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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.’
Originally from Botswana, Lellow Sedio’s first attempt at university in Canada hadn’t gone to plan. Now graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in book and media studies and bound for grad school at U of T's Faculty of Information, Sedio credits U of T’s Transitional Year Programme with helping her succeed in university and chart a path to grad school.
Graduating student Catherine Diyakonov’s boundless curiosity has inspired a lifelong interest in research and a commitment to solving problems using an interdisciplinary approach.
While pursuing a double major in diaspora and transnational studies and religion, she investigated everything from Italian-Canadian migration to environmental practices in East Africa to the Russo-Ukrainian War. She also founded Girls Who Lead, an organization that provides support, community and connections to young women leaders.
For Eileen Antone, education has never been simply about instruction. It is about restoring voice, reclaiming knowledge and creating space for Indigenous ways of being to thrive.
Last week, in recognition of her outstanding service to the university, as a respected Elder, teacher and Knowledge Keeper whose wisdom, leadership and mentorship have profoundly enriched the university community, Antone received an honorary doctorate from the University of Toronto after a UC-led nomination.
