U of T Scarborough

FOMO is about who you're with - not what you're doing: Study

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 16:35:17 +0000

FOMO is about who you're with - not what you're doing: Study

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 01/08/2025 - 11:35

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Fans share a moment during a Taylor Swift concert in the Netherlands earlier this year (photo by Aldara Zarraoa/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)

Ken McGuffin

Topic

Breaking Research

Global

Research & Innovation

Rotman School of Management

U of T Scarborough

Subheadline

Researchers say the idea of FOMO, or "fear of missing out," has more to do with potential for social bonding than it does with the opportunity to participate in a fun activity

Think of FOMO – fear of missing out – and you might think of missing the concert of the year, an epic party or a big family gathering.

But research published recently in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology shows that FOMO has far more to do with people, social status and belonging – and is not just a social media-fuelled phenomenon.

“FOMO refers to the anxiety that people feel when they miss out on a social group experience – and, specifically, the bonding that their group shared at the experience – because they worry that missing out will negatively affect their connection and future belonging with the group,” says Cindy Chan, an assistant professor of marketing at the ��߲ݴ�ý Scarborough and the Rotman School of Management.

Cindy Chan (photo by Ken Jones)

Chan and fellow researcher Jacqueline Rifkin, assistant professor of marketing at Cornell University, say the study sprung from their curiosity about what was behind the acronym’s growing popularity in the early 2010s.

“The term FOMO was being used more often and we wondered what this meant,” says Chan. “What were people afraid of missing out on? What situations or events might make someone feel FOMO?”

Joined by University of Pennsylvania marketing professor Barbara Kahn, the group set up multiple experiments, including with teenaged summer camp attendees and online participants, using scenarios such as missed concerts, group retreats and group initiation events, as well as exposure to participants’ own social media feeds.

They found that while FOMO was initiated by worries about missing a social bonding experience with a valued group, it got its fuel from a sometimes exaggerated sense of the potential relationship consequences for missing out and was worse for people who already tended to be socially anxious. Distinct from disappointment about missing an enjoyable experience, FOMO could even be felt in relation to potentially unpleasant scenarios such as a team-building event with demanding, stressful activities.

While the researchers did not specifically study whether FOMO is a byproduct of social media engagement, they note that the key mechanism that underpins FOMO can be experienced without the use of technology like a mobile phone or social media platforms.

“It’s possible that social media may mean we are reminded more of social events we miss, because others may make social media posts about the event,” Chan says. “So this could mean we experience FOMO more, or more often.”

It may be possible to bring people back from the FOMO brink. Negative feelings were reduced for people whose FOMO was triggered by exposure to social media posts about events they had missed but who were then invited to reflect on a past valued group event they did attend, thereby reaffirming their sense of belonging.

“This research reveals how central social relationships are in people’s experience of FOMO and reinforces how important these relationships are to our personal and emotional well-being,” says Chan.

The researchers are currently working on a paper about how FOMO can enhance customer engagement with corporate brands.

Forests may be more resilient to climate change than previously thought: Study

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 14:23:54 +0000

Forests may be more resilient to climate change than previously thought: Study

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 01/06/2025 - 09:23

Cutline

(photo by Photo Image Library)

Topic

Breaking Research

Climate Change

Research & Innovation

Sustainability

U of T Scarborough

Subheadline

An international team of researchers studied the combined effects of rising temperatures and increased nitrogen in the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels

Forests may be more resilient to climate change than previously thought.

A team of international researchers have found that increased inputs from plant roots can keep carbon levels in soil stable even as temperatures and nitrogen deposits in the atmosphere rise.

The collaborative research project, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, looked at the effects of increased temperatures due to climate change and increased nitrogen in the atmosphere released by burning fossil fuels – two environmental threats that had been studied separately.

“There is a lot of uncertainty when these two antagonistic stressors are combined – which is why this study is so significant,” says Myrna Simpson, a professor in the department of physical and environmental sciences at the ��߲ݴ�ý Scarborough who collaborated on the research conducted in the Harvard Forest in Massachusetts.

Earlier studies showed that increased temperatures caused forests to lose carbon while increases in nitrogen can result in carbon buildup. And warming alone can cause soil to lose carbon since heat speeds up decomposition and decomposition converts the carbon into CO2.

But the research team – led by Melissa Knorr and Serita Frey of the department of natural resources and the environment at the University of New Hampshire – found when rising temperatures were coupled with higher nitrogen levels, the plants added more carbon to soil by increasing their growth, activity and root turnover (the rate that their roots grow, die and decompose), maintaining soil carbon levels.

Myrna Simpson (photo by Ken Jones)

Simpson, an associate director of the Environmental NMR Centre, has collaborated with Frey for many years on the effects of soil warming and nitrogen on the biogeochemistry of soil carbon in the Harvard Forest.

She says the research is unique because it includes both individual and combined treatments that represent combined impacts to temperate forests.

“Because of the advanced analytical capabilities in my laboratory and the Environmental NMR Centre at U of T Scarborough, we can uniquely decipher how multiple stressors alter the chemistry and potential long-term stability of soil organic matter at the molecular-level.”

Despite the research being conducted in Harvard Forest, Simpson says that soil warming has been shown to cause carbon loss worldwide. Excess nitrogen has also been found to suppress the microorganisms that keep forests healthy, even in forests that are rich in nutrients.

“We found that the way in which carbon flows within the soil biogeochemical cycle cannot be predicted from one stressor alone,” says Simpson, who is Canada Research Chair in Integrative Molecular Biogeochemistry. “It is likely that these observations may occur in other forests too.”

When it comes to future climate change research, Simpson says that there is much more work to be done.

“We need more observational data because climate change’s impacts on ecosystems are complex and difficult to predict due to the diversity of ecosystem properties,” she says. “These ecosystems are influenced by more than one stressor, but we lack data to adequately predict the impacts.”

Simpson adds there is no single way to solve climate change in part because we don’t yet understand all of its effects.

She says that collaboration between researchers is critical.

“Each expert can contribute data that can then be integrated into a more comprehensive assessment of how ecosystems are responding to stressors.”

Add new author/reporter

Ammara Khan

Sowing seeds of discovery: U of T postdoc makes waves in plant metabolism research

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:29:58 +0000

Sowing seeds of discovery: U of T postdoc makes waves in plant metabolism research

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 12/23/2024 - 10:29

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Sonia Evans completed her PhD at U of T Mississauga and will continue her research as a Provost's Postdoctoral Fellow at U of T Scarborough (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Kristy Strauss

Topic

Our Community

Department of Biological Sciences

Department of Biology

Graduate Students

Research & Innovation

U of T Mississauga

U of T Scarborough

Subheadline

Sonia Evans's research is opening the door to novel strategies for engineering crops that are more productive and resilient

Sonia Evans has published in high-profile scientific journals, won several awards and completed a PhD from the ��߲ݴ�ý, but she traces her achievements to someone who had no formal education whatsoever: her grandmother.

A believer in the healing power of plants, Evans’s grandmother hailed from a southern Nigerian village, and regularly crafted plant-based traditional medicines for ailments ranging from infertility to skin conditions.

“She knew the type of plants to go to, and made different concoctions for us,” says Evans, who defended her PhD in U of T Mississauga's department of cell and systems biology in November and is poised to continue her research as a postdoctoral fellow at U of T Scarborough. “She never knew the names of the plants, but she knew the types of plants to put together to get the result she was expecting.”

Evans, who was born and raised in Nigeria, completed undergraduate studies in plant science in her home country before earning a master's degree in plant biology in Israel. With a growing interest in plant metabolism, she decided to pursue a PhD at U of T Mississauga under the supervision of Michael Phillips, an associate professor in the department of biology.

“[Phillips] was really involved in plant metabolism… and really trying to understand how plants make chemicals that are important not just for their growth, development and for photosynthesis, but also for us,” Evans says. “These are chemicals that we use as drugs, flavours, fragrances, cosmetics and biofuels. I was really interested in that part of the research.”

Since joining the Phillips lab, Evans has focused on how plants control carbon supply towards the production of isoprenoids – high-value compounds that are critical to plant growth, defense and crop productivity and also have a range of industrial and pharmaceutical applications.

Her research has had a huge impact on the field. In 2024 alone, Evans published two papers in the prestigious Nature journals, as first author.

The most recent paper, published in Nature Plants in October, sheds light on a decades-old mystery: the origins of pyruvate, a vital precursor for production of isoprenoids, amino acids and fatty acids in chloroplasts, which are responsible for plant photosynthesis. The research revealed that Rubisco, a critical enzyme that’s responsible for fixing carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, also plays a secondary role in supplying pyruvate.

This discovery not only redefines how scientists understand plant metabolism, but also solves a long-standing paradox of the origin of pyruvate, with Evans’s findings providing a critical link between photosynthesis and the production of isoprenoids. By uncovering how plants channel carbon toward these valuable compounds, her research opens the door to innovative biotechnological strategies for engineering crops with enhanced productivity and resilience.

The previous paper, published in Nature Communications in February, laid the groundwork for how a key metabolic pathway could be engineered in plants for synthetic biology applications.

All the more impressive: Evans managed these accomplishments while carrying out her responsibilities as mother to a young child – which she credits to a strong support system of family, her spouse, friends and peers. “It’s been a learning curve… but I have tried to take everything one step at a time, and check myself every day,” she says.

Evans’s scholarly excellence resulted in her earning the Roberta Bondar Graduate Student Excellence Award last fall. She was also named a Provost's Postdoctoral Fellow, and will carry out her postdoctoral research in the lab of Eliana Gonzales-Vigil, assistant professor in U of T Scarborough's department of biological sciences.

Reflecting on her decision to come to U of T, Evans reveals she doubted her chances of being granted admission to Canada’s top-ranked university. “I was like, ‘Oh my God – who am I to be at the ��߲ݴ�ý?’” she says. “But I wanted to be at a very good university, and I had to keep trying to aim higher and higher for myself.”

U of T community members recognized with Order of Canada

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 16:01:38 +0000

U of T community members recognized with Order of Canada

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 12/19/2024 - 11:01

Cutline

(photo by Sgt Johanie Maheu)

Adam Elliott Segal

Topic

Our Community

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute

Alumni

Anthropology

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Dentistry

Faculty of Law

Hospital for Sick Children

Institute of Medical Science

Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology

Subheadline

"Each in their own way, they broaden the realm of possibilities and inspire others to continue pushing its boundaries"

A pediatric surgeon who pioneered techniques to keep children’s hearts pumping. An anthropologist whose work has explored how land development shapes communities. A leading mathematician also renowned for scholarship on Indian philosophy.

These are a few of the ��߲ݴ�ý community members who were recently recognized by the Order of Canada.

The Governor General announced 88 new appointments to the Order of Canada on Dec 18, including three promotions. They include George Trusler, former head of cardiac surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children and a professor emeritus in the department of surgery in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine; Tania Li, a University Professor in the department of anthropology in the Faculty of Arts & Science; and Vijaya Kumar Murty, a professor in the department of mathematics in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

“Members of the Order of Canada are builders of hope for a better future,” Gov. Gen. Mary Simon said in a statement. “Each in their own way, they broaden the realm of possibilities and inspire others to continue pushing its boundaries. Thank you for your perseverance, fearless leadership and visionary spirit, and welcome to the Order of Canada.”

Created in 1967, the Order of Canada is one of the country’s highest civilian honours. It recognizes individuals whose achievements and service have had an impact on communities across Canada and beyond.

Here is a list of U of T faculty, alumni, supporters and friends who were appointed to, or promoted within, the Order of Canada in the latest round:

Current and former faculty

Steve Arshinoff, a professor in the department of ophthalmology and vision sciences in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named an Officer of the Order for his contributions to eye care, pioneering now-standard practices. Co-founder of the Eye Foundation of Canada, he also serves as a medical director of Eye Van, providing care to remote northern Ontario communities. He completed his ophthalmology residency at U of T.

Sylvia Bashevkin, a professor emerita in the department of political science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, was named an Officer of the Order for her contributions as a leading scholar of gender and politics. A former principal of University College and a senior fellow of Massey College, she pioneered research on the barriers faced by women in public life and has worked to expand opportunities for diverse political engagement.

Zulfiqar Bhutta, a professor in the department of nutritional sciences in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named an Officer of the Order for his contributions as one of the world’s foremost authorities on maternal and child health, shaping public health strategies that have reduced mortality and improved the well-being of women and children worldwide.

Sandy Buchman, medical director of the Freeman Centre for the Advancement of Palliative Care at North York General Hospital and associate professor in the department of family and community medicine in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named a Member of the Order for contributions to palliative medicine. A former president of the Canadian Medical Association, Buchman has advocated for palliative care, MAID and equitable access to compassionate care. He completed his residency in family medicine at U of T.

David Chitayat, head of the prenatal diagnosis and medical genetics program at Mount Sinai Hospital, physician at SickKids and professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s departments of paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, laboratory medicine and pathobiology, and molecular genetics, was named a Member of the Order for his globally acclaimed work identifying genes associated with fetal abnormalities and postnatal newborns.

Stacy Churchill, a professor emeritus in the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, was named a Member of the Order for his expertise in education and linguistic rights for Francophone minorities. Churchill has advised the federal and provincial government on language policy and consulted on UNICEF and UNESCO education missions.

Dafna Gladman, a senior scientist at the Toronto Western Research Institute and a professor in the Institute of Medical Science in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named an Officer of the Order for her contributions to the psoriatic arthritis field. Her research advanced the understanding of the chronic disease, and her advocacy has improved the treatment and care. She earned her medical degree from U of T.

Daniel Haas, a professor and former dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, was appointed a Member of the Order for his expertise in dental anesthesiology and pharmacology. The former head of the faculty’s graduate dental anaesthesia speciality program, Haas has influenced dental training and practices worldwide. He earned his bachelor of science, doctor of dental surgery and PhD at U of T.

Tania Li, a University Professor in the department of anthropology in the Faculty of Arts & Science, was named an Officer of the Order for her contributions as one of Canada’s leading anthropologists. Her research – including groundbreaking work in understanding how international land development and corporate agriculture generate unintended poverty – has had a profound interdisciplinary impact, shaping policy and advancing human rights and sustainability initiatives.

Vijaya Kumar Murty, a professor in the department of mathematics in the Faculty of Arts & Science, was named a Member of the Order for his contributions as one of Canada’s leading mathematicians. A former director of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences at U of T, he has advanced knowledge in various mathematical fields, including analytic number theory. He is also a renowned scholar of Indian philosophy.

Greg Ryan, a perinatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, head of the fetal medicine unit at Sinai Health and professor in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named a Member of the Order for his groundbreaking contributions to fetal medicine. A senior clinician scientist in the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, he has revolutionized in-utero treatment and care, improving outcomes for mothers and their unborn children globally.

Valerie Sue Tarasuk, a professor emerita in the department of nutritional sciences in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine with a cross-appointment to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, was named a Member of the Order for her expertise on food insecurity in Canada. Tarasuk has worked to reduce food insecurity with policy intervention through PROOF, an interdisciplinary research program. She earned her master of science and PhD at U of T.  

George Trusler, former head of cardiac surgery at SickKids and a professor emeritus in the department of surgery in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was named an Officer of the Order in recognition of innovations in pediatric and cardiac surgery. His innovations have saved thousands of lives, including his groundbreaking invention to preserve the aortic valve and his design of an algorithm to control excess blood flow to the lungs of infants suffering heart failure.

Alumni and Friends

J. Anthony Boeckh, who earned a bachelor of commerce in 1960 as a member of Trinity College, was named a Member of the Order in recognition of contributions to youth mental health through the Graham Boeckh Foundation, which he founded in honour of his late son. Boeckh has worked with leading global experts to establish strategies to transform Canada’s mental health care system. He is also a founding trustee of the Fraser Institute.

Carol Cowan-Levine, who earned her master’s in social work from U of T, was recognized with the Order of Canada for her leadership role in social work and the establishment of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. Her extensive volunteer work has impacted government, health care institutions and the non-profit sector in Ontario.

Stan Douglas, a renowned multimedia artist, was named an Officer of the Order for his body of work that explores history, technology and memory. His work has been exhibited internationally, including at the 2022 Venice Biennale. His donated piece, Maritime Workers Hall, Vancouver, hangs in the halls of U of T’s Hart House as part of the Hart House Permanent Collection.

Donald Dippo, who earned a master of education and PhD from U of T, was named a Member of the Order for increasing educational access for children and teachers in Canada and internationally. He co-founded the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees program, based in the Dadaab refugee camps of Kenya.

R. Douglas Elliott was named a Member of the Order for his advancement and protection of 2SLGBTQI+ rights under Canadian law. An alumnus of the Faculty of Law, he has been involved in landmark constitutional cases and class actions, notably serving as lead counsel in the LGBT Purge class action.

Aura Kagan, a speech language pathologist who earned a PhD from U of T, was named an Officer of the Order for contributions that profoundly shaped care for people living with aphasia – a disorder that disrupts the ability to speak, understand, read, and write – including groundbreaking methods to help individuals communicate more effectively.

