Message from the Vice-President, Research and Innovation

Message from the Vice-President, Research and Innovation

A worldwide pandemic. Income gaps. Racial injustice. Migration. Around the globe, issues like these have awakened us to the pressing need for new and fresh approaches to issues of accessibility and inclusion.

Whether it’s creating equal access to government services or navigating the complexities of Canadian multiculturalism, Toronto Metropolitan University’s researchers are addressing the systemic inequities that have long been woven into the fabric of our society. 

Across the university, our faculty are exploring the nature and impacts of disparities in areas like the labour market, primary health care, housing, retirement incomes and school experiences to guide us toward a more inclusive future. Their groundbreaking work ranges from creating films about identity and belonging, to developing algorithms that enable less gender-biased web searches, to using complex physics to understand evacuation patterns during catastrophic events like hurricanes on the basis of wealth and race.

The principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and access are foundational, not only to the scholarly, research and creative activities undertaken at Toronto Metropolitan University, but also to who we are as engaged citizens of this world. Our society is improved when every one of us is able to access what we need to survive and thrive. When barriers are removed, we all benefit. 

Together, we can and must strive for a more accessible world. I hope you enjoy this edition of Innovation.

Steven N. Liss, PhD
Vice-President, Research and Innovation