Cheryl Regehr recognized with Women of Distinction Award

Cheryl Regehr (MSW 1980, PhD 1996), a U of T alumna and the University’s vice-president and provost, has received the YWCA Toronto’s 2022 Women of Distinction Award (Education).

The organization praised the work of Regehr, who is also a professor in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.

“She has made it a priority to uplift women on campus, whether through individual mentoring or through larger systems change,” YWCA Toronto said in a statement.

YWCA Toronto also highlighted Regehr’s creation of two new roles at U of T: the Provostial Advisor on Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), which worked to recruit women into STEM programs, and the Provostial Advisor on Access Programs, a position created to enhance the ability of students from underrepresented groups to attend U of T.

The annual awards celebrate extraordinary women who advance gender equity in a range of areas including business, education, social justice, advocacy, health, arts and philanthropy.

Regehr said she is honoured to receive the award from the YWCA, an organization she holds great respect and gratitude for, and accepted it on behalf of leaders across the university who are committed to advancing equity and inclusion.

“Education is a fundamental component of ensuring that every woman and girl has an equal opportunity to flourish in our communities,” Regehr said.

“As educators who help develop the next generation of leaders, we must be alert to biases in our policies and practices that limit achievement and inclusion – and we must commit to identifying and addressing them.”