Jeffrey J. McDonnell, who earned a bachelor of science from U of T Scarborough in 1984, was named an Officer of the Order for his seminal scientific impact on the field of hydrology. A professor at the University of Saskatchewan, he has transformed the understanding of streamflow generation and the water cycle.

Maureen Jennings, who earned a master’s degree at U of T in 1967, was named a Member of the Order for her achievements as an historical crime author, most notably for the creation of the Detective Murdoch series – which inspired the long-running TV show Murdoch Mysteries – and for her contributions to Canadian history regarding women's roles during the Second World War.

Karen Levine, who earned a bachelor of arts as a member of University College in 1977, was named a Member of the Order in recognition of her decades-long career at CBC Radio. She is also honoured for her book Hana’s Suitcase, which has educated young readers worldwide about the Holocaust.

Sam Shemie, who completed his pediatric cardiology fellowship at U of T, was named a Member of the Order for shaping new ethical standards surrounding organ donation, creating new protocols for hospital culture and mentoring hundreds of clinical care physicians in Canada and abroad. He is medical director of the pediatric intensive care unit at Montreal Children's Hospital.

Walter Schneider, who earned a degree in literary arts from U of T Mississauga, was named a Member of the Order for contributions to business, entrepreneurship and philanthropy. As president and co-founder of RE/MAX INTEGRA, he transformed Canadian real estate, building the company into the nation’s top-selling organization.

– With files from Mariam Matti

Read about more U of T community members recognized with the Order of Canada in recent years

‘Time to take for yourself’: Principal Linda Johnston shares holiday greetings

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 14:17:21 +0000

‘Time to take for yourself’: Principal Linda Johnston shares holiday greetings rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 12/17/2024 - 09:17

Topic

Our Community

U of T Scarborough

In her first holiday message as ��߲ݴ�ý vice-president and principal, U of T Scarborough, Linda Johnston encouraged students, faculty, staff and librarians to reflect on their achievements and enjoy a well-deserved break.

“The holiday season is probably the only time of the year at U of T where you will not get your inbox full of emails. It’s time to take for yourself,” said Johnston, who began her role on July 1.

“You may be going to experience your holidays in a different way. Maybe you’re going to be going home to your folks, maybe you’re going to stay here on campus – you are making a new tradition for yourself.”

Johnston, who is a professor in the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, said 2024 “was a big year for UTSC,” noting the ongoing construction of the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health (SAMIH), the opening of the Sam Ibrahim Building, and progress on Indigenous House.

Heading into the new year, Johnston said she envisions the campus continuing to emphasize a “culture of care” for its community members. “So take this time now. It’s really important for you. Just enjoy yourself,” she said. “Everybody belongs here and I want to help people to feel that way.”

From sustainability to decolonizing knowledge: U of T joins Global Humanities Alliance

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 21:11:10 +0000

From sustainability to decolonizing knowledge: U of T joins Global Humanities Alliance

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 12/12/2024 - 16:11

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Nicole Klenk, an associate professor of environmental studies at U of T Scarborough, uses textile arts to help bridge the gap between the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences in her courses (photo by Chai Chen)

Topic

Subheadline

The Global Humanities Alliance brings together researchers from around the world with the aim of elevating the role of the humanities and social sciences in addressing critical global issues

The ��߲ݴ�ý’s Nicole Klenk sees her role in the recently formed Global Humanities Alliance – which aims to enhance the global impact of the humanities and social sciences – as a natural extension of her research and teaching.

An associate professor of environmental studies in the department of physical and environmental sciences at U of T Scarborough, Klenk bridges the gap between the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences by championing interdisciplinary projects in her courses.

For example, she uses textile arts as a way for students to explore sustainability issues that arise from sectors such as fast fashion.

“They spend an hour weaving textiles to imagine what it means to spend seven days a week, 12 hours a day as a child to make clothes that people use less than seven times before they throw out,” says Klenk.

Nicole Klenk uses textile arts as a way for students to explore sustainability issues arising from fast fashion (photo by Chai Chen)

The alliance, formed earlier this year, brings together researchers from around the world with the aim of elevating the role of the humanities and social sciences in addressing critical global issues. It currently comprises four working groups: public humanities, sustainability and climate change, decolonizing knowledge and digital transformations.

Its founding members – U of T, Ashoka University, Mahidol University, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universitas Gadjah Mada, University of Manchester, University of Melbourne and University of Nairobi – signed a letter of intent in October at a launch event in Manchester, England.

