My desire to promote quality living for everyone and everything is what inspires me to foster empathy for nature and take action to save the environment. With just a little bit of knowledge and support, everyone has the power to make a change and help the world we live in. By increasing awareness, the Innis community can spread its roots and help the natural world flourish.
2023/24 Edition No. 009
Editor
Ben Weststrate (HBA ’08 Innis)
Editorial Committee
Shayla Anderson (HBA ’19 Innis, Urban Studies), Fiona Irvine-Goulet, Charlie Keil, Megan McDonald
Art Director
Samantha Edwards, Sam I Am Creative Contributors
The Sandy Tse Memorial Scholarship honours a student who is making an “exceptional contribution” to a vibrant and healthy Innis. As the inaugural recipient, Alice Lo (HBSc ’25) champions sustainability and community at Innis, spearheading initiatives to make Innis more bird friendly and tackle food insecurity through a community garden and pantry. Currently serving her second term as sustainability director with the Innis College Student Society, Alice is pursuing a double major in biodiversity & conservation biology and environmental science.
Yona Anderson, Beattie Films, Yuula Benivolski, Ted Boyd, Kimlin Chin, Juliana Concini, Rachelle Desrosiers, Dreamsome Photography, Matthew Edghill, Angelica Fenner, Lydia Ghernaout, Sonia Gokhale, Roger Greenwald, Connie Guan, Sam Guevara, Tony Hasek, Sheila Htoo, Isa Visuals, Paul Jebely, Neruka Joseph, Alexis Kane Speer, Yazmeen Kanji, Marya Kayyal, Madeline Keizer, Julian Kroehl, Sherman Kwok, Gregg Lintern, Farrah Liu, Mathias Loertscher, Noah Loertscher, Emma Macintyre, Barb McCutcheon, Sharon Mendonca, Cynthia Messenger, Montgomery Sisam Architects, Briane Nasimok, Kevin Nguyen, Kathy Nolan-Garner, Tom Nowak, Raia Ottenheimer, Bianca Pereira, Jake Pereira, Gheyana Purbodiningrat, Roger Riendeau, Robert Lansdale Photography, Jack Rubin, Jeff Rubin, Lisa Sakulensky, Tiger Saysavanh, Neeraj Seth, Anushay Sheikh, Stephanie Silverman, Courtney St. Louis-McBurnie, Keisha St. Louis-McBurnie, Raven Stoddart, Taylor Stone, Brett Story, Jennifer Su, Chiao Sun, Jiaqi Sarah Sun, Gustavo Toledo, Diana Tyszko, Joanne Uyede, Joseph Uyede, Rob Vipond, Jana Volkova, Francisca WiafeAmoako, Elizabeth Wijaya, D’Andre Wright, Jackson Wyatt, Alice Xue, Lina Yan, Jamie Yi, Andrew Yin, Chris Zee
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“The building blocks of my Innis experience” “Being a part of the Innis community meant that I was constantly in the vicinity of the College— studying, grabbing a bite between classes, or attending an event. From the arched entrance of the residence to the warm-toned bricks of the College, the components of the built environment were the building blocks of my Innis experience. Over the past four years I have grown and changed. The Innis community has flourished too, and I’m proud to be a part of it. I look ahead with excitement, knowing the Renewal and Expansion project will provide an even greater sense of collective identity as well as comfort and support to future generations of Innisians exploring university life.”
ehind the tarp-swathed fencing erected on the perimeter of the Innis Green, there is change afoot. Bundles of rebar litter the ground; chunky concrete silos jut out, anchoring emerging slim pillars of steel. Towering over it all is a massive, majestic red crane. Construction is a slow, laborious, and often messy process, but it still sparks excitement: the work is setting the stage for something monumental that didn’t exist before. What will materialize in the College’s backyard may not have assumed its full form yet, but everyone at Innis knows what this project represents: a bricks-and-mortar commitment to community.
Without a doubt, Innis has been building community for 60 years—the Renewal and Expansion project is simply a manifestation of the College’s need to keep physical pace with the energy and growth at its core.
This edition of our magazine focuses on “Building” and illustrates how so many of our alumni create structures and systems to foster community. One can see it in the achievements of our three featured builders—scholar and refugee activist Sheila Htoo (p. 10); cybersecurity innovator Tony Hasek (p. 12); and sustainable-home fabricator Jackson Wyatt (p. 14). But it’s also apparent in the efforts of Sherman Kwok and Stephanie Silverman, who are working to humanize Canada’s immigration system (p. 16), and the work of Barb McCutcheon, who has documented the married lives of LGBTQ+ seniors (p. 30). No matter the path pursued, our alumni are building a future predicated on the twinned values of dignity and support. And those have been the animating principles of Innis’s academic initiatives as well: features on Urban Studies (p. 26) and Writing & Rhetoric (p. 28) reveal that the College’s programs are preparing students to build stronger and more equitable cities and give voice to their passions and commitments.
Through the leadership of dedicated alumni such as Joe and Joanne Uyede and Ted Boyd, we
are making significant progress on our ambitious capital campaign goal (p. 20). While we have a way to go on that front, we have already achieved so much as a college. Reading what our most recent group of award-winning student leaders has to say about their time at Innis (p. 32), I know that we are building an environment that helps students feel empowered to realize their ambitions. In turn, these “lifelong Innisians” will, in the words of recent graduate Lydia Ghernaout, “lead with empathy and inclusivity, fostering a home for all.” The building blocks of that world start here.
On November 6, 2023, and again on June 17, 2024, the Innis community welcomed its newest alumni members, as undergraduate degrees were conferred in ceremonies held in Convocation Hall. Receptions at Innis College followed, attended by enthusiastic families and supporters. During Spring Convocation, filmmaker-writer Sarah Polley, OC, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from U of T. In her inspiring speech, she told grads of her experience recovering from a severe concussion, sharing the advice her doctor had given her—to “run towards the danger.”
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Innis College students’ outstanding leadership and academic performance were recognized at the annual Town Hall awards ceremony on November 20, 2023.
On December 8, 2023, Innis College hosted its seventh annual benefit concert in support of the Refugee Student Fund, featuring performances by Innis staff, alumni, and students, including the Innis College Choir (shown).
With the help of Principal Charlie Keil and his family, who matched each donation, the College collectively raised over $11,000 in direct support of resettled refugee students in their upper years of study at Innis. To make a donation to the Innis College Refugee Student Fund today, please scan the QR code.
We wrapped up a successful eighth year of alumni-student mentorship with a networking reception on April 2, 2024.
2024 was a milestone year for Innis College. On June 1, we celebrated three anniversaries during the annual alumni reunion: To mark 50 years of the Urban Studies Program, we hosted a panel discussion on housing affordability with influential city builders, including Mayor Olivia Chow, recent Chief City Planner Gregg Lintern (BA ’84 Innis, Urban Studies), Toronto Community Housing board member Greg Kalil (BA ’83 Innis), and former Urban Studies instructor Emily Paradis. Then we celebrated Innis College’s 60th birthday with a backyard barbecue at Innis Residence, which also marked its 30-year anniversary.
Read more about Gregg Lintern and the Urban Studies Program on pp. 26-27.
The Canadian Film Forum is proudly sponsored by U of T affinity partners Manulife and TD Insurance
Innis College, CSI, and the Urban Studies Program co-presented Zack Russell’s documentary feature, Someone Lives Here, on January 31, 2024. Film subject Khaleel Seivwright was joined by Urban Studies faculty Alana Jones and David Roberts for the panel discussion that followed.
On September 28, 2023, Innis College and the Cinema Studies Institute (CSI) hosted a Canadian Film Forum (CFF) screening and discussion of Wildhood, in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Scan the QR code to watch our post-screening discussions on YouTube.
Innis College and CSI co-presented a special Black History Month screening of the award-winning drama, Brother, on February 26, 2024.
SCREENINGS
Alumnae Alaine Hutton (HBA ’11 Cinema Studies) and Lauren Gillis (HBA ’11) brought their CBC Gem web series, Content Farm, to the CFF on April 23, 2024. They were joined by multihyphenate artist Khadija Mbowe (BMus ’20) for a post-screening discussion.
