FES Professor Gerda Wekerle’s work and career celebrated during seminar

A seminar highlighting the life and career of Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) Professor Gerda Wekerle took place on Nov. 6 and featured Wekerle as a guest speaker.

Gerda Wekerle
Gerda Wekerle

Students, colleagues and faculty gathered for the event, titled “Unearthing the Other Stories: Political Spaces and Everyday Life at the Intersections of Cities, Gender and Nature,” which was co-sponsored by the City Institute and FES.

In addition to Wekerle as the keynote speaker, the seminar included the following panellists: Professor Liette Gilbert (environmental studies), Professor Ellie Perkins (environmental studies) and Donald Leffers (PhD candidate, geography).

During her 42-year career in FES, Wekerle’s work has spanned topics such as housing and transportation, violence against women, feminist policy analysis to community gardens, urban agriculture, and urban and regional planning.

While diverse, her work has shown a consistent commitment to applied research, activism, politics and asking critical questions.

“Feminist scholars have insisted that power dynamics be made visible, that we probe silences and absences in dominant paradigms to identify new questions for research and action,” said Wekerle. “This perspective underlies much of my own work.”

Wekerle reflected on how questions surrounding gender and the city have figured prominently in her work. In particular, she noted how her activism and involvement in women’s organizations led her to do research on women’s transportation needs and public violence against women.

Her research and work with women’s organizations in the 1990s successfully lobbied the Toronto Transit Commission to improve women’s access to transit and be more responsive to women’s needs. This resulted in changes to public transit, including requesting stops after 9pm, designated waiting areas, better intercom and camera systems and a women’s security committee to advise on the design of the Sheppard subway.

Wekerle’s research on gender and cities focused on women’s housing projects across Canada, women’s urban citizenship, gender and the local state, gender and public policy, and women’s urban movements.

She received the City of Toronto’s Constance E. Hamilton Award for her contribution to securing the equitable treatment for women.

Additionally, she co-authored a book, Safe Cities: Guidelines for Planning, Design and Management, which has been used by academics and practitioners throughout the world.

In recent years, Wekerle has engaged in research on urban sprawl, the conservation of nature and exurban movements that shaped policies to save the Oak Ridges Moraine. It also led to the implementation of a greenbelt, which culminated in a co-authored book, Battles for the Oak Ridges Moraine: Nature, Sprawl and Development (2013).

A current Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant focuses on land conflicts and environmental conflicts in southern Ontario.

Wekerle has taught a wide range of courses on topics such as environment and behaviour, urban planning, social policy and planning, gender and public policy. She was coordinator of the planning program from 2006 to 2012. Throughout her academic career, Wekerle has collaborated with 25 different students in research publications.

As an avid and dedicated gardener, Wekerle also remarked how connecting nature and the city has been a central theme in her research. Recent projects include looking at food movements in Toronto, planning for urban agriculture, immigrants’ gardens (the subject of a two-year exhibit at the ROM) and investigating the movements of urban soil unearthed by development.

Here at York U, Wekerle’s passion for gardening is associated with the Health, Nursing & Environmental Studies (HNES) Building’s Native Plant Garden; from 2006 to 2013, she dedicated and volunteered her time to designing and coordinating the garden.

From helping to raise funds to buying, transporting and arranging plants to saving seeds and donating them to North American Native Plant Society, she has been instrumental in maintaining and growing the garden. The result has been an ecologically diverse garden space, with 63 native trees, shrubs and plants to date.

Ellie Perkins
Ellie Perkins

After Wekerle’s presentation, the three panellists had a chance to speak on Wekerle’s career. Perkins spoke to Wekerle’s “fiery” activism and the importance it has played in her scholarship.

“From the local to the global, Wekerle’s activism and research has sparked many positive changes for woman, always grounded in real world practices and a passion for equity,” said Perkins. “Her uncovering and understanding of the different needs women experience in relation to housing and transportation is innovative, even today.”

Leffers spoke to his experience with Wekerle as his mentor and supervisor. He talked about her dedication to students, and how she genuinely values students’ insights and encourages them to succeed.

Gilbert hailed Wekerle as a truly interdisciplinary and collaborative scholar. She went on to talk about the amazing rigour and passion Wekerle applies to all aspects of her life, including researching, writing, painting and gardening.

“Good research is about raising good questions,” said Gilbert. “Wekerle’s career is marked by her courage to find the excluded and complicate the normalized.”

Break up the TDSB? Wynne should know better

An op-ed by York University Professor Chris Glover was published in the Toronto Star Dec. 11. Read full story.

Executive compensation – ‘a system so perfect that no one needs to be good’
An op-ed by Ed J. Waitzer, the Jarislowsky Dimma Mooney Chair and director of the Hennick Centre for Business & Law at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School and Schulich School of Business, was published in the Globe and Mail Dec. 11. Read full story.

Carleton spat with faculty damaging university’s reputation, says governance expert
Richard Leblanc, a professor in York University’s School of Administrative Studies, was quoted in the Ottawa Citizen Dec. 15. Read full story.