The universities agreed to explore activities such as global classrooms, visiting fellowships, collaborative research projects and exchange programs for students and staff.

Klenk, a textile artist who has explored teaching methods that blend experiential and arts-based learning throughout her career, says she hopes her involvement in the initiative allows her to expand her work on an international scale.

“What got me excited [about the alliance] is the ability to connect with others who value the role of the humanities and social sciences at an international level,” she says.

From left: U of T’s Alex Mihailidis, University of Manchester’s Fiona Devine and Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Wawan Mas'udi (photo by Sherry Lee)

Both Klenk and Sherry Lee, an associate professor of musicology in U of T’s Faculty of Music, serve on the sustainability and climate change working group.

“Something we found in the conversations at the Manchester launch is that there are a lot of crossovers between the thematic working groups, and we expect a lot of exchange,” says Lee, whose research sits at the intersection of music, sound studies and environmental humanities.

“You can’t have a responsible conversation about climate change in the global context without also thinking about decolonization.”

Lee says students will benefit from the initiative through international collaboration, increased understanding of cultural differences and the opportunity to frame problems using different perspectives.

“This is sometimes a challenge – who do I collaborate with? How do I find people who are going to be interested in the kinds of issues that I want to bring forward in a classroom and who will be willing to participate? That’s precisely one of the things that is going to happen through this initiative,” says Lee.

“I think that’s really exciting.”

She says she hopes the alliance inspires collaboration between future generations of scholars.

“I hope it facilitates the entry of the students we are training into spheres where they can engage meaningfully on important global issues outside the academy,” she says.

“I think the best way to do that is to involve them in an international conversation at the moment of their training, rather than to give them more conventional disciplinary training and hope that they're smart enough to stand out from among the crowd once they leave.”

U of T ranked world’s most sustainable university for second year in a row

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:12:41 +0000

U of T ranked world’s most sustainable university for second year in a row

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 12/10/2024 - 11:12

Cutline

(photo by Don Campbell)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Global Lens

Climate Positive Campus

Climate Positive Energy

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

Sustainable Development Goals

Global

Meric Gertler

QS World University Rankings

Subheadline

The 2025 edition of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability ranked U of T first out of more than 1,700 institutions across 95 countries

The ��߲ݴ�ý has been ranked the most sustainable university in the world for the second consecutive year.

The 2025 edition of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability, released this week by London-based Quacquarelli Symonds, placed U of T first overall out of more than 1,700 institutions across 95 countries.

The closely watched ranking evaluates post-secondary institutions for their environmental impact, social impact and governance.

“On behalf of the ��߲ݴ�ý, I am thrilled that our university is once again ranked first in the world in the QS Sustainability Rankings,” said U of T President Meric Gertler. “The U of T community is profoundly committed to the advancement of sustainability as one of the most urgent challenges of our time.

“This year’s ranking confirms our resolve to help lead the way to a sustainable future.”

First launched in 2022, the ranking assesses universities based on QS World University Rankings data, including reputation surveys and research output related to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. It also looks at institutional policies, operational data, alumni impact and national data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and World Bank.

To determine environmental impact, the ranking evaluates environmental education, research and sustainability. For social impact, it examines employability and outcomes, equality, health and well-being, impact of education and knowledge exchange. And for governance, the ranking looks at indicators such as student representation and transparent financial reporting.

U of T performed particularly well in the social impact category this year, moving up three spots to first globally. It also ranked fifth in the world for environmental impact and tied for 23^rd in governance.

U of T’s performance led a robust showing by Canadian universities. The University of British Columbia shared fifth spot with University College London, making Canada the only country to have two universities in the top five. Two other Canadian universities placed in the top 50: McGill University (15^th) and Western University (30^th).

The QS sustainability ranking comes as U of T forges ahead with a host of climate-focused initiatives on its own campuses including: Project Leap, a $138-million infrastructure project that will cut emissions on the St. George campus in half by 2027; Project SHIFT, a U of T Mississauga initiative to speed up the transition from natural gas to electricity; and a combination of new climate-responsible constructions and energy retrofits to older buildings at U of T Scarborough.

Spurred by these and other efforts, the university’s three campuses last year made a landmark commitment to reduce more greenhouse gases than they emit in the coming years. And U of T continues to make progress on its pledge to divest from fossil fuel investments in its endowment fund.

