David Goldberg / en Reimagining the curb: 茄子直播 alum helps cities design smarter streets /news/reimagining-curb-u-t-alum-helps-cities-design-smarter-streets <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Reimagining the curb: 茄子直播 alum helps cities design smarter streets</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-12/Marian-Mendoza-%281%29-crop.jpg?h=913d5070&amp;itok=jDl1DWXI 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-12/Marian-Mendoza-%281%29-crop.jpg?h=913d5070&amp;itok=oSm3Nsbx 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-12/Marian-Mendoza-%281%29-crop.jpg?h=913d5070&amp;itok=GIkEA_mI 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-12/Marian-Mendoza-%281%29-crop.jpg?h=913d5070&amp;itok=jDl1DWXI" alt="Marian Mendoza poses in a typical urban street in Japan"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-12-20T10:26:17-05:00" title="Friday, December 20, 2024 - 10:26" class="datetime">Fri, 12/20/2024 - 10:26</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Marian Mendoza, who earned an honours bachelor of arts in geography and international relations at 茄子直播, is among a new generation of city-builders using data and emerging technologies to build more inclusive and sustainable cities&nbsp;(supplied image)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/david-goldberg" hreflang="en">David Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/geography-and-planning" hreflang="en">Geography and Planning</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/victoria-college" hreflang="en">Victoria College</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Marian Mendoza is a product operations specialist at CurbIQ, a Toronto company that's helping cities wield data to better manage curbsides<br> <br> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>For <strong>Marian Mendoza</strong>, curbsides aren鈥檛 simply where road and sidewalk happen to meet 鈥 they鈥檙e dynamic urban spaces with the potential to boost sustainability, inclusion and mobility.&nbsp;</p> <p>An alum of the University of Toronto鈥檚 Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, Mendoza is a product operations specialist at <a href="https://www.curbiq.io/">CurbIQ</a>, a Toronto-based company that offers a digital platform to help urban centres gather information about curbsides and optimize their use.</p> <p>鈥淐ities are finally starting to see the value of this real estate and taking steps to make the most of it,鈥 says Mendoza, who earned her honours bachelor of arts in geography and international relations in 2019 as a Victoria College member.</p> <p>Curbside management has become increasingly important as&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1rem;">curb use expands beyond vehicle parking to include bike lanes, patios and designated pickup areas for rideshares. Toronto, for example, has about 5,600 kilometres of curbside 鈥 a distance roughly equal to that between 茄子直播鈥檚 St. George campus and Whitehorse, Yukon.</span></p> <p>By providing cities with the tools to analyze real-time and historical data, CurbIQ helps municipalities and large urban institutions that manage roadways 鈥 such as universities and airports 鈥 make strategic, data-informed decisions to better optimize curbside space.</p> <p>鈥淎 city can use CurbIQ to see that certain on-street parking spaces are underutilized,鈥 says Mendoza. 鈥淎nd this could help decision-makers to consider converting those spaces into alternative curbside uses, such as a dedicated lane for transit or active transportation 鈥 improving accessibility and mobility in general for the city.鈥</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-12/data-curb-iq.png?itok=mvV8-NNb" width="750" height="434" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>CurbIQ digitizes curb regulations, integrates usage data from multiple sources and centralizes the information into a single platform (Image courtesy of Arcadis)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Since its founding in 2019, CurbIQ has had an impact in cities across Canada and around the world.</p> <p>In Toronto, the platform facilitated the expansion of bike lane infrastructure on Bloor Street and Danforth Avenue, and helped identify potential patio sites for the city鈥檚 Caf茅TO program, which created curb lane patios for restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> <p>In Edmonton, Alta. and Arlington County, Va., CurbIQ was used to optimize management of parking spaces.</p> <p>And in Dublin, Ireland, CurbIQ mapped more than 30 kilometres of curbside, helping city staff and third-party vendors, such as delivery services, better understand curb usage patterns 鈥 reducing congestion, lowering carbon emissions and improving traffic flow.</p> <p>鈥淚鈥檝e already noticed a shift in support from the public and private sectors for building our cities smarter, in ways that use technology to improve urban planning processes,鈥 says Mendoza, noting digital tools like CurbIQ are essential to helping manage rising demand for housing, transit and curb space as cities and populations grow.</p> <p>鈥淏ut I鈥檓 a firm believer that technology doesn't replace human expertise; it just gives us the data and confidence to make better decisions.鈥</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-12/curb-iq.png?itok=XyK9zxyz" width="750" height="502" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>CurbIQ's platform has been used in cities across Canada and around the world (image courtesy of Arcadis)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Mendoza says the skills she developed at 茄子直播 have stood her in good stead as she establishes herself among a new generation of city-builders using data and advanced technology.</p> <p>鈥溓炎又辈 taught me to be curious, ask questions and develop strong research skills,鈥 says Mendoza. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e free to ask any questions you want, and you have guidance from professors to explore and nurture your research interests.鈥</p> <p>Mendoza鈥檚 work at 茄子直播 included an independent research project on multimodal transportation in Portland, Oregon, conducted under the mentorship of <strong>Michael Widener</strong>, chair and professor in the department of geography and planning. 鈥淎s a student, Marian had a special talent for thinking through complex urban problems, their connections to both social and technical systems, and then charting a way forward,鈥 says Widener.</p> <p>鈥淪he always brought to class a wonderful mix of intellectual curiosity and positivity,鈥 adds&nbsp;<strong>Don Boyes</strong>, a professor, teaching stream and associate dean, teaching and learning, who taught Mendoza in several courses. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see her doing so well in her chosen field.鈥</p> <p>In addition to the support of professors and peers, Mendoza is grateful for the numerous scholarships she received at 茄子直播, which included the <a href="https://www.geography.utoronto.ca/people/honours-awards/all-annual-department-award-recipients-1969-2023#WilliamGDeanScholarhship:~:text=recipients%20(1980%20%2D%202022)-,William%20G.%20Dean%20Scholarship%20in%20Geography%20Field%20Research,-Awarded%20to%20one">William G. Dean Scholarship in Geography Field Research</a>.</p> <p>鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly grateful for the opportunities I had,鈥 says Mendoza. 鈥淪cholarships gave me the freedom to explore a career path that wasn鈥檛 a straight line.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 20 Dec 2024 15:26:17 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 310965 at Researcher, entrepreneur ... and DJ to the stars? 茄子直播 alum perfects the mix /news/researcher-entrepreneur-and-dj-stars-u-t-alum-perfects-mix <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Researcher, entrepreneur ... and DJ to the stars? 茄子直播 alum perfects the mix</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-12/Online%20Story%20Main%20%281%29.jpg?h=a1e1a043&amp;itok=MVC7Ito- 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-12/Online%20Story%20Main%20%281%29.jpg?h=a1e1a043&amp;itok=_8vKcJYG 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-12/Online%20Story%20Main%20%281%29.jpg?h=a1e1a043&amp;itok=1yfZ1KVw 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-12/Online%20Story%20Main%20%281%29.jpg?h=a1e1a043&amp;itok=MVC7Ito-" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-12-16T09:22:20-05:00" title="Monday, December 16, 2024 - 09:22" class="datetime">Mon, 12/16/2024 - 09:22</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Amir Alam says 茄子直播 provided the foundation he needed to succeed as a DJ, a cancer researcher and an entrepreneur (photo by Kemeisha McDonald)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/david-goldberg" hreflang="en">David Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/woodsworth-college" hreflang="en">Woodsworth College</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">As a first-year student, Amir Alam toured with Justin Bieber and The Weeknd. Next, he refocused on his studies, published brain tumour research and launched a shoe-cleaning brand</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Amir Alam鈥檚</strong> arrival at the University of Toronto began with a friendly bet.