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50th Anniversary and Awards Reception

Date
November 28, 2024
Time
6:00 PM EST - 10:00 PM EST
Location
Churchill Ballroom, Chelsea Hotel, 33 Gerrard Street West, Toronto
News clipping dated February 1974 about new degree in geography, sourced from TMU Archives

Approved in 1973, the Bachelor of Applied Arts (BAA) in Applied Geography was the first standalone degree program at Toronto Metropolitan University (then Ryerson Polytechnic Institute). The program started in Fall 1974, a milestone we celebrated today. Attendees of the reception included three alumni from the first ever graduating class of 1978 and a total of around 150 (out of all 1675) alumni from the last five decades. Other guests comprised several of the retired professors, who founded the program and taught students since the 1970s or 1980s, as well as today's faculty members and staff.

In a compelling speech, Professor Dennis Mock gave us an idea of the academic environment at the time of the program's development, while Ian Williams, a graduate of 2005, took the alumni guests back to their time on campus. The formal program was framed by addresses from distinguished guests, TMU President Mohamed Lachemi and Provost Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano.

We also recognized numerous student awards sponsored by corporate and private donors, external associations, and the department, and celebrated the accomplishments and well-deserved retirements of three faculty colleagues.

Longtime friend and supporter of geography at TMU, Environics Analytics founder and president Jan Kestle, provided an engaging greeting emphasizing the critical importance of geospatial data analytics in improving the quality of life of Canadians. Department Chair and event moderator Dr. Tor Oiamo concluded the formal part of the evening with an acknowledgement of the major contributions to research and teaching of geography and environmental studies by retiring professors Bardecki, Maurer, and Wang.