On October 26, 2023, journalist Robyn Doolittle delivered the Harold Innis Lecture, “Secret Canada: A Threat to Democracy.” Robyn discussed her award-winning investigative work for the Globe and Mail, around freedom of information in Canada. Fellow journalist Hamutal Dotan (HBA ’01 Innis) moderated the discussion that followed.
On October 12, 2023, Degrassi creator Linda Schuyler (BA ’74 Innis, Hon LLD ’16) discussed her memoir with Principal Charlie Keil in Town Hall.
Watch our book talks and lectures on YouTube.
The Innis College Priority Fund enables the College to respond quickly and flexibly to changing student needs and emerging priorities, from scholarships and bursaries to co-curricular initiatives. We invite you to donate by scanning the QR code.
On March 20, 2024, U of T social work professor Carmen Logie (BA ’97 Innis, PhD ’10) delivered the annual Innis Alumni Lecture, “More Than Clouds and Condoms: Connecting Climate Change and Sexual Health.” Carmen discussed the connections between the sexual health of marginalized communities and drought, flooding, extreme heat, and hunger. Amaya Perez-Brumer, assistant professor of public health, joined for the Q&A.
Lawyer and bestselling author Robert Rotenberg (BA ’75 Innis) launched his latest crime novel, What We Buried, at Innis College on February 27, 2024. Robert discussed his work with journalist Ellin Bessner
At the event, Robert generously initiated a silent auction in support of the Innis College Priority Fund. The winner’s name will appear in Robert’s next novel. Congratulations, Linda!
On May 13, economist and bestselling author Jeff Rubin (BA ’77 Innis) launched his latest book, A Map of the New Normal: How Inflation, War, and Sanctions Will Change Your World Forever, in Town Hall. Publisher Nick Garrison (BA ’92) moderated.
Read more about Jeff Rubin on pp. 24-25.
As a formerly stateless person, I have set my mind to pursuing higher education. I believe that education not only liberates my mind but also my people— the Karen—from tyranny and oppression. As a scholar of environmental peacebuilding, my doctoral research focuses on grassroots Karen initiatives to build durable peace, and achieve self-determination and freedom from Myanmar’s dictatorship. I am also an interpreter working with refugee families on a daily basis.
Growing up in a refugee camp gave Sheila Htoo
(HBA ’09 Innis, Urban Studies; MScPl ’11) a unique perspective on building bridges for peace and understanding
You came to Innis through the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Student Refugee Program, and now, working on your PhD, two of your research areas include the political ecology of war, and peacebuilding in Burma/Myanmar. How has your own journey as a refugee informed your goals?
During my formative years as a stateless ethnic Karen person, I experienced life in a refugee camp on the Thailand-Burma border. My worldview, my study interests, and my life goals have definitely been shaped by my experience, including my research on the political ecology of war and conflicts. A military coup produced the current regime in Myanmar, and this regime has basically removed the civilian, democratically elected government. People face military violence daily.
I focus on peacebuilding because I long for peace as a refugee. But also, my family, my community, the ethnic minority, and the whole country right now are longing for genuine, positive peace, not negative peace. By that I mean we talk about peace when there is no fighting, or an end of war. Actually, in my research, I focus on peace ecology, where we need to understand peace from a positive standpoint, such as the building of
trust, and the building of communities. Peace is not only ending active conflict but supporting the infrastructure for peace to last.
For me, the journey is really to be able to give back and to see that my life is more than my own family or my own life experience; it’s for the greater impact and the greater good for the community as well, and hopefully for the country. I think this was instilled in me as a child and also as a Karen person through my family heritage. My grandparents have been displaced for the last 50 or 60 years since the country was ruled by the military. I’m the third generation of refugees. My grandparents and father were leaders in their refugee communities, and they wanted me to pursue an education and become a community leader too. Education was key to personal growth and also to freedom—for our mind, but also freedom for political rights as a people.
You’ve been working as a researcher, advocate, and translator for Toronto’s refugee community—and especially with ethnic Karen refugees—for many years. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned?
To give you some context, when I landed in Toronto, it was a shock, culturally speaking. As a camp refugee,
I had no access to electricity or any knowledge of the outside world, yet I had a dream of going to university and studying urban issues. The Student Refugee Program was essential in helping me get started financially. Also, U of T’s bridging program, the Innis Registrar’s Office—particularly Donald Boere—and the entire staff and student community were instrumental in helping me navigate many barriers.
All this is to say that I think building bridges and breaking down barriers for refugee communities are two of the most important things I’ve learned. Language-based, cultural, academic, financial, social, and many other barriers may hinder refugees’ successful integration.
Beyond my research career, I was trained as an interpreter and continue to work as one for the Karen community, connecting with people every day. Interpreters are much more than translators; they are cultural brokers, helping to break down barriers in our healthcare system, for example. Patients and their doctors can be so far apart when they’re talking. Sometimes when I’m interpreting, I almost feel like I’m the only one who understands both worlds. It’s incredibly fulfilling when I get to help build a bridge across cultural beliefs related to treatments and medicine.
First of all, I’m a dad. I have two great kids who are making their way through careers and advanced university studies—trying to make the world a better place. And I’ve been in Prague for over 30 years, which has shaped my development. Coming from Canada to a post-Communist state was an Everest-like learning curve, and my entrepreneurial side came in handy. I have really enjoyed the challenge of starting companies and building them to be useful and ethical entities and maybe teaching Czech businesspeople a thing or two along the way.
From the Berlin Wall to a new kind of internet firewall, Tony Hasek (BA ’89 Innis) has built an innovative technology to tackle a huge global threat
Your career path has been anything but linear, starting off as a paratrooper in the Canadian Armed Forces, then earning your degree in history at Innis, and immediately moving to what was then Czechoslovakia. You are a serial entrepreneur and inventor who clearly likes to build things from the ground up. What drives and guides you?
When I was 19, I loved the idea of starting businesses. The first thing I tried to do was import Australian beer to Canada. The venture didn’t work, because I ran up against the long arm of the government and protectionism, but it was a useful learning experience.
In 1990, the Berlin Wall fell. For me that was perfect timing. I had just graduated with a history degree in a world where anyone with a technology background had a leg up (so no jobs for me). My father, John, a Czech/ Jewish refugee and an accomplished retired Canadian commando, had started an organization (Education for Democracy) to bring thousands of English speakers to Czechoslovakia. He asked me to run the Prague office. It was a way out of Canada’s recession, and a huge adventure.
Eventually my entrepreneurial side took over, and I started several businesses—from founding the first laundromat in the country to running
a farm, and then an eventually thriving IT business. I realized that Innis and U of T had given me a great advantage. While I wasn’t a business or IT graduate, the rigour of study there taught me how to think. And that proved invaluable.
Some of the ventures did well, some of them didn’t, but eventually, at about the age of 51, I wound up in the “plus” column, having sold my IT business. I thought I’d work for some technology companies for a few years and then retire. Boy, was I wrong. I hadn’t ever really heard of ageism, but trust me, it’s a thing.
After almost two years of trying to find a job, I gave up. It was depression and a certain amount of desperation that led me back to my entrepreneurial roots. I knew that the only person who could get me out of that hole was me. So I identified a massive problem in technology and invented what has turned out to be a unique and useful solution.
Your current IT venture is Goldilock, your innovative cyber-security firm founded on a wild vision that the internet should be a safer place for everyone. How is Goldilock going to find the “just right” solution to fight the legions of bad actors on the internet, and why is that important to you?
The problem with the internet is the internet itself. While it has done incredible things, it really wasn’t developed with ample consideration for the bad side of human nature. We have become a completely “connected” society—and bad actors exploit that.
Goldilock allows companies, individuals, governments, or anyone to physically disconnect themselves from the internet. But the magic is that we don’t use the internet to trigger that disconnection. We have a full physical disconnection (not a software process) which can’t be overcome, and the way we control it is also practically impossible to compromise.