</p> <p>After watching a DJ spin records for a raucous crowd one evening as a teenager,&nbsp;he struck a deal with his mother: she would buy him a set of turntables if he was accepted to every major Canadian university to which he applied.</p> <p>鈥淭he first choice was always 茄子直播 鈥 even before my family immigrated from Iran to Toronto, I remember hearing 茄子直播 was the 鈥業vy League School of Canada,鈥欌 says Alam, who earned his honours bachelor of science degree from the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science in 2015 as a member of&nbsp;Woodsworth College.</p> <p>A first-year student, Alam moved into residence with his new turntables and collection of vinyl records in tow. He also began to frequent a local record shop near campus where he persistently approached the manager about a job, opening the door to regular gigs at downtown clubs and, soon after, touring opportunities with high-profile artists including Justin Bieber and The Weeknd.</p> <p>Yet, despite the excitement that came with touring the world, Alam 鈥 aka DJ Crunch 鈥 says he missed belonging to the community that many students experience during their first year at university.</p> <p>鈥淲hen you're touring, you're always in a different city. You're in, you do the show, and you're out. It's a very scheduled and disconnected lifestyle. I really missed being around like-minded individuals and having meaningful conversations.鈥</p> <p>So, music took a back seat as Alam focused on his studies and fulfilling a promise he had made to his father about completing a double-major in human biology and cell and systems biology.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-12/Online%20Story%20Inside%20%281%29.jpg?itok=vLcy5ngW" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Amir Alam looks through albums at Play De Record on Spadina Avenue, a store he worked at part-time during his 茄子直播 studies&nbsp;(photo by Kemeisha McDonald)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Alam also took on mentorship roles and immersed himself in campus life. Beginning in third year, he worked as a lab assistant at SickKids鈥 <a href="https://www.sickkids.ca/en/care-services/centres/brain-tumour-research-centre/" target="_blank">Brain Tumour Research Centre</a> alongside&nbsp;<strong>Gelareh Zadeh</strong>, a neurosurgeon-scientist at University Health Network (UHN) and a professor in 茄子直播鈥檚 Temerty Faculty of Medicine.</p> <p>Alam then secured a full-time research position with UHN at the MaRS Discovery District, where he worked in neuro-oncology and published several papers on brain tumour research.</p> <p>But new opportunities and challenges were about to change Alam鈥檚 trajectory once more.</p> <p>He drew on his chemistry experience 鈥&nbsp;and interest in street fashion 鈥 to develop a 100 per cent plant-based shoe-cleaning product called Shoe Laundry. Working with a lab in Edmonton, he refined the formula and Shoe Laundry soon became a full-time job.</p> <p>鈥淢y scientific background in the labs at 茄子直播, SickKids and UHN definitely helped me when I was developing the concept,鈥 says Alam. 鈥淚 knew what I wanted and I had the vocabulary to communicate with the lab.鈥</p> <p>The company continues to grow. He鈥檚 developing a new, sustainable product that repels stains before they happen.</p> <p>Alam has also dabbled in filmmaking, running a music festival, making his own music and working in artist relations.</p> <p>He says he enjoys having multiple projects on the go 鈥 and is open to whatever comes next.</p> <p>The most valuable skill Alam developed at 茄子直播? &nbsp;Perseverance, he says, and making use of all the university has to offer.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭he reputation of the school speaks for itself internationally, but what really matters is learning how to use the tools around you to succeed.鈥</p> <p>Now a mentor in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science鈥檚&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entrepreneurship.artsci.utoronto.ca/venture-mentoring-service">Venture Mentoring Service</a>, Alam says he is eager to give back. His advice to current students is simple: unless you are certain about your career path, explore as many options as possible.</p> <p>鈥淵ou'll fail at some things, and you鈥檒l succeed at others, but it's the only way to truly discover what you're passionate about.鈥&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:22:20 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 310962 at Avoid comparisons, focus on your own journey: A new grad鈥檚 advice to first-year students /news/avoid-comparisons-focus-your-own-journey-new-grad-s-advice-first-year-students <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Avoid comparisons, focus on your own journey: A new grad鈥檚 advice to first-year students </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-10/Abidur%20Rahman%20Photo-crop.jpg?h=736902bc&amp;itok=nyQgVgHe 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-10/Abidur%20Rahman%20Photo-crop.jpg?h=736902bc&amp;itok=kf_F4pPn 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-10/Abidur%20Rahman%20Photo-crop.jpg?h=736902bc&amp;itok=5ey8GSaE 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-10/Abidur%20Rahman%20Photo-crop.jpg?h=736902bc&amp;itok=nyQgVgHe" alt="ABidur Rahman in ITaly"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-10-31T11:53:05-04:00" title="Thursday, October 31, 2024 - 11:53" class="datetime">Thu, 10/31/2024 - 11:53</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Abidur Rahman visiting Pragser Wildsee Lake in Italy where, as an undergraduate, he completed an internship at the&nbsp;International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology&nbsp;(supplied image)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/david-goldberg" hreflang="en">David Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/convocation-2024" hreflang="en">Convocation 2024</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molecular-genetics" hreflang="en">Molecular Genetics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/trinity-college" hreflang="en">Trinity College</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Abidur Rahman, who earned an honours bachelor of science in molecular genetics, says it's important to stay focused on your own journey</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Abidur Rahman,</strong> a recent honours graduate in molecular genetics at the University of Toronto, has already made impressive strides.</p> <p>He earned a prestigious fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Germany, interned at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Italy, collaborated with biotech startups and mentored several students 鈥 all while volunteering as a community advisor at Trinity College.</p> <p>Rahman credits his success to the boundless opportunities offered by 茄子直播鈥檚 Faculty of Arts &amp; Science. 鈥淭he amount of research opportunities, internships and collaborations you have access to is unparalleled,鈥 says Rahman, who also found time to volunteer as a community advisor at Trinity College.</p> <p>鈥淵ou don鈥檛 get the same magnitude of possibilities at other universities.鈥</p> <p>Now pursuing a master of science in genetic counselling at 茄子直播, Rahman reflected on his 茄子直播 journey thus far and shared some of his insights and tips for current and future students:</p> <hr> <p><strong>What drew you to molecular genetics?</strong></p> <p>When I came to 茄子直播, I was planning to major in neuroscience and psychology. It wasn鈥檛 until my second year when I took a course with&nbsp;<strong>Naomi Levy-Strumpf,&nbsp;</strong>an assistant professor, teaching stream in the human biology program,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>that I became fascinated with the complexity of genetics and how it can be used to tell the stories of entire generations.</p> <p><strong>What motivated you to volunteer with Trinity College?</strong></p> <p>My family moved from Bangladesh when I was a teenager, and being a first-generation immigrant, I felt lost when I started university. That鈥檚 why I wanted to give back. As a community advisor, I connected students with resources and clubs, like the Trinity College Multicultural Society, and created social programming that addressed mental health.</p> <p>茄子直播 has so many opportunities; it can also be like a maze. My goal was to help students find their way, just like my mentors helped me.