Seminar series examines impact of scientific, technological advances

Interplay of abstract geometry structure and numbers on subject of computing, virtual reality and education.

The series, sponsored by the Department of Science, Technology & Society in York’s Faculty of Science and co-ordinated by its members, is the oldest continuously running seminar series at the University. It began in the early 1990s, when the STS department was still housed in Atkinson College, and while much has changed and advanced since then, one thing hasn’t: the series continues to welcome all members of the York community who are curious about STS.

Below is a summary of the seminars scheduled for the Winter 2024 term.

Alina Wernick
Alina Wernick

Jan. 30 “Human Rights-Based Governance of Smart City Technologies” presented by Alina Wernick, University of Helsinki

The public sector has been rapidly adopting smart city technologies in areas ranging from law enforcement and transportation to health care. These technologies have implications on a wide range of fundamental human rights. To mitigate these risks, several scientific communities have proposed human rights-based approaches to govern algorithmic, biometric and smart city technologies.

In this presentation, Wernick will explain the theoretic background of each of the approaches in the light of recent research published in the Internet Policy Review special issue, which she co-edited. She will also discuss the temporal dimensions of these human rights risk-mitigation measures as well as geopolitical tensions affecting the two approaches.

Matthew L. Jones

Feb. 13 “Social Experts Within and Without: Social Epistemologies and the Netflix Competition in the Making of Machine Learning” presented by Matthew L. Jones, Princeton University

From 2006 to 2009, the Netflix video streaming service sponsored a competition to improve predictions about which films their customers would rank highly and lowly. In this presentation, Jones will use that competition as a way to explore how the social behaviours and thinking of those who create algorithmic models impact those models themselves. In other words, he will show that the well-known problems with machine learning systems in many ways stem from the inadequate sociality of machine learning and its makers.

Shane O'Donnell
Shane O’Donnell

March 26 – “Transformations in Diabetes Care: Lessons from Commons-based, Peer-produced Citizen Science” presented by Shane O’Donnell, University College Dublin

Social and technological trends have enabled the emergence and re-emergence of different forms of citizen science in the form of do-it-yourself communities, maker movements and user-led innovations. In particular, the growth of social networks, big data and distributed manufacturing technologies are enabling communities to modify and produce medical technologies to better meet their needs across a range of chronic conditions. Despite this, most instances of peer-produced citizen science have remained at the periphery of the health-care system.

In this seminar, O’Donnell will use the diabetes community’s #WeAreNotWaiting movement – demanding faster access to treatments and technologies to help manage their condition – as a real-world example of where this type of citizen science has gone beyond the fringes of medicine and health care. Drawing on the literature on commons-based peer production and citizen science, he will show how a self-organized community of people with diabetes developed open-source innovations that not only helped them meet their own medical needs, but have also been shown to be more advanced than similar innovations produced within the traditional model of medical innovation. He will show how this community has changed the medical landscape in the process.

All events in the series will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. and will be accessible via the following Zoom link: yorku.zoom.us/j/93913086494?pwd=RGVvelVYZCtQZmdjQUdUUkpMeXY4QT09.

For more information on the series, contact the seminar series co-ordinator Hélène Mialet at hmialet@yorku.ca

Outdoor recreation program returns with winter fun

Cross-country skiing

Looking to get active this semester without committing to the gym or a sports team? Check out Athletics & Recreation’s Outdoor Experience Program, back for its second term and open to York University students and community members. Adventure seekers of all kinds are invited to immerse themselves in Canadian culture beyond York’s borders, with staff taking participants by bus to off-campus locations to participate in a variety of fun winter activities, from cross-country skiing and snow tubing to hiking and more.

