Professional baseball pitcher, U of T PhD candidate and now filmmaker, Drew Taylor (IBBME 1T4) is unveiling a unique piece of Canada’s history at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Our Man in Tehran, a feature film he co-directed with Larry Weinstein, will air as part of the festival’s Mavericks series, and will introduce film audiences to the story behind the Iran hostage crisis of 1979, when Canada, and Ambassador Ken Taylor in particular, played a key role in helping six Americans escape Tehran during an intense political crisis.
The idea for the film sprang from a conversation between Ken Taylor and Elena Semikina, a partner at Film House Inc., the production company founded by Drew Taylor (no relation to Ken) and his brother Matthew.
During the discussion, Semikina realized that Canadian involvement in the historical events – popularized by Ben Affleck’s 2012 Academy Award-winning film Argo – went “beyond Canadians harbouring fugitive Americans, but being active partners in pursuing a solution to the greater hostage situation,” said Semikina.
Drew Taylor, who is researching cartilage tissue engineering, stresses that Our Man in Tehran is not competing with Argo.
“Argo focused on one person and one perspective: [CIA agent] Tony Mendez’s. It was never our idea to refute the main themes in Argo, but to provide people with a documentary perspective. It’s not the Canadians trying to take the story back, but trying to tell the whole story,” he said, alluding to controversy over Argo’s downplaying of the Canadian role in the Tehran events.
Although Affleck volunteered to narrate the documentary, the filmmakers chose to let the documentary subjects speak for themselves. As well as key interviews with Ken Taylor, the directors spoke to people who were on the ground during the crisis, including the rescued hostages, reporters, Canadian politicians who worked behind the scenes, and Iranians who were watching history unfold on their television screens.
The film, which makes its world debut on September 12, has generated a lot of buzz. “I wanted to purchase tickets to bring my friends to the TIFF premier but the film was already sold out,” said Taylor.
This won’t be Taylor’s first time in the spotlight. From 2006 to 2008 he was a professional baseball player, pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays organization. After an arm injury from which he didn’t fully recover, Taylor went on to play in the Frontier League as well as for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Intercounty Baseball League.
Taylor follows in the footsteps of his father, who also combined a U of T degree with a career in baseball. Ron Wesley Taylor (ElecE 6T1) enjoyed an 11-year stint in the major leagues, including World Series-winning seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964 and the New York Mets in 1969. He also attained a medical degree and is currently the team doctor for the Blue Jays.
Our Man in Tehran represents Taylor’s first foray into directing, and he says it will not be his last. For now, though, he is busy readying the film for its release and finishing his dissertation, which he expects to complete this semester.
Taylor is excited about the film’s premiere. “Parts of the film are revolutionary. Things have been uncovered and people are thirsty for that information. For over 30 years, this story has captivated people.”
Our Man in Tehran premieres at TIFF on September 12, and will make its theatrical debut at the Bell Lightbox in downtown Toronto on September 20.
On September 5, the Walter Curlook Materials Characterization & Processing Laboratory was opened and unveiled to members of the Curlook family and the U of T Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) community.
Hosted by MSE Professor Uwe Erb – invited guests and MSE community members had the opportunity to learn about the deep history and ongoing relationship between alumnus and Distinguished Adjunct Professor, Dr. Walter Curlook (MMS 5T0, MASc 5T1, PhD 5T3), and the department.
“Walter has a real talent to show students how to connect basic research, engineering design, and human aspects of engineering, together with environmental considerations and implementation economics of complex industrial operations on a global scale,” said Professor Erb in his introduction of Dr. Curlook. “Walter is a very kind person who wants to bring out the best in people he meets on this professional journey.”
Guests had an opportunity to experience equipment demonstrations by graduate students, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Dean Cristina Amon, and an intimate department lunch that also took place as part of the opening event.
The lab, established with the support of Dr. Curlook, houses the latest in research equipment for the investigation of the properties and behaviour of engineering materials – all the way down to their atomic structure and chemical composition. This type of analysis, known as characterization, allows for materials engineers to gather critical information to develop new materials processing technologies, design advanced materials, and determine end-of-life options such as recycling, reuse, or environmentally safe disposal.
The facilities will benefit collaborative research and teaching innovation across MSE.
“This department, my Alma Mater, was the top institution for metallurgical engineering research and teaching in the world under the leadership of then Chair, Professor Lloyd Pidgeon,” said Dr. Curlook. “It is with hopes that this gift will give us a boost to meet modern challenges and continue to keep our whole department on par with the rest of the best.”
“The establishment of the Walter Curlook Materials Characterization & Processing Laboratory gives our department a major boost in solidifying our strengths in process and extractive metallurgy, which are critical areas in the continuing development of Canada’s natural resources economy,” said Professor Jun Nogami, Chair of the Department of Materials Science & Engineering. “Thank you, Walter, for helping us take a big step toward the next 100 years of materials innovation.”
To view more photos of the event, visit the MSE website.
This September, 1,241 new first-year undergraduates and 809 graduate students have arrived at U of T Engineering, as the 2013-2014 academic year began this week.
The new undergraduates – who come from nearly 50 countries and eight provinces – were welcomed with a wide range of orientation activities, including campus tours, welcome remarks from Dean Cristina Amon and a lecture by Canadian entrepreneur Som Seif (IndE 9T9).
Dean Amon said she was proud to welcome all new and returning students to U of T Engineering’s 139th academic year. “As the top engineering school in Canada and one of the best in the world, we attract diverse and phenomenally talented students. In fact, our new undergraduates have set a new record-high for our Faculty, with an incoming average of 91.8 per cent. I am delighted to welcome so many talented, passionate students to our Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.”
The new students also showed their excitement and anticipation for the year ahead. Claudio Koci (EngSci 1T7) said he was looking forward to his first year in the Engineering Science program.
“I was told that Engineering Science at U of T was the best in the country,” said Koci, who is confident U of T Engineering will teach him the skills he needs to one day start his own business.
More than 25 per cent of the new students are international students, including Rui Ma (MinE 1T7), who came from China to begin her studies in the Lassonde Mineral Engineering program. “I’m looking forward to the teamwork. That’s why I chose U of T Engineering. Everyone works together and shares their creative ideas.”
“Here, I can become anything I want. I belong here,” she said.
Back-to-school Hashtags
Join us on social media using the hashtags #skule and #StartUofT.
More Useful Information for New U of T Engineering Students
Current Engineering Undergraduate website
Just ASK Engineering! (available to all current undergraduate Engineering students)
Engineering Guide to First Year (PDF)
Engineering Society (the student government for ‘Skule’)
U of T Student Web Services (including ROSI, Course Finder, Degree Explorer)
Start at U of T: Get Oriented (St. George Campus)
Student Life Programs and Services (St. George Campus)
For more than 1,200 first-year students, September 5 marked the beginning of their academic careers at U of T Engineering. Faculty leaders, along with accomplished Canadian entrepreneur Som Seif (IndE 9T9) made sure the students started on the right foot, as they shared wisdom and inspiring words at this year’s plenary lecture in Convocation Hall.
“I am delighted to welcome you to the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering,” said Dean Cristina Amon. “Students, today you begin a journey, a journey at the University of Toronto, a journey in Engineering. It is not an easy one, but you didn’t decide to study engineering here because it is easy. You came seeking a challenge. And I am confident you will meet that challenge, with boundless rewards.”
This year’s incoming students make up the strongest class in the Faculty’s history, with an admission average of 91.8 per cent, she noted. “This is an achievement in which you can all take pride,” said Dean Amon.
Dean Amon, along with Dr. Micah Stickel (ECE), First Year Chair, also urged students to take advantage of the countless learning and extracurricular opportunities a premier institution like U of T Engineering provides to students. “Don’t let your time here just fly by,” said Dr. Stickel, “Be active. We are here to support you and help you.”
Being an active, hard-working and well-rounded student is what leads to success, said Seif in his lecture. And he certainly would know a thing or two about success – since graduating from U of T Engineering in 1999, he has become one of Canada’s biggest business success stories. Seif is currently the CEO and President of Purpose Investments Inc., and before that, he founded and built Claymore Investments Inc. into a company with $8-billion in assets, making it the second-largest provider of exchange-traded funds in Canada.
Throughout his academic and business career, he has always been careful to maintain balance, getting involved in the Toronto and U of T community, even coaching the University’s waterpolo team for seven years. It’s a valuable lesson for students to keep in mind as they embark on their own journeys. “Being smart doesn’t cut it. You need to have more in you,” he said. “What matters is what you do in the next four years to learn, to stand out and to push yourself, to be as good as anybody else.”
Seif also commended the ways U of T Engineering has broadened its educational offerings to meet diverse industry and student interests. “Eighteen years ago, when I wanted to pursue finance, it wasn’t easy. Now, the Faculty has opened up so many opportunities for students, it’s amazing. The Faculty recognizes that graduates not only become engineers, but also entrepreneurs, leaders, doctors … [U of T Engineering] supports it,” he said.
“This institution creates phenomenal talent … so make this a springboard for what you want to do in life.”
Interface Biologics, Inc, the spin-off company begun by Professor Paul Santerre (IBBME), has received its second FDA clearance in less than a year for AngioDynamic’s BioFlo Port catheter. The catheter is made with Endexo technology, a biomaterial substance invented by the U of T spin-off company. Added to existing medical devices such as the BioFlo PICC Catheter and the BioFlo Port during the manufacturing process, the Endexo polymer prevents blood clots from accumulating on the surface of catheters or ports, devices implanted under the skin for long-term delivery of medication and access to a patient’s system.
During testing, the BioFlo Port catheter showed significant promise, with a 96% reduction in thrombus, or the accumulation of blood platelets, Santerre said.
The FDA announced its clearance of the BioFlo PICC (peripherally inserted) catheter with Endexo in mid-September 2012. The catheter’s performance was compelling, reducing the occurrence of blood clots by 48%.
The new port catheter could bring enormous savings to the healthcare system, Santerre said. An estimated $1 billion is lost annually in the U.S. healthcare system due to blood clots forming in ports and catheters. Up to 50,000 deaths per year are attributed to this issue, with cancer patients being the most susceptible population.
Now that the port catheter has received approval by the FDA, AngioDynamics plans to move it swiftly into the marketplace. AngioDynamics already holds an approximate 15% market share of the U.S. PICC catheter market worth an estimated $375 million.
Santerre, who has remained at Interface Biologics, Inc. as its Chief Scientific Officer, was encouraged by the announcement. “Having the FDA approve two products with the Endexo technology from Interface Biologic Inc, within one year provides an amazing opportunity for on-going applications and new innovations by this local young spin-off company from the University of Toronto,” he said.
Santerre is a Professor in the Faculty of Dentistry and the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), as well as IBBME’s former Director. He was the recipient of the 2013 NSERC Synergy Innovation award, which recognizes outstanding achievements in collaborations between universities and industries.
From September 27th to the 29th, the University of Toronto is presenting the first annual Toronto Science Festival, a three-day celebration of science that explores the theme of Life in the Universe.
On Friday, September 27th, the festival opens with alumna and Canadian astronaut Julie Payette (ECE MASc 9T0) delivering the keynote address.
Payette has flown aboard the Space Shuttles Discovery and Endeavour and worked onboard the International Space Station twice. Over the course of two missions, she has spent more than 25 days in Earth orbit and traveled over 16 million kilometres.
Born in Montreal, Payette received a Master of Applied Science, Computer Engineering, from U of T. She became the COO of the Montréal Science Centre in July 2013.
The Toronto Science Festival is about celebrating science. Why is this important to you?
Today, ours is a scientific and technological society, so having knowledge of science and technology is as fundamental as knowing how to read, write and count. We all need to know the fundamentals so that we can function well in society, contribute to it, and help solve today’s problems. And so having access to science is critical—through science centres, museums, universities, and through events like the festival.
Does your experience as an astronaut continue to inspire your work?
Part of being an astronaut is sharing the privilege of being in space and seeing the Earth from above. So I do a lot of work in raising awareness of our planet. And today, I do a lot of work with ArcticNet, a Networks of Centres of Excellence in Canada, at Université Laval, a consortium of 120 researchers studying the Arctic.
With the Earth warming and the Arctic warming faster than the rest of the globe, we will see great changes in the north. There is a huge potential for development in the Arctic and how we develop the region is critical. The consortium has been gathering data for a long time, and is very proactive in advising policy makers. Because without good data, you can’t make good decisions.
As one of the few humans to explore beyond our planet, what do you envision for the future of human exploration of space?
In our lifetime, we’ll see people return to the Moon; we will see people go to Mars. But the Universe is immense. The star closest to our Sun is just over four light-years away. If we traveled as fast as possible using today’s technology, it would take us some 400,000 years to get there. So you and I probably won’t see people go to another star—unless we discover something fundamentally new about the physics of our current means of travel.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQBBQ348724]
The festival’s theme of Life in the Universe includes extraterrestrial life. What are your thoughts on SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence?
What are the chances that somewhere out there, there are other forms of life? Probably good. What are the chances of detecting that life? I think, quite minute. But I think it’s very worth looking and I know we have astronomers at the U of T that are part of that search.
And it’s very presumptuous to think that we are alone, that we are “it.” Five hundred years ago, we thought we were the centre of the Universe and that everything revolved around us. We thought we were the absolute centre of the Universe, and today we know absolutely that we are not.
You spent three years at U of T. Are you looking forward to returning to the university and to Toronto?
I’m always very delighted to return to the city and the university. I had a very good experience in Toronto. I was very privileged because I was a Junior Fellow at Massey College. I sang with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra during my three years there. It was just a very, very good experience and I’m looking forward to the festival in September.
Chris Sasaki is a writer with U of T’s Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics.
See the original article on the U of T News website