</p> <p><strong>Can you tell us about your research fellowship at the Max Planck Institute?</strong></p> <p>I spent this past summer in G枚ttingen, Germany, working on bio-engineered heart muscle cells. My project focused on observing them in low-oxygen conditions, simulating what happens during a stroke. This research has the potential for real-world applications, like developing treatments for heart disease. The work makes you feel as though you鈥檙e on the cusp of something that could help thousands of patients, and that鈥檚 what excited me the most.</p> <p><strong>What are your plans after graduation?</strong></p> <p>I鈥檓 currently pursuing my&nbsp;master of science in genetic counselling, which is a clinical and professional program focusing on patient counselling and calculating genetic risks. My research project will examine how racialized families perceive the clinical utility of genetic testing. Most studies are based on individuals of European ancestry and that affects how well genetic testing works for people from other backgrounds.</p> <p>I鈥檓 still exploring my future career path, but I can envision myself working in healthcare. During my undergraduate studies, I also had the opportunity to collaborate with several biotech startups, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Additionally, Toronto offers a wealth of opportunities in both fields, making it an exciting place to build a career.</p> <p><strong>What advice would you give to your first-year self?</strong></p> <p>Don鈥檛 be in a rush to figure everything out. In my first semester, I was so focused on the future, but university isn鈥檛 just an academic endeavor, it鈥檚 also about personal growth and professional development. Take the time to enjoy your courses and build relationships with your professors.</p> <p>My other critical piece of advice is to never compare yourself to others because, as the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy. I remember feeling behind because I was still relatively new to Canada, and I didn鈥檛 have the same high school experience as some of my peers. Stay focused on your journey and don鈥檛 stress about what other people are doing.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:53:05 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 310216 at Reel impact: How a 茄子直播 alum brought free films to Toronto parks each summer /news/reel-impact-how-u-t-alum-brought-free-films-toronto-parks-each-summer <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Reel impact: How a 茄子直播 alum brought free films to Toronto parks each summer</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-08/tops-inside-photo-1-crop.jpg?h=97ec4ec4&amp;itok=butvVQtk 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-08/tops-inside-photo-1-crop.jpg?h=97ec4ec4&amp;itok=pI363uGF 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-08/tops-inside-photo-1-crop.jpg?h=97ec4ec4&amp;itok=sPtKZET5 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-08/tops-inside-photo-1-crop.jpg?h=97ec4ec4&amp;itok=butvVQtk" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-08-16T10:54:03-04:00" title="Friday, August 16, 2024 - 10:54" class="datetime">Fri, 08/16/2024 - 10:54</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>茄子直播 alumna and TOPS founder Emily Reid, right, poses with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow during a TOPS screening this summer (photo by Rebecca Tisdelle-Macias)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/david-goldberg" hreflang="en">David Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cinema-studies" hreflang="en">Cinema Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/film" hreflang="en">Film</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innis-college" hreflang="en">Innis College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-michael-s-college" hreflang="en">St. Michael's College</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">'There are times when I get caught up in the planning and the numbers of it all 鈥 but that goes away at showtime. When I look out and see such an impressive crowd, it's very touching and I feel enormously proud of it'</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>For more than a decade, the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show (TOPS) has been a staple of the city's summer scene. Whether it鈥檚 a cultural touchstone film or something more obscure, the screenings bring thousands of people together.</p> <p>And it鈥檚 all thanks to University of Toronto alumna <strong>Emily Reid</strong>.</p> <p>鈥淭OPS exists at the intersection of community, culture, cinema, public spaces, accessibility and affordability, providing programming that is available to everyone regardless of financial means,鈥 says Reid, who is the artistic and executive director of TOPS.</p> <p>The venture began humbly in 2011, just a few months after Reid earned her master of arts degree from the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science鈥檚&nbsp;Cinema Studies Institute.</p> <p>The first screening billed as, 鈥淢ovies in Christie Pits鈥, was a small, potentially one-off event, but Reid was determined to tap into something the city craved.</p> <p>鈥淚 think there is such a strong desire for gathering and fostering cultural experiences together,鈥 she says.</p> <p>Within a few years, however, the park was packed every Sunday night 鈥&nbsp;so Reid added more shows at more locations. After rebranding as&nbsp;Toronto Outdoor Picture Show and registering as a not-for-profit, Reid started running TOPS on a full-time basis.</p> <p>鈥淚 didn't expect it to pay much, and I was right about that. It took quite a long time to take a salary,鈥 says Reid. 鈥淎nd there are times when I get caught up in the planning and the numbers of it all 鈥 but that goes away at showtime. When I look out and see such an impressive crowd, it's very touching and I feel enormously proud of it.鈥</p> <p>TOPS registered as a charity in 2020, which helped secure new government grants and sponsorship opportunities. This growth made it possible for Reid to hire more full-time staff and purchase better AV equipment to make the organization nimbler and more autonomous.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-08/tops-inside-photo-2-crop.jpg?itok=eO5jRKzh" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Thousands of people flock to Toronto parks every summer to catch Toronto Outdoor Picture Show (photo courtesy of TOPS)</em></figcaption> </figure> <h4>Lights, camera, education</h4> <p>Growing up in the 1990s in small-town Quebec, the only movies Reid could watch were the ones she rented from the local video store. Her favourites included&nbsp;<em>A League of Their Own</em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Strictly Ballroom</em>.</p> <p>Reid was infatuated with film but realized she wasn鈥檛 a born filmmaker. Her true calling was in film curation and supporting other people鈥檚 artistic goals. She knew 茄子直播 could open the right doors and give her the experience she needed to make an impact.</p> <p>鈥淭oronto always sounded like a mythical place to be,鈥 says Reid. 鈥淚 knew its reputation as a city of cinephiles and a city of festivals; I鈥檇 never been to the Toronto International Film Festival.鈥</p> <p>For the practicum requirement of Reid鈥檚 master鈥檚 degree, she worked at Toronto鈥檚 historic <a href="https://revuecinema.ca">Revue Cinema</a>, where she pitched and curated her first film series. She also learned the ins and outs of film sourcing, marketing and event production 鈥&nbsp;all essential skills for her future startup.</p> <p>茄子直播 played a pivotal role in expanding Reid鈥檚 industry network. She formed close bonds with the 13 people in her cinema studies cohort, some of whom later became her collaborators at TOPS.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Felan Parker</strong>, associate professor, teaching stream, in the&nbsp;Book &amp; Media Studies program&nbsp;at St. Michael's College, is a TOPS co-founder who has served several terms on the board of directors and regularly contributes to festival programming.</p> <p>鈥淓mily is the driving force behind TOPS, having taken it from humble beginnings to what is easily the biggest and best outdoor movie event in the city,鈥 says Parker. 鈥淪he is probably the most fastidious person I know, and community-oriented public arts is her passion and vocation.鈥</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-08/tops-cover-photo-crop.jpg?itok=q2sUZa2-" width="750" height="500" alt="A large group of people gather to watch a movie screen at Christie Pits at dusk" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption>There鈥檚 a strong connection between 茄子直播 and TOPS, which draws more than 30,000 movie-goers each year&nbsp;<em>(photo courtesy of TOPS)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Parker and Reid have teamed up to build strong ties between 茄子直播 and TOPS. The organization has hosted numerous for-credit undergrad interns.