This past Friday’s High Table was a wonderful celebration of International Women’s Day. The event was hosted by Senior Fellow Nurjehan Mawani, addressed by Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont and attended and addressed by Councillor Veronica King-Jamieson of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
The March 8 conference on Gender Persecution and Women’s Rights in Afghanistan and Iran, down below, focuses on the dire lack of women’s rights in Iran and Afghanistan, and the need to for international support. Please join us.
Also, it is with sadness that I write to let you know that we recently lost two Senior Fellows:
Andrew Bains passed away suddenly last week. Andrew was a Junior Fellow at Massey from 1963-1965, UofT rugby player for 10 years, Principal of New College, Biochemist-in-Chief the University Health Network and Vice Dean (Education) of the Faculty of Medicine. Please join me in sending condolences to Senior Fellow Cornelia Baines and their entire family. Andrew’s full obituary can be accessed here.
David Silcox passed away on February 27, after a short illness. Please join me in sending condolences to David’s wife, Linda and their loved ones. David’ s full obituary can be found online, here.
March 8 | Silenced Voices: Gender Persecution and Women’s Rights in Afghanistan and Iran
The conference, a testament to women’s solidarity, will serve as a critical platform for discussing potential domestic policy reforms, fostering regional cooperation, and calling for international support in the fight against gender persecution. Organized by Massey’s Chair in Human Rights Payam Akhavan and Senior Resident Alum Ghizal Haress. RSVP for in person attendance by March 6. You can also watch online.
The latest episode of the JCR Podcast is available now – Where, When and Why are the Boondocks? features a conversation between Junior Fellow Margaret de Leon, and Dr. Adrian de Leon, Massey alumnus and Assistant Professor of History at New York University. They discuss Adrian’s newest book – Bundok: A Hinterland History of Filipino America, the book traces the journey of Northern Luzon’s people through history, revealing how Filipino identity emerged from labour, resistance, and colonialism, shaping our understanding of the US Pacific empire.
You can listen to it here or on your favourite podcast platform.
NOTES FROM THE BIB ROOM
Applications for The Collaborative Specialization in Book History and Print Culture Program (BHCP) are now open, closing on April 15. The BHCP program is also hosting their annual Visitors Day on Friday, March 15. Registration for the annual Student Colloquium (March 22 and 23) is now open – this event is free and open to the public.
MARCH PROGRAMMING
March 5 | Book Launch: Cold War 2.0 by George S. Takach RSVP.
March 6 | Music Salon – Jazz at the Creative Edge: The Music of Karen Ng.
Saxophonist and improviser Karen Ng will perform on the sax and be in conversation with Junior Fellow Sam Little. RSVP.
March 7 | 5:00-7:00pm
RSC Dialogues @ Massey College – Water is Life: Sustainability of Our Oceans (Bilingual event).
Although humanity has benefited greatly from industrial activities of the last few centuries, we are now confronted with the challenge and responsibility to balance industrial imperatives that support human consumption and the need to improve the way we treat the waters that give us life. At this event, speakers will explore the topic of water sustainability with focus on habitats, climate change, and Indigenous sovereignty. Reception to follow. RSVP.
March 9 | Carnaval Winter Ball. Open to the whole community and their guests. RSVP.
March 13 | Chapel Royal Explorations – Difficult Conversations RSVP.
March 13 | Massey Dialogues – Navigating the Future of Healthcare Administration in Ontario RSVP.
March 13 | Alumni Dinner (1995-2005) RSVP.
March 14 | The End of Asylum?: The Narrowing Door to Refuge and its Human Impact. Curated by St. Clair Balfour Fellow Anna Mehler-Paperny RSVP.
March 15 | Walter Gordon Symposium: Revisiting the Role of the Academy in the Public Policy Arena – Public trust in academic institutions is under scrutiny. As societal challenges intensify, there’s an urgent need for academia to bridge gaps between scholarly research and public engagement. Join scholars, policymakers, and community leaders to explore strategies for reinforcing the academy’s relevance and responsibility in contributing to public discourse and policy-making. RSVP.
March 18 | Senior Fellow Luncheon with Ambassador Sabine Sparwasser on Global Challenges. RSVP.
March 20 | Massey Dialogues – Far and Widening: The Rise of Polarization in Canada. In partnership with Public Policy Forum RSVP.
March 21 | The Ethics of Protest: How Far Is Too Far? (online only)
A LOOK AHEAD TO APRIL
April 1 | Massey Dialogues – Jewish Women Writers with Visiting Scholar Ruth Panofsky and Junior Fellow Marissa Herzig
April 1 | Book Club discusses the 2023 Cundill History Prize-winning book: Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China’s Cultural Revolution by Tania Branigan RSVP.
April 10 | Massey Dialogues – Plastic Pollution: Policy and Public Perception
April 17 | Rose Wolfe Seder (lunch) with Rabbi Yael Splansky
April 17 | Massey Dialogues – How At Risk Are Jobs to Generative AI?
COMMUNITY NEWS
AWARDS
Senior Fellow Nurjehan Mawani will receive the 2024 Rosalie Silberman Abella Award from the Women in Law Leadership Awards on April 11, 2024.
Senior Fellow Barbara Sherwood-Lollar has been honoured by the American Geophysical Union for her outstanding contributions to Earth and space sciences. She recently presented the Carl Sagan Lecture – an honour reserved for a scientist who embodies the Sagan’s interest in astrobiology and science communication. More information here.
Congratulations Nurjehan and Barbara!
NEWS
- Senior Fellow Peter Biro is a contributor in a new collection celebrating Jane Goodall at 90 years old.
- Junior Fellow Chantel Campbell is featured on UofT’s Engineering News, read the profile here.
- Senior Fellow Tom Axworthy co-authored an article on the climate emergencies to come in the National Observer. Read it here.
- Senior Fellow Ann Jervis was interviewed recently about her new book Paul and Time listen to the interview here. The book is also reviewed on Scot Mcknight’s substack. Read it here.
- Senior Fellow Rhonda McEwan featured on CBC News.
- Senior Fellow Samir Sinha on CBC’s The Current.
- Senior Fellow Zainub Verjee was interviewed in a new documentary Analogue Revolution: How Feminist Media Changed the World.
See you soon!
Jonathan
