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Announcement of new vice-president, advancement

Susana Gajic-Bruyea

Following an extensive national and international search, the Board of Governors of York University has accepted the recommendation of the search committee that Susana Gajic-Bruyea be appointed vice-president, advancement. Her initial five-year term commences January 1, 2022. 

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear Colleagues, 

Susana Gajic-Bruyea
Susana Gajic-Bruyea

I am delighted to inform colleagues in our Division of Advancement and across the University that, following an extensive national and international search process, York University has selected a new Vice-President of Advancement. The Board of Governors has accepted the recommendation of the search committee that Susana Gajic-Bruyea be appointed for an initial five-year term commencing January 1, 2022. 

Susana Gajic-Bruyea has 25 years’ experience in higher education advancement, most recently as the Associate Vice-President, Alumni Relations and Development at Western University in London, Ontario. Prior to her time at Western, Susana served at two universities in California — first as Executive Director, Advancement, University of California (Merced), and then as Vice-President for University Advancement at California State University (Stanislaus). She also spent ten years working in advancement at the University of Toronto, where she played a key role in the success of their first $1-billion fundraising campaign.  

Susana is a graduate of the University of Toronto and has an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University. She is a member of and has volunteered with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE), and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). She is also a proud mentor with the Women in Leadership Foundation. 

Please join me in welcoming Susana into the York community. 

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank E. Louise Spencer for the vision and leadership she has brought to the role of Acting Vice-President, Advancement since her appointment in April 2021. 

Sincerely, 

Rhonda Lenton 
President & Vice-Chancellor 

Annonce au sujet de la vice-présidente de l’avancement

Chers collègues, 

Susana Gajic-Bruyea
Susana Gajic-Bruyea

J’ai le plaisir d’informer mes collègues de la Division de l’avancement et mes confrères et consœurs qu’à la suite d’un vaste processus de recherche national et international, l’Université York a sélectionné sa nouvelle vice-présidente de l’avancement. Le Comité exécutif du Conseil d’administration a accepté la recommandation du comité de sélection de nommer Susana Gajic-Bruyea pour un mandat initial de cinq ans à compter du 1er janvier 2022. 

Susana Gajic-Bruyea possède 25 ans d’expérience dans le domaine de l’avancement au niveau de l’enseignement supérieur. Elle était tout récemment vice-présidente associée, Relations avec les diplômés et développement, à l’Université Western à London, en Ontario. Avant de se joindre à Western, Susana a travaillé dans deux universités californiennes, d’abord comme directrice principale de l’avancement de l’Université de Californie (Merced), puis comme vice-présidente de l’avancement de l’Université de Californie (Stanislaus). Elle a également travaillé pendant 10 ans dans le domaine de l’avancement à l’Université de Toronto, où elle a joué un rôle clé dans le succès de leur première campagne de collecte de fonds d’un milliard de dollars.  

Susana est diplômée de l’Université de Toronto et possède une MBA de la Ivey Business School de l’Université Western. Elle est membre — et a fait du bénévolat auprès — du Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), du Conseil canadien pour l’avancement de l’éducation (CCAE) et de l’Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Elle est également fière de faire du mentorat au sein de la fondation Women in Leadership. 

Veuillez vous joindre à nous pour souhaiter la bienvenue à Susana dans la communauté de York. 

J’aimerais également profiter de cette occasion pour remercier E. Louise Spencer pour la vision et le leadership qu’elle a apportés au rôle de vice-présidente intérimaire, Avancement, depuis sa nomination en avril 2021. 

Sincères salutations, 

Rhonda Lenton 
Présidente et vice-chancelière

Celebrate York’s outstanding alumni at the York U Alumni Awards show, Nov. 18

Alumni Awards FEATURED

Don’t miss your chance to be part of the 2021 York U Alumni Awards. The awards show, honouring the outstanding accomplishments of four Alumni Award recipients, will be an evening of celebration, networking and entertainment and is open to the entire York U community.

