St. George

Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Institute of Biomedical Engineering

John C. Polanyi Award

NSERC

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Milica Radisic (photo by Sylvie Li / Shoot Studio)

Milica Radisic, a professor in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, has received the 2024 John C. Polanyi Award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

The award is given to an individual or team whose research has led to a recent outstanding advance in any NSERC-supported field of the natural sciences or engineering. It is named in honour of John Charles Polanyi, University Professor Emeritus in the department of chemistry and recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize.

Radisic was recognized for her groundbreaking advancements in organ-on-a-chip technology. Her research aims to revolutionize drug testing and tissue engineering by creating lifelike human tissues outside the body.

“This award will advance our goal of understanding the structure-function relationships that shape our native tissues, and continue developing ways to replicate them in the lab,” says Radisic, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Organ-on-a-Chip Engineering. “Polymer chemistry and microfabrication enable us to precisely tailor the mechanical properties and microstructure of our devices to get the cells to grow in a certain orientation or behave in certain ways. That’s what enables our devices to catalyze drug discovery and the study of complex diseases.”

“Through rich collaborations with experts in medicine, polymer science, cell biology and many other fields, Professor Radisic’s work is advancing new ways to diagnose and treat disease, improving the quality of life for people all over the world,” says Christopher Yip, dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

“On behalf of the entire faculty, I warmly congratulate her on this well-deserved honour.”

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Alison McGuigan recognized with NSERC’s Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 17:19:00 +0000

Alison McGuigan recognized with NSERC’s Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 11/14/2024 - 12:19

Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Institute of Biomedical Engineering

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Alison McGuigan (photo by Sylvie Li / Shoot Studio)

Alison McGuigan, the Erin Edward Hart Professor of Chemical Engineering in the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry and Institute of Biomedical Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, has earned an Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

The Arthur B. McDonald Fellowships recognize early-stage academic researchers in the natural sciences and engineering to enhance their research capacity so they can become leaders in their field. NSERC awards up to six fellowships each year to researchers from across Canada.

The award will enable McGuigan and her research group to scale up their work on disease modelling and tissue engineering, which includes creating in-vitro “tissue-in-a-dish” models that can mimic how diseases progress and respond to potential treatments.

“I am a big proponent of team science and I am privileged to be part of an interdisciplinary team trying to solve these hard problems in regenerative medicine – a field that is constantly changing,” says McGuigan, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Tissue Engineering and Disease Modelling. “I am deeply appreciative of the opportunities the fellowship will provide, especially being able to have this time to focus and plan how to take my research to the next level, where it can contribute to saving lives.”

“Professor McGuigan’s innovative disease modelling and tissue engineering research is a remarkable example of our faculty’s commitment to finding new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent illness,” says Christopher Yip, dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. “On behalf of the entire faculty, congratulations on this national recognition and well-deserved honour.” 

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Jim Phillips named honorary fellow of American Society for Legal History

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 17:42:11 +0000

Jim Phillips named honorary fellow of American Society for Legal History

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 11/13/2024 - 12:42

Faculty of Law

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Jim Phillips (photo by Dewey Chang)

Jim Phillips, a professor in the Faculty of Law who is cross-appointed to the department of history and the Centre for Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has been elected an honorary fellow of the American Society for Legal History.

The highest recognition conferred by the society, honorary fellowships are given to distinguished historians whose scholarship has shaped the discipline of legal history.

Phillips was recognized for his contributions to Canadian legal history as a teacher, scholar and editor-in-chief of the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History. A leading figure in the field of Canadian legal history, Phillips has made the history of law a dynamic tool for interrogating Canada’s past, present and national identity.

"Congratulations to Jim on this recognition from the American Society for Legal History," said University Professor Jutta Brunnée, dean of the Faculty of Law and James Marshall Tory Dean’s Chair. "His contributions to Canadian legal history scholarship extend far beyond our borders and it is wonderful to see his work recognized with this honour."

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Sylvia Bashevkin receives Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:27:29 +0000

Sylvia Bashevkin receives Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 11/12/2024 - 10:27

Department of Political Science

Faculty of Arts & Science

University College

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Sylvia Bashevkin (supplied image)

Sylvia Bashevkin, professor emeritus in the department of political science in the Faculty of Arts & Science and former principal of University College, is one of six recipients of the 2024 Governor General’s Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case.

The annual awards are given on Oct. 18, marking the day in 1929 when Canada’s highest court of appeal declared that the legal definition of the word "person" included both women and men. The awards are given to individuals who inspire the next generation to continue the tradition of courage, integrity and hard work exemplified by the “Famous Five” – the five women activists whose legal challenge led to the landmark ruling.

Bashevkin was recognized for her research on the political marginalization of women and her findings on how female candidates were often placed in unwinnable legislative seats.

“These six women are an exemplary representation of the legacy of the Famous Five, evident through their dedication, passion, and commitment to making our country a better place to learn and to thrive,” said Marci Ien, Canada’s minister for women and gender equality and youth. “Their stories are reminders that when women succeed and offer inspiration to others, everyone across Canada benefits.”

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University College

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5 undergraduate students receive 2024 RBC Awards for Diversity and Innovation in Technology

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:30:39 +0000

5 undergraduate students receive 2024 RBC Awards for Diversity and Innovation in Technology

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 11/07/2024 - 10:30

Students

RBC Scholarships for Diversity and Innovation in Technology

Undergraduate Students

University of Toronto Entrepreneurship

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(clockwise from top left): Isabella Tang, Riya Mathur, Harmandeep Gill, Sarvnaz Ale Mohammad and Jessica Tang (supplied images)

Five ��˾��ֱ�� undergraduate students – Harmandeep Kaur Gill, Isabella Tang, Jessica Tang, Riya Mathur and Sarvnaz Ale Mohammad – have received 2024 RBC Awards for Diversity and Innovation in Technology.

The award recognizes Black, Indigenous and/or woman-identifying students entering their third year who are interested in careers at the intersection of technology and financial services. Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, their demonstrated interest in exploring a future career in technology and their work on creating innovative solutions, which demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset.

This year's recipients are all women and their interests range from researching black holes to helping seniors manage their prescription medication and developing energy-harvesting devices to help patients with heart failure.

“Investing in the future of technology and building key technical skills is core to RBC’s strong engineering culture,” said Kendra Dubyk, director, technology partnerships at RBC. “The RBC Award for Diversity and Innovation demonstrates our commitment to the equity and inclusion of deserving students and recognizes their creativity, curiosity and technical aptitude.”

Each student receives a $15,000 award, renewable for a second year.

��˾��ֱ�� student team sets rocketry record at Launch Canada competition

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 14:39:05 +0000

��˾��ֱ�� student team sets rocketry record at Launch Canada competition

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 10/25/2024 - 10:39

Students

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

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Members of the UTAT Rocketry division pose with their rocket, Defiance Mk. IV, at Launch Canada 2024 (photo courtesy of UTAT Rocketry)

The University of Toronto Aerospace Team (UTAT) Rocketry division set a Canadian amateur rocketry record for a rocket with a custom-built engine at the Launch Canada 2024 competition.

The third annual Launch Canada – an industry-partnered inter-collegiate rocket competition – was held between Aug. 17-23 in Mattagami, Ont., and featured 24 student rocketry teams.

The UTAT team, which finished second in the advanced category, launched its rocket, Defiance Mk. IV, to an altitude of 30,000 feet.

“We’re incredibly proud of setting that record,” said Luca Castelletto, the team’s former director and a recent graduate of the engineering science program in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

“This was our team’s third year in the competition. The first year, we launched our rocket and won the competition; the second year we had an ignition failure and couldn’t launch. So, we knew the different outcomes that we could expect and prepared as best we could.”

The Defiance Mk. IV rocket was built using a hybrid-engine design approach that allowed for more efficiency to reach higher altitudes. The 18-foot rocket combines elements of a liquid engine – where two liquid propellants, fuel and oxidizer, are stored separately – and a solid engine, where the propellent is packed into a solid cylinder.

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Florian Dendorfer recognized by University of St. Gallen

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:36:00 +0000

Florian Dendorfer recognized by University of St. Gallen

Academic Achievement

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 10/24/2024 - 10:36

Faculty of Arts & Science

Department of Economics

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Florian Dendorfer (photo by Adriano Macedo)

Florian Dendorfer, an assistant professor, teaching stream in the department of economics in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has won the Best PhD Thesis in Economics Prize from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Dendorfer's thesis featured theoretical and empirical work in industrial organization, exploring topics that included how quickly Airbnb guests learn about the qualities of new listings through reviews.

“Pursuing a PhD is a struggle: you start out small and grapple with doubts about whether your work is worthwhile," said Dendorfer, who currently teaches ECO204 (Microeconomic Theory and Applications) and ECO380 (Markets, Competition and Strategy) at ��˾��ֱ��. "Many attempts amount to nothing, and a lot of ideas end up in the trash. It’s incredibly rewarding to see all that work come to fruition and to have my thesis recognized by my alma mater with this prize."

“It’s always exciting when junior faculty members distinguish themselves and their research early on in their careers,” said Professor Ettore Damiano, chair of the department of economics. “All of us appreciate confirmation that we attract the world’s best and brightest to the University of Toronto and are very proud to have Florian here at the department.”

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10 graduate students recognized with Cecil Yip Doctoral Research Awards

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 15:55:12 +0000

10 graduate students recognized with Cecil Yip Doctoral Research Awards

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 10/18/2024 - 11:55

Students

Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research

Graduate Students

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

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Ten graduate students at the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine have received Cecil Yip Doctoral Research Awards.

The annual award provides financial support to doctoral-stream students whose research interests, proposed work and background align with the Donnelly Centre's mandate to advance innovative and collaborative work that crosses disciplinary boundaries.

It is named in honour of the late Professor Cecil Yip, a former vice-dean, research in the Faculty of Medicine and co-founder of the Donnelly Centre.

“On behalf of the Yip Doctoral Award committee, I congratulate this year’s recipients,” said Christopher Yip, dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, chair of the Cecil Yip Doctoral Research Award selection committee and son of Cecil Yip.

“Our 2024 recipients represent the diverse range of biomedical research areas that are being tackled at the Donnelly Centre. I believe this new generation of scientific leaders will uphold the Donnelly Centre’s innovative and collaborative spirit in their efforts to help solve the biggest challenges in health and medicine.”

The recipients of 2024 Cecil Yip Doctoral Research Awards are:

Noor El-Huda Bahsoun
Mel Davie
Juliana de Andrade Bolsoni
Zhenfeng Deng
Wenjia Hao
Mingyang Liang
Umayeer Milky
Hadi Tabarraei
Joel Wingrove
Cheng Xing

Read the Donnelly Centre story about the award recipients

Donnelly Centre

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Andrei Yudin recognized by American Chemical Society

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 14:50:09 +0000

Andrei Yudin recognized by American Chemical Society

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 10/16/2024 - 10:50