NEWS
Cathy Graham, Despina Giagas, David Hughes,and Trinity Chancellor Brian Lawson.
Missing from photo: Mesai James and Charles Pick.
Members of the Trinity community gathered in January to honour the recipients of the 2025 Chancellor William C. Graham Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to the spirit of caring and community at the College. This year’s recipients are Hélène Emorine, Despina Giagas, David Hughes, Mesai James, and Charles Pick. The awards are presented in honour of the late Trinity Chancellor Bill Graham, whose generosity of spirit and commitment to Trinity continue to inspire. Read the full citations here.
Reflecting on the evening, Cathy Graham ’61, Bill Graham’s widow, shared: “The evening felt very much in keeping with Bill’s values — bringing people together, making space for conversation, and recognizing care and commitment in all its forms. It was a lovely way to continue his legacy.”
TRINITY IN THE UK: More than 30 Trinity alumni and friends gathered in London on January 30 for an informal get-together at The Marylebone Bar. Hosted by Priya Kalia ’02 and James Cann ’99, the evening offered an opportunity to reconnect with fellow Trin graduates, welcome new members of the U.K. alumni community, and enjoy conversation and stories over drinks.
ALICE FERGUSON-O’BRIEN has been named a 2026 Rhodes Scholar and will begin fully funded graduate studies at the University of Oxford in 2026. A double major in Cognitive Science and Philosophy, Ferguson-O’Brien plans to pursue a Master of Social Comparative Policy and Applied Digital Health, building on her academic excellence, leadership in climate justice and advocacy for community wellbeing. Her work has included research supported by the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Program, policy leadership with the Arctic Mayors’ Forum, and sustained engagement in student life at Trinity and the University of Toronto. Read more about her journey and achievements here.
IAN HA ’04 is co-founder and Head of Operations at Toronto-based crypto infrastructure company Sequence, which has been acquired by Polygon Labs to support the expansion of regulated stablecoin payments. Formerly known as Horizon Blockchain Games, Sequence provides wallet infrastructure and cross-chain transaction tools and will continue operating under Polygon as part of its Open Money Stack initiative.
PAMELA NEWALL ’63 (MSc ’64, U of T) was named a Member of the Order of Canada in December 2025. She was recognized for strengthening Canada’s legal system through her leading contributions to forensic science.
PAUL POIRIER ’15 won a bronze medal in Ice Dance at the 2026 Winter Olympics with his partner Piper Gilles. Congratulations!
MICHAEL ROYCE ’68 has been awarded the Order of the Diocese of Toronto — recognizing extraordinary dedication and generosity to Trinity College and his home parish, Grace Church on-the-Hill. A longtime Trinity volunteer and leader, Royce is co-chair of the Living Trinity campaign, a major fundraising initiative supporting the development of the Lawson Centre for Sustainability, expanded student financial support, and enhanced academic and community programming. In 2023, he was also named a recipient of Trinity’s Chancellor William C. Graham Award, recognizing his commitment to fostering a caring, inclusive community and his support — together with his wife, Sheila (Northey) Royce ’68 — of student wellness through the Trinity College Mental Health Program.
LEANNE TOSHIKO SIMPSON, Trinity’s Director of Literary Programming, was named to the Canada Reads 2026 longlist for her novel Never Been Better. The title was among 15 books selected ahead of the announcement of the five finalists.
PHILIP LAWRENCE SPENCER ’59 is the subject of a recent Lives Told feature published by Postmedia, including the National Post, marking the first anniversary of his death. Written by his wife, the piece reflects on Spencer’s life — from his years at Trinity studying Languages and Literature to a global military career culminating in the rank of brigadier-general — and his enduring connection to the College. Read the feature here.
TRINITY MINDS ON HOT TOPICS: USING AI RESPONSIBLY, the first in the a new public lecture series at the College, received post-event industry coverage following its November panel on the responsible use of artificial intelligence. The discussion, featuring Trinity alumni Connor Atchison ’08, Maxim Isakov ’17 and Steven Wang ’11 alongside industry leaders, was highlighted in an external recap examining the role of human judgment, transparency, and expert oversight in applied AI. Read the coverage here.
JAMES (XIAOLONG) WANG ’25 has been named a Schwarzman Scholar for the 2026–27 academic year. He will pursue a fully funded master’s degree in global affairs at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University, with a focus on artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure regulation. A graduate of Trinity with a double major in Political Science and Philosophy, Wang held several leadership roles during his studies, including directing Trinity’s Academic Advising Program. He has since contributed to public diplomacy and global governance initiatives, including work presented at the 2025 G20 Summit.
DEATHS
Our deepest condolences go to the families, friends and classmates of these members of the Trinity community.
DAVIES, Miranda ’63. Member of the Trinity College Salterrae Society.
DORWARD, David ’77
DRAPER, Rev. James W. MDiv ’73
GUNN, Charles ’61
HICKMAN, John Hickman ’47
KERR, Donald W. ’57
LIVINGSTONE, Fr. James MDiv ’76
MACPHIE, M. Catherine (Drake) ’62
McLEOD, The Rev. Dr. Norman Bruce ’50
MORDEN, The Honourable John W.’56
PARK, Jae H. ’11
ROSS, Donald M. ’54. Member of the Trinity College Salterrae Society.
UPJOHN, Guy ’55; DSL ’11. Long-serving member and past president of the Trinity College Friends of the Library, he was also chief graphic designer, for the Trinity College Book Sale, including creating the Sale’s iconic “little red man”—as well as more substantial anniversary publications.
WEARY, H. Katherine (Gray) ’55
WILSON, Paul S.B. ’64
ZEITLIN, Professor Irving. Trinity Fellow Emeritus.
