Congratulations to our newest grads!
The Faculty of Information hosted its Convocation and Awards Celebration on June 6 in the Learning Hub right after the official ceremony. Grads and their families came together to recognize their accomplishments with conversation and memorable photos.
Our grads represent the wide range of programs and concentrations available at the Faculty of Information. Here's a quick glance at the numbers.
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Professor Kelly Lyons and guest speaker Beth Noveck respond to audience questions at the 2024 Ian P. Sharp Lecture
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Ian P. Sharp Lecture
In May, the Faculty teamed up with the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society to host the 2024 Ian P. Sharp lecture, "From ballots to bots: AI's transformative role in democratic societies." Beth Noveck's engaging presentation and a lively audience Q&A made for a fantastic evening. Stay tuned for the lecture recording.
See photos from the 2024 Ian P. Sharp lecture.
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Alumni Reunion
A great time was had by all at the Alumni Reunion, hosted at L'Espresso Bar Mercurio on May 30. Alumni had the chance to connect in person with former classmates, professors, staff and current students. Guests were also treated to a sneak peek into some exciting new Faculty of Information initiatives.
See photos from the Alumni Reunion.
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MMSt students pose with mentors Wendy Rowney and Steven Kellier at Black Creek Pioneer Village
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Queer in the 1860s: New “Discovery Station” reveals hidden history
Step into the city’s 19th century queer community and uncover a part of history that was once, by necessity, hidden. Museum Studies students Zihan Cui, Paige Smith, Ruth Bryce and Yuxin Chen teamed up with Black Creek Pioneer Village to develop Pride in the Past, an interactive discovery station set to open later this year.
Read more about Pride in the Past.
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Advancing data inclusivity
 Suisui Wang's chapter in Queer Data Studies (edited by Associate Professor Patrick Keilty), won the 2024 Nicholas C. Mullins Prize in Science and Technology Studies for " inspiring a reimagined approach to studying data and inclusion." Suisui Wang is a PhD candidate of Gender Studies at Indiana University Bloomington.
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Sustainable scholar
 Five University of Toronto scholars, including Professor Matt Ratto, will be the first to join a think tank focused on “convergence research” to study the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The SDGs Scholars Academy, part of SDGs@UofT, brings together faculty, students and staff from diverse fields whose research interests are focused on the intersections of the 17 goals that serve as a blueprint for peace and prosperity.
Read more about Prof Ratto's appointment.
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SRI welcomes PhD students as grad fellows
PhD students Madison Mackley and Erina (Seh-Young) Moon are among 15 graduate fellowship recipients announced by the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Find out more about their fellowship projects.
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Communicators conference
The Faculty of Information is set to make an impact at the Canadian Communication Association conference, taking place in Montreal from June 18 to 21. Professors, PhD students and alumni will present on topics ranging from AI-generated voices to teaching journalism in the Age of Disruption.
Read more about the Faculty's presence at CCA 2024.
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Photo by Golooba Muzamiru
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Influencer extraordinaire
Professor Rhonda McEwen, president and vice-chancellor of Victoria University, received a Distinguished Influencers Award at the seventh annual GOWN African Scholars Awards at Massey College.
“I always live by the saying that, ‘To be a leader, you should know the way, go the way and show the way’ – but among people of African descent, sometimes we have to make the way," said McEwen. "To be named an influencer in a time where I have had to make the way feels really good and I’m very honoured.”
Read more in U of T News.
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At your service
 Professor Kelly Lyons, cross-appointed to the Department of Computer Science, has received the 2024 Distinguished Service Award from CS-CAN|INFO-CAN for service to the organization and the broader Canadian computer science community.
Read the announcement.
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Top storyteller
 We have an update on PhD student Julia Jeonghyun Parke, who was mentioned in the April issue of Informed for making the finals of the SSHRC's 2024 Storytellers Challenge. She is now officially a winner for her video story, “Speculating Race: Creator Motivations for Designing Virtual Influencers of Colour,” which addresses critical questions about who creates virtual social media influencers and what drives their choice of race and ethnic identity in the design of these non-human agents.
Find out more on U of T Celebrates.
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Taking action for accessibility
 A report developed in the Museum Studies Capstone Projects course has been made available to a broader audience on the Ontario Museum Association Resource Bank.
MMSt students Avory Capes, Miaochun Chen and Maggie Nevison partnered with the Ontario Heritage Trust to review accessibility at Fool's Paradise, the original home of Canadian landscape artist, writer and educator Doris McCarthy. "Making Heritage Sites Accessible – Fool’s Paradise" outlines the site's barriers and proposes actionable recommendations for the OHT to implement.
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Well-defended
Dr. Alex Ross successfully defended his doctoral thesis, The Contingent Casino: An Institutional Political Economy of the Social Casino Industry. Dr. Ross was supervised by Associate Professor David Nieborg.
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Photo by Ken Jones, University of Toronto
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A makeover for the Bissell Building
The Faculty of Information has selected Alison Brooks Architects for the revitalization of the Claude T. Bissell Building. ABA is an internationally recognized and awarded firm with many inspiring projects, including several at academic institutions and many working with historic buildings. Expect to hear plenty more about the Bissell Building's makeover in coming issues of Informed and, in the meantime, check out this article in Canadian Architect.
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Group order gouging
Chinese delivery giant Meituan has seen its group order program boom in the country's post-Covid-19 thrift economy. For delivery workers, that's meant longer hours and less pay. Assistant Professor Julie Yujie Chen highlights how workers lose autonomy as the platform and customers dictate order grouping. Read more.
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Lady Arcaders Out of Bounds Toronto Live Stream
Tuesday June 18, 2 to 5 pm
Makerspace, Bissell Building 4th floor
Come to the Makerspace to watch the live streaming of Toronto Games Week 2024. Lady Arcaders: Out of Bounds Toronto is a women & femme speedrunning event. Folks will play games as quickly as possible, showing off their talents and challenging themselves.
More details
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Toronto Data Workshop | Can Generative AI Improve Social Science?
Friday June 21, 12 to 1 pm
Online
Guest speaker is Chris Bail, Professor of Sociology, Political Science, and Public Policy at Duke University, where he founded the Polarization Lab. He studies how artificial intelligence shapes human behavior in a range of different settings—and social media platforms in particular.
Get details and register for this and other Toronto Data Workshops
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