Salon Voltaire

Matthew Blackett is the publisher, creative director and one of the founders of Spacing magazine. He was named Editor of the Year for 2007 by the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors and Spacing was named 2007 Canadian Small Magazine of the Year. Matthew is the designer behind the magazine's ever-popular Toronto subway station buttons. Since 2001, he has been a freelance graphic designer and communications strategist. Matthew also teaches publication design to journalism students at Humber College.

Megan is an associate Professor in department of theory & policy studies at OISE/UT. Her recent book Feeling Power explores how emotions have been disciplined, suppressed or ignored in education and educational theory. Currently, she examines how digital media fosters increasing spaces for dissent and civic participation, despite a climate in which mainstream media are restricted. She is particularly interested in the use of visual satire and irony as a counter-discourse to mainstream media.

Brent Cordner is an Industrial Designer who lectures and writes about material culture. The Felt Chair, his first product on the market, debuted at NeoCon for Keilhauer in 2002, where it was awarded Best of Show for innovation. Canadian Interiors subsequently awarded him 'Best in Canada' for new design. He teaches architecture studio and furniture design in the Masters and Undergraduate programs at the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design at the University of Toronto.

Jillian Clare Cohen is an Assistant Professor in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto and Director of the Comparative Program on Health and Society at the Munk Centre for International Studies. Her work focuses on drug access issues for the global poor, the comparative politics of international pharmaceutical policy, and ethics and corruption in pharmaceutical systems. She is the co-editor of "The Power of Pills: Social, Ethical and Legal Issues in Drug Development, Marketing and Pricing Policies".

Daryl Copeland is a Canadian diplomat who has held postings in Thailand, Ethiopia, New Zealand and Malaysia. In Ottawa he has served as deputy director for international communications, director for southeast Asia, senior advisor for public diplomacy and national program director at the Canadian Institute of International Affairs. His forthcoming book calls for a renewed sense of purpose in Canadian foreign policy, driven by networks and other new models of diplomatic interaction.

Ian Crandall is an assistant Professor in the departments of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. He is interested in Tropical Diseases and world health with a primary research interest in the mechanisms whereby malaria is able to avoid its human host's immune system. He is a member of the Infectious Diseases Research Group and is actively testing and developing new anti-malarial compounds.

Bob Davidson, Asst. Professor of Spanish and Catalan Studies, holds a PhD from Cornell and teaches at the University of Toronto. His research interests include theories of space, architecture and Spanish cinema and he is currently finishing his first book, Jazz Age Barcelona. His current research project is on the hotel as a cultural space.

John Doyle is The Globe and Mail's Television Critic and the author of A Great Feast of Light: Growing Up Irish in the Television Age. He holds a BA in English Literature and an MA in Anglo-Irish Studies from University College, Dublin. He came to Canada in 1980 to pursue a PhD in English Literature at York University. In a profile of Doyle in Toronto Life magazine, Robert Fulford wrote, "A critic as intelligent, industrious and ambitious as John Doyle should be cherished." Doyle has won two Globe and Mail awards for his writing.

Anver Emon is an Assistant Professor and teaches Islamic law and torts. Trained in Arabic, his research specialization is in Islamic legal theory and history. His interests include law and religion, legal history (medieval European and Islamic), and legal philosophy. His current research interests focus on the Islamic legal philosophical traditions and the treatment of non-Muslims under Islamic law. He is widey-published and is called to the California State Bar.

Dr. Jonathan Ezer holds a PhD in Information Systems from the London School of Economics. His research examined the impact of IT on economic development in India. Other interests include the unintended social consequences of technology, the evolution of postmodern thinking, and shifts in the governance of the global economy. Always a keen student of the stand-up comedy industry, he has performed on stage during amateur nights.

Ariel Garten is a practicing psychotherapist and artist, whose intellectual focus is the intersection of science-particularily neuroscience- and the arts. Her work in fashon, performance, and installation have been presented at the AGO, RPI New York and Banff Center for the Arts.

Adam Giambrone is the Toronto City Councillor representing Ward 18 Davenport, and Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC.) He was first elected to public office in 2003 and is the youngest member of Toronto City Council. As well as being an elected official, Adam is an archaeologist specializing in African studies, having studied at McGill University and the University of Toronto. Adam served as Federal President of the New Democratic Party of Canada from 2001 - 2006 and he is a regular guest panelist on Canadian radio and television, speaking on issues that affect all levels of government.

Ron is a professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto. He is widely published in a variety of fields including crime, deviance, socio-legal studies, and urban and environmental sociology. Originally from Prince Edward Island, Ron is particularly sought-after for his insights on Canadian myths and Canadian society.

Shane Green is the Director of Outreach for the Ontario Genomics Institute. He earned his BSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Guelph and his PhD in Medical Biophysics from the University of Toronto. He has studied and taught bioethics and research ethics through the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics and the American Medical Association in Chicago, Illinois, focusing on ethical issues related to genetics, genomics and stem cell research, and scientists' social responsibilities.

Amy is the originator and shepherd of Imagining Toronto She is a geographer and environmental phenomenologist whose current work explores intersections of literature and place in the Toronto region. She is the contributing book reviewer at Reading Toronto and teaches in the Department of Geography at York University.

Allan Hutchinson is a Professor and former Associate Dean at Osgoode Hall Law School, where he currently teaches classes in civil procedure, jurisprudence and torts. His research has focused largely on the democratic shortcomings of contemporary common law. He has authored or edited numerous books, including The Companies We Keep: Corporate Governance and Democracy and Evolution and the Common Law.

Jeffrey Kopstein is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto and the Director for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies at the Munk Centre for International Studies. His research interests include comparative politics; historical political economy; European politics. He is widely-published and won a Faculty of Science 2006 award for Outstanding Teaching.

Kirstine Layfield is Executive Director for Network Programming at the CBC. Previously she was Senior VP for Lifestyle Content at Alliance Atlantis. Just over a year on the job at CBC, Layfield has implemented a new program development strategy and increased original Canadian entertainment hours by 40 per cent. Under her direction, the CBC has launched The Next Great Prime Minister, Dragons Den, The Hour, and Little Mosque on the Prairie. She serves as Vice Chair on the Board of Directors of Women in Film and Television.

Joseph Lerner is a composer, conductor and producer. He is the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Arts Society. In the past he has served as the North American Liaison and Operations Manager for the Masterplayers International Music Festival in Switzerland and Executive Director of the Conducting Institute. He has represented soloists, conductors and orchestras throughout the world and has worked as a journalist and promoter in the arts and entertainment industry.

Dr. Minelle Mahtani is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. She is a writer, researcher and broadcaster on many aspects of diversity. Her research interests include mixed race identity, media and minority representation, critical journalism, and women of colour in geography. She worked as a national television producer at the CBC's "The National" and produced news and current affairs items in the CBC's London and Toronto bureaux while acquiring her PhD in geography at University College London.

Thomas McKaig is Adjunct Professor at the University of Guelph's Department of Marketing & Consumer Studies where he teaches International Business, Management and European Integration. He is owner of TMI Inc., which advises corporations and governments in Europe, Central Asia, the Mideast, and the Americas. He has served as Executive in Residence/Advisor at the University of Tennessee for International Business and is author of "Global Business Today". His newest book is slated for international release in February, 2009

Dr. Bruce Meyer is professor of English in the Laurentian University BA Program at Georgian College and a professor of Continuing Education at St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto. He is author of over 30 books, including the national bestseller, The Golden Thread: A Reader's Journey Through the Great Books and the forthcoming Heroes: The Champions of the Literary Imagination (both from Harper Collins). He lives in Toronto and is a frequent broadcaster on CBC Radio One.

Julia Moulden is an award-winning writer whose current interest is the eighty million North American baby boomers who have reached midlife. The vast majority of this generation aren't interested in traditional retirement. Instead, they've chosen a new occupation: saving the world. Julia is writing a book about the pioneers of this movement, whom she's dubbed The New Radicals. It's about how boomers are reinventing their work to make a meaningful contribution, and how you can, too.

Stephen Morris is Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on nonlinear physics, convection in simple fluids and liquid crystals, and pattern formation. He teaches classes in fluid mechanics, macroscopic physics and patterns from chaos. He is an award-winning instructor and frequent speaker who gives presentations with titles like "Icicles, washboard road and meandering syrup."

Nick Mount is an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Toronto. His recent book "When Canadian Literature Moved to New York" has been very well received and won the 2005 Gabrielle Roy Award for literature. His research interests include Canadian Literature and Literary Culture, and he has been recognized for his innovative and engaging lecture style.

