontario Legislative Assembly, so that is definitely something we’ve been mindful of in terms of determining the height. The height and overall massing and siting also follow a number of important planning and urban design principles. More recently, in response to feedback, we have further reduced the height of the building to 38.7 metres (plus mechanical penthouse), increased the amount of Falconer Hall to be retained, reduced the overhang of our recital hall over our heritage building, and further reduced program size including classrooms to bring the overall size of the building down by approximately 20 per cent of the original building application.

As well, we have increased the amount of landscaped area. The building now has a very large courtyard and fully exposes the southern façade of the east wing of the ROM. This courtyard becomes the primary entrance to the building. The public realm will be enhanced – there’s going to be a lot of soft as well as hard landscaping, a café to draw people in and for the public and university community to co-mingle. In previous iterations, that realm was smaller.

What’s going to happen to the trees currently in the area?

There has been some concern raised that all the trees on the site are being removed, but that’s not accurate. There are four mature trees in front of Flavelle House and these are being protected in the plans. These include two of the largest mature oak trees near the site boundary that is being protected.

While some trees will need to be removed to facilitate construction, only two of these are mature and in good health. All others are either not mature and/or are diseased and infested, or stunted in their growth right next to the foundation wall of the historic house.

We are abiding by the city’s requirements for replacement trees that will be planted at a rate of 3:1, in fact we are exceeding this requirement with the addition of 31 new trees in total. As well, we have worked with a city arborist, and the tree proposal that we have in place has been approved by Toronto Urban Forestry, so we have their full support on the proposal.

Taking a step back, why did the university decide to demolish the McLaughlin Planetarium?

The planetarium hasn’t been operated as a planetarium since 1995 and it closed due to declining attendance and interest years before it was purchased by the university. While there has previously been private sector interest in redeveloping the site, the sale to the university was heralded at the time in anticipation of institutional use, and the opportunity to remain connected to the ROM. The university’s astrophysics group is now leading the effort to plan for a planetarium experience in the heart of the St. George campus.

In terms of the building’s removal, the university made a lot of effort to look at adaptively reusing the building. We reached out to external consultants for their opinions as well and concluded that there were technical difficulties in altering the structure for other purposes.

When you consider demolishing a building, there is interest from the city to consider whether it is a heritage building. Our heritage consultants – ERA Architects – conducted a heritage impact assessment as part of the application and concluded that the planetarium is not a significant cultural heritage resource and it is not appropriate for designation. Conserving Falconer Hall, and the heritage fabric around Flavelle House and the ROM has been at the forefront of the design thinking.

There are some interesting ideas happening around potentially having some kind of commemoration in the area where the planetarium sits today. But the benefits to the public realm that are happening with the building’s removal and opening up the plaza to the ROM and displaying the heritage of Falconer Hall and the ROM have also been key considerations.

What do you see as the future for the new building?

It’s a really fascinating juxtaposition of programs that are being planned for the building – as well as cultural elements such as the music recital hall to engage the city.

What’s so interesting is it will be a place that draws together researchers, students, journalists, city planners and civic leaders from the university and around the world and be a place to explore – with the School of Cities in particular – and think about cities. For example, we can look at how Toronto has drawn people from around the world and from different backgrounds, how we’ve worked together to address challenges and inspire the cities of tomorrow when it comes to city planning and cultural diversity.

So it’s not just about what’s happening inside the building. Its location right at the edge of where the campus meets the city and in the cultural corridor, adjacent to the ROM and near the provincial legislature, makes it an incredible new gateway to the campus.

As with other gateway projects at the edges of our campus, such as the Daniels School of Architecture and the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre, this is an opportunity to interact and connect with the city, and the design reflects that. We want this to be a building where the University and city connect with each other, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that we achieve that.

Note: Further changes have been made to the building’s envelope as part of formal mediation process

Faculty of Art & Science

��˾��ֱ��, hospitals launch pilot program to boost commercialization of medical innovations

'A very ornate, unique experience': ��˾��ֱ�� alumnus Kokichi Kusano debuts theatrical and musical performance

Role reversal: ��˾��ֱ�� student and faculty dean swap jobs, gain insights

Researchers develop new insight into the enigmatic realm of 'strange metals'

Good for you, better for the planet: ��˾��ֱ�� cyclists pedal toward a more sustainable future

With $4 million in funding, ��˾��ֱ��-based program aims to improve local taxation in lower-income countries

How can lizards adapt to a changing climate?

In fields ranging from math to medicine, ��˾��ֱ�� researchers awarded 27 Canada Research Chairs

Spooky subjects: ��˾��ֱ�� 'Monsters' course explores our fascination with the frightful

90 Queen’s Park: ‘An incredible new gateway to the campus’

Read more about the building