by Sarah Topa

Graphic design by Andrew Janeczek

In 2012, a Belonging Committee was formed at the Institute of Medical Science (IMS) with the mandate to enrich the student experience. It was renamed the Student, Staff, Alumni and Faculty Engagement (SAFE) Committee in 2015, with an increased focus on faculty and alumni engagement. Over the next five years, the SAFE Committee primarily supported planning the UofT Talks Health Symposium, an annual event organized by IMS students and alumni. 

In 2020, in response to the new IMS Strategic Plan 2021-2026: Community, Connections and Impact, the SAFE Committee was revitalized to serve several broader and more useful purposes: 1) to create connectivity in a community often working in siloed research areas and sites; 2) to support the IMS Students’ Association (IMSSA) and official student groups; and 3) to implement new tools and resources to support increased engagement among all stakeholders. To best serve these goals, the committee’s membership also expanded to include two representatives from each student group and more faculty, staff, and alumni members–bringing our total membership to twenty people .

To chair the newly revised SAFE Committee, the IMS recruited Dr. Samantha Anthony, PhD alumna (2010) and now IMS faculty member.  She is also an associate professor in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. Dr. Anthony is a clinician-scientist in the Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Research Institute and has over twenty years of experience working in the SickKids Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Centre as a social worker. 

Dr. Anthony’s unique training and experience as both a social worker and qualitative researcher made her an ideal candidate to lead the committee. She is gifted in listening to and meaningfully engaging with the IMS community to integrate student-identified perspectives into enhanced programming and supports. 

Dr. Anthony also took on the role because she was excited by the prospect of serving the IMS community. “I saw an opportunity in accepting the role of chair of the SAFE Committee—opportunity to re-engage in supporting student initiatives and opportunity to strengthen and revitalize the purpose of the committee within the institution,” says Dr. Anthony.

In 2021, I had the opportunity to join the committee as co-chair with Dr. Anthony. One of the best and most rewarding parts of my job as Senior Partnerships & Communications Officer at IMS is working with our student leaders and being included in their inspiring and important work. Dr. Anthony and I consider it a privilege to hear and learn from our community: as co-chairs, we continuously strive to leverage our committee members’ diverse experiences and expertise to enrich the Institute’s programs and offerings. Having worked at the IMS for nearly ten years, I wholeheartedly believe that the SAFE Committee plays an important role in shaping the IMS identity and is a vital voice of change within our community. Dr. Anthony and I are grateful for our involvement and proud of the many accomplishments and achievements we have witnessed. 

In the last five years, under the umbrella of the SAFE Committee, the IMS has launched a suite of new awards, including the Jay Keystone Memorial Award for Innovation in Scientific Communication, the Student IMPACT Awards, and the Alumni Awards. The committee has formalized IMS student groups and external funding requests, and through the latter, have supported initiatives such as the Big Little Books Podcast, Stem Cell Talks, and the Temerty Medicine Research Showcase. In 2021, we worked with the IMS International Community to assist them in becoming an official student group and enthusiastically welcomed them to the SAFE Committee. Most recently, we collaborated with IMSSA to launch IMS Research Rounds, a bi-monthly event designed to highlight the diversity of research happening across IMS, encourage collaboration across research sites, and to further strengthen the sense of community among our student body. 

Speaking on the evolution of the SAFE Committee, Dr. Laura Best, PhD alumna (2021),  a former committee member, and student leader, believes the new structure of the committee has improved its effectiveness, and has created a platform for increased collaboration and support that enhances the graduate student experience. Dr. Best shares that, “The IMS is creating a culture of connection, inclusivity, and unique opportunities for its students. The SAFE Committee has been an important part of that growth.” 

This academic year, the SAFE Committee had another first—welcoming back Serena Peck, a former student member, in her new role as an alumni member. Serena is an MSc graduate (2022), former IMSSA co-president, and co-founder of the Healthcare Innovation Challenge. She also contributed significantly as a former member in other IMS student groups. With her wealth of experience, Serena is uniquely positioned to offer guidance and support to our current student leaders. Reflecting on her journey, Serena emphasizes that, “The professional development I gained through the SAFE Committee has been invaluable in shaping my post-IMS endeavors. My aim is to assist students in fostering similar enriching experiences that will resonate with them for years to come.”

Looking towards the future, I am excited to see what the SAFE Committee accomplishes next. Given its track record of success, and with the inspiration and drive of our student, staff, faculty and alumni members, Dr. Anthony and I are confident that the committee will continue to exceed expectations and amplify our voice representatively to benefit the IMS community as a whole.