National conference will spark discussion on reinventing education to prepare tomorrow’s diverse engineering leaders to address challenges we can’t yet imagineToronto, ON – The toughest problems facing humanity in the 21st century — from water scarcity to urban intensification to personalized medicine — will be tackled by tomorrow’s engineers. Many of the issues they will work to solve […]

Toronto, ON –  Machine learning and artificial intelligence are poised to revolutionize the way companies do business in the fields of healthcare, transportation, and materials research. With the launch of the new Vector Institute, Toronto is quickly becoming a hub for machine learning development. Following this momentum is a three-part limited edition CIFAR seminar series, […]

Discovery that confirms theory of relativity makes headlines around the world “We see today that black holes exist in the universe and they do collide!” Associate Professor Harald Pfeiffer says (image courtesy NASA) For the first time, scientists have observed gravitational waves – ripples in the fabric of spacetime from a cataclysmic event in the […]

Toronto, ON – When one atom first meets another, the precise nature of that interaction can determine much about what kinds of physical properties and behaviours will emerge. In a paper published today in Nature Physics, a team led by U of T physicist Joseph Thywissen reported their discovery of a new set of rules […]

Professor R J Dwayne Miller is the Royal Society of Chemistry Centenary Prize winner for 2016. Dwayne is Director of the Atomically Resolved Dynamics Department of the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) in Hamburg, Germany, with a secondary appointment as Professor of Chemistry and Physics at the University of […]

University of Toronto Engineering, Google and Actua partner on Innovate U, a day-long STEM event for children in grades 3–8, featuring hands-on coding, circuitry and moreToronto, ON – More than 1,400 students from Grades 3–8 will descend on the University of Toronto on Friday, May 13 for Innovate U, a massive day of hands-on activities […]

Toronto, ON – University of Toronto Professor Giovanni Grasselli, of the Department of Civil Engineering, has been named the inaugural holder of the Foundation CMG Industrial Research Chair in Fundamental Petroleum Rock Physics and Rock Mechanics. Professor Grasselli is joining 12 chairs at 12 universities, including Penn State and the University of Texas in Austin, […]

Toronto, ON – Super-computer modelling of Earth’s crust and upper-mantle suggests that ancient geologic events may have left deep ‘scars’ that can come to life to play a role in earthquakes, mountain formation, and other ongoing processes on our planet. This changes the widespread view that only interactions at the boundaries between continent-sized tectonic plates […]

Toronto, ON – Two astronomers — with the help of Twitter — have uncovered the strongest evidence yet that an enormous X‑shaped structure made of stars lies within the central bulge of the Milky Way Galaxy. Previous computer models, observations of other galaxies, and observations of our own galaxy have suggested that the X‑shaped structure existed. […]

Likely due to high temperatures and uncoordinated treatmentToronto, ON – High ocean temperatures and poor timing of parasite management likely led to an epidemic of sea lice in 2015 throughout salmon farms in British Columbia’s Queen Charlotte Strait, a University of Toronto-led study has found. The sea lice spread to migrating juvenile wild salmon, resulting in […]

Saving the planet from climate change with a grain of sandToronto, ON – Every year, humans advance climate change and global warming – and quite likely our own eventual extinction – by injecting about 30 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere. A team of scientists from the University of Toronto (U of T) […]

Universities announce their 2016 Schulich Leader Scholarship winners Toronto, ON – Kevin Han, Jun Ran Xu, Haleema Khan and Sabrina Cruz have been named University of Toronto’s recipients of the prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarships. Created in 2011 by Canadian business leader and philanthropist Seymour Schulich, this annual scholarship program encourages promising high school graduates to embrace […]

Toronto, ON – At the Japan-Canada Summit Meeting in May 2016, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe noted that Japan wished to support Japanese studies at Canadian universities in order to promote mutual understanding between the two countries. Today, based upon this commitment, the Government of Japan is conferring US$5 million on the University of Toronto to […]

Toronto, ON – Paleontologists at the University of Toronto (U of T) and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) have uncovered a new fossil species that sheds light on the origin of mandibulates, the most abundant and diverse group of organisms on Earth, to which belong familiar animals such as flies, ants, crayfish and centipedes. The […]

Compositions provide a soundtrack for the Cassini probe’s final plunge into planetToronto, ON –After centuries of looking with awe and wonder at the beauty of Saturn and its rings, we can now listen to them, thanks to the efforts of astrophysicists at the University of Toronto (U of T). “To celebrate the Grand Finale of […]

