Dean's Message: Promoting Excellence

One of the most important ways we recognize the outstanding scholarly achievements of our faculty members is through academic promotion. Advancing through the professorial ranks recognizes the important contributions that our faculty members are making to advance the vision and mission of our Faculty.  It also celebrates their commitment to education and discovery.

It is an extensive process, placing many demands on the candidate under consideration and on departmental and Faculty colleagues and external peers, and culminating in approval by the Provost or the President when tenure is awarded. This year’s process concluded on June 2 when the Academic Board received the final list of promotions. I know you will join with me in celebrating the accomplishments of our colleagues.

I am particularly pleased that Governing Council, on the recommendation of the selection committee led by Provost Cheryl Regehr, has named Andres Lozano and Molly Shoichet University Professors — U of T’s highest honour for faculty members. This rare distinction recognizes exceptional scholarly achievement and pre-eminence in a particular field of knowledge.

Only about two percent of faculty members receive such an honour. Professor Lozano, the Dan Family Chair in Neurosurgery at U of T and RR Tasker Chair in Functional Neurosurgery at UHN, has distinguished himself in our Faculty with his groundbreaking work in deep brain stimulation for the treatment of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and depression. Professor Shoichet is a Professor in the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry. Her translational research has enabled the development of new treatments for previously incurable disorders such as spinal cord injury.

Please join me in congratulating all our newly promoted colleagues and in celebrating the achievements of University Professors Lozano and Shoichet. I would also like to thank Libby Shirriff, Academic Human Resources Coordinator, and Professor Avrum Gotlieb, who led the Faculty of Medicine’s Decanal Promotions Committee. I know all of our colleagues are grateful for their hard work and dedication to this important process.

Catharine Whiteside
Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Vice-Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions