SC Wednesday Talk

All talks are followed by a discussion. The talks will be held on Wednesdays from 2:00pm- 4:00pm. Currently, this event is in person or ZOOM and in person (with performer). If you have any questions, then please email senior.college@utoronto.ca. Title: “Putting It Together during the Pandemic” (‘It’ = 2020-21 Season at RCM and Koerner Hall) […]

Abstract:  In 2018 December, Suzanne was a plenary speaker at the ‘Emerging Sciences and Educational Innovations Conference’ at the University of Pennsylvania. The topic of her presentation was “Curiosity, Interest and Neuroscience.” Her talk for Senior College will be an updated extension of this presentation. She will consider conceptual distinctions, relations and implications of curiosity and […]

Abstract There is now abundant evidence that the microbial consortium associated with a host – its microbiome – is critically important to the health of the host. Health is generally associated with a gut microbiota of high species diversity. When this diversity is degraded, damage to the microbial ecosystem may occur. In these cases, there […]

SC Talk: November 4, Stephen Batiuk, Near-Eastern Studies, U of T “The History of Grapes and Winemaking: Prehistoric Times to the Present” Contact and Chair:  Bibhu Mohanty Abstract: Wine is one of the most commonly enjoyed and alcoholic beverages in the modern world. But what is the antiquity and history of this otherworldly drink? When […]

SC Talk: November 11, Thomas Axworthy ,"Liberal Internationalism - Post COVID: Still Relevant? Still Possible?" Contact and Chair: Peter Russell The link to register is https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JsKqeAMvTUuQN7RtVsVSEKo-DHaj3xRAluk2q6EEM7NUQkJHVzVPTFFYSDU0MU5KRTUwSEdCRkJVMy4u The deadline to register is the Wednesday of the talk at 8:00am. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only.  

SC Talk: November 18, Ian Dejardin, Executive Director, McMichael Collection “What Forces Formed the Group of Seven?” Contact and Chair: Jim Gurd The link to register is https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JsKqeAMvTUuQN7RtVsVSEKo-DHaj3xRAluk2q6EEM7NUNjMxOE5YME1EVzRKOFBYMU9BMEVYQUs5UC4u The deadline to register is the Wednesday of the talk at 8:00am. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only.

SC Talk: November 25, David Wilson, Editor of Dictionary of Canadian Biography, “Cross-dressers, Angels, Gangsters, Murderers and the Mother from Hell: Surprising Women in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography” Contact and Chair: Janet Paterson The link to register is https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JsKqeAMvTUuQN7RtVsVSEKo-DHaj3xRAluk2q6EEM7NURUY0MDAzWEpOTzBaWDM0M1hFVzZIMDJORS4u The deadline to register is the Wednesday of the talk at 8:00am. The Zoom link […]

Title: “An Islands Odyssey” Introducer: Monique Nemni Host: Linda Hutcheon ABSTRACT: This session brings together two political scientists and a neuroscientist to share their thoughts on islands through the lens of ecology.   David Milne will give a remembrance of islands past and set out his research on island resilience, contesting commonplace themes of island vulnerability and viability.  […]

Speaker: Evan Fraser, Director, Arrell Food Institute; Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Guelph Introducer: Jim Gurd ABSTRACT: Today the same technologies that brought us the Internet and are transforming medicine are reshaping food and farming systems. Smart tractors that know where they are in the field and plant the right seed in […]

Speaker: Beverley Orser, MD, PhD, FRSC. FRCPC, FCAHS Introducer: Milton Charlton BIO: Dr. Orser is the Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto and a practicing anesthesiologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada. Her preclinical research has provided fundamental insights about how general anesthetic drugs depress brain function, […]

Speaker:  Colin Furness, Faculty of Information; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, U of T Host: Marty Klein Introducer: Linda Corman Bio: Colin Furness is an infection control epidemiologist, and assistant professor (teaching stream) in the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto. He received his PhD in the interdisciplinary field of knowledge management […]

Speaker: Alison Mackay, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra Title: “Crossing Borders in the Ark of Knowledge: The Role of Libraries and Archives in the Performance of 18th Century Music” Introducer: Peter Hajnal Host: David Milne Bio: Alison Mackay is a Toronto musician who was the principal double-bass player in the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra for forty years. Her […]

Speaker: Nathalie DesRosiers, Principal,  Massey College SC Talk: "No Shortage of Injustices” Host and Introducer: Linda Corman Abstract: The talk will deal with two main issues: 1. The perplexing issue of the interaction between economic vulnerability and legal rights; 2.  The role of legal advocacy: its relationship with politics and its strategical questions. Bio: Nathalie […]

Speaker: Robert Bothwell, History, U of T Title: “Nero and Trump: Parallel Lives” Introducer: Linda Corman; Host: Jim Gurd The link to register is https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JsKqeAMvTUuQN7RtVsVSEKo-DHaj3xRAluk2q6EEM7NUOVU2RzFUUURZWk81SThYVEpJVUk0NTJGOS4u The deadline to register is the Wednesday of the talk at 8:00am. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only on the morning of the event.

Speaker: Paul-Alain Beaulieu, Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, U of T Title: “The Babylonian Zodiac” Introducer: Bibhu Mohanty; Host: Daphne Maurer The link to register is https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JsKqeAMvTUuQN7RtVsVSEKo-DHaj3xRAluk2q6EEM7NUNkdBSldONEVKWlpXSkFYWkdMTzZUR1hOWS4u The deadline to register is the Wednesday of the talk at 8:00am. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only on the morning of the event.

Speaker: Rosemary Sullivan, English, U of T Title: “Stalin’s Daughter: A Biographer’s Tumultuous Journey” Introducer and Host: Linda Hutcheon The link to register is https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JsKqeAMvTUuQN7RtVsVSEKo-DHaj3xRAluk2q6EEM7NUQUxIVkZNUjE5T0kzQThZNTVaSTNKVkM3MS4u The deadline to register is the Wednesday of the talk at 8:00am. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only on the morning of the event.  

Speaker: Patrick Bedford, Principal Consultant, weCANreg Consulting Group Inc. Title: “A Regulatory Perspective on Gene Therapy Development and Commercialization” Introducer: Milton Charlton; Host: Michael Hutcheon The link to register is https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JsKqeAMvTUuQN7RtVsVSEKo-DHaj3xRAluk2q6EEM7NUOVRBSzlNSkUwUEY1SUFaUU5NRTE2S0lQRS4u The deadline to register is the Wednesday of the talk at 8:00am. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only on the morning […]

Speaker: Stephen Katz, Trent University Centre for Aging and Society Title: "Tracked and Fit: FitBits, Brain Games, and the Quantified Aging Body" Introducer and Host: Michael Hutcheon The link to register is https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JsKqeAMvTUuQN7RtVsVSEKo-DHaj3xRAluk2q6EEM7NUOUw0UTJFSkhZVUNKMlFCMlFROUszM0s0Sy4u The deadline to register is the Wednesday of the talk at 8:00am. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only on […]

Speaker: Russell Brown and Donna Bennett, UTSC,  English Title: "Editing English-Canada’s National Anthology in an Era of Social Change; or, How Do You Handle a Problem like Duncan Campbell Scott" Introducer: Brian Corman; Host: Linda Hutcheon The link to register is https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JsKqeAMvTUuQN7RtVsVSEKo-DHaj3xRAluk2q6EEM7NUOU5MSUdCTUFFRlIyU1FUTjlXSlpCVTFKVC4u The deadline to register is the Wednesday of the talk at 8:00am. The […]

Speaker: Cheryl Suzack, English, Indigenous Studies, Law, U of T Talk: "Stories from Bella Bella: On Being a Guest and Researcher in Heiltsuk Territory" Introducer: Linda Corman; Host: Linda Hutcheon Abstract: This talk reflects on the research ethics and protocols associated with being a guest and researcher in Heiltsuk First Nation territory. It focuses on […]

Speaker: William E. Reichman, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Baycrest, Professor of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto “Innovation and the Coming Transformation of Seniors Healthcare” Introducer: Brian Corman; Host: Daphne Maurer Abstract Several emerging social and technological trends are likely to cause significant disruption to our existing models of health care delivery to […]

Speaker: P.J. Carefoote, Head, Rare Books and Special Collections, Fisher Rare Book Library (please note CHANGE of speaker) Title: “Stop the Presses: A Brief History of Literary Censorship in Canada” Introducer: Linda Corman; Host: Linda Hutcheon Abstract: Canadians tend to think about literary censorship as something that has had a chilling effect on societies other […]

Speaker: Dwayne Benjamin, Economics, U of T; Provostial Advisor, Reruitment, Enrolment, and Educational Space & Technology Title: “Labour Market Outcomes of PhD Graduates in Canada: A Closer Look at the CCA’s “Degrees of Success.” Introducer and Host: Linda Hutcheon Abstract: The Canadian Council of Academies Expert Panel on the Labour Market Transition of PhD Graduates […]

Speaker: Diana Fu, Political Science, U of T, Asian Institute, Munk School   “China’s Rise as a Superpower—and its Implications for Canada” Introducer and Host: David Milne Abstract: China is an indisputable global power today. How did China transform from a poor, developing country to a nation of “wolf warriors” on the world stage?  How ought we […]

Speaker: Susan Pfeiffer, Anthropology, U of T; Centre for the Advanced Study of Paleobiology, George Washington U. Title: “Repatriation and Objects of Contention” Introducer: Sara Shettleworth; Host: Jim Gurd The link to register is https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JsKqeAMvTUuQN7RtVsVSEKo-DHaj3xRAluk2q6EEM7NUM0JDV01QR0hCT1BNNlFITUZYVUVQMU0xSy4u The deadline to register is the Wednesday of the talk at 8:00am. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants […]

**NEW Speaker Information for June 16, 2021 Speaker: John R. Percy, Astronomy and Astrophysics, U of T Introducer and Chair: Daphne Maurer Title: “Misconceptions about the Universe: From Everyday Life to the Big Bang” Abstract: A misconception is a belief that is strongly held, but factually incorrect.  It is a form of misinformation, which is […]

Speaker Information for June 23, 2021—CHANGE OF SPEAKER/TOPIC** Speaker: John Baird, English, U of T Introducer: Brian Corman Host: Linda Hutcheon Title: “Dickens and Public Health: Infection and Disease in Bleak House” Abstract: Dickens’s literary career ran over nearly four decades, from the early 1830s until his death in 1870, a period which saw momentous […]