At the same time, U of T is working to enhance Canada’s green energy sector through projects like the Grid Modernization Centre, a state-of-the-art facility led by Climate Positive Energy, an institutional strategic initiative, that will serve as a hub for testing, development and commercialization.

U of T is also playing a leadership role in sustainability by engaging with regional, national and international partners. For example, the university acted as a founding member of the City of Toronto’s Green Will Initiative, collaborated with the Urban Climate Action Project to help implement the city’s TransformTO climate action strategy and contributed to the Toronto Region Board of Trade’s Banking on Green playbook, which helps Ontario organizations fund green retrofit projects.

Globally, U of T has convened networks aimed at mobilizing multi-sector partnerships, including the U7+ Alliance of World Universities, the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3) and the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN). U of T’s sustainability leaders have also been asked to share knowledge and experiences with other universities in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Germany and other countries.

Most important, U of T is actively creating a new generation of sustainability leaders. Supported by the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability (CECCS), which recently created a new student leadership subcommittee, more than 2,000 undergraduate courses in 2024-25 now have a sustainability orientation.

Students also have the option of exploring sustainability from various lenses through the Sustainability Pathways program, or to contribute to projects on- and off-campus via the Campus as a Living Lab and Community-Engaged Learning programs.

Overall, U of T 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.

President Meric Gertler highlights U of T community's achievements in holiday message

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 14:35:13 +0000

President Meric Gertler highlights U of T community's achievements in holiday message Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 12/10/2024 - 09:35

Topic

Subheadline

“To all our students, faculty, librarians, staff, alumni, volunteers, supporters and partners: Thank you for your contributions to our success”

The ��߲ݴ�ý community had a lot to celebrate over the past year, U of T President Meric Gertler says.

In his annual holiday message, President Gertler highlighted U of T’s top spot in the QS sustainability rankings, University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton’s Nobel Prize in Physics and two students who were recognized with prestigious Rhodes Scholarships.

And that was just the beginning.

“We completed state-of-the-art landscapes and buildings on each of our three campuses,” he says in a video. “We broke new ground for several more. We made progress in the ongoing work of reconciliation. And we opened a new chapter in our history with the installation of our 35th chancellor.”

Most importantly, he adds, more than 20,000 students graduated with U of T degrees, joining a global community of more than 700,000 alumni.

“To all our students, faculty, librarians, staff, alumni, volunteers, supporters and partners: Thank you for your contributions to our success.”

U of T shines a spotlight on exceptional educators at Excellence in Teaching reception

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 18:02:53 +0000

U of T shines a spotlight on exceptional educators at Excellence in Teaching reception

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 11/27/2024 - 13:02

Cutline

U of T Vice-President and Provost Trevor Young (centre) poses with Cheryl Regehr Early Career Teaching Award recipients, from left to right: Jasty Singh, Spyridon Kotsovilis, S. Trimble and Roberta K. Timothy (photo by Polina Teif)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Our Community

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Trevor Young

Early Career Teaching Award

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Teaching

U of T Mississauga

U of T Scarborough

Women and Gender Studies

At the ��߲ݴ�ý, teaching is about much more than just imparting knowledge – it’s an engaging, dynamic and creative process that expands and enriches the way students think, preparing them for future success in academics and their careers.

The recent Excellence in Teaching reception hosted by U of T’s Office of the Provost recognized the fundamental importance of teaching to the university’s mission. In particular, it honoured five faculty members who received Cheryl Regehr Early Career Teaching Awards, which were recently renamed in honour of Cheryl Regehr – Young’s predecessor as vice-president and provost, a professor in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and a longtime champion of teaching excellence and innovation at U of T.

“These awards recognize burgeoning talent among our most junior faculty. We expect – and we know from experience – that these recipients will continue to lead and excel in teaching,” Trevor Young, U of T’s vice-president and provost said at the Nov. 4 event held at the Faculty Club.

The event also featured the presentation of the Global Educator Award, which recognizes a faculty member who exemplifies U of T’s global mission by incorporating intercultural and international perspectives.

“I’m extremely proud of U of T for many reasons,” Young said, “and one of them is what’s evident here today, which is the immense talent and experience of our faculty as well as their deep commitment to our university, to our students, to knowledge [and] to research. All that you’re doing is really incredible.”

U of T News spoke with all six award winners about their approach to educating students: