Welcome to the summer issue of UT DRO News! I hope that as we enter a new academic year, you are all able to take some time to enjoy our lovely summer weather, and reflect on both the year that has passed, and on the year to come.
At UT-DRO, we have had a very productive spring. We saw several new appointments and promotions, and a few farewells. Our Medical Radiation Sciences class of 2014 graduated during the Spring Convocation. As well, 13 Fellows, four Radiation Oncology Residents, and seven Physics Residents completed their training at UT-DRO and graduated last month. I am proud to welcome these graduates to our alumni community, and to call them colleagues as they continue onto the next phase of their professional journey.
We have also had some changes in our faculty community. One of our esteemed faculty members is moving on to a prominent leadership role on another continent. Dr. Jean-Phillipe Pignol has accepted a Chief of Radiation Oncology position in the Netherlands, commencing this summer. Dr. Charles Catton’s term as the Director of the Fellowship Program has now come to an end. He has led this portfolio for the past 11 years, and will be sorely missed in this role; but of course, he will continue as a valued senior member of UT-DRO.
We also welcome several new colleagues to our community. After an internal search, Dr. Peter Chung was appointed as the new Director of the UT-DRO Fellowship Program. After an international search, Dr. William Song started as the new Director of Physics at Odette Cancer Centre; similarly, Dr. Eric Leung has also just started his role as a Radiation Oncologist at Odette Cancer Centre.
After a one-year effort, our strategic planning initiative is finally nearing completion. During Research Day this year, we received valuable feedback from the UT-DRO community, and through your input, we were able to finalize a number of the key elements. We are also pleased to announce the chosen tagline for our strategic plan, ACT: Attract, Catalyze, Transform. Over the next few weeks, we will be sending out a document outlining our vision, and the steps we will be undertaking over the next few years, to achieve our strategic goals.
Lastly, I would like to welcome Mss Lisa Charrette to the UT-DRO team. Lisa is the new Postgraduate Program Coordinator, and will be working on the Residency, Fellowship, and Undergraduate portfolios. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Mr. Jeremy Kwan and Mr. Humberto Rocha, who have been supporting the Medical Radiation Sciences program for many years, and wish them the best in the next phase of their professional lives.
I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer; stay well and stay healthy!