Speaker: Michael Mori, Artistic Director, Tapestry Opera  "Sacrilege or Survival—Opera in Adaptive Mediums" Introducer and Host: Michael Hutcheon Abstract: Responding to crises with optimism AND informed experimentation, successes from opera sketch TV to medieval carts! Tapestry Opera's General Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori speaks on distilling the heart of the art form of opera to release […]

Speaker: Gwyn Campbell, Director, Indian Ocean World Centre, McGill U “Indian Ocean World History in the Context of Human-Environment Interaction” Introducer and Host: Marty Klein Speaker: Gwyn Campbell, Indian Ocean World Centre (IOWC), McGill University Introducer and Host: Marty Klein Abstract: This presentation challenges the conventional historical assumption that human beings constituted the motive force […]

Speaker: Malcolm Cohen, NASA Ames (Emeritus) “Walking Your Dog on Mars?” Introducer: Charlie Maurer; Host: Daphne Maurer Bio: Malcolm Cohen worked for the U.S. Department of Defence, and then for NASA, researching how people function in the unusual environments of high-performance aircraft and spacecraft. His research involved conventional laboratory studies, studies done in human centrifuges […]

Speaker: Cindi Morshead, Surgery and Anatomy, U of T     “Neural Stem Cells to Repair the Injured Brain: A Stroke of Genius” Introducer: Milton Charlton Host: Michael Hutcheon Title: “Neural Stem Cells to Repair the Injured Brain: A Stroke of Genius” Neurodegenerative disorders are the leading cause of disability and the 2nd leading cause of death […]

Speaker: James Downar, Head, Division of Palliative Care, University of Ottawa Introducer/Host: Michael Hutcheon Title: “Early Experience with Medical Assistance in Dying in Ontario” Abstract: The learning objectives for the lecture include: Be aware of the demographics of people who request and receive MAID in Ontario Appreciate the issues that are driving (and not driving) […]

Speaker: Christina E. Kramer, Slavic Languages and Literatures, U of T Introducer/Host: Linda Hutcheon Title: “Lines of Labour: Sound and Sense in Literary Translation” Abstract: In her talk on translation, Kramer will discuss the workings of literary translations, from theory to practice, to engage with the processes in moving from one language to another. She […]

Speaker: Jeffrey L. Stokes, Faculty of Music, Western Introducer and Host: Jim Gurd Title: "Beethoven and the Commercialization of Maezel's Metronome" Abstract: For a few years after 1812, the paths of a great celebrity composer and a truly gifted entrepreneur crossed in Vienna, at just the perfect moment during an epochal culture shift, to make […]

Cheryl Misak, Philosophy, U of T; Munk School Introducer: Brian Corman; Host: Linda Hutcheon Title: Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers Abstract: I will talk about Frank Ramsey, the Cambridge philosopher, mathematician, and economist who died in 1930 at the age of 26 after transforming each of these disciplines. He founded a branch of […]

Speaker: Donna Orwin, Slavic Languages and Literatures, U of T Title: “Politics in Dostoevsky and Tolstoy” Introducer: Linda Corman; Host: David Milne Abstract: I turn to this topic as post-Soviet Russia remains in a transitional state, without clear principles defining its politics.  Arguably, Russia is back to reinventing itself as a modern state, as it […]

Speaker: Laura Cirelli, Psychology, U of T Title: “Smiling and Dancing to Wheels on the Bus: The Social-emotion Context of Musical Engagement in Infancy” Introducer and Host: Daphne Maurer Abstract: Around the world, caregivers engage musically with their infants. These experiences not only capture infant attention, but also have important implications for emotion regulation and […]

Speaker: David Novak, Religion and Philosophy, U of T Title: “The New World of Jewish- Christian Relations” Introducer: Linda Corman Host: Linda Hutcheon Abstract: Until the middle of the 20th century, Jewish-Christian relations were generally acrimonious. Most Christians resented the refusal of most Jews to adopt Christianity, thereby abandoning Judaism. Jews in turn resented this Christian […]

Barrington Walker, History/ Assoc. V-P Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Wilfrid Laurier “Blackness, Violence and Modern Canada” Introducer and Host: Marty Klein The link to register is https://forms.office.com/r/kigPnDVNLz. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only.

Speaker: Candace Kruttschnitt, SC Fellow, Sociology and Criminology, U of T Title: “A Different Approach to Examining Prisoner Re-entry: Life as a Film” Introducer: Peter Hajnal; Host: Jim Gurd The link to register is https://forms.office.com/r/pZW5BfWixn. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only.  

Speaker: Janet Rossant, Molecular Genetics, U of T Introducer: Bill Logan; Host: Michael Hutcheon. Title: “Stem Cells and Gene Editing: The Science and the Ethical Debates” The link to register is https://forms.office.com/r/YcqadqShV5 The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only.

