Dear Friends of Massey,
It is reading week at the University of Toronto, and so the college is a little quieter than usual. This has given me a chance to reflect on the activity and people I’ve encountered since becoming the Acting Principal, and also how much the world needs our graduate students over the long term, to bend the arc of our world towards justice. Please drop by an event or a meal to help that happen!
The latest episode of The JCR is out now. Join Margaret De Leon, a Junior Fellow, in conversation with the 2013 Marshall McLuhan Fellow Jodesz Gavilan, on a recent tour of Canada. Gavilan, an investigative journalist, researcher, and podcaster with the independent news outlet Rappler in the Philippines, advocated for journalists to go beyond evidence-based truth-telling to involve their communities in creating impactful solutions to social problems.
Available here, or wherever you get your podcasts.
UPCOMING EVENTS
February 26 | 7:30-9:00pm
Using Social Media to Share Your Research: A Conversation with Christine Tran
This event is open to current Junior Fellows and recent alumni who have graduated within the last five years.
Digital media scholar Christine Tran will discuss the pros and cons of each social media platform as an academic working in this “Post-Twitter/X” media world.
February 28 | 4:00-5:00pm
Massey Dialogues – Climate Action Cannot Succeed Without Older People: Exploring the Intersection of Aging and Climate
Senior Fellow Ito Peng and Dr. Ross Upshur in conversation with Junior Fellow Jane Zhao
February 28 | 6:30-7:45pm
Alumni Dinner
Join the next Alumni Dinner as part of formal dinner in Ondaatje Hall. Alumni from 1985-1995 are invited to gather and everyone is invited to join
MARCH PROGRAMMING
March 1 | International Women’s Day High Table. RSVP.
March 4 | Massey Dialogues – The Art of Representational Storytelling with Oscar award-winning director Sarah Polley and author Farzana Doctor in conversation with CBC’s Elamin Abdelmahmoud RSVP.
March 4 | Book Club – VenCo written by Cherie Dimaline RSVP.
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. RSVP.
March 7 | RSC Dialogues @ Massey College: Sustainability and Protection of Our Lakes and Oceans (Bilingual event). RSVP.
March 8 | Conference – Silenced Voices: Gender Persecution and Women’s Rights in Afghanistan and Iran – organized by Massey’s Chair in Human Rights Payam Akhavan and Visiting Scholar Alum Ghizal Haress RSVP.
March 9 | Carnaval Winter Ball RSVP.
March 13 | Chapel Royal Explorations – Difficult Conversations RSVP.
March 13 | Alumni Dinner (1995-2005) RSVP.
March 14 | End of Asylum: The Narrowing Door to Refuge and its Human Impact RSVP.
March 15 | Walter Gordon Symposium: Revisiting the Role of the Academy in the Public Policy Arena RSVP.
March 18 | Senior Fellow Luncheon with Amb. Sabine Sparwasser on Global Challenges. RSVP.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Visiting Scholar Alum Sherry Aiken is quoted on CBC News.
Senior Fellow Randy Boyagoda is profiled in the Toronto Star, read it here.
Last week an organization co-founded by Junior Fellow Otuto Chukwu, El Echad Foundation, started a menstrual hygiene project where they provided education to school-aged girls on menstrual hygiene, and distributed over 200 environmentally-friendly reusable sanitary pads to girls in a local community school. This initiative received national news attention in Nigeria – read about it, here, here and here.
Junior Fellow Leighton Schreyer has published a poem in The Ampersand – read it here. Leighton’s personal essay “For the Love of Hair” in Volume 11 of The Examined Life Journal is also available now.
Junior Fellow Tushar Sood has co-authored an article in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia, read it here.
Senior Fellow Armine Yalnizyan shared an Op-Ed on private health care in The Star.
Junior Fellow Setayesh Yazdani is profiled on the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy’s website, read it here.
Massey College and the Aga Khan Museum continued their collaboration with an event marking the United Nation’s 9th International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Co-organized by Senior Fellows Nurjehan Mawani and Dr. Sascha Priewe, the event on February 13 featured Junior Fellow Setayesh Yazdani and Dr. Tasleem Nimjee in conversation with the Museum’s Director & CEO, Dr. Ulrike Al-Khamis. Bringing together two medical professionals at different stages in their careers, the conversation provided inspiration for the more than 500 Grade 10-12 students that attended from the Peel and Toronto district school boards in the Museum and via livestream.