The program’s second event of the term, snow tubing at Horseshoe Valley Resort, takes place on Feb. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., with the activity itself lasting three hours. Travelling by bus, participants will head to the resort in Barrie, Ont., where they will receive a hill pass that grants them unlimited access during the allocated time slot. Snow tubing is a thrill-seeking activity that requires no skill or previous experience. You’ll fly down the hill in a single-person tube and be taken back to the top by the “magic carpet,” a type of conveyer belt for people. Participants will also be able to warm up in the resort’s chalet and purchase food from the various restaurants and eateries. This is a great opportunity to meet new people, try something new, and get the health and well-being benefits of being active outdoors.

The other upcoming events this term include:

  • Winter Hike at Kelso Conservation Area, March 10 (register by March 2); and
  • Farm Xperience at Riverdale Farm, April 27 (register by April 19).

For more information about the Outdoor Experience Program, including pricing, and to register, visit the program website. The prices of the events cover transportation, entry to the experience, required equipment and a snack. All York University community members are welcome to participate.

York to test its emergency notification system on Jan. 24 

York University prioritizes the safety and security of its community.  To ensure that all community members know what to expect and do in an emergency situation, the Department of Community Safety will be conducting its bi-annual test of York University’s Emergency Notification System (ENS) on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at noon.

This test is taking place in accordance with York’s emergency management policy with the intent to promote the safety of students, faculty, staff, and visitors and help ensure the continuance of critical University operations during emergency scenarios.  

It will include email, push notifications and alerts through the YorkU Safety App, digital messaging screens on campus, and the public announcement (PA) system. To clearly indicate that it is a test, the word “test” will precede the alert on all devices. In case of a real emergency, the test will be cancelled and the community will be notified. 

Testing the emergency notification system may cause anxiety or stress for some members of our campus community. If you are experiencing difficulties or need support, please visit https://www.yorku.ca/well-being/finding-help/.  

Download the York U Safety App to ensure you receive timely and important community safety notices. 

FAQ 

Why is York testing the emergency notification system? 

York tests its emergency notification system twice a year to ensure all community members know how they will be notified in the event of an emergency situation. This test will also confirm functionality of all components of the system as part of regular emergency preparedness activities.  

How long will the test be? 

The test is scheduled to last for approximately 10-15 minutes. It is important to note that while efforts will be made to ensure the test runs on schedule, there may be slight variations to the anticipated timing.  

Will the test take place at all of York’s campuses? 

Email and YorkU safety app notification will occur for community members across all campuses. Testing of the public address system and digital messaging screens will take place on Keele and Glendon campuses only.  

Will the public address system be heard in classrooms? 

The public address system test will be heard anywhere there are speakers installed, including hallways, common areas and large classrooms.  

New lecture series to spotlight York’s research leadership

innovation image

York University’s Organized Research Units (ORU) are launching the Big Thinking Lecture Series, which will feature researchers, artists and activists taking up some of the world’s most pressing issues and ideas in their fields, from water research and aging to digital literacy and more.

As a leader in research and innovative thinking, York has a lot to show in the ways its faculty and students are helping right the future with big ideas. The new lecture series, which will consist of various talks and artistic events held throughout the calendar year, will see expert York speakers present research and creative works that span their respective fields, which include muscle health, Indigenous knowledges and languages, youth and aging, Canadian studies, technoscience and society, feminist activism, and Jewish social and political thought.

John Tsotsos
John Tsotsos

“This bold new series will showcase the depth and breadth of research excellence generated by York’s Organized Research Units and their commitment to fostering critical thought and dialogue on today’s global challenges,” said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. “The Big Thinking Lecture Series builds on York’s proud tradition of interdisciplinary scholarship and participatory research. I applaud the ORU directors for bringing this series forward.”

The inaugural lecture of the series, titled “Vision Beyond a Glance,” is presented by the Centre for Vision Research and will feature John Tsotsos, a Distinguished Research Professor in the Lassonde School of Engineering. He will explore the meaning of vision and explain how we effortlessly perform visual tasks many times a day. The in-person event will take place on Jan. 26 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in 519 Kaneff Tower.

For more details about the inaugural event and the series itself, visit yorku.ca/research/bigthinking.

