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Grad students win thesis, dissertation prizes

a man holding a trophy

Six York University graduands have been awarded thesis and dissertation prizes by the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) for their outstanding scholarly work.

The prizes are bestowed to celebrate exceptional master’s and doctoral research work from the recent academic calendar year. The value of the awards is $2,000 for doctoral dissertations and $1,000 for master’s theses. From creating the world’s largest dataset on honeybee genomics to demystifying the function of consciousness, these talented scholars are breaking new ground with their research.

Master’s Thesis Prizes

Abdul Basit (MASc, civil engineering) for “Impact of Climate Change on Thermal Behaviour of Pavement Structures in Ontario”

Basit’s cutting-edge study was motivated by rapid alterations to the climate, the particular consequences of which can be seen in the performance of road infrastructure systems. Through his research, Basit developed a critical evaluation for anticipated climate change and how this could potentially cause changes to asphalt binder grades and variations in spring load restriction (SLR) periods across Ontario. His innovative work contributes to the discipline of civil engineering through its useful industrial conclusions, as is attested by Basit’s peers.

“The new generation of civil engineers will be increasingly reliant on a sound academic background in climate change to make appropriate and intelligent engineering decisions,” said Rashid Bashir, Basit’s supervisor. “Mr. Abdul Basit’s graduate training, and specifically his thesis, is a step in the right direction.”

Melodie Lao (MSc, chemistry) for “Developing an Automated Nitrous Acid (HONO) Platform to Detect Emerging Pollutants in a Commercial and Domestic Environment”

Lao’s innovative research focused on the development and application of new methods to measure the important atmospheric component, HONO. This chemical can react with other atmospheric component to form highly toxic products. Only in the last few years has HONO’s importance indoors been considered, but it remains difficult to measure accurately. Lao’s work creates substantial impact in the field by advancing the ability to measure HONO indoors.

Cora Young, Chair of the Examining Committee, commended Lao’s study: “It was clear to the committee that Melodie’s contributions to the field of atmospheric chemistry are significant, greatly exceeding those typical for an MSc degree. Her work has and will continue to make an impact on a national and global stage.”

Anna Waisman (MA, psychology) for “Investigating the Role of Autobiographical Memory in Post-surgical Pain Up To One Year after Major Surgery”

Waisman’s thesis investigated autobiographical memory before and after major surgery in 97 adult patients. The purpose of her study was to see if highly specific autobiographical memory could be a predictor for greater post-surgical pain. Her results showed that recalling higher numbers of pain-related autobiographical memories resulted in lower post-surgical pain.

Waisman’s groundbreaking project was the first study in this area, and her results point to immediate and tangible interventions that physicians can implement to reduce post-surgical pain in their patients. Her research was already published in the prestigious journal Pain.

Doctoral Dissertation Prizes

Kathleen Dogantzis (PhD, biology) for “Understanding the Evolutionary Origin and Ancestral Complexity of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Populations”

Through her study, Dogantzis – who was also awarded a Governor General’s Gold Medal – advanced knowledge in the field of bee evolution and population genetics and developed new tools to protect the beekeeping industry from the accidental introduction of the highly invasive Africanized bees. Dogantzis created the world largest dataset on honeybee genomics, which involved sequencing over 200 new honeybee genomes from all over the world. Her sophisticated bioinformatic analysis debunked a recent hypothesis that honeybees originated in Africa by providing evidence that honeybees originated in western Asia.

Chair of the Examining Committee Elizabeth Clare praised Dogantzis’ accomplishment. “Her applied tools are expected to have a massive societal and economic benefit, not just for Canada, but across the world.”

Dylan Ludwig (PhD, philosophy) for “The Functional Contributions of Consciousness”

The substance of Ludwig’s dissertation tackled one of the most difficult problems in the philosophy of the mind: the function of consciousness. Many philosophers maintain that consciousness makes no contribution to the causal powers of the mind. Scientists, on the other hand, tend to assume consciousness must have some overarching, unitary function. Ludwig’s main thesis contrasted with both approaches by arguing that phenomenal consciousness makes varying functional contributions to different cognitive and affective processes. This outstanding study has already led to three publications in prominent peer-reviewed academic journals.