</p> <p><strong>Isabella Brown</strong>, for example, is a 茄子直播 graduate who joined TOPS as an intern and is now the organization's program administrator.</p> <p>Despite TOPS鈥 success, Reid is tasked with overcoming existential threats year in and year out, citing underfunding of the arts. She says government grants are shrinking while inflation is rising.</p> <p>鈥淲e lost all our sponsorship funding in the first week of the pandemic. And most of that has never returned, even though our festival is so much bigger, so much more successful than it was in 2019,鈥 says Reid.</p> <p>But Reid is hopeful that TOPS will continue hosting outdoor film screenings for many years to come. She knows the value it brings to the city she now calls home.</p> <p>鈥淲hen we hear that some arts entity is calling it quits, that doesn't mean something else won't come in its place. But it takes at least a decade to create something impactful. And we don鈥檛 live in a time where there are many resources available to create new things,鈥 she says, adding that TOPS is grateful to the patrons who keep the festival running summer after summer.</p> <p>鈥淲e need to preserve what we love and what we value as the cultural fabric of this city.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 16 Aug 2024 14:54:03 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 309021 at 茄子直播 grads aim to electrify - and simplify - the package delivery business /news/u-t-grads-aim-electrify-and-simplify-package-delivery-business <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播 grads aim to electrify - and simplify - the package delivery business</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/mark-ang-gobolt-social-crop.jpg?h=afb0b43a&amp;itok=35hogHJC 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-03/mark-ang-gobolt-social-crop.jpg?h=afb0b43a&amp;itok=ruYmY2Bi 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-03/mark-ang-gobolt-social-crop.jpg?h=afb0b43a&amp;itok=ytFqpol_ 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-03/mark-ang-gobolt-social-crop.jpg?h=afb0b43a&amp;itok=35hogHJC" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-03-20T13:33:25-04:00" title="Wednesday, March 20, 2024 - 13:33" class="datetime">Wed, 03/20/2024 - 13:33</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>GoBolt co-founder Mark Ang, who graduated from Rotman Commerce in 2017, says he and co-founder&nbsp;Heindrik Bernabe, an alum of 茄子直播 Engineering, 鈥</em>wanted to be change-makers in an antiquated industry鈥<em>&nbsp;(photo by Kemeisha McDonald)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/david-goldberg" hreflang="en">David Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/electric-cars" hreflang="en">Electric Cars</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-commerce" hreflang="en">Rotman Commerce</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainabilty" hreflang="en">Sustainabilty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/trinity-college" hreflang="en">Trinity College</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">GoBolt got its start as a storage solution for students living in residence, but co-founders Mark Ang and Heindrik Bernabe switched gears after deciding they wanted to have a positive impact on the planet</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>What started as a side hustle for University of Toronto graduate<strong> Mark Ang</strong> has since evolved into a multi-million-dollar third-party logistics company 鈥 one that aims to have a positive impact on the planet by using electric vehicles for package deliveries.</p> <p>Ang鈥檚 startup <a href="https://gobolt.com" target="_blank">GoBolt</a> has raised more than US$160 million from investors to support expansion of its fulfillment, last-mile delivery and returns management services to major urban areas across Canada and the United States.</p> <p>It鈥檚 also using the funding&nbsp;to increase the percentage of electric vehicles (EVs) it has on the road.</p> <p>鈥淚 always tell the team, 鈥榃e need to be fiercely competitive to win enough volume to have an environmental impact,鈥欌 says Ang, who earned his bachelor of commerce degree from 茄子直播 in 2017 as a member of&nbsp;Trinity College.</p> <p>GoBolt estimates that its approach currently prevents 20 tonnes of CO2 emissions each month, a number that increases as it adds more EVs to its fleet. The company also invests in tree planting and other restorative projects to sequester the emissions GoBolt does produce, with the goal of being carbon neutral by the end of 2023.</p> <p>鈥淲hat we do today is a great start, and it is a beacon for people, but it's not nearly enough to make a difference globally,鈥 says Ang. 鈥淲e're fiercely competitive in making this business a multi-billion-dollar global enterprise 鈥&nbsp;and then we can start to effect real change.鈥</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-03/Mark-cover-shot-crop.jpg?itok=1ee_g4fJ" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>GoBolt Co-Founders Mark Ang and Heindrik Bernabe with one of their electric delivery vehicles&nbsp;(photo by Kemeisha McDonald)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The story of GoBolt began when Ang was a 茄子直播 undergraduate student in&nbsp;Rotman Commerce. He founded Second Closet, a storage service aimed at international students who needed to clear out their dorm rooms for the summer. Ang鈥檚 team rented trucks and scurried around campus to collect hundreds of boxes and random items. It was a lot of driving, a lot of parking tickets and a lot of stairs.</p> <p>By offering a convenient service for a fraction of its competitors鈥 prices and an effective, flyer-based direct marketing campaign, the venture soon experienced rapid growth. Within two weeks, Second Closet was making $20,000 a month 鈥&nbsp;pushing its resources to the limit.</p> <p>鈥淓very year got progressively crazier,鈥 says Ang. 鈥淲e had a dozen five-tonne trucks around 茄子直播 every day in April and September. We would do thousands of pickups. It was just bananas.鈥</p> <p>They needed help and they needed it fast.</p> <p>Enter <strong>Michael Hyatt</strong> of the&nbsp;<a href="https://creativedestructionlab.com" target="_blank">Creative Destruction Lab</a>, a seed-stage accelerator that was founded at the Rotman School of Management.</p> <p>The angel investor raised US$500,000 for Second Closet in a single day.</p> <p>鈥淚n the realm of exceptional founders, Mark stands out as an evangelist who possesses the acumen to drive the business forward,鈥 says Hyatt, entrepreneur and CDL founding partner who sits on GoBolt鈥檚 board of directors.</p> <p>鈥淢ark's intelligence and adeptness at building relationships were readily apparent. His ability to hustle and propel the business forward was instrumental in leveraging the connections within CDL.鈥</p> <p>Hyatt also connected Ang with 茄子直播 engineering student <strong>Heindrik Bernabe</strong>, who went on to become a GoBolt programmer, co-founder and CTO.</p> <p>The business thrived but Ang and Bernabe still weren't satisfied.</p> <p>鈥淚 didn't want our legacy to be that we help people hoard their stuff more efficiently,鈥 says Ang.</p> <p>Ang and Bernabe wanted to make a difference in the world, and so, with their fleet of trucks from Second Closet, they pivoted to logistics and shipping with GoBolt. At the time, using EVs commercially was a novel idea, but the newly formed GoBolt already had relationships with EV makers in Ontario and Quebec, as well as goods producers who cared about the fate of freight and addressing climate change.</p> <p>鈥淲e wanted to be a 21st-century business for 21st-century brands, shoppers and merchants,鈥 says Ang, whose clients include Endy mattresses and Frank And Oak apparel.</p> <p>鈥淲e wanted to be change-makers in an antiquated industry.鈥</p> <p>GoBolt鈥檚 made-in-Canada electric delivery vehicles can travel up to 400 kilometres on a single charge, depending on the payload and the EV battery鈥檚 natural enemy 鈥 freezing weather. But range is just a minor speed bump as technology improves and GoBolt adds service hubs and charging stations on its busiest routes.</p> <p>鈥淲e're excited about what we're doing,鈥 says Ang. 鈥淲e don't feel super altruistic about it 鈥 we just know it's the right thing to do.