SLP Alumni Co-Presidents Recognized with 2025 Arbor Award

Left to right: Michelle Simmons and Faiza Ali

By: Jessica Boafo

The Arbor Awards, one of U of T’s highest honours for exceptional and longstanding volunteer service, celebrated its newest group of recipients last month, including the co-presidents of SLP’s Alumni Association, Faiza Ali and Michelle Simmons. The Department of Speech‑Language Pathology congratulates them both on this well‑deserved recognition and thanks them for their meaningful contributions to the department since graduating from the MHSc program.

Ali and Simmons, who completed the MHSc program in 2017 and 2020 respectively, have been dedicated members of the SLP Alumni Association for several years and have served as co-presidents since 2022. Their leadership has supported numerous initiatives, from editing and delivering semi-annual newsletters to planning and coordinating the annual fall graduation ceremony.

They are also the driving force behind one of SLP’s marquee events, the biennial J.F. Walker Lecture Series, which honours Professor Jean Walker, one of the department’s earliest clinical teachers, faculty members, and later Chair and Director. Through this event and their other contributions, Ali and Simmons have strengthened alumni relationships within SLP and helped enhance the visibility of the rehabilitation sciences sector more broadly.

Their continued commitment to SLP after graduation speaks to the strong, supportive community the department fosters both inside and outside the classroom. We applaud the leadership they continue to demonstrate and remain deeply grateful for their lasting dedication to the department.