U OF T ALUMNI / SEPTEMBER 2026
Learning to think with machines
Hafsa Murtaza holds her Governor General's Silver Medal.
Hafsa Murtaza holds her Governor General's Silver Medal. Credit: Nick Iwanyshyn
Handwritten notes, sketches and conversations with professors helped the art and art history graduate earn a Governor General's Silver Medal.
A mathematics and computer science graduate found his teachers, teammates and toughest ungraded problems more useful than a rigid study routine.
The OISE graduate's doctoral work examines exclusion in universities and the collective practices Black scholars use to sustain their work.
Nancy Tozer passed a treasured print to medical student Greg Dance, whose reflection on listening to patients won her over.
Dance festivals and student theatre gave the U of T graduate practical experience she now brings to teaching acting in Vaughan.
After campaigning in Canada and New Zealand, the UTSC graduate draws on family and community to sustain her climate work.
Bavan Pushpalingam's family grew vegetables in Scarborough; his research now examines how food, migration and access to familiar crops intersect.
Aarabhi Krishnakumar postponed graduation for an Alpine internship that helped her discover a preference for manufacturing and working directly with parts.
Advice about buses, groceries and winter clothing helped a student from Bangladesh settle in; she later guided other newcomers at UTM.
Rejected by universities in Singapore, the future biomedical researcher found laboratory work and mentors after applying to one university abroad.
Kaynaat Abrar joined a first-year research program, studied concussion-like symptoms and is returning to UTSC for a clinical psychology doctorate.
Vanessa Lin moved from volunteering in an exercise study to researching whether brief restrictions in blood flow affect rowing performance.
The environmental management and economics graduate paired sustainability work with residence programs that helped students feel at home far from family.
Rose Esplen, Tristan Gosselin and Adrianna Lewis describe how Indigenous relationships and knowledge shape their plans for medicine, law and libraries.
The Transitional Year Programme helped her rebuild confidence in university and turn questions about educational access into research and free resources.
Occupational therapy graduate Kristen Tsai wrote a children's book after a Madagascar placement, directing all proceeds to the Sunrise Centre.
Toronto's 2026 Distinction Awards recognized work in climate justice, midwifery, labour, immigration, law and corporate leadership by U of T graduates.
A June reception brought together 36 international graduates whose next jobs span consulting, tax and infrastructure work in Canada and Chicago.
Hart House workshops and event organizing helped the Trinity graduate build confidence before joining the Toronto Tempo's Rhythm Section dance ensemble.
The June 2026 appointments honoured U of T alumni, faculty and supporters for work in research, public policy and patient care.
Emilda Thavaratnam drew on family experience and years in college classrooms to study the pressures facing international students in Ontario.
Cameron Stewart's company secured FDA clearance for technology designed to release antimicrobial material around fillings, working through established dental manufacturers.
Economics and history trained the new CBC Saskatchewan reporter to analyze data, question sources and check what a story can support.
OISE's Career Closet helps students dress for practicums and interviews with donated clothing, shared advice and a permanent campus home.
Juan Carlos Mezo González traces how North American publishers exchanged images and ideas long before queer communities could organize online.
The Class of 2026 includes young researchers, athletes and organizers whose campus experiences helped shape their ambitions beyond graduation.
Ivoire Beguinot's studies and World Bank internship sharpened her interest in development shaped by the people it aims to serve.
Psychology, student art and community research helped UTM's 2026 valedictorian turn a broad set of interests into a direction.
After captaining a championship team and completing teacher training, the defender is exploring professional soccer opportunities in Canada and abroad.
John and Elizabeth Warrener built long careers in public libraries and continue supporting the faculty where both trained as librarians.
Bloomberg Nursing alumni describe the practical help and personal encouragement they offer students, and what they learn in return.
Sheena Josselyn's research follows the physical traces of memory, with questions about trauma, dementia and the consequences of changing recollection.
Lisa Alcia found her route into health administration through a professor's encouragement, then brought hospital leadership experience to seniors' care.
