(TOP) Amy Doolittle performs "We Remember" with accompanying music by Don Dickinson. (BOTTOM) UTM students, faculty and staff gathered to remember the victims of the Montreal Massacre.

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Remembering the Montreal Massacre

On Dec. 6, the UTM community gathered in The Student Centre to honour the women killed 15 years ago in the Montreal Massacre. 

Canadians recognize Dec. 6 as the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, as a day of remembrance and as a day of action against violence against women.

"Violence towards women is happening.  It's not something we see in the movies, but it's something that could be happening to your friend, your teacher, your neighbour," said Melissa Panuelos, director of the UTM Women's Centre.

"The university plays an important role in nurturing minds towards a better society free of violence," said Ian Orchard, vice-president and principal of UTM.  "This event is a symbol of our opposition to violence against women."

Organized by the UTM Women's Centre, the day's events included a remembrance ceremony, viewing of the documentaries "After the Montreal Massacre" and "The Many Trials of One Jane Doe" and self-defence demonstrations.  

Celebrating another successful year . . .

On Dec. 6, vice-president and principal Ian Orchard hosted UTM's annual holiday celebration for faculty and staff in The Faculty Club.  The event also served as an official "Welcome to UTM" reception for Ray de Souza, the campus' new chief administrative officer, and Jane Stirling, director of marketing and communications.   

Photo (L-R): CAO Ray de Souza, director of marketing and communications Jane Stirling and vice-president and principal Ian Orchard gather at UTM's annual holiday celebration.

ECSU holds shave-a-thon

The Erindale College Student Union held its annual head-shaving fundraiser on Nov. 25 in The Student Centre.  The funds raised suppport the Canadian Cancer Society -- 50 per cent specifically to breast cancer research.  Hair over 10" went to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 with long-term medical hair loss.

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UTM students get their heads shaved for charity.

Research Highlights

Professor Danton O'Day and Michael Myre have discovered the presence of a breast cancer C-terminus (BRCT) domain in nucleomorphin B, a unique protein that affects the number of nuclei produced by cells of the microbe Dictyostelium.  The BRCT domain is present in proteins that function in dividing cells, and because of its role in cell division and cancer, this domain is being actively studied. O'Day and Myre have also shown that nucleomorphin B is developmentally regulated. Their results were reported in the November issue of Biochimica Biophysica Acta ("Dictyostelium nucleomorphin is a member of the BRCT-domain family of cell cycle checkpoint proteins." Vol. 1675, pages 192-197). Why would a relatively simple microorganism make a regulated protein containing a BRCT domain? Because cell division is a fundamental aspect of all living things. The ability now to study the function and regulation of this important domain in a model system will greatly increase chances of learning what the BRCT domain does in normal and diseased cells.

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Faculty & Staff Appointments

U of T's Jon Dellandrea, vice-president and chief advancement officer, will leave the university to take up the position of Pro-Vice- Chancellor Development and External Relations at the University of Oxford in October 2005.  He will remain at U of T until the end of June 2005.

Prof. Robert Baker will step down as chair of UTM's biology department effective Jan. 1, 2005 to begin his new role as chair of the Dept. of Zoology in the Faculty of Arts and Science, U of T.  A search committee will convene in January to appoint a new Chair.  In the interim, Prof. Angela Lange will lead the Dept. of Biology.

U of T's Academic Board approved the reappointment of three deans this month: Prof. Roger Martin, dean of the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, will serve a second five-year term beginning July 1, 2005.  Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Health, Prof. Bruce Kidd, wil begin a new three-year term on July 1, 2005.  Prof. Wayne Hindmarsh, dean of the Leslie L. Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, will was reappointed for four more years beginning July 1, 2005.

Evan Apsit has been appointed Business Services Budget and Planning Manager.  Apsit, a certified management accountant, comes to UTM from the the university's internal audit department where he worked for six years, most recently as senior auditor.  In his new position, Apsit will work with the overall UTM operating budget and long-range financial plan and coordinate all budgets at UTM including ancillary operations, student fee budgets and other self-funded units.

UTM Conference Services has  a new Events Coordinator -- Carol Solonenko.  Solonenko brings 12 years of experience with event management to UTM, most recently with Halton Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Peel.  If you have an upcoming event, reception, workshop or special lunch or dinner, please contact her.  She will be happy to discuss requirements and provide assistance with the planning process.  She can be reached at csolonen@utm.utoronto.ca.

Prof. Jean Mason of UTM's Professional Writing and Communication program and OISE/UT will begin a new appointment as associate professor in Ryerson University's Faculty of Communication and Design.  "I have enjoyed my time at UTM," says Mason, "and I will miss my wonderful colleagues and students."  She can be reached by email: jsmason@ryerson.ca.  Her new appointment begins Jan. 1, 2005.

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Kudos

Congratulation to UTM undergraduate students Greg Bunker and Chelsea Stewart who presented the results of their summer research at the A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium in Alliston, Ontario in late November.  Greg Bunker presented a session called "Ecological Footprint Analysis of a University Campus" and Chelsea Stewart presented her work on "The University of Toronto at Mississauga's Campus Sustainability Project."  Dr. Tenley Conway in UTM's Dept. of Geography supervised the research.

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Upcoming Events

Theatre Erindale: Unity (1918) by Kevin Kerr (directed by Patrick Young)

Runs Jan. 20-22, 25-29, 2005

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