York’s TD CEC boosts local, youth-led projects

Group multiracial friends taking selfie picture with mobile smartphone outside - Happy young with hands up laughing at camera - Youth concept with guys and girls having fun walking on city street

With a $178,000 federal grant received this year from Employment & Social Development Canada (ESDC), the York University TD Community Engagement Centre (CEC) has funded new youth-led projects in the Jane-Finch and Black Creek community.

Since 2014, the CEC’s mandate has been to support York’s commitment to build a more engaged university by fostering collaborations between the University and the Black Creek community. Through its Catalyst Grants program, over the past decade the CEC has awarded over $150,000 in university-community partnership projects promoting access to post-secondary education, supporting community-based research and creating experiential education opportunities for students through its Catalyst Grants program. 

Grant recipients listen in during a workshop at the Professional Development & Social Gathering organized by the York U TD CEC. (L-R) Sariena Luy, Victor Adarquah, Shon Williams, and Abena McRae.
Grant recipients listen in during a workshop at the Professional Development & Social Gathering organized by the York U TD CEC.
Pictures, left to right: Sariena Luy, Victor Adarquah, Shon Williams and Abena McRae. Photo by Jhanoi Walker.

The recent ESDC grant allowed CEC to offer Catalyst Grants in a different way. “With this special offering of the grant, we are excited to focus specifically on youth-led projects from the Jane-Finch and Black Creek community,” said Anda Petro, community projects co-ordinator at CEC. “We received numerous excellent applications from youth aged 15 to 30 for projects that demonstrated community benefit, and ultimately selected 12 projects to be funded.”

Among them are projects like a computer literacy program for seniors, a project helping youth grow indoor edible gardens, an interview/film project capturing experiences of youth in the community, and a workshop to help entrepreneurs and creatives to develop podcasts.

Petro noted that some of the selected projects are led by current or past York students who are from the community. For example, Abigail Dunbar is a first-year dance student (bachelor of fine arts) who received a grant for her project called “Inspiring Community Dance Connections,” which will bring her passion for dance to youth within the community. “This program will not only teach them dance but my hope is that it will also help them to form a second family in the community, teach discipline and help them to develop their own way of self expression,” said Dunbar.

Grant recipients at the Catalyst Grant Professional Development & Social Gathering. (L-R) Princess Anthony and Victor Adarquah.
Grant recipients at the Catalyst Grant Professional Development & Social Gathering.
Pictured, left to right: Princess Anthony and Victor Adarquah.
Photo by Jhanoi Walker.

Dunbar’s ambitions reflect CEC’s own hopes for the funded initiatives. “Not only do the projects support youth leadership and development, but they also directly benefit the broader community,” said Petro.

Administering the grants, the CEC provides continuous support and training opportunities for the youth grant recipients, fostering connections between the community and the University. Recently, the CEC organized a professional development and networking event, enabling young project leaders to refine skills like program evaluation while strengthening their connections.

Byron Gray, manager of the CEC, highlighted the centre’s unique position in bridging the university-community gap. “As a bridge between the University and the community, the CEC plays a pivotal role in advancing York University’s position as an anchor institution,” Gray remarked. “Initiatives like this showcase the tremendous impact we can achieve by supporting the remarkable talent within the community. Through this and other funding opportunities, we hope to grow this program and continue to support even more of these impactful youth-led projects in the Jane-Finch community in the coming years.”

Students launch clothing drive for job seekers in need

Clothing donation

In competitive careers like law, first impressions can be last impressions if prospects don’t present a professional image. But for some law students, having the appropriate clothing for on-campus interviews or other formal occasions is not always a luxury they can afford. That’s why the Osgoode Venture Capital Law Society (OVCLS) is holding its first-ever clothing drive on Jan. 17 from noon to 2 p.m. in the Goodmans LLP Junior Common Room in the Ignat Kaneff Building on York University’s Keele Campus.