The UTM commerce graduate connects her work in risk management with lessons learned while helping students settle into campus life.
Alumni Reunion 2026 planned more than 140 events, with campus and online activities for graduates and families across June 14–20.
A background in rehabilitation research guides the U of T graduate's approach to youth programs and community research at MLSE.
Rachel Pardoe's pandemic baking habit grew into an online audience and a cookbook, while nursing remains part of her working life.
The comedian and public-speaking teacher urges presenters to practise aloud, involve their listeners and make every minute earn its place.
Connie Putterman combined autism advocacy with research training, building a career that brings patients and families into mental health research.
Victoria Halper's virtual-reality production asks audiences to decide which traces of other people's lives should survive in a digital world.
Recent U of T graduates describe how side projects, student clubs and carefully chosen conversations helped them find their first roles.
Karen Maxwell's Gairdner recognition honours discoveries about bacterial immunity and the viruses that may inform future approaches to antibiotic-resistant infections.
The journalist revisited MIT's admission of discrimination to examine how subtle barriers persist for women in science and professional life.
Andrew Heal and Monica Kowal support future law students with a view of opportunity shaped by family history and lasting friendships.
Training in medical science and computer science helped the U of T graduate build a company studying speech and cognition.
A move from science into professional accounting brought the UTM graduate to tax work, teaching and a commitment to mentorship.
The broadcaster's three-year appointment brings him back to the college where he edited sports coverage and called Varsity Blues games.
The Markham curator and Daniels doctoral student helped bring a 43-minute sound installation to a cancer centre in Barrie.
The OISE graduate's new book draws on teaching and research to question English dominance and centre knowledge from the Global South.
U of T's 2026 honorary degree recipients include Indigenous educators and legal leaders, a stem cell scientist and an Olympic rower.
After winning MasterChef Canada, the Rotman graduate is considering professional kitchen experience while continuing her data engineering career at Unilever.
The former ICU nurse drew on clinical teaching, management and computing experience to build an engineering company and a workplace consultancy.
The Six Nations public health leader studied pandemic leadership in the inaugural cohort of Dalla Lana's professional doctoral program.
Rahul Goel's company is preparing a suborbital flight after cryogenic propellant problems delayed an earlier attempt at its Newfoundland spaceport.
A new U of T lectureship will bring outside perspectives into discussions about artificial intelligence, clinical judgment and patient trust.
Tilda Shalof and Lisa Mochrie draw on their mentorship to discuss bedside work, burnout and the pressures facing new nurses.
The historian's national education project pairs research with classroom resources and a map of nineteenth-century Black businesses in Toronto.
An acrylic self-portrait connects the information graduate's Anishinaabe worldview with questions about how libraries classify and respect Indigenous knowledge.
The Milano Cortina roster includes hockey player Gabrielle De Serres, ice dancer Paul Poirier, bobsledder Luka Stoikos and official Justine Todd.
Mireille Landry and Michael Lenart bring years of sport physiotherapy work to Canadian figure skating and para hockey in Italy.
The UTM actor wrote, produced and starred in Alice is Fine, drawing on her experience of chronic pelvic pain.
The Youth Access co-lead works with high school students through arts, recreation and leadership sessions, often staying connected beyond their programs.
The social work graduate trains Niagara Health staff on Indigenous history, trauma and practical ways to support patients and families.
The UTM biology graduate combined aquatic virus research with student leadership before beginning a master's degree in biomedical engineering.
Syncere founders Aaron Tan and Angus Fung designed Lume after early customers found humanoid robots too intrusive for their homes.
The Fertility Partners CFO traces her approach to a degree spanning arts and commerce, and classes taken while working.
The December 2025 Order of Canada appointments recognize university community members working in law, medicine, education and the arts.
A summer at Koffler Scientific Reserve preceded campus sustainability work on waste, clothing swaps and a conference connecting college groups.
The pharmacology graduate and private equity investor has committed to a research award after scholarships helped fund his own education.
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