Alumni Shahir Massoud (BBA ’06) and Moboluwajidide “Bo” Joseph (BA ’21) will be your hosts for the evening, which will feature performances by four-time JUNO Award-nominated musician and York student Sarah Slean, students from the York U Gospel Choir and Vanier College Productions along with an appearance by Toronto-based comedian and alumna Hoodo Hersi (BA ’14, BEd ’15) – all from the comfort of your home.

Teaser image for alumni video featuring alumnus Shahir Massoud
Watch this video at https://youtu.be/m0Uk5uCVd0g

This special event will also include remarks from President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton, York University Chancellor Gregory Sorbara (BA ’78, LLB ’81), Chair of the York University Alumni Board Francesca Accinelli (BFA ’92), and interim Vice-President, Advancement Louise Spencer.

This year’s award recipients include Earle Nestmann (MSc ’71, PhD ’74); Christopher House, C.M. (BFA ’79); Pamela Ohashi (BSc Hons ’82); and Weyni Mengesha (BFA ’05). Click here to learn more about this year’s award recipients.

Tickets are complimentary, but registration is required. Please RSVP or send regrets online or by calling 416-650-8159.

This event’s premier sponsor is TD Insurance, exclusive provider of car and home insurance for York U alumni, students, employees, and retirees.

Can you make the month? Try this virtual poverty simulator tool

York Cares United Way Campaign

As part of the York Cares United Way campaign, community members are encouraged to challenge their perspective on poverty using an online simulator created to help Canadians understand the experience of living in poverty.

The York Care United Way Campaign supports local agencies that provide assistance to those living in poverty (image: United Way)
The York Care United Way Campaign supports local agencies that provide assistance to those living in poverty (image: United Way)

As York staff and faculty members continue to work together to raise $150,000 for the United Way Greater Toronto as part of the York Cares United Way campaign, community members are encouraged to challenge their perspective on poverty.

Living on a limited budget is tough, and for those living in poverty, making the month can be a difficult challenge. MaketheMonth.ca is an online tool that helps Canadians understand the experience of living in poverty. It is the first online poverty simulator in Canada and is designed to offer a unique way to engage, build empathy and raise awareness about the complicated issues related to poverty in local communities such as housing, mental health, food security, child poverty and employment.

The tool challenges participants to ‘make the month’ on a limited budget and is meant to offer a glimpse into the challenging decisions that people living with limited resources can face in their daily lives. Participants engage in a virtual situation where they are asked to make difficult choices and can see the resulting challenges for those living in poverty.

Try MaketheMonth.ca on your own, with family, or colleagues at work, and see if you can make the month. To make this into an interactive virtual team building experience with discussion and facilitation from United Way, contact yucares@yorku.ca. The York community is committed to creating positive change for its students, communities and the world around us.

For more information and to see stories of people who faced barriers and overcame them, visit https://www.yorku.ca/alumniandfriends/united-way/. Questions and inquiries can be directed to yucares@yorku.ca.

Retirees give back to York U

the YURA team
YURA members at the 2020 walk in Toronto’s High Park

The York University Retirees’ Association continued its work to raise funds for graduate student awards. Recently, members took part in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Charity Challenge.

For the third straight year, the York University Retirees’ Association (YURA) participated in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Charity Challenge to raise funds for graduate student awards at the University. With the help of York’s Advancement Division, YURA applied and was approved as an eligible charity in the program.

For the 2021 Charity Challenge, YURA’s 11 registered participants were given the option of running or walking a minimum of five kilometres on their own (e.g. in their own neighbourhood) as a virtual charity challenge; or participating in one of two five-kilometre walk/run events organized by YURA – one held at Toronto’s High Park on Oct. 5 and the other on the Tom Taylor Trail in Newmarket, Ont., on Oct. 13. 

