TMU 2024 in 10 stories

TMU’s Solar Eclipse Watch Party attracted more than 700 people. Read about this and other highlights across campus from 2024. (Photo: Sarah McIntyre)

The TMU Solar Eclipse Watch Party was a huge success, drawing a major crowd to the Quad. The event was so popular, even the waitlist was full. This year, the TMU community was most interested to read about what our experts had to say about this once-in-a-lifetime event, and it also gained a lot of media attention. (Photo: Sarah McIntyre)

Read more: What you need to know about the solar eclipse on April 8

TMU School of Nutrition Professor Nick Bellissimo studied a rare sugar called allulose with the help of undergraduate researchers. Allulose is a naturally occurring sugar found in small amounts in foods such as figs, raisins and maple syrup and is chemically similar to fructose. Professor Bellissimo found that adding a small amount of allulose to food can significantly reduce sugar spikes following a meal.

“Many individuals are seeking dietary solutions to manage fluctuations in their blood sugar levels,” said professor Nick Bellissimo, adding that individuals living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes often face challenges in maintaining stable blood glucose levels. 

The researchers believe allulose may block certain enzymes responsible for glucose storage or interact with the starch matrix of carbohydrates to slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream. This in turn reduces blood sugar spikes. 

Read more: New research finds rare sugar can help manage blood sugar, reduce calorie intake

In early 2024, the university announced that the Lincoln Alexander School of Law will have a permanent home at 277 Victoria St., after TMU acquired two properties to meet campus expansion needs. The 11-storey building with 115,000 square feet of space will establish a highly visible presence for the law school at the most vibrant intersection in the country.

For next steps leading into 2025, TMU will begin consultations with the law school community to learn more about future program requirements and their needs for the space. (Photo: Jae Yang)

Read more: A new home for the Lincoln Alexander School of Law

From working on Canada's Favourite Dance Competition, to collecting data to help cancer patients, to gaining hands-on farming experience on Salt Spring Island – the summer of 2024 was a real chance for TMU students to grow their skills and experiences in big ways. 

We covered five students, who talked about their summer job experiences, the valuable skills they gained, life lessons they learned, what they loved the most and more. 

Above is Joshua Hoven, a Creative Industries student who worked for Canada’s Favourite Dance Competition.Hoven is here with dancers from Forward Dance Academy at an Ottawa competition this past spring. This studio won the "Top Studio" award. (Photo: Josh Hoven)

Read more: Cool TMU student jobs and Part 2: Cool TMU summer jobs

TMU continues to strengthen its academic and scholarly, research and creative (SRC) excellence, and it showed this summer when TMU was named in the 2025 QS World University Rankings (external link) . Its position among the top 15 percent of 5,663 universities around the world evaluated by QS demonstrates TMU’s contributions to SRC and growing reputation in higher education.

The QS World University Rankings are the most widely read university rankings in the world, assessing 5,663 universities and 15,700 academic programs across 105 countries and territories. They are the only rankings to highlight employability and sustainability, reflecting the growing demand to demonstrate real-world impact. 

TMU was recognized for international faculty and citations per faculty member, excellence in research output and employment outcomes for its graduates.

Read more: TMU moves into the world’s top 15 per cent of universities in latest QS Rankings

On September 27 2024, TMU’S School of Medicine hit a major milestone when the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) (external link)  granted preliminary accreditation for its MD program, making it the 18th accredited medical school in Canada. With preliminary accreditation granted, the School of Medicine was able to begin recruiting prospective students for its first cohort in September 2025. Applications for admission opened on October 9 and closed on December 2, with close to 6,500 candidates who applied to join the inaugural class.

Read more: TMU School of Medicine’s MD program granted preliminary accreditation

A significant gift from Jack Cockwell and Brookfield Partners Foundation is making it possible for TMU to expand its campus footprint. TMU has acquired part of 2 Queen Street East, which is a 10 minute walk from campus, adjacent to St. Michael’s Hospital, and located on the future Ontario line. This acquisition provides the university with more office space, and room for research growth in space that is partially owned by TMU.

Jack Cockwell, a long-time member of TMU’s Board of Governors, and director and former president and CEO of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., has donated $10 million to secure the acquisition of space.

Read more: $10M gift from Jack Cockwell facilitates acquisition of Queen St property

Moez and Marissa Kassam, through their Moez & Marissa Kassam Equity Fund, made a landmark $5-million investment in the future of health care at the TMU School of Medicine. The generous and transformative contribution aims to address the urgent need for skilled health-care professionals in the Peel region and reinforces TMU’s mission to transform health-care delivery in Ontario.

The Kassams' investment will fund the Moez & Marissa Kassam Excellence through Equity Scholarships, the first comprehensive scholarship program at the School of Medicine. These scholarships will cover full tuition for high-performing students facing systemic barriers to medical education, empowering them to focus on their studies and future careers. (Photo: George Pimentel)

Read more: Moez and Marissa Kassam make landmark investment in equity at TMU School of Medicine

On October 10, TMU officially welcomed Donette Chin-Loy Chang as the new chancellor, serving a three-year term. The chancellor, who is the ceremonial head of TMU, acts as an ambassador for the university on local, national and international levels, presides at all convocations, and confers degrees and diplomas.

Over the years, Chin-Loy Chang has supported hundreds of students by funding scholarships and well-being initiatives at TMU. She has established bursaries across several areas of the university, including the DMZ, The Chang School, and the Lincoln Alexander School of Law. She also created an emergency fund for students during the pandemic and contributed to TMU’s Viola Desmond Awards program and the President’s Awards to Champion Equity campaign. She is also herself a proud alumna of the university. (Photo: Clifton Li)

Read more: Toronto Metropolitan University names Donette Chin-Loy Chang as new chancellor

Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT continue to improve, and with students and professors alike navigating what their usage might look like in the classroom, TMU’s Academic Integrity Office shared with the university community some tips to ensure that if students are using it, their usage complies with the university’s academic policies. We’ll see what 2025 holds for large language models, but some experts are finding that on average, hitting benchmarks for new versions of LLMs continues to half each iteration.

Read more: Are you using AI in course work? Check out these tips