Our vision is that sensitive data, infrastructure, networks, medical machinery—even cars, refrigerators, and coffee machines—can be physically disconnected until the owner needs to connect them. And then they can disappear from the internet again.
I want people to enjoy all of the benefits of this beautifully connected world and yet be able to retreat to the beautifully disconnected world as well. I want to leave the enemies on the other side of the moat or firebreak, because I also believe that the safety of the internet is now inextricably entwined with the safety of freedom and democracy.
I’m the CEO of CABN—in this role, as well as in my life, I embrace a balance between environment, technology, and health above all else. After selling my first business, Greenlid, a compostable products company, I started CABN, wherein we build sustainable homes and communities using our rapid, netzero, carbon-zero technology. My central goal, both personally and professionally, is to support people in the development of sustainable lifestyles without prohibitive costs or sacrifices to their quality of life.
in the woods may be the housing solution we need now
You’re building prefab houses that are designed to meet that elusive intersection of affordability and sustainability. What inspired you?
CABN was inspired by my goal of designing and building a sustainable home in a remote location: the modern version of Thoreau’s Walden Pond. Whether built on an island off the coast of Vancouver, in a remote area of Labrador, or on the mountains of Peru, the metrics of energy efficiency, sustainability, and cost had to remain the same.
With the challenge of a list of difficult-to-build locations, paired with a requirement to have a carbon-zero home that is completely solar powered, I realized that the only path forward required a technology-led, manufactured approach to housing, a comprehensive product that comes complete with its own renewable energy infrastructure and high-efficiency systems.
Previously, sustainable and solarpowered homes were only available as cost-prohibitive custom designs. In rebelling against this thinking, I charged our CABN team with designing a home that is manufactured cost effectively, shipped efficiently, and assembled easily in locations with limited labour and resources, offering equitable access to net-zero, carbon-zero housing.
With CABN, we are poised to change the housing market.
Many Canadians would agree we are in the midst of a housing crisis. In your experience, what’s the biggest barrier to tackling it? Conversely, what’s the largest opportunity here that we should be taking advantage of?
The housing crisis is universal, and the biggest barriers are a reduced labour force, limited construction windows due to seasonality, and longer build times. This reduces supply and adds to a high cost of housing beyond what is reasonable. By manufacturing homes that can allow more Canadians to build rapidly, we can increase housing supply, reduce costs, and build better homes.
Climate also impacts the productivity of the industry—Canada has six to eight months of good building weather, with rain, storms, and heat all slowing down housing construction. Just the ability to manufacture year round can help tip the scales of affordability and supply! Through prefabricated housing, we can build year-round in climate-controlled facilities, panelize the homes, and then ship them to where they are desperately needed without straining local utilities and infrastructure.
CABN’s 752-sq.-ft. model showhome, located near Mallorytown, Ontario, is designed for young families, retirees, or weekend adventurers (photo by Beattie Films, courtesy of Jackson Wyatt).
Alumni’s unique contributions help refugees and immigrants build better lives
“As an immigrant myself, I understand the importance of the support from the Government of Canada in the journey of establishing a life in Canada. After graduating from Innis, I went on to earn my master’s and then PhD in social psychology from the University of Waterloo. I hope to apply my expertise in behavioural science, and research in general, within the federal government to improve its immigrationrelated services, so that both new and established Canadians are continuously supported.
“In my work, I conduct research, including surveys and interviews, to ask visitors, refugees, immigrants, and other Canadians about their experiences receiving services offered by the Government of Canada. I then use the findings to make recommendations on how these services can be improved. This involves coming to a thorough understanding of what the current services are, and how they are perceived by the users. It is very rewarding to hear what works well, as well as what people need, so that we know how services may be improved to better serve people.
“The impact of the research is what drives me in this field. I am passionate about using research to discover insights that can be applied in a practical way, and my current work gives me exactly this experience. The value of the research at work is always clear—it is evident how the findings can be used, and what changes may be made based on those findings. I find this work especially meaningful, as it aligns with my passion to make a positive impact on the refugee and immigration community.”
“I am currently a member (adjudicator) in the Central Region of the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) at the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) of Canada. The IRB is the largest administrative tribunal in Canada, and the RPD finalizes tens of thousands of refugee status decisions each year. As an RPD member, I am responsible for presiding over hearings for people who are claiming protection in Canada. I strive to offer a dignified experience to people undergoing an inherently stressful and difficult experience.
I attempt to foster trust and confidence with claimants, and to render decisions in a timely manner so that claimants can make choices about next steps in their life journeys. Before becoming a member, my contributions at the IRB were at a national level in various advisory and program-management and development roles.
“I bring a diverse experience in migration to my member position at the RPD. In addition to coming from a family who experienced forced migration, I taught ethics and migration at Trinity College in the Ethics, Society & Law Program for many years. My academic background includes a DPhil in politics from the University of Oxford—where I was a Commonwealth Scholar—and a master’s degree from York University. I have been a devoted volunteer for many years, including turns at food banks and shelters. My leadership experience is rooted in the skills and experience I gained during my four years at Innis, where I was a co-editor of The Innis Herald, got involved in political and social-justice initiatives, and also worked summers at the Innis Residence front desk!”
Alumni find wisdom in Dr. Seuss’s classic poem, pursuing fulfilling and fun careers around the globe
“I am a culinary entrepreneur and women’s wellness facilitator based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where I was born and raised. At 18, I moved to Toronto to begin my higher education. After earning my bachelor’s degree from Innis College, I pursued an MSc in medical sciences at McMaster University, focusing on the gut-microbiota-brain axis.
“While I enjoyed exploring biology and honing my teaching skills, I realized academia wasn’t my path. Seeking balance, I enrolled in a culinary arts course at George Brown College, which was a pivotal experience that ignited my passion for food through a professional lens. Shortly after graduating, I received a scholarship to study pastry at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris. There I deepened my love for desserts and bread. Simultaneously, I was travelling more and exploring different cultures through food history and heritage.
“My experiences inspired Of the Land, an initiative blending my appreciation for culinary traditions and cultural storytelling. Through thoughtfully curated culinary events, I create spaces that celebrate culinary heritage and invite meaningful connections with people, food, and land. Ultimately, I believe in the power of food as a medium for creative expression, holistic nourishment, and community building. Most recently, I proudly won a national contest by creating a dessert featuring black lime, a Saudi delicacy ingredient.”
“I am a law partner at Osborne Clarke, based out of London, UK, and spend my days advising on M&A (mergers and acquisitions) and venture capital transactions in the technology and media sectors.
“After I graduated from Innis, I moved to London to live with my girlfriend, who is also an Innis alum. I thought I would only stay for a couple of years. It has been 23 years, and she is now my wife!
“Once in London, I started at an independent film production company, where I worked with the company’s lawyer. I met a few film producers who were ex-lawyers and thought that a legal qualification would help if I wanted to produce in the future. Studying law and training at a corporate law firm broadened my horizons, and I discovered that I really enjoyed doing deals.
“My time at Innis certainly helped prepare me for my career: the intellectual curiosity that was fostered by my professors and the ‘cut and thrust’ of the film theory debates in seminar classes was all valuable experience for what I do now.”
“Based in Hong Kong, I’m the head of equity advisory and managing director at BNP Paribas Wealth Management (Asia), where I manage a team of professionals and offer investment solutions in global equities for our key and strategic clients.
“I’m a program manager at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands, where I oversee the development, coordination, and community-building efforts of university-wide interdisciplinary research themes on AI and its societal implications.
“After my HBA, I did a master’s up the road at York University, and then worked for a few years around Toronto. I love the city but also wanted to experience living abroad. Plus, I wanted to pursue doctoral studies. In 2014, I moved across the Atlantic to do my PhD at TU Delft. After that, I did some lecturing and postdoctoral studies (in the Netherlands and Germany) before landing in my current role. I now call the beautiful city of Delft home.
