Reunited and it feels so good! After three long years, we were finally able to gather and celebrate our Alumni of Influence (AOI) in person. Though we did what we could to make the last two virtual AOI ceremonies as engaging as possible, there’s no replacement for being able to mingle and honour our most distinguished graduates in person. It was a truly memorable evening and the UC team would like to personally thank everyone who was able to join us.
Beyond the obvious importance of recognizing notable University College (UC) alumni who are making the world a better place, these awards serve several other essential functions. First, of course, is the significance of highlighting for current students, through real-life examples, the success so many others have achieved following their time at UC. Second, this event helps to augment and reinforce the close-knit nature for which UC is renowned—our AOI have become a community within a community, and many continue to stay engaged with UC as advisors and mentors for the next generation of graduates. And finally, in today’s busy and often divisive world, our AOI give us reason to come together, reflect on, and celebrate both the accomplishments of our AOI and the history and traditions of this wonderful institution. For full biographies of the 2022 AOI award winners, please visit our website: https://www.uc.utoronto.ca/ alumniofinfluence.
Dr. Nirit Bernhard
Who Dr. Nirit Bernhard BSc 1997 UC
What Widely respected pediatrician currently serving as assistant professor with the Department of Pediatrics in the U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, as well as medical director of the Down Syndrome Clinic at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children (among several other roles)
In the nominator’s words “Instead of focusing on the limitations of illness, Dr. Bernhard strives to recognize the abilities of every child as they grow into adulthood.”
Achievements & awards W. T. Aikins Award for Excellence in Course/Program Development and Co-ordination from the Temerty Faculty of Medicine (2022) .
What life lessons did you draw from your university experience? “UC prepared me for life beyond university because it helped teach me the value of being an independent thinker, reaching out to peers when you are in need, and enjoying the peaceful moments that come from walking through the beautiful university campus."
Michael Frankfort
Who Michael Frankfort BSc 1999 UC
What Innovative and award winning elementary school teacher who holds provincial leadership positions In the nominator’s words “Michael has shown exemplary leadership in embracing the shift to virtual school and modelling effective digital and creative literacy strategies.”
Achievements & awards Recipient of the 2018 Irwin Talesnick Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Science.
How did University College prepare you for life beyond university? “UC allowed me to find a connection and purpose and a place of comfort in a very large and busy university. This is something that continued over into my further studies and, now, my career as an elementary teacher. Although a system is large and will move along without you, you can find a place in it.”
The Honourable Nicolas Kasirer
Who The Honourable Justice Nicholas Kasirer (BA 1981 UC)
What Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada (2019 – present) who previously had a long academic career at McGill University and served as a judge for the Quebec Court of Appeal
In the nominator’s words “Justice Nicholas Kasirer continues to contribute to Canadian society at the very highest level. He does so with great intelligence, public spiritedness, commitment and wisdom.”
Achievements & awards A sampling of his honours and awards includes: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013), the American Society of Comparative Law's Hessel Yntema Award in Comparative Law (1993), Titular Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law (2006), Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2008), and an honorary Doctor of Laws from the Université de Sherbrooke (2012).
What life lessons did you draw from your university experience? “UC, I remember, was not a place that championed conformism – it cultivated the confidence in young people to be themselves.”
Ellie Lafferty
Ellie Lafferty (BA 1896 UC) belonged to a Black family who settled in Ontario in 1830 after escaping slavery in the United States. Following in the footsteps of her father – fellow UC Alumni of Influence recipient Alfred Lafferty – Lafferty graduated from UC and went on to become a teacher. Returning to her hometown of Chatham after graduation, Lafferty taught at Chatham Collegiate Institute. In 1912, Lafferty was on her way to Detroit for a holiday when her train derailed. Although she survived, Lafferty was left permanently paralyzed. She spent the next 35 years in the hospital but maintained a positive outlook, frequently meeting with local writers who sought her advice. She also developed a passion for nature and was an avid birdwatcher, documenting 82 species of birds outside her hospital window over the years. Lafferty published a number of nature-related articles before her death in 1947.
Malcolm David Lester
After a bout with mononucleosis, Malcolm David Lester (BA 1959 UC) took a break from rabbinical school and decided to change the course of his career. That decision led to him becoming a seminal figure in the expansion of the Canadian publishing industry and an advocate for writers across the country. Lester ended up becoming the owner and president of Lester & Orpen Dennys, one of Canada’s most significant publishing houses in the 1970s and ‘80s. Prior to that, he worked with several other companies, including as general manager of Coles Publishing and managing editor of the educational publisher Holt, Rinehart & Winston. With Lester & Orpen Dennys, Lester was fearless with a strong sense of political and social justice, publishing many books that had been rejected by other publishers. Lester was thrice named Publisher of the Year by Canadian Booksellers and served as president of the Canadian Publishers Association in the mid-1980s. Humorous and humble, Lester was adamant about the importance of publishing Canadian writing for Canadian audiences. Lester passed away in 2022.
Frank Pickersgill
After completing his education in Canada, Frank Pickersgill (MA 1938 UC) moved to France with dreams of becoming a journalist. Those dreams were quickly dashed, however, when he was captured near the beginning of World War II and sent to the Saint-Denis Internment Camp as an enemy alien. After two years, Pickersgill escaped the camp and made his way to Britain where he joined the Canadian Intelligence Corps. Fluent in German, Latin, Greek and French, Pickersgill worked closely with the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and was parachuted into occupied France on June 20, 1943. While working with the French Resistance, Pickersgill was captured once again. Following a foiled escape attempt, he was shipped to the Buchenwald concentration camp where he was executed along with 35 other SOE agents on Sep 14, 1944, at the age of 29. Posthumously, Pickersgill received several honours, including the Legion of Honour from the French government. The U of T also designated a PickersgillMacalister Garden on the west side of the Soldiers’ Tower monument.
William (Bill) Sinclair
Who William (Bill) Sinclair (BA 1985 UC)
What Currently the president and CEO of The Neighbourhood Group Community Services (TNGCS), Sinclair has dedicated his life to supporting vulnerable individuals through his tireless work and advocacy in social services.
In the nominator’s words “Bill is well-known throughout the social services sector as someone who takes risks and creates innovative approaches to community needs: consistently willing to try new things, develop new models, and work in true partnership with his colleagues.”
Achievements & awards Opening an overdose prevention site that he has kept running despite a lack of funding; oversight of the merger between TNGCS and St. Stephen’s Community House in 2020; creation of the Peer Leadership Centre at TNGCS.
What does receiving this award mean to you? “When I took sociology at UC, I believed in working for a better society, and I have been fortunate to spend a career of meaningful work in the not-for-profit world collaborating for that goal."
Marla Sokolowski
Who Marla Sokolowki (BSc 1977 UC)
What An internationally renowned geneticist whose multidisciplinary analyses of gene environment interactions have refuted longstanding ideas around genetic determinism
In the nominator’s words “[Sokolowki] contributed to a major paradigm shift through the appreciation that genomes of organisms and their gene expression is dynamic, thereby refuting centuriesold deterministic thinking that DNA acts solely as a genetic blueprint.”
Achievements & awards Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (1998), Royal Society of Canada Flavelle Medal for Biological Sciences (2020), Genetics Society of Canada’s Award of Excellence (2007), Senior Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (2013), JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award from the U of T (2022), amongst many others.
What life lessons did you draw from your university experience? “I learned how to work with others collaboratively. Great ideas emerge when minds work together. This is what we call synergy. I learned the importance of leaving my mind open to the voices of others rather than my own voice."
YOUNG ALUMNI OF INFLUENCE
Carina Chan
Who Carina Chan (BA 2011 UC)
What Partner at Burrison Hudani Doris LLP and strong advocate for clients navigating family law challenges. Chan also actively volunteers for several organizations that promote child welfare and wellbeing, including the Red Door Family Shelter, the Child Welfare Political Action Committee Canada, and the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada.
What piece of advice do you have for recent alumni and/or current students? “Your university experience will provide you with the tools to achieve your goals, but it does not define your path in life. Take every opportunity to learn from and be inspired by the people around you, and then find your own unique way to make a positive contribution to your community.”