Speaker: Trevor Levere, History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, UofT Title: “Science and Arctic Exploration from Ross (1818) to Nares and Feilden (1875-76)" Introducer: Bibhu Mohanty; Host: Daphne Maurer Abstract: From 1818 until the loss of the last Franklin Expedition, the Royal Navy undertook a series of expeditions in search of the Northwest Passage. […]

Speaker: Sali Tagliamonte, Linguistics, U of T Title: “Soakers, Slims and Other Expressions: Including Ontario Dialects in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)” Introducer: Monique Nemni Host: Linda Hutcheon Abstract: In this presentation, I will discuss research I have been doing on the dialects of Ontario. The Ontario Dialects Project (ODP), as we refer to this […]

SC Talk: Peter Alberti, Medicine, U of T Title: “Victorian Doctor, Sir William Wilde, Otologist, Archeologist, Antiquarian, Author, Traveler, Philanderer, Genius. March 1815 – May 1876, Famous Father of an (in)Famous Son” Introducer and Host: Michael Hutcheon Abstract: William Wilde was born at the end of the Napoleonic wars on the West Coast of Ireland, […]

Host:  Jim Gurd Introducer:  Joanne Rovet Speaker: Paul Frankland, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto Title: “The Persistence and Transience of Memory” Abstract: The predominant focus in the neurobiological study of memory has been on remembering (persistence). However, recent studies have considered the neurobiology of forgetting (transience). In my talk I will draw parallels between neurobiological […]

Speaker Information for January 19, 2022 at 1pm Speaker: Paul A. Faure, Dept. of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University Introducer and Host: Daphne Maurer Title: “Development of echolocation and hearing in the big brown bat” Abstract: I will summarize work on the maturation of Eptesicus fuscus—a model for mammalian vocal and auditory development. Big […]

Speaker: Dr. Kenneth Atsenhaienton Deer, Bear Clan of the Mohawk Nation of the Kahnawake Territory Introducer: Peter Hajnal; remarks by Peter Russell Title: “The Development of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: A Haudenosaunee Perspective” Abstract: Like our Elders tell us, we start all stories at the beginning. This presentation begins with […]

Title: Written in Wood: Visual Narratives with a Canadian cut Speaker: George Walker, xylographer Introducer: Daphne Maurer Host: Linda Hutcheon Abstract and Bio: In this talk xylographer George Walker presents his wordless graphic narratives and not only places each of these works in context to contemporary Canadian culture, political history and biography but also tells why this is […]

Title: Reading Photographs, Reading Archives: The Photography of Margaret Watkins (1884-1969) Speaker: Mary O'Connor, English and Cultural Studies, McMaster University Introducer and Zoom host: Linda Hutcheon Abstract: On the occasion of a major exhibition opening at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, I will introduce the photography of Margaret Watkins, a successful art and advertising photographer […]

Speaker Information for February 16, 2022 Speaker: Jeffrey Dvorkin, Former Director, Journalism Program, UTSC. Title: “Trusting the News in a Digital Age” Abstract: Jeffrey will introduce his new book, Trusting the News in a Digital Age, which provides an ethical framework and the much-needed tools for assessing information produced in our digital age. With the […]

SC Talk: Wednesday, February 23, 2022 at 2:00 - 4:00pm - Hybrid event: Zoom and The Faculty Club If you have registered for lunch at the Faculty Club, please note the lunch time is at 12:00pm. This event is a hybrid event. Please indicate if you will attend in-person (at the Faculty Club) or on […]

SC Talk: Wednesday, March 2, 2022 at 2:00 - 4:00pm - Hybrid event: Zoom and The Faculty Club Speaker: Nicholas Gunz, Naval and Intelligence Historian Introducer: Daphne Maurer Zoom Host: Michael Hutcheon Title: “Gazing into the Abyss: Naval Intelligence Failure in the Early Cold War” Abstract:  It was, arguably, the most dangerous moment in human […]

Speaker: Mark Lautens, JB Jones Distinguished Professor, Chemistry, U of T Introducer: Janet Paterson Title: “Advocating for Science” Bio: Mark Lautens completed his undergraduate degree in Chemistry at the University of Guelph then conducted doctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison followed by postdoctoral work at Harvard University. His work is in the area of […]

NEW* Speaker Information for March 16, 2022—Hybrid: In-person AND ZOOM *The scheduled speaker Lynne Hasher has had to cancel her talk. Speakers: Michael and Linda Hutcheon, Medicine and English/Comparative Literature, U of T Introducer (on Zoom): Daphne Maurer Zoom Host: Jim Gurd Title: “We…the sons of Palestrina”: Opera and Italian Cultural Nationalism from Verdi to […]

Speaker: Joel Faflak, Department of English, University of Western Ontario Introducer: Deanne Bogdan Zoom Host: Linda Hutcheon Title: “Get Happy! Learning to Love Musicals” Abstract: People either love or hate musicals; there is rarely an in-between response. But why? Something about the affective pull of musicals answers this question, which orients us toward how film […]

Talks for Fall 2022: Wednesdays at 10 am (in person at Faculty Club and on ZOOM) Speaker: Lucan Ahmad Way, Political Science, Munk School Title: “Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Causes and Consequences” Introducer: Peter Hajnal Abstract: In this lecture, Lucan Way will address a most timely topic in discussing the reasons for the Russian invasion, […]

Talks for Fall 2022: Wednesdays at 10 am (in person at Faculty Club and on ZOOM) Speaker: Marla Sokolowski, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, U of T Title: “Epigenetics, Genetics and Behaviour” Introducer: Harold Atwood Abstract: Previous ideas about the origins of our individual differences were based around the nature-nurture dichotomy. Current research has shown that […]

Talks for Fall 2022: Wednesdays at 10 am (in person at Faculty Club and on ZOOM) Registration will open a few weeks before the event. Speaker: Andrea Charise, Health and Society, UTSC Title: “Arts, Wellness, and Crafting Intergenerational Communities” Introducer: Maggie Redekop Abstract:  “Storytelling” is a vital element of arts- and humanities-based health research, education, […]

