Orchard, Virani named distinguished professors (September 23, 2011)
Two U of T Mississauga faculty members have been named University of Toronto Distinguished Professors, an honour recognizing individuals with outstanding achievements and promise.
Professors Ian Orchard of the Department of Biology, former vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga, and Shafique Virani, chair of the Department of Historical Studies, will hold the title for a five-year period. The Distinguished Professor Award, given by the office of the Vice-President and Provost, recognizes individuals with highly distinguished accomplishments and those who display exceptional promise, who maintain an extraordinary level of activity in their research and scholarly work and have achieved pre-eminence in their field.
"We are very proud of the dedication shown by Professors Orchard and Virani to their students, their colleagues and their discipline," says Professor Amy Mullin, vice-principal academic and dean. "Their achievements in teaching and research are inspiring to all of us on this campus and, indeed, to the entire university. That each was able to achieve all he did while also engaging in significant administrative service is truly remarkable."
Orchard, who served as vice-president and principal from 2002-2010, led the campus during a time of unprecedented enrolment growth and capital development. During his tenure, U of T Mississauga implemented new undergraduate and graduate programs with an innovative teaching and learning focus, co-curricular programming in residences and for commuter students, and cross-divisional partnerships.
Orchard has made significant contributions to the field of invertebrate neuroscience and neuroendocrinology, and is regarded as a world leader in this discipline. His research has been published in leading international journals, and is being used in collaborative ventures with government and industry. He has maintained active teaching and supervision of undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who have achieved significant success in attaining awards, fellowships and post-U of T careers.
Virani, who was appointed chair of historical studies in 2010, is an award-winning author and internationally recognized public speaker. He has addressed audiences from more than 50 countries, acts as a consultant for various television networks and sits on the governing boards of philanthropic and civil society organizations around the world.
Virani is the author, co-author or editor of three books, has authored more than a dozen peer-reviewed articles or chapters in top-tier international journals and has received awards including the International Book of the Year prize. He has been described as one of the world's most renowned scholars in Islamic studies. He has been recognized nationally as a top lecturer, brings high profile guests to his classroom, mentors undergraduate and graduate students in research activities, and was awarded the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association teaching award.
http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/361.0.html?& ... 973f0f0f06
Shafique Virani
Professor Shafique Virani will be the Convocation Speaker for the November 2011 University of Toronto Convocation Ceremonies
An award-winning author and internationally celebrated public speaker, Professor Shafique Virani is currently Chair of the Department of Historical Studies at the University of Toronto. Described as one of “the world’s most renowned scholars in Islamic studies” by Canada’s Laurier Institution, his research, teaching and humanitarian work champions the cause of pluralism, fostering greater mutual understanding between the West and the Muslim world.
After receiving his PhD from Harvard University, Professor Virani served on the faculty at Harvard and was the Head of World Humanities at Zayed University in the UAE before coming to U of T. His teaching experience is vast and spans a diversity of subject matters and educational contexts. He has taught boatmen on the banks of the Ganges in Benares and members of the royal family in Abu Dhabi, Afghan refugee children in Calgary and Indonesian mullahs at McGill, troubled teenagers from inner-city high schools and both graduate and undergraduate students at Harvard. At U of T, he mentors the largest humanities research team and his classes have been described as being “a Socratic dialogue, Oprah, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire combined.” In awarding him its highest teaching honor, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations lauded Professor Virani’s ability to “not simply…teach the material, but to transform lives.”
He has received numerous awards from scholarly organizations around the world, including an International Book of the Year prize and recognition from the Middle East Studies Association of North America, the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. This year he received the title of University of Toronto Distinguished Professor of Historical Studies.
In his spare time, Professor Virani pursues volunteer work in Canada and internationally. He sits on the governing committee of an organization that administers over 200 schools and reaches out to disadvantaged communities in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zanzibar. U of T recently named him one of 26 faculty members who are “Professors Who Lead the World.” The citation reads: “Shafique Virani’s insights into Islamic history, religious persecution and spiritual survival provide an understanding that could build a road to tolerance. His inspired teaching and writing may be more relevant today than ever.”
http://www.convocation.utoronto.ca/Hono ... Virani.htm
An award-winning author and internationally celebrated public speaker, Professor Shafique Virani is currently Chair of the Department of Historical Studies at the University of Toronto. Described as one of “the world’s most renowned scholars in Islamic studies” by Canada’s Laurier Institution, his research, teaching and humanitarian work champions the cause of pluralism, fostering greater mutual understanding between the West and the Muslim world.
After receiving his PhD from Harvard University, Professor Virani served on the faculty at Harvard and was the Head of World Humanities at Zayed University in the UAE before coming to U of T. His teaching experience is vast and spans a diversity of subject matters and educational contexts. He has taught boatmen on the banks of the Ganges in Benares and members of the royal family in Abu Dhabi, Afghan refugee children in Calgary and Indonesian mullahs at McGill, troubled teenagers from inner-city high schools and both graduate and undergraduate students at Harvard. At U of T, he mentors the largest humanities research team and his classes have been described as being “a Socratic dialogue, Oprah, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire combined.” In awarding him its highest teaching honor, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations lauded Professor Virani’s ability to “not simply…teach the material, but to transform lives.”
He has received numerous awards from scholarly organizations around the world, including an International Book of the Year prize and recognition from the Middle East Studies Association of North America, the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. This year he received the title of University of Toronto Distinguished Professor of Historical Studies.
In his spare time, Professor Virani pursues volunteer work in Canada and internationally. He sits on the governing committee of an organization that administers over 200 schools and reaches out to disadvantaged communities in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zanzibar. U of T recently named him one of 26 faculty members who are “Professors Who Lead the World.” The citation reads: “Shafique Virani’s insights into Islamic history, religious persecution and spiritual survival provide an understanding that could build a road to tolerance. His inspired teaching and writing may be more relevant today than ever.”
http://www.convocation.utoronto.ca/Hono ... Virani.htm