Punita Lumb is the recipient of the Emerging Leader Award for her exceptional leadership and dedication to creating equitable, diverse, and inclusive (EDI) spaces for spiritual exploration at the University of Toronto’s Multi Faith Centre.

As Associate Director of the Multi Faith Centre for Spiritual Study & Practice Punita has taken several steps to promote inclusivity at the Multi Faith Centre, including conducting a review of the washroom spaces in the Koffler House to create more gender-inclusive options based. Punita also led a review of the spiritual care model of the Multi Faith Centre, engaging diverse stakeholders from across the St. George campus and in setting a new direction for how the Multi Faith Centre supports spiritual development. 

Punita has been an advocate of EDI issues for many years and a leader in Canada in this work. Prior to joining the University of Toronto, Punita worked at Centennial College as a Global Citizenship Education & Equity Research & Education Strategist. She also taught for several years at Brock University in the Adult Education program. In addition to her professional work, Punita has advanced EDI objectives through her volunteer work with the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS).