Faculty Members’ Biographical Statements
Awards Committee
Gordon Fitch, Graduate Program in Biology
Dr. Gordon Fitch is, since 2023, Assistant Professor of Pollination Ecology in the Biology Department and an executive member of 91ÑÇɫ’s Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution and Conservation. His research addresses the role of environmental stressors, particularly urbanization, disease, and agricultural intensification, in structuring interactions between plants and pollinating insects, particularly bees. His lab integrates community ecology, chemical ecology, and physiology, using a combination of field work, mesocosm and greenhouse experiments, and lab studies. He teaches undergraduate courses in Population Ecology and Community Ecology, with an emphasis on data analysis and critical thinking. At the graduate level, he has taught the seminars Critical Skills in Ecology and Evolution and Current Topics in Ecology and Evolution. Gordon is currently supervising four MSc students, three of which will graduate this year. His mentorship emphasizes career stage-appropriate development of independence as a researcher and a strong professional network both within and beyond academia. Gordon received his PhD from the University of Michigan, and was a US National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Prior to becoming an ecologist, Gordon worked as an environmental educator and high school science teacher, and he is committed to public engagement, advocacy and activism that promotes the equitable flourishing of ecological and human diversity.
Divya Sharma, Graduate Programs in Health, and Mathematics & Statistics
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at 91ÑÇÉ«, with cross-appointments at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto and as a Scientist at the University Health Network (UHN). I lead the , where my research focuses on interpretable deep learning and multimodal AI for complex healthcare data. My work has been published in journals including Nature Communications and The Lancet Digital Health and supported through more than $4 million in competitive funding from CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC as PI or co-PI. I was honoured to receive the 2025 Petro-Canada Emerging Innovator Award at 91ÑÇÉ«.
In addition, I regularly provide consultations across UHN clinical teams on machine learning/ statistics and am a founding member of the Bias in AI and Oncology initiative at UHN. I am also affiliated with Connected Minds, the Centre for AI and Society, and the Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Public Health Advancement (AIPHA) at 91ÑÇÉ«. I serve as an adjudicator for national funding competitions including CIHR and NFRF and participate in Knowledge Mobilization Grants adjudication within Connected Minds, as well as tenure adjudication in my department at 91ÑÇÉ«. I have experience mentoring graduate students across 91ÑÇÉ« and the University of Toronto across multiple disciplines. Through these roles, I have developed a strong appreciation for evaluating excellence across diverse disciplines and forms of scholarship. I would be pleased to contribute these perspectives to the FGS Awards Committee.
James Simeon, Graduate Program in Public Policy, Administration & Law
Dr. James C. Simeon is a Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA), Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, and a former Head of McLaughlin College, Director of the SPPA, and a former Acting Director and Deputy Director at the Centre for Refugee Studies (CRS), at 91ÑÇÉ«, Toronto, Canada. James serves currently as the Vice-President of the Canadian Association for Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (CARFMS). He is also a past-President of CARFMS, a member of the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM) and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC). James’s areas of research include international refugee law, international human rights law, international humanitarian law, international criminal law, and public policy and administration and he has published widely in these areas. He is on the Editorial Board of the online journal Laws. And he is a graduate of King’s College and a life member of Clare Hall, at the University of Cambridge.
Prior to joining the faculty at 91ÑÇÉ«, James served as the first Executive Director of the International Association of Refugee Law Judges, now the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ). He is currently an Associate Member of the IARMJ and serves as the Coordinator of its Inter-Conference Working Party Process. He is also one of the founding members of the IARMJ Americas Chapter.