Markham Centre Campus receives gift of $50,000 from EY Canada
Share
The Markham Centre Campus
York University’s Markham Centre Campus (MCC) will benefit from the support of Ernst & Young LLP (EY Canada) through a $50,000 gift that will support the Markham Capital Campaign and construction of the new, state-of-the-art facility.
The donation highlights EY’s support of higher education and aligns with its four pillars of corporate responsibility: equity, education, entrepreneurship and environment. EY is committed to helping young people gain better access to education so they can develop the transferable skills – like communication, critical thinking and complex problem-solving – needed to find and sustain meaningful work in a transformative age.
A joint contribution from EY Canada and one of its partners Tony Pampena, EY central market managing partner and York University alum, the donation also highlights the corporation’s investment in research and innovation.
“EY’s purpose is to build a better working world, and to do so we must look ahead to see what the future of work will look like,” says Jad Shimaly, EY Canada Chair and CEO, as well as the firm’s chief inclusiveness officer. “But we must also consider what it should look like, and how people, inclusive design, technology, innovation and education can help get us there.”
Galvanized by notable philanthropist and longtime York University supporter Chris Bratty and his enterprising leadership, commitment to the community and belief in the power of education, EY and Pampena were inspired to take even bolder steps to advance these causes.
“With pillars of the community like Chris leading the way, EY is proud to support the future of education and innovation at York University. We continue to use our experience, services and influence to help solve some of the world’s toughest challenges – and we want to share these skills and learnings with the next generation,” adds Pampena. “Although the next generation will face unprecedented challenges, there will also be opportunities that don’t exist yet. Now is the time for the people and organizations that support our next generation to think ahead and think differently.”
The new Markham Centre Campus, opening in 2023, will be the first public university campus in York Region and home to a community of changemakers. It will help fulfill future labour market demands and provide civic leadership by teaching future students the skills required for economic competitiveness and community development in Markham, York Region and across Ontario.
The question of privacy in virtual classrooms
Share
The world has been moving online and education is no exception. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly accelerated the need for, and adaptation of, online learning technologies, with virtual classrooms becoming the new norm.
Yan Shvartzshnaider
Yan Shvartzshnaider, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering, has been investigating the privacy and security risks that have accompanied the adoption of virtual classrooms.
Shvartzshnaider, like many other faculty members, was instructing in a standard lecture hall prior to the pandemic. After the pandemic hit in March 2020, he was forced to move his lectures online. This abrupt shift prompted him and his colleagues to examine the privacy implications of remote educational platforms.
The authors discuss the new threat model and the results of this investigation in the paper titled “Virtual Classrooms and Real Harms: Remote Learning at U.S. Universities,” which is to appear as part of the proceedings of The Seventeenth Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS 2021).
“In an emergency situation our norms and privacy expectation change. We started using technologies like Zoom without fully considering all the privacy risks because we wanted to ensure our students finished their courses and studies,” said Shvartzshnaider. “The question now is what to do going forward and how can we avoid a ‘tyranny of the norm’ situation where these technologies are accepted everywhere but we haven’t spent the time to address their surrounding issues.”
Shvartzshnaider and his colleagues analyzed different universities’ data protection addenda, platforms’ privacy policies and more than 100 U.S. state educational privacy laws, in addition to performing a security analysis of the software to understand the information handling practices involving 23 different popular platforms.
“Many of these technologies were not designed with an educational context in mind. These platforms collect and share a lot of data and, despite being compliant with existing regulations, they could violate privacy norms and expectations,” said Shvartzshnaider. “As universities adopt these technologies it is important that they consider privacy and other potential harms when they use them to replicate the traditional lecture hall experience.”
The paper outlines several recommendations for mitigating potential harms from the use of virtual classrooms.
The authors encourage administrators to proactively seek feedback from instructors about their concerns and expectations about the major platforms the universities adopt. The universities should use this feedback to negotiate terms with platforms that address their specific needs. It is also vital for regulators and universities to collaborate to battle noncompliance and establish appropriate incentives for the platforms that would address potential harms.
Shvartzshnaider sees strong parallels with Canadian educational institutes where many of these platforms are also heavily used. He plans to examine the Canadian privacy regulation and other information governing institutions in his future work.
The full paper, “Virtual Classrooms and Real Harms: Remote Learning at U.S. Universities,” by Cohney Shaanan, Ross Teixeira, Anne Kohlbrenner, Arvind Narayanan, Mihir Kshirsagar, Yan Shvartzshnaider and Madelyn Sanfilippo, is available at arxiv.org/abs/2012.05867.