Members of the YURA team get ready to participate in the Scotiabank Toronto Marathon Charity Challenge
Members of the YURA team get ready to participate in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Charity Challenge

Participants registered for the Charity Challenge through a fundraising page generated by Race Roster, an online app, and then sought sponsorships from former colleagues and co-workers, family and friends. York University issued charitable tax receipts for sponsor donations. To date, this year’s YURA team has raised $23,700 for the graduate student awards. 

YURA Co-President Ian Greene organized this year’s team entry. Fundraising participants were retirees Charmaine Courtis, Steve Dranitsaris, John Lennox, Fran Wilkinson, Peter Victor, David Dimick, Marla Chodak, Agnes Fraser, Donna Smith and Gwyn Buck, as well as Maggie Quirt, a professor in the Department of Equity Studies in York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, who took an enthusiastic interest in this cause.

Until Nov. 1, there is still time for York community members to sponsor the YURA team or one of the individual participants. Tax deductible donations can be made online at the group’s Race Roster page.

YURA is committed to help make getting an education possible for deserving students who struggle financially. YURA’s goal is to raise enough money for an endowed fund to support in perpetuity the three YURA Graduate Student Awards given annually. To date, almost $90,000 has been raised toward the $115,000 goal for this endowment, with $60,000 of the funds raised generated by participants in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge in the past three years.

York University launches first-of-its-kind initiative to address barriers for Black youth across Canada

Carl James

The national, pan-university program is backed by $1.2 million from the RBC Foundation as part of RBC Future Launch. The initiative is led by Professor Carl E. James, the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora in the Faculty of Education.

York University is launching a three-year initiative to enhance the representation of Black youth at universities across Canada by supporting upper-year high-school students as they plan for their future, such as pursuing post-secondary education or work, and aiding in the transition and retention of those who pursue university. The initiative is led by James, who is York University’s Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora in the Faculty of Education. James has focused on addressing systemic barriers and racial inequities for over a decade and a recent $1.2-million donation from the RBC Foundation, as part of RBC Future Launch, is allowing this work to go national. 

The initiative will kick off on Oct. 6 with a national conversation hosted by York and the RBC Student Success Initiative and Data Hub. This event, which runs from 7 to 8 p.m., will be livestreamed via YouTube here. Questions can be submitted in advance to yuevent@yorku.ca.

“We’re starting to see some attention to streaming – the process of placing students into academic or non-academic oriented classes based on their assumed intellectual abilities. The Ontario government’s announcement about ending academic streaming starting with the Grade 9 math curriculum this September as well as a ban on suspending young students is an OK start. However, we have a long way to go. Black students across Canada continue to report racial inequities and experience barriers in the education system,” says James, whose 2017 groundbreaking research revealed Black students are being disproportionately streamed away from academic programs and suspended at significantly higher rates than white or other racialized students. The report, Towards Race Equity in Education: The schooling of Black students in the Greater Toronto Area, used data to show poor outcomes for Black students and that current students were experiencing worse outcomes than their parents and grandparents. 

Carl James
Carl E. James

James is bringing together Kevin Hewitt, physics professor from Dalhousie University; Juliet Daniel, associate dean of research from McMaster University; Jennifer Adams, Canada Research Chair in Creativity and STEM and associate professor from the University of Calgary; and Annette Henry, professor, language and literacy education from the University of British Columbia, who share a commitment to addressing the educational issues of Black youth to further the systemic anti-Black racism work of individual institutions, including interventions and research. The research component will build on existing Canadian census data with a longitudinal study of Grade 11 and 12 students over a three-year period, informing the development of new community-based and student-support programs. It will, for the first time, facilitate the sharing of documentation and data across Canadian universities – allowing for geographical and contextual comparisons to be made. For example, James is particularly interested in the experience of second- and third-generation Black students and how the impact of generational status compares between Toronto and Halifax.

In 2020, RBC announced actions to address the inequity and systemic bias that have disadvantaged Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) individuals and youth. As part of these actions, RBC committed to providing $50 million in focused funding through RBC Future Launch to create meaningful and transformative pathways to prosperity for 25,000 BIPOC youth by 2025.

