Temerty Medicine promotes 181 faculty members

The Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto has promoted 181 candidates to the rank of professor or associate professor, one of the faculty’s largest cohorts of senior academic promotions.

Seventy-one faculty members were promoted to professor, including one in the teaching stream, and 110 were promoted to associate professor. Candidates were promoted based on achievements in their academic fields and contributions to the university.

The promotions take effect on July 1, 2025. A list of promoted faculty members is posted on the Temerty Medicine website.

“It never ceases to amaze me to see the talent that we have at Temerty Medicine across the board in research, teaching and education, and other professional areas,” said Upton Allen, chair of the decanal promotions committee and a professor of paediatrics.

“Our faculty members are doing an incredible job, and the promotions process allows us to see that up close and recognize individuals for their efforts.”

Dean Lisa Robinson offered her congratulations to the successful candidates and thanked Allen and committee members for their contributions.

“The work of this committee has a direct impact on the continued excellence of this faculty and the university and more important, on the education and experiences of our learners. Their efforts are vital in shaping an academic community where excellence in education, research and clinical care can thrive,” she said.

Robinson also acknowledged Allen’s leadership in updating the application and review process for promotions.

“Upton has been instrumental in leading our ongoing work to modernize the promotions process to more fairly reflect the diverse contributions of all our faculty,” she said.

Allen, who is also the head of the division of infectious diseases at The Hospital for Sick Children, noted that while efforts to update the process began last year, he is continuing to work with committee members, department chairs and other academic leaders to refine the criteria and process for promotions.

He identified areas with opportunities for improvement, including greater clarity around the definition of sustained excellence in teaching, and the scope of activities captured by equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigeneity and accessibility statements.

Creative professional activity (CPA) is another criterion for which there is a need for ongoing clarification, particularly around intentionality.

Activities that fall under CPA span many fields such as quality improvement innovations in health care, development of education programs, advocacy and policy work, and media and public outreach. Allen noted that much like how a faculty member actively pursues a specific research question, engagement in CPA should also be intentional.

This year, CPA played a role in 60 per cent of successful promotions.

Allen also highlighted mentorship and engagement as another focus of the group’s continuing work.

“What we have seen is a recognition of the importance of ensuring that faculty members in community-based settings are provided with the mentorship and guidance to navigate the promotions process,” he said.

For Robinson, these efforts are critical to recognizing the contributions of Temerty Medicine’s faculty in a consistent and fulsome way.

“Our goal is to demonstrate to our faculty that we value and embrace the diversity of their professional contributions, competencies and scholarship, and acknowledge the impact of what candidates bring to the table as we consider them for promotion,” she said.

As part of the modernization efforts, Allen and his colleagues are also discussing ways to streamline the application process to make it more user friendly for both candidates and reviewers. He expressed gratitude to the staff and faculty who volunteer their time and effort to support the promotions process.

“I want to thank the committee members not just for their tremendous contributions during the reviews, but for their continued engagement to refine the process and improve it for the next cycle.”