New opportunities await York study abroad students

September 22, 2023

By Elaine Smith

York University has a robust global learning program, and this fall, 31 York students will travel abroad to study at institutions in 15 countries outside Canada.

These exchange students embody York’s priority for advancing global engagement, as stated in University Academic Plan (UAP), and its commitment to expand inclusive global an intercultural learning, as set forth in the University’s new Internationalization and Global Engagement Strategy. “More than ever,” states the UAP, “universities have a responsibility to contribute to positive change through global co-operation and borderless education.”

Photo of Sarah Persaud (centre) shows Japanese exchange student at left and York student at right — Photo of Sarah Persaud (centre) with Japanese exchange student (left) and fellow York student (right)

Sarah Persaud and Anthony Chedid are among exchange students heading abroad this fall, and they are eager for the adventure. Persaud is off to Asia for the entire year to study art at Yamanashi Gakuin University in Japan, where she’ll focus on visual arts in the International College of Liberal Arts (iCLA). Chedid is going to England to spend a semester at the University of Leeds.

“Before I begin teaching, I want to do my final year of courses abroad,” said Persaud, a fifth-year student in the visual arts and concurrent education program. “Over the past couple of years, I took a lot of art history courses and focused on East Asian art, so this is a wonderful opportunity.”

Chedid has been dreaming of going abroad since high school.

“I read the blogs of a number of travel bloggers talking about travelling the globe,” said Chedid, a third-year student in the joint political science/Master’s of Management program, “and they all had the same origin story: they studied abroad and travelled while they were there. I want to travel, and York offers all these incredible opportunities.”

Both students attended the pre-departure training for exchange students run by York International and found it beneficial.

“It actually changed my plans,” said Persaud, who also took a York study-abroad course in South Korea this summer. “I met an exchange student from Japan and her friend who were in Japan all summer, so I stopped in Osaka to see them, and I’ll be able to connect with the Japanese student once I’m at the iCLA.”

Chedid was thrilled by the session.

“I got to meet exchange students from Britain and it was exciting to hear their experiences,” he said. “I was able to connect with a student who was here from Leeds and he gave me a lot of useful information about the city and the culture. It was also really helpful to get travel advice and information about health insurance.”

Both Persaud and Chedid have applied for bursaries and scholarships to help defray the costs of studying abroad. York International has bursaries available to students studying overseas, as does the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, and there are also external awards available – topics that are also discussed in the pre-departure training.

“The York International Safety Abroad office is committed to enhancing the safety of students’ experiences during their time abroad,” said Sara Jane Campbell, manager, safety abroad for York International. “As part of the pre-departure training, we support students in understanding and mitigating risks they may encounter. All students are also required to enrol in York University Safety Abroad Travel Registry to enable us to monitor travel advisories and safety/security concerns and provide help in case of an emergency overseas.”

Although her courses will be taught in English, Persaud took Elementary Modern Standard Japanese (JP 1000) in preparation and plans to continue learning Japanese while she’s at iCLA.

“You never stop learning kanji (written characters); there are always more of them to know,” she said.

In fact, she hopes to have the opportunity to tie language and art together through a course at iCLA called Calligraphy and Kanji Culture.

“I’m going to a whole new country, so I hope I’ll be inspired to try different things,” Persaud said. “I am excited about the new opportunities.

Chedid plans to take courses in British politics. “Our system is based on theirs and it’s important to understand where our legal system originated,” he said. “It will also be interesting to see the effects of Brexit. This will be a great way to experience international politics, something for which I have a big passion.

“It will also be cool to explore a city that isn’t as widely known.”

Both students will experience the benefits of borderless intercultural education first-hand, and will be able to share their greater understanding of the global landscape with their York classmates upon return.

AMPD Teaching Awards recognize student mentorship, educational innovations

September 22, 2023

Associate Professor Danielle Robinson and Assistant Professor Robyn Cumming received York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) Teaching Awards in recognition of excellence in mentorship, curriculum and pedagogy.

Robinson and Cumming were presented with their awards on Sept. 20 at the first Faculty Council of the 2023-24 calendar year.

“It is a pleasure to recognize the efforts of my colleagues who have dedicated their talents to teaching, advancing curricula and student mentorship. Expanding the perspectives of our students is at the core of everything else we do in AMPD. I’m grateful for our colleagues’ commitment and dedication to this mission in their teaching,” shares Dean Sarah Bay-Cheng.

Danielle Robinson: AMPD Senior Teaching Award

Danielle Robinson (left) with her award, standing next to Patrick Alcedo (right), Chair of the Dance Department — Danielle Robinson (left) with her award, standing next to Patrick Alcedo (right), Chair of of the Department of Dance

Robinson teaches in the Department of Dance and specializes in dance history and ethnography, critical race theory, social dance reconstruction, African diaspora within the Americas, as well as Latin American dance cultures. She is a specialist in experiential education and work-integrated learning. Robinson is the co-founder, with Professor Franz Newland, of York University’s C4: Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom, Project Commons and Capstone Network.