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">On</div> </div> Wed, 20 Mar 2024 17:33:25 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 306773 at Finding ChatGPT: 茄子直播 grad's startup helps detect AI's fingerprints /news/finding-chatgpt-how-u-t-alum-s-startup-helps-detect-ai-s-fingerprints <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Finding ChatGPT: 茄子直播 grad's startup helps detect AI's fingerprints</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-10/Alex-Cui-Main-Photo-crop.jpg?h=8ab0b107&amp;itok=OGI_7tdy 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-10/Alex-Cui-Main-Photo-crop.jpg?h=8ab0b107&amp;itok=XUzFc0N6 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-10/Alex-Cui-Main-Photo-crop.jpg?h=8ab0b107&amp;itok=mkp_p3Ri 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-10/Alex-Cui-Main-Photo-crop.jpg?h=8ab0b107&amp;itok=OGI_7tdy" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-10-18T15:59:50-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 18, 2023 - 15:59" class="datetime">Wed, 10/18/2023 - 15:59</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Alex Cui co-founded GPTZero just a few months before finishing his master鈥檚 degree in 茄子直播鈥檚 Faculty of Arts &amp; Science (photo by Kemeisha McDonald)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/david-goldberg" hreflang="en">David Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/creative-destruction-lab" hreflang="en">Creative Destruction Lab</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/vector-institute" hreflang="en">Vector Institute</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Co-founded by Alex Cui last year, GPTZero has already raised US$3.5 million</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>With the ink barely dry on his master鈥檚 degree from the University of Toronto,&nbsp;<strong>Alex Cui</strong>&nbsp;is tackling a towering issue spawned by the recent revolution in artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT: How to tell if written content is generated by person or machine?</p> <p>Enter Cui鈥檚 startup&nbsp;GPTZero. It analyzes patterns in writing, using sentence length and syntax to identify the likelihood text was generated by AI.</p> <p>鈥淕PTZero has a lot of imagination and potential in a future where AI is everywhere and it鈥檚 rampant,鈥 says Cui, who studied computer science as a master鈥檚 student in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and graduated in June.</p> <p>"We haven't even really cracked the surface of what we could do.鈥</p> <p>Cui co-founded GPTZero with Edward Tian last January&nbsp;鈥 just a few weeks after ChatGPT went public and triggered a torrent of questions about academic integrity and authenticity 鈥 and has already drawn the attention of Silicon Valley investors, raising more than US$3.5-million to date.</p> <p>As institutions around the world grapple with the impact of generative AI, <a href="https://www.viceprovostundergrad.utoronto.ca/strategic-priorities/digital-learning/special-initiative-artificial-intelligence/">茄子直播 has advised faculty to be clear with students about whether AI is permitted in their classrooms</a> and actively discourages the use of all AI detectors, many of which are still in development, in favour of traditional methods of assessing students鈥 work.</p> <h3><a href="/news/chatgpt-101-risks-and-rewards-generative-ai-classroom">Read a Q-and-A with Susan McCahan on 茄子直播鈥檚 approach to AI in the classroom</a></h3> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-10/alex-cui-edward-tian-inside.jpg" width="500" height="350" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Alex Cui launched GPTZero with Princeton University grad Edward Tian in January 2023 (supplied image)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Cui鈥檚 fascination with AI began at University of Toronto Schools 鈥 an independent secondary school affiliated with 茄子直播 that Tian also attended before going to Princeton University 鈥 and at 茄子直播鈥檚 Faculty of&nbsp; Applied Science &amp; Engineering鈥檚 renowned&nbsp;<a href="https://outreach.engineering.utoronto.ca/pre-university-programs/high-school-program/deep/">DEEP Summer Academy</a>. His early affiliation with the university gave him regular access to lectures by 茄子直播 faculty, who, even a decade ago, urged Cui and his classmates to learn AI skills as soon as possible.</p> <p>After high school, Cui earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree from the California Institute of Technology, but kept his Toronto connections. As an undergrad, he interned with one of the world鈥檚 leading experts on self-driving cars, 茄子直播鈥檚&nbsp;<strong>Raquel Urtasun</strong>, professor in the department of computer science and co-founder of the&nbsp;<a href="https://vectorinstitute.ai/">Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence.</a></p> <p>When Cui returned to 茄子直播, Urtasun supervised his master鈥檚 thesis, which included writing code for <a href="/news/road-ahead-raquel-urtasun-s-startup-unleash-full-power-ai-self-driving-cars">the&nbsp;Waabi&nbsp;self-driving truck</a>.</p> <p>鈥溓炎又辈 is one of the world leaders in machine learning,鈥 says Cui. 鈥淭here's no other ecosystem in the industry that combines AI innovation, commercialization and research partnerships.鈥</p> <p>As GPTZero鈥檚 chief technology officer, Cui is overseeing fresh innovations, including plugins for Microsoft and Google products that help users detect AI text in any document or on any website.</p> <p>Cui sees GPTZero offering immense value for several sectors, including publishing. He says the volume of author submissions is growing exponentially, especially with AI-driven content. Software like his could help editors determine what鈥檚 been written authentically, and how to take the writing to the next level.</p> <p>Cui continues to be supported by 茄子直播 and its partners. GPTZero recently started consulting with the&nbsp;<a href="https://creativedestructionlab.com/">Creative Destruction Lab</a>&nbsp;at the&nbsp;Rotman School of Management and is also a member of the Vector Institute鈥檚&nbsp;<a href="https://vectorinstitute.ai/programs/ai-startup-and-scale-up-program/">FastLane&nbsp;program</a>, which advances AI adoption for Canadian startups and scaleups.</p> <p>"Alex is an exceptional and experienced researcher and builder. His accomplishments speak for themselves. He is humble, knowledgeable and great to work with,鈥 says Vector鈥檚 Junid Ebadi, the FastLane program鈥檚 business analyst.</p> <p>"GPTZero is a fast-growing, well-resourced and driven company. They have been great partners for us, and we are happy to support them in their journey.鈥</p> <p>Cui hopes his story will ease the stress of aspiring startup founders.</p> <p>鈥淚t's not as scary as you think,鈥 he says. 鈥淓specially in AI right now, a lot of people want to make bets on promising ideas, and I think if you are a talented individual solving a pressing issue, there's a good chance you can get some investors to fund your ideas.鈥</p> <p>Despite <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-gptzero-startup-founder-building-leading-text-detector-2023-7" target="_blank">the attention from media</a> and investors, Cui is staying humble and focused on remaining a leader in AI detection.</p> <p>鈥淲e have people who are betting on us, but I wouldn't say we're proven yet. To build a sustainable business, you can't just be a flash in the pan. We're still very much in the mindset that we are priming ourselves to go up against some stiff competition. We鈥檙e not going to take any liberties.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 18 Oct 2023 19:59:50 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 303786 at 'I love blowing people鈥檚 minds': Alum helps communicate space discoveries to the world /news/i-love-blowing-people-s-minds-alum-helps-communicate-space-discoveries-world <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">'I love blowing people鈥檚 minds': Alum helps communicate space discoveries to the world</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-08/kelly-with-dish-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=hM8VsVte 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-08/kelly-with-dish-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=9K0LqoME 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-08/kelly-with-dish-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=js_yTokr 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-08/kelly-with-dish-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=hM8VsVte" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-08-17T12:38:28-04:00" title="Thursday, August 17, 2023 - 12:38" class="datetime">Thu, 08/17/2023 - 12:38</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Kelly Lepo stands in front of a radio dish at the Very Large Array (VLA) at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico (photo courtesy of Kelly Lepo)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/david-goldberg" hreflang="en">David Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/dunlap-institute-astronomy-astrophysics" hreflang="en">Dunlap Institute for Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Kelly Lepo is an education and outreach scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Kelly Lepo</strong>&nbsp;likes to joke that she鈥檚 a real-life Lisa Simpson. Like the famous cartoon character known for her intellect and activism, the alumna of&nbsp;the University of Toronto鈥檚 Faculty of Arts &amp; Science is a self-proclaimed 鈥渘erd鈥 who will share her love of science with anyone who will listen.