Laura Maldonado beams as she describes her first day learning in U of T Mississauga’s Undergraduate Robotics Teaching Laboratory.

“It’s a really cool place,” she says, as she proudly takes out her phone to show a video of one of the lab’s robots in action. “We actually play with these robots and get hands-on experience.”

The computer science specialist student was among the first group of undergrads in the third-year Fundamentals of Robotics class to use the new lab, which officially opened its doors on Sept. 7.

The University of Toronto community gathered in-person and virtually Friday to commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – and to reflect on Canada’s treatment of Indigenous Peoples and the lasting impact of the residential school system on Indigenous communities.

As many as 100 people – most wearing orange shirts – attended a ceremony at Hart House on the St. George campus that was streamed live over YouTube, where hundreds more watched.   

Birchbark is strong, water-resistant, and flexible. No wonder it’s been used for building, crafting, and writing material for ages and today is a primary material in many handicrafts and arts.

It’s why UTM Principal and U of T Vice President Alexandra Gillespie is hosting a global workshop on the significance and use of birchbark from Oct. 14 to 16.

A Mississauga-based startup with ties to UTM has received a federal contract under the 2 Billion Trees program to help boost reforestation efforts in areas devastated by wildfire while also combatting the effects of climate change.

Flash Forest will receive $1.35 million from Natural Resources Canada to use drone technology to plant more than a million trees over the next two years in wildfire ravaged locations across Canada.

At first glance, the dusty and worn pages of an old book from centuries ago might not reveal more than their written content. But a closer look unlocks a treasure trove of knowledge.

It’s those obscured treasures—hidden stories—that U of T researchers want to uncover.

Today is the last day of May, which means we’re heading into an especially joyous time of the UTM year. The sun is shining, and the campus is blooming; there are fawns and owlets in the forest and tadpoles in all the campus ponds.

I’m writing to echo yesterday’s message from President Gertler—and to echo, too, a sadness and rage felt across our university community.    

Since I started my position as Principal in July 2020, I have had the good fortune of listening to members of the UTM community as they share their priorities for our campus’s future.

Dear colleagues, 

I’m pleased to announce the public launch of UTM’s campus-wide Project Management Office (PMO), one of the first of its kind in Canada. 

It’s a challenging time. Some respiratory viruses—COVID-19, influenza, RSV—are on the rise and the cold weather is moving more of our activities inside. So, as we prepare for final exams, holidays, and travel to see loved ones, I wanted to reach out and reiterate some of the public health steps we can take to help keep ourselves and our communities safe.