, a postdoctoral fellow in the Connected Minds program and affiliated with the Department of Anthropology, and , professor in the Department of Anthropology, brought together artists, social scientists, humanities scholars, health professionals and neuroscientists for a  at the Botanical Garden of Medellin in Colombia on Aug. 12 and 13. The event explored how artistic practices can contribute to understanding the brain beyond their therapeutic application and their capacity to support people living with neurological conditions. 

Drawing on approaches from science and technology studies, participants examined what happens when neuroscience encounters other ways of knowing grounded in embodiment, sensory experience, narrative, affect and care. Rather than treating art as a way of illustrating scientific knowledge, the gathering approached artistic practice as a form of inquiry that can challenge assumptions and illuminate dimensions of brain health that are otherwise difficult to capture. 

The program brought these questions to life through keynote lectures, workshops, film discussions, academic presentations and roundtables. Participants explored experiences ranging from hereditary Alzheimer’s disease and concussion to neurological disability and caregiving, while experimenting with music, movement, performance, sound and life writing as ways of engaging with changing brains and bodies.  

“Critical interdisciplinary dialogues,” Elliott explains, “are essential for deepening our understanding of the real and imagined subjective experiences of neurological conditions, whether dementia, brain injuries or strokes.” 

The gathering grew out of , a 91��ɫ research project supported by Connected Minds that examines the relationship between the historical imperative to remember violence and the intimate struggle against memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Focusing on the  in Medellín and communities in northern Antioquia, the event extended some of these questions into a broader interdisciplinary conversation about how different forms of knowledge and practice might shape our understanding of the brain. 

Learn more about the��Connected Minds project.��

The Women’s Executive Network’s (WXN) held its annual event, Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards. The awards, launched in 2003, celebrate women whose accomplishments have left a lasting mark on their professions and communities across the country.  

Among the honourees were three alumni from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS):��Irene Zaguskin, an economics graduate;��Johanna Faigelman, who completed a master's degree in social anthropology; and��Lena Azzou, a graduate of the Department of English. Learn more about their accomplishments below:��

A technology executive and board director, Irene Zaguskin (BA ’09) serves as PwC Americas’ co-chief information officer as well as PwC Canada’s chief information and transformation officer, chief data and analytics officer, and partner. The LA&PS alum has led digital transformation, technology innovation and business reinvention across the professional services, retail, telecommunications and energy sectors. 

Trained as an anthropologist, Johanna Faigelman (MA ’00) founded��HumanBranding��in 2006 and has since expanded the behavioural insights consultancy to Toronto and New Jersey. The LA&PS alum developed��a methodology��that helps pharmaceutical, biotechnology and consumer companies better understand the cultural and emotional factors influencing behaviour. Faigelman was named a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur��of��the��Year 2026 Ontario program and was part of the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women North America class of 2025.��

At Metrolinx, Lena Azzou (BA ’05) oversees enterprise strategy and transformation, operational excellence, enterprise project management and enterprise risk management. The LA&PS graduate is a certified change management and strategy implementation practitioner who has held senior leadership positions including chief of staff and Chair of the Metrolinx Women’s Network. She has also served as vice-Chair of the Women’s Centre of 91��ɫ Region and contributes to her community as a mentor, volunteer and advocate for women and families. 

Congratulations to the LA&PS alumni recognized at this year’s event.  

Read the full article in��YFile.����

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) has announced the recipients of the November 2025 SSHRC Connection Grants. Ten 91��ɫ research projects received funding.

Congratulations to the researchers from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) whose innovative projects were selected. These projects span a wide range of disciplines and demonstrate the depth and diversity of research expertise within our Faculty.

The one-year Connection Grant funding will support key knowledge-mobilization activities including events, workshops and outreach initiatives that help strengthen the impact and reach of this important work.

Projects involving LA&PS researchers are listed below.

Converging and Conflicting Buddhist Legal Frames: Secular Governances and Buddhist Transgressions, led by Alicia Turner (associate professor, Department of Humanities, LA&PS) with co-applicant Benjamin Berger (professor, Osgoode Hall Law School), received $24,619.

The Relational Turn: Looking Back, Thinking Ahead, led by Ruth Buchanan��(professor, Osgoode Hall Law School) and co-led by��Annie Bunting��(professor, Department of Social Science, LA&PS) and the University of Toronto, received $20,096

Waste-work: race, caste, and labour in the new global politics of disposability, led by Shubhra Gururani (associate professor, Department of Anthropology, LA&PS), received $23,503.

