Principal’s Message
With the fall term in full swing, the Massey College quad is once again active with conversation, ideas, and community engagement. It is the spirit that defines our institution.
New leadership, new vision, and strong support from our donors over the summer all mean Massey is renewing its full rhythm. Junior Fellows, Senior Fellows, Quadrangle Society members, Alumni, and guests make our programs vibrant, our events rejuvenated, and the College’s distinctive atmosphere is once again evident.
Through our Annual Appeal this fall, we aim to build on this renewed momentum to ensure that Massey continues to serve as a centre for learning, leadership, and civil discourse for the public good on issues of contemporary concern.
You will soon receive a letter outlining this year’s Annual Giving Campaign (depending on the operation of postal services). As the holiday season approaches, we invite all members of our community –ongoing and new –to reflect on the role Massey has played in their lives and, if possible, demonstrate support with a financial contribution that will ensure its future.
With very best wishes,
James
Dr. James Orbinski, OC, MSC, MA, MD, MCFPC
Principal, Massey College
Professor, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto
Welcome, Kamel Riahi
We are honoured to welcome Kamel Riahi as a Visiting Fellow to Massey College. Kamel is a Tunisian novelist, literary critic, and creative writing instructor, currently based in Toronto, Canada. He has taught creative writing at Carleton University in Ottawa and autobiographical writing and the art of diaries at the University of Toronto. A member of PEN Canada, Riahi serves as Director of the House of Fiction Cultural Centre in Toronto and is the founder of the Toronto International Forum of the Art of Diaries.
Regarded as one of Tunisia’s leading defenders of democracy and a prominent literary and media voice of the Arab Spring generation, Kamel Riahi has paid a significant personal and professional price for his steadfast commitment to freedom of expression and democratic values.
Read Kamel’s latest piece in the Globe and Mail’s Quarter Mark Series, here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Wednesday, October 29 | 1:00-3:00pm
Robertson Davies Library Spooktacular!
Join us in the lower library and bibliography room for a Halloween workshop. Come to print some Halloween-themed keepsakes and look at our rare haunted collection. Everyone is welcome!
Friday, November 7 | 10:00-11:00am
Engineering with Purpose: Tech Stewardship in Turbulent Times
Upper Library
What does it mean to be a responsible engineer in a world that feels increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous? In this interactive talk, Dr. Janna Rosales invites students, faculty, and professionals in STEM to explore the concept of tech stewardship—a mindset that goes beyond innovation to consider the broader impacts of our work. RSVP Here.
Monday, November 10 | 8:00-9:30pm
Junior Fellow Lecture Series: Rethinking the Boundaries of Law
Upper Library
What if law is not only statutes and rules, but also the standards, practices, and principles that guide how we live together? Inspired by Professor John Borrows’ expansive view of law, this Junior Fellow Lecture explores how diverse domains—music, Indigenous legal traditions, and health—illuminate law’s deeper dimensions. Evan Tanovich considers how the conventions and norms that make music mutually intelligible echo the structures of legal reasoning. Peter Bo Zhang examines Anishinaabe understandings of animals as legal actors, treaty partners, and kin, reframing personhood and obligation. Noor Pannu will discuss Law & Health. Together, these perspectives reveal law as a living, interdisciplinary practice that exceeds cases and codes, offering new ways of thinking about justice, culture, and community. RSVP Here.
Wednesday, November 12 | 6:30-8:00pm
Book Launch: Julian Brave NoiseCat’s We Survived the Night
Junior Common Room
Join us for the Canadian launch of We Survived the Night, the debut book by writer, journalist and filmmaker Julian Brave NoiseCat. Opening his box of treasures, NoiseCat will share the stories that shape his work before sitting down with Tanya Talaga for a rare and powerful conversation—an evening of storytelling, reflection, and connection. RSVP here.
Monday, November 17 | 4:30-6:00pm
Artist Lecture with Natia Lemay
Junior Common Room
More details to come.
Natia Lemay was raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and is based in New Haven, CT. Her Interdisciplinary autoethnographic practice reflects her lived experience. Through personal stories, she interrogates the intersections between the mind, the body, and space to understand how these experiences relate to a broader cultural context.
Natia Lemay has exhibited widely throughout North America. The artist was selected for the 2024 Fountainhead residency in Miami and the 2022 Royal Drawing School Residency in Dumfries, Scotland. She was awarded the National Trust Prize at Expo Chicago 2024, with her work acquired by High Museum in Atlanta in addition to being collected by the Art Gallery of Ontario, The Minneapolis Institute of Art, The Minnesota Museum of American Art, The North Dakota Museum of Art and The Montclair Museum of Art. She received her BFA from Ontario College of Art and Design in 2021 with a minor in Social Sciences and her MFA from Yale School of Art in 2023. RSVP here.
Tuesday, November 18 | 5:30-8:00pm
Book Launch & Panel Discussion – Two Presidents respond to What Could A University Be? Revolutionary Ideas for the Future, by Senior Fellow Robert Gibbs
Junior Common Room
This new book imagines a university where all students in all levels and across all faculties, including professional schools are learning how to do research.
David Naylor, President Emeritus of U of T, and Rhonda MacEwen, President of Victoria University will share their reflections on the future of research universities in relation to this book.
Panel 5:30-6:45pm
Reception 6:45-8:00pm
Massey Is Lunch
A reminder that the Massey is Lunch Program continues througout the term. Massey is Lunch is a community-building initiative that connects Senior Members of Massey College with Junior Fellows over lunch. The program fosters intergenerational dialogue, mentorship, and community engagement in an informal and welcoming setting. If you are a Senior Fellow, Quadrangle Society Member, Alumni 5+ years out, Journalism Fellow or Visiting Scholar, we invite you to register here.
COMMUNITY NEWS
IN MEMORIAM
We are deeply saddened to share that Quadrangle Society Member Timothy Escott Reid passed away earlier this month. Tim was a generous mentor to many within the Massey College community. Those who knew him, or were among the Fellows he supported and guided, are warmly invited to attend his celebration of life on November 2 at Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Please join us in extending our heartfelt condolences to Tim’s family and loved ones.
Tim’s full obituary can be found here.
AWARDS
- Senior Fellow Dmitry Anastakis has won the Waugh Family Foundation Book Prize in Canadian Business History. Read more here.
- Junior Fellow Renée Sirbu has won the Student Forum and AI Commentary Contest at the “Who’s Afraid of AI?” conference happening on October 23 and 24.
- Alumni Anjum Sultana has been selected for the Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders Program – one of 43 successful applicants out of 1900 applicants from 125 countries. More details here.
NEWS
- Senior Fellow Tom Axworthy reviews The Coutts Diaries in Policy Magazine, read it here.
- Senior Fellow Miriam Diamond is quoted in the National post
- Senior Fellow Stephen Scharper delivered the Thanksgiving Reflection at the Humber Valley United Church on October 12, entitled: Thanks A Lot: Thanksgiving Thoughts from the Non-51st State. Watch his talk here.
- Massey Munk Global Scholar Timothy Snyder was interviewed on MSNBC recently – watch it here.
- Quadrangle Society Member Akaash Maharaj was featured recently on CTV, CBC’s Here and Now as well as Metro Morning.
- Senior Fellow Janice Stein is quoted in the Toronto Star.
- Senior Fellow John Meehan’s anthology is reviewed in policy magazine, read it here.