“My arrival at Innis College 20 years ago was the first step in my travels. I moved to the big city to become an architect; by my fourth year I was quite certain I didn’t want to be an architect. But my eyes and ears were opened to many fascinating topics—and people. It set me on a path spurred by curiosity and an openness to new experiences. I would recommend it… and visiting Holland!”
“I deliberately stayed behind in Toronto after my graduation in 1998, as it coincided with the Asian financial crisis. With the aim to gain international experience, I joined Reuters as a graduate analyst. Although I enjoyed my time and learned lots of fundamental skills, I always had a strong calling to return to Hong Kong (my hometown). Since my move in 2000, I’ve never looked back, working in senior capacities at various global financial institutions. My work requires intensive travelling across mainland China, Southeast Asia, continental Europe, and North America.
“My utmost heartfelt gratitude to Innis, for equipping me with knowledge in global economics and quantitative analysis. Moreover, as I stayed at Innis Residence throughout university, I had the opportunity to connect with both local and international students, which significantly helped to shape my global perspectives.”
We need your support to meet our $10-million Innis Renewal and Expansion Campaign goal
Built for 800 students, now home to 2,250, Innis urgently needs to grow and revitalize its learning and social spaces. The small but mighty Innis community is actively supporting this transformation—our smart, creative, and engaged students are counting on your investment in their future success.
grateful and proud to witness generosity flowing from across our community. This includes our students who pledged to contribute through a semesterly levy, which they overwhelmingly passed through referendum, to help create a bigger, better space for the next generations of Innisians. NOW
We are also at the halfway mark of our ambitious $10-million fundraising campaign, thanks to an impressive 500 individual donors. This project—as with so many Innis accomplishments— takes a village. We are
t’s exciting—our renewal and expansion is taking shape as construction steadily progresses at 2 Sussex Avenue. We’re that much closer to realizing our vision of a more spacious, accessible, and multifunctional home for all Innis students—who now number a record-breaking 2,250. The entire Innis community eagerly awaits our 2026 grand re-opening. But we aren’t there yet!
“The University of Toronto, and specifically, Innis College, are places both Joe and I hold dear to our hearts—Innis is the place where we met and that shaped both of us as young adults and helped us immeasurably in our respective careers. Joe and I spent our Innis years in the ‘biscuit box,’ which served as the college building and primary hang-out space at that time. As commuter students, it was there that we learned the value of having a space to meet, socialize, lunch, and study with fellow students. For that reason, we have always been strong supporters of Innis over the years and agreed to co-chair the Renewal and Expansion Campaign in an effort to improve the physical environment for current
and future Innis students, and especially for those students who commute daily. It is a true testimonial that current students voted to pay a levy in support of the campaign. Given that commitment, and the need, it is time for alumni and friends of the College to make this renewal and expansion project a priority.
“I have always believed that I had a wonderful education at Innis College, but in my professional career, where I became familiar with many different universities across Canada and overseas, I came to appreciate how respected and renowned U of T is all over the world; Innis, in my view, is the jewel in the crown.”
Joanne Uyede
Joseph Uyede continues to avoid retirement, bridge, and too much golf, serving as president, CEO, and co-owner of Novanet Communications Limited, a wireless technology company. Joe maintains his lifelong commitment to Innis College, currently co-chairing the Innis College Renewal and Expansion Campaign.
Joanne Uyede retired after serving as president and CEO of the Canadian Education Centre Network, an organization that promoted Canada as a study destination from 28 offices around the world. A longtime U of T volunteer, Joanne has deepened her college involvement as a member of Innis College Council, the Harold Innis Foundation, and as co-chair of the Innis College Renewal and Expansion Campaign.
“Upon arriving at the University of Toronto in September of 1982, I was impressed not only by the scale of the institution but also by the unique way the faculties and colleges blended into the cityscape and communities of Toronto. Nowhere was this more apparent than at Innis College.
“I rapidly became engaged with its intellectually and culturally stimulating curriculum. Studying cinema, along with English and political science, became one of my great passions and remains one of the fondest memories of my time at Innis.
“As we flash forward 39 years from my
graduation, in the midst of an ambitious expansion, I am reminded of the College’s ongoing and important role in the community. As a student engaged in the life of Vladimir House, the former Innis residence, I built many friendships and developed an early appreciation of the importance of community, both personally and at a collective level.
“The evolution of the College through this important and much-needed expansion reminds us all that community has never mattered more than it does today. The world needs more Innis!”
Ted Boyd is founder and CEO of Current International Inc., a marketing and digital communications transformation consultancy.
Ted has served on several industry and charitableorganization boards, including the North American Board of the Alliance for Audited Media, CBC/RadioCanada, and the Children’s Aid Foundation. He is also a cabinet member on the Innis Renewal and Expansion Campaign team.
“Being at Innis with my sister meant constant comparisons, especially since she was the dedicated student and I was … less so. So, when I bested her in our World Religions class, we had to laugh— sometimes miracles really do happen!”
—Neeraj Seth (BSc ’98 Innis), brother
“Attending Innis College with my brother a couple years ahead of me was a blessing. I felt like I had a guardian angel to help me navigate a school as large as U of T.”
—Sonia Gokhale (HBSc ’01 Innis), sister
Sonia Gokhale and Neeraj Seth (photo by
Neeraj Seth)
“I was determined to write my sister up for some infraction while she was living at Innis Residence, but unfortunately, she decided to follow the rules while living here. Oh well, guess I had to settle for our 4 am walks and study room chats.”
—Jake Pereira (HBA ’25 Innis), brother
“Living at Innis Residence felt like moving home after couch surfing with and calling my brother for years. I was determined not to be referred to as ‘Jake’s sister,’ and I think it worked since people have started calling him ‘Bianca’s brother.’”
—Bianca Pereira (HBA ’27 Innis), sister Bianca and Jake Pereira (photo by Gheyana Purbodiningrat)
Jeff Rubin (BA ’77 Innis), dad
As a leading Canadian economist and bestselling author, you’ve been called a disruptor and an independent thinker, with books such as Your World is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller; The Expendables: How the Middle Class Got Screwed by Globalization; and your latest, A Map of the New Normal: How Inflation, War, and Sanctions Will Change Your World Forever. Where does your worldview come from?
While I have been formally trained and worked professionally as an economist, I believe I have an eclectic viewpoint drawing from a number of different disciplines, particularly from history. What I have always tried to do in my work, either in government, in the private sector, or ultimately for the readers of my books, is to connect the dots between concepts and events that to others seem unrelated. In doing so, my work has often challenged conventional wisdom, and I suppose in that sense might be considered “disruptive”—it raises questions that can’t be answered by the prevailing conventional wisdom of the moment. I think that is particularly true of my latest book, A Map of the New Normal, and how it perceives war, inflation, and sanctions very differently from how they are viewed by current media.
You graduated from Innis in 1977 with a BA in economics, going on to earn your MA from McGill University. What would you say is the best training for someone interested in becoming an economist?
Well, I think that it would be the same advice that I might give for most things—real-life experience. While obviously my university training as an economist laid a solid foundation, my six years spent working at a finance department (Ontario Ministry of Treasury and Economics) and my two decades as the chief economist at a major investment bank (CIBC World Markets) proved critical to my understanding of how the economy and financial markets really work—and it wasn’t always in the way that the textbooks would have you believe.
Jack Rubin (HBA ’19 Innis), son
You graduated from Innis in 2019 with an HBA in environmental studies and are now working in account management at a fintech company. How would you say your educational background influenced your current career path?
It became obvious to me that a BA wasn’t going to lead to immediate financial security, but it would open doors for me, and those doors led to a sales career in a niche fintech industry: FP&A (financial planning and analysis) software.
Sales managers want to hire smart and resilient people, and I think U of T’s reputation immediately telegraphs certain capabilities. It’s not the career path I dreamt of in undergrad, but as an alumnus I really have only one dream: to make enough money to live in the city in which I graduated. Sales has afforded me that luxury.
Given your dad’s expertise on the intersection of cheap oil, climate change, and global economies, and your background in environmental studies, what were your dinner table conversations like growing up? And why did you decide to follow in your dad’s footsteps and study at Innis?
