Alumni of Influence

Maev Beaty is a critically acclaimed and sought-after actor, writer, creator and voice-over artist. She has originated more than two dozen roles in Canadian premieres (including Hannah Moscovitch’s Bunny, Kate Hennig’s The Last Wife, Michael Healey’s Proud and The Front Page, Judith Thompson’s Palace of the End and Sharon Pollock’s Angel’s Trumpet); co-written and starred in award-winning plays (Secret Life of a Mother, Montparnasse, Dance of the Red Skirts); performed in ensembles of epic theatre endeavours (Sheep No Wool/Outside the March/Convergence’s Passion Play by Sarah Ruhl, Nightwood’s Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, Volcano’s Another Africa, Theatre Front’s The Mill); and interpreted lead classic roles across the country and over many seasons at the Stratford Festival (Death and the King’s Horseman, Hamlet, The Front Page, King Lear, She Stoops to Conquer, School for Scandal). She is a Toronto Theatre Critics’ Award winner, multiple Dora Award winner and many time nominee in both performance and writing, referred to as “the excellent Maev Beaty” by the New York Times. Her film debut (Mouthpiece) was a Special Presentations Opening Film at 2019 TIFF, she has starred in several independent Canadian films and is featured on such television shows as Murdoch Mysteries (CBC), Nurses (eOne) as well as Ari’s Aster’s 2023 film Beau is Afraid and Kristoffer Borgli’s Dream Scenario for both with A24.

Dr. B. Ralph Chou is a Professor Emeritus of Optometry at the University of Waterloo. He is a 1973 alumnus of UC. An expert on solar eclipse eye safety and spectacle lens impact resistance, he is Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Optometry and Canadian lead on ISO Technical Subcommittees on Eye Protection and Ophthalmic Optics. He has been a leading member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Toronto Centre for over 50 years. His contributions to solar eclipse eye safety were recognized in 2022 by the International Astronomical Union with the naming of asteroid 10491 Chou.

Laurie Dennett is an author, translator and fundraiser. She walked to Santiago de Compostela in 1986 from Chartres, France, and the memoir of her pilgrimage, A Hug For The Apostle (1987), became a Camino classic. Her writings and broadcasts on this and subsequent pilgrim journeys (London to Rome in 1989 and Canterbury to Jerusalem in 1992) raised significant sums for MS research in Canada and 11 other countries. Laurie chaired the UK’s Confraternity of Saint James from 1995 to 2003. She lives near O Cebreiro, Galicia, where she has created Spain’s first ‘Quiet Garden’ (one of 340 worldwide, open to visitors for contemplation and the enjoyment of nature) and a replica of the Chartres cathedral labyrinth.

Julie Drolet, PhD, is Professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary’s Central and Northern Alberta Region in Edmonton. She is the Project Director of the Transforming the Field Education Landscape (TFEL) project. She was the Principal Investigator of the study In the Aftermath of the 2016 Alberta Wildfire: Experiences of Social Work Practitioners and Human Service Professionals in Long-term Disaster Recovery funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Her research and teaching interests include international social work and social development, disaster recovery, climate change, environmental justice and sustainability, field education, social protection, and immigrant settlement and integration. She has many years of social work practice, policy, and research experience in Canada and in Africa, and has published widely. She leads an international social work research program to advance knowledge in the fields of social work and social development. She is a registered social worker with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) and co-founder of the Social Work and Disaster (SWAD) Network.

Amir Hussain is Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University, the Jesuit university in Los Angeles, where he teaches courses on Islam and world religions. He served as President of the American Academy of Religion in 2023, the world’s largest scholarly society for the study of religion. From 2011 to 2015, Amir was the editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, the premier scholarly journal for the study of religion.

The author or editor of seven books and over 60 scholarly articles, he was an advisor for the television series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, and he appears regularly on Ancient Aliens, History’s Greatest Mysteries with Laurence Fishburne, Holy Marvels with Dennis Quaid, and The UnXplained with William Shatner.

Uma Kalkar is a technologist serving as a Policy Advisor in the Strategic Foresight Unit at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), seconded through the Centre for AI Governance (GovAI) in Oxford, UK. She focuses on global risks associated with emerging technologies such as AI and biotechnology, to promote democratic governance and international cooperation.

Uma's contributions to responsible technology have been recognised by institutions including the Aspen Institute, Forbes, and the Stanford d.school. In 2020, she relaunched 18by Vote, a U.S. nonprofit dedicated to engaging young voters. To date, 18by Vote has reached over 2.5 million people and has been featured in media including The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

Uma majored in Peace, Conflict and Justice studies at University College, which inspired her exploration of the intersection between technology and global development.

Uma holds a Master of Public Policy in Digital and New Technology from the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) and a Master of Global Affairs in Innovation Policy from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto.

Diana Lam is a passionate advocate for student mental health and equity. She completed her Master of Teaching at OISE, researching the impact of stress culture on student mental health. At the University of Toronto, Diana was committed to fostering an inclusive student community. She enhanced the UC Commuter Orientation experience for over 150 students and supported Access & Inclusion Peer programs, advocating for Southeast Asian, African, Black Caribbean, Latin American, and First-Generation students. As a Residential Assistant at Victoria College, she also contributed to creating a safe, supportive environment where students could discuss mental health and personal challenges openly.