Talks for fall 2022: Wednesdays at 10 am (in person at Faculty Club and on ZOOM) Registration will open a few weeks before the event. Speaker: Chandrakant Shah, Dalla Lana School, U of T; Clinical Coordinator of Anishnawbe Health Title: “A Settlers’ Role in Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples” Introducer: Mary Chipman Abstract: As a first-generation […]

Talks for Fall 2022: Wednesdays at 10 am (in person at Faculty Club and on ZOOM) Registration will open a few weeks before the event. Speaker: Ronald F. Williamson, Founder, Archaeological Services Talk: “New Understandings of Great Lakes Indigenous History and Archaeology” Introducer: Susan Pfeiffer Abstract: Few people who hear the City of Toronto Land […]

Talks for Fall 2022: Wednesdays at 10 am (in person at Faculty Club and on ZOOM) Registration will open a few weeks before the event. Speaker: Ron Saporta , Chief Operating Officer Property Services & Sustainability, U of T Talk: "Tackling Climate Change and Carbon Emissions at the University of Toronto's St George Campus" Introducer: […]

Talks for Fall 2022: Wednesdays at 10 am (in person at Faculty Club and on ZOOM) Registration will open a few weeks before the event. Speaker: Arthur Ripstein, Philosophy and Law, Uof T Talk: “Law and the Morality of War” Introducer: Brian Corman Abstract: Pretty much everything is wrong with war.   In this talk, I […]

Talks for Fall 2022: Wednesdays at 10 am (in person at Faculty Club and on ZOOM) Registration will open a few weeks before the event. Speaker: Lorraine Weinrib, Law, U of T Talk: “The Charter at 40” Introducer: Linda Corman Abstract:  What is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) today at 40?  This […]

Talks for Fall 2022: Wednesdays at 10 am (in person at Faculty Club and on ZOOM) Registration will open a few weeks before the event. Speaker: Peter Victor, Environmental Studies, York U Talk: Herman Daly’s Full World Economics: His Life and Ideas Introducer: Ian Burton Abstract: This lecture will be based on Peter Victor’s recently […]

Talks for Fall 2022: Wednesdays at 10 am (in person at Faculty Club and on ZOOM) Registration will open a few weeks before the event. Speaker: Charlie Maurer, science writer Talk: “Illusion, Reality, Canvas and Camera” Introducer: Michael Hutcheon Abstract: No camera ever tells the truth, and the Louvre is filled with fakery. All naturalistic […]

Talks for Fall 2022: Wednesdays at 10 am (in person at Faculty Club and on ZOOM) Registration will open a few weeks before the event. Speaker: Charlie Keil, History and Cinema Studies, U of T Talk: “How Do Films Work? What Makes Cinema Cinematic?” Introducer: Janet Paterson Abstract:  Motion pictures were scarcely twenty years old […]

Talks for Fall 2022: Wednesdays at 10 am (in person at Faculty Club and on ZOOM) Speaker: Ramin Jahanbegloo, Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Nonviolence and Peace Studies; Vice-Dean of the School of Law at Jindal Global University, Delhi, India Talk: “Understanding Iran Protests” Introducer: Bibhu Mohanty Abstract: For the first time in its history, the […]

Speaker:  Burton Lim, Assistant Curator of Mammalogy, ROM Title:  “Great Whales: Up Close and Personal” Introducer: Jim Gurd Abstract: The great whales include the largest animals that have ever lived on earth, but we know so little about them and some are on the brink of extinction.  A recent exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum […]

January 11, 2023 Speaker: Sandra Rehan, Biology, York U Title: “Diversity, Decline and Sustainability of Wild Bees” Introducer: Daphne Maurer Abstract: Understanding the nutritional requirements of wild bees is essential for their conservation. Remarkably little is known about wild bee habitat requirements, floral preference, and the nutritional value of pollen resources. Here I provide the […]

 January 18, 2023 Speaker: Aisha Ahmad, Political Science, U of T Title: “Why Jihadists Win” Introducer: Charlie Maurer Abstract: Why are jihadist insurgencies able to withstand massive international military interventions against them, survive long periods of occupation, and then suddenly resurge and take power again? This talk unpacks the economic logic behind this jihadist resilience, […]

January 25, 2023 Speakers:  Paul Martin, former Prime Minister of Canada; Peter Hajnal, Librarian; John Kirton, panelists; moderator Louis Pauly, Political Science, U of T. Title: “What Is the Role of the G-20 Today?” Introducer and Chair: Peter Hajnal Abstract: With the world currently consumed by many, interconnected crises, new questions have arisen about the […]

February 1, 2023 Speaker:  Sophia Moreau, Law and Philosophy, U of T Title: “Tort Law and Social Equality: Using Unlikely Areas of the Law to Redress Social Subordination” Introducer: Linda Hutcheon Abstract: Although Canada has robust anti-discrimination laws, these laws can only accomplish so much.  Scholars who work on other areas of law —such as […]

February 8, 2023  Speaker:  Peter Sloly, Chief of Ottawa Police Service, 2019-22 Title: “Reflections and Projections on Canadian Policing” Introducer: Daphne Maurer Abstract: Peter Sloly will provide a concise but compelling set of reflections and projections about policing in Canada.  The last three years (2019-2022) has been imperfectly perfect storm - that exposed a perfectly […]