The truth about the price of electricity
Mark Winfield, environmental studies professor and co-chair of the Sustainable Energy Initiative at York University, was quoted in the Toronto Star Dec. 16. Read full story.

Flu vaccine strategy needs reworking: study
Seyed Moghadas, a professor in York University’s Faculty of Science, was quoted in the Toronto Sun Dec. 14. Read full story.

Pros and cons of two kinds of refugee experience
Jennifer Hyndman, a professor in York University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, was quoted in Radio Canada International Dec. 14. Read full story.

Self-storage goes upscale
James McKellar, professor of real estate and infrastructure at York University’s Schulich School of Business, was quoted in the Globe and Mail Dec. 14. Read full story.

Regina versus Saskatoon: who’s better behind the wheel?
Peter Park, a civil engineering professor in York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering, was quoted in the Regina Leader-Post Dec. 15. Read full story.

Dufferin-Caledon MP’s office won’t release Syrian refugee petition
Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Michael Power was quoted in the Caledon Enterprise Dec. 10. Read full story.

Holiday flyers can be misleading about deals
Alan Middleton, a professor of marketing at York University’s Schulich School of Business, was quoted in CBC News Dec. 4. Read full story.

How to make government waste a year-long affair: Cohn
York University environmental studies Professor Mark Winfield was quoted in the Toronto Star Dec. 10. Read full story.

Giving often has strings attached, professor says
York University environmental studies Professor Ilan Kapoor was quoted in the Barrie Advance Dec. 11. Read full story.

Alleged terror threats directed at Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto
York University political science Professor Martin Shadwick was quoted on news1130.com Dec. 10. Read full story.

Turkey’s showcase refugee camps hide truth about worst facilities, Canadian visitor says
York University sociology Professor Secil Ertorer was quoted in the National Post Dec. 9. Read full story.

Better hearing for Nunavut youth is goal of Guelph program
York University Professor Pam Millett was mentioned in the Guelph Mercury Dec. 15. Read full story.

Lawyer disbarred for Roma ripoff
York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School was mentioned in the Toronto Star Dec. 11. Read full story.

Now Quinlan will be trying to beat Mac
York University was mentioned in the Hamilton Spectator Dec. 15. Read full story.

York University pays tribute to its retirees

Retirement isn’t what it used to be.

That was the clear picture emerging from York University’s annual luncheon honouring retirees. Guests traded stories about their adventures, many are travelling abroad, volunteering with non-profit organizations, actively following their hobbies or starting new careers.

In his welcoming remarks to retirees attending the Nov. 23 event, York University President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri expressed his gratitude to the retirees for their decades of dedicated service to the University.

Faculty attending the retirement luncheon:

  • Isolde Daiski, associate professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health
  • Mary-Elizabeth Manley, associate professor, Department of Dance, School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design
  • Indhu Rajagopal, professor, Department of Social Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
  • Louise Ripley, professor, Department of Administrative Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
  • Savitsa Sevigny, associate lecturer, Department of French Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
  • Dennis Stynes, associate professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science
  • Anthony Szeto, associate professor, Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering

Staff attending the retirement luncheon:

  • Aileen Ashman, assistant vice-president, Human Resources Department
  • Anne Benincasa, circulation coordinator, Steacie Science Library
  • Linda Brethour, administrative clerk, Energy Management Department, Campus Services & Business Operations (CSB0)
  • Jennis Carter, coordinator, Materials Distribution Centre, Osgoode Hall Law School
  • Lucille Dacosta, administrative coordinator, University Information Technology (UIT)
  • Novelyn Dayal, lab technician, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science
  • Bruno Galati, electrician, Maintenance Services, CSBO
  • Joanne Guidi, Office of the Dean, Faculty of Environmental Studies
  • Shirley Hickman, administrative services, Human Resources Department
  • Howard Hui, UNIX system support specialist, Library Information Systems
  • Helen Hundert, administrative secretary, External Relations & Alumni Affairs, Schulich School of Business
  • Ancil Kashetsky, financial assistant, Office of the Executive Officer, Schulich School of Business
  • Ronald Kawall, Systems Management Services, UIT
  • Lawrence Mattiussi, project coordinator, Renovations Services, CSBO
  • William Pangos, head coach, Women’s Basketball, Sport & Recreation
  • James Savage, communication technician, Network Operations, UIT
  • Brian Stewart, Custodial Services, CSBO
  • Angela Swartz, administrative assistant, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
  • Fernando Taccone, Grounds Maintenance, Grounds & Vehicles Department, CSBO
  • Robert Thompson, director, Library Computing Services
  • Barry Williamson, manager, Administration-Academic Programs, Osgoode Professional Development, Osgoode Hall Law School

Together, the group has contributed more than 750 years of service to York University.

 

York U receives major provincial grant for expansion of tech ed program

York University’s Faculty of Education is developing an enhanced Bachelor of Education in Technological Education program through a $444,218 grant over two years from the Ontario government’s Technological Teacher Education Collaborative Initiatives Fund.

Students from partnering universities and colleges will have increased access to the enhanced program. It will also offer a flexible learning environment for those who are in the workforce and wish to become teachers in this field.

Ron Owston
Ron Owston

“We are delighted with the provincial government’s investment into expanding the BEd in technological education,” says Ron Owston, dean of the Faculty of Education. “The grant will allow us to address key issues such as meeting the demand for quality teachers and developing innovating ways to educate future technological education teachers.”

According to a recent survey of school boards by the Council of Directors of Education (CODE), about 50 per cent of technological education teachers would be eligible to retire within the next five to 10 years.

As part of the Sustainable & Enhanced Bachelor of Education program in Technological Education initiative, part-time offerings, greater access for Aboriginal students, instruction in the French language, courses based on geographical need and online courses will be prioritized.

“We are pleased to be able to support this innovative program, which will train the next generation of Ontario’s technological education teachers,” says Reza Moridi, Ontario minister of training, colleges and universities. “Our province’s public education system is recognized as one of the best in the world, and that is due in large part to the quality of graduates from our teacher education programs.”

pathways to education logo FEATUREDProject Coordinator Robert Wager says the goal is to equip graduates with the “latest in learning skills and knowledge that include strategies to improve student critical thinking skills, literacy and numeracy levels” to create the best educators in the field in Ontario.

“This funding from the province will help us to build on our successful concurrent and consecutive BEd in tech ed and to ultimately pilot a new model,” he says.

The Ontario College of Trades, College Boreal, Skills Canada, University of Guelph@Humber, Ryerson University, George Brown, Seneca, Humber and Centennial colleges will be among the postsecondary education institutions that will be consulted for input and suggestions for this initiative, led by the office of Academic Programs, Faculty of Education.

Any new program pathways developed through the initiative will be introduced in the 2017-18 academic year.

Four outstanding grads recognized at 2015 Bryden Awards celebration

Even with a resumé that includes Cirque du Soleil, roles in Hollywood movies and travelling the world as one of Canada’s top breakdancers – all before finishing high school – Michael Prosserman says York was where his journey began. “The University was an important stepping stone for me to achieve my dreams. I’m so proud to be a York alumnus.”

YUAA Chair Randy Williamson, Bryden recipient Michael Prosserman and York President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri
YUAA Chair Randy Williamson, Bryden recipient Michael Prosserman and York President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri

And he is not alone with that red-and-white pride. Prosserman was just one of four outstanding grads recognized at the 2015 Bryden Alumni Awards in front of hundreds of their fellow York alumni, family members, friends, faculty, staff and students.

The 15th annual Bryden Awards were held on Thursday, Nov. 19, at the Royal Ontario Museum. The evening was sponsored by TD Insurance Meloche Monnex, MBNA MasterCard and Manulife, and was hosted by York grad, previous Bryden Award recipient and former CityTV/CTV news anchor Galit Solomon (BA ’00). Nearly 300 guests attended the event and were treated to performances by pianist Mark Herrera, the Intentions! and the Liam Stanley Trio, featuring current York student Liam Stanley at the helm.

“This is an event I look forward to every year – and it is certainly one of the University’s most anticipated events,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri as he welcomed the evening’s guests. “The Bryden Awards are an opportunity for all of us in the York community to come together to recognize the incredible impact our graduates are having on the world. As our current and future students work toward realizing their own dreams for the future, the exceptional examples set by this year’s honorees offer proof that the possibilities after York are endless.”

As each of the 2015 Bryden recipients took to the stage to accept their awards, it became evident that they are putting their York University education into action to impact, transform and improve our community in unique and progressive ways.

The One to Watch award recognizes a relatively recent grad for his or her remarkable early achievements and eagerly anticipated future successes, something Michael Prosserman (BAS ’08) was clearly doing long before even setting foot at York. But his impact has only intensified since graduation.

As founder and executive director of UNITY Charity, Prosserman and his team reach over 60,000 youth each year across Canada, empowering them to become positive and influential leaders in priority communities, using hip-hop as a vehicle for change. The organization spawned out of his own personal story of expressing stress and it originally began as a student club at York – a club that still exists to this day. “I stand here on this stage representing an army of people who have helped me to get here tonight,” said Prosserman. “I’m not accepting this award, we are accepting this award.”

Bryden recipient Gail McVey
Bryden recipient Gail McVey

The Tentanda Via award recipient Gail McVey (BA ’85, MA ’89, PhD ’95), who was recognized for having demonstrated innovative, unconventional and daring leadership and successes – and for living York’s motto, “the way must be tried” – shared what helped her to be successful.

“My recipe for success is comprised of three key features,” said McVey. “The first is a strong foundation, which I got from my education and experiences at York. Next are the essential ingredients, including a collaborative approach to my research and my practice. Finally, the icing on the cake is all of the incredible people you get to meet along the way, including everyone here tonight.”

As Canada’s foremost eating disorder prevention researcher, Gail McVey is an internationally recognized expert in prevention science and its application to mental health interventions at all stages of life. Currently, McVey is a psychologist and health systems research scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children, with an appointment as a senior associate scientist with the Research Institute. She is also director of the Ontario Community Outreach Program for Eating Disorders, a community-based clinical training program in evidence-based treatment and prevention of eating disorders, where she led the development of a first-of-its-kind provincial network of specialized eating disorder service providers.

Bryden recipient Douglas Bergeron
Bryden recipient Douglas Bergeron

While some recipients were recognized for their contributions on the national stage, the Outstanding Contribution award recipient Douglas Bergeron (BA ’83, Hon. LLD ’13) was celebrated for his impact right here at York.

A 25-year veteran of the financial technology industry, currently serving as founder and CEO of Opus Global and executive chairman of Hiperos, Bergeron has been a longtime supporter of York University. Along with his wife, Sandra, he made a record-breaking $10-million gift to York in 2014, which at the time was the largest donation ever made to the University by an alumnus. In recognition of this exceptional and continued support from the Bergeron family, the recently completed home of the Lassonde School of Engineering has been named the Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence.

“The nature of education is changing – over the next several decades, it will become a more iterative, collaborative and group-minded experience, and I think the new Bergeron Centre was constructed with that in mind,” said Bergeron. “I’m confident the centre will help to create some phenomenal Renaissance engineers who will go out and change the world.”

Bryden recipient Bruce Lorie
Bryden recipient Bruce Lourie

The last award of the evening was the Outstanding Achievement award, presented to a graduate who has achieved distinction in his or her field and whose integrity and ability inspires alumni, faculty, staff and students. This year, there was no more fitting recipient than Bruce Lourie (MES ’87), president of the Ivey Foundation and a pioneering environmental leader known for confronting issues related to health and sustainability.

“Without hesitation, York University was a truly a mind-opening educational experience,” Lourie exclaimed of his alma mater. “The amazing thing about York was being exposed to new skills and different ways of thinking that I never thought I’d need, like communications or politics, but now are what I care about most in my career. It’s important to always ask questions, challenge biases and stick to your instincts when tackling important issues, and that is what York taught me to do.” 

Committed to connecting environmental issues to human health, Lourie initiated the campaign to shutdown coal-fired power plants in Ontario — the single largest climate action in North America. He also helped convene the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, one of the world’s largest conservation initiatives.

Among the guests in attendance were York Chancellor and two-time alumnus Gregory Sorbara, as well as Vice-President Advancement Jeff O’Hagan, both of whom took to the stage to share their excitement with the night’s recipients. “Like the Bryden recipients before them, our 2015 recipients encourage all of us to do our best, work hard and contribute to a better world,” O’Hagan said. “Thank you and congratulations to all of our Bryden recipients – we hope that you’ve enjoyed the spotlight tonight because you deserve it!”

For the first time in the Bryden Awards’ 15-year history, nearly 20 York student leaders were able to attend the celebration thanks to the generous sponsorship of our alumni guests. This new element of the Bryden Awards program reflects the University’s strategic priority of connecting grads with the student body to ensure a highly active and engaged alumni family. One such student leader in attendance was Anthony Brum, a third-year Glendon student currently completing his specialized honours degree in international studies. He shared with us why he was excited to attend this year’s awards celebration and what the Bryden Awards program means to him as a current York student.

Students helping celebrate York’s outstanding grads at the 2015 Bryden Alumni Awards
Students helped celebrate York’s outstanding grads at the 2015 Bryden Alumni Awards

“The Bryden Awards gave me and my fellow students a unique opportunity to meet outstanding York alumni who truly did inspire us to think more about our futures,” said Brum. “The trails that these award-winning grads have blazed were great examples of how, with a York degree under my belt, I can continue to push the envelope and create lasting, positive change for people, no matter what I decide to do. Though this was my first alumni event, it definitely inspired me to continue my active role in the York community after I graduate.”

As the event came to a close, Randy Williamson, chair of the York University Alumni Association, congratulated this year’s winners and turned everyone’s thoughts towards next year’s event. “Planning has already begun on next year’s alumni awards, and we’ll need your help to discover other York grads from our growing community of nearly 300,000 alumni that deserve to be recognized.”

If you know of a York graduate who is making an outstanding impact and deserves to be recognized with a Bryden Alumni Award, visit alumniandfriends.yorku.ca/bryden. To see photos and videos from the evening’s celebration, visit alumniandfriends.yorku.ca/bryden2015.

Environmentally friendly vehicles get a “charge” out of York University

York University is charged up to provide solar energy to its electric-vehicle commuters thanks to a smart initiative out of the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES).

Professor Jose Etcheverry and his research team have developed and built a smart grid solar-powered charging station that can store solar electricity and withstand the bitter cold of a Canadian winter. The York University initiative is in line with a recent provincial decision to invest in electric-vehicle charging stations and a global push toward tackling climate change.

The research and charging station was unveiled on Friday, Dec. 11 and is located in the Vanier Parking Lot on the University’s Keele campus.

York U solar charging station
The York University Solar Charging Station is situated in the Vanier College Parking on the University’s Keele campus

The Ontario Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca, who is an alumnus of Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, officially plugged in the charging station at a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday morning. He accompanied by York U President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri, FES Dean Noël Sturgeon, and Professor Jose Etcheverry, who led the initiative.

Data from the station will be used to inform the development of smart grid solutions and the implementation of additional electric charging stations, connected to the power grid at York University, to reduce pollution and greenhouse gases.

“At York University we are committed to being a leader in sustainability, and central to this is the fight against climate change,” said Shoukri. “This exciting and innovative project is an important part of our efforts—and an excellent example of York’s commitment to socially responsive research — as it uses clean, renewable energy while also encouraging the use of electric vehicles to lower our carbon footprint.”

The station uses “made in Ontario-only” solar systems and components that are ideal for extreme winter weather, while fostering new local opportunities.

With the use of fossil fuels for transportation pegged as one of the biggest sources of pollution in Canada and beyond, the solar charging station is a start toward reducing emissions. It is an on the ground practical and local response to climate change, and an innovative smart grid approach for increasing electric mobility solutions on campus.

Mission accomplished! Above: From left, Faculty of Environmental Studies Professor Jose Etcheverry, York President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri, MPP and York U alumnus Stephen Del Duca, and Faculty of Environmental Studies Dean Noel Sturgeon
Mission accomplished! Above: From left, Faculty of Environmental Studies Professor Jose Etcheverry, York President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri, York U alumnus and the Ontario Minister for Transportation Steven Del Duca, and Faculty of Environmental Studies Dean Noël Sturgeon

“This solar electric vehicle charging station aims at inspiring new practical local solutions and additional innovations to reduce climate change and pollution,” said Etcheverry.

The charging station is modular in design and can be easily installed in most parking areas. “It is tailor-made for Canadian weather and can be installed anywhere where solar resources are available,” added Etcheverry.

“The Ontario government is supportive of green, clean, innovative technology that will transform the way we live, move, work and adapt to our environment,” said Del Duca. “Charging stations that are fast, reliable and affordable will encourage Ontarians to purchase electric vehicles, reducing greenhouse gas pollution and keeping our air clean.”

The goals of the project include showcasing Ontario-made solutions that enable technological innovation, environmental protection and knowledge mobilization. The result is the development of practical policy suggestions to increase the use of renewable energy in the transportation sector.

Members of the project team gather for a photo following the official opening of the solar power charging station at York University's Keele campus
Members of the project team gather for a photo following the official opening of the solar power charging station at York University’s Keele campus

The project is funded by the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, Metcalf Foundation, Mitacs and is a practical research collaboration between York University’s Sustainable Energy Initiative and Campus Services and Business Operations. Private sector partners include: Kinetic Solar, Silfab, Sun Country Highway, Daymak, Enterprise CarShare, Canadian Energy, Solar Trust and Joshua Four.

York University has been named as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the past three years. It was also ranked second by Corporate Knights magazine on its Future 40 Responsible Corporate Leaders list for 2015.

Open Your Mind: A Q&A with York PhD candidate Vivian Stamatopoulos

Vivian Stamatopoulos PhD Candidate Department of Sociology
Vivian Stamatopoulos PhD Candidate Department of Sociology

Appearing at regular intervals in YFile, Open Your Mind is a series of articles offering insight into the different ways York University professors, researchers and graduate students champion fresh ways of thinking in their research and teaching practice. Their approach, grounded in a desire to seek the unexpected, is charting a new course for future generations.

Today, the spotlight is on Vivian Stamatopoulos, a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Stamatopoulos is exploring the role of children and youth who are caregivers, or “carers” in the family. Many provide hours of unpaid supportive care to family members. Stamatopoulos explores the impact of being a young caregiver and why they are largely invisible.

Stamatopoulos is also the proud recipient of a 2015 President’s University-wide Teaching Award. In her response to YFile, she speaks about the importance of good teaching and the classroom experience.

Vivian Stamatopoulos PhD Candidate Department of Sociology
Vivian Stamatopoulos, PhD candidate, Department of Sociology

Q. Please describe your field of current research.
A. My research focuses on children and youth who provide substantial unpaid familial caregiving. These ‘young carers’ are typically under the age of 25 years and provide substantial unpaid support to a family member due to factors including (but not limited to) familial or parental absence, disability, mental health issue(s) or problems with alcohol and/or other drugs. In other parts of the world, these children possess legal rights which afford them a range of educational and employment-based supports, dedicated social service programming and/or weekly stipends to help pay for extra caregiver supports. In Canada, very little is known about these children, the term “young carer” is a virtual unknown and no dedicated federal or provincial policies exist to support their needs.

Q. What inspired you to pursue this line of research? Who or what sparked your interest in this line of inquiry?
A. My own experiences as a young adult carer undoubtedly inspired my research. For about 10 years I have been helping to care for my grandparents and at many times have struggled to balance my educational, familial and work-related demands. It was only when I stumbled upon the UK-based Young Carers literature that I realized there were many others (some much younger than myself) going through something similar. I always wondered if other people were in my shoes but realistically, when you (or anyone) is in the thick of caregiving, you don’t really have time to stand back and place yourself within a larger cohort of carers. Only when I was able to do that did I realize I had to learn as much as I could in the area and help raise awareness for these kids across Canada.

