Alumni of Influence

An award-winning writer, Deirdre Kelly’s work has helped elevate the performing arts both in Canada and around the world. Shortly after graduating from the U of T with a MA in English (1984), Kelly was hired as the Globe and Mail’s full-time dance critic. At this time, she was the only female critic in the newspaper’s arts department. After more than three decades at the Globe and Mail as a dance critic, reporter, investigative reporter and columnist, Kelly joined York University in 2017 to become editor of The York University Magazine. In addition to her work as a journalist, Kelly sits on numerous boards and has written two best-selling nonfiction books, Paris Times Eight (2009) and Ballerina: Sex, Scandal and Suffering Behind the Symbol of Perfection (2012). She has a long list of accolades, including winning two Nathan Cohen Awards (2014 & 2020) from the Canadian Theatre Critics Association. Kelly has also remained active with University College as a mentor to students interested in journalism careers.

Born in Canada to parents who fled slavery in the United States, the late Alfred Lafferty forged an incredible career that included numerous firsts. Known as an excellent student, Lafferty won several academic awards and, after graduating from UC with a BA in Mathematics and Classics, later earned a master’s degree. Following his post-secondary education, Lafferty worked as headmaster at numerous schools and, in 1872, he moved to Guelph and became the first Black principal at a high school in Ontario.  Lafferty would later move to Chatham to work as principal at a new school for Black settlers in the area. During this time, he began studying law. A few years later, he became the first Canadian-born Black lawyer in Ontario. Lafferty passed away in 1912, leaving behind a rich and lasting legacy.

Liviya Mendelsohn has dedicated her career to advancing equity and accessibility for youth across Ontario. Currently, Mendelsohn serves as executive director at the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence. She previously served as director, accessibility and inclusion, at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (2016-21), as well as artistic director at the ReelAbilities Film Festival (2015-21). Living by the principle “nothing about us without us”, Mendelsohn is well-known for her work to advance equity and accessibility. She was recently awarded a Mandel Fellowship in Executive Non-Profit Management (2021-23) and has won several awards, including Programming Excellence Awards from the Jewish Community Centre Association of North America (2016, 2018, 2019 & 2020) and the City of Toronto Access, Equity and Human Rights Award (2019).

Dr. Daniel Nadler is the founder and CEO of Kensho, the leading provider of market analytics systems to Wall Street. Kensho’s clients include the largest global banks. In addition to Kensho, Dr. Nadler is the Director of Research for Financial Technology at Stanford University’s School of Engineering. He completed his PhD at Harvard University.

Carol Nash is an internationally recognized academic whose research spans the philosophy of education and the history of medicine. Since 2012, Nash has served as Scholar-in-Residence as part of the History of Medicine program in the Department of Psychiatry at the U of T. She is also the founder and volunteer facilitator of the Health Narratives Research Group at U of T and a volunteer mentor in various on and off-campus programs.  A widely published philosopher of education, Nash is a compassionate facilitator and mentor who has devoted her career to inclusive education, developing many programs that encourage self-directed learning, including co-founding Alpha II Alternative School with the Toronto District School Board. Nash is a recipient of the Leaders & Legends Innovation Award from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the U of T (2020), the Arbor Award from the U of T (2015), and various mentorships awards.

Photo Credit Mike Young

A widely recognized expert in the area of constitutional law, Peter Oliver is currently a Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa (2007-present). He formerly held various governmental and academic positions around the world, including serving as Scholar in Residence with the Canadian Department of Justice (2005-06) and as a special advisor and senior advisor to the Privy Council of Canada (2006-12). Included amongst his many honours and awards are an appointment as Chair in Constitutional Law at King's College London (2005), an appointment as Scholar in Residence at Justice Canada (2005), a Christensen Visiting Fellowship from St. Catherine’s College, University of Oxford (2015), the Outstanding Contributor Prize from the Ottawa Law Review (2019), and the Peter Birks Prize for Outstanding Legal Scholarship (2006).

Ruth Richardson is a global leader who tirelessly advocates for shifting food and agriculture systems towards greater sustainability, security, and equity. She is currently the executive director of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, a strategic alliance of more than 25 international philanthropic foundations. Her former positions include being the inaugural director of the Unilever Canada Foundation, founding chair of the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers’ Network, and the first environment director at the Metcalf Foundation. Richardson also served as the lead consultant to establish The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. Richardson sits on various advisory and steering committees and is the founder and past chair of Small Change Fund, an online vehicle for micro-philanthropy.

The founding dean of the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Ryerson University (2020-present), Donna Young has broken numerous race and gender barriers throughout her career. Young was formerly a long-time professor of law at Albany Law School and a joint faculty member at the University of Albany’s Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She was appointed as Albany Law School’s President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy (2018-20) before coming to Ryerson as only the second Black woman to be appointed dean of a Canadian law school. A highly sought after speaker at conferences and events, Young’s research and work has focused mainly on criminal and employment law, as well as gender and race studies. In 2021, she was selected as a Top 25 Women of Influence and won the Female Trailblazer Excellence Award from the Canadian Law Awards.

Linda Bertoldi is a leading lawyer in the power and infrastructure sectors, providing advice on changes in law and regulation, mergers and acquisitions, governance, business development, finance, and relations with Indigenous communities. The former chair of National Electricity Market Groups, she retired as senior partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in 2019. She received the inaugural Zenith Award for leading women lawyers (2009), was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women (2012) and was recognized with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s award for excellence in advocacy and philanthropy on behalf of those with dementia (2017), among other honours. In 2019, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award, Ontario Energy Association, for outstanding contribution to the power sector.

The late Honourable Marvin Catzman served as a Justice on the Ontario Court of Appeal from 1988 until his death in 2007. One of his most notable judgments was a 1993 decision to grant bail to Guy Paul Morin, pending Morin’s appeal of a first-degree murder charge for which he claimed he was wrongfully convicted. This was at a time when both the public and the justice system we not convinced that wrongful convictions were even a possibility; Morin was later exonerated based on DNA evidence. Known for his integrity, humour, and wit, the Catzman Award for Professionalism & Civility was created in his honour and recognizes individuals who demonstrate knowledge of the law, fairness, civility, generosity of time and expertise, and dedication to the highest ideals of legal profession.

Frances Clark is one of Canada’s most committed philanthropists. She and her husband, former TD Bank CEO Ed Clark (BA 1969 UC), met while they were students at UC and have made substantial donations to a wide variety of charities in the hospital sector, mental health services, social services, the arts, and post-secondary education. They are major supporters of a number of organizations, including WoodGreen Community Services (to help alleviate homelessness); University Health Network; Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation; Habitat for Humanity; the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; and a number of post-secondary institutions. They were lead donors to the University College revitalization project.

Bonnie Fuller is the president and editor-in-chief of HollywoodLife.com and the former editor-in-chief of Us Weekly, Flare, YM, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour. She has been credited with inventing the modern celebrity newsweekly and was twice named Editor of the Year by Advertising Age. At Us Weekly, she reformulated and redesigned the title, increasing newsstand sales by over 200%. She created such signature sections as “Stars Are Just Like Us,” “The Buzzometer,” and “Who Wore It Best.” The influence of such sections was so strong that iterations can now be found in most celebrity and digital news outlets. Her book, The Joys of Much Too Much: Go for the Big Life—the Great Career, the Perfect Guy and Everything Else You’ve Ever Wanted, was published in 2006.