Reinhart Reithmeier recognized with Vivek Goel Faculty Citizenship Award
Reinhart Reithmeier, a professor emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, has received the 2025 Vivek Goel Faculty Citizenship Award from the University of Toronto.
This award, which is part of the prestigious Awards of Excellence program, recognizes a faculty member who has served the university with distinction in multiple leadership capacities in diverse spheres over many years.
"I am very honoured to receive the Vivek Goel Faculty Citizenship Award," Reithmeier says. "The University of Toronto provides unparalleled opportunities to develop leadership skills and I am grateful to the inspiring leaders who gave me opportunities to contribute to the success of our university at all stages of my career."
Reithmeier is known internationally for his research on membrane proteins in human health and disease. His senior administrative experience began in 2002 as chair of Biochemistry. During his 11-year tenure, he created the BSc major program, doubled graduate enrolment, and pioneered U of T’s first graduate professional development (GPD) course.
Reithmeier went on to serve as the special advisor to the dean of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS). In this role, he published the 10,000 PhDs Project and a comprehensive GPD report that led to the creation of the SGS Centre for Graduate Professional Development. Reithmeier also released the Healthy Lab Initiative report which supported the launch of SGS’ Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision.
Reithmeier then acted as interim vice-dean of research and innovation at Temerty Medicine during the critical COVID-19 pandemic period. He worked closely with the Toronto Academic Health Science Network to ensure that vital research was not interrupted, and played a key role in developing U of T’s Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium (EPIC).
Reithmeier's impressive leadership portfolio continued in his service as director of graduate professional development and alumni engagement at the Institute of Medical Science (IMS). His accomplishments include embedding GPD in the graduate curriculum, creating the popular IMS Connects career panel event series, spearheading the MSc Futures careers pathways project, and supporting the launch of a career mentorship program.
Though officially retired in 2023, Reithmeier continues to demonstrate his deep commitment to the university by his ongoing contributions to enhancing the student and faculty experience at IMS. Reithmeier himself is a long-standing IMS faculty member, having joined the institute in 1986. He is currently acting as the senior advisor to the director and is working on developing a College of Faculty Mentors whom junior faculty members can call upon for graduate supervision advice and guidance.
Mingyao Liu, director of IMS and the one who nominated him for the award, shares that Reithmeier "has served as my role model, mentor, advisor and friend in my own leadership journey at U of T."
Liu also notes that, "Without a doubt, it is Professor Reithmeier who taught me how to think and act like a true leader and exemplary university citizen."