Q. How would you describe the significance of your research in lay terms?
A. The need for familial caregivers in Canada has grown markedly over the past 30 years and will only continue to grow over the next 30 with our ageing Canadian population, changing family arrangements (for example, dual earner households, lone parent households), the structural shift from hospital to home care and the continued lack of accessible and affordable long-term care housing. Compared to the past, when adult women performed the majority of full-time, stay-at-home child and elder care, today’s demands of familial caregiving are being passed down to youth who are seen as more flexible in providing certain facets of care. Consequently, increasing numbers of youth are taking on more and more of these care duties − duties that often remain unrecognized and unspoken of in their social circles and potentially lead to a range of personal and professional consequences for which these youth are ill-equipped to handle.

Q. How are you approaching this field in a different, unexpected or unusual way?
A. Most of the global young carer research has emerged out of social work, nursing and psychology disciplines which have provided predominantly micro-level accounts of youth-based caregiving. My roots in sociology have enabled me to approach the phenomenon from a macro-level perspective, grounding both its recent rises and growing social and political saliency within a historically significant moment of change underway across Western global capitalist society.

Q. How does your approach to the subject benefit the field?
A. My research fills a gap in the field by offering a unique socio-historical lens that addresses not only why we are seeing a rise in youth-based caregiving but how the act itself signals a transformation in the life-course trajectories of 21st-century children. Specifically, I reveal how youth-based caregiving signals but one key piece of evidence for the growing incompatibility of previous definitions of “childhood” with post-modern, contemporary society.

Q. What findings have surprised and excited you? 
A. Pursuing this line of inquiry has been simultaneously eye-opening, heartbreaking and immensely gratifying − my group interviews with a sample of Ontario young carers is particularly meaningful. Probably the most surprising finding involved the lack of awareness on the part of young carers for how much their caregiving was affecting their lives. When initially asked the question, most young carers stated very little to no impact. Only after additional probing did a wide array of unanimously experienced consequences emerge, ranging from: heightened stress and anxiety; limited time for themselves; sleep difficulties; constant worrying about their family member(s); a lack of free time outside of school to socialize with peers or engage in extracurricular activities; trouble completing homework; difficulty concentrating in class; and, increased school absences and lateness. Also surprising was how in the face of substantial hardship, these youth remained remarkably positive and highly valued their caring roles.

Q. Every researcher, from novice to experienced, encounters roadblocks and challenges during the process of inquiry, can you highlight some of those challenges and how you overcame them?
A. Without a doubt the largest roadblock thus far has been gaining access to young carers. Most young carers tend to struggle in silence, often unaware they are even caregivers and subsequently do not self-identify as such. I was lucky to build working relationships with the directors of the only three Canadian young carer programs who were able to put me in contact with their young carer user base. Without those organizations, the task of finding young carers would be next to impossible given their current status as a hidden population. This methodological limitation is something I plan on addressing in more depth for my follow-up research.

Q. How has this research opened your mind to new possibilities or new directions?
A. Since I have conducted my doctoral research, my mind has yet to stop thinking and planning for the many ways I may extend my postdoctoral research to help advance the budding Canadian young carer movement. Whether it involve collaborating with global young carer experts to launch a multicultural, multiregional, and multinational (3M) young carer survey program to proposing joint partnerships with educational institutions and medical professionals to develop multi-sectoral strategies for recognizing and referring young carers to available supports to, there is much left to do!

Q. Are there interdisciplinary aspects to your research? If so, what are they?
A. This field is extraordinarily interdisciplinary. Indeed, most of the experts I have met in the area have come from the medicine (especially nursing), social work and psychology. In the United States, for example, the field emerged due to pediatricians’ concerns for the physical, academic and psychosocial aspects caregiving was observed to have on their young patient’s growth and development. Within Canada, social workers and non-profit community agencies have been instrumental in planting the roots of the movement here.

Q. Did you ever consider other fields of research?
A. I initially started my undergraduate career majoring in psychology (having decided I was going to be a psychiatrist) but my exposure to sociology courses during my early undergraduate years changed everything: I quite simply fell in love with the discipline. The thing about sociology is, it is so all-encompassing that it truly is the interdisciplinary discipline. Students will benefit immensely from an education in this field and I firmly believe my specialization in it has made me not just a stronger educator and researcher but more importantly a better human being.

Q. Are you teaching any courses this year? If so, what are they? Do you bring your research experience into your teaching practice?
A. While at York University, I have focused my teaching in the area of Sociological Research Methods as I firmly believe students need to properly acquire these skills in order to be successful in any discipline. It also tends to be a course that students fear so for me the challenge and gratification comes from using my real-world research expertise to make the material less daunting and actually fun.

Q. How long have you been pursuing a career as a researcher and teacher? Where are you hoping to go once you have finished your graduate work? Are you hoping to work as a researcher or teacher or both?
A. During my undergraduate years at the University of Toronto, I was asked to be a Teaching Assistant for Sociological Research Methods and from that moment on, I was hooked to a career of teaching. My love for research emerged more gradually over the ensuing decade of graduate work and professional research experience. In my perfect future scenario, I will continue teaching and advancing my young carer research at a Canadian or international university.

