People

Giovanni Williams in a beige T-shirt, black jeans and white sneakers, sitting on a black wooden bench under a panelled ceiling that slopes down to the floor at the middle right of the photo. He is smiling and facing off camera, with his shoulders hunched and his forearms resting on his thighs. Several fluorescent tubes are placed along the wall at the far end of the bench, giving off a neon yellow light.

The Change They Want

Winning over people to your cause is not easy. As these students discovered, it helps to have a personal – and persuasive – message

Professor Thy Phu, with thick blue-framed glasses and the front strands of her black hair dyed in red, stands with one hand on her hips and the other resting against a tall grey wooden fence. Behind and above her is a tree branch laden with leaves and white flowers.

Unseen Stories

The American perspective dominates our understanding of the Vietnam War. In her new book, Professor Thy Phu offers a glimpse from the other side

Outdoor photo of Cody Caetano in a white T-shirt under an off-white short-sleeved button-up shirt, revealing tattoos along his forearms. He is seated on a wooden bench with a flower bed.

Healing with Humour

Cody Caetano has written a painfully honest – and sometimes hilarious – memoir of growing up in a wayward family

Nisha Pahuja, wearing a black 3/4 sleeve top and black-framed glasses, sitting on a chair at a corner next to potted plants in front of large windows, with sunlight flooding the room

Fighting for Justice

In her latest documentary, filmmaker Nisha Pahuja tackles a most difficult topic – sexual assault

Black and white photo of Jiavet Ealom in a long black overcoat standing knee-deep in an open body of water with his hands in his pockets.

Journey to Freedom

The inspiring and courageous story of fourth-year student Jaivet Ealom, who fled a brutal regime and found refuge in Canada

Darren Hamilton in a blue patterned, long-sleeved shirt, seated in front of a piano, smiling and looking off camera

Spreading the Gospel

A Juno Award-winning teacher wants all his students to feel there is a place for them in music

Prof. Kristen Bos wearing a long-sleeved, black and white flower patterned dress and large purple clover-shaped earrings, standing in front of a field of tall shrubs, with one hand on her waist

The Costs of Extraction

Prof. Kristen Bos investigates how pollution has affected – and continues to affect – Indigenous communities

Karlie Nordstrom standing in front of an Indigenous painting of animals and trees in the foreground and the outline of a city and concentric circles of different colours in the background

See You in Court

Raising the number of Indigenous lawyers and judges will require more financial support for Indigenous law students

Jialiang Zhu standing next to a sunflower patch

Come From Away

These seven international students and alumni are among the thousands who contribute to scholarly and cultural life at U of T

Sara Seager, who has dark hair and is wearing a red coat, is in profile, peering through the eyepiece of a telescope

The Search for Another Earth

Astronomer Sara Seager believes there are other planets that support life. She’s dedicated much of her career to finding them

Headshot of Prof. Keisuke Fukuda with a band of orange light covering the top of his head

Reading the Mind

U of T Mississauga psychology professor Keisuke Fukuda studies how the brain makes memories – and why it sometimes fails

Pacinthe Mattar sitting next to a window next to houseplants and framed pictures, with a bookshelf behind her

Behind the Headlines

Canadian media are becoming more diverse but racialized journalists still face barriers in the workplace that are rarely discussed, says UTM alum Pacinthe Mattar

Prof. Mark V. Campbell with a beige background and red lighting

Charting Hip Hop’s Course

Professor Mark V. Campbell grew up during the early years of rap music. Now, he is helping preserve Canadian hip-hop culture for future generations

Illustration of a woman opening a door inside a gigantic ocean wave under grey skies

Seeds of Bravery

Sometimes life’s pain can feel overwhelming. A new book shares stories of how people find hope in their darkest moments

Outdoor photo of Austin Yeh with a bridge and residential buildings in the background

The Property Guy

In less than five years, Austin Yeh has built himself a solid real-estate portfolio. Here’s how he did it

Hong Kong harbour skyline in black and white with an outline of the Toronto skyline overlaying it

The Bridge Builders

How a visionary group of alumni helped forge a strong and lasting connection between U of T and Hong Kong

Prof. Jerry Flores standing outside the entrance of a building

A Path Out of Poverty

U of T Mississauga professor Jerry Flores says caring teachers inspired him to seek better opportunities in life. Now, he wants to do the same for others

Photo of Tahmid Khan in a white T-shirt looking at the camera with a serious expression, shot in a studio against a bluish white background

The Truth Saved My Life

A picture that circulated in the aftermath of an attack led to my wrongful imprisonment. My friends and family – and U of T – helped free me

Composite image of 12 alumni featured as

Taking a Stand

As these alumni have discovered, it takes courage to speak up for what you believe in

U of T Mississauga professor Rhonda McEwen

The Power of Touch

When Prof. Rhonda McEwen learned that her daughter was on the autism spectrum, she began to think about communications technology in new ways

A framed black and white photo of Rodney Bobiwash hanging on a white wall above two awards, one a stone carving of an eagle and the other a stone carving of a grizzly bear on a rock, both on wooden plaques

A Heart of Courage

As director of U of T’s First Nations House, Rodney Bobiwash fought for the rights of Indigenous people. He also embodied the Anishinaabe virtues of humility and approachability

Photo of Petra Molnar standing next to a window in front of a desk, with a bookshelf in the background

Computer Says “No”

U of T’s Petra Molnar warns that the use of AI in immigration decisions could infringe on the human rights of migrants

Graduation photo of Elizabeth Bagshaw

Doing the Devil’s Work

The local bishop called her a heretic. The Criminal Code deemed her work illegal. But Dr. Elizabeth Bagshaw was more concerned with helping women at Canada’s first birth control centre

Judith Schurek

Her Extraordinary Journey

Judith Schurek fled the Hungarian Revolution and studied at U of T. Now, she supports scholarships for international students

Laura Alary holds a mala as she thinks about the specific things she's grateful for in her life

How to Be Grateful

When I was battling depression, it was a small moment that helped me begin to find my way out

Lentil Soup for the Soul

Being a healthy eater doesn’t mean giving up your own cultural foods, says Nazima Qureshi, a nutritionist who helps women meet their health goals

Roommates Catherine Finlayson, 61 (left) and 18-year old U of T student Zoe Butcher (right) are part of the Toronto HomeShare Pilot Project where university students are paired with senior-citizens who have a spare room in their homes. Students are expected to help out around the house doing chores and light housework in return for subsidized rent

Roomies with a Twist

A new home-sharing program is matching students with seniors to help them save on housing costs – and, just maybe, bond over Netflix

Kate Scowan sits at her kitchen table

Help Through the Darkness

The wait-lists for publicly funded therapy are long. Kate Scowen devised a way for people to receive low-cost counselling sooner

More Than a Pipe Dream

Ryan Janzen is developing a new kind of transportation that could revolutionize intercity travel – and he wants to be the first to ride it