February 15, 2023 Speaker: Miriam Diamond, Earth Sciences, U of T Title: “Solutions, and why we need them now, to address the global threat of chemical pollution” Introducer: TBA Abstract: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has named our current, global situation a “planetary emergency” that will undermine the ability of all societies, today and […]

February 22, 2023  Speaker: Michael Gervers, History, U of T Title: “What do we know about the Ethiopian Dark Ages (7th-12th centuries)?” Introducer: Marty Klein Abstract: The Axumite kingdom flourished from the 1st to the 6th century, after which economic decline set in. Several explanations have been put forward for this change: the defeat of […]

March 1, 2023 Speaker: Bence Viola, Anthropology, U of T Title: “Living on the Edge – Neanderthals and Denisovans in Central Asia.” Introducer: Susan Pfeiffer Abstract: forthcoming Bio: Associate Professor Bence Viola is a paleoanthropologist focusing on the biological and cultural dynamics of the contacts between different hominin groups in the late Pleistocene. To better […]

March 8, 2023 Speaker: Mark Osbaldeston Title: “Unbuilt University of Toronto and Queens Park” Introducer: Daphne Maurer Abstract: Mark Osbaldeston will explore two centuries of never-realized building and planningproposals for Queen’s Park and the neighbouring University of Toronto campus.Using dozens of images drawn from provincial, municipal, and university archives(and expanding on his books Unbuilt Toronto and […]

March 15, 2023 Speaker: J. Gottfried Paasche, Sociology, York U Title: “The German Aristocracy and Their Resistance, or Lack of, to Hitler and the Nazis: The case of General Kurt von Hammerstein and Three of his Daughters.” Introducer: TBA Abstract: The speaker is the grandson of Hans Paasche, pacifist, assassinated in 1920 by Nationalist German […]

March 22, 2023  Speaker:  Konrad Eisenbichler, Italian, Renaissance Studies, U of Toronto Title: “A Different Sort of Italian: Julian-Dalmatian Immigrants in Canada” Introducer: Giuliana Katz Abstract: Scholarship on Italian immigration to Canada has generally omitted the Julian-Dalmatians, a group of Italians from Istria and Dalmatia, two regions that, in the wake of World War Two, […]

May 17, 2023, 2-4:45pm - in-person only (non-Fellows can participate for $10)   Speaker: Merrill Swain Title:  “Talking Matters:  Theory, Research and Knowledge Mobilization” AND “Talking Matters” (a play)  Introducer: Daphne Maurer   Abstract of talk:  The focus of this session is to demonstrate that theory-informed research can be transformed into accessible and actionable knowledge.  A) Theory: the theoretical concept of “languaging”, set within the […]

Wednesday Talk: May 24, 2023, 2-4pm - Zoom only (non-Fellows can participate for $10)   Speaker: Lawrence Wiliford  Title:  "Charting a New Path: Classical Vocal Music and Canadian Visual Media Distribution”  Introducer: Linda Hutcheon   Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, opera companies and other performing arts organizations embraced film and video production to enable artists to continue their craft while also […]

Wednesday Talk: May  31, 2023, 2-4pm - Zoom only (non-Fellows can participate for $10)   Speaker: Geoff Rayner-Canham  Title:  “Chemistry and Inuit Life and Culture”  Introducer: Linda Hutcheon Abstract:  Inuit have lived and thrived for millennia in one of the most challenging environments on the planet. How is this possible? It is chemistry which, in many aspects, provide the underlaying explanations for […]

June 23, 2023 Speaker: Daniel Lang Title: 'The Carnegie Foundation and University of Toronto Faculty Pensions: An "Undenominational", Un-tax-funded History”’ Abstract: When the Carnegie Foundation was established in 1905, universities in Canada and Newfoundland were eligible for grants, on strict conditions that were seen by some as “colonial,” “continentalist,” or “imperial” intrusions on autonomy; for […]

Wednesday, September 6, 10 am Speaker: Elizabeth Harvey Title: “Out of One’s Mind: Dementia in Anne Carson’s Poetry” ABSTRACT: Anne Carson is an internationally renowned Canadian poet. Her eccentric poetic genius has been recognized by a sweep of prestigious awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the first T.S. Eliot Poetry Prize conferred on a woman, two […]

Wednesday, September 13, 10 am Speaker: Kang Lee Title: “Little Cheaters and How to Make Them Honest: The Origin of Academic Dishonesty in Childhood” Abstract: In this talk, I will discuss briefly the history of cheating and the scientific research on cheating with a focus on academic cheating. Then I will present the recent discoveries […]

Wednesday, September 27, 10 am Speaker: Howard Eisenberg Title: “How Reality Works and the Case for Non-Duality: Echoes from Plato’s Cave©️”   Abstract: Do you wonder sometimes how and why you're here? What 'here' even is, and who 'you' are in the greater scheme of things? Are you feeling increasingly overwhelmed and in despair about […]

Wednesday, October 4, 10 am Speaker: Geoff Rayner-Canham Title: “Chemistry and Inuit Life and Culture” Abstract:  Inuit have lived and thrived for millennia in one of the most challenging environments on the planet. How is this possible? It is chemistry which, in many aspects, provide the underlaying explanations for Inuit survival. Over the past ten […]

