As the year ends, so does my time as the Acting Principal of Massey. The experience of connecting at the College with Junior Fellows, Senior Members, Residents and staff has been a moving and enriching one for which I am truly grateful. I have come to deeply admire how the staff work so hard to bring the community together in food and events. In particular, I have worked very closely with the senior staff, including Matt Glandfield, Emily Mockler, Sarah Balm, Alison Mackenzie, Jennifer Drouillard-Duce and Wing Lee. Their dedication to the mission of the College makes Massey an important Canadian institution. Many others work to make this happen including Shanice Thomas, Andreea Marin, Kathryn Middleton, James Ly, Joe Costa, Atkia Chowdhury, Warren Cann, Alyssa Ginsburg, Joe Frey, Jack Farrell, Lauren Luxford and many more.
The amount of activity that flows through the Principal’s office is quite stunning, and particularly large for a part-time holder of the office. I would not have been able to do any of this without the constant advice and support of my wife, Senior Member Barbara Wade Rose. Thank you so much, my love.
I also understand, more than ever, that all the activity at the College depends on your generosity with your time to participate, and the philanthropic giving you can provide. If you haven’t yet given to the College this year, please take a moment to consider doing so. Once you’ve said yes, please go here to do so.
I have been delighted to engage over the past four months with incoming Principal James Orbinski, who fully takes over the role on January 1. I am excited about the energy, vision, and opportunities that James will bring to Massey College. It has truly been a pleasure to interact with James to discuss the goals of the College, and the meaning of the goals. We discussed how to navigate the many opportunities available to our institution – whose mandate is to serve the public good by fostering interaction and support between Junior Fellows and the broader community. Those discussions have been supported and augmented by members of the Governing Board which has exerted care and thoughtfulness over the College.
Finally, below you will find an overview of our January programming, along with the announcement of the recipients of the 2025 Clarkson Laureateships for Public Service.
Clarkson Laureateship Recipients
Senior Fellow The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson and I met at the beginning of December and selected the 2025 Clarkson Laureates. Please join me in congratulating Senior Fellow Andrew Boozary, Alum Sourojeet Chakraborty, and Alum Juliet Guichon – I include their award citations below. Our 2025 Laureates will be feted at our first High Table of the year on January 24 – I hope you are able to join us!
Andrew Boozary embodies the spirit of the Clarkson Laureateship for Public Service through his transformative leadership in health equity and social justice. As Executive Director of the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine at UHN, he has bridged clinical care and social determinants of health, pioneering initiatives like Dunn House, Canada’s first hospital-embedded supportive housing. His leadership during Toronto’s COVID-19 Homelessness Response ensured equitable vaccine access for marginalized communities. From global efforts with Partners in Health, to local advocacy for underhoused populations, Dr. Boozary’s work reflects an unwavering commitment to public service and the common good.
Juliet Guichon exemplifies the ideals of the Clarkson Laureateship through her groundbreaking advocacy for evidence-based public health policy. As a doctoral degree recipient from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and Professor at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, she has spearheaded initiatives to permit HPV vaccine administration in Catholic schools, to help ban menthol in tobacco products, to reinstate water fluoridation in Calgary, and to help combat youth nicotine addiction through vaping. Her leadership extends to founding impactful organizations like SAAVE and the Canadian Fluoridation Society. With relentless dedication, Dr. Guichon has improved the lives of countless Canadians, embodying the Laureateship’s commitment to serving the greater good through transformative public service.
Sourojeet Chakraborty exemplifies the ideals of the Clarkson Laureateship through his tireless dedication to fostering inclusivity, education, and cross-cultural engagement. A Lecturer in the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University, he was previously a Postdoctoral Fellow, and a Ph.D. recipient from the University of Toronto. He has contributed significantly to Massey College as an advocate for diversity and Indigenous awareness, a Finance & Audit Committee member, and a champion of Indian classical music. Beyond academia, Dr. Chakraborty has mentored students globally, pioneered sustainability initiatives, and empowered marginalized communities through education and advocacy. His exceptional leadership and commitment to serving the greater good make him a worthy recipient of this prestigious recognition.
Staff Announcement
I am delighted to welcome Alex Pompilii to Massey College as our new Advancement Coordinator. With nearly three years of administrative experience in the non-profit and charitable sectors, Alex brings expertise in data management, stewardship, and donor relations. Previously the Philanthropy Associate at Crow’s Theatre, Alex managed campaign logistics, donor segmentation, and events. A proud University of Toronto alumnus, Alex holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts with Distinction and a Master’s degree in Cinema Studies. We are excited to have Alex join our community and look forward to his contributions to advancing the mission of Massey College.
