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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Kenneth Bartlett, History and Renaissance Studies, U of T Title: “Raphael and the Mystery of the Frame: Art, Science and History in Search of an Answer” Abstract: A copy of Raphael's Madonna della Seggiola, the original of which is in the Galleria Palatina (Pitti Palace) in Florence, was discovered in a dealer’s shop, identified […]
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: 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: 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: 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 […]
19th Annual Senior College Symposium, Wed. April 17, 2024 9am to 4pm at the U of T Faculty Club, 41 Willcocks (or by Zoom) Disappearing Discourses? New Perspectives on Canadian Journalism and Literature The link for the preliminary program is https://www.seniorcollege.utoronto.ca/19th-annual-senior-college-symposium-wed-april-17-2024-the-program/ PRELIMINARY PROGRAM (for updates and further details, visit this website) Jonathan Kay (newspaper columnist, […]
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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 […]
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: 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: 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: 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, […]
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: 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, 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: 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 […]
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: 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 […]
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 […]
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 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, 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, September 20, 10 am Speaker: Valerie Tarasuk Title: “Food Insecurity in Canada: A Blind Spot in Public Policy” Abstract: Household food insecurity refers to the inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints. In Canada, the public face of this problem is food banks, but it has been measured and monitored on large […]
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 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 […]
18th Annual Senior College Symposium, Wed. April 19, 2023 9am to 4pm at the U of T Faculty Club, 41 Willcocks (or by Zoom) Surveillance, Privacy, Artificial Intelligence: The Promises and Challenges of our Digital Age The link for the program is https://www.seniorcollege.utoronto.ca/18-th-annual-senior-college-symposium-wed-april-19-2023-the-program/ The Speakers: Jim Balsillie (Centre for Digital Rights) “Addressing the challenges of […]
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, […]
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 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 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 […]
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 […]
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 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 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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
Friday Talk: December 2, 2022, 10am-12pm - in-person and on Zoom (non-Fellows can participate for $10) ** An extra (very topical) session on a FRIDAY (Dec. 2) from 10-12, as usual, at the Faculty Club (Primrose Room, upstairs) and on Zoom. A Timely Added Talk: Friday, December 2, 10-12 (our usual times, but a Friday) Stay to share the […]
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 […]
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) 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: 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: Ian Williams, novelist, poet, prof, English, Uof T Talk: “Disappointment” Introducer: Linda Hutcheon Abstract: The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. In this meditation, Ian Williams considers the […]
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: 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: 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: 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 […]
Senior Collegians, Come and join us at the Faculty Club on Saturday October 1st from 5:30 until 9:00 pm for an evening of friendly conversation, good food, beautiful music … and a few invigorating toasts. Celebrate the 10+ years of Senior College’s establishment as well as the Founding Fellows and Peter Russell, First Principal, who […]
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: 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) 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) 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, […]