“Outside of the financial burden associated with attending law school, interviewing and recruitment periods also bear less obvious but equally burdensome costs associated with the process,” said Osgoode student Emma Kirwin, director of communications for the OVCLS.

“The cost of formal business attire can create an additional financial barrier that often goes unacknowledged,” she added. “Alleviating this burden can help students feel more confident, prepared and less stressed during an already stressful and arduous period.”

Emma Kirwin and Yianni Patiniotis
Emma Kirwin (left) and Yianni Patiniotis (right) of the Osgoode Venture Capital Law Society.

Yianni Patiniotis, a second-year student in Osgoode’s Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration Program and the co-director of external relations for OVCLS, said the organization hopes the inaugural clothing drive will become an annual event that involves other Osgoode student clubs.

“During recruitment and at other times when we’ve been in corporate business settings, we’ve realized how fortunate we were to not have to stress too much about the business attire that we were required to wear,” said Patiniotis.

“If anything,” he added, “we had options to choose from. But we recognized that not all our peers and colleagues have that luxury.”

OVCLS is seeking donations of lightly used suit jackets, dress pants, dress shirts, belts, ties, dress socks and shoes, including heels or flats for women.

The organizers plan to donate the clothing collected to Dress for Success Toronto and Suits Me Fine at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction & Mental Health. Osgoode students who need business attire will need to access it through those charities.

Pest control treatments scheduled for Jan. 19 to 21

Keele Campus walkway in winter

Pest control spray days at the Keele and Glendon campuses for Food Services-contracted areas will begin on Friday, Jan. 19 at 5 p.m. and end on Sunday, Jan. 21 at 5 p.m.

Work is undertaken using accepted practices and approved materials by Professional PCO Services, which holds an Eco Green Ergonomic Extermination certificate from the Ministry of the Environment. A work permit has been submitted and approved by York University’s Health, Safety & Employee Well-Being office.

Monitoring and treatment of component applications will be carried out in the Food Services locations listed below:

LocationCampusBuilding Name
Glendon Campus Marché CafeteriaGlendon CampusYork Hall
Glendon Campus Tim HortonsGlendon CampusYork Hall, A Wing
Bergeron MarketKeele CampusBergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence
Central Square CafeteriaKeele CampusCentral Square
Central Square Tim HortonsKeele CampusCentral Square
Central Square Booster JuiceKeele CampusCentral Square
Central Square Pizza PizzaKeele CampusCentral Square
Central Square StarbucksKeele CampusCentral Square
Central Square SubwayKeele CampusCentral Square
Centre for Film & Theatre StarbucksKeele CampusCentre for Film & Theatre
Dahdaleh CafeteriaKeele CampusVictor Phillip Dahdaleh Building
Dahdaleh Tim HortonsKeele CampusVictor Phillip Dahdaleh Building
Lassonde Palgong TeaKeele CampusLassonde Building
Osgoode Hall BistroKeele CampusIgnat Kaneff Building, Osgooge Hall
Stong College Orange SnailKeele CampusStong College
Stong College CafeteriaKeele CampusStong College
William Small Centre Tim HortonsKeele CampusWilliam Small Centre
Winters College Country StyleKeele CampusWinters College
Winters College CafeteriaKeele CampusWinters College
Grad LoungeKeele CampusRoss Building
PodKeele CampusCurtis Lecture Halls

For further information, contact John Leva, manager of grounds, fleet and waste management, Facilities Services, at jleva@yorku.ca; or Tom Watt, director of food services, Ancillary Services, at watttm@yorku.ca.

New smudging program makes Indigenous tradition accessible to all

Bundle of sage for indigenous smudging ceremony

York University’s Centre for Indigenous Knowledges & Languages (CIKL), an interdisciplinary research centre that supports Indigenous and decolonizing scholarship, launched a new smudging program late last year to provide all students, faculty and staff with a welcoming place to clear their minds and experience the benefits of sacred Indigenous medicines.