In 1992, Maryka Omatsu was the first East Asian woman appointed a judge in Canada. Before her appointment, she practiced human rights, environmental, indigenous and criminal law; worked for Government; taught law in Toronto, China, and Japan, and chaired the Ontario Human Rights Appeals Tribunal.

A 3rd generation Japanese Canadian (JC), Judge Omatsu was a member of the National Association of Japanese Canadian team that won a $450 million settlement for the incarceration of JCs (1988). She received awards for her book Bittersweet Passage: Redress & the Japanese Canadian Experience (1992) that documented that history and for her video Swimming Upstream (2018) that laid out the case against British Columbia. Judge Omatsu co-chaired the B.C. Redress campaign. In 2022, the province awarded $100 Million to the JC community for the decades of racism that resulted in their incarceration and dispossession.

Most recently, Judge Omatsu has been appointed to the Canadian Race Relations Foundation’s Special Advisory Council (2018). She has been awarded York University’s Senior Honorary Race & Gender Advocate (2024); Metropolitan Toronto University’s Doctor of Laws (2018); Order of Ontario (2015); US National Asian Pacific Bar Association’s Trail Blazer of the Year (2013); Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers’ Lifetime Achievement Award (2010).

Dr. Rajiv Singal received his medical degree in 1990 from the University of Toronto. He did his postgraduate surgical training in Toronto, obtaining his board certification in Urology with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1995. A fellowship from Western University in Minimally Invasive Surgery, Shock Wave Lithotripsy and Kidney Stone disease was completed in 1996. He joined the surgical staff at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) in 1996 and currently serves as the Surgeon-in-Chief and Co-Medical Director of Surgery Services.

Dr. Singal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. He supervises the Clinical Endourology Fellowship program at MGH under the umbrella of the University of Toronto and also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate medical trainees. He works on Cancer Care Ontario initiatives related to prostate cancer care. Clinical areas of interest include the surgical management of kidney stones, kidney, bladder and prostate cancer as well robotic surgery and prostate disease. Since 2016, Dr. Singal has worked overseas in Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Jamaica and China to explore opportunities to build urologic and surgical capacity in the developing world. He is the Urology lead for the Global Surgery initiative at the University of Toronto. Through this program the urologic workforce in Malawi will grow from none to nine surgeons by the end of 2027.

Dr. Nirit Bernhard’s (BSC 1993 UC) lifelong passion for medicine and, specifically, paediatrics, was inspired by early experiences with her brother who has various medical ailments. Since that time she has built a reputation as an empathetic and widely-respected doctor who focuses on helping all children reach their full potential, regardless of medical barriers. After graduating from UC, Dr. Bernhard received a master’s degree in Neurobiology at the U of T and then her medical degree at the University of Western Ontario in 2003. She has held numerous leadership roles throughout her career and currently serves as a general paediatrician and Assistant Professor with the Department of Paediatrics in the U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine. She also serves as the Medical Director of the Down Syndrome Clinic at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. In all of her roles, Dr. Bernhard is recognized for looking beyond the limitations of illnesses and focusing instead on each patient’s abilities, encouraging them to live full and happy lives. 

An innovative elementary teacher with the York Region District School Board (2006 – present), Michael Frankfort (BA 1999 UC) continually goes above and beyond to provide students with engaging and meaningful academic experiences. His innovation was on full display during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, as he continually found creative ways to offer engaging and interactive virtual educational experiences. Whether it was hosting a local beatboxer for a series of virtual workshops, taking students on virtual field trips, or forming connections with the U of T Trash Team to increase waste literacy, Frankfort made online education fun. In addition to the partnership he formed with the U of T, he has partnered with Skills Ontario to allow students to compete in their green energy competition, initiated an EcoFair called Building Nature Connection, and runs various STEM-related extra-curricular activities. Frankfort is also a leader at the provincial level, currently serving as Chair of the Elementary Curriculum Committee for the Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario (STOA) and previously serving as STAO’s Elementary and Secondary Curriculum Coordinator.

In addition to his lengthy list of legal, academic and judicial accomplishments, Supreme Court Justice Nicholas Kasirer (BA 1981 UC) is a humble and creative individual who regularly goes above and beyond to help others. After his graduation from UC, Justice Kasirer completed his law degree at McGill University in 1985. He went on to have a long and successful academic career in McGill’s Faculty of Law, serving as a Professor (1989 – 2009) and Dean (2003 – 09). After serving as a Judge of the Quebec Court of Appeal (2009 – 2019), Justice Kasirer was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada (2019 – present). He is also widely recognized as a valued mentor who offers sage advice and guidance in addition to volunteering in multiple capacities for the Barreau du Québec, the Canadian Bar Association, and various other associations representing the Canadian judicial community. His list of honours and awards is extensive and includes being elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2008) and receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws from the Université de Sherbrooke (2012).