Meric S. Gertler
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto
Meric S. Gertler is Professor of Geography and Planning, and the Goldring
Chair in Canadian Studies at the University of Toronto. He co-directs the
Program on Globalization and Regional Innovation Systems at UofT’s
Munk Centre for International Studies, where he runs a large research
program investigating the role of city-regions as the primary sites of
innovation and creativity in the global economy. His work engages in comparative analysis
of North American and European cities to understand how local social and cultural
dynamics create the foundations for economic success and prosperity. He is a frequent
advisor to local, regional and national governments in Canada, the United States and
Europe, as well as to international agencies such as the OECD (Paris) and the European
Union. His books include Manufacturing Culture (Oxford UP, 2004) and the Oxford
Handbook of Economic Geography.
Cynthia Goh
Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto
Associate Director, Institute for Optical Sciences
Co-founder, Alexa Inc., and Vive Nano Inc.
M. Cynthia Goh is Professor of Chemistry and the Institute of Medical
Science, and Associate Director of the Institute for Optical Sciences at the
University of Toronto. She received a BS in Chemistry from the
University of the Philippines and a PhD from UCLA. She did postdoctoral
research at Columbia University in the area of nonlinear optics, and at UC Berkeley on
vibrational spectroscopy of solids.
Professor Goh has a diverse set of research interests, ranging from biomaterials to
diffractive optics and probe microscopy of biological systems. She invented the technique
of diffraction-based sensing, a highly sensitive approach for the detection of biomolecules
with applications in medical diagnostics and in drug discovery. This discovery led her to cofound Axela Biosensors Inc in 2001. Recent discoveries led her to co-found Cleantech
company Vive Nano in 2006, together with five of her students. She has been the recipient
of the Philippine Heritage Award, given by the President of the Philippines for her
professional work and service to the community.
Tim McTiernan
Assistant Vice President, Research, University of Toronto
Executive Director, The Innovations Group
A native of Ireland, Dr. Tim McTiernan has held key positions related to
research commercialization and science and technology in the
Government of Ontario since 2002. From 1997-2002 he was president
of Canadore College of Applied Arts and Technology in North Bay,
Ontario and before that spent 15 years in a variety of positions with
the Yukon Government. They include Deputy Minister of the Executive
Council Office and Cabinet Secretary and Chief Yukon Government Negotiator for
Devolution, Land and Claims and Self-Government.
He received a B.A. (Mod.) in philosophy and psychology from Trinity College, Dublin (1973);
and an M.A. (1977) and PhD (1982) in psychology from the University of British Columbia.
He also serves as Executive Director of The Innovations Group at the University of Toronto.
Ito Peng
Professor, Department of Sociology
Associate Director of School of Public Policy and Governance,
University of Toronto
Ito Peng is Professor of Sociology. She teaches political sociology,
comparative social and health policy, and qualitative research
methods. Professor Peng’s research interests include: social policy
reforms in East Asian and European countries, gender, family, and
demographic changes and their impacts on social policies, political economy of welfare state
transformations, and immigrant women’s health and its policy implications in Ontario.
Professor Peng is an associate researcher for the UNRISD and a research fellow at the
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. She has been active in policy research with
international organizations and has undertaken research for UNRISD, UNESCAP, and the
World Bank. Dr. Peng received her Ph.D. from London School of Economics.
Rana Sarkar
Co-chairman of the Strategic Advisory Board for the Master of Global
Affairs at the School of Global Affairs and Senior Fellow at the Munk
Centre for International Studies
President and Executive Director of the Canada-India Business Council
(C-IBC)
Rana Sarkar serves as a Senior Fellow at the Munk Centre for
International Studies and is the Co-Chairman of the Strategic Advisory Board at the new
School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. He is also the President and Executive
Director of the Canada-India Business Council. Rana was a co-founder and director of
Rawlings Atlantic Limited, a cross border advisory firm. In 2005, he co-founded Content
Partners, one of Europe’s fastest growing media promotions agencies. Previously, Rana
served as the lead strategist at Europe’s leading digital agency and a consultant at Roland
Berger Strategy Consultants. He has been a regular visiting lecturer at the London School of
Economics and the CASS Business School. He is a graduate of the London School of
Economics and Queen’s University and is on the advisory boards of the Literary Review of
Canada and the Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation.
Janice Gross Stein
Director, School of Global Affairs at the Munk Centre for
International Studies, University of Toronto
Janice Gross Stein is the Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management
in the Department of Political Science and the Director of the School
of Global Affairs at the Munk Centre for International Studies at the
University of Toronto. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
and a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario. Her
most recent publications include Networks of Knowledge: Innovation in International
Learning (2000); The Cult of Efficiency (2001); and Street Protests and Fantasy Parks
(2001). She is a contributor to Canada by Picasso (2006) and the co-author of The
Unexpected War: Canada in Kandahar (2007). She was the Massey Lecturer in 2001 and a
Trudeau Fellow. She was awarded the Molson Prize by the Canada Council for an
outstanding contribution by a social scientist to public debate. She is an Honorary Foreign
Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has been awarded Honorary
Doctorate of Laws by the University of Alberta, the University of Cape Breton and McMaster
University.
Judith Wolfson
Vice President, University Relations, University of Toronto
Judith Wolfson is Vice-President, University Relations for the
University of Toronto where she is responsible for the University’s
Government and Community Relations, International Relations and
Strategic Communications and Marketing.
Ms. Wolfson received her Masters in Social Work and her Bachelor of
Law degrees at the University of Toronto. She spent ten years with the Government of
Ontario in several senior positions including Deputy Minister - Intergovernmental Affairs,
Deputy Minister - Economic Development, Trade and Tourism, and Deputy Minister Consumer and Commercial Relations. Prior to her present position at the University of
Toronto she was President and CEO of Interac Association/Acxsys Corporation, Canada’s
national electronic financial services network serving the Canadian financial institutions
and related industries.
In 2003 Judith Wolfson received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for leadership and service to the
community in recognition of her leadership in a wide range of major community
organizations.