NOTE: Video and images at uoft.me/sparklingTORONTO – A team of scientists from the University of Toronto and Manchester University in the United Kingdom have gone three kilometres beneath the surface of the Canadian Shield to find some of the oldest fluids in our planet’s history. The waters are rich in clues about lives lived without […]

TORONTO, ON – The University of Toronto is very pleased that Toronto city councillors re-affirmed the city’s commitment to renewed fields on the university’s historic back campus. City council voted in favour of the University’s plan to proceed with the project, which will involve creating two artificial turf fields. The fields will provide a venue […]

TORONTO, ON — A team of scientists from Canada and Australia have discovered that the decline in shark populations is detrimental to coral reefs. “Where shark numbers are reduced due to commercial fishing, there is also a decrease in the herbivorous fishes which play a key role in promoting reef health,” said Jonathan Ruppert, a […]

Chemical appears to have highest global-warming impact of any compound to dateTORONTO, 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, […]

University of Toronto among extensive list of global collaboratorsTORONTO, 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 […]

TORONTO, ON — NASA announced last week that the next rover, being sent to Mars in 2020, will carry seven highly sophisticated instruments to conduct unprecedented science and exploration technology investigations on the Red Planet. The instruments were selected from 58 proposals received from researchers and engineers around the world and Rebecca Ghent of the […]

TORONTO, ON – Scientists have long known that air pollution caused by cars and trucks, solvent use and even plants, is reduced when broken down by naturally occurring compounds that act like detergents of the atmosphere. What has not been well understood until now are the relative contributions of all the processes producing such compounds. […]

A quantum change in our understanding of how much of Earth’s crust may be habitableTORONTO, ON — A team of scientists, led by the University of Toronto’s Barbara Sherwood Lollar, has mapped the location of hydrogen-rich waters found trapped kilometres beneath Earth’s surface in rock fractures in Canada, South Africa and Scandinavia. Common in Precambrian […]

Deadline extended to invite further submissionsToronto, ON – The University of Toronto is inviting members of its community to make submissions to an advisory committee studying a recent call for divestment from fossil fuel companies. The request for submissions is the latest step in the work of the committee examining the divestment issue.  The committee may […]

Team led by U of T Engineering designs world’s most efficient catalyst for storing energy as hydrogen by splitting water moleculesToronto, ON — We can’t control when the wind blows and when the sun shines, so finding efficient ways to store energy from alternative sources remains an urgent research problem. Now, a group of researchers led […]

TORONTO, ON – The government of the Indian State of Punjab is sending 50 of its teachers to the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) of the University of Toronto for an intensive four-week teacher development program from July 28 to August 22, 2014. At OISE, the teachers, will be led by top OISE […]

TORONTO, ON — The University of Toronto is the top university in Canada and one of the best in the world, reports the Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities 2014. This year, the prestigious ranking – which analyzes the top universities worldwide on research output, the quality of faculty and the quality […]

TORONTO, ON — University of Toronto professor Kang Lee has been awarded a 2014 Ig Nobel Prize for a study that found that the phenomenon of “face pareidolia”–where onlookers report seeing images of Jesus, Virgin Mary, or Elvis in objects such as toast, shrouds, and clouds–is normal and based on physical causes. Lee was the lead author of the study […]

TORONTO, ON – The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto has received a $5‑million gift from an anonymous donor to strengthen Indigenous education research in Canada. The gift, which is the largest donation ever made to a Canadian faculty of education for Indigenous education research, will establish a prestigious […]

TORONTO, ON – Chief Shawn A‑in-chut Atleo has been named the first William A. Macdonald, Q.C Distinguished Fellow in Indigenous Education at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). As a Distinguished Fellow, Chief Atleo will support OISE’s new Indigenous Education Initiative, a comprehensive five-year program to explore the educational needs and […]

Chief Shawn A‑in-chut Atleo has been named the first William A. Macdonald, Q.C Distinguished Fellow in Indigenous Education at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). As a Distinguished Fellow, Chief Atleo will support OISE’s new Indigenous Education Initiative, a comprehensive five-year program to explore the educational needs and aspirations of Indigenous peoples […]

Toronto, ON — The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report, tabled yesterday, provides an indelible pathway for our individual and collective need to heal and reconcile our past in order to move forward. Central to moving forward on an improved relationship between Indigenous people and Canadians is helping young Indigenous people and families meet and […]

Toronto, ON – The only copy in Canada of arguably the most important book ever produced in the English language, Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, & tragedies: published according to the true originall copies, better known as the First Folio, is just one of many rare print gems currently on exhibit at the Thomas Fisher Rare […]

