Appointment of Jonathan Hamilton-Diabo as Assistant Professor and Special Advisor, Victoria University (PDAD&C #73)

From: Cheryl Regehr, Vice-President & Provost
Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-President, Human Resources & Equity
Date: April 26, 2019
Re: Appointment of Jonathan Hamilton-Diabo as Assistant Professor and Special Advisor, Victoria University (PDAD&C #73)

We are proud to report that Jonathan Hamilton-Diabo, current Director of Indigenous Initiatives at the University of Toronto, has been named the June Callwood Professor in Social Justice at Victoria College and Assistant Professor in Theology at Emmanuel College. In addition, he will also serve as Special Advisor to the President of Victoria University on Indigenous issues. While this is a great loss to the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, we are excited about the opportunity before him and the role he will continue to play in our extended university community.

Jonathan has a long-standing history of leadership in Indigenous education and community-building at the University of Toronto as a staff member, student, and educator. This experience and his extensive relationships across our three campuses led to his selection as Co-Chair of U of T’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Steering Committee in 2016. Jonathan co-led a diverse group of faculty, students, and staff in creating a series of calls to action to the University in its efforts to address the continuing barriers faced by Indigenous members of our community.

In light of his success as Director of Aboriginal Student Services at First Nations House from 2003 to 2017, and as Co-Chair of the TRC Steering Committee, Jonathan was appointed to the position as Director of Indigenous Initiatives for the University. In this role, Jonathan has been an invaluable resource for all members of our community, building the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and facilitating progress on the calls to action, and ensuring that reconciliation becomes part of the fabric of life at U of T. In particular, his Office is developing a University-wide training strategy, which includes implementing a module on Indigenous cultural competency training for the U of T community. Jonathan has also been instrumental in building an online presence for Indigenous initiatives, which showcases resources, programs, services, research, and academic information relevant to future and current Indigenous students and scholars.

Jonathan is a tremendous leader, relationship-builder, and a devoted supporter of Indigenous students, staff, and faculty. Victoria University will benefit immensely from his knowledge and experience. Please join us in congratulating Jonathan on his new role.

We will be posting for the position of Director of Indigenous Initiatives, and will communicate further details about the process in the coming weeks.