</p> <p>鈥淚 love blowing people鈥檚 minds,鈥 says Lepo, who earned her PhD from the David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics&nbsp;in 2015 and is now an education and outreach scientist at the <a href="https://www.stsci.edu/home" target="_blank">Space Telescope Science Institute</a> in Baltimore, Md.</p> <p>Lepo supports the <a href="https://webb.nasa.gov/" target="_blank">James Webb Space Telescope</a> by communicating the observatory鈥檚 discoveries to the world. She works at the same institute that oversees the famous spacecraft鈥檚 systems, schedules telescope time for scientists and records data.</p> <p>Lepo says 茄子直播 was the perfect place to hone her public outreach skills as a TA and receive media exposure as a trusted expert in Canada鈥檚 largest astronomy department. She also learned how to educate large audiences and communicate complex theories about the universe.</p> <p>鈥淚t鈥檚 an extraordinary experience learning from some of the top astronomers in a prestigious, yet nurturing environment,鈥 says Lepo. 鈥淚 remember the first time I landed in Toronto and it all sunk in that I was at one of the top universities in the world.鈥</p> <p>During her PhD research, Lepo investigated stars that will explode as one type of supernovae to determine whether they were caused by two white dwarf stars colliding, or one star transferring its mass to another. She directed telescope operators in Chile and Australia to gather data from thousands of stars in the Small Megellanic Cloud, a tiny galaxy orbiting the Milky Way. In the end, she couldn鈥檛 find proof of supernovae caused by mass transfer, but her work was an important contribution to research in the field.</p> <p>鈥淚n other studies, astronomers have used these supernovae to figure out the expansion history of the universe. They discovered our universe is not only expanding, but also accelerating in this expansion,鈥 Lepo says. 鈥淓ventually, all galaxies are going to be so far away from each other that we're all going to be living in island universes.鈥</p> <p>Her PhD adviser, Professor&nbsp;<strong>Marten van Kerkwijk</strong>, says Lepo was an efficient and driven astronomer.</p> <p>鈥淪he has ample reason to be proud of her research,鈥 says van Kerkwijk. 鈥淎nd I always appreciated the work she did while completing her PhD.鈥</p> <p>In 2013, Lepo was a key organizer of the first ever West African International Summer School for Young Astronomers, a program partly sponsored by <a href="https://www.cita.utoronto.ca/">the&nbsp;Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics</a>&nbsp;(CITA).</p> <p>Lepo also cultivated her reputation as a trusted astronomy voice amid media coverage of the ancient Mayans' doomsday prophecy of 2012. Lepo debunked myths about killer solar flares and mysterious runaway planets on a collision course with Earth.</p> <p>The experience complemented her TA duties in an Arts &amp; Science class on the apocalypse, which took an interdisciplinary approach.</p> <p>鈥淲e had someone from astronomy, someone from English and someone from sociology collaboratively teaching the course,鈥 says Lepo. 鈥淭hat was really interesting to see how you could approach the same topic across several subjects.鈥</p> <p>For her achievements inside and outside the classroom, Lepo won the Fieldus Award in 2014, given to one graduate student each year for excellence in leadership, teaching and research.</p> <p>After graduation, Lepo taught physics at Gonzaga University before becoming the first co-ordinator of the McGill Space Institute at McGill University.</p> <p>But she always ties her passion for public outreach back to 茄子直播.</p> <p>鈥淥ne of my favourite memories is being in the middle of the St. George campus with a big inflatable sun and trying to get people to look at the sun safely through some solar telescopes; we must have come off as some kind of sun cult,鈥 Lepo recalls.</p> <p>鈥淲e explained to one person that the sun was much larger than the moon and they honestly had no idea, and this completely blew their mind. Those were the moments I really loved.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 17 Aug 2023 16:38:28 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 302675 at 茄子直播 alum helps prepare Canadarm3 for lunar orbit /news/u-t-alum-helps-prepare-canadarm3-lunar-orbit <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播 alum helps prepare Canadarm3 for lunar orbit</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-08/Canadarm3--Canada%27s-smart-robotic-system-for-the-Lunar-Gateway-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=r-de6UBG 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-08/Canadarm3--Canada%27s-smart-robotic-system-for-the-Lunar-Gateway-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7x4lFHeV 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-08/Canadarm3--Canada%27s-smart-robotic-system-for-the-Lunar-Gateway-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=eQaKc8El 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-08/Canadarm3--Canada%27s-smart-robotic-system-for-the-Lunar-Gateway-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=r-de6UBG" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>siddiq22</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-08-14T10:59:08-04:00" title="Monday, August 14, 2023 - 10:59" class="datetime">Mon, 08/14/2023 - 10:59</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>An artist's rendering of Canadarm3 on the Lunar Gateway (photo by CSA, NASA)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/david-goldberg" hreflang="en">David Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canadian-institute-theoretical-astrophysics" hreflang="en">Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/dunlap-institute-astronomy-astrophysics" hreflang="en">Dunlap Institute for Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/space" hreflang="en">Space</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/stem" hreflang="en">STEM</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Jamil Shariff, a PhD graduate in astrophysics, was inspired by science fiction to explore space and the future of humanity </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Since watching <em>Star Trek</em> as a young boy in his parents鈥 living room, University of Toronto alumnus <a href="https://www.cita.utoronto.ca/~jshariff/index.html"><strong>Jamil Shariff</strong></a> has dreamed of exploring strange new worlds&nbsp;鈥 and boldly going where no one has gone before.</p> <p>"Science fiction definitely sparked my interest in what the future of humanity would look like, the exploration of space and the development of amazing new technologies,鈥 says Shariff, who earned his PhD in astrophysics in 2015.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-08/jamil_headshot-crop.jpg" width="250" height="313" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Jamil Shariff (supplied image)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Formerly a postdoctoral fellow at 茄子直播's <a href="https://www.cita.utoronto.ca/">Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics</a>, Shariff is now engineering technology for one of the most ambitious projects in the history of crewed space exploration.</p> <p>A senior leader in systems design <a href="https://mda.space/en/">at MDA</a> (the Canadian company famous for building the robotic Canadarm on NASA鈥檚 space shuttle and Canadarm2 aboard the International Space Station), Shariff has been working on Canadarm3, the latest iteration of the iconic space hardware.</p> <p>The new robotic arm is for <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/gateway">Lunar Gateway</a>, a space station planned for lunar orbit by the end of the 2020s. It will serve as a research outpost and cosmic pit stop for future missions to the surfaces of the moon, Mars and beyond.</p> <p>MDA recruited Shariff several years ago, impressed by his PhD research under Professor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.astro.utoronto.ca/people/faculty/name/barth-netterfield/"><strong>Barth Netterfield</strong></a>&nbsp;at the&nbsp;David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science. Netterfield is one of the world鈥檚 foremost experts in developing systems for high-altitude balloon-borne telescopes.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-08/Jamil_startrek-crop.jpg" width="300" height="263" alt="Jamil Shariff watching Star Trek as a young boy"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Watching Star Trek as a kid sparked Shariff's interest in space and astrophysics</em><em>&nbsp;(supplied image)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>鈥淚 wouldn't be where I am now if it weren't for professors like Netterfield,鈥 Shariff says. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a mentor, and it really matters to him if the people in his lab succeed.鈥</p> <p>Part of an international team of researchers, Shariff and Netterfield designed, built, installed and operated two balloon-borne telescopes and analyzed their data. <a href="http://blastexperiment.info/">One of the projects, BLASTPol</a>, examined the role played by magnetic fields in star formation. <a href="http://spider.princeton.edu/">The other, Spider</a>, was focused on understanding what happened in the very first moments after the Big Bang.</p> <p>鈥淭he fact that I helped work on instrumentation that detected those microwave photons&nbsp;鈥 which are like our baby picture of the universe, the oldest signal we can ever detect&nbsp;鈥 that still amazes me,鈥 Shariff says. 鈥淚t's stayed with me all this time.鈥</p> <p>During his PhD, Shariff spent several months&nbsp;working along other scientists at Antarctica鈥檚 <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/support/mcmurdo.jsp">McMurdo Station</a>, maintaining and flying Spider in the skies over one of Earth鈥檚 most desolate locations. The experience&nbsp;鈥 and learning how to explain his work to a wider audience 鈥 prepared Shariff for life after 茄子直播.</p> <p>鈥淚t's important to be able to tell your story&nbsp;鈥 especially if you have a PhD in something like astrophysics&nbsp;鈥 because a recruiter may not exactly understand what you do,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hat really helped me.鈥</p> <p>Nearly a decade after graduating, Shariff remains a champion of astrophysics research and 茄子直播's team of experts.</p> <p>鈥淵ou鈥檝e got some of the best theorists in the world coming to us," Shariff says. 鈥淵ou have theory, observation and experimentation all happening at 茄子直播. I think that should be a compelling case for donors who are passionate about furthering our understanding of the universe."</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 14 Aug 2023 14:59:08 +0000 siddiq22 302610 at Curator focuses on personal objects and stories to share Holocaust survivors' experiences /news/u-of-t-alumna-curator-shares-holocaust-survivors-experiences <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Curator focuses on personal objects and stories to share Holocaust survivors' experiences</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-07/Sara-Jane-Vigneault-Headshot-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8V8g1efS 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-07/Sara-Jane-Vigneault-Headshot-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=CvKoUpne 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-07/Sara-Jane-Vigneault-Headshot-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Arpn2mlU 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-07/Sara-Jane-Vigneault-Headshot-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8V8g1efS" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>siddiq22</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-07-10T16:00:35-04:00" title="Monday, July 10, 2023 - 16:00" class="datetime">Mon, 07/10/2023 - 16:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Sara-Jane Vigneault graduated from the University of Toronto in 2021 with a master's degree in history (supplied image)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/david-goldberg" hreflang="en">David Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/anne-tanenbaum-centre-jewish-studies" hreflang="en">Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/history" hreflang="en">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">For 茄子直播 alumna Sara-Jane Vigneault, museums can play a crucial role in the battle against misinformation</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A teddy bear belonging to Holocaust survivor Marianne Constantine is one of the many donated objects University of Toronto alum<a href="https://twitter.com/JaneVigneault"><strong> Sara-Jane Vigneault</strong></a> has handled as a curator at the Montreal Holocaust Museum since earning her master鈥檚 degree in history through the&nbsp;<a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/ceres/news/ceres-alumna-sara-jane-vigneault-talks-about-her-experience-university-toronto">Centre for European, Russian &amp; Eurasian Studies</a>&nbsp;(CERES) at the <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://sgs.calendar.utoronto.ca/collaborative/Jewish-Studies">collaborative graduate program in Jewish studies</a>.</p> <p>鈥淲hat I appreciate most about this job is meeting survivors and families and working with them to tell their stories,鈥 says Vigneault, who graduated in 2021. 鈥淚鈥檒l never take this for granted, because it鈥檚 a privilege to be there for them.鈥</p> <p>Vigneault notes that museums can play a crucial role in the battle against misinformation, whitewashing and conspiracy theories. A recent survey found that nearly a third of North American teens think the Holocaust is an exaggerated or fabricated event.</p> <p>鈥淲e need to continue creating spaces to analyze the personal experiences of communities targeted during the Holocaust. I also believe it is necessary to offer dialogue with other genocides and conflicts,鈥 Vigneault says.</p> <p>These are important times of growth for Holocaust museums in Canada, with expansion of the&nbsp;<a href="https://museeholocauste.ca/en/">Montreal Holocaust Museum</a>&nbsp;and recent opening of the new&nbsp;<a href="https://torontoholocaustmuseum.org/">Toronto Holocaust Museum</a>, whose chief curator, <strong>Rachel Libman</strong>, is also an alum of 茄子直播's Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and has collaborated closely with Vigneault.</p> <p>Although not Jewish, Vigneault was particularly attentive to questions about the Holocaust and its legacies while pursuing her coursework in the faculty's <a href="https://www.jewishstudies.utoronto.ca/">Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies</a>&nbsp;and CERES.</p> <p>Her master鈥檚 project focused on Ir猫ne N茅mirovsky, author of&nbsp;<em>Suite Fran莽aise,&nbsp;</em>and&nbsp;N茅mirovsky's daughters鈥 experiences of the war through their writings. Vigneault鈥檚 thesis,&nbsp;<em>Filling and Bridging the Gaps: Two Daughters鈥 Paths to Retrieve, Uncover and Recollect their Mother from Beyond Obliteration</em>&nbsp;considers 脡lisabeth Gille鈥檚 and Denise Epstein-Daupl茅鈥檚 coping processes as they pieced together the memories of a mother that Vichy France seized from them.</p> <p>Vigneault&nbsp;considers literature as a site of continuity between N茅mirovsky&nbsp;鈥 who was arrested as a stateless Jew and killed in Auschwitz&nbsp;鈥 and her daughters.</p> <p>鈥淚 wanted to see how literature enabled them to reconnect and work through traumatic experiences,鈥 says Vigneault, who contacted N茅mirovsky鈥檚 grandson as part of her research. She interviewed him and obtained permission to access crucial archives.</p> <p>鈥淪ara-Jane frames the narrative theoretically and analytically yet always keeps sight of N茅mirovsky and her daughters as people&nbsp;鈥 individual women with personalities, feelings, fears and needs. It is not easy to write history in this way,鈥 says Vigneault's thesis supervisor <a href="https://www.history.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/doris-bergen"><strong>Doris Bergen</strong></a>, the Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Professor of Holocaust Studies in 茄子直播's department of history.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-07/living-memorial-inside-crop.jpg" width="300" height="400" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Vigneault's research took her to Hungary's Living Memorial, where she explored the politics of memory and interviewed Holocaust survivors, scholars and activists (supplied image)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>鈥淪he tackled enormous questions about the nature of historical research, the limits and possibilities of the archives and the responsibility of a scholar to the people&nbsp;鈥 living and dead 鈥 who are our sources and our subjects.鈥</p> <p>Experiential learning also bolstered Vigneault鈥檚 茄子直播 experience, including a research trip to Budapest, Hungary, where she worked on the politics of memory. There she interviewed scholars, survivors and activists about the Living Memorial, a counter-memorial created in response to the Hungarian government鈥檚 refusal to acknowledge the country鈥檚 role in the Holocaust.</p> <p>Vigneault is currently pursuing her PhD in history at the University of Cambridge. She works on intimate contacts between French colonial soldiers and European women during the First and Second World Wars and investigates how French authorities tried to control racialized soldiers鈥 proximity to white women and maintain colonial borders.