Ludwig’s supervisor, Muhammad Ali Khalidi, contended that his work “has the potential to change the terms of the debate.”

Sara Pishdadian (PhD, psychology) for “Subjective and Objective Spatial Memory and Navigation Abilities in Aging and Amnesia”

Pishdadian’s dissertation investigated subjective and objective spatial navigation. She took a novel approach of integrating cognitive theory with clinical neuropsychology, video-game technology and multivariate statistical methods to systematically investigate this skill in normally aging people and in individuals with medial temporal lobe amnesia.

Her innovative work makes significant contributions to cognitive neuroscience theory as well as to clinical practice. Pishdadian has published in the top international journals in her field, including Neuropsychologia, Cortex, and Learning and Memory.

Next steps

FGS additionally nominated Ludwig and Pishdadian for the dissertation prize presented by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS). The CAGS-ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award recognizes Canadian doctoral dissertations that make significant and original contributions to their academic field. Winners will receive a $1,500 cash prize, a certificate of recognition and an invitation to attend the 61st Annual CAGS Conference, to be held in Victoria, B.C., in November 2023.

York profs launch book on international relations

Antique map and compass stock banner image, pexels

York University Professors Ian Roberge and Thomas Klassen – both at the School of Public Policy and Administration in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) – in collaboration with Professor Nara Park at Yonsei University in South Korea, have co-edited a newly published book on international relations and the turbulent dynamics existing between neighbouring countries of disparate size and political influence.

Asymmetric Neighbors and International Relations Living in the Shadow of Elephants
Asymmetric Neighbors and International Relations Living in the Shadow of Elephants (2022)

Asymmetric Neighbors and International Relations Living in the Shadow of Elephants (Routledge, 2023) studies a multitude of relationships between a small country and its more powerful neighbour. Individual chapters examine Canada and the U.S.; New Zealand and Australia; Belarus and Russia; Qatar and Saudi Arabia; Colombia and Brazil; and others. The book opens with a chapter from Roberge, Klassen and Park explaining how relations between neighbours dominate the history of civilization, and follows with chapters by scholars from around the world, each describing a unique international relationship, with Roberge and Park contributing their own chapters as well.

According to Klassen, the title of the volume is drawn from a statement that Canada’s former prime minister Pierre Trudeau made regarding the U.S., stating, “Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even tempered the beast is, if I can call it that, one is affected by every twitch and grunt.”

Roberge highlights that this is a highly relevant and timely book, especially in view of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, that illustrates how smaller countries must deal with larger, more dominant neighbours. The book helps to elucidate the ways a less powerful country manages security, economic, trade and identity relationships with these bigger neighbours.

Park additionally explains that the book benefited from “the longstanding network of collaboration that has flourished over the years between faculty members at York University and Yonsei University.” The book is itself a physical manifestation of that collaborative tradition, which made possible a two-day conference in June 2022 at Yonsei University that brought together the contributors to discuss drafts of their chapters.

Ian Roberge (centre); Nara Park (far left); Thomas Klassen (far right) with contributors to the book at Yonsei University, June 2022

The writers of the book are drawn from every continent and bring both applied and academic knowledge of international relations. Several contributors are arriving in Toronto for the sixth International Conference on Public Policy, to be held from June 26 to 29 at Toronto Metropolitan University, which Klassen and Roberge will also attend. Klassen notes that, “There is more research to be conducted on relations between nations, especially in the changing global order. The book and the conference are ways to increase and share knowledge about how countries peacefully, and sometimes not, manage relations.”

Undergraduate students receive Governor General’s Silver Medal

Christine Cooling, Ali Samani and Ariana Zunino

Three undergraduate students at York University have been awarded the Governor General’s Silver Medal. The medal recognizes the outstanding scholastic achievements of undergraduate students in Canada. Receiving this year’s medals are dedicated community changemakers Christine Cooling, Ali Samani and Ariana Zunino.

The Governor General awards are considered the highest honour earned by exemplary Canadian scholars throughout every level of academia. This year’s recipients offered words of gratitude to their peers and mentors, and expressed what the medals mean to them, ahead of their Spring Convocation ceremonies.

