Massey College is continuously cultivating leadership among our Junior Fellowship through engagement with key leaders our community. This week, the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, Canada’s longest-serving Chief Justice, spoke with Junior Fellows and William Southam Journalism Fellows about the rule of law, and challenges facing the judiciary in our current global moment. Nobel Laureate Geoffery Hinton came by to learn more about Massey College and chat about the future implications of Artificial Intelligence. And Human Rights Watch founder Ken Roth launched his latest book Righting Wrongs.
These people and the impact of their work are critical to contemporary issues of the Public Good, and we are delighted that Massey College is a welcoming home to these meaningful, forward-looking conversations.
As a member of the Massey community, you too are very welcome to participate and engage in cultivating our dialogues and perspectives on issues around the public good. Please consider yourself invited!
With best wishes,
James Orbinski
Principal
Can’t-Miss Events at Massey College in April!
April 7 – Book Club presents Native Nations by Kathleen DuVal
Join the final Book Club of the year. Assistant Publisher of Literary Review of Canada Alex Sallas will present on the 2024 The Cundill History Prize winning book by Kathleen DuVal Native Nations: A Millennium in North America. If you have not read the book, you are still welcome to attend. RSVP
April 8 – Senior Fellow Luncheon with Principal James Orbinski
You are invited to the final Senior Fellow Luncheon of the term. Join us for a fantastic lunch with a lecture by our new Principal James Orbinski, followed by an audience Q&A.
RSVP by April 4.
April 10 – Installation of the Principal
With the exciting news of Professor Melaine Woodin being named the next President of the University of Toronto, we are also delighted to announce the formal installation of Dr. James Orbinski as Principal of Massey College!
The official robing ceremony will be livestreamed on Thursday, April 10 at 4:30pm. You can access it virtually and sign up for reminders.
April 15 – Liberal Democracy in the Rearview Mirror?
Tickets are sold out for this full-day conference which examines the future of liberal constitutionalism in the face of rising populism and democratic backsliding. A recording will be made available after the event takes place.
April 16 – Rose Wolfe Seder
Join us for our (lunch) Seder, a Massey tradition of gathering over food to honour Dr. Rose Wolfe – the former Chancellor of UofT and former Visitor of Massey College. We will be joined by Barbara Wade Rose (Quadrangle Society Member) and Zeesy Powers (alum) who will lead the seder and a conversation on themes from the Passover holiday. RSVP
April 29 – A Symposium Celebrating Massey Grand Rounds: 20 Years of Leadership
Join us as we celebrate two decades of insightful discussions at the intersection of medicine, science, and society. The event will feature reflections from the founding co-chairs of Massey Grand Rounds, along with several special guests.
For the full program and to RSVP, click here.
Announcing
The 2025 Janet Rossant Lectureship – this year will be Dr. Danielle Rodin, MD, MPH, FRCPC Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology University of Toronto. Read more here.
COMMUNITY NEWS
AWARDS/APPOINTMENTS/RECOGNITIONS
- The Walrus announced William Southam Journalism Fellow Mostafa Al-A’sar as the second Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) as a Contributing Writer. He will begin the part-time role in May.
- Alum Michael Bridge was awarded the Virginia Parker Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts.
- Senior Fellow Rita Shelton Deverell was reappointed as Chancellor of Lakehead University.
Congratulations Mostafa, Michael and Rita!
NEWS
- Former Journalism Fellow Zuhal Ahad wrote about The Power of Storytelling for International Nonprofits: Why Journalism Matters
- Journalism Fellow Mostafa Al-A’sar contributed three chapters to the newly published book ‘Imprisoning a Revolution: Writings from Egypt’s Incarcerated’ (The University of California Press) a collaborative work features prison writings from a group of Egyptian prisoners of conscience.
- Read Senior Fellow Randy Boyagoda’s latest book review in the New York Times.
- Alum Dr. Tom Cooper’s latest book is available for preorder now.
- Senior Fellow Ron Deibert wrote an op-ed for the Globe and Mail about how the United States is putting itself in danger.
- Junior Fellow Devin De Silva held an opening reception of an exhibition he co-curated – From Silence to Sound: Tuning the Auditory Experience. This exhibition explores the persuasive role of sound in film, exploring the role both sound effects, music and silence play in shaping audiences’ auditory experience. Check is out at the TIFF Lightbox. See details.
- Senior Fellow Jacqueline Feke was interviewed for, and quoted in, an article on the History Channel’s website called These Ancient Sites Align with the Spring Equinox.
- Read Senior Fellow Shawn Micallef’s latest op-ed in the Toronto Star on an offer to spruce up Queen’s Park.
- Junior Fellow Chukwunonso Nwabufo recently delivered a TED talk titled Genetic Insurance Number: The Key to Safer, Smarter Care which is now online.
- Senior Fellow Akwasi Owusu-Bempah was featured in the UofT Criminology & Sociolegal Studies news for receiving the King Charles III’s Coronation Medal. Read it here.
- Senior Fellow Neil Seeman co-authored an essay in The Conversation on Why Canadian-trained doctors should be allowed to practise anywhere in Canada without additional licensing. He also is on a podcast Built to Lead (Vernissage Health) on Embracing Non-Linear Career Paths.
- Junior Fellow Emmanuel Taiwo has a new research article on Community Energy Justice published in Energy Research & Social Science. Additionally, he was featured in U of T’s Black Research Network newsletter on advancing energy justice solutions.
External Events with Fellows
- Alum Zeesy Powers has a retrospective as part of the Images Festival 2025. This Could Be You: 15 Years of Zeesy Powers from April 1-19 at Vtape (401 Richmond suite 448) with an opening reception on April 3 and artist talk / tour of April 14. Full details.
- Quadrangle Society Member Peter Ramont’s latest documentary, Digital Tsunami: Big Tech, Big AI, Big Brother, will premiere on April 29 at Innes College. More information and tickets here.
Arts & Science Lecture in Classics: Odysseus at the Bag Check
On April 25, you are invited to the inaugural Arts & Science Lecture in Classics, with special guest Professor Emily Greenwood (Harvard University). Professor Greenwood will be giving a lecture titled “Odysseus at the Bag Check: Greek Myth and Immigration in Contemporary Poetry.” RSVP
The JCR Podcast – Eyes in the Sky
In this episode The JCR looks up to the heavens to learn more about how satellites and space data help to detect, monitor and predict global phenomena. Junior Fellow Alum, Rakshith Ramesh, a senior research scientist of Image Processing and Avionics at Pixxel Space speaks with the JCR’s Brohath Amrithraj, a PhD candidate studying renewable energy systems in Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto.
Doors Open at Massey College
Doors Open Toronto returns to Massey College on May 24. We are looking for a large team of volunteers from across the Massey community. If you are interested in volunteering for all or part of the day, please contact Matt Glandfield at mglandfield@masseycollege.ca. This is an important community outreach event for the College, and we would greatly appreciate your help as an ambassador.
Summer Rentals
From May to August, Massey College rents out residence rooms on a short-term basis. If you or someone you know is looking for accommodations in the heart of downtown Toronto, please visit our website: Massey College Summer Residence Programme. Rooms can be booked directly online and include breakfast at competitive rates. For more information, contact Fernando Yanez at summerresidence@masseycollege.ca.