About Yan Shvartzshnaider
Shvartzshnaider joined the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering in 2021. He has since established the Privacy Rhythm Research Lab, where together with his team they focus on usable privacy, sociotechnical systems, contextual integrity and information technology policy. He was also the recent co-recipient of the Lee Dirks Award from iConference 2021.
A statement from Vice-President Equity, People and Culture, Sheila Cote-Meek, on National Indigenous Peoples Day
Share
Today marks the 25th anniversary of what is now known as Indigenous Peoples Day. This is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique history, diverse heritage and cultures, and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Sheila Cote-Meek
This year, however, the celebration of the survival of many distinct heritages, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs will be taking place under the shadow of the hundreds of children who did not survive the Residential School system. In particular, the discovery of a mass grave of 215 children at the former site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, the subsequent discoveries in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and those yet to come, are a stark reminder of the trauma inflicted on many Indigenous peoples across Canada. The ongoing impact of the Residential Schools has been very challenging for many Indigenous peoples as we struggle to reconcile this difficult news.
First, I would ask that as part of the celebration, you take the time to learn more about the history and continuing experiences of colonization of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, including but not limited to the Residential Schools and the Sixties Scoop. Secondly, I request your support in calling on government(s) to take the necessary steps and actions required to change the existing systems and sources of continued oppression of Indigenous Peoples, especially children.
First Nations, Métis and Inuit children continue to be disproportionately represented in child welfare systems across the country, and Indigenous children living on-reserve receive less money for health care and education than other children across Canada. There is also a need for greater awareness and understanding about the reality and the root causes of the violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people – who experience violence at a rate that is disproportionately higher than the general Canadian population.
On this, the 25th anniversary of National Indigenous Peoples Day, let us first celebrate, then learn more and take action:
Learn about the ongoing impacts of systemic racism:
First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv): Nisitohtamowin ᓂᓯᑐᐦᑕᒧᐃᐧᐣ An Introduction to Understanding Indigenous Perspectives in Canada. In partnership with BMO and Reconciliation Education, FNUniv is bringing this introductory eLearning opportunity to organizations and communities across Canada. The eLearning course is a free public resource for all Canadians and is available June 1 to July 15 in recognition of National Indigenous History Month. It is an hour-long overview.
University of Alberta course: Indigenous Canada is a 12-lesson massive open online course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores key issues facing Indigenous Peoples today from a historical and critical perspective, highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free.
Support is available for survivors and those affected through the Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society at 1-800-721-0066 or on the 24-hour crisis line at 1-866-925-4419.
Let us celebrate the strength and resilience of Indigenous Peoples at York and across Canada today and every day.
Miigwech, merci and thank you.
Sheila Cote-Meek Vice-President Equity, People and Culture
Déclaration de la vice-présidente de l’équité, des personnes et de la culture, Sheila Cote-Meek, à l’occasion de la Journée nationale des peuples autochtones
Nous célébrons aujourd’hui le 25e anniversaire de la Journée nationale des peuples autochtones. Cet événement permet à tous les Canadiens et Canadiennes de reconnaître et de célébrer la richesse de l’histoire et la diversité de l’héritage et du patrimoine, ainsi que les contributions exceptionnelles des peuples des Premières Nations, des Inuits et des Métis.
Sheila Cote-Meek
Cette année toutefois, cette célébration de la survie des héritages, des langues, des pratiques culturelles et des croyances spirituelles est assombrie par la nouvelle des centaines d’enfants qui ont perdu la vie en raison du système des pensionnats. En particulier, la découverte d’une fosse commune de 215 enfants sur le site d’un ancien pensionnat autochtone à Kamloops, les découvertes qui ont suivi au Manitoba et en Saskatchewan — et celles encore à venir —, sont un rappel brutal des traumatismes infligés aux peuples autochtones partout au Canada. Les pensionnats ont eu des répercussions dramatiques pour de nombreux peuples autochtones et nous avons tous du mal à gérer ces terribles nouvelles.
Tout d’abord, je vous demande de prendre le temps, dans le cadre de cette célébration, d’en apprendre davantage sur l’histoire et l’expérience des peuples autochtones au Canada, notamment sur la colonisation et sur les pensionnats et la rafle des années 1960. Je sollicite aussi votre soutien pour demander aux gouvernements de prendre les mesures et les dispositions nécessaires pour changer les systèmes en place et les sources d’oppression contre les peuples autochtones, surtout chez les enfants.