Christine Cooling

Christine Cooling
Christine Cooling

Cooling is graduating from York’s Communication & Media Studies program, where she became captivated by the study of communication policy and its influence on national culture and identity. Among her accomplishments, Cooling is most proud of her undergraduate thesis, for which she “conducted a mixed-methods research study on the relations between governing Canadian culture, nation-building and contemporary broadcasting policy.”

Cooling has also been the winner of the Penny Jolliffe Scholarship, the Jerry Durlak Prize, the Reva Orlicky Memorial & Founding Friends Award, the YUFA Undergraduate Scholarship, and a position as an assistant to Associate Professor Anne F. MacLennan on multiple projected funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Cooling has recently received her own SSHRC funding as well. “I’m now a recipient of a generous SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship through York to fund my master’s studies, which I will be beginning in the fall in the joint Communication & Culture program with York University and Toronto Metropolitan University,” Cooling says. “I look forward to the prospect of contributing to an esteemed community of learners. My experience at York University has already been nothing short of wonderful.

“To be awarded the Governor General Silver Medal is the utmost honour to recognize my accomplishments and dedication to communication research over the past four years, while serving as a bright source of inspiration and motivation for a successful future in academia,” she adds.

Ali Samani

Ali Samani
Ali Samani

Samani joined York’s Department of Psychology in 2018, following closely in the footsteps of his sister Maryam Samani, who graduated that year having also received the Governor General Silver Medal for her exceptional performance throughout her undergraduate psychology studies. Inspired by Maryam, Samani promised himself to achieve the same honour.

“This medal is the culmination of that promise. It is a testament to the power of an ambitious goal, the relentless pursuit it demands and the resilience it builds. It serves as an enduring reminder that no dream is too far when pursued with determination,” Samani says.

It was that determination which led Samani to the labs of Associate Professor Jennifer Steele and former York professor Joni Sasaki, where he researched everything from cognition and perception to culture and religion. More recently, Samani worked with Assistant Professor Julie Conder, who inspired in him a love for statistics.

“Currently, I am working as a data scientist for GivingTuesday, a global nonprofit organization where I have the privilege of using my skills to drive meaningful change,” he adds. “Regarding my future plans, I am also open to exploring the multifaceted possibilities that my unique set of skills and interests offer. I am intrigued by potential pathways ranging from medicine to clinical psychology to research. My experience at York has provided me with the foundation that makes these possible, and I look forward to carrying the lessons learned into future opportunities.”

Ariana Zunino

Ariana Zunino
Ariana Zunino

Zunino will graduate with an honours BA in criminology with a humanities minor. She says the combined insights gleaned from these areas of study allowed her “to develop a critical view of the popular conceptions of criminality in our modern world and illuminate the significant impacts such erroneous beliefs can have on individual lives.”

She points to a number of extracurricular opportunities at York which contributed to her growth as a well-rounded academic, including: working with the sociology undergraduate student association to examine the impact of COVID-19 on undergraduate sociology students, enrolling in the Dean’s Ambassador Program for inspiring student leadership, and the Advancing Women’s Scholarship Program for fledgling women scholars pursuing careers in academia.

“My experience at York University can be characterized by one term: enabling.  The support I was granted by the teaching faculty and the opportunities offered by the institution all culminated to enable the progression of my dreams into a reality,” Zunino says.

“Being awarded the Governor General’s Silver Medal is an immense honour, one for which I will be forever grateful.  This medal serves as a representation of the dedication and resilience I have practiced in pursuit of my education, but even more than that, it is a reminder that sacrifices do not go unrecognized,” she adds. “I begin my pursuit of a Juris Doctorate at the University of Toronto in the fall. My interest in the unique experience youth and families have with the criminal justice system has narrowed my focus to the practice of child advocacy law.  I see myself one day returning to the world of academia as a professor, and hopefully supporting future changemakers, as my professors were able to support me.”

About the awards

For 150 years, the Governor General’s Academic Medals have recognized the outstanding scholastic achievements of students in Canada. They are awarded to the student graduating with the highest average from a high school, as well as from approved college or university programs. Pierre Trudeau, Tommy Douglas, Kim Campbell, Robert Bourassa, Robert Stanfield and Gabrielle Roy are just some of the more than 50,000 people who have received the Governor General’s Academic Medal as the start of a life of accomplishment.

Today, the Governor General’s Academic Medals are awarded at four distinct levels: Bronze at the secondary school level; Collegiate Bronze at the post-secondary, diploma level; Silver at the undergraduate level; and Gold at the graduate level. Medals are presented on behalf of the Governor General by participating educational institutions, along with personalized certificates signed by the Governor General. There is no monetary award associated with the medal.

LA&PS and faculty look to global future

two people holding a globe

Following the release of York University’s new Internationalization and Global Engagement Strategy, the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) and Dean J.J. McMurtry consider the future of its global engagement priorities – students, alumni networks and intellectual and research competencies.

LA&PS is currently home to York’s largest population of international students. The Faculty’s student success team is dedicated to ensuring they find a smooth landing at York, working closely with York International. There is a pre-arrival orientation online, an international retreat that invites these students to arrive on campus a few days early to acclimate and meet peers; and a strong peer mentorship program.

Lily Cho
Lily Cho

“We want to get our international students started with the right steps,” said Lily Cho, associate dean, global & community engagement. “We recognize they’ve taken a huge risk coming to a new country to pursue their studies.”

“When we talk about international students, it’s not just about recruiting, it’s about offering a high-quality education,” McMurtry said. “This is an opportunity for them to engage in a whole new set of experiences.

“Ideally, we talk to parents and students in person and engage with them before they apply so we can gauge their dreams and ambitions and connect that to the curriculum, pedagogy and teaching in relevant ways. We can offer a wide variety of courses and opportunities with intention.”

Dean J.J. McMurty
Dean J.J. McMurty

But more can be done too. “I want to do more to support international students,” McMurtry said. “We’re in the process of establishing specific supports for both global and Indigenous students in our colleges to provide more welcoming and supportive spaces for them, and we’d like the topics students study in LA&PS to continue to improve on bringing a diversity of voices and local, regional and international experiences to our curriculum.  We recognize that York is a global university, so we need to act accordingly.”

The Faculty also has a robust study abroad program through international exchanges and courses taught overseas by LA&PS instructors. “We’re proud of our offerings and know that our students are eager to be out in the world, especially after the pandemic,” Cho said.

McMurtry believes internationalization also offers opportunities for further exposing research being done by LA&PS faculty in the future. Both students and research are topics addressed in the LA&PS Academic Plan, which highlights the need to “connect students and faculty scholars to global opportunities.”

“We don’t promote our research and faculty enough,” he said. “We need to learn from other universities and understand their approach to these challenges.

“We also need to take advantage of opportunities to build relationships with other institutions and encourage intellectual exchange in a meaningful way: not only relations between institutions but faculty-to-faculty and student-to-student relationships.”

Connecting with alumni networks will also be important, as McMurtry believes that LA&PS “can do more to connect with alumni as they move into the working world and to connect with them throughout the various stages of their lives.”

With 130,000 LA&PS alumni worldwide, he wants to see more opportunities for alumni everywhere to connect with the University and to foster relationships that will make mentorships possible for current students.

“We want our students to recognize that a global mindset is a distinct advantage these days and we need to provide the supports they need to understand how international opportunities can be accessed and engaged with,” he said. “Alumni can be a key to open that door.”

Overarching all of McMurtry’s plans and ideas is the concept of strategic engagement.

“There are some places where we need to be strategically engaged and do more to create dialogue and exchange, such as India and West Africa,” he said. “Africa, in particular, is a place where the world will continue to expand engagement, so we need to strengthen relationships with countries like Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya.

“We also need to look closer to home, too,” he said. “There are many opportunities to engage with other regions and cultures within Canada and with communities in the United States.”

No matter how and where LA&PS expands its reach, McMurtry emphasizes that it behooves the Faculty to do so strategically and with an emphasis on the value proposition it offers our students, faculty, alums and the global community.

Microlecture Series in Sustainable Living: Building a better future with Yvonne Su

Globe and York branded box for the Microlecture Series launch

York University’s free Microlecture Series in Sustainable Living is an innovative, interdisciplinary and open access program that gives participants the opportunity to earn a first-of-its-kind digital badge in sustainable living.

