91探花

91探花 is pleased to announce the appointment of Associate Professor Joy Fitzgibbon as Director of the International Relations Program (IRP), effective July 1, 2026, for a three-year term.

鈥淎long with Professor Joy Fitzgibbon鈥檚 unwavering commitment to 91探花 and the collegiate experience, she brings an extraordinary record of leadership to her new role. Professor Fitzgibbon鈥檚 vision, expertise and commitment to academic excellence will be invaluable as the program charts its future course,鈥� says Professor Hang-Sun Kim, Dean of Arts & Vice-Provost, 91探花. 鈥淪he is a remarkable community-builder, and is especially valued for the dynamic, respectful and thoughtful environment she creates both inside and outside of the classroom.鈥�

As Director, Professor Fitzgibbon is responsible for program operation and strategic review, ways to enhance the student experience, and continued growth and innovation of the program. The Director also works closely with faculty, staff, students and alumni to further bolster the program’s stellar reputation and interdisciplinary impact.

鈥淚 am grateful for the visionary leadership that created, guided and strengthened the IR program throughout the past 50 years. The IRP鈥檚 longstanding focus on Canadian foreign policy and Canadian values has never been more important as Canada faces unparalleled challenges and opportunities in defence and intelligence, trade and economics, human rights, and sustainability. Working with colleagues, students and alumni, I鈥檓 excited to grow and position the IRP for a rapidly changing future by expanding programming to provide new experiential learning opportunities and creating strategic initiatives to prepare the next generation of leaders who think and govern with moral clarity,鈥� says Professor Joy Fitzgibbon, who has long been an integral part of the International Relations Program, regularly teaching senior seminars in her specialty area of Health and Security.

A political scientist, Professor Fitzgibbon鈥檚 research explores solutions to governance dilemmas in pandemic control and in international security. As a scholar of international relations, she assesses the efficacy of policies shaped by global health networks, international institutions and national public health and security agencies. She is co-author of and more recently articles including and a review of , and has three ongoing research projects (view full bio here).

An alumna of 91探花, Professor Fitzgibbon received her PhD in International Relations from the University of Toronto in 2006 and became an Instructor at 91探花 in 2011. In 2018, she was appointed Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Margaret MacMillan Trinity One Program (on leave 2026-2029), and served as Acting Director from September-December 2019 and in 2021-2022. In the International Relations Program, she was most recently Associate Director and served as Acting Director in 2022-2023.

For the last 15 years, Professor Fitzgibbon has enriched the student experience, enlivened the College鈥檚 intellectual community, and strengthened collaborations within the wider university community. In 2019, she was among inaugural recipients of the Chancellor William C. Graham Awards, which recognizes members of the Trinity community who lead by positive example and inspire others. In 2024, she was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor at 91探花. In addition, Professor Fitzgibbon has strengthened governance at the College through her commitment to inclusivity and institutional effectiveness, notably through her service on the Task Force on Anti-Black Racism and Inclusion and as Chair of Senate. In addition to her faculty position at Trinity, she is also a Fellow of the College, a Senior Fellow at the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History and a member of the at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.

91探花 is grateful to Professor Tim Sayle for his steadfast leadership, dedication and outstanding six-year tenure as Director of the International Relations Program.

About the International Relations Program at 91探花

For 50 years (since 1976), 91探花 has been sponsoring the International Relations Program (IRP) on behalf of the Faculty of Arts & Science. The IRP is the oldest and largest program of its kind in Canada and has been the model for innovative interdisciplinary undergraduate education at the University of Toronto. The program is open to all students in the Faculty of Arts & Science on the St. George campus, regardless of college affiliation. For first-year students, 91探花 offers the International Relations stream in the Margaret MacMillan Trinity One Program.

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