International team of scientists to offer update on detection efforts, U of T collaborators to comment at live-viewing eventToronto, ON– Media are invited to view a live webcast at the University of Toronto (U of T) as the National Science Foundation brings together scientists from Caltech, MIT, and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration this Thursday at […]

Toronto, ON — evalUT, a course evaluation framework developed at the University of Toronto, is going to be made available to educators around the world.  Montreal-based eXplorance, a leading provider of software solutions that support learning, will be licensing evalUT and intends to make the framework commercially available to the global education market. The product […]

U of T experts to discuss how sport shapes identity and reflects humanityToronto, ON — How can sport act as a platform to promote human rights and break down barriers? How can it reflect and define our cultural identity and shape gender roles? Join U of T’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education for Sport, […]

Toronto, ON – Professor Glen Jones, interim dean of the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, has been appointed dean of OISE for a five-year term effective July 1, 2016. Professor Cheryl Regehr, vice-president and provost of U of T, announced the appointment on May 19, following an extensive international search for […]

Racial bias begins earlier than previously thought, new insights into causeToronto, ON – Two studies by researchers at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto and their collaborators from the US, UK, France and China, show that six- to nine-month-old infants demonstrate racial bias in favour of members of […]

TORONTO, ON – The University of Edinburgh is bringing a number of high profile academic experts to Toronto from 17–21 June, as part of its General Council Meeting this year. Two academics in particular will be available to speak to reporters about the September 18th Independence Referendum in Scotland and how this event compares to […]

TORONTO, CANADA – The University of Toronto will host a panel of experts, featuring Chrystia Freeland (MP and author) and Ronald Deibert (Director of the Citizen Lab), to discuss the recent detention of Alexander Sodiqov. Since June 16th this year, Alexander Sodiqov, a young scholar and PhD student at the University of Toronto, has been […]

TORONTO, ON — On Friday, October 10, the University of Toronto will host a visit by His Excellency Sauli Niinistö, President of the Republic of Finland. The President will present scholarships to Finnish Studies students and participate in two separate discussions with University of Toronto experts. The first discussion, “The Future of Finnish Studies in […]

TORONTO, ON — Media are invited to take photos on Tuesday, November 18, of Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, as Christina Cameron, President of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, presents to her the University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library’s Discovery of Insulin Collections. Last year the Library’s collections—only one of four in Canada […]

Toronto, ON — G7 Germany: The Schloss Elmau Summit, an official eBook authorised by the federal government of Germany for the G7 Summit,  produced by the G7 Research Group at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Trinity College, University of Toronto and edited by John Kirton and Madeline Koch, ­ launched on 26 May. […]

TORONTO, ON-   The global paralysis on the Syrian crisis has led to the largest refugee crisis ever witnessed by the international community, with millions of Syrians being uprooted and displaced. The Canadian government has announced a plan to welcome 25,000 refugees by the end of February in 2016 but much work needs to be done […]

Toronto, ON — Today, researchers announce the release of a new report describing major security and privacy issues in several leading wearable fitness tracking devices and accompanying mobile applications. The research examined offerings by Apple, Basis, Fitbit, Garmin, Jawbone, Mio, Withings, and Xiaomi. The report, Every Step You Fake: A Comparative Analysis of Fitness Tracker […]

Meric Gertler announces climate change challenge, new investing strategy Toronto, ON — University of Toronto President Meric Gertler today unveiled a 14-point plan of specific, targeted actions that aim to make a difference on climate change now. Gertler outlined U of T’s plan to battle climate change in a bold report, Beyond Divestment: Taking Decisive […]

Backing research into billion-year-old water, evolution of plants, faster disease diagnosis, microbial energy Toronto, ON — Five University of Toronto scholars have been awarded prizes in 2016 by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) – the largest tally of winners at any university in Canada. “Our exceptional performance in the NSERC awards […]

Toronto, ON — The University of Toronto welcomes the $15M investment by the Ontario government for the new Centre for Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CEIE). As stated in the 2016 Ontario Budget introduced today, this investment will support strengthening the Innovation SuperCorridor in Ontario. This Centre will bring together smart building design and state-of-the-art learning technologies, […]

Toronto, ON — University of Toronto researcher Rachel Harding will be the first known biomedical researcher to welcome the world to review her lab notes in real time. The post-doctoral fellow with U of T’s Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) is also explaining her findings to the general public through her blog. She hopes her open […]

Toronto, ON — The University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education has launched the Mental Health and Physical Activity Research Centre (MPARC) — one of the first research facilities to integrate the study of physical activity and mental health in Canada and internationally. Opened on February 25, this multidisciplinary centre will address the […]