Congratulations to Provost Mayo Moran

Message from Trinity College’s Chancellor and Chair of the Board of Trustees

Dear Members of the Trinity Community:

We are thrilled to announce that our Provost Mayo Moran has received two awards – from the University of Toronto and the Law Society of Ontario – for her outstanding career achievements and exceptional contributions to a more just and equitable world. Mayo received the 2024 U of T Ludwik & Estelle Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize (Influential Leader) and the 2024 The Law Society Medal.

For her commitment to advance equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), justice and human rights here at the university, in Canada and globally, Mayo is the 2024 recipient of the Ludwik & Estelle Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize. Her award citation reads, in part: “Professor Mayo Moran’s extraordinary leadership and service are grounded in her scholarly work. Her scholarship covers a range of topics, including redress for historic wrongs, restitution, tort law, hate speech, legal and feminist theory, and reparative justice. A common thread is the capacity of law to prevent and to right life-altering wrongs. Professor Moran has served as the first female Dean of the Faculty of Law, Provost and Vice-Chancellor of Trinity College, and Chair / Co-Chair of important University committees, such as the Expert Panel on Sexual Violence, the Faculty of Law’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee, and U of T’s Standing Committee on Recognition.” (read the full citation here)

Mayo’s colleague, Faculty of Law Dean Jutta Brunnée shares this remark: “Mayo’s contributions in the areas of equity, diversity, inclusion, human rights and justice are truly remarkable. Her commitment and leadership have had deep and lasting impact in the University and beyond – institutions, legislation, and pressing matters of national and international justice. She is richly deserving of the Ludwik and Estelle Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize.”

Along with her contributions to U of T, she contributed to legislative initiatives in Ontario, including the province’s anti-SLAPP legislation, review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and development of the Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act. Nationally, she served for 14 years as Chair of the Indian Residential Schools Oversight Committee; and internationally, she co-founded The Restitution Dialogues conference series. You can read more about Mayo’s legal contributions here.

Warren Winkler, former Chief Justice of Ontario, noted: “Professor Moran’s greatest contributions to Canadians and to Canada lie in her work on the Indian Residential Schools Settlement. … I saw the sensitive and measured manner in which she undertook the challenging task confronting her, as well as her achievements in carrying out her responsibilities.”

Also announced yesterday, for her significant contributions to the legal profession, Mayo has won The Law Society Medal for outstanding service within the profession and with the highest ideals of the legal profession. She will be presented the medal at the Law Society Awards ceremony in May 2024.

Trinity has been most fortunate to have Mayo at the helm for these last 10 years. Along with her deep commitment to students and the student experience, and focus on the “people, program and place” at Trinity (the title of her strategic plan for the College), her tireless work has made our campus an even more welcoming and inclusive environment, and strengthened the College’s commitment to sustainability and vision for our future with the new Lawson Centre for Sustainability and Integrated Sustainability Initiative. And in between being Provost and contributing to important legal and EDI initiatives, she has found time to write her latest book, “The Problem of the Past and How to Fix It,” which is forthcoming from Oxford University Press.

As a community, we have all known how incredible Mayo is, as an administrator, scholar and human being. We could not think of anyone more deserving of these awards from U of T and the Law Society, and we could not be prouder of her. On behalf of the College, please join us in congratulating our Provost!

Yours truly,

Brian Lawson, Chancellor, Trinity College
Sharon Geraghty, Chair, Trinity College Board of Trustees

Categories: Announcements; Awards & Honours; College News; Faculty & Staff