News
A new scholarship is bolstering support for students in Canadian Studies and honouring the memory of Pamela Gravestock, an instructor, senior administrator and friend to many across the university. Gravestock passed away in August 2020.
University College is delighted to announce that Ian Kamau will be the 2026-27 Barker Fairley Distinguished Visitor from September 2026 to April 2027.
The 2026 Mutual Relevance conference — the biggest event on the Cognitive Science calendar — proved to be another stimulating afternoon of discussion and debate as thinkers across campus explored a central question in contemporary cognitive science: what counts as mental and where do its limits lie?
The College hosted four writing competitions open to UC and UC program students as part of the annual UC Writing Awards: the Meyer (Mike) Greenstein Memorial Student Award for Writing Excellence, the Norma Epstein Foundation Awards in Creative Writing, the Frederic Davidson Competition, and the Lorne Tepperman Prize in Public Writing.
Originally founded by UC alumnus J. C. Fields (BA 1884 UC), fellow UC alum and professor in the Faculty of Arts & Science Jacob Tsimerman (BSc 2006 UC) won the high-profile international award in part for his work on a problem that had stumped the discipline for decades.
The Welcome Desk Assistant (Casual) is a front-line, customer service-focused role based in the University College Porter’s Office (UC171). The position provides a consistent, professional, and welcoming point of contact for students, faculty, staff, visitors, and service providers.
The role supports the daily operation of the College by managing inquiries, coordinating deliveries, answering the UC main phone line, and maintaining an active front-of-house presence.
UC is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025-26 UC Student Leadership Awards. Recognized among friends and family at a combined ceremony held at the end of each academic year, the Student Leadership Awards celebrate the accomplishments of UC students who have made their mark by enriching the university experience at the college and beyond.
UC has over 4,000 students who live off campus — many of whom commute from Hamilton, Markham or beyond, like recent graduate Avasa Sarawan (BSc 2026 UC), a former Community Assistant who specialized in the Human Biology Department’s Health and Disease program.
Before graduation, UC News sat down with Avasa to learn more about the person behind one of the friendly faces who led one of campus’ most cherished community hubs.
Wendy Freedman has made a career of measuring the universe. Her efforts to refine the Hubble constant — a value that represents the expansion rate of the universe — helped deepen our understanding of the age and scale of the cosmos.
Freedman, who is currently the John & Marion Sullivan University Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, gained the tools and knowledge she needed to launch her career during her time at U of T.
“My U of T education prepared me for many of the projects and roles I’ve taken on throughout my career,” says Freedman, a three-time alum.
If you have ever interacted with the Public Health Program, chances are, you’ve come across the work of recent UC graduate Brandon Chan-Long, a student who double-majored in Public Health and Critical Studies in Equity and Solidarity. In conversation before his graduation, Brandon shared some details and highlights from his own academic journey, including the formative moments that will — in his own words — ‘stay with him forever.’