De nos jours, les enfants des Premières Nations, des Métis et des Inuits continuent à être surreprésentés dans les systèmes de protection de l’enfance partout au pays : les enfants autochtones qui vivent sur une réserve reçoivent moins d’argent pour leurs soins de santé et leur éducation que les autres enfants dans l’ensemble du Canada. Il est également important de connaître et de comprendre la réalité et les origines de la violence contre les femmes, les filles et les personnes 2ELGBTQQIA autochtones qui la subissent à un taux beaucoup plus élevé que le reste de la population canadienne.
En ce 25e anniversaire de la Journée nationale des peuples autochtones, célébrons d’abord, puis renseignons-nous et passons à l’action :
Apprenez-en plus sur les impacts permanents du racisme systémique :
First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) : Nisitohtamowin ᓂᓯᑐᐦᑕᒧᐃᐧᐣ An Introduction to Understanding Indigenous Perspectives in Canada. En partenariat avec BMO et Reconciliation Education, FNUniv offre ce cours d’introduction en ligne d’une heure aux organisations et aux communautés partout au Canada. Cette ressource est gratuite pour tous les Canadiens et Canadiennes et est offerte du 1er juin au 15 juillet 2021, pour souligner le Mois national de l’histoire autochtone.
Université de l’Alberta : Indigenous Canada est un cours en ligne ouvert à tous (CLOT). Offert par la Faculté des études autochtones, il explore en 12 leçons l’histoire des peuples autochtones et les enjeux contemporains au Canada. Ce cours prend en compte la perspective autochtone et traite des principales difficultés rencontrées par les peuples autochtones de nos jours. Il utilise un point de vue historique et critique pour examiner les relations entre les Autochtones et les colonisateurs au niveau local et national. Si vous suivez ce cours en tant qu’auditeur libre, vous pouvez consulter la majorité du matériel didactique gratuitement.
Les survivants des pensionnats autochtones et autres personnes touchées peuvent obtenir du soutien auprès d’Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society en composant le 1 (800) 721-0066 ou en appelant la ligne d’écoute 24 heures sur 24 au 1 (866) 925-4419.
Célébrons la force et la résilience des peuples autochtones à York et partout au Canada, aujourd’hui et tous les jours.
Miigwech, merci et thank you.
Sheila Cote-Meek Vice-présidente de l’équité, des personnes et de la culture
June is National Indigenous History Month and June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day
Share
National Indigenous Peoples Day Featured image
Faith Desmoulin is a student in the Indigenous Studies undergraduate program. She is the student success mentor lead (Indigenous student success and transition assistant) at the Centre for Indigenous Student Services. Desmoulin is an Aniishnabekwe from the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island. She wrote the following article about the significance of National Indigenous History Monthand National Indigenous Peoples Day.
The month of June was named National Indigenous History Month in 2009, while National Indigenous Peoples Day has been celebrated on June 21 since 1996.
Indigenous Peoples and Canadians across Turtle Island (which refers to the continent of North America) celebrate National Indigenous History Month to honour the history, heritage and diversity of Indigenous Peoples. It is also an opportunity to recognize the resilience of present-day Indigenous communities. Many celebrations will be taking place and livestreaming across Canada throughout the month. This provides an opportunity for people across Canada to recognize the strengths of present-day Indigenous Peoples and communities. There will be livestreaming of Powwows, performances and much more.
What is National Indigenous History Month?
June is a month to celebrate and learn about whose land you are on by listening to and acknowledging it. Many Canadians are unaware that Canada is home to a diverse range of Indigenous Nations, each with its own language, culture and heritage, art and dance. All Canadians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, have the chance every June to reflect on and learn about Indigenous Peoples’ history, traditions, sacrifices and contributions. This month, the histories of First Nations, Métis and Inuit nations come together.
Long before Canada was formed, Indigenous Peoples flourished on Turtle Island. They are part of Canada’s history and continue to play a significant role in its growth and future as First Peoples. National Indigenous History Month offers many opportunities to learn more about the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
What is National Indigenous Peoples Day?
In 1996, the governor general of Canada, Roméo LeBlanc, declared that June 21 be designated as National Aboriginal Day by the federal government. This name was changed to “National Indigenous Peoples Day” in 2017 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
National Indigenous Peoples Day falls on the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year. It is a day of significance, as Indigenous Peoples and communities have honoured their culture and history on the summer solstice for generations. Indigenous Peoples invite all non-Indigenous and Canadians to participate in the festivities.
York University’s Indigenous History Month events
On June 21, in recognition of National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day, the York University Indigenous Alumni Network (YUIAN), in partnership with the Centre for Indigenous Student Services and the Office of Alumni Engagement, invites you to a virtual panel discussion and Q-and-A on Indigeneity, identity and student success. It is open to the York community. To register, which is required, visit yorku.ca/alumniandfriends/event/alumni-networks-a-conversation-on-indigeneity-and-student-success.
On June 24, from 2 to 4 p.m., the Indigenous Students’ Association at York is hosting a panel in collaboration with the York Federation of Students and the Continuing Education Students Association of X University (CESAX). The panel is open to the York community and the public. Registration is required, and more details are available at instagram.com/indigsay.
Local livestreaming of events
The month of June will see various workshops, teachings, reading lists and much more. Registration may be required for some events. To learn more, visit ncct.on.ca/ncct-events.
Traditional Craft and Storytelling: Attend an interactive information session and discover the calming effects of mindfulness and the art of meditation through art. Registration is required. Visit aboriginalhealthcentre.com/event/traditional-chat-and-storytelling.
Four Directions Teachings: A website that offers teachings about the medicine wheel is available at fourdirectionsteachings.com.
Seven Generations Education Institute: Information about the Seven Grandfather teachings in the Anishnabemowin language is available at 7generations.org/?page_id=2396.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami: Information about the Inuit Indigenous peoples, teachings and regions is available at itk.ca/about-canadian-inuit.
York University will host a pop-up vaccine clinic at Keele Campus
Share
The following is an important message to the York University community from Parissa Safai, special advisor to the president for academic continuity planning and COVID-19 response:
La version française suit la version anglaise.
Dear York community,
This week, York University will host its first pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Keele Campus, in partnership with Humber River Hospital. Vaccines play an important role in protecting ourselves and those around us, and all members of the community who are eligible are welcome.
Date: Tuesday, June 22
Hours: 10 a.m. until supply runs out
Drop-in details:
First doses for: anyone 12 years of age and older at time of vaccination, in any M postal code.
Second doses for: anyone 12 years of age and older at time of vaccination who lives/works/attends school (at Keele and Glendon campuses) in a listed hotspot below and:
received Pfizer on May 31 or earlier and wants Pfizer;
received Moderna on May 24 or earlier and wants Pfizer; or
received AstraZeneca on April 26 or earlier and wants Pfizer.
Date: Wednesday, June 23
Hours: 10 a.m. until supply runs out
Drop-in details:
First doses for: anyone 12 years of age and older at time of vaccination, in any M postal code.
Second doses for: anyone 12 years of age and older at time of vaccination who lives/works/attends school (at Keele and Glendon campuses) in a listed hotspot below and:
received Pfizer on June 1 or earlier and wants Pfizer;
received Moderna on May 25 or earlier and wants Pfizer; or
received AstraZeneca on April 27 or earlier and wants Pfizer.
Eligibility: Second doses are available for anyone living/working/attending school in a hotspot listed below:
M3J
M6M
M9L
M3K
M6N
M9M
M3L
M9N
M3M
M9V
M3N
M9W
Location: York Boulevard parking lot, near the northeast corner of York Boulevard and Ian MacDonald Boulevard (adjacent to the York University subway station). Parking is free on York’s Keele Campus.
Bring: ID that shows where you live, work or attend school, such as:
York University ID/YU-cards
driver’s licence
passport
birth certificate (for proof of age)
health card (optional)
report card
Please note, York University does not deliver the vaccines, nor does it determine eligibility for vaccinations. We look forward to seeing you there and, in the meantime, please continue to visit Better Together for regular updates on our plans for a safe return to campus.
Sincerely,
Parissa Safai Special Advisor to the President for Academic Continuity Planning and COVID-19 Response
Clinique éphémère de vaccination sur le campus Keele
Chers membres de la communauté de York,
La semaine prochaine, l’Université York tiendra sa première clinique éphémère de vaccination sur le campus Keele, en collaboration avec l’hôpital Humber River. Les vaccins jouent un rôle important dans notre protection et dans celle de notre entourage et tous les membres admissibles de la communauté sont les bienvenus à cette clinique.
Date : Mardi 22 juin 2021
Horaire : de 10 h jusqu’à la rupture des stocks
Détails :
Premières doses pour : toute personne âgée de 12 ans ou plus au moment de la vaccination, dans tout quartier dont le code postal commence par la lettre M.
Deuxièmes doses pour toute personne âgée de 12 ans ou plus au moment de la vaccination qui réside/travaille/va à l’école (sur les campus Keele et Glendon) dans l’une des zones sensibles mentionnées ci-dessous et qui:
a obtenu Pfizer le 31 mai ou avant et veut Pfizer
a obtenu Moderna le 24 mai ou avant et veut Pfizer
a obtenu AstraZeneca le 26 avril ou avant et veut Pfizer
Date : Mercredi 23 juin 2021
Horaire : de 10 h jusqu’à la rupture des stocks
Détails :
Premières doses pour : toute personne âgée de 12 ans ou plus au moment de la vaccination, dans tout quartier dont le code postal commence par la lettre M.
Deuxièmes doses pour toute personne âgée de 12 ans ou plus au moment de la vaccination qui réside/travaille/va à l’école (sur les campus Keele et Glendon) dans l’une des zones sensibles ci-dessous et qui :
a obtenu Pfizer le 1er juin ou avant veut Pfizer
a obtenu Moderna le 25 mai ou plus tôt et veut Pfizer
a obtenu AstraZeneca le 27 avril ou plus tôt et veut Pfizer
Admissibilité : Deuxièmes doses disponibles pour les personnes vivant/travaillant/allant à l’école dans l’une des zones sensibles ci-dessous.
M3J
M6M
M9L
M3K
M6N
M9M
M3L
M9N
M3M
M9V
M3N
M9W
Emplacement de la clinique : Terrain de stationnement du boulevard York, près du coin nord-est du boulevard York et du boulevard Ian MacDonald (À côté de la station de métro York University). Le stationnement est gratuit sur le campus Keele de York
APPORTEZ une pièce d’identité indiquant où vous habitez, travaillez ou allez à l’école :
Carte d’identité de l’Université York/Carte YU
Permis de conduire
Passeport
Certificat de naissance (pour prouver votre âge)
Carte de santé (optionnelle)
Bulletin de notes
Veuillez noter que l’Université York n’administre pas les vaccins et ne détermine pas l’admissibilité à la vaccination. Nous nous réjouissons de vous voir à cette clinique. En attendant, continuez à visiter le site Better Together pour en savoir plus sur nos plans en vue d’un retour sécuritaire sur le campus.
Sincères salutations,
Parissa Safai Conseillère spéciale de la présidente pour la planification de la continuité académique et la réponse à la COVID-19
York-led #IndigenousESD Network aims to enhance education for Indigenous youth
Share
One of the many ways York University drives positive change is through the work of its United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair in Reorienting Education Towards Sustainability, a position held by Charles A. Hopkins. For over two decades, Hopkins has championed education for sustainable development (ESD) initiatives. In 2017, he launched the #IndigenousESD Network, the first global research network dedicated to enhancing education for Indigenous youth within the framework of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The SDGs call on member countries to take action in areas that are critical to ensure peace, partnership, and prosperity for people and the planet. York University is answering the call. The new York University Academic Plan (UAP) challenges the University community to elevate its engagement with the SDGs.
Globally, Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable groups when it comes to access to education. The #IndigenousESD Network brings these issues to the forefront of conversations within the UN and beyond. The focus of this network is researching both “if” and “how” ESD practice can improve the education and training of Indigenous Peoples around the world. ESD, as a holistic learning concept, can empower learners to make informed decisions and take responsible actions for a sustainable future. It has been recognized as an integral element of SDG No. 4 on Quality Education, which is a key enabler of all other SDGs.
“Reorienting Education and Training Systems to Improve the Education Outcomes of Indigenous Youth” is one #IndigenousESD global research project coordinated by the UNESCO Chair that has reached Indigenous communities in over 40 countries. The research involved helps strengthen Indigenous voices, provide policy advice, and inform the SDGs to reach the least-served first and ensure that no country or person is left behind.
Pictured above, left to right: #IndigenousESD co-ordinators D. Razak (Malaysia), T. Shakirova (Kazakhstan), C. Matheson (Canada), K. Kohl (Germany/Canada), Charles Hopkins (Canada) and M. Otieno (Kenya), with donors Carol and Andre Kozak. (Photo by Sherri Moroso, City of Greater Sudbury)
Answering the call
The UNESCO Chair’s work in driving positive change by taking concrete action on the UN’s commitment to quality education appealed to donors Carol and Andre Kozak. The couple was inspired to support the Chair when they learned about the struggles of Indigenous children and realized how seldom Indigenous education research was funded. “A respectful dialogue on quality education that would connect Indigenous Peoples from different countries to strengthen their voice seemed crucial to us,” says Andre Kozak.
The Kozaks’ generosity helped bring together stakeholders from five different UN regions to spark conversation about quality education for Indigenous children and youth. Planning meetings were held in Malaysia for the Asia-Pacific region, in Chile for the South American region, in Nigeria for the sub-Saharan African and Southern African regions, in Kazakhstan for the Central Asian region, and in Canada for the Central and North American regions. Carol and Andre provided hands-on involvement by meeting with coordinators from Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Kenya and Canada.
As a result of these meetings, the following research initiatives were agreed upon by all regions:
In 2018-19, researchers documented varying perspectives on quality education and its desired outcomes as seen by ministries of education, Indigenous community leaders, schools, parents, students and other stakeholders in 54 settings in 29 countries. Ten recommendations were made to UNESCO for their engagement with Indigenous Peoples and published in peer-reviewed journals.
A collection of “Good Practices using ESD,” with 32 practices from 29 countries, was submitted to the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to support the COVID-19 recovery of Indigenous Peoples, with education at the core of all efforts.
When the pandemic lifts, selected researchers and Indigenous communities will jointly implement specific changes in the curriculum or pedagogy to better understand their potential to improve the overall quality of education.
Building a better future
Beyond research, the Kozaks’ support has been integral in helping members of the #IndigenousESD Network build partnerships with Indigenous communities and government agencies to help inform pandemic relief strategies and address ongoing social and economic challenges.
In the Philippines, for example, network member Leyte Normal University (LNU), under the leadership of Jude Duarte and Janet Presnilla-Espada, launched a whole-community partnership with two schools and their communities to make quality education accessible by creating a long-term supportive pipeline from primary school to post-secondary. Also, when the homes of the Mamanwa Tribe were flooded, LNU assisted with resettlement efforts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, LNU has been crucial in helping with food and supplies as the villages lost business opportunities during lockdowns.
“It is our hope,” says Carol Kozak, “that the research findings will be used to better serve Indigenous youth and inspire to build strong partnerships with Indigenous communities.”
York’s commitment to positive change shines through: Communications & Public Affairs Division nets four top awards
Share
With York’s new brand at the heart of the work and built around the six key priorities outlined in the 2020-25 University Academic Plan (UAP), compelling marketing and creative, design and storytelling, accompanied by exceptional execution, have been recognized with four top international awards.
Every year, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) 2021 Circle of Excellence Awards highlight the best submissions from the post-secondary sector around the world. These annual awards acknowledge superior accomplishments that have lasting impact, demonstrate the highest level of professionalism and deliver exceptional results. This year, CASE received submissions from 530 institutions in 27 countries, and York’s Communications & Public Affairs Division (C&PA) brought home two golds and two silvers, locking in a second-in-Canada standing.
This recognition highlights York University as a community of changemakers, working to create a better future.
“In launching York’s first-ever brand strategy in Fall 2020, we have been laser-focused on ensuring that all of our communication and marketing work projects our shared sense of purpose and identity,” said Susan Webb, chief communications and marketing officer at York University. “Our brand aligns closely with the UAP and shines a light on the values we embrace as a community, through the work that is being done by students, faculty, researchers, instructors and staff alike. In a year like no other, the C&PA team has continued to deliver outstanding work, which was no easy feat. I am very proud of the many ways the team continues to create and shape powerful stories and visuals that represent our community.”
York’s brand is reflected throughout all communications work and is a strong representation of York as a leading international teaching and research university and a driving force for positive change.
“The work and awards are impressive and important in communicating York’s unique identity,” said Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic. “I am particularly pleased that our UAP website was recognized and that the judges highlighted York’s UAP as an example of how complex content can be captured through a best-in-class web experience.”
To support the efforts of cities and national governments in fighting the challenges of homelessness, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has established the Toronto Centre of Excellence on Youth Homelessness Prevention, the first Geneva UN Charter Centre of Excellence in North America. The centre will be hosted by York University and co-directed by Faculty of Education Professor Stephen Gaetz, president of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH), and Melanie Redman of A Way Home Canada.
