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February 9, 2026 by David Goldberg - A&S News
‘I wanted to do something that will help U of T students forever’
Alumnus Amir Hussain completed his master’s degree and PhD with the Department for the Study of Religion.
In the wake of his life’s darkest moment, Arts & Science alum Amir Hussain created lasting opportunities for student success.
“I wanted to do something that will help U of T students forever,” says Hussain, who founded the Shannon L. Hamm Award more than 30 years ago to honour his late wife and fellow alum.
“Shannon taught me about peace, justice and the importance of using our lives to make a difference.”
Since 1993, the Hamm Award has supported more than 50 outstanding students in the Peace, Conflict and Justice (PCJ) program at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. The program provides undergraduates with an interdisciplinary education and experiential learning in the causes of conflict, lived experiences of those affected and approaches to achieving peace.
“We’re grateful for Amir’s investment in our students and our program. Through this program, our students intern with organizations like UNICEF and the World Bank as undergraduates, and they get to feel part of working towards change they genuinely want in the world,” says Paola Salardi, returning director of the PCJ program and associate professor with the Munk School.
“If it wasn’t for the undergraduate experiences enabled by this scholarship through the PCJ, I wouldn't have fallen in love with research and academia,” says Nidhil Vohra, a Hamm Award recipient who earned his honours bachelor of arts degree in the PCJ program as a member of St. Michael’s College in 2024. He’s now a graduate student at U of T’s Cinema Studies Institute.
Since the program’s founding in the 1970s, support from donors like Hussain has been essential for creating opportunities, enabling students, regardless of financial situation, to pursue their passions and become future leaders in peacebuilding and justice.
“This gift has helped alleviate the financial burden of my undergraduate degree, giving me the freedom to pursue post-graduate studies — I’m deeply grateful,” says Noah Rudder, the most recent Hamm Award recipient and current Rhodes Scholar. He completed the PCJ program in 2025, earning his honours bachelor of arts degree as a member of Victoria College.
“This award empowered me to pursue the interdisciplinary and experiential education I wanted,” adds scholarship winner Zaiboon Azhar. She earned her honours bachelor of arts degree as a member of Victoria College in 2024 and is now a research fellow with the Clooney Foundation for Justice. She starts at Harvard Law School this fall. Like Hussain, she is a first-generation university student.
Hussain’s family immigrated to Canada from Pakistan when he was four. Years later, his parents proudly saw their son accepted into U of T, earning a Reuben Wells Leonard Scholarship.
“I went to school on this scholarship established generations earlier, and that’s always been a point of inspiration for me,” says Hussain.
He earned his bachelor of science degree in 1987 as a member of University College, then his master’s degree and PhD with the Department for the Study of Religion.
U of T is also where Hussain met Hamm. She was a don with him at Sir Daniel Wilson residence and a PhD student with the Department of Psychology.
A friendship blossomed; they fell in love and married in 1989. Hussain and Hamm planned to lead long lives together — he as an academic, and her as a clinician helping patients with brain injuries.
Their future met a tragic end.
In 1992, Hamm died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism. “I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye,” says Hussain. “She went to work and didn’t come home.”
Hussain wrestled with profound loss. But he was also determined to honour his late wife’s passion for making a difference. He directed part of her life insurance payout to establish the endowed Shannon L. Hamm Award and continues contributing annually.
As professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and past president of the American Academy of Religion, Hussain leverages his U of T degrees to inspire students and write about contemporary Islam in North America.
Though his career is in California, Hussain returns to Toronto several times each year to visit family and friends from university. He keeps current on each year's Hamm Award recipients.
“That’s what I love about this award,” says Hussain. “Students will benefit from Shannon’s legacy for decades to come, and they’ll continue benefiting long after I’m gone too.”
Interested in establishing your own scholarship or leaving a bequest? You can create transformative opportunities for students. Contact Courtney Boost, senior development officer, at c.boost@utoronto.ca or 416-946-3923.