York University professor, Sampa Bhadra, helping uncover origins of life

A Toronto researcher has played a key role in research that could help uncover the origins of life, the universe and everything. York University physics Professor Sampa Bhadra was part of a 400-person team that studied the behaviour of neutrinos and proved that muon neutrinos can transform into electron neutrinos, which could go a long way toward uncovering why matter, and not antimatter, has formed the basic building block for the universe. “Neutrinos were formed as part of the big bang and they’re the most abundant matter particle in the universe,” said Bhadra in the City Centre Mirror Aug. 1. “With the big bang, matter and antimatter were created equally, so this discovery could help us see why matter has won out over time.” Read full story.

Will Canadian companies be held responsible for their actions abroad?
“Last week the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released a path-breaking decision, Choc v. Hudbay Minerals, that might, for the first time, require a Canadian mining company to take legal responsibility for human rights abuses abroad,” wrote Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Shin Imai in The Globe and Mail July 31. “The case concerns the alleged gang rape of indigenous women and the murder of an indigenous leader. Both are alleged to have occurred in Guatemala in the course of an ongoing dispute over indigenous land rights at the site of a mine owned by HudBay’s Guatemalan subsidiary.” Read full story.

The advantages of being ethical
“I’d say business ethics is definitely bigger now than it was 10 or 20 years ago. You can see that in a number of ways,” said Schulich School of Business Professor Andrew Crane in the Financial Post Aug. 1. “First off, it’s not something a CEO has any kind of embarrassment talking about these days. It’s much more part of the company agenda, a key part of doing business.[…]I think the biggest change is that companies are starting to see there might be some advantage to being ethical.[…]Ethics isn’t just seen as a cost of business but also a potential opportunity.” Read full story.

Being bullied can lead to troubles with the law later in life, study says
Young people who are bullied repeatedly throughout childhood and adolescence have a significantly higher risk of getting in trouble with the law in later life, according to a paper presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association….Debra Pepler, a psychology professor at York University and a leading Canadian researcher on bullying who is working on a similar study, said her research echoes the US findings on victims of chronic bullying. “I don’t blame the victim in any way,” said Pepler in The Globe and Mail Aug. 1, “but these children are not learning to get along with others. They’re not learning to solve problems and get help. We know that they are so frustrated and so distressed that they take to aggression to defend themselves and to gain status.” Read full story.

York U cops environmental award
York University was one of six organizations that received a 2012 Minister’s Award for Environmental Excellence, reported the North York Mirror July 31. York’s contribution involved all nine undergrad residences at the Keele and Glendon campuses taking part in the Res Race to Zero competition to see which one showed the biggest reduction in energy per capita over a set amount of time. The winning residence earns $4,000 to use for energy- and water-saving projects in their building. Read full story.

OPP charge father one year after tragic Lakeshore train crash
The deaths of Brooklyn and Wynter Williams, aged three and six, broke the hearts of a community when a train struck the family minivan they were travelling in last year. The Windsor Star asked James Stribopoulos, associate dean of York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School, to help explain the charges police have laid against the girls’ father, Andrew Williams, who was driving the van at the time of the crash….It’s unclear what exactly happened on the morning of the crash, but failing to look both ways at an unlit warning sign is different from speeding through a rail crossing with lights flashing and that gates closing, said Stribopoulos in the Star July 31. The crown will need to provide evidence of negligence that goes beyond a brief distraction. Read full story.

Ombudsman needs more power to probe MUSH
In his recent report, Ontario ombudsman Andre Marin once again requested the province expand the mandate of his office to include municipalities, universities, schools and hospitals, reported the Newmarket Era July 31. Despite promises from the provincial Liberal government and former premier Dalton McGuinty, those eagerly hoping to see an independent third-party oversee the so-called MUSH sector will have to continue to be patient…. Around York Region, most organizations were dragging their feet, if not resistant to the idea of ombudsman oversight. York University in Toronto said it already had an ombudsperson in place that looked into complaints. Read full story.

People-centred health care: NexJ Systems patient-focused care project could revolutionize Canada’s health-care system
The Connected Health and Wellness Project (CHWP) is a people-centered software and web technology created by NexJ Systems that integrates eHealth mobile technology, prevention and health care…. It greatly improves access to patient information, allowing hospitals, physicians and other health-care professionals to access and update patient information on an ongoing basis. NexJ is well positioned to revolutionize the way health-care records are managed in Canada, reported Ottawa Life Magazine July 31. It is led by CEO William Tatham – a design engineer, business executive, adjunct professor of health at York University and health-care visionary. Read full story.

Business school scholarships offered to LGBTQ community
Building on an established relationship with those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer – and others who are their advocates – HSBC Bank Canada has established new scholarships at four Canadian business schools, including York University’s Schulich School of Business, worth $80,000 and potential employment over the next four years, reported The Globe and Mail Aug. 2. Read full story.

CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada window set to close
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. has one month to lock down the broadcast rights to Hockey Night in Canada for another decade. But with the asking price expected to double to $200 million a season, the country’s public broadcaster could be hard pressed to keep its 60-year lock on Saturday night hockey…. For Bell Media, laying claim to Saturday night hockey would mean a substantial ratings boost on TSN and the chance to further establish its dominance in sports broadcasting in this country….“It starts to become about how they are able to manoeuvre and shift their programming to accommodate the most possible viewers,” said York University sports marketing Professor Vijay Setlur in The Globe and Mail Aug. 2. Read full story.

‘Gimme the Loot’, a New York indie hit, gets Toronto premiere: Projections
Gimme the Loot, a fast-talking comedy about two graffiti artists, is one of many outdoor film events in the city this week, reported the Toronto Star Aug. 1….In the latest edition of the Lightbox’s Free Screen series, York University film Professor Phil Hoffman presents Lessons in Process, a new project created in collaboration with students in Cuba. The 31-minute video plays as part of the program on Aug. 8 at 6:30pm. Read full story.

Friendly marketing
A new campaign by State Farm Insurance is about carrying out good deeds for its customers like mowing the lawn or taking care of the cat. Alan Middleton, a professor of marketing at York University’s Schulich School of Business, talked to CBC’s “Metro Morning” about these types of campaigns on Aug. 1. Watch video.