My dad speaks often about his philosophies and beliefs, and the dinner table has always been a great platform for his lectures. I must admit, as a young person I found it difficult to fully comprehend his theories on the complex macroeconomic challenges facing our global economy. As an adult, I think I’m starting to follow along.
But one thing my father made me understand, even at a young age, was that I had to attend U of T when I grew up — just as he and my grandfather, who was a U of T professor, had done before me. I guess you could call it a family tradition.
Knowing this, I decided to pick Innis College because my dad spoke so fondly of his experience there. I had an amazing undergrad at Innis, so I’m really happy with my decision.
he first college-based interdisciplinary program at U of T, and the first to offer an experiential learning course, Innis College’s Urban Studies Program (USP) celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. The pioneering program has become even more popular in recent years, with students enjoying unique opportunities to partner with city builders tackling some of today’s toughest urban issues.
Owing to its growth, in July 2025, Urban Studies will come under the umbrella of U of T’s Department of Geography & Planning. David Roberts, USP’s director, says, “[This move] will allow us to access additional resources and supports, by being situated within a large department.” While details are still unfolding, Professor Roberts envisions that many of the factors contributing to USP’s success will remain, including its roots in community-engaged learning, and in Innis.
(BA ’84 Innis, Urban Studies)
“Graduating from USP put me on a 40-year trajectory of land-use planning practice in the world’s best city laboratory—Toronto. I’ve had the privilege of working across the entire geography, with all stakeholders, creating policy and projects, and been party to both the successes and challenges of a global city.
“From 2017 to 2023, as Toronto’s chief planner, advancing inclusion, sustainability, and a more liveable city, I can say that I trace many values and
(HBA ’06 Urban Studies, MA ’08, TESOL Cert. ’09)
“USP laid the foundation for my passion for transforming public spaces. Today, as the founding executive director of STEPS Public Art (@STEPSPublicArt), Canada’s only national public-art charity, I lead an incredible team working to engage communities and artists across the country through meaningful public-art and place-making initiatives.
Keisha St. Louis-McBurnie
(HBA ’19 Urban Studies, MScPl ’21)
my practice back to my learning and formative experiences at Innis. Distinct recollections from David Hulchanski’s class about housing as a human right, or having a sponsored work term in a city councillor’s office, are just two examples of USP’s impact on future perspectives, and the way planning evolves in a democratic system. Awareness of the need to influence people’s hearts and minds while appreciating the built and geographic context—it’s continuous learning that never stops.”
“My time at Innis profoundly shaped my career and set me on the path to founding STEPS Public Art. USP gave me a deep understanding of the intersections of urban design, public policy, and community engagement, which continue to influence my work today. I learned how cities function not just as physical spaces but as dynamic social environments, and I became fascinated with the role public spaces play in shaping our collective experiences. Urban Studies taught me to look at cities through a lens of equity and inclusion, which has been central to my work in public art. The ability to critically assess how spaces serve—or fail to serve—different communities led me through various urban-research, cultural-production, and communityengagement roles, until finally creating a national organization that empowers artists and communities to reimagine public spaces as vibrant, accessible, and inclusive places for everyone.”
“I’m an urban planner, researcher, and writer based in Toronto. My academic journey began in urban studies and political science, and led me to the planning profession. Since graduating, I’ve worked as an associate at Urban Strategies and now as lead strategist at Monumental, a social-purpose agency. Growing up in co-operative housing in Cabbagetown, Toronto, I was very interested in understanding why my neighbourhood and those around it—such as St. James Town, Regent Park, and Rosedale—were so different from one other. From my own lived experience, it was clear that there were inequities in our built environment along socioeconomic and racial lines. And I was deeply curious about how people make decisions about land and property, often outside of public purview.
“There is no question that USP helped me explore, and largely find, my ‘why.’ Why I care about the issues and communities that I do; why I should feel confident about my experiences and my expertise to lead change; and why we all should take action to ensure we can live in equitable and just communities.”
Scan the QR code to discover more about STEPS Public Art.
BY MADELINE KEIZER (HBA ’22 CINEMA STUDIES, WRITING & RHETORIC)
hile Kelly green, Kit Inferno, and 1970s architecture might come to mind when you think of Innis College, there is something else at the centre of Innis that has inarguably contributed to making it the creative, welcoming, and unique place it is today. Surprisingly (or not), it is writing and communication that reside at the core of the College’s identity. The culture of writing and critical analysis has made Innis a community that empowers students to find their voice and think critically.
In 1964, the first “Writing Lab” (now Writing Centre) in Canada was born at
Innis College, the brainchild of founding staff members David King and Evelyn Cotter. Innis blazed a trail not only for other colleges and campuses at the University of Toronto, but also for universities across Canada.
During the 1960s, U of T recognized the challenges faced by international students who spoke English as an additional language. Innis responded by creating a place where students could seek out one-toone teaching with an instructor who would patiently provide feedback and direction on their writing. Soon, writing centres became the standard—and an
invaluable tool for both international students and domestic students to ensure that their writing was clear, persuasive, and suitable for a rigorous academic environment.
Still, the University recognized that more support for international students was needed. In response, in 1979, Innis established the first for-credit writing courses at U of T, a highly successful initiative. No one else at U of T had, up to that point in time, recognized the craft of writing as its own academic discipline. Innis College’s two Rogers—Roger Greenwald and Roger Riendeau attempted to remedy this by piloting
“IN A WORLD WHERE WORDS ON A SCREEN HAVE REPLACED HANDSHAKES, THE ABILITY TO WRITE WITH CLARITY AND PUNCH IS NOT JUST A SKILL—IT IS A NECESSITY.” —PAUL JEBELY
IN1203: Clear Discourse and IN204: Academic Writing.
By the early 1980s, the University faced a new problem: declining literacy and writing skills among incoming students. Again ahead of the curve (and having developed a reputation as a hub for writing support), Innis developed the first forcredit writing minor at the University— Writing & Rhetoric. This first iteration of the Writing & Rhetoric Program was designed to add value to the degrees of students pursuing a specialist or a major in other fields; enable them to perform better academically; and encourage them to think critically. The program received excellent feedback from students; however, universitywide budget cuts in the late 1980s contributed to the program’s closure in 1993.
Meanwhile, various publications continued to manifest the culture of creativity, expression, and camaraderie at Innis. Writ—a literary journal of international scope and an egalitarian focus, also founded by Roger Greenwald—was published annually from 1970-95. Leon Rooke, Josef Škvorecký, Anne Michaels, and Steven Hayward, among others, contributed to Writ during its 25-year run. Similarly, The Innis Herald—first published in 1965 as The Paper continued to create an entertaining point of intersection for students at the College. Quippy, clever, and insightful articles allowed students to engage with one another, share inside jokes, and showcase their unique voices.
Three other publications pushed the boundaries and created conversation at Innis: SCAT! (established 1984), On the Bias (established 1967), and The Innis
Review (established 2010). SCAT! was the brainchild of two Innis students: actor, writer, and Kim’s Convenience star Jean Yoon (BA ’89 Innis) and current University of Guelph Professor Ajay Heble (BA ’84 Innis, PhD ’90). SCAT!’s playful, comedic tone was an outlet for theatrically inclined Innis students. In contrast, On the Bias published works of poetry and short fiction, and The Innis Review blended poetry, essays, and short fiction tied to a given theme.
In 2003, Cynthia Messenger spearheaded the re-launch of the Writing & Rhetoric minor program, serving as its director for 13 years. She recognized a growing interest in writing as its own discipline, and the need to teach students how to
refine their communication and critical thinking skills. Under Cynthia’s leadership, followed by that of the program’s other appointed faculty— Sharon English, Andrea Williams, and Daniel Adleman—the Writing & Rhetoric Program has offered students a diverse and thought-provoking curriculum, taught by some of the University’s most insightful faculty and sessional instructors. From courses focused on mastering technical skills, such as Copy Editing, to courses focused on argumentation and influence, such as Digital Rhetoric, the Writing & Rhetoric Program has become the beating heart of interdisciplinary writing at U of T.