“Ensuring that Black students have equitable access to opportunity is critical to building strong, inclusive communities,” says Mark Beckles, vice-president of social impact and innovation at RBC. “We are working closely with our partners, including many BIPOC-serving organizations, to enable access. RBC’s support of the now national work of the Jean Augustine Chair will help to ensure that present and future generations of Black talent can reach their fullest potential.”

The initiative will kick off on Oct. 6 with a national conversation hosted by York and the RBC Student Success Initiative and Data Hub. 

Hellenic Heritage Foundation donation will highlight experiences of Greek diaspora in Canada

HHF President with York University President as they unveil a poster at gift announcement event on September 22

The funding will expand the existing physical archive and establish a digital archive of images, documents, video and other assets that are related to Greek Canadian history.

When Christopher Grafos entered the Graduate Program in History at York University, he encountered the same problem time and time again.

“When I spoke to Greek Canadians about their immigration experiences and their time in Canada, they would often tell me that they had thrown out a lot of the materials that would help researchers examine their history,” says Grafos, who completed his PhD in 2016. “It was such a tragedy for me to learn that we were in danger of allowing these experiences to fade away without preserving them through images, videos, newsletters, and other materials that brings this history to life.”

Together with his then-supervisor, Professor Sakis Gekas, HHF Chair in Modern Greek History, Grafos founded the Greek Canadian History Project in 2012. As the archives grew, so did the need to catalogue, digitize, present and preserve these materials, and to help Greek Canadians tell their stories through recorded oral histories and other methods.

On Sept. 22, the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies announced an important $1.4-million gift from the Hellenic Heritage Foundation (HHF) that will help York preserve, catalogue, digitize and teach these histories.

In recognition of this new gift, the Greek Canadian History Project will receive a new name; starting Sept. 27, the project will be known as The Hellenic Heritage Foundation Greek Canadian Archives.

Above: From left, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Dean JJ McMurtry; Hellenic Heritage Foundation President Tony Lourakis; York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton; and, Acting Vice-President Advancement E. Louise Spencer
Above: From left, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Dean JJ McMurtry; Hellenic Heritage Foundation President Tony Lourakis; York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton; and, Acting Vice-President Advancement E. Louise Spencer

“This support from our partners at HHF will allow us to add resources that will expand the archives and increase our capacity to engage with our community’s past and present,” says Gekas. “In collaboration with the Clara Thomas Archives, York libraries and community partners, our intention is to digitize a lot of the paper material that we already hold and will acquire in the future for preservation and dissemination purposes, primarily in research and teaching. For example, historical material such as photographs and films, but also written records like old newspaper articles, which would otherwise be destroyed without preservation.”

This gift from HHF will help expand the existing physical archive and establish a digital archive to be housed at York University. As well, the funding will provide a framework for the study of Greek diaspora around the world.

“Focusing on the experiences of average Greek Canadians has tremendous importance,” says Grafos, who is currently the project’s director. “That’s because during the early days of the project, almost everyone said that they never saw themselves as important enough to preserve their story in an archive.”

“York University is profoundly grateful for its longstanding partnership with the Hellenic Heritage Foundation,” said Rhonda Lenton, president and vice-chancellor. “For more than two decades, the Hellenic Heritage Foundation has been a generous supporter of the University and the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. Today’s landmark $1.4-million contribution will serve to expand the newly renamed Hellenic Heritage Foundation Greek Canadian Archives, providing indispensable resources for scholars and researchers exploring the immigrant experience in Canada.”

The partnership between HHF and York University started in 2000, when the Foundation made a landmark contribution to create the Hellenic Heritage Foundation Chair in Modern Greek History, an endowed chair position currently held by Prof. Gekas. 

“The establishment of the HHF Chair in Modern Greek History was a visionary act,” says JJ McMurtry, dean of LA&PS. “Under Prof. Gekas’ exceptional leadership, the Chair has opened up new lines of inquiry, which have led to important new academic activity focusing both on Modern Greece, and on Greece’s many intersections with modern Canada.”

