From distant galaxies to ancient coins to horror films — many of the stories from the Faculty of Arts & Science in 2023 were told through captivating images. Here are 12 of them, showcasing the achievements and experiences of students, faculty and other members of our community.
This year's photos:
Irene Nosyk combined artistry and science in her illustrations for the Department of Zoology
Prior to the advent of modern image-creation tools, it was the job of gifted scientific illustrators like Irene Nosyk to take field notes and specimens and turn them into scientifically accurate illustrations for use in papers and lectures.
Astronomer Lamiya Mowla on NASA’s new Webb image of Pandora’s Cluster
Lamiya Mowla from the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics shared her insights into a new image from the James Webb Space Telescope of clusters of galaxies merging into a single megacluster.
Lizards reveal the forces that shape biodiversity
What ecological and evolutionary forces determine the number of different species in a single habitat? To answer this question, researchers from the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology studied anole lizards in the highlands of Jamaica and Hispaniola.
Brave new technology: A&S experts provide insight into generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E
Experts from across the Faculty of Arts & Science shared their insights into the perils and promise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E.
Asian Heritage Month: Alum Kokichi Kusano to debut NAE performance in Toronto
U of T alum Kokichi Kusano’s production, NAE, The Rice Seedling uses elements of traditional Japanese theatre, music and art to tell a story of life in Japan during a 13th-century famine. The costumes are stunning and so is the sentiment behind this very personal performance orchestrated by Kusano.
U of T architectural historians investigate a small Ontario church with a big, complex history
Five years ago, the Department of Art History’s Joseph Clarke was driving through Brantford, Ontario and thought he’d explore the area to see if there were any interesting buildings. “It's something I do whenever I'm traveling,” he says. What he discovered didn’t disappoint.
New ancient ape from Türkiye challenges the story of human origins
A new fossil ape from an 8.7-million-year-old site in Türkiye is challenging long-accepted ideas of human origins and adding weight to the theory that the ancestors of African apes and humans evolved in Europe.
Camera traps reveal the hidden world of urban predators and their prey
Using 33 cameras located throughout the GTA, the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology’s Tiziana Gelmi Candusso and her colleagues study the foxes, coyotes and other animals that live among us.
'A medieval blockbuster': U of T acquires a rare 14th-century manuscript
Written on animal skin and likely from the mid-1300s, The Travels is considered one of medieval Europe’s biggest bestsellers. It is one of the texts that made explorers believe in circumnavigation and now resides in the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.
The ROM's ancient Greek coin collection sure to profit from the ROMkomma project
The Department of Classics’ Ben Akrigg is working with a team of scholars and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) to study, catalogue and publish information on more than 2,000 ancient Greek coins through the ROMkomma project.
Horror film course has students on the edge of their seats
The Cinema Studies Institute’s Carrie Reese shares her lifelong love of scary movies with students through her course, Horror Film, which examines the genre through a critical thinking lens, exploring key elements such as gender as well as notions of space, the home and ownership.
Stargazer's guide to the galaxy: Alum Stuart Heggie's deep space photos are legendary
Astronomy alum, U of T donor and world-renowned astrophotographer Stuart Heggie — who captured this stunning image — is looking forward to April 2024 when he’ll have a chance to capture a cosmic image that’s eluded him so far: a total solar eclipse.