Principal’s Message
Planetary Health is vital to each and every one of us. As Massey College relishes in the glorious cherry blossoms in the Quadrangle, I am delighted to share that I will be interviewing the world-renowned author on nature, landscape, and the health and beauty of our planet: Robert Macfarlane.
With best wishes,
James Orbinski
Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS AT MASSEY COLLEGE
Monday, May 26 – A Dialogue Among Genocide Survivors: Lessons from the Holocaust and the Genocide Against Tutsis in Rwanda
5:30pm | Junior Common Room
Join the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, in partnership with the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and Massey College, for a powerful evening of dialogue between first and second generation survivors of the Holocaust and the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The discussion will reflect on memory, trauma, resilience, and justice.
Tuesday, May 27 – Massey Dialogues: Politicization of Healthcare
3:00-5:00pm | Junior Common Room
Join senior leaders and former politicians from healthcare, academia, and public policy for a timely conversation on the future of Canada’s healthcare system. As public frustration grows over closing emergency rooms, wait times, and system strain, this dialogue will explore the essential role of politics in shaping healthcare policy amid shifting national and international dynamics.
Friday, June 6 – Launch of Digital Tsunami: Big Tech, Big A.I., Big Brother
6:00pm | Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (506 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1Y3)
Principal James Orbinski introduces this important new documentary from former filmmaker-in-residence Peter Raymont. The Q&A will include the film’s director/producer Fred Peabody along with WGBH investigative journalist Phillip Martin and Senior Fellow John Ralston Saul; it will be moderated by CBC journalist/foreign correspondent, Susan Ormiston.
SAVE THE DATE
Saturday, July 26
4:00pm | Massey College Quadrangle & Junior Common Room
Join us for the Massey College Alumni Association Annual General Meeting and BBQ. More details to come soon!
The latest episode of the JCR is out now. Tune in here to listen to Junior Fellow Evan Chan in conversation with Senior Fellow and alumna Sheila Wang.
COMMUNITY NEWS
AWARDS
- Senior Fellow Payam Akhavan has been awarded a Doctor of Laws degree honoris causa (LLD) from the Law Society of Ontario for his outstanding achievements in service to the cause of justice.
- Junior Fellow James Bird has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition for his role as Chapel Royal Tobacco Keeper and for his work on Crown – Indigenous relations.
- Senior Fellow Peter Biro has been appointed a Senior Fellow of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.
- Senior Fellow John Borrows was recently awarded the Mundell Medal. The Mundell Medal is awarded to the Ontario law professor whose writing has made the greatest impact in advancing the public interest. More information here.
- Alum Jay Cavanaugh has been named a Killam Laureate at the University of Calgary, he is a recipient of the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship.
- Senior Fellow Brett House was recently awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his significant contributions to Canada in the fields of policy research, advocacy, and volunteer leadership.
- Senior Fellow Ali Kazimi has been awarded the 2025 Fire Horse Award by the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. Read the attached press release here.
- William Southam Journalism Alum Wency Leung has been nominated for the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s Jackman Award, for her five-part series on the Toronto District School Board’s funding crisis.
Congratulations all!
NEWS
- CJFE / Massey College Journalism Fellow Mostafa Al-A’sar’s short film CAR; When Can I Have it! has been selected to participate in this year’s Oakville Festival of Film and Art (OFFA).
- Senior Fellow Miriam Diamond was recently featured on Global TV: Morning Show and Yahoo! discussing home safety.
- Quadrangle Society member Akaash Maharaj talks to the National Post and Global radio regarding the new Liberal minority.
- Read Senior Fellow Danielle Martin’s latest piece in the Toronto Star: “Why American doctors are approaching me about moving to Canada.”
- Principal James Orbinski recently delivered a keynote address at Trent University – read more about it here.
- Senior Fellow Akwasi Owusu-Bempah‘sstudy on racial inequity in Ontario jails wasfeatured in the Toronto Star.
- Read Neil Seeman’s latest op-ed in the Toronto Star.
- Massey/Munk Global Scholars Marci Shore and Timothy Snyder were featured in a New York Times video op-ed last week. Watch the video here.
- Read Senior Fellow Haroon Siddiqui’s latest op-ed in the Toronto Star.
- Alum Elisa Tersigni’s research was recently featured by the BBC. Read it here.
In Case You Missed It
On April 28th, Massey College hosted a Young Women in Leadership event, which brought together high school girls from the Peel District School Board (PDSB) with women leaders from a range of fields. Organized by Junior Fellows Alison D’Cruz and Silvia Castilla Montagut, the event aimed to foster confidence, ambition, and a sense of possibility in the next generation of changemakers.
Highlights from the event included a panel discussion featuring educator Kim Thomas (moderator), PDSB Director of Education Rashmi Swarup, Senior Fellows Nurjehan Mawani and Sheila Wang, and Junior Fellows Sewit Tewelde, Alison D’Cruz, and Silvia Castilla Montagut. The students also enjoyed an informative tour of Massey College and small-group discussions with panellists over lunch. To conclude the day, Principal James Orbinski shared inspiring words with the students in the Quadrangle.
This event was made possible through the enthusiastic collaboration between Massey College and the Peel District School Board. The students’ energy, curiosity, and insightful questions made the day a resounding success—and a hopeful reminder of the powerful potential within today’s young women.