Delegates at the UNECE announcement event. Pictured above, from left, top row: Rhonda L. Lenton, president and vice-chancellor of York University; Paola Deda, UNECE; Melanie Redman, A Way Home Canada; and Judy Sgro, MPP Humber River-Black Creek. From left, bottom row: Stephen Gaetz, president of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness; Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation, York University; Adam Vaughan, MP Spadina-Fort York and parliamentary secretary to the minister of families, children and social development
“The establishment of the UNECE Toronto Centre of Excellence at York is a testament to the global leadership of our researchers in creating innovative, nuanced and effective solutions to youth homelessness,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton.“Under the guidance of our Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, the new centre will bring together experts, policy-makers, and local and international community partners to make a positive global impact on this urgent social issue.”
The Toronto Centre of Excellence will build on the work of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, which is based at York University. The observatory has conducted and mobilized homelessness research from across Canada and beyond for many years. It will assess the state of youth homelessness and prevention in the 56 member states of UNECE to help get youth homelessness and prevention onto public policy agendas.
“In the context of the pandemic, we can see the folly of ignoring the role of prevention in addressing major social and health crises,” said Gaetz.“The Centre of Excellence will help us mobilize our efforts to transform our response to homelessness to focus on prevention. Working with a range of international partners, the centre will provide a mechanism to collaborate internationally to understand how to effectively end homelessness, and youth homelessness in particular. This is a big opportunity.”
The new centre is part of a network of centres co-ordinated by UNECE with a mandate to engage in the exchange of research-based knowledge, experience and best practices to support implementation of the Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing. The charter also places importance in gathering data on homelessness using common international standards to ensure comparability between member states; making these data and national statistics publicly available to support policy-making, research and economic development; and making use of global and regional data repositories to support the policy-making process.
“Through this partnership, we aim to raise the visibility of homelessness on the political agenda throughout our region,” said UNECE executive secretary Olga Algayerova. “The COVID-19 pandemic has bluntly showed that we cannot live up to our commitment to leave no one behind in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development if the human right to housing is not fully guaranteed for all.”
Designation as a Centre of Excellence will enable COH and A Way Home Canada to contribute to a broader effort to prevent homelessness among young people around the world through their Making the Shift project and related lessons learned. The research agenda of the observatory has been developed on the premise that realistic and practical solutions to homelessness exists and are possible, and that communities across Canada can achieve that end with the help of credible evidence, supportive policy and adequate funding frameworks.
“Another benefit of the Toronto Centre of Excellence is that it connects our work in Canada to realize housing as a human right to a broad network of international partners and researchers who are also grappling with this question,” said Redman, president of A Way Home Canada and co-director of the centre. “Our goal with the Toronto Centre of Excellence on Youth Homelessness Prevention is to support UNECE member states to have the knowledge they need to act boldly in the face of the injustice that is homelessness.”
UNECE will facilitate the work of the Centre of Excellence and the exchange of information, knowledge, and experience within the network as well as with relevant international and national organizations in the UNECE region, co-ordinating co-operation and exchange of experiences between the Centres of Excellence.
A case of mistaken identity solved! Rarest bee genus in North America is not so rare after all
Share
Canadian researchers have discovered that a bee thought to be one of the rarest in the world, as the only representative of its genus, is no more than an unusual specimen of a widespread species.
Scientists with the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN) and York University have reclassified the mystery bee, collected somewhere in Nevada in the 1870s, as Brachymelecta californica. They note that it is an aberrant individual of a species, the California digger-cuckoo bee, that is part of a group that includes five other species. All are cleptoparasitic bees, with females that lay eggs in the nests of digger bees. Brachymelecta californica itselfis known to be widespread from Western Canada to Southern Mexico.
The paper setting the record straight is published today in the European Journal of Taxonomy. “The unusual specimen has puzzled bee researchers for decades and deceived some of the world’s great experts on bee taxonomy,” says Thomas Onuferko, PhD, research associate with the CMN and the study’s lead author. “They can now stop searching for more examples of this ‘rare’ bee.”
The bee was first described in 1879 by American entomologist Ezra Townsend Cresson from the Nevada specimen. It was later placed in its own genus, and renamed Brachymelectamucida in 1939, a name that has only ever been associated with this lone specimen.
It stood apart from other related bees because its abdomen’s dorsal surface is unusually covered in pale hairs, these being partly dark in other specimens of what are now understood to be the same species. Another unusual feature is that the fore wings of the specimen each have two submarginal cells (the normal number for the bees in this group is three). These two features had confused everyone, until now.