</p> <p>For Vigneault, her work as a researcher and at the museum serves to bring forward the stories of marginalized groups and encourages people to reflect on their individual and collective roles and learn from history.</p> <p>At the Montreal Holocaust Museum, Vigneault pursues that work alongside Jewish survivors like Marianne Constantine, who survived the Holocaust in Hungary with her mother and grandmother, only to be separated from them after the war. She reunited with her parents in Canada in 1952.</p> <p>As a child, Constantine鈥檚 one constant was the teddy bear she kept throughout the ordeal&nbsp;鈥 the same teddy bear she entrusted to Vigneault and the museum more than 75 years later.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-add-new-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Add new story tags</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/centre-european-russian-eurasian-studies" hreflang="en">Centre for European, Russian &amp; Eurasian Studies</a></div> </div> </div> Mon, 10 Jul 2023 20:00:35 +0000 siddiq22 302223 at From machine learning to mentorship, graduate Irene Fang showed leadership during her time at 茄子直播 /news/mentorship-and-machine-learning-graduating-student-irene-fang-leadership <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">From machine learning to mentorship, graduate Irene Fang showed leadership during her time at 茄子直播</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-06/Irene-Fang-Headshot-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=irfKlNon 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-06/Irene-Fang-Headshot-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=5hUVIAaw 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-06/Irene-Fang-Headshot-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=zGob5OIz 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-06/Irene-Fang-Headshot-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=irfKlNon" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>siddiq22</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-06-22T13:43:55-04:00" title="Thursday, June 22, 2023 - 13:43" class="datetime">Thu, 06/22/2023 - 13:43</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Irene Fang graduated with an honours bachelor of science degree, working on research&nbsp;that could lead to new treatments and therapies for immunocompromised patients (supplied photo)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/david-goldberg" hreflang="en">David Goldberg</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6899" hreflang="en">Convocation 2023</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-stories" hreflang="en">Graduate Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/human-biology" hreflang="en">Human Biology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/immunology" hreflang="en">Immunology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/machine-learning" hreflang="en">machine learning</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/medical-research" hreflang="en">Medical Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Even while undertaking complex research, the human biology and immunology student took the time to help her peers</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>While studying for her honours bachelor of science degree, new University of Toronto graduate <strong>Irene Fang</strong> capitalized on opportunities both inside and outside the classroom.</p> <p>Majoring in <a href="https://www.hmb.utoronto.ca/">human biology</a> and <a href="https://artsci.calendar.utoronto.ca/section/Immunology">immunology</a> in the <a href="https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a>, Fang researched innovative methods in ultrasound detection driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. She鈥檚 also working on research into cells and proteins in humans that could lead to new treatments and therapies for immunocompromised patients.</p> <p>Even amid&nbsp;that busy schedule, Fang was determined to help others succeed. As a senior academic peer advisor with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.trinity.utoronto.ca/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Trinity College</a>, she was admired for her dedication to learning and the 茄子直播 community.</p> <p>鈥淚 want to keep giving back because I am so appreciative of the upper-year mentors I connected with, starting in first year,鈥 Fang says. 鈥淭hey continue to serve as an inspiration, motivating me to further develop personal and professional skills.鈥</p> <p>Fang spoke with Faculty of Arts &amp; Science writer <strong>David Goldberg</strong> about what she learned during her undergraduate studies, the importance of peer support and her post-graduation plans.</p> <hr> <p><strong>Why was 茄子直播 the right place for you to earn your undergraduate degree?</strong></p> <p>茄子直播 provided a plethora of academic, research and experiential learning opportunities alongside a world-class faculty to help cultivate my curiosity and consolidate my knowledge. In conjunction with an unparalleled classroom experience, I gained a real-world perspective with international considerations through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-opportunities-program">Research Opportunities Program</a>.</p> <p>I would be remiss if I didn鈥檛 also mention how extracurricular activities enhanced and enriched my university experience. The <a href="https://sop.utoronto.ca/groups/">many clubs</a> at 茄子直播 helped me focus on my passions and make meaningful connections with like-minded peers who became my support network, enabling me to reach my full potential.</p> <p><strong>How is your area of study going to improve the life of the average person?</strong></p> <p>It is absolutely fascinating that AI has already revolutionized the medical field. Specifically, AI possesses the potential to aid in the classification of ultrasound images, enhancing early detection and diagnosis of internal bleeding because of injuries or hemophilia. Overall, AI may lead to more efficient care for patients, thereby improving health outcomes.</p> <p>In terms of my immunology research, since the memory B cells expressing the specific receptor are dysregulated in people suffering from some autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases, a better understanding of how memory B cells are regulated could provide valuable insight into the underlying mechanisms of such diseases so we can enable scientists to develop new therapies that alleviate patients鈥 symptoms.</p> <p><strong>What are you hoping to do after graduation?</strong></p> <p>I aspire to pursue a career in the medical field, conduct more research and nurture my profound enthusiasm for science while interacting with a diverse group of people. I hope to devote my career to improving human health outcomes while engaging in knowledge translation to make science more accessible to everyone.</p> <p><strong>Why was working as a peer advisor at 茄子直播 important to you?</strong></p> <p>I remember feeling overwhelmed as a first-year student until I reached out to my academic peer advisors. Had I not chatted with them, I would not have known about&nbsp;鈥 let alone applied for&nbsp;鈥 my first research program. Looking back, it opened the door to many more new, incredible possibilities and opportunities.</p> <p>This experience made me realize the significance and power of mentorship, inspiring me to become an academic peer advisor. Seeing my mentees thrive and achieve their goals has made this role so rewarding&nbsp;鈥 so much so that I am determined to engage in mentorship throughout my career after graduation.</p> <p><strong>What advice do you have for current and incoming students to get the most out of their 茄子直播 experience?</strong></p> <p>Ask all questions&nbsp;鈥 because there are no silly questions. Get involved, whether it be volunteering, partaking in work-study programs, sports or joining a club. Meeting new people and talking to strangers can be daunting, but the undergraduate career is a journey of exploration, learning and growth.</p> <p>Be open-minded and don鈥檛 be afraid to try something new. Immersing yourself in distinct fields enables you to discover your interests and passions, which can lead you to an unexpected but meaningful path.</p> <p>Also, be kind to yourself because failures are a normal part of the learning process&nbsp;鈥 what鈥檚 important is that you take it as an opportunity to learn, grow and bolster your resilience.</p> <p>And finally, although academia and work can keep you busy, remember to allocate time for self-care. Exercise, sleep and pursue hobbies because mental health is integral for success in life.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 22 Jun 2023 17:43:55 +0000 siddiq22 302075 at