Monstrous Intimacies at 15, led by Tiana Reid (assistant professor, Department of English, LA&PS), received $24,055.

Colère et Espoir autour de la Palestine : Perspectives d'artistes et de chercheur.es en sciences sociales, co-led by Nadia Hasan (assistant professor, School of Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies, LA&PS) with partners from Université Laval and Université du Québec à Montréal, received $24,997.

Respite, Care, and Ethics for Cultural Workers: A Traveling Symposium, led by OCAD University and co-led by��Casey Mecija��(associate professor, Department of Communication & Media Studies), received $49,996.

De l'économie politique postcapitaliste à l'utopie — Rencontre entre recherche en sciences sociales et pratiques artistiques, led by Saint Paul University and co-led by��Audrey Laurin-Lamothe��(associate professor, Department of Social Science, LA&PS) and partners from Lund University, Université Laval, and Université du Québec en Outaouais, received $23,646.

Lusophone Studies Association Meeting, “Voices and Visions: Lusophone Communities in the Global Landscape,” led by the University of British Columbia and co-led by Robert Kenedy (associate professor, Department of Sociology, LA&PS), received $24,375.

��ó: Tewatia'tarò:rok Taetewatia'takéhnha', led by the University of Toronto and co-led by Jeremy Green (assistant professor, Department of Humanities, LA&PS), received $50,000.

Read the full story in YFile.

Throughout her career,��Lalaie Ameeriar, an associate professor in 91��ɫ’s��Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, has researched how systems of care and institutional structures shape people’s experiences of harm, neglect and inequality.

The Department of Anthropology invites the 91��ɫ community to attend the annual general lecture on Thursday, March 5 from 4 - 6 p.m. This year’s lecture, Amphibious City: Stormwater Drains and the Making of Gray Futures, will be delivered by Professor Nikhil Anand of the University of Pennsylvania. Based on six years of research in Mumbai, India, Professor Anand will discuss how ongoing histories of making urban land have intensified climate risks for those inhabiting the city, and explores why engineers and planners refuse to adopt new imaginaries and designs to respond to the catastrophic effects of climate change.

Nikhil Anand is the Silvers Family Presidential Professor of Anthropology and  Interim Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of India at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an environmental anthropologist whose research focuses on cities, infrastructure, state��power��and climate change, and addresses their relations by researching the political ecology of cities,��read through��the different lives of water.

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A new��Teaching Fellows Program has been launched by the Office of the Vice-Provost Teaching and Learning. The program��will empower faculty members across 91��ɫ to investigate pedagogical issues across various disciplines.��Participating faculty members will��focus on exploring challenges, creating new strategies for professional growth and enhancing teaching at 91��ɫ.��

Lisa Davidson, associate professor in the Department of Anthropology, is part of the 2026-27 cohort of participants. Davidson��studies migration,��racialization��and multiculturalism with a focus on experiential learning. Davidson’s fellowship will enhance AI literacy in the social sciences, focusing on first-year students and work-integrated learning. Davidson will develop experiential AI modules with cultural heritage partners, addressing ethical and cultural implications. She will also host workshops and events for faculty and teaching assistants on integrating AI into teaching.��

Learn more about the Teaching Fellows Program in YFile.

On Monday, Nov. 3, individuals and teams were recognized for their contributions to the 91��ɫ Community at the President’s Staff Recognition Awards. The annual awards celebrate meaningful contributions across the institution in several key areas, including community building, leadership and service excellence.

The following staff members from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies were celebrated as winners and nominees:

Decolonization, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DEDI) Award

Nominated:

• Colleen Robinson, administrative coordinator, Department of Anthropology 

Gary Brewer Emerging Leader Award

Nominated:

• Bhanu Priya Sharma, student engagement coordinator, LA&PS Colleges
• Tanzina Tahereen, associate director, faculty curriculum, Office of the Associate Dean, Programs (LA&PS) 

Harriet Lewis Team Award for Service Excellence

Nominated:

• English Department Administrative Staff 
• LA&PS Faculty Research Office  

The President’s Leadership Award

Nominated:

• Amanda Rodrigues, director, strategic enrolment, LA&PS��

Ronald Kent Medal

Winner: 

• Magy Baket,��student success and academic advisor, LA&PS��

Nominated:

• Celeta Irvin, undergraduate program administrator, School of Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies, LA&PS

President’s Voice of 91��ɫ Award

Nominated:

• Jacqueline Selman,��undergraduate students coordinator, Department of Social Science, LA&PS

Congratulations to all the staff recognized in the awards.

Read the full story in YFile.