2024-2025 Year in Review: Alumni engagement and impact
Left to right: MSW students Zahra Wells, Favour Aina, and Bernard Yeung; donors Alan Lam, Raymond Cho, and Soon-Ok Cho; MSW student Noah Yan, and head of Global Youth Leaders, Heavin An.
Building relationships and strengthening support
Alumni and friends of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work are part of an illustrious community of social work professionals, policy makers, leaders, and supporters who strengthen the FIFSW community and help advance teaching and research through events, outreach, mentorship, the establishment of scholarships, and more.
Here’s a look at the achievements of our alumni over the 2024-2025 academic year.
By the numbers: FIFSW Alumni Association events
Number of events: 14
Number of participants: 755
Number of newly engaged alumni: 230Black History Month
Left to right: PhD students Elo Igor, Tolulola Taiwo-Hanna, Suliat Fehintola Akinwande, Marvelous Muchenje, Marci Gray, Vilmara Lucas, and (in front) Travonne Edwards. On February 27, the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work was proud to present a stellar panel of PhD students, candidates and graduates to discuss Black futures in social work in an event organized in honour of Black History Month. Students, alumni, faculty, staff, U of T colleagues and members of the public joined the panel at Massey College to honour the legacies and contributions of Black communities to the social work field, talk about current research and practice initiatives, share stories of their experiences as Black social work scholars, and discuss visions for the future. Panelists included Tolulola Taiwo-Hanna, Suliat Fehintola Akinwande, Marvellous Muchenje, Marci Gray, Vilmara Lucas, Travonne Edwards, and Elo Igor. Associate Professor Tanya Sharpe joined the panel as a discussant.
Law and social work networking event
In May, FIFSW and the Faculty of Law, held an event to bring together alumni from the combined Law and Master of Social Work (JD/MSW) program. Keynote speaker, Marian Jacko (JD/MSW 1996) delivered a powerful speech about her career journey as a single mother from Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manatoulin Island to Toronto to pursue a dual law and social work degree. Jacko is now Assistant Deputy Attorney General in the Indigenous Justice Division of the Government of Ontario. Attendees at the event expressed a strong commitment to staying connected to the University of Toronto’s law and social work faculties and to supporting current dual degree students through mentorship and professional guidance.
Cynthia Kathleen Turner Entrance Award
Cynthia Turner The Cynthia Kathleen Turner Entrance Award is a $500,000 award that honours the memory of Cynthia Turner, a former student of the Faculty, from the class of 1981. This generous gift was made by Roy Bristow, her surviving spouse. Created to support mature domestic MSW students with financial need, the award pays full tuition and fees for a student in FIFSW’s Master of Social Work Program, with an additional award available to cover partial-fees for a second student each year. The award is also renewable for students in their following year of studies to ensure their education is fully covered at the Faculty. Distribution of the award starts in 2026.
Dr. Raymond Cho and Soon-Ok Shim Families’ Leader Scholarship
The Dr. Raymond Cho and Soon-Ok Shim Families’ Leader Scholarship honours the late Margaret Kirkpatrick, who was an Assistant Professor and then Associate Professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Social Work from 1956 through to 1978. Kirkpatrick had an indelible impact on her students and on Dr. Raymond Cho, who credits her for inspiring him to pursue social work and attend FIFSW, which in part contributed to his later success. The scholarship is awarded annually to four MSW or PhD students registered at FIFSW and is open to all FIFSW students with preference given to students registered with Accessibility Services when possible. Additional consideration is given to students who have demonstrated overcoming accessibility barriers, including through a care-taker role.
Read about MSW graduate Noah Yan’s journey through the program. Yan received the Sprott Asset Management Foundations for the Future Award and the Dr. Raymond Cho & Soon-Ok Shim Families’ Leader Scholarship.
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Scholarships like those listed above — funded by FIFSW’s Annual and Leadership donors, as well as Major Gift donors — have an incredible impact on students. To learn more about supporting students at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, please contact Development Officer Jijo Quayson at jijo.quayson@utoronto.ca or 416-946-8339.
Celebrating our donors and award-winning students
On March 25th, FIFSW held an appreciation event to express its gratitude to the Faculty’s generous donors and celebrate the students whose success has been buoyed by their support.
Lynn Factor, centre.
Master of Social Work Students Zahra Well, Favour Aina, Noah Yan, and Bernard Yeung shared remarks on how the scholarships they received impacted their studies.
“Receiving this scholarship has meant a great deal to me—not only as an international student navigating a new country but also as someone who has made a career shift and returned to school after eight years of working in education. This support has been incredibly encouraging, reaffirming my decision to pursue social work and allowing me to focus on developing the skills I need to make a meaningful impact.”
— Noah Yan, MSW student
As emerging practitioners, policy makers, advocates, researchers, and educators, our students are the future of the field. Your support — whether it is through establishing endowments or contributing to one of our featured funds — has made it possible for many of them to realize their dreams of making a positive impact in their communities.
— Charmaine Williams, Dean
Thank you to everyone who supported our students, programs and research this year. We are truly grateful for all you have done to further our teaching, research, and outreach!
Three FIFSW alum making a difference in our communities and the field
Lisa Kronenberg
Lisa Kronenberg (MSW 2002) is the Executive Director of Neshama Hospice. Inspired by Jewish values, the new 12-bed facility now under construction will help address the shortage of hospice beds in Ontario, and provide holistic, around-the-clock care in a home-like setting for those in their final days. “Dying is incredibly hard,” says Kronenberg. “We need to take the physical and practical burden off families so they can focus on the things only they can do: the emotional connection, the family relationships, the silly moments, the quiet moments.” As plans move forward for Neshama to open next year, Kronenberg is honoured to be building a place where the hardest moments aren’t faced alone — and inspired by the role social workers will play in making that possible.
