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
Vampire literature course lets students get a good look at the myth
TORONTO, ON – The primary focus of the class might not be on Twilight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer or The Vampire Diaries, but the resurging popularity of vampires has certainly helped stimulate interest in the first-year German studies course Our Vampires, Ourselves. “It’s a fascinating subject,” says Erol Boran, the German department’s associate chair of undergraduate studies. “Perhaps students see themselves in vampires. That’s what makes them attractive. People think about them because they are very much like us.” When,…
Molly Shoichet wins Society for Biomaterials Clemson Award
TORONTO, ON - The Society for Biomaterials, a professional society that promotes advances in biomedical materials research and development, has named IBBME core professor Molly Shoichet the recipient of this year’s Clemson Award for Contributions to the Literature. This award recognizes significant contributions to the literature on the science or technology of biomaterials. Dr. Shoichet has published over 400 papers, patents and abstracts and has given over 250 lectures worldwide. Her research currently focuses regenerative medicine, drug delivery and tissue…
Human rights, religion and the law
TORONTO, ON – The wearing of face coverings, the question of whether “Good Friday” at Easter should still be a statutory holiday, and prayers in the school cafeteria over the lunch hour are all questions of religious accommodation in civil society. Beginning January 11, the University of Toronto and the Ontario Human Rights Commission are facilitating a two-day policy consultation on religion and the law. The public is invited to join the conversation to explore the boundaries of religious expression…
International study tours help Rotman MBAs gain insight into the global economy
TORONTO, ON – Two groups of MBA students from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto will be kicking off the New Year by exploring the opportunities and challenges of doing business in the global economy. One group will be exploring the still emerging economy of China while the second will be exploring the established economies of Europe. The tours come at an interesting time as the global economy continues to search for a way forward from…
2011 Steacie Prize awarded for nanotechnology-enabled disease diagnosis
Toronto, Ontario – Professor Shana Kelley of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy is the winner of the 2011 Steacie Prize, marking the third consecutive year that a University of Toronto professor has received this prestigious award. “It's wonderful and at the same time humbling to get this type of recognition – which is really recognition of the talents of all of the past and present members of my research group,” said Professor Kelley, who is also a professor in…
World science community abuzz as latest Higgs boson results announced
TORONTO, ON – The international team of researchers that has been smashing high-energy protons together inside the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to re-create the conditions at the time of the Big Bang announced new evidence today pointing to an observation of the Higgs boson. The Higgs boson is a hypothetical massive elementary particle that is predicted to exist by the Standard Model of particle physics. The Standard Model has been the basis of particle physics for more than 30 years…
U of T student named Ontario Rhodes Scholar
TORONTO, ON – Steven Wang, a graduate of Trinity College at the University of Toronto, has been named an Ontario Rhodes Scholar for 2012. Wang is one of 11 Canadians to earn one of the world’s most celebrated academic honours. Established in 1903, the prestigious and highly competitive scholarship comes with a stipend and tuition expenses to pursue a degree or degrees at the University of Oxford. Wang, who majored in international relations, dedicates the honour to his parents who…
Major announcement re: Higgs Boson
TORONTO, ON – An international team of researchers that has been smashing high-energy protons together inside the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to re-create the conditions at the time of the Big Bang are expected to announce new results on December 13 in Geneva regarding their search for the Higgs boson particle. The Higgs boson is a hypothetical massive elementary particle that is predicted to exist by the Standard Model of particle physics. The Standard model has been the basis of…
Canada’s early entrepreneurs profiled in new book
TORONTO, ON – From the Aboriginal chief who controlled the early Maritime fur trade to pioneering female saloon owners who made their mark during the gold rush, a fascinating new book profiles the entrepreneurs who shaped Canadian history. “Canada’s Entrepreneurs: From the Fur Trade to the 1929 Stock Market Crash” contains 61 biographical portraits of key Canadians who energized the country’s economic life and shaped the face of Canadian business. The profiles were chosen from the Dictionary of Canadian Biography,…
Ancient meat-loving predators survived for 35 million years
TORONTO, ON - A species of ancient predator with saw-like teeth, sleek bodies and a voracious appetite for meat survived a major extinction at a time when the distant relatives of mammals ruled the earth. A detailed description of a fossil that scientists identify as a varanopid "pelycosaur" is published in the December issue of Naturwissenschaften – The Science of Nature. Professors Sean Modesto from Cape Breton University, and Robert Reisz from University of Toronto Mississauga provide evidence that a…