THE JCR: A Massey Podcast
The latest episode of The JCR is out now! With our ever-growing reliance on generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Genesis, this episode examines the complexities of generative AI. Junior Fellow Rachel Tyli, speaks withJunior Fellow Fernando Yanez, a PhD candidate in Computer Science, about his research and his newsletter, The GenAI Edge. Listen to “The Tea on ChatGPT” here, or wherever you get your podcasts.
On December 27, a special edition of the JCR will be released, featuring an interview with me conducted by Junior Fellow Brohath Amrithraj, a PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering specializing in renewable energy systems. Titled “A Fireside Chat with Jonathan Rose,” the interview explores my journey from being a Junior Fellow at Massey College to my collaborations within Silicon Valley as a post-doctoral researcher at Stanford University, and my roles as a professor at the University of Toronto, Senior Fellow, and Acting Principal at Massey College.
You can listen online or on your favourite podcast platform.
Looking ahead to January
Save these dates! More information to come early in the new year!
- Tuesday, January 14 – Massey Dialogues – University Autonomy: Where did it come from and where is it going? With Principal Emeritus Justice Nathalie Des Rosiers, Senior Fellow Paul Gooch, Visiting Scholar Jane Toswell and Junior Fellow Ikran Jama
- Wednesday, January 15 – Senior Fellow Luncheon with Toronto Poet Laureate Lillian Allen
- Thursday, January 16 – Book Club: White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link (rescheduled from December). Check for a reading copy in the Upper Library or find it via the U of T library system. RSVP.
- Monday, January 20 – Public Policy Conference – What’s Next: US Relations in the Age of Trump
- Monday, January 20 – Junior Fellow Lecture Series on Climate Emergencies. RSVP
- Tuesday, January 21 – Ethics Series: Disinformation on Social Media and Impacts on Democracy
- Wednesday, January 22 – Alumni Dinner (1984-1994 Cohort)
- Wednesday, January 22 – Book Talk with Senior Fellow Heba Mostafa
- Thursday, January 23 – Jack McClelland Writer-in-Residence Reading & Reception with George F. Walker
- Friday, January 24 – Clarkson Laureates High Table. RSVP
- Monday, January 27 – Sam Little’s Album Launch
- Wednesday, January 29 – Massey Dialogues: Healthcare Barriers for People with Disabilities with guest lecturer David Lepofsky
COMMUNITY NEWS
AWARDS
Senior Fellow Jillian Kohler received a prestigious award recognizing her commitment to promoting transparency, accountability and integrity in Canada and around the world. The Canadian Integrity Award is presented annually by Transparency International Canada. More information here.
Congratulations Jillian!
Several books edited and or written by community members are on the Hill Times Best Books of 2024. Congratulations to Principal Emeritus Nathalie Des Rosiers, Senior Fellows Peter Biro, John Ibbitson, Alum Kiran Banerjee and staff member Jessica Dee Humphreys – read the full list of 100 here. Academic Advisor to the William Southam Journalism Program Ian William’s What I Meant to Say has been recognized by CBC as one of the best works of Canadian nonfiction this year.
NEWS
We love learning about your good news and sharing it with the community. Please email news@masseycollege.ca with links to your news (awards/recognitions, career highlights – new roles, research publications, articles, podcasts, interviews, op-eds, art exhibits, publishing books/book events, etc.)
- Senior Fellow and Chair in Human Rights Payam Akhavan was interviewed on CBC Ideas re: climate justice and wealthy countries paying for the damage they’ve done.
- Senior Fellow Ron Deibert and former Scholar-at-Risk Noura Aljizawi talk to CBC about transnational repression in Canada.
- Senior Fellow Danielle Martin was quoted in The Star about access to family doctors.
- Senior Fellow Samir Sinha quoted in Heathling.ca.
- Alum Farzin Vejdani has recently published a book Private Sins, Public Crimes: Policing, Punishment, and Authority in Iran, with Yale University Press. Farzin was a Visiting Scholar with us in 2022 and notes that the Massey Fellowship was absolutely instrumental in the writing and completion of the book, for which he is very grateful.
- Junior Fellow Fernando Yanez’s State of the Art Report was just recently published in the Computer Graphics Forum Journal.
- Senior Fellow David Zimmer, Chair of Liberal International’s Climate Justice Committee, hosted a panel discussion on “Building Political Will for a Just Energy Transition” at the 64th Congress of Liberal International (UK) held in Santiago, Chile. The discussion was accompanied by a committee paper titled “Financing the Future: Improving Climate Finance.”
Have a great holiday and I hope to see you as we all participate in the College in its next steps.
Jonathan
P.S. A reminder that we are now accepting applications for the Junior Fellowship at Massey College until January 31, 2025. We invite all community members to refer outstanding graduate and professional students from across the University of Toronto to join our vibrant interdisciplinary community! Click below for more information on the application process, tour dates and open houses.
Junior Fellow application information
Missed events? Recorded events can be found on our YouTube Channel.
