As we approach the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 lockdown in Ontario, the next Scholars’ Hub @ Home Speakers Series event on March 3 will host a thought-provoking discussion featuring a panel of York faculty members who have been recognized with the Minister of Colleges and Universities Awards of Excellence for their commitment to guiding the province through the pandemic. The event takes place virtually at 12 p.m.
The panel will feature four esteemed York faculty members:
- Dasantila Golemi-Kotra, associate professor, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science;
- Steven J. Hoffman, director of the Global Strategy Lab and Professor of Global Health, Law, and Political Science;
- Murat Kristal, director, Master of Business Analytics and director, Master of Management in Artificial Intelligence; and
- Jianhong Wu, director of Advanced Disaster, Emergency and Rapid Response Simulation and professor, Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science.
Golemi-Kotra expertly guided Canadians looking to get through the pandemic safely, offering advice on how to effectively clean and sanitize homes and workplaces, correctly use personal protective equipment, and take necessary safety precautions when out in the community.
Hoffman engages researchers, implementers, funders and citizens around the world in identifying key areas of focus for research and study to rebuild after the pandemic. In July 2020 he was appointed by the UN Deputy Secretary-General to lead the development of a United Nations Research Roadmap for the COVID-19 Recovery.
Kristal developed an analytics dashboard that gives daily insights into the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. These predictive numbers support policymakers, healthcare administrators and public health officials as they make evidence-based, informed decisions to stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep people safe.
Wu is a trailblazer in several renowned national interdisciplinary projects, including the federally funded national infection dynamics modelling project and the geosimulation of disease spread. In December 2020, Wu and his team of researchers at York published a study finding that the Ontario government’s lockdowns in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic had a “positive effect” in curbing the spread of the disease.
The Scholars’ Hub @ Home speaker series is brought to you by York Alumni Engagement. Events are held in partnership with Vaughan Public Libraries, Markham Public Library, and Aurora Public Library.
Students, alumni and all members of the community are welcome to join.
Register here for the event.