Throughout the Microlecture Series in Sustainable Living, six of York University’s world-renowned experts share research, thoughts and advice on a range of critical topics related to sustainability. Their leadership and expertise, however, extends beyond the six-minute presentations.

Over the next several weeks, YFile will present a six-part series featuring the professors’ work, their expert insights into York’s contributions to sustainability, and how accepting the responsibility of being a sustainable living ambassador can help right the future.

Part four features Assistant Professor Yvonne Su.

Yvonne Su
Yvonne Su

Yvonne Su is an assistant professor in the Department of Equity Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, at York University. Su is an interdisciplinary migration and international development scholar with research expertise on forced migration, queer migration, post-disaster recovery, climate change adaptation, climate change-induced mobility, migrant remittances and social capital. She holds a PhD in political science and international development from the University of Guelph and a master’s in refugee and forced migration studies from the University of Oxford.

Q: What does it mean to be a “sustainable living ambassador” and how does it foster positive change?
A: Being a sustainable living ambassador is really important especially as we deal with the pressing concerns of the climate crisis. The issues we are dealing with as a society are so complex and we’ve come to a point where we know the answers do not simply lie in changing lightbulbs and not using plastic bags. But the solutions are also very complicated and as sustainable living ambassadors, myself and other professors at York can help unpack these complicated issues and offer multi-faceted solutions that foster positive change.

Q: What would make you most proud for viewers to take away from your lecture, and the series as a whole?
A: I think what would make me the most proud for viewers to take away from my lecture on the unequal consequences of climate change is that we need to have a deeper understanding of climate justice, especially when it comes to the injustice done to our indigenous communities.

For the series as a whole, it would be great if the audience can walk away feeling empowered to make a positive difference.

Q: Equity and equality are a common theme throughout these sustainability lectures. Why is that such a critical component of sustainability?
A: We can’t have climate justice without equity and equality. We live in a highly unequal world and those on the frontlines of climate change are often the ones that have contributed the least to climate change.

Q: Are there changes you’ve made in your work at York that other York community members can learn from?
A: Some changes that I have made to make my teaching and learning more sustainable is to have more Zoom lectures and office hours, paperless assignments and buying an e-reader so I don’t need to print out readings.

Q: How do you view collective responsibility vs. personal responsibility in creating a more sustainable future?
A: I think personal responsibility is important in creating a more sustainable future but the real power lies in collective responsibility, especially at the corporate and government level. We need citizens to hold corporations and governments responsible for their actions and inactions when it comes to climate change and sustainability.

Q: How is York leading the way towards a more sustainable future?
A: York is one of the biggest universities in Canada that is leading the way on research in sustainability and climate change. Our research often has a focus on equity and equality which is fundamental to any solutions that will contribute to a more sustainable future.

Visit the Microlecture Series in Sustainable Living to see Yvonne Su’s full lecture, as well as those by the other five experts, and earn your Sustainable Living Ambassador badge. Watch for part five of this series in an upcoming issue of YFile. Read more in parts one, two and three.

Better Buildings Boot Camp exemplifies experiential sustainability education

architect working on house blueprint, hardhat, pen

The Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC) at York University, in partnership with Sustainable Buildings Canada, will host the Better Buildings Boot Camp (BBBC) 2023 for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers and instructors from Canadian universities from June 19 to 23, 8:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m.

The BBBC comprises five full-day workshops led by professional and academic experts which explore emergent topics in sustainability and eco-friendly design. Each day’s activities and discussions will bolster the understanding of the camp’s participants as they prepare to plan the deep energy retrofit of York’s Assiniboine Graduate Student Residence.

With its emphasis on experiential education, the camp encourages undergraduate and graduate student participants to form interdisciplinary, inter-institutional groups to network with each other, as well as the diverse groups of builders, researchers and instructors leading the daily activities. The week will begin with participants and activity leaders leveraging each other’s expertise and assembling their groups’ plans in order to end the week by presenting their ideas and providing feedback to the project building team who will renovate the 51-year-old, 19-story residence at 320 Assiniboine Rd.

By collaborating with academics and technicians, BBBC organizers expect that participants will enjoy a hands-on learning experience that dissolves the boundary between theoretical and practical education, and inspires the next generation’s best minds to endeavor for a future that is sustainable and equitable.

Aren Sammy headshot
Aren Sammy

“The Better Buildings Boot Camp is an excellent experiential education opportunity that emphasizes the collective responsibility of environmental professionals working towards change in our community,” says Aren Sammy, EUC experiential education coordinator, community partnerships and employers. “This experience takes eager-to-learn students, seasoned professionals and our own alumni to work alongside EUC, York facilities and sustainability offices to get one step closer to net zero emissions by 2049.”

To maximize the accessibility of this year’s event, all introductory, networking and consultation activities – including those with York’s Facilities team – will be hosted as webinars for participants at York and at partnering institutions.

Initially conceived as a joint effort between George Brown College, Seneca College, University of Toronto, Carleton University and Toronto Metropolitan University, the boot camp has expanded year after year adding more Canadian institutions into the partnership, with the 2023 instalment marking the first time that York has hosted the event.

“This is how we make a difference, it takes all of us to come together with our specializations to work towards one goal, a more just and sustainable future,” Sammy adds.

A summary of each day’s themes and speakers are included below, for a detailed event schedule, including breaks and mixers, click here.

  • Monday: Goals – featuring Mike Singleton, executive director of Sustainable Buildings Canada (SBC); Bettina Hoar, CEO and sustainability officer of Sage Living; Nicole Arsenault, program director, sustainability; and more
  • Tuesday: Tools – featuring Juan Sebastián Carrizo, senior building performance consultant at DIALOG; Sean Sirgi, building performance analyst at EVNA Engineering; and more
  • Wednesday: Humans – featuring Leslie Kulperger, founder and CEO of MylesAhead; Jayde Malam, founder and accessibility consultant at Beautifully Inclusive; and more
  • Thursday: Workshop – featuring Mike Layton, chief sustainability officer at York University; the York University Facilities team; the SBC consultation team; and more
  • Friday: Lessons Learned – featuring EUC alumnus David MacMillian, program manager at City of Toronto; Justin J. Podur, EUC associate dean, teaching and learning; Alice J. Hovorka, EUC dean; and more
Mike Layton
Mike Layton

During Thursday morning’s session, Layton – who joined York in March after serving for 12 years as Toronto city councillor and who continues to be an environmental champion – will share his personal knowledge with the SBC and York facilities teams and help shape the project proposals that will make the residence a net-positive development for the campus environment.

“The buildings we live, work and play in, at York University and everywhere, play an important role in achieving our sustainability objectives,” Layton says. “The BBBC workshop is a great opportunity for students, practitioners, and York staff to learn from each other and put into practice their expertise in a collaborative and practical application.”

This year’s BBBC is currently approaching 70 student registrants representing 19 different schools across Canada and 10 unique fields of study. Registration for the event will remain open until Friday, June 16 at 5 p.m. Due to limited space, interested parties are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. For more information and to sign up for BBBC 2023, click here.

Science Explorations Summer Camp offers new sustainability programming

Group of kids looking in microscope

This year, York University’s Science Explorations Summer Camp for Grades 3 to 8 will feature curricula with a greater emphasis on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including a new week-long program called Sustainable Science.

In its 17th year, the Science Explorations Summer Day Camp offers week-long camps exploring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through hands-on experiments, connected to the Ontario science curriculum, and led by undergraduate and graduate science or engineering students, teacher candidates, Ontario certified teachers and professors.

For this year’s camp sessions, the program team has continued to evolve the curriculum to reflect York’s ongoing commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Among the new additions is Sustainable Science, a Grade 7 to 8 camp, which runs from July 24 to 28 and Aug. 21 to 25. The new program will explore the science behind climate crises, while also empowering campers to use their STEM knowledge to design solutions for a healthier planet.

Sustainable Science may be dedicated to looking at the SDGs, but other programs will address them as well. “All of our curriculum will touch on some aspect of the SDGs,” says Cora Reist, manager of science engagement programs, of the more than a dozen camps being offered this summer. “Some of our programs are pre-existing programs, but we will have activities that lend themselves towards talking and discussing certain UN SDG goals.”