Vivian PUWTA
Receiving the 2015 Presidents University Wide Teaching Award (PUWTA) at Spring Convocation

Q. You recently received a President’s University Wide teaching award; can you talk about your approach to teaching at York University? Are there aspects of your approach that are influenced by your research?
A. My approach to teaching has never been merely instrumental. While covering the subject matter is always at the forefront, I aim more broadly to develop a sociological imagination within each and every one of my students, one which I firmly believe lasts within them long after we part. As famous sociologist C. Wright Mills put it, the power of the sociological imagination rests with its ability to connect the personal troubles of man to the broader issues of society. What I find most notable about possessing this mindset is its fundamentally unifying and compassionate quality. It creates what we call in methodological speech, Verstehen, a German term representing a sense of empathetic understanding developed from placing oneself in the position of those one wishes to study. Watching my students move from passively accepting what they may see, hear or read to actively using their own critical eye to recognize oppression and inequality, whilst having the tools to affect positive change, is one of the most fulfilling parts of my job. I think my students truly value this more global approach to teaching that nurtures both the mind and soul.

Q. In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good teacher?
A. If you nurture your students and treat them with dignity and respect, it will make all the difference in the world. My students know that I genuinely care for them and have their best interests at heart and I find that goes a long way to not only how they treat me but how I see them treat one another. Flexibility and attention to detail is also critical. Whether it involves enabling my students to bring their young children to class when daycare issues arise or pausing my lesson if I sense just one student is confused, I try to consistently find ways to cater to the unique educational needs of my students. Finally, genuinely loving my subject area and the craft of teaching has enabled me to bring a level of energy and excitement to the classroom that I have noticed is contagious.

Q. What books, recordings or films have influenced your life?
A. To this day, I remember the book that made me fall in love with sociology and pursue it as a career –Michel Foucalt’s The History of Sexuality. It was one of the first books I read in my undergraduate (sociology) theory course and its brilliance changed my life. To this day, his legacy as an intellectual, teacher and activist motivates me to be the best intellectual, educator, and activist that I can be.

Q. What are you reading and/or watching right now?
A. Right now I am reading Nancy Folbre’s The Invisible Heart: Economics and Family Values – a wonderfully powerful account of how the reliance on the “invisible hand” of the free market and its competitive individualism facilitates an attendant loss of the other necessary component of a healthy society: “the invisible heart” (i.e., the care system for children, the elderly and the infirm that develops out of an ethic of solidarity and reciprocity). A good friend also recently introduced me the world of podcasts and I just listened to a fascinating one on Freakonomics featuring Anne-Marie Slaughter titled: “Meet the Woman Who Said Women Women Can’t Have It All”.

Vivian after receiving the 2013 John O’Neil Award for Teaching Excellence from members of the Sociology Undergraduate Student’s Association (S.U.S.A)
Vivian after receiving the 2013 John O’Neil Award for Teaching Excellence from members of the Sociology Undergraduate Student’s Association (S.U.S.A)

Q. What advice would you give to students thinking of pursuing a graduate degree or embarking on a research project for the first time?
A. Do not be afraid to ask for help and/or speak to fellow graduate students and professors for their advice. In my experience, people are usually happy and willing to provide advice and expertise if given the opportunity. Oh, and do take Sociological Research Methods with me beforehand!

Q. If you could have dinner with any one person, dead or alive, who would you select and why?
A. Michel Foucault. For the reasons mentioned above but also because he was known to suffer from horrible bouts of depression that impacted his early educational career. For me, it makes the fact that he forged ahead to become one of France’s most famous intellectuals all the more inspiring.

Q. What do you do for fun?
A. I love music so getting out to see some of my favourite artists perform is definitely a key pastime of mine (having most recently seen One Republic, The Weeknd, Banks, U2, Rhye, Death Cab for Cutie, Elbow and Lee Fields & The Expressions). I hate to admit it but I also watch a lot of television. I have an embarrassingly impressive roster of television shows that I follow. I love to get outside and do anything from kayaking to stand-up paddle-boarding to hiking.

 

Spray days pest control treatments start Friday, Dec. 18

The next spray days on the Keele and Glendon campuses will begin on Friday, Dec. 18, at 5pm and end on Sunday, Dec. 20, at 5pm. Work is undertaken using accepted practices and approved materials. Professional PCO Services holds Eco Green Economic Extermination certification from the Ministry of the Environment. A work permit/notification has been submitted and approved by York University’s Health, Safety & Employee Well Being Office.

For further information, contact Tim Haagsma, manager of grounds, fleet & waste management, Campus Services & Business Operations (CSBO), at ext. 20303 or thaagsma@fbo.yorku.ca, or Amina Hussain, manager of food services & vending, CSBO, at ext. 55517 or ahussain@yorku.ca.

