Professor Stephen Wright appointed Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science — UTSG

BYLINE: Victoria Dubrovsky, Varsity Contributor

Stephen Wright, professor and researcher of plant evolutionary genomics, has been appointed Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science from July 2026 to June 2031, as announced in an email from the Office of the Dean sent to students on May 21.

Wright has served as Interim Dean since April 2025, prior to which he was Vice-Dean, as well as Chair and Graduate Chair of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. He has been a professor at U of T — where he completed his Bachelor of Science — since 2008. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and has earned several prestigious research awards and fellowships.

Prominent U of T professor passes after battle with cancer — Toronto

BYLINE: Jordan Stephenson, Varsity Contributor

On May 19, Ran Hirschl, a professor and accomplished scholar at U of T, passed away after a battle with cancer.

Hirschl was a professor of political science and law, served on the Royal Society of Canada, held visiting professorships at Harvard and NYU, and fellowships at Stanford and Princeton.

During his career, he published more than 150 articles and books, focusing on comparative public law, for which he was awarded a Killam Research Fellowship and Alexander von Humboldt Research Award. 

To celebrate his life, an event will be held in the Department of Political Science in the upcoming academic year. 

U of T discontinues MAT137 and MAT157 — UTSG

BYLINE: Julianne Wisner, Varsity Contributor

After the summer 2026 session, the Department of Mathematics will discontinue MAT137Y1 and MAT157Y1 and transition them into half-credit courses. 

MAT137Y1 will be converted into MAT148H1 and MAT149H1, while MAT157Y1 will be replaced by MAT158H1 and MAT159H1.  

In a statement to The Varsity, a spokesperson for the university wrote that this decision was made to allow students “greater flexibility to attain the right level of mathematical preparation, move between course streams without losing momentum and maintain steady progress toward their degrees.”

India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry speaks at U of T — UTSG

BYLINE: Mikhala Enns, Varsity Contributor

On May 27, India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, spoke to U of T students and faculty at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

Goyal was introduced by U of T’s Vice-President International and Munk Professor Joseph Wong, who emphasized U of T’s “profound engagement” with India, pointing to President Melanie Woodin’s recent meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney at U of T’s India Foundation centre in Mumbai. 

This sentiment also appeared in Goyal’s speech at U of T, where he emphasized that the young students of Canada and India are crucial actors in continuing to form a “prosperous” relationship between the two countries. 

The minister suggested the implementation of “dual degree” programs, wherein students from each country could have the opportunity to travel to the other. As he wrapped up his speech, Goyal urged students in the room to travel to India to form a deeper understanding of the Global South, even adding that he would be “happy to meet” students should they visit. 

U of T chemistry prerequisite changes to affect upper-year courses — UTSG

BYLINE: Harbanee Kaur, Varsity Contributor

On September 1, U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science will implement updated prerequisites for several upper-year chemistry courses. The changes will apply to students taking the courses in the 2026–2027 academic year.

The 2026–2027 Academic Calendar states that CHM410H1 now requires CHM210H1, CHM217H1, and CHM310H1. CHM441H1 lists CHM343H1 alongside CHM247H1 or CHM249H1. 

CHM440H1 has also been renamed Advanced Synthetic Organic Chemistry: Synthetic Methods and Applications from the Pharmaceutical and Biotech Sectors, and lists CHM342H1 or CHM343H1 as prerequisites.  

A U of T spokesperson wrote to The Varsity that the changes “were introduced to ensure students are appropriately prepared for upper-year coursework” and “align course content with current academic standards.”