The camp team aims to do so by providing training to instructors on the SDGs and how to utilize the York toolkits on integrating the SDGs into the classroom, and encouraging Instructors to organically adapt camp programs to address them.

The evolving curriculum is not just reflective of the University’s priorities, but those attending the camp. “We see that a lot of kids are pushing for learning more about conservation, biodiversity and how can they become global citizens even at an early age,” Reist says. The evolving programming is meant to provide that, but also something else: hope. “The youth that I speak to sometimes get very sad about the state of things. By integrating ideas of sustainability and becoming a global citizen into our program, I’m hoping to put a positive spin on how we can take action and how there is hope for the future.”

Science Explorations Summer Camp will run weekly from July 4 to Aug. 25 with each camp one week in length, running from Monday to Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Further information about programming can be found here. Those interested in registering can do so here.

Luminato Festival features York event: Howard Adelman Lecture

Microphone

York University’s Centre for Refugee Studies (CRS) will present its annual Howard Adelman Lecture, in collaboration with Luminato Festival – Illuminating Ideas and the Provocation Ideas Festival, on June 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. at York’s Keele Campus.

The event will feature special guest speaker and journalist Anna Lekas Miller and co-panelists Zahra Dhanani, lawyer and co-owner of Old’s Cool General store, and Jay Ramasubramanyam, assistant professor, Department of Social Science, York University. The event moderator will be Ruth Green, associate professor and special advisor to the Dean’s Office on Indigenous Issues, in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, York University.

The event is free, but everyone must register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/love-accross-borders-tickets-611413493217.

About the speakers

Anna Lekas Miller

Miller will discuss and read from her newly published book Love Across Borders and a will lead a panel discussion from experts and artists with lived experience of forced migration. In her book, Miller spotlights couples around the world who confront frustrating immigration systems to be together – as she did to be with her husband.

Miller is a writer and journalist who covers stories on the ways that conflict and migration shape the lives of people around the world. She has reported from Palestine, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq, covering the Israeli occupation, the Syrian civil war and exodus to Europe and the rise and fall of the Islamic State. Since moving to London, she has turned her attention to the rise of the far right in Europe and the United States, investigating immigration systems, white supremacist ideology and the ways that people are standing up to them. She is most interested in stories of love and healing in an unpredictable, and often unstable world.

Jay Ramasubramanya

Ramasubramanyam is an assistant professor in the Law and Society Program at York University. Ramasubramanyam obtained his BA in criminology from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He received a postgraduate diploma and LLM in international human rights from Birmingham City University, United Kingdom and his PhD from the Department of Law and Legal Studies and the Institute of Political Economy, at Carleton University, Ottawa. 

He is a global south migration researcher. His research expertise includes forced migration, international refugee law, statelessness, third-world approaches to international law, human rights, race and racialization, postcolonial theory and South Asian studies. His research explores the asymmetries of power, knowledge production and the ostensible legitimacy of norms in the field of refugee studies and refugee law.

Zahra Dhanani

Dhanani is a lawyer, trainer, adjudicator, facilitator, consultant for non-profits and small business owner. With more than 25 years experience, she has extensive knowledge in the areas of anti-oppression, diversity, inclusion, organizational development, restorative justice, conflict resolution, social justice, gender violence, disability, sexual orientation and newcomer realities.

About the moderator

Ruth Green

Green is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at York University. She is an activist turned accidental academic and identifies as an urban Indigequeer woman. She is a citizen of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. She is from the Kanien’keha:ka Nation and is a member of the Turtle Clan. She was born a Canadian but was half disenfranchised when she was 10 years old. By the time she was 34-and-a-half years old she was completely disenfranchised. She acknowledges the privileges she gets in a world of identity politics to be governed by legislation that is 100 years older than she is. She also acknowledges her paternal Celtic heritage. Green likes to think about Indigenous education and social issues that impact Indigenous communities.

A reception will be hosted by the Centre for Refugee Studies in the Gales Art Gallery, York University. The gallery will also host an art exhibit, Transmigrations. Artist Ryan Kelln will be on hand to provide a brief introduction to the art work at 6 p.m. 

