Media Releases
Below is a selection of recent press releases. For all the latest news please visit www.utoronto.ca/news
General Inquires +1 (416) 978-0100 Email media.relations@utoronto.ca
Antarctic neutrino-hunting project IceCube named Breakthrough of the Year by Physics World
TORONTO, ON – International high-energy physics research project IceCube has been named the 2013 Breakthrough of the Year by British magazine Physics World. The Antarctic observatory has been selected for making the first observation of cosmic neutrinos, but also for overcoming the many challenges of creating and operating a colossal detector deep under the ice at the South Pole. “The ability to detect cosmic neutrinos is a remarkable achievement that gives astronomers a completely new way of studying the cosmos,”…
University of Toronto’s license with Access Copyright set to end
TORONTO, ON - The University of Toronto has been unable to reach an agreement with Access Copyright for a renewal of the current license at a price that we believe fairly values the service that Access Copyright provides. This outcome means that, in the year ahead, the University will operate for the first time in many years without a license with Access Copyright. The University sought to obtain a license that reflected the significant evolution in copyright regulation that has occurred…
Lieutenant Governor, Premier to join the University of Toronto in celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela
TORONTO, ON – On Friday, December 13, the University of Toronto will be joined by the Lieutenant Governor and the Premier of Ontario to celebrate the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela. In addition to remarks by notable Canadians and Africans, the event will feature performances by the Nelson Mandela Park Public School choir, Jackie Richardson and Joe Sealy, the musical group Jabulani and the Nathaniel Dett Chorale. The event will be hosted by CBC Radio’s Garvia Bailey.…
New long-lived greenhouse gas discovered by University of Toronto chemistry team
TORONTO, ON - Scientists from U of T’s Department of Chemistry have discovered a novel chemical lurking in the atmosphere that appears to be a long-lived greenhouse gas (LLGHG). The chemical – perfluorotributylamine (PFTBA) – is the most radiatively efficient chemical found to date, breaking all other chemical records for its potential to impact climate. Radiative efficiency describes how effectively a molecule can affect climate. This value is then multiplied by its atmospheric concentration to determine the total climate impact.…
Bank of Canada’s Macklem – key player in Canada’s financial system – named dean of U of T’s Rotman School of Management
TORONTO, ON – Tiff Macklem, a leader in national and international financial systems, has been named the new dean of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. "I am thrilled to be joining the University of Toronto and Rotman, both of which are renowned for excellence in Canada and around the world," said Macklem. "This new role will allow me to bring together my public policy and research experience to support students and to promote the world-leading thinking that…
Hummingbird metabolism unique in burning glucose and fructose equally
TORONTO, ON - Hummingbird metabolism is a marvel of evolutionary engineering. These tiny birds can power all of their energetic hovering flight by burning the sugar contained in the floral nectar of their diet. Now new research from the University of Toronto Scarborough shows they are equally adept at burning both glucose and fructose, which are the individual components of sugar; a unique trait other vertebrates cannot achieve. “Hummingbirds have an optimal fuel-use strategy that powers their high-energy lifestyle, maximizes…
U of T study finds that fear of being single leads people to settle for less in relationships
TORONTO, ON – Fear of being single is a meaningful predictor of settling for less in relationships among both men and women, a new University of Toronto study has found. The results are published in the December edition of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. “Those with stronger fears about being single are willing to settle for less in their relationships,” says lead author Stephanie Spielmann, postdoctoral researcher in the University of Toronto's Department of Psychology. “Sometimes they stay in relationships they aren’t happy in, and sometimes they…
University of Toronto’s Creative Destruction Lab selects its newest cohort
TORONTO, ON - Building on a successful inaugural year which resulted in eight successful ventures creating over $65 million in equity value, 15 new ventures have been accepted into the second cohort of the Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Offering its ventures access to unparalleled mentorship, the Creative Destruction Lab has accrued a team of experienced entrepreneurs who have successfully created, nurtured and harvested value from massively scalable, technology-based businesses. Dubbed The Group…
Drone Protest Against Illegal Video Surveillance in Public Places
TORONTO, ON - Researchers at the University of Toronto and Ryerson University, in collaboration with privacy advocates at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, will fly a sign bearing drone near the Toronto Eaton’s Centre to draw attention to the widespread illegal video surveillance of public places. The quadcopter drone will carry a bright yellow sign reading ILLEGAL CAMERA and position it directly in front of an offending camera. The multi-sided sign will simultaneously alert the surveillance operators that their installation…
New algorithm finds you, even in untagged photos
TORONTO, ON – A new algorithm designed at the University of Toronto has the power to profoundly change the way we find photos among the billions on social media sites such as Facebook and Flickr. This month, the United States Patent and Trademark Office will issue a patent on this technology. Developed by Parham Aarabi, a professor in The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, and his former Master’s student Ron Appel, the search tool uses…