Joan Aaron
“Being a social worker has been such big part of who I am,” says Joan Aaron (BSW 1960, MSW 1962). To Aaron, living that identity meant not just building a successful career in child welfare, but supporting FIFSW with time, expertise and financial contributions. Even as a young professional, she supervised U of T social work students in their field placements, an experience she credits with expanding her own knowledge. Her most recent gift, made with her husband Bernard, went towards an innovative program that benefits both social work students and older adults: the Talk It Out Work It Out program at the Jane/Finch Centre.
Read about what inspires Joan Aaron to support social work education and programs.
Patricia Kwan
International students pursuing elementary and secondary education in Canada can experience physical and mental health challenges in the unregulated homestay system due to adverse living conditions, discrimination and neglect, according to a community report led by U of T social work graduates. Patricia Quan (MSW 2023), is the principal investigator for the report In Search of a Safe Harbor: An Exploration of the Experiences of K-12 International Students in Unregulated Homestays. A former international student herself, Quan came to Canada on her own in Grade 9 and lived in multiple homestays — an arrangement where international students who are minors live with host families. FIFSW PhD graduate Kedi Zhao, now an assistant professor at the University of Regina, is co-principal investigator for the report. The group’s goal is to create positive change in the homestay system.
Celebrating U of T’s Landmark project — and the FIFSW alumni who helped support it
Betty Au (left) and Celia Denov (right) The University of Toronto’s Landmark Project has revitalized King’s College Circle with winding pedestrian pathways, new gardens, additional seating, and a grand Alumni Plaza. The completed project was celebrated on September 28th with the U of T community, including alumni and supporters who invested in the project. FIFSW alumni, Betty Au (MSW 1997) and Celia Denov (MSW 1977), were among those who donated to the project by purchasing an engraved stone paver. In October, they shared what seeing their stone embedded in the new walkway on campus means to them.
The annual Arbor Awards celebrate the remarkable individuals whose selfless contributions shape the University of Toronto’s community and mission. The 2024 winners from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work were Jennifer L. Burt-Yanoff and Terry McCullum.
Jennifer L. Burt-Yanoff
Jennifer helps give Masters of Social Work students the real-world experience they need through her support for the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. Her volunteerism includes serving as a field instructor, recruiting others to these roles, and chairing the faculty’s Association of Teaching Centres. Currently, she is the Education Coordinator at North York General where she is renewing the hospital’s commitment to educating U of T Social Work students.
Terry McCullum
Terry has been a generous supporter of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, both during his career and into retirement. While CEO of one of Ontario’s largest community service providers, LOFT Community Services, Terry provided practicums to Master of Social Work students and frequently acted as co-supervisor. He resumed this role in retirement following a request from the faculty, and also volunteered for the faculty’s admissions committee and alumni association.
Helping students prepare for life after graduation
FIFSW’s Alumni Mentorship Program provides valuable opportunities for students to connect with members of FIFSW’s esteemed alumni community as they prepare for life after graduation.
This academic year, the Alumni Mentorship Program was presented in a new format that offered students and alumni more flexibility to connect. Participants could elect to self-match and connect organically based on interests, but the traditional one-on-one matching process remained available upon request.
To further enhance engagement, a series of monthly virtual workshops were introduced to facilitate networking and skill-building. In the new format, alumni are invited to volunteer as panelists, and students are encouraged to submit their questions in advance. The workshops were designed to equip students with essential skills and strategies for launching their careers after university. Topics covered included CV writing, interview techniques, and contract negotiation.
Alumni Association Executive
FIFSW’s Alumni Association is comprised of dedicated volunteers who create opportunities for graduates of the Facutly to continue to build their relationships with each other through events, lifelong learning opportunities, resource sharing, and opportunities to give back to current students through mentorship, volunteer opportunities, and financial support. Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Alumni Association Executive committee on another successful year.
President: Andria Allen
First Vice President: Vacant (to be filled in fall 2025)
Second Vice President: Phylicia Crichlow
Treasurer: Erica Appleton-Forbes
Secretary: Terese Weisberg
Past President: Judy Newman
Members at Large: Matthew Regan, Everdene Francis-McIntosh, Rachel GinsbergCommittee & Sub-Committee Chairs: Matthew Regan (Constitution Review & Governance), Gajathree Ananthathurai (Communications and Outreach Co-ordinator), Andria Allen (Nominations).
Representatives on Faculty Committees: Terese Weisberg (College of Alumni Electors), Pam Weir (Faculty Council Rep); Michelle English (Mentorship Program and Practicum Advisory Committee), Merva Hutchinson (MSW Studies Committee), Tamara Susan (PhD Studies Committee), Andria Allen (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee).
Ex-Officio Members: Dean Charmaine Williams, Graduate Student Association Representative Fatima Formuli.
Building relationships to eradicate hunger
On February 10, the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social work brought together more than 20 experts — including researchers, frontline social workers, and executives from non-profit food and community service organizations — for a two-hour conversation on food insecurity as part of the first annual Janis Rotman Roundtable.
With nearly one in five Canadians reporting that they’re unable to access adequate food, most often because they can’t afford it, food insecurity is among today’s most urgent social issues. Organized through the visionary support of Janis Rotman, one of FIFSW’s generous donors, the goal of the Roundtable was to discuss innovative solutions to this important societal problem and the role that social workers can play in addressing it.
Read our report on the Roundtable, including a message from Dean Charmaine Williams, a summary of the discussion, and a list of resources and advocacy tools to address food insecurity.