For HHF President Tony Lourakis, the most exciting part of the Foundation’s investment is the long-term and infinite possibilities that will come from expanding the archives.

“Investing in the HHF Greek Canadian Archives represents the foundation of what we hope to achieve,” says Lourakis. “The archives will be public and available for people to study. They’ll be able to learn about Greek Canadian history in a way that they might not experience from other public historical records. And in turn, we can engage with the public in a more familiar and intimate way than we might have otherwise.”

For Grafos, the recognition that this investment from HHF brings validates the importance of the archives.

“With this recognition, we hope to collect even more materials and more stories about the Greek immigrant experience in Canada,” he says. “It’s time to let community members tell their own stories.”

Announcing the Jack Leitch Award in Entrepreneurial Thinking

A photo of Jack Leitch

Longtime York University supporter Jack Leitch will be celebrated with an annual award in his name that recognizes incoming MBA students. The inaugural recipient of the Jack Leitch Award in Entrepreneurial Thinking will be announced this fall.

A collage of photos of Jack Leitch
Jack Leitch through the years

Leitch left an enduring legacy at York and the Schulich School of Business, beginning in 1965 when he made his first donation toward the Founders Fund at York during Schulich’s founding year. Leitch was close friends with James Gillies, the founding dean of Schulich, which at that time was known as the Faculty of Administrative Studies.

His support for York and Schulich continued for decades, and he served as a member of the University’s Board of Governors for many years. Over the years that followed, Leitch championed and contributed to the success, growth and innovation of the Schulich School of Business and York University through his generous support of various initiatives, including: student awards, scholarships and bursaries; capital projects and University-wide campaigns; and the Jarislowsky Dimma Mooney Chair in Corporate Governance, among many others.

“My father had core values that he followed through his family and business life: empathy, honesty and courage,” said Leitch’s daughter, Jean Vander Ploeg, when asked about her father’s enduring legacy. “Empathy for others and what they were experiencing; honesty to stand up for what is right; and courage to act on his convictions.”

The award celebrates Leitch’s generosity and the indelible mark that he left. It has been established at Schulich through a generous bequest of $250,000. The award will recognize and empower incoming MBA students who embody Leitch’s entrepreneurial spirit and acumen, and demonstrate experience in innovation, product design, leadership and entrepreneurship.

The application deadline is Friday, Oct. 8. For more information, contact finaid@schulich.yorku.ca.

New partnership to advance fight against global financial crime and support equity, diversity and inclusion in STEM

YFile Featured image Lassonde School of Engineering

The funding from Scotiabank provides $980,000 to support critical research into global financial crimes and security. It will be named the Scotiabank Lassonde Financial Crimes Research Initiative.

At a time when financial markets, technologies and products have become more complex and financial crimes are increasing, Canadian universities can play a critical role in addressing the global shortage of trained experts equipped to tackle these crimes – many of which can impact the most vulnerable such as children, newcomers and elderly.

On Sept. 13, York University announced a contribution from Scotiabank that will provide $980,000 to support a variety of initiatives at the Lassonde School of Engineering.

The funding will support research into global financial crimes and computer security, while also providing support for programs that advance equity, diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

“York University is profoundly grateful to Scotiabank for their generous investment of $980,000 in support of the Lassonde School of Engineering. This contribution reflects the shared commitment of York and Scotiabank to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in science, technology, engineering and math fields and to advancing the groundbreaking work of our researchers in the field of financial crime prevention,” said Rhonda L. Lenton, president and vice-chancellor of York University. “In recognition of this substantial investment, the fund that supports critical research in global financial crimes will be named the Scotiabank Lassonde Financial Crimes Research Initiative.”