In an ever-evolving, increasingly networked media landscape, Writing & Rhetoric is uniquely situated to provide students with the skills to navigate these uncertain times. Paul Jebely (BA ’02), who is a Writing & Rhetoric alumnus, the vice-chair of Sterlington law firm in New York, and the founder of the Hague Court of Arbitration for Aviation, notes that “the program has been a quiet engine driving everything I have done professionally over the past two decades. In a world where words on a screen have replaced handshakes, the ability to write with clarity and punch is not just a skill—it is a necessity. Now, more than ever, if you cannot master the written word in your own genuinely human voice in real time, the world will pass you by.”
Looking toward the future, with Daniel Adleman at the helm as program director, the Writing & Rhetoric Program continues to expand, cementing a lasting legacy here at Innis College and at U of T.
Paul Jebely (photo courtesy of Paul Jebely)
Barb McCutcheon (BA ’77) is the brilliant director of her cinematic “retirement”
BY SAMANTHA “SAM” GUEVARA (HBA ’25 INNIS, CINEMA STUDIES)
n 1975, the Cinema Studies Program was founded at Innis College. Teenage film buff Barb McCutcheon was one of the first students to enter and minor in the program, graduating in 1977. From studying English and film in university, to making her own independent film projects today, and everything in between, Barb McCutcheon has always believed in the motto: “Just go for it.”
After graduation, Barb pursued a successful sports photojournalism career—her work appeared on a Wheaties cereal box and McDonald’s food trays, in Sports Illustrated and Olympics skating promotions.
“I was only one of a handful of women accredited to shoot figure skating at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, when sports photography was very much a male-dominated field. It was a big highlight of my career,” Barb says.
She also spent 32 years as a business analyst and manager in corporate Canada, earning her a potentially relaxing retirement. However, that is not Barb. Instead, she decided to further pursue her film studies, taking advantage of her
“cinematic eye,” including the recent release of When You Find the One, a documentary she made with filmmaker Stella Racca that marks the 20 years following the legalization of same-sex marriage in Ontario.
Up next is a podcast initiative. Barb is working on Students of Aging, created by seniors for seniors about seniors, and the issues that matter to them. Whether it is teaching film studies for two summers to high school students or going to seniors’ homes showing classic feature films, Barb continues to strengthen her cinematic eye.
Looking back to her university days, Barb says that Cinema Studies and Innis College quickly made her feel that she wasn’t “sort of freakish,” coming out of high school with knowledge of obscure movie trivia and an obsession with old films. Attending cinema seminars with 15 other students who shared her passion enabled her to appreciate film in new ways. And the exposure she received to different types of film only added to that. Today, she still holds the curiosity she had in class, encouraged by outstanding professors such as
Joe Medjuck and Cameron Tolton. At Innis reunions, she says it feels as though she has never left, the welcome always warm. Innis College and Cinema Studies have become a home that has offered so much to her, and she hopes that other people experience the same “appreciation of film, and a loving environment.”
Barb notes she is always curious and continues to try to make a difference in people’s lives, finding stories that need to be told. Rachelle, Barb’s wife, adds that Barb “loves the idea of wanting to learn something new.”
Whether that is learning Spanish during the COVID-19 pandemic or—another current project—running a Rainbow Club for seniors from the LGBTQ+ community, Barb exemplifies the notion that to be a lifelong learner is a wondrous, joyful thing.
Charlie Keil awards Barb McCutcheon the prize for earliest Cinema Studies grad present at the institute’s 40th-anniversary celebration (photo by Jennifer Su).
2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the Cinema Studies Program (now Institute) at Innis College. In celebration, the institute is mounting a regular screening series involving alumni filmmakers and creators in conversation with present and past faculty, including Joe Medjuck.
Founding Cinema Studies Program faculty member Joe Medjuck delivers a lecture at Innis College.
Scan the QR code to watch When You Find the One, a Stella Racca film, produced by Barb McCutcheon, on YouTube.
1,264 student enrolments in undergraduate Cinema Studies courses today
194 graduates from the master’s program in Cinema Studies since it was first offered in 2007
17 PhDs earned in Cinema Studies since the program began in 2013
Visit cinema.utoronto.ca to discover what’s up next in Town Hall or scan the QR code.
BY RAVEN STODDART (HBSC ’24 INNIS)
As the Innis Renewal and Expansion Campaign continues full steam ahead, we asked nine of this year’s University of Toronto Student Leadership Award (UTSLA) recipients to reflect on how they have helped to “build” Innis—and their leadership skills too.
Kimlin Chin (HBSc ’24)
“In my first year, I was exposed to exemplars of leadership at Innis: a supportive residence don, a friendly principal, and a diverse group of orientation leaders who showed me that being a leader doesn’t have to look only one way. Since then, I have held various leadership roles such as orientation leader and mentor, where I have been able to meet and support members of the Innis community, hopefully with the same kindness and grace that I was shown. The people I met at Innis helped shape me into the person and leader I am today!”
(HBSc ’24)
“Being part of the Innis community made me feel at home in a new country where I initially knew no one. The warmth and inclusivity I experienced made me feel like I truly belonged. Innis taught me that true leadership goes beyond guiding others—it’s about caring for, loving, and including everyone in the community. This sense of belonging has shaped my view of leadership, showing me that a strong, supportive community is the foundation upon which all growth is built. My experiences at Innis have inspired me to lead with empathy and inclusivity, fostering a home for all.”
Yona Anderson (HBA ’24)
“Before coming to Innis, ‘leadership’ was merely a concept to me. I used to stand on the sidelines, watching others take the initiative and admiring their bravery, thinking we were from different worlds. Now I realize leadership isn’t just for others; there is an innate power and potential within everyone to become a leader. Striving for that potential will never hurt. This past year has been the most significant for me as a student leader, and receiving the UTSLA strongly validated my efforts. I am grateful to have come to Innis, where I learned the invaluable lessons of leadership.”
Catherine Dumé
(HBA ’24)
“‘We’re Innis Together’ is not just a motto but a resonating mantra that has nurtured my leadership experience. From within the safe cocoon of Innis, I improved the experiences of disabled and Black students and brought together silos in the U of T community to advance this goal. I owe it all to Innis. Cofounding the Innis Herald Podcast allowed me to provide a voice to the voiceless and build camaraderie among fellow students, faculty, and staff. Leadership is not only taking initiative and collaborating with diverse groups, but also having the wild imagination to dream of an accessible future for all.”
Matthew Edghill (HBSc ’24)
“My involvement within Innis has taught me that leadership extends beyond simply directing a choir to sing the right tune or harmonize at the right time. The essence of leadership is nurturing the development of a warm and inclusive community, in which even shy first years can build long-lasting friendships and develop the confidence to sing in front of audiences. Such a communityoriented environment not only encourages camaraderie among peers but also naturally gives birth to new leaders, who will step out of their comfort zone to guide others. In this way, good leadership both perpetuates itself and fosters connectedness.”
Joseph (HBA ’24)
“The Innis community has always been kind, welcoming, and supportive. I found a muchneeded breath of fresh air at U of T within the fun-loving atmosphere created by Innis’s leaders. I am elated to have contributed to this, especially through my involvement with the Innis College Student Society. These past four years have been incredibly fulfilling, and have sparked a life-long passion for serving my communities. I am grateful to have grown so much, and to have made many meaningful connections. As the Innis building undergoes expansion, I hope the community similarly continues to flourish and inspire growth for all its members.”
(HBSc ’24)
“Before starting university, I thought I understood leadership. I had been involved in various initiatives throughout high school, including mental health advocacy groups. When I arrived at Innis, I was met with passion and enthusiasm from students, not comparable to anything I had experienced prior. The positive and inclusive environment inspired me to get involved as much as I could. From being a part of the Innis Residence
Council, Innis College Council, and orientation, I worked with individuals who helped me grow as both a leader and person. Innis taught me that leadership is a lifelong pursuit guided by kindness, inclusivity, open-mindedness, and teamwork. I could not be prouder to call myself a lifelong Innisian.”
