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As I begin my year as Acting Dean of ¹û½´ÊÓƵ while Dean Walker is on leave, I am pleased to share several updates on key initiatives and activities. But first, I hope that everyone is having a good start to 2026 and a productive beginning to the winter term. I also want to extend a happy Lunar New Year as the University and ¹û½´ÊÓƵ community prepare for celebrations in January and February.

 

 

In November 2025,  a commitment to strengthening research capacity and supporting emerging scholars through the new Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows Program. ¹û½´ÊÓƵ has developed division-specific procedures and information for potential applicants and supervisors, which is now available on the ¹û½´ÊÓƵ Research, Partnership and Innovation website. The deadline for faculty to submit nominations for applicants that they have agreed to supervise is April 1, 2026, and a call for applications will be sent to ¹û½´ÊÓƵ faculty shortly with further details.

 

In December 2025, ¹û½´ÊÓƵ shared the call for applications for the fellowship program for Black and Indigenous scholars, with a deadline of March 2, 2026, for faculty to submit nominations for applicants that they have agreed to supervise. Further information on both postdoctoral fellowship competitions can be found ¹û½´ÊÓƵ Postdoctoral Opportunities site, and I encourage faculty colleagues to take advantage of these opportunities.

 

 

Faculty search committees are engaged in recruitment activities, reviewing applications from interested scholars who are eager to join ¹û½´ÊÓƵ. In the coming weeks and months, interviews, job talks, and candidate meetings will be taking place. I am looking forward to meeting the candidates and welcoming them to ¹û½´ÊÓƵ, and I hope that many of you will find an opportunity to meet with them as well during their visits. Meanwhile, thank you to the search committee members and staff who are supporting this important work.

 

¹û½´ÊÓƵ Black Education Symposium 

 

OISE and the Centre for Black Studies in Education will host the Second Annual Black Education Symposium on January 27, 2026, under the theme Affirming Blackness in Academia: Past, Present & Future. This year’s symposium brings together scholars, students, educators, and community members to engage in important conversations about the ongoing journey of affirming Blackness across academic spaces. Given its timing, the symposium is a great segue to a range of community events and initiatives that will take place across the University during Black History Month.

 

 

We have two student focused annual conferences happening at ¹û½´ÊÓƵ this term. The Master of Teaching Research Conference (MTRC) will take place on Friday, February 13, 2026. A cornerstone of the Master of Teaching (MT) program, the MTRC provides a vibrant platform for research dissemination, professional growth, and academic engagement for teacher candidates and the broader MT community. Organized by and for ¹û½´ÊÓƵ graduate students, the Graduate Student Research Conference (GSRC) will take place from March 5-7, 2026. For over 20 years, the GSRC provides a rich platform for graduate students to share their original research contributions while gaining experience in a formal academic setting. Please take a moment to review the conference program and support our students as they showcase their research from a diverse range of fields in education.

 

 

Deadlines are fast approaching for ¹û½´ÊÓƵ’s teaching and staff excellence awards, and I encourage you to consider nominating a colleague whose work is making a difference to ¹û½´ÊÓƵ’s success. The Teaching Excellence Awards deadline is January 30, 2026, and the Staff Excellence Awards deadline is February 15, 2026. We look forward to receiving a robust set of nominations and to coming together to celebrate award winners on March 31, 2026 (save the date!)

 

 

As many of you may have noticed, construction on the 5th Floor Roof Community Garden and IEN Social and Cultural Practice Space is entering its final stages, with finishing work and testing underway. We look forward to opening the space in Spring 2026. when weather permits. For updated photos and project information, please visit the project website.

 

I hope you find these updates helpful. I will share more in the coming months and look forward to working with members of the community during my term as Acting Dean.