Toni De Mello appointed assistant dean, student programming, development and equity

It is my pleasure to announce the appointment of Tanya ("Toni") De Mello to the position of Assistant Dean for Student Programming, Development and Equity (effective June 1, 2020). Toni brings a wealth of professional experience to the role of Assistant Dean and I am excited to welcome her to the administrative team as we launch our new program and guide our students through law school and beyond.

Toni is distinctly well suited for her new role. She currently serves as the Director of Human Rights at Ryerson, under the Office of the Vice President, Equity and Community Inclusion and works in collaboration with Ryerson's administration, faculties, associations and unions and student groups to engage in programming, service delivery, and curriculum development in order to operationalize diversity, equity and inclusion on campus. She is a human rights lawyer and holds Bachelors' degrees in Economics and Political Science from the University of Waterloo; a dual Masters degree in Public Policy and Urban and Regional Planning from Princeton University; and two law degrees (common and civil law) from McGill University Faculty of Law. She is currently completing a PhD at the University of Toronto, focussing on access to the legal sector in Toronto and examining recruitment and interview processes by focussing on questions such as, “Who fits?,” and, “Who doesn't?” She is considered an expert on equity and inclusion in Canada. Toni is a member of the Ontario bar.

She has over 20 years of experience working in the post-secondary sector in governance, student affairs, and admissions, and for the last 10 years, in human rights. She has experience creating curricula and advising on curricular reform that embeds equity, diversity and inclusion in courses. She has created and implemented innovative and award-winning practical experiential learning programs, and volunteer and work opportunities for students. She has also done a great deal of work in transformative justice, and alternative resolutions including mediation, and has years of experience developing programs on issues of recruitment, retention and advancement of underrepresented groups, specifically in corporate law firms in Toronto. 

I welcome Toni in her new role as the inaugural Assistant Dean for Student Programming, Development and Equity.

Donna E. Young
Dean, Ryerson Faculty of Law