(HBSc ’24)
“By being involved at Innis and U of T, I have cultivated meaningful friendships and embarked on a journey of personal growth. Throughout my time at Innis, I have helped first-year international students with their transition to university by sharing resources and offering support, and, in turn, learning from them. I’ve also learned more about the Innis and U of T communities, and beyond. I’ve come to realize that leadership is built on a foundation of open-mindedness and compassion. Without this, I would not have grown to become the person I am today or have the support system I now have.”
(HBA ’24)
“Leadership has meant different things to me throughout my life. When I was younger, I had the misconception that leadership was a quality assigned to exceptional individuals who demonstrated exuberant, confident characteristics. However, my experiences contributing to the Innis community have taught me that leadership comes in many shapes and forms, and that the making of a leader starts with baby steps fuelled by a passion for community. Anyone can be a leader as long as they embrace their passion for serving the people and environment around them.”
Webnesh Haile (HBSc ’09 Innis, JD ’15)
Since graduating from Innis, Webnesh has given back to the Innis community in numerous ways, including providing valuable oversight and advocacy as a two-time college representative on the Council of Presidents and as an alumni representative on Innis College Council.
“I want to draw special attention to Web’s ongoing service on the adjudication committee for the Lesra Martin Changemaker Award, where her compassion and her sharp analytical mind have come to the fore in equal measure.” —Charlie Keil, Innis College principal
Michael Orr 2022-23 LLL president
Mike is a long-time volunteer with Later Life Learning (LLL), a venerable Innis partner for 40 years. Under his recent leadership as president of LLL’s board of directors, the organization generously contributed to Innis’s scholarships and capital campaign, creating opportunities for countless students.
“Mike Orr’s accomplishments have ensured LLL’s long-term success. He led three major initiatives: the new
website and registration system; a hybrid model for LLL’s lectures series; and a member-survey system. Mike’s mentorship, advice, and leadership were valued by those of us lucky to work with him.” —Kathy Nolan-Garner, 2023-24 LLL president
(BA ’77 Innis)
John first became involved with Innis as a volunteer in 2020, when he inaugurated the College’s virtual events programming with a book talk. Since then, he has consistently supported Innis’s alumni outreach efforts, including championing the College’s capital campaign, and sharing words of inspiration with graduating students.
“To me, John embodies the spirit of Innis College—energetic, compassionate, and a down-to-earth kind of coolness—qualities of a community that I am grateful to have been a part of during my university studies.” —Andrew Yin (HBA ’22 Innis, Urban Studies)
(BA ’67 Innis)
A member of Innis’s first graduating class, Noel was instrumental in planning his cohort’s 50th-anniversary celebration. For four years, he also
served as the alumni representative on Innis College Council, actively contributing to college oversight and direction, as well as directly engaging with students and staff.
“Noel’s wisdom and experience have been incredibly valuable, not just to ICC, but to all current students and staff. It is because of people like Noel that Innis continues to flourish and grow.” —Juliana Concini (HBSc ’26 Innis)
(BSc ’77 Innis, MSc ’81, MD ’86)
Jim, an avid volunteer, has been an early champion and leader of Innis’s mentorship program for several years. He has supported numerous students who aspire to careers in medicine, offering insights and guidance with warmth and patience.
“Having Jim as my mentor was a highlight of my second year at Innis. He not only helped me navigate my academic and career path, but also inspired me to give back however possible. Jim has a genuine heart for the community and is truly deserving of this recognition” —Francisca Wiafe-Amoako (HBSc ’21 Innis)
BY FARRAH LIU (HBA ’25 CINEMA STUDIES)
The award-winning filmmaker: Elizabeth Wijaya, CSI assistant professor, co-produced Mongrel and Viêt and Nam, both of which were screened at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. Mongrel took home the Camera d’Or Special Distinction. Mongrel also was awarded the top prize, Best Asian Feature Film, at the 35th annual Singapore International Film Festival.
Elizabeth Wijaya on Mongrel :
“Is dignity possible without the structural or environmental conditions to support material or psychical wellbeing? What is the role or complicity of cinema in relation to exploitative conditions around the world? Mongrel is an elemental film, raising difficult questions and without easy answers.”
The award-winning filmmaker: Brett Story, CSI assistant professor, brought her codirected and co-produced documentary, Union, to the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the US Documentary Special Jury Award for the Art of Change.
Brett Story on Union : “We found out that the film got into Sundance when we were still in the edit, struggling
On Viêt and Nam :
to complete the film. It was thrilling, exhilarating, and terrifying all at once. What it meant, and still means, is that no matter what, the film would have an audience.”
What the critics said: “Union is a powerful reminder of what’s at stake when companies reduce workers to numbers on a balance sheet … .” —LA Times
“In Viêt and Nam, the relationship between the character, Viêt, and the character, Nam, has multiple levels of significance, but at its core, we see two people holding on to each other, despite everything.”
What the critics said:
“There is a sense after seeing [Mongrel] … of having encountered greatness. That is a rarity, even in Cannes.”
—Deadline
“[Viêt and Nam] artfully maps a heartbreaking romance onto the battered history of a nation.”
—The Hollywood Reporter
DONALD BOERE, Innis registrar, received an Excellence Through Innovation Award from the University as a member of the Student Advising Service team, at a May 2024 ceremony.
EVA-LYNN JAGOE, Innis vice-principal, edited Roberto de la Torre. Arte, Violencia y Extracción, Ciudad de México, Miami, Mumbai, Toronto, published in March 2024.
DEIRDRE KELLY (BA ’83 Cinema Studies, MA ’84) published her book, Fashioning the Beatles: The Looks That Shook the World, in September 2023.
TOM CARDOSO
(HBA ’12 Cinema Studies) received an award from the Canadian Association of Journalists in June 2024 as a member of a team in the Freedom of Information Journalism category for “Secret Canada,” published by The Globe & Mail.
TANYA KAN
(HBA ’11 Innis, Cinema Studies) executive produced and directed the video game, Solace State, which was released September 2023.
JESSICA COPLEY, Innis Writing Centre instructor, won the 2024 Charles Bernheimer Prize from the American Comparative Literature Association for her dissertation, “Forms of War: Capitalism, Representation and the State of Post-45 Literatures from France, Japan, and the United States.”
CHARLIE KEIL, Innis principal and Cinema Studies Institute professor, co-edited The Oxford Handbook of Silent Cinema with Columbia University professor Rob King; it was published in February 2024.
SIMON LEWSEN, Writing & Rhetoric and Innis One instructor, received the Hugo Rodrigues Award for Community News from the Canadian Association of Journalists in June 2024 for his investigative journalism work, “The Crisis After the Crisis,” published in The Local
BLISS CUA LIM, Cinema Studies professor, published her book, The Archival Afterlives of Philippine Cinema, in February 2024.
RICHIE MEHTA
(HBA ’01 Cinema Studies) directed the eight-part crime drama, Poacher, which premiered on Amazon Prime in February 2024.
TONY PI, CSI graduate program advisor, co-edited Game On!, an anthology of essays that explore sci-fi and fantasy video gaming in 2023. The book was nominated for a 2024 Aurora Award.
SHAWN MICALLEF,
Innis One instructor, published an updated edition of his popular book, Stroll, in May 2024.
JEFF RUBIN
(BA ’77 Innis) published his latest book, A Map of the New Normal, in May 2024, launching it in Town Hall.
See p. 9 for more on the event, and pp. 24-25 to read about Jeff’s familial connection to Innis.
EMILY WEEDON
(BA ’97 Innis, Cinema Studies) received a 2023 Canadian Screen Award for Best Writing, Web Program or Series, for her co-writing on the period drama, Chateau Laurier. In April 2024, Emily published her debut novel, Autokrator
CHRIS MUTTON & SANDY PEREIRA
For their work on Essex County, alumni Chris Mutton (HBA ’01 Cinema Studies) and Sandy Pereira (BA ’00 Cinema Studies), along with Dev Singh, received the 2023 award for Best Picture Editing – Movies for Television and Mini-series from the Directors Guild of Canada, awarded in October 2023.