2015 Torontonians of the Year: Stephen Gaetz, youth homelessness researcher

York University Professor Stephen Gaetz, director of York’s Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, was profiled in Post City Dec. 11. Read full story.

Canada’s Syria dilemma: What to do in the fight against ISIS
An op-ed co-written by York University Professor Emeritus of political science and equity studies Saeed Rahnema was published on opencanada.org Dec. 11. Read full story.

A world without growth
A letter co-written by York University environmental studies Professor Peter Victor was published in the New York Times Dec. 14. Read full story.

Dark matter and the dinosaur: New theory challenges notions on origins of human life
York University physics and astronomy Professor Sean Tulin was quoted in the National Post Dec. 12. Read full story.

Fun, festive and frugal: Some families opt to scale back on holiday gift-giving
York University communication studies Professor Natalie Coulter was quoted in the Calgary Herald Dec. 9. Read full story.

Taxis likely hurting themselves, helping Uber with protests: experts
Schulich School of Business marketing Professor Markus Giesler was quoted in CBC News Dec. 13. Read full story.

Thousands of Ontario businesses missing accessibility deadlines
Osgoode Hall Law School alumnus and Visiting Professor David Lepofsky was quoted in the Hamilton Spectator Dec. 13. Read full story.

JF&CS reaches out to orthodox community
York University Professor Emeritus of sociology Leo Davids was quoted in the Canadian Jewish News Dec. 11. Read full story.

Simmons says: Encarnacion, Bautista a big test for Jays management
Chris Dennis, head coach of the York University Lions men’s ice hockey team, was mentioned in the Toronto Sun Dec. 12. Read full story.

Learn about the importance of connections at Here 2 There
York University environmental studies Professor Tzeporah Berman was mentioned in Vancity Buzz Dec. 12. Read full story.

Trump’s Muslim ban recalls restrictions on gay, HIV-positive people
Marc Robert Stein, a professor in York University’s School of Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies, was mentioned in the Washington Blade Dec. 13. Read full story.

‘Tax-efficient’ funds may simply be closet indexers
Dale Domian, a professor in York University’s School of Administrative Studies, was mentioned in the Star Tribune Dec. 12. Read full story.

Port Stanley Festival Theatre 2015 AGM
Melee Hutton, who teaches acting in York University’s Theatre Department, was mentioned on PortStanleyNews.com Dec. 12. Read full story.

Soundstreams Zaps Handel’s Messiah to Life
The York University Electroacoustic Orchestra was mentioned on MusicalToronto.org Dec. 11. Read full story.

Should you switch majors?

York University was mentioned in 24 Hours Toronto Dec. 14. Read full story.

York U study finds flu-fighting strategies should be tailored to cities and rural areas

Influenza virus

In the face of a flu epidemic, a one-size-fits-all vaccine strategy won’t be effective, a York University study has found.

Instead, strategies need to change significantly depending on the characteristics of each region in Canada, and how easily the particular flu strain spreads.

Seyed Moghadas
Seyed Moghadas

“The window of time around the onset of the epidemic is going to be vastly different between a remote population and an urban one,” says York U researcher and study lead Seyed Moghadas, “and this is something public health needs to pay attention to when developing vaccine strategies.

“Different populations require different vaccination policies to minimize the impact of the disease.”

The study, published Dec. 14 in the journal Scientific Reports by Nature, looked at which strategies produced the lowest number of infections and led to the least number of hospitalizations.

“Studies such as this, that combine big data and computer simulations, have the potential to inform evidence-based decision-making in public health,” said Marek Laskowski, a York U researcher involved in the study.

The research found different age demographics of remote and urban populations have a significant impact on the outcome of vaccinations. Many remote areas of the country have a higher percentage of children, who are key transmitters of the virus, compared with urban centres, which generally have fewer children, but more young and middle-aged adults.

The research looked at how the different areas responded when the flu vaccine was given in either a single dose or two doses before, during and after the start of the epidemic.

The study found that for most strategies, the attack rates of the virus in the urban population was lowest for children under five; but, in the remote population, adults older than 50 had the lowest attack rates. However, those attack rates varied depending on when and how the vaccinations were given.

There is a window of time before and after the onset of an epidemic when the choice of vaccination strategy could significantly affect the outcome, said Moghadas. Demographic variables could play an important role in determining which strategy to use.

“In all strategies for a highly transmissible virus, delivering the vaccine after the start of the epidemic had no or minimal effect,” he said. Even with the usual seasonal flu virus, if the vaccine was given after the virus has started to spread, it has little effect on how many people get sick.

Early vaccination leads to the best outcomes, from both a public health and a socioeconomic perspective, he said. It reduces the rates of infection, hospitalization and death, along with stress on the health-care system.

The research is significant, especially in light of new technologies that promise quicker production of flu vaccines, unlike the current egg-based technology which takes four to six months.

“In the case of epidemic emergencies, that’s actually a very long process” said Moghadas. “A timeline of six months for vaccine production means it is basically the end of the epidemic by the time we get the vaccine.”

As new technology allows for faster vaccines, strategies to distribute them quickly need to be in place and those strategies will depend on the make-up of each region.