Wednesday, October 11, 10 am Speaker: Paul Delaney Title: “The Evolution of the Space Telescopes” Abstract: The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and now the James Web Space Telescope (JWST) are household words, abbreviations recognized by a sizeable fraction of the population.  The evolution of such space-based observing instruments dates back into the 1960s.  Further, many […]

Wednesday, October 18, 10 am Speaker: Heidi Bohaker Title: “Ontario's Treaties as First Law: Indigenous-Crown Relations and Land Conveyance Agreements” Abstract: The word “treaty” in common usage typically refers to an agreement between nations. This is the sense also used when people in Canada talk about the treaties and the treaty relationships between various First […]

Speaker: Joanne Tod Title: “The Dearth of Irony: Postmodernism, Identity Politics and the Visual Arts”  Abstract: Rejecting the grand narratives and absolute values embraced by Modernism, some of the conceptual tactics in the Postmodernist arsenal include skepticism, self-referentiality and irony. Joanne Tod, an emerging artist during this period, made work exemplifying many of the strategic […]

Speakers: Sue and Jim Waddington Title: “In the Footsteps of the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson” Due to unforeseen circumstances, this event is now on Zoom only. Abstract: During a canoe trip in Killarney Provincial Park, Sue and Jim paddled to Nellie Lake. They were surprised they could locate the exact spot A.Y. Jackson […]

Speaker: Marie-Hélène Budworth Title: “Diversity at Work: Uncovering Barriers to Inclusivity in Employment” Abstract:  Dr. Budworth will review research on diversity, inclusion, and belonging from the organizational psychology and organizational behaviour literatures.  Particular attention will be paid to the barriers faced by individuals who hold historically marginalized identities.  She will speak to research that examines […]

Wednesday, November 15, 10 am Speaker: Derek Denis Title: “English in Multicultural Toronto” Derek Denis. associate professor of linguistics, Department of Language Studies, UTM Abstract: This talk explores the diverse and innovative sounds and vocabulary of Toronto English in its multicultural context. I consider the intersecting influences of migration, race, place, and multilingualism in the […]

Speaker: Jacqueline Gibbons Title: Spread Your Wings: Icarus to 1912 (Flight, The Men and Women) Abstract: Telling a tale of remarkable explorers, inventors, pilots and entrepreneurs who have set the scene for our landing on the moon, Mars, and beyond, Jacqueline Gibbons shows how humankind has turned to birds on our planet for spiritual and […]

Wednesday Talk: January 10, 2024, 2-4 pm - in-person and on Zoom   Speaker: Max Friesen, Anthropology, U of T Title: “Ancient and Urgent: Climate Change Threats to the Arctic Heritage Record” Abstract: The long-term history of the circumpolar North is facing catastrophic threats from changing climates. Rising sea levels, thawing permafrost, and increasing storminess are together causing severe destruction of archaeological sites, […]

Speaker: Kristin Andrews, Research Chair in Animal Minds, York University Title: “Chat GPT and Bumble Bees: Exploring the Consciousness Question” Abstract: Is there something it is like to be a garden snail? Can crabs feel pain? Does my Replika really care about me? Such questions about the minds of animals and AIs have become pressing, […]

Speaker: Kevin Edmunds, History, U of T Title: “Haiti, Popular Democracy and the Endless Colonial Intervention” Abstract: What happens when intervention designed to "help" produces an even greater harm? In the short term, it can be an honest, albeit well intentioned mistake. When that becomes the defining feature of a relationship that spans 219 years, […]

Speaker: John Gardner, author Title: “Capturing the Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim's Journey through the Ages”  Abstract: Over his lifetime John has engaged continuously in his favourite activity: trekking long distances in the mountains of New England, the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Dolomites and Corsica, often accompanied by family and friends. As the years caught […]

Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 2 pm Speaker: Jane Rylett, Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Aging, Western U. Title: “Addressing the Impacts of Canada’s Changing Population Demographic”  Abstract: The CIHR Institute of Aging invests in research that promotes an optimal life-long approach to healthy aging and improves the health and wellness of Canada’s aging population. […]

Speaker: James Hunter, former President of KPMG Forensic Inc Title: “White Collar Crime—An Investigator’s Perspective” Abstract: Fraudulent activity has existed since time immemorial. What is it that possesses otherwise honest persons to carry out such dishonest acts? Certainly, white collar criminals seem to be a species apart from street criminals. However, we can discern certain […]

Speaker: John Gardner, author Title: “Capturing the Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim's Journey through the Ages” Abstract: Over his lifetime John has engaged continuously in his favourite activity: trekking long distances in the mountains of New England, the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Dolomites and Corsica, often accompanied by family and friends. As the years caught […]

Speaker: Dan Drucker, Medicine, U of T Title: “Changing Health Outcomes for People Living with Diabetes or Obesity” Abstract: Enthusiasm for gut-derived therapies stems from a precise understanding of the physiological and pharmacological roles of gut hormones in control of normal and disordered energy homeostasis, coupled with extensive clinical validation. Improved understanding of gut endocrinology […]

Speaker: Celia Smith, CEO Luminato Festival, Toronto Title: “Arts, Culture & Creativity in a Time of Dynamic Change” Abstract: Is there space for beauty, joy, reflection and inspiration in today's Toronto? How does such a vibrant and global city present itself to the world post-COVID? What stories need to be told and what are audiences […]