Lion’s Cup golf tournament raises $154,000 for athletes

Yeo the Lion with a glub club on the Lions Cup 20th anniversary logo and banner

It was a successful day on the golf course Wednesday, May 31 as York University Athletics & Recreation raised $154,000 for athletic scholarships at the 20th annual Lions Cup, presented by TD Insurance.

Nearly 100 golf enthusiasts convened at the Wyndance Golf Club in Uxbridge, Ont., coming together with a mission to extend financial assistance to student-athletes. Notably, a number of York’s current student-athletes, who have similarly benefited from financial aid in their educational pursuits, actively interacted with the golfers.

Organizers led a variety of events on the course, such as the accuracy challenge and the longest-drive competition, all the while embracing the opportunity to establish valuable connections with professionals in their respective fields of study.

Participants in 20th annual Lions Cup golf tournament receive $154,000 cheque with mascot Yeo
From left: Janae Brown (track and field), Joselyn Gagliardi (women’s soccer), Jasmine Heath (track and field), David D’Agostino (men’s hockey), Guy Burry (co-chair, Lions Cup), Corrado Messina (senior relationship manager, Ontario Market Lead, TD Insurance), Bart Zemanek (associate director, advancement, Athletics & Recreation), Lucas Van Den Driesschen (track and field), Lexy Anonech (women’s hockey), Agostino Principato (men’s soccer), Nicholas Mohammed (summer intern, Athletics & Recreation)

Inaugurated as the Chair’s Cup in 2001, the Lions Cup carries a rich history. Its creators, Marshall Cohen, the former Chair of the York University Board of Governors, and his wife, Judi, had a visionary goal: to establish an event that not only generated funds but also cultivated bonds and backing among friends, alumni, and other supporters. Recent years have witnessed a notable shift in the tournament’s emphasis, now centred on bolstering varsity student-athletes by channeling all proceeds directly into athletic scholarships for the Lions.

The success of the scholarships is made possible through the generous contributions of both new and returning sponsors of this year’s tournament. Their support plays a vital role in promoting excellence in athletics and recreation, granting tomorrow’s athletes the opportunity to achieve their academic and athletic aspirations.

For a complete list of this year’s tournament sponsors and donors, please visit the tournament webpage.

Schulich research links growth mindset training with entrepreneurs’ confidence

Group of diverse women entrepreneurs

New research from York University’s Schulich School of Business shows that “growth mindset training” – the motivating sense that abilities can improve through experimentation and failure – can make entrepreneurs more confident and action-oriented.

Geoffrey Kistruck
Geoffrey Kistruck

The findings are contained in an upcoming issue of Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. The article, titled “The Impact of Growth Mindset Training on Entrepreneurial Action Among Necessity Entrepreneurs: Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial,” was co-authored by Geoffrey M. Kistruck, professor and RBC Chair in Social Innovation & Impact at the Schulich School of Business, together with Shad Morris, professor of management; and Chad Carlos, associate professor of management, both from the Marriott School of Business, Brigham Young University; as well as Robert B. Lount, junior professor of organizational behaviour at the Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University; and Tumsifu Elly Thomas, a senior lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam.

According to the researchers, entrepreneurship training programs often fall short in translating knowledge into action – particularly with respect to so-called “necessity entrepreneurs,” mostly prevalent in developing economies, who often engage in small subsistence businesses due to a lack of formal employment opportunities. To address this issue, the researchers conducted an experiment with 165 entrepreneurs in rural Tanzania. All participants received technical skills training, but half were also exposed to growth mindset training. Those who received the growth mindset training were more willing to try new entrepreneurial actions to diversify and grow their business rather than remain “fixed” in the way they operate their business day-to-day.

“By using growth mindset training, which instills the value of persistence and the growth potential of continuous effort, we’ve shown that entrepreneurs can cultivate increased confidence in their abilities, leading to increased willingness to act on identified entrepreneurial opportunities,” says Kistruck. “Growth mindset training is a positive new intervention that, when combined with existing technical training programs, has been shown to positively affect key entrepreneurial outcomes – a hopeful sign when it comes to poverty alleviation in developing economies.”