The Department of Chemistry is pleased to announce that Professor Barb Morra has taken on the role of Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies, beginning January 1st, 2026.
“Barb was an obvious choice for the role given her deep engagement and passion for student experiential learning,” said Department Chair Mark Lautens. “She has been a champion for undergraduate laboratory experience and is one of the most highly appreciated lecturers in our introductory courses.”
Lautens said that Morra has been a key player in revising Chemistry’s introductory organic chemistry courses, bringing a mechanism-based approach to teaching.
Prof. Morra joined the Department in 2012 after completing her PhD in synthetic organic chemistry. “During my studies, I was able to teach a few classes here and there, in addition to some Teaching Assistant roles,” she said, “But it was exciting to finally embark on much larger teaching roles once at the University of Toronto.”
Over the years, Morra has regularly taught large introductory organic chemistry courses along with specialized upper-year courses, both in the classroom and laboratory. These teaching experiences gave her the opportunity to make significant curricular changes to the way organic chemistry is taught in the Department.
Most of her initiatives have focused on providing students with course-based research experiments that bridge the gap between the classroom and real research experiences, as well as assignments that provoke critical thinking skill development.
Morra has also made significant contributions in fostering a culture of green chemistry practice in the Department, recently leading a multi-year curriculum renewal project that overhauled the in-class curriculum, tutorials, and the majority of the laboratory experiments in CHM136H, CHM151Y, CHM247H, and CHM249H. Students now engage with the content through a mechanistic perspective that includes many more real-world case studies, research examples, and green chemistry concepts.
First launched in Fall 2023, this new curriculum now impacts over 2800 students a year and serves as the foundation to upper-level organic chemistry in the Department.
“This multi-course project involved numerous faculty members and graduate students working together to improve the way we teach organic chemistry,” she noted. “This is a powerful testament to the highly engaged community of teachers we have in the Department.”
Morra is succeeding to a role occupied by Professor Andy Dicks since 2019—his second stint after two years of service as Associate Chair from 2006-2008.
“Words really are not enough when it comes to thanking Andy. He has brought so much to the undergraduate program and grown it over the years,” said Lautens. “His wisdom in identifying our best and most approachable instructors in introductory courses has meant significant growth.”
“Andy has enormous expertise and I was so happy he helped show me the inner workings of the undergraduate portfolio when I took the role of Chair,” said Lautens, indicating that Dicks has also been generous in support of Prof. Morra during the transition. “He has also agreed to support the site visit for our upcoming University of Toronto Quality Assurance Process (UTQAP), even while on research study leave. Andy is the ultimate team player.”
Dicks expressed gratitude for the supportive atmosphere within the department. “Ultimately I've loved the job, and I feel very privileged to have been able to take it on – everyone in LM 151 has been so friendly and supportive,” he said. “As Departmental Chairs, Rob Batey and Mark Lautens have shown great confidence in me for which I am very grateful.”
“I'm proud of a number of initiatives that the Undergraduate Studies Committee (USC) have brought in during the last few years. Before 2019 there was no Chemistry Second-Year Learning Community. There was no Focus in Green Chemistry or Focus in Practical Chemical Analysis, no Environmental Chemistry Major, and departmentally we had a very minor role to play in the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Specialist program, which is now our most popular Specialization. We currently have over 800 students enrolled in our ten programs, which is up from 470 in 2019.”
Dicks noted numerous courses that did not exist before his tenure, including CHM 228H, CHM 236H, CHM 237H, CHM 295H, CHM 395Y and CHM 458H. “CHM 229H (Data Analysis in Chemistry) will debut in Winter 2027.”
“Since 2019, our first-year life science courses (and second-year organic ones) have undergone extensive renewal and have become significantly more cohesive. The number of undergraduate research positions (through courses and funded opportunities such as NSERC and OSOTF) has trebled to around 150 per year.”
“All of our Specialist program students are now eligible to participate in the Arts & Science Internship Program, and five of our Specialist programs now have Canadian Society of Chemistry national accreditation status, up from two previously. We've also increased the number of academic recognition prizes that students are eligible for, including awards from the American Chemical Society and Royal Society of Chemistry, and established new international exchange programs with Imperial College London, the University of Warwick and the University of Edinburgh.
Dicks is enthusiastic about his successor: “Barb is both a listener and a doer: she will take the feedback we receive from the UTQAP review process, consult with the USC and make the right decisions on how to move forward. She’ll be strong, innovative, creative, and always readily available to provide support to students, faculty and staff where needed! Barb has recently been instrumental in coordinating our organic course curriculum renewal, and will do a fantastic job as Associate Chair. I wish her all the best in the role and hope she has as much fun as I have had.”
Asked about his own transition back to teaching more, he said: “I’m looking forward to reacquainting myself with the recent teaching literature and, if I’m being totally honest, some later morning starts as I don’t have any 8:30 a.m. labs. for a few months!”
I hope to continue building on the ways our undergraduate students can engage with our chemistry community, and help support them in developing the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in modern careers across different sectors. - Barb Morra
Morra is excited about the prospect of continuing to work closely with students in her new role. Outside of curriculum and course development, the most rewarding parts of the job for her, she said, have included the collaborations and relationships forged with undergraduate and graduate students. “Having the opportunity to teach, learn from, and work with students is the reason I love my job!”
She recognizes that one of the most important roles she plays as a course coordinator and instructor is supporting students as they progress through their studies.
“Students show increasing interest in gaining research opportunities during their undergraduate careers, exploring the interdisciplinary nature of chemistry, and thinking about ways chemistry can solve the world’s ‘big problems’, all while building a community of support around themselves. I hope to continue building on the ways our undergraduate students can engage with our chemistry community, and help support them in developing the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in modern careers across different sectors.”
The new Associate Chair believes the next few years will hold exciting opportunities for U of T students to learn more about greener, more sustainable chemistry. “Many of our students are deeply concerned about global issues, many of which align with one or more U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. They are keenly interested in how chemistry can play an important role in addressing these issues.”
“At the University of Toronto, we have a responsibility to provide our undergraduate students with the most modern and cutting-edge education to support the next generation of problem-solvers and help address these major challenges in health, safety, and environmental sustainability.