VIKKI VISVIS, instructor in the Writing & Rhetoric Program and Innis Writing Centre, received a 2024 Superior Teaching Award, Sessional Instructor, from the Faculty of Arts & Science at a June 2024 ceremony.
DAWN WILKINSON
(BA ’96 Innis) received an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Directing of a Drama Series category for her work on the STARZ show, Power Book II: Ghost, in March 2024.
Innis Dagg, OC (BA ’55, MA ’56, Hon LLD ’21),1933-2024
Pioneering zoologist, animal rights activist, feminist, professor
“As daughter of U of T political economist Harold Innis, Anne Innis Dagg continued in her parents’ illustrious footsteps. The first Western scientist to study giraffes in the wild in 1956, she received a doctorate in animal behaviour from the University of Waterloo in 1967, and her ensuing Giraffe: Biology, Behaviour, and Conservation (1976) remains the seminal reference today. Formerly a professor at the Universities of Guelph and Waterloo, Anne published 60 scientific papers and 26 books, including further groundbreaking insights into gender bias and anthropomorphization at work in ethological scholarship. In January 2019, the acclaimed biographical documentary directed by Alison Reid, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, screened at Innis Town Hall to an enthralled audience. Like others, I’m grateful to have encountered a role model who followed her passion for animals and environmental justice despite structural obstacles and gender biases.”
—Angelica Fenner, Cinema Studies associate professor
Norman Jewison, CC, OOnt (BA ’49, Hon LLD ’85), 1926-2024
Academy-Award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, founder of the Canadian Film Centre
“Norman Jewison was a masterful filmmaker. His career began at the tail end of Hollywood’s Golden Age and spanned half a century. He directed everyone from Edward G. Robinson to Denzel Washington. Norman was also a generous man and helped shape the course of my life. Thanks to his financial gift, I was able to pursue a graduate screenwriting degree in Los Angeles. And I’ve worked in the entertainment industry ever since. I was honoured to have met Norman twice. It’s hard to overstate the impact he had on me, on other creatives, and on the art of cinema itself. Above all, Norman was a proud Canadian who never forgot his roots.” —Tom Nowak (HBA ’09 Innis, Cinema Studies), Norman Jewison Fellow
Award-winning film and television director, writer, producer, actor, hockey player, champion of the Black community, co-founder of the Black Screen Office
“I first met Charles Officer in 2018 after a screening of Unarmed Verses at Innis Town Hall. I was a nervous second-year student, eagerly searching for any opportunity to work in the film and television industry. Charles was attentive to my every word. Eventually, I began working at Canesugar Filmworks as his assistant, supporting the company’s projects and having the unique opportunity to attend industry events. While working with Charles, I learned a lot about being a focused and purposeful filmmaker and even more about being a good and ethical human being. Charles always did everything in his capacity to make time and space for everyone who approached him. As a filmmaker, he examined the human condition through a lens of deep compassion, no matter the background of his characters. It’s rare to come across a Canadian filmmaker who hasn’t been significantly impacted by Charles and his work. His legacy lives on in all the lives he touched, his art, and his colleagues, friends, and family.” —Yazmeen Kanji (HBA ’20 Innis, Cinema Studies), filmmaker, founder of Films With a Cause
On April 10, 2024, family,
On March 3, 2024, Innis College and CSI remembered Charles Officer with a screening of his first feature, Nurse.Fighter.Boy. A panel of Charles’s collaborators and friends, including Desmond Cole, Araya Mengesha, Jake Yanowski, Yazmeen Kanji, and Nurse.Fighter.Boy co-writer and producer Ingrid Veninger, reflected on his impactful life and career.
Distinguished political scientist, educator, second Innis College principal, author, hockey player
“Peter Russell was my professor in political science, my principal at Innis College, my faculty colleague, and my friend. Each of these relationships was special and memorable in its own way. But as I think beyond my personal connection, what stands out is Peter’s prodigious knowledge of and contribution to Canadian life. Every country needs someone who can tell the country’s story with authority, imagination, and graceful humility, and Peter was one of our greatest national raconteurs. He celebrated the good (our civic culture), confronted the bad (our treatment of Indigenous peoples), and chronicled the ugly (our obsession with ‘mega-constitutional’ politics). He called it Canada’s Odyssey. Scholar, teacher, vice-regal advisor, principal, citizen, captain of the Oxford hockey team—Peter Russell did it all.” —Rob Vipond (BA ’75 Innis, MA ’77), professor emeritus of political science
“As a student, I was elected to the search committee that brought Peter Russell back to Innis as its second principal; his return was instrumental in transforming my college status from rookie chugging champ to a political force. Then, in another election to the role of ICSS vice-president, I had the opportunity to spend hours and hours working with him, initiating the journey of moving Innis College from 63 St. George St. to 2 Sussex Ave., and working on the building plans with the architects. Last, but not least, Peter became a friend, mentor, and advisor—and gave me the nickname “Runsamuck,” an evolution of my last name, which he loved yelling whenever he saw me around the College, and later at the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto.” —Briane Nasimok (BA ’73 Innis), producer, storyteller, writer
Samantha “Sam” Guevara (HBA, Cinema Studies ’25 Innis)
Sam is in her final undergraduate year at U of T, double majoring in human geography and political science, as well as minoring in cinema studies. From being the editor-in-chief of The Innis Herald to a coordinator of Innis Orientation, Sam is an active Innisian, passionate about contributing to the college community. Beyond Innis, their interests include media producing and urban planning.
“Second act,” pp. 30-31
Photo by Jamie Yi
Madeline Keizer (HBA ’22 Cinema Studies, Writing & Rhetoric)
Madeline is a communications coordinator at Innis College, a U of T alumna, and a graduate of the Cinema Studies and Writing & Rhetoric programs at Innis. She is passionate about storytelling, knowledge keeping, and the art of digital communication.
Madeline finds meaning in building community and helping to make Innis College an accessible and welcoming environment for all.
“A story writ large,” pp. 28-29
Photo by Shayla Anderson
Farrah Liu (HBA ’25 Cinema Studies)
Farrah is the president of the Cinema Studies Student Union (CINSSU) and is completing her Honours BA, specializing in cinema studies and minoring in Italian studies. She is also a Toronto-based cultural critic who was recently published in the Toronto Star
“CSI faculty reap rewards at Sundance and Cannes,” p. 35
Photo courtesy of Farrah Liu
Gheyana is one of Innis’s communications coordinators and a U of T grad with a background in communications, user-experience design, and linguistics. She is passionate about supporting students and creating accessible designs that bring the Innis community together, creating meaningful connections and enriching student experiences.
“Making space for newcomers,” pp. 16-17
by Shayla Anderson
Lina Yan (HBA ’24 Innis)
Lina is a recent graduate of Innis College and an arts-based community builder. Having completed a major in sociology and a minor in education, Lina is currently pursuing her passion for youth advocacy and cultural diversity as a youth worker, where she develops skill-building programs for newcomers to the GTA.
Cover artwork
Photo courtesy of Lina Yan
Raven is a recent Innis graduate, currently pursuing an MSc in applied immunology at U of T. A proud Innisian, she was involved in a variety of initiatives during her undergraduate time, including Innis College Council, Innis Residence Council, and Innis Orientation, and she held a workstudy role in the Innis Advancement Office. Raven hopes to continue to foster community and give back in her career, aspiring to go into the field of patient care and medicine.
“2024 UTSLA recipients,” pp. 32-33
Photo by Shayla Anderson
If you are an alum, friend, staff, or student of Innis, and have an idea for a story, or know an Innisian whom you think should be profiled in the magazine, we invite you to lend your creative talents—which may include interviewing, writing, or illustrating— to our next edition. Please contact editor Ben Weststrate (HBA ’08 Innis) at ben.weststrate@utoronto.ca.