John Peever is a Professor in the Department of Cell and Systems Biology at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on understanding sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, narcolpesy and REM sleep behavior disorder. Dr. Peever's research on the neurobiology of airway muscle control during sleep earned him the Pickwick Fellowship from the National Sleep Foundation and the Parker B. Francis Fellowship from the Harvard School of Public Health. His lecture will highlight what is known about the sleeping brain.

JD has an interdisciplinary background in communication, religion, and technology; he has worked in the private sector, managing and consulting in the areas of strategy, technology and policy. Presently, he is Assistant Professor of Professional Communication at Ryerson University, where he talks to students about talking, writing, and thinking about talking and writing.

Victor Rivas is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Spanish and Portuguese of the University of Toronto. He focuses his research on contemporary Latin American literature, film, the ideological legacy of Simon Bolivar, and the politics of culture and media. Currently he is in the postproduction phase of Estado Cultural, a documentary film exploring the diversity of cultural expressions under the controversial government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Patricia Rozema is an acclaimed Canadian film director. After working with David Cronenberg on The Fly, she submitted, Passion: A Letter in 16mm, which won the Silver Plaque at the Chicago Film Festival. Her international breakthrough came with I've Heard the Mermaids Singing, which won the Prix de la Jeunesse at Cannes. She has won an Emmy, been nominated for a Grammy and been nominated twice for Genie awards. Kit Kittredge: An American Mystery Girl, is in post production and will be in theatres next year.

Scott is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto. His main research interests include social psychology, sociology of mental health, social inequality/stratification, work, and aging. Among his current research is a project "Status Inequality, Stress, and Health among Older Adults." In addition, he recently received an award from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health at the Centers for Disease Control to study the "Origins and Health Impact of Relational Conflict at Work."

Judy Singer graduated from York University's Fine Arts programme in 1974. While still in her fourth year at York, she had her first solo exhibit at the Pollock Gallery. Known for her expressive use of colour, varied touch and inventive imagery, she has had more than 50 solo and group exhibitions in Canada and the U.S. Recently, she exhibited and lectured at the Salt Lake Art Centre in Utah (June to September, 2006) and is preparing for her next exhibit at Inspire Fine Art Gallery in Chicago, opening in October 2007.

Philip is a technology entrepreneur with an MBA from Harvard. He is a much admired lecturer at the University of Toronto and teaches a course on the Business of Software. He owns and runs SternThinking, a consultancy tailored to young start-ups, and is a father of four. He can be reached at pstern@sternthinking.com

Christine Sismondo, MA, BA, is a writer and lecturer at Toronto's York University's Division of Humanities. She was also the guest curator at University of Toronto's Museum Studies exhibition Bottoms Up! A Spirited History of Drink in Canada. She has written extensively on the subjects of vice, film and literature for a wide variety of national and widely-circulating publications, and is the author of a literary non-fiction history of cocktails: Mondo Cocktail: A Shaken and Stirred History. She is currently working on a non-fiction history of vice and prohibition.

Adam Vaughan represents ward 20 (Trinity-Spadina) on Toronto City Council. Prior to entering elected politics he was a prominent television reporter, covering municipal issues for City TV and CBC. He has also appeared in print form for Toronto Life, the Toronto Star and Eye Weekly. As a newly elected city councillor his priorities centre on development issues, including waterfront revitalization.

Anthony is the President & CEO of The Innovolve Group, a strategic consulting firm that offers expertise in commercializing green and socially responsible products and services. He has worked with a diverse client base including Rogers Business Solutions, The United Way and the City of Toronto and is also the Executive Director of the Sustainable Enterprise Resource Centre, an SME incubator fostering the growth and development, focusing on sustainability. He is also a co-founder of SHiFT Property Group, a nascent green developer.

A graduate of the Bartlett School in 1992, Gregory's academic experience and architectural preoccupation concerns itself with exploration, experimentation, and process,; As project architect for Project Design, for the Sharp Centre for Design project at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Gregory was responsible for steering a lengthy design process that included rationalizing the aspirations of the College's four major facilities and numerous user/neighbourhood groups across a five-building campus.

Alan Young is Associate Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. He maintains a private practice in criminal law and procedure, with a focus on the decriminalization of consensual activities. For more than a decade he has brought challenges against Canada's obscenity, gambling and drug laws. He was actively involved in the campaign to recognize the medicinal benefits of marijuana and has represented numerous AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis sufferers. He is the author of Justice Denied: Perverts, Potheads, Serial Killers and Lawyers.