Speaker: Morgan Barense, Neuropsyschology, U of T Title: “A smartphone Intervention to Enhance Real-World Event Memory”  Abstract: The act of remembering an everyday experience influences how we interpret the world, how we think about the future, and how we perceive ourselves. It also enhances long-term retention of the recalled content, increasing the likelihood that it […]

Speaker: Caryl Clark, Faculty of Music, U of T Title: “Labours of Love: Resurrecting Haydn’s Orfeo” Abstract: In late May 2023, singers from the University of Toronto collaborated with members of the McGill Baroque Orchestra to stage to the North American premiere of Joseph Haydn’s Orpheus opera, L’anima del filosofo / The Soul of the Philosopher. Declared […]

Speaker: Matti Siemiatycki, Geography and Planning, U of T Title: “Patterns, Causes and Cures for Cost Overruns and Delays in Mega-Project Delivery” Abstract: It is all too familiar an experience that major infrastructure projects like transit lines, bridges, highways, power stations and hospitals are delivered late and over budget, straining budgets and causing great frustration […]

Speaker: Jesse Billett, Divinity, Trinity College, Divinity, Trinity College; Centre for Medieval Studies Title: “The Lost Chants of Anglo-Saxon England” Abstract: In 1086, two decades after the Norman Conquest, the monks of Glastonbury, the largest and wealthiest monastery in England, were ordered by their new Norman abbot to adopt a Norman chant repertory. When the […]

Speaker: Rafaël Newman, Comparative Literature, Zurich Title: “The Work of Art in the Age of Neural Machine Translation” Abstract: “But the instant the criterion of authenticity ceases to be applicable to artistic production, the total function of art is reversed. Instead of being based on ritual, it begins to be based on another practice – […]

Speaker: Marlene Shore, Professor Emerita and Senior Scholar, Department of History/York University Title: “Down from the Mountain: Reckoning with Unrest, Risk, and Charlatanism in the Canadian University, 1919-1939” Abstract: In the aftermath of World War I, it was a commonly held belief in Canada, Britain, and the United States that the key to international stability […]

Speaker: Kent Roach, Law, University of Toronto Topic: “Wrongfully Convicted: Lessons from the Canadian Registry” Abstract: This talk will discuss some of the findings from the Canadian Registry of Wrongful Convictions which has recorded close to 90 remedied wrongful convictions. Among topics discussed will be why do people who are innocent plead guilty and why […]

Speaker: Lissa Paul, Professor of English, Brock University Title: “Children’s Literature and Literary History: From Beowulf to Virginia Woolf and from The Big Bad Wolf to Tom Wolfe” Abstract: Not so very long ago an editor at a prestigious university press, on learning that I was writing on the children’s books by the late British […]

Speaker: Ian Cusson, Composer Title: “Indigeneity in Contemporary Opera: Wolf-men and Vacations to Prague” Abstract: Ian will explore Indigenous representation in contemporary opera through examples from his body of work, including the forthcoming chamber opera adaptation of Thomas King’s Indians on Vacation, and the grand opera adaptation of Cherie Dimaline’s Empire of Wild. In addition, […]

Speaker: Nandita Bajaj, Executive Director, Population Balance Title: “Connecting the Dots between Reproductive Autonomy and Environmental Sustainability” Abstract: Human population has doubled in the last 50 years, growing from approximately four billion in 1970 to eight billion currently. There is rising public awareness that overpopulation and rampant overconsumption are driving climate change, resource scarcity, and […]

Speaker: Soren Brothers, Allan and Helaine Shiff Curator of Climate Change, ROM; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, U of T Title: “Climate, Lakes, and Museums: Intersections and Transdisciplinary Opportunities” Abstract: While climate change is riding high on many people’s thoughts around the world, few people have ever heard of a “limnologist” and even fewer could tell you […]

Speaker: Paul Stevens, English Department, University of Toronto Title: “Robinson Crusoe and the Slave Trade: A Treatise against Adventure” Abstract: The break-out of the Muslim slave trade into the Atlantic in the early seventeenth century coincides with the dramatic escalation of the European slave trade in Africa. The first enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia only […]

Speaker: Mary Nyquist, English/Comparative Literature, U of T Title: “Early Modern Freedom, Tyranny, and the Rhetorical Power of ‘Slave’” Abstract: Why is the word “slave” capable of causing such anguish for those whose ancestors have been enslaved. Why have English-language speakers recently but silently decided to replace it with “the enslaved”, who are ruled not […]

Speaker: Yvonne Bombard, IHPME, U of T Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, U of T Title: “Delivering Precision Genomic Medicine: Evidence, Policy and Equity” Genetic testing has become increasingly popular in recent years, as people seek to learn more about their health and ancestry. With advances in technology, it has become easier and […]

Speaker: Clifford Orwin, Political Science, U of T Title: “The Double 24-Hour Makeover Election” Abstract: The venerable conservative columnist George Will — a retired professor at the U of T! — recently described the choice facing American voters on November 5 as the worst in the country's history.  In fact both tickets deserved to lose the […]

Speaker: Franca Iacovetta, History, U of T, and Cynthia Wright, School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, York U Title: “Remembering Emma Goldman in Toronto, 1920s-2020s” Abstract: Emma Goldman – the Russian-born and US-naturalized anarchist deported from the United States at the height of the First Red Scare in 1919 – is arguably one of […]