Corporate Knights, a magazine focusing on Canadian corporate social responsibility, has ranked York’s Schulich School of Business number one among Canada’s MBA schools in its first annual survey of Canadian business schools. In the magazine’s Summer 2003 issue, distributed in key markets with The Globe and Mail, Schulich gets top marks in four categories – for its MBA program, as an institution, for its clubs and for its faculty – for preparing tomorrow’s business leaders on issues of corporate social responsibility, environmental sustainability and community engagement. Three Schulich professors also received Faculty Pioneer Awards for promoting corporate social responsibility in management education: James Gillies, founding dean of Schulich and professor emeritus of policy, won the Lifetime Achievement Award for offering management education to private, public and nonprofit sectors; David Wheeler, Chair and director of the Erivan K. Haub Chair in Business & Sustainability, shared the External Impact Award with Brian Kelly, deputy director of the Haub Program and director of Schulich’s Sustainable Enterprise Academy, a leading executive education program.
Prof’s bon mots make front page in Argentina
Argentina’s leading newspaper, Diaro Clarin, printed a two-page interview May 25 with Sam Lanfranco, communications professor in Atkinson’s School of Analytic Studies & Information Technology, about how computers inaugurate new forms of citizenship, address development problems and strengthen democratic identities. In Argentina to deliver talks on education, communities and new technologies at various university conferences, Lanfranco’s words were featured in the quote of the day on the front page: “We have to think of the Internet as a weapon of mass instruction.”
York art gallery gets Monk as new director
The Toronto Star on June 5 reported Philip Monk’s appointment as the new director and curator of the Art Gallery of York University. For the past nine years Monk has been the curator of the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery at Harbourfront Centre. Monk was also curator of contemporary Canadian art at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The art writer and curator is known for his critical writing and his innovative approach to exhibitions.
President urged to camp at Queen’s Park
In its coverage of the second Toronto City Summit June 5, the Toronto Star listed Lorna R. Marsden, York president and vice-chancellor, as a participant. In a related editorial, the newspaper said the bank presidents, corporate CEOs, former politicians, labour leaders and community leaders who’ve formed an alliance aimed at improving Toronto’s lot have “struck out.” It suggested they take more extreme measures to get provincial and federal government attention. For instance: “What if a succession of bank pooh-bahs – first Charles Baillie, former chair of TD Bank, then Gordon Nixon of the Royal Bank – followed by Courtney Pratt of Toronto Hydro, former premiers Bob Rae and David Peterson, and York University President Lorna Marsden led a camp out on the lawn of Queen’s Park, night after night after night, until their buddies paid attention?”
Regional rapid transit plan includes York link
A north-south connection from the Vaughan Corporate Centre via York University to Downsview station on the TTC’s Spadina subway line is part of a York Region Rapid Transit Plan to which the provincial government just committed $50 million, reported Canada News-Wire June 4. The provincial funding matches federal and York Region contributions promised earlier to support a rapid transit network across four York Region corridors, with key connections to the City of Toronto and the regions of Peel and Durham. The plan will help focus urban development in York Region and alleviate road congestion throughout Greater Toronto.
Two law grads appointed to immigration board
Two York law school alumni, Michael G. Somers (LLM ’93) and Stephanie Thomas (LLB ’76), are among four new appointees to the Immigration & Refugee Board of Canada, reported Canada News-Wire June 4. Somers is a Toronto barrister who received his LLM, and Stephanie Thomas is a director for special projects with Legal Aid Ontario in Toronto who received her LLB, from Osgoode Hall Law School.
Lake scientist wins research awards
Norman Yan is in a better position to clean up Ontario’s lakes now that he has won two prestigious academic prizes worth more than half a million dollars, said The Canadian Jewish News June 5. Yan, a York University professor and Ontario Ministry of the Environment lake scientist (limnologist), was recently notified he had won $650,000 to further his research on “multiple ecological stressors.” A $500,000 grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation will enable him to build a state-of-the-art field laboratory in Dorset, Ontario. A $150,000 Premier Research Excellence Award will permit him to launch four graduate student projects.
Tian’s prize
The Toronto Star on June 5 reported the $10,000 prize awarded to finance professors Yisong Tian of York University’s Schulich School of Business and Scott Anderson of Ryerson University for their paper on the drawbacks of labour-sponsored investment funds.
On air
- Robert MacDermid, political science professor in the Faculty of Arts, talked about fundraising by the Ontario Progressive Conservative and Liberal parties. He also discussed a loan given to a major Tory donor, on CBC’s “Here and Now” in Toronto, June 3.