Celebrating the global impact of U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science with supporters, alumni and community

“I am inspired each and every day by our exceptional students and our groundbreaking research,” Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, said in her opening remarks after a spectacular Indigenous performance by John Hupfield from Wasauksing First Nation, Deanne Hupfield from the Temagami First Nation, and Nathan Roy from Wikwemikong First Nation.

“That’s why I’m excited that each of you is here with us tonight to celebrate the impact Arts & Science will have around the world throughout this campaign. We’re going to turn ideas into action.”

“As society grapples with growing threats to health, climate and social equity, the world is again looking to U of T to make discoveries, advance knowledge and improve lives through our spirit of excellence, leadership, diversity, passion and generosity,” said Claire Kennedy, Defy Gravity campaign co-chair. “And the Faculty of Arts & Science is at the forefront of helping generate crucial global solutions. This Faculty really is the beating heart of this extraordinary university.”

The opening remarks also included powerful words by Elder Eileen Antone, a Dean’s Advisory Council member and a special advisor on Indigenous affairs. Antone held up a special Eagle feather, given to her earlier in her teaching career by an Elder, to emphasize the importance of building relationships.

For Arts & Science supporters, the evening offered an important opportunity to learn more about Defy Gravity’s priorities.

“As a donor, I’m always interested in what is happening at the University, especially involving students. As an alum, I think it’s important to support our students as they move through the system — whether they’re doing undergrad or graduate studies and their doctorates or whatever it is — just to help them through that and be part of that,” said Rose Kelly, a monthly donor.

The Lab, he explained, transforms technologies that have recently crept into the mainstream — such as ChatGPT and text-to-image models — into experiences that can be poked, prodded and played with to find their true potential. The BMO Lab is just one example of how Arts & Science researchers are exploring AI’s implications for individuals and society as a whole.

“In the future, where AIs are likely going to be even more present in our lives, the ways we can interact with them and critique them from our own position as embodied, thinking, feeling humans are going to be critical to successfully building a livable human future,” said Rokeby.

Alum Lorraine Gauthier said she particularly loved seeing artificial intelligence in action. She even tried the technology herself, creating a scene that drew from installations she’d already enjoyed that night — such as the pop-up planetarium — as well as personal experience and random thoughts, such as surfing in Bali and military ships.

Guests were also treated to a powerful performance by Yiddish Glory, a Grammy-nominated project of Anna Shternshis, director of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies, and others. Yiddish Glory brings long-lost lyrics to life — rare first-hand accounts of Nazi violence against Jews during World War II and even songs with a sense of humour.

“Yiddish Glory brings these stories to life to give voices to people who sang through the unimaginable violence and create a performance piece that combines rigorous historical research and artistic performance,” Shternshis said.

Alumni certainly felt the impact. “I think it’s so amazing that the music was preserved all this time but also, so, so tragic and so moving, the stories that were told. It’s also wonderful that people found humour in those dark times. But as I said, very tragic,” said alum Michael Scott. “As an alum, I really enjoy being involved in the faculty and any opportunity to learn what U of T is doing and what U of T students and faculty are doing is great. I really like volunteering at events whenever I can, helping out and learning about the faculty.”