Top row: From left, Lisa Cole, director of programming K21 Academy; Lassonde School of Engineering Dean Jane Goodyer; and Stuart Davis, executive vice president, Financial Crimes Risk Management, Scotiabank. Middle row: From left, York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton, Lassonde School of Engineering third-year student Deinabo Richard-Koko; Uyen Nguyen, associate professor, Lassonde. Bottom row: From left, Charles Achampong, director, Community Partnerships, Scotiabank; E. Louise Spencer, acting vice-president advancement, York University; Josephine Morgenroth, PhD candidate, Lassonde School of Engineering and Faculty of Graduate Studies, York University.
Top row, from left: Lisa Cole, director of programming K21 Academy; Lassonde School of Engineering Dean Jane Goodyer; and Stuart Davis, executive vice-president, financial crimes risk management, Scotiabank. Middle row, from left: York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton; Lassonde School of Engineering third-year student Deinabo Richard-Koko; Uyen Nguyen, associate professor, Lassonde. Bottom row, from left: Charles Achampong, director, community partnerships, Scotiabank; E. Louise Spencer, acting vice-president advancement, York University; Josephine Morgenroth, PhD candidate, Lassonde School of Engineering and Faculty of Graduate Studies, York University

This innovative research initiative will support the essential work of talented graduate students and advance research areas related to global financial crimes, which include Ponzi schemes, money laundering efforts and cryptocurrency-based crimes, along with other serious areas of crime such as human trafficking, wildlife trafficking, sexual exploitation and drug trafficking. 

“There is a significant shortage of people with the specialized skills and knowledge to do this work,” says Uyen T. Nguyen, associate professor at the Lassonde School of Engineering. “This research program will also prepare students and emerging scholars for jobs. We are also helping to further promote Toronto as a global financial hub, and providing professionals and expert specialists to the industry locally.”

This work has already shown promise in the real world, says Nguyen.

“This initiative with the Lassonde School of Engineering builds on a long history of collaboration between Scotiabank and York University, spanning five decades,” says Stuart Davis, executive vice-president of financial crimes risk management at Scotiabank. “We are thrilled to be working with Lassonde’s students and faculty on leading-edge research to inform techniques used to combat financial crimes risk, while promoting a shared purpose to advance social sustainability goals.”

As part of Scotiabank’s generous investment in activities that advance equity, diversity and inclusion, the Lassonde School of Engineering’s Helen Carswell STEAM Program for Women will also receive support to encourage participation from Grade 10 and 11 students from marginalized neighbourhoods in a unique eight-week program of paid research in the school’s lab, which conducts work related to the United Nations Sustainabile Development Goals. High-school students in the program will work on research projects related to engineering and science under the guidance of undergraduate research assistant mentors, high-school teachers and Lassonde faculty.

As well, Scotiabank will support Lassonde’s Kindergarten to Industry Academy – expanding the K2I Academy to three Greater Toronto Area school boards to further enhance Grade 9 to 12 science and mathematics programs. Lassonde’s K2I Academy is an innovative ecosystem of STEM educators, thought leaders and partners focused on bringing STEM experiences to youth, educators and communities. K2I Academy is working with partners from Kindergarten to industry to dismantle systemic barriers and build sustainable programs that diversify representation in STEM professions.

“These programs are not just about STEM education. It’s social justice work,” says Lisa Cole, director of programming at K2I Academy. “We want to make sure that every student has a chance to explore the subjects before they make a decision about their path of studies. We want them to see the possibilities for their futures and the social impact they can make.”

Deinabo Richard-Koko, a third-year Lassonde student and mentor with the K2I Academy, says the program is unique in that it shows students how to apply their learnings in real time. “Most people say: ‘What does this add to my life? I’m never going to use this again outside the classroom,’ ” says Richard-Koko. “But with the K2I Academy, students can see the real-time application of what they learned. They can actually use it.”

The support from Scotiabank is already having a huge impact on Lassonde’s programs.

“This funding allowed us to make critical enhancements. We were able to purchase materials and resources, like small electronic devices for engineering learning, to help engage students in hands-on learning,” says Cole. “Without this gift, we wouldn’t have the creative space that we need to innovate and develop outreach materials for our students.”

The goal of these initiatives is to remove systemic barriers to access for underrepresented students in STEM and increase student achievement and enrolment in the prerequisite courses needed to enter post-secondary studies in engineering.

“At Lassonde, we know how important it is to support students of all backgrounds,” says Jane Goodyer, dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering. “That’s why I am pleased we are collaborating with Scotiabank through a shared sense of purpose, determined to equip every student with the skills and values needed to succeed in STEM fields as they work toward a better future.”

Celebrating the great Oscar Peterson

Oscar Peterson (image: Tom Marcello Webster, New York, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)
Oscar Peterson (image: Tom Marcello Webster, via Wikimedia Commons)

As we begin a new academic year, students, faculty and staff at the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design are delighted to recognize the 30th anniversary of Oscar Peterson‘s Installation as Chancellor of York University on Sept. 13, 1991.

The recipient of numerous honorary degrees and international accolades, Oscar Peterson maintained a special relationship with York, where he lent his considerable expertise to the Department of Music’s jazz program as a teacher and mentor, and his service as York’s Chancellor from 1991 to 1994. Ambitious musicians, such as Andy Milne (BFA ’90), came to York to study with Peterson. Thanks to the Oscar Peterson Scholarships, his legacy continues to launch bright, emerging musicians, including Sarah Thawer (BFA ’15), also known as the Drum Guru.

Image of the stage in Burton Auditorium, just before the installation of Oscar Peterson as York University Chancellor. Included in the front row: The Hon. Bob Rae (Premier of Ontario), Harry Arthurs (York University President), Oscar Peterson, Professor Louise Ripley(Chair of the Senate of York University) and Michelle Hughes (President, York Federation of Students). (Image citation: York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Computing and Network Services fonds, ASC60780)

Internationally, Peterson was recognized as one of his generation’s most accomplished pianists and performers. Jazz great Duke Ellington praised Peterson, calling him the “Maharaja of the keyboard.” During his lifetime, Peterson garnered nearly every major award available, including the Order of Canada, multiple lifetime achievement awards, numerous Grammy awards, and induction into multiple music halls of fame. Today, tributes and named recognition of him can be found throughout Canada and the United States, in his hometown of Montreal, and the cities of Mississauga, Toronto and Ottawa.

Although known primarily as an electrifying pianist, Peterson was also an accomplished composer and dedicated advocate for music and human rights. His “Hymn to Freedom” (composed in 1962; released in 1963 on Night Train) became an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement and was played at the inauguration of American President Barak Obama in 2009.

Image of Oscar Peterson (seated at centre of image)
after his installation as Chancellor of York
University. Image citation: York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Computing and Network Services fonds, ASC60795.

Throughout his lifetime Peterson espoused the importance of music and education as essential to human flourishing and his role as York’s Chancellor provided students with a powerful figure to follow. As Chancellor, he took great joy in working with the students at York University and congratulating them and their families at their graduation.

“Oscar Peterson is often remembered as one of the greatest musicians in the history of jazz, but he was also an extraordinary leader, teacher, and advocate,” said Rhonda Lenton, president and vice-chancellor of York University. “As both York’s Chancellor and as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Music, he inspired a generation of York students to seek musical distinction, and his work to increase access to music education has made a lasting impact on our students, our institution, and our society. York University is honoured to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his installation as Chancellor.”

“In the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD), students, faculty and staff are proud and humbled by Peterson’s example of artistry, leadership and excellence,” said AMPD Dean Sarah Bay-Cheng. “Peterson offers York University an aspirational legacy, an important part of our collective history, and an example of what the arts and artists can accomplish in society as we continue to aspire to excellence across the arts, design and creativity at the University.”

The AMPD community continues to honour Peterson’s legacy through their work in support of emerging musicians at York, including the new Summer Jazz and Groove Lab, and through collaborations such as the Helen Carswell Chair for Community-Based Research in the Arts.

The Oscar Peterson Chair in Jazz Performance, now held by trombonist and AMPD music Professor Ron Westray, an acclaimed musician in his own right, continues Peterson’s legacy of leadership both at the University and beyond.

Amid all the challenges of the global pandemic and calls for racial justice, Peterson’s legacy continues to inspire a sense of connection and unity. As the lyricist Harriette Merolla (née Hamilton) wrote in “Hymn to Freedom” in 1961,

When every heart joins every heart and together yearns for liberty,
That’s when we’ll be free.
When every hand joins every hand and together molds our destiny,
That’s when we’ll be free.

“Peterson’s music, leadership and activism remind us of the power of the arts in forging our collective humanity: only together can any of us truly be free,” said Bay-Cheng. “As a community of artists, designers, creators, makers, thinkers, and scholars, AMPD remembers Oscar Peterson as both an exemplary musician and human being, one who sought a better future for all. We will continue to aspire to live up to his legacy of creative greatness in service to the greater good. Thank you, Oscar.”

Can you make the month? Try this virtual poverty simulator tool

York Cares United Way Campaign

As York staff and faculty members continue to work together to raise $150,000 for the United Way Greater Toronto as part of the York Cares United Way campaign, community members are encouraged to challenge their perspective on poverty.

Living on a limited budget is tough, and for those living in poverty, making the month can be a difficult challenge. A new online tool, MaketheMonth.ca, has been launched to help Canadians understand the experience of living in poverty. It is the first online poverty simulator in Canada, and is designed to offer a unique way to engage, build empathy and raise awareness about the complicated issues related to poverty in our local communities such as housing, mental health, food security, child poverty and employment.

York Cares United Way CampaignThe tool challenges participants to make the month on a limited budget and is meant to offer a glimpse into the challenging decisions that people living with limited resources can face in their daily lives. Participants engage in a virtual situation where they are asked to make difficult choices, and are able to see the resulting challenges for those living in poverty.

Try MaketheMonth.ca on your own, with your family or colleagues at work and see if you can make the month. If you want to make this into an interactive virtual team building experience with discussion and facilitation from United Way, contact yucares@yorku.ca. The York community is committed to creating positive change for our students, our communities and the world around us.

York University is home to more than 7,000 staff and faculty. As of Nov. 10, York’s staff and faculty have raised over $53,000, making us closer to reaching our goal of $150,000. This year, the York Cares United Way campaign committee will share some facts as we progress through the campaign. Below is a breakdown of the top five groups with highest dollars raised and high participation rates. Kindly note that some Faculties and groups are larger than others.

Top five groups with highest dollars raised:

  1. Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies – $9,662.40
  2. Schulich School of Business – $8,929
  3. Faculty of Science – $6,974
  4. Faculty of Health – $6,005.12
  5. Office of the VP Finance & Administration – $4,325.24

Top five groups with highest participation rate:

  1. Office of the VP Advancement – 3.7 per cent
  2. Libraries – 3.27 per cent
  3. Office of the VP Equity, People & Culture – 3.22 per cent
  4. Faculty of Education – 3.07 per cent
  5. Office of the President – 2.81 per cent
GetUP – United Way Greater Toronto’s virtual physical challenge

United Way GetUP

Don’t forget to GetUP in support of our community to help raise funds for people and families experiencing poverty. All you need to do is ‘GetUP’ and move your body for 280 minutes. Participate in a physical activity of your choice. It’s a chance to get your heart pumping, show some local love and raise much-needed funds for our network of 280 community agencies. Join the “York University-York Cares” team or register your own team, just be sure to indicate York University is your school or workplace and include York University in the team name. Register now or visit www.unitedwaygt.org/getup for more information.

Questions and inquiries can be directed to yucares@yorku.ca.

For more information and to see stories of people who faced barriers and overcame them, visit https://www.yorku.ca/alumniandfriends/united-way/.