Practised by many Indigenous people in Canada and around the world for both medicinal and spiritual purposes, smudging ceremonies typically involve prayer and the burning of sacred medicines such as sweetgrass, cedar, sage and tobacco.

Rainingbird Daniels
Rainingbird Daniels

Rainingbird Daniels (Cree/Souix/Dakota from Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan), CIKL’s current work-study student and special projects assistant, came up with the idea to introduce a smudging program at York in October 2023. It was approved and launched the following month, and resumed on Jan. 9 following the winter break. 

“The smudging program is a way to support all/Indigenous students, faculty and staff by offering the four sacred medicines in Indigenous (Native American) culture,” said Daniels. “This was implemented so the smudge is accessible for everyone, regardless of their situation.”

Daniels hopes this program will help community members start their week with positivity and provide a safe place to pray and/or gain knowledge about traditional Indigenous practices. 

The smudging program, which runs every Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in 353B York Lanes, is open to all York community members (Indigenous/non-Indigenous). For more information, visit the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges & Languages.

Celebrating 2023: revisit York’s top 10 moments

best of yu, diverse group of students at bench

York University celebrated transformative moments in 2023, with each one contributing to its drive to make positive change. From groundbreaking research milestones to community-driven initiatives, the University selected its top 10 moments that uphold York’s mission and values.

As a multi-campus University, York’s Faculties, divisions, units, faculty members, staff, and students take pride in their successes and deserve to be recognized. Faculty and students at York ignited new horizons in research, unravelling mysteries and pioneering solutions that shaped our world. Staff dedication paved avenues of inclusivity and support, fostering an environment where every voice resonates. The York community collaborated with external partners to become a driving force, channelling boundless energy into initiatives that reverberated locally and globally.

These monumental milestones weren’t just moments; they were movements. They reshaped narratives, empowered communities and redefined what it means to drive change.

These top 10 moments encapsulated the spirit of unity and teamwork, embodying diverse talents and visions and putting them into action. They stand as testaments to York’s commitment to excellence and its unwavering resolve to shape a brighter future together.

See the Best of YU for 2023.

Four York community members invested into Order of Canada

Order of canada medal laid out on black background

Four individuals with connections to York University are among the 78 new appointments to the Order of Canada, announced in December 2023 by the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada.

The York-affiliated and newly appointed individuals include one officer (O.C.) and three members (C.M.) joining the Order of Canada, one of the highest civilian honours in the country. Appointments recognize people whose services, compassion and innovations have shaped society and communities throughout Canada.

Officer

Wenona Giles, professor emerita, donor
Giles, who is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and 2023 York University Research Leader Award recipient, was appointed for her significant contributions to refugee and migration studies, and for her efforts to increase access to higher education among those living in refugee camps

Members

Patricia Sybil Pritchard Fraser, alumna, donor
Fraser, a retired artistic director of the School of Toronto Dance Theatre (now the Dance Arts Institute), was appointed for her lasting contributions to Canadian contemporary dance as an artist, dancer, educator and artistic director.

Flavio Volpe, alumnus
Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturer’s Association, was appointed for advancing Canada’s automotive and technology industries on an international scale as a leading policy expert in national trade and industry competition.

Sara Joy Angel, affiliated faculty
Angel, a former journalist and now executive director and publisher at the Art Canada Institute, was appointed for her significant contributions to Canadian art history as a visual arts journalist and founder of the Art Canada Institute, which makes Canadian art history accessible online.

For more information about the Order of Canada program, visit gg.ca/en/honours/canadian-honours/order-canada.


Addendum: The original version of this YFile post omitted a fifth York-affiliated individual to be invested in the Order of Canada as an officer. They are:

Zainub Verjee, alumna, affiliated Fellow
Verjee, executive director of the Ontario Association of Art Galleries, was appointed for advancing representation and equitable policy legislation within Canada’s arts and culture sectors as a leading artist, administrator and critic. Verjee is a former graduate student of York’s interdisciplinary studies program, as well as a McLaughlin College Fellow at the University.