Faces of leadership: U of T welcomes its newest deans

A recent event at the Faculty Club brought together U of T's deans, including those who took on their senior leadership roles since the outset of the pandemic in early 2020 (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Like many during the pandemic, Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life Heather Boon spent a lot of time interacting with her colleagues through the rectangle of her computer screen.

It struck her that many of the more recent additions to the University of Toronto’s senior leadership had probably never even met one another. So, Boon organized an event at the Faculty Club in late June where new and long-standing deans – an increasingly diverse group of leaders – could get together in-person.

“It’s really exciting,” Boon says. “Deans at U of T are responsible for defining and implementing the academic vision and priorities for their units, including academic programs for students and faculty hiring.

“Their leadership decisions have a tremendous impact on the university.”

She adds that deans also play a significant role in advancing a culture of inclusive excellence at the university, which contributes base funding for Black and Indigenous faculty through the provost’s Diversity in Academic Hiring Fund.

Here is a snapshot of the diverse range of backgrounds and scholarly experience that U of T’s newest deans are bringing to the university’s senior ranks:

Jutta Brunnée, Faculty of Law
Dean, University Professor and James Marshall Tory Dean’s Chair

Brunnée, a well-known scholar of international and environmental law, has been at the helm of the faculty since January, 2021.

She taught a course at the Hague Academy of International Law and was elected to the renowned Institut de droit international based in Geneva. She taught at McGill University and the University of British Columbia before joining U of T, in 2000.

“I am eager for the faculty to be as visible and engaged as possible across Canada and around the globe,” she said.

Read more about Jutta Brunnée

Republished from U of T News — read more about U of T's newest deans