Get to Know NEW: Meet Principal Bob Gazzale

Principal Robert (Bob) Gazzale. Photo Credit: Supplied

New College welcomed Professor Bob Gazzale as its newly appointed Principal following approval by the Agenda Committee of the Academic Board on July 1st, 2024. Bob joins the College from the Department of Economics where he is currently Professor, Teaching Stream and former Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies, having started at the University of Toronto twelve years ago. Prior to this, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service with a focus in international economics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, completed his PhD in economics at the University of Michigan in 2004 and worked eight years in the Department of Economics at Williams College.

In 2022, Bob received an Arts and Science Outstanding Teaching Award for his dedication to enhancing student learning and experience. This commitment was reflected in his efforts during the pandemic to develop in-person learning opportunities and optimize the transition to online learning. His research has explored decision-making in a variety of contexts, with recent work examining how an individual’s willingness to take prosocial actions depends on whether others do the same and whether individuals view the monetary contributions of others differently than direct action. Additionally, his pedagogical research has looked at the effect of in-class participation in economic games, markets and experiments on learning outcomes.

We caught up with Bob over the summer to learn more about him and his thoughts on his new role as Principal.

New College Communications (NC Comms): What inspired you to pursue a career in education and teaching economics?

Principal Gazzale (Bob): In my third year of undergrad, I had an older professor – easily closer to 70 than 60 – who would just bring it to each and every class. It was obvious to all that there was nowhere else he would rather be than teaching and as students we responded by being completely present. During one of his lectures, the thought crept into my head, I wonder whether I could come close to having this same effect…

NC Comms: What does the NEW community mean to you, and how have you experienced it in the last couple of months?

Bob: I will admit to being a bit overwhelmed by the number of people working behind the scenes associated with New College who reached out to me over the past few months – with many doing so within minutes of my appointment announcement. But it has brought home the extent to which the College has changed lives and the passion that so many have for New. The common thread in so many responses is that the New College community is indeed special, and for so many, it is the community that defines their U of T experience.

NC Comms: How do you plan on engaging with the NEW community?

Bob: So, my first priority is not to mess things up!

But looking forward, I believe we can build on the strength of being such a special community. I get the feeling that the NEW community – like so many others – has not fully rebounded from the pandemic. This means we have a great opportunity to work together and reshape in a way that ensures the community continues to be the U of T home for our students, staff and faculty.

As a newcomer, I don’t claim to know exactly how the community ought to evolve. For me, it means two things:

First, I will be an active presence at the NEW Community. I’ll be at our events, I’ll be meeting with our student groups, and while I won’t be able to get to you all personally, I look forward to as many one-on-one conversations as possible.

Second, and particularly important, I look forward to listening, both to those currently in the community as well as those we will welcome into it – drop by the Principal’s Office at WE 109, my door is always open.

NC Comms: Are there any initiatives or programs that you’re excited to learn about or implement?

Bob: For better or worse, I’m not coming in with a grand vision! I am mindful that economists are sometimes accused of not paying attention to what makes particular places unique. To make sure I don’t fall into that trap, listening and information gathering are at the top of my list.

A few days into being a member of this community, people pointed out two programs that help define what makes New College special New One and Community Engaged Learning (CEL). I’m excited to learn more about them, especially in terms of their community-building potential.

Given the U of T’s size, first-year seminars offer a welcome respite from the slate of large lecture courses facing so many of our students. These courses seem to skew towards non-quantitative social sciences, while so many of our New College students will do more quantitative programs – math and stats to economics and human biology. I think there is an untapped demand for first-year seminars that speak to students in these disciplines. Starting from a place of strength, the New One program is a natural choice for making sure there is across-the-board depth in first-year offerings.

Over the past few years, both the province and the University have stressed the importance of experiential learning, broadly defined. I was thrilled that under my watch as the undergraduate chair of the economics department, they became a part of the Arts and Science Internship (ASIP) program. I was thus really excited to learn about New College’s Community Engage Learning program. I look forward to learning how the College can continue to support this jewel, and what we can do to increase opportunities for aligning students’ academic programs, their interests and CEL’s traditional mission.

NC Comms: When you’re not teaching , what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Bob: I truly enjoy spending time with family, including our two rescue dogs: Sprocket and River. And like most academics, I love to read, although I don’t get to do as much for pleasure as I would like. My current fiction recommendation is “There There” by Tommy Orange.

But I admit to two addictions:

Coffee – and while I enjoy a variety of coffee beverages, in the hopes of spurring conversation, allow me to share two perhaps controversial opinions:

1 > The cortado is the perfect coffee drink.
2 > Iced coffee is overrated. Sorry Gen Z!

Running – I have a pretty massive running addiction (six days most weeks, often seven.) I do run marathons and will admit to enjoying the required training. Moreso, I just really enjoy running — both the physical activity of propelling myself across space and the meditative state that often accompanies it. And in response to the three most common questions:

1 > Yes, I almost always run outside, even in Canadian winters.
2 > Almost never with headphones.
3 > And my knees are fine!

During a recent run, a possible initiative came to mind: New College group runs. Build community? Check. Promoting physical and mental health? Check. And New Run Crew is, in my opinion, a pretty awesome name that would look great on a t-shirt. I think we’ll have to make this happen – stay tuned, NEW!

NC Comms: Last question, what message would you like to share with the College as you begin your time here?

Bob: It is hard to express how honoured and humbled I am to have been chosen for this position, especially as I have come to learn how special this community is, and what it means to so many. To be a steward of this legacy is a responsibility I embrace and look forward to.

We can’t wait to work with you, Bob, on continuing to build our vibrant community – welcome home to NEW!