In 2019, Onuferko was able to examine the rare specimen during a visit to the collections at Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. There, he discovered a series of other specimens with the same vague locality labels, but these bees were identified as Xeromelecta californica, a species that was also described by Cresson in the year before the description of the mystery species.
In some of the specimens, the pattern of veins in the wings is the same as in the mystery specimen. “At that point, I made the connection that these specimens might all be the same species,” says Onuferko.
This connection was further boosted by the discovery in Professor Laurence Packer’s collection at York University of a bee that also had conspicuously pale hairs on its entire abdomen. DNA barcoding confirmed the specimen to be Xeromelecta californica. Hairs that are normally dark in this species were completely light. Onuferko and Packer, who also collaborated on the study, concluded that the hairs likely lacked pigmentation due to a form of partial albinism.
Laurence Packer
The finding surprised Packer because some of the best bee biologists had studied the specimen, but he adds, “Rummaging around in old collections is actually an important thing to do. There is a lot to discover within museum collections, and in this case the rummaging revealed that a rare bee is not so rare after all.”
The discovery has prompted an unusual name change, which is based on rules of the organization that governs the naming of animal species – the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature. Due to the chronology of dates in which the bees’ various genus and species names were published, Brachymelecta californica takes precedence as the accepted name, and the five related species classified as Xeromelecta are now also part of the genus Brachymelecta. This genus, previously known from a single specimen, is now known from most of the bee collections in North America.
“The reclassification of this bee shows why it’s important to describe new taxa from multiple examples and why entomologists collect specimens in series,” explains Onuferko. It is impossible to know the range of variation within a species with a single specimen and describing new species from a lone sample risks mistaking an aberrant specimen for a new species.
The “mystery” bee viewed from above (dorsal view). This is the holotype specimen of Brachymelecta mucida, presumed to have been collected in Nevada in the 1870s. It is now understood to be an aberrant specimen of Brachymelecta californica, the California digger-cuckoo bee. The unusual pale hairs on its abdomen were among the characteristics that led it to be classified separately from other related bees. Image credit: Thomas Onuferko, Canadian Museum of Nature
New species still occasionally get described from single specimens; however, in such cases the new species should be thoroughly justified (using both molecular and morphological evidence, if possible) to avoid taxonomic problems down the line.
The study’s authors explain that many researchers have written about the mystery bee under its earlier classification as Brachymelecta mucida, meaning that intellectual resources were dedicated to a specimen that did not merit them. “Bee collectors were effectively in search of an elusive ‘white whale’ or, more appropriately, a ‘whitish bee,’ a species that evidently only existed in the minds of taxonomists,” says Onuferko.
Grad students make queer history accessible through collaborative special podcast series
Share
York University PhD candidates Hannah Maitland, Stephanie Jonsson and Angela Stanley, from the Gender, Feminist and Women’s Studies program, are highlighting queer oral history through a new special podcast series.
“Resisting the Script: 25+ Years of Queer Activism” is a seven-episode series of the Queer Devotions podcast that was created in partnership with the Out of the Closet Lecture Series, New Horizons for 2S-LGBTQ+ Older Adults, and Rainbow Faith and Freedom. The podcast introduces listeners to unwritten histories of queer organizing in Ontario through the people who were central actors and witnesses to these stories.
Hosted by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry, the podcast features the voices of: Nicole Tanguay, poet and community worker; Cheri DiNovo, politician and reverend; Cait Glasson, community organizer and translator; and Anthony Mohamed, policy specialist, among others.
Highlighting these stories has been especially important during the pandemic because many in-person queer spaces have been closed, says Maitland, adding that queer seniors in particular have experienced a great deal of isolation during the pandemic.
This project was funded by the Michael Lynch History Grant through the Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity, with additional funds provided by Rainbow Faith and Freedom.
Project partners hope to make queer history accessible through Resisting the Script, and foster intergenerational relationships and knowledge production in the queer community.
“Queer older adults are largely under-represented in discussions on 2S-LGBTQ+ issues and stories on their experiences are routinely excluded from course curriculums,” says Maitland. “Students are well-versed on issues faced by 2SLGBTQ+ youth, but less knowledgeable on the experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ older adults. Resisting the Script offers these perspectives and much more, demonstrating the importance of having queer-inclusive intergenerational conversations.”