She was nominated for the AMPD Senior Teaching Award by her student Emma Whitla. “I have always experienced Dr. Robinson to be a thorough, process-oriented, remarkable educator and leader,” shares Whitla.

“In a culture that is increasingly individualistic, Danielle Robinson encourages students to see their strengths, develop their skills, reflect and collaboratively use those professional experiences to have an impact in the community. This orientation and commitment are what make her teaching exceptional. At the end of the day, we are responsible to one another, and we must consider the work that we do and how we live in relation with each other.”

Robyn Cumming: AMPD Junior Teaching Award

Cumming teaches in the Department of Visual Art & Art History, with a background in photography and sculpture. She is the recipient of two successful Academic Innovation Fund grants, the most recent titled “Pedagogical & EDI Training for Teaching Assistants in the Arts,” aiming to develop pedagogical tools that can be used by current and future colleagues, as well as providing valuable resources for teaching assistants. Since joining York only four years ago, Cumming has been pivotal in course revision and development within her department.

Nina Levitt, graduate program director of visual arts, commends Cumming’s contributions, stating, “Robyn has been, and continues to be, an outstanding colleague for the photography area, graduate program and the visual art department. She is an absolute pleasure to work with in the ongoing management and decisions in the photography area, and often helps me with online teaching expertise. Her wonderful sense of humour, enthusiasm and generosity are always evident in everything she does for the photo area, our department and for our students.”

AMPD takes over Nuit Blanche

September 21, 2023

Faculty, students and alumni from York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) will champion creativity and positive change at Nuit Blanche Toronto this Saturday, Sept. 23 from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Exploring this year’s Nuit Blanche theme, “Breaking ground,” work by AMPD community members will consider ideas centred around the natural world, change and innovation through installations, exhibitions and performances from a wide range of artistic disciplines – including cinema and media arts, digital media, theatre and visual art.

The members of AMPD with work at Nuit Blanche are:

Patricio Dávila and Hector Centeno Garcia
As part of the Public Visualization Lab/Studio, Dávila (associate professor, cinema and media arts) and Garcia (assistant professor, cinema and media arts) will present an installation in the neighbourhood of Fort York. The installation, entitled “Atmospheres” will be part of The Bentway‘s exhibition of public artwork that explores the urban natural world framed by the Gardiner’s iconic concrete columns.

Elham Fatapour
Fatapour (MFA ’21) will produce a video installation in the neighbourhood of Etobicoke. The performance video art, entitled Solitary Stitches, explores an artist’s solitary relationship with the land, using the seemingly domestic art of sewing.

Marcus Gordon
Gordon, a PhD candidate in digital media, will mount an interactive instillition in downtown Toronto called Urban Arboretum. The installation uses the voices and sounds of participants to grow computer-generated plants.

Grace Grothaus
Grothaus, a PhD student in digital media, will create a light installation in the neighbourhood of Don Mills, titled Sun Eaters, to show people how trees flow with hidden energy.

Andria Keen
Keen, an MFA student in visual arts, is presenting an installation titled Reflective Foresight for a Dystopian Utopia for Nuit Blanche Danforth. Keen’s installation speculates what life might be like in 200 years considering factors like population growth, climate change and the evolution of technology.

Five of the AMPD faculty participating in Nuit Blanche this year: (from left to right) Patricio Dávila, Hector Centeno Garcia, Joel Ong, Marissa Largo and Archer Pechawis

Marissa Largo
An assistant professor in the Department of Visual Art & Art History, Largo has curated the works of Ephraim Velasco (BFA student, visual arts – studio) at A Space Gallery @ 401 Richmond. A series of digital collages titled The Kakaiba Collection playfully explores Velasco’s diasporic identity through Philippine visual vocabularies and pop culture. 

Joel Ong
Ong, an associate professor in computational arts and the Helen Carswell Chair in Community Engaged Research in the Arts, is hosting an exhibition in Etobicoke titled In Silence. Created with community advocates in the Jane-Finch neighbourhood, the meditative exhibit visualizes the voices and lived experiences of marginalized communities.

Archer Pechawis
An assistant professor in the Department of Visual Art & Art History and the Department of Theatre and Performance, Pechawis will perform a piece titled Daylight, in downtown Toronto. The musical performance examines the phenomenon of Toronto’s buried rivers and streams.

AMPD invites community members who want to be celebrated as part of Nuit Blanche Toronto to reach out to through the Faculty’s social media channel on X, formerly known as Twitter: @YorkUAMPD.

AMPD professors to shape the future of art

September 14, 2023

This story is published in YFile’s New Faces feature issue 2023. Every September, YFile introduces and welcomes those joining the York University community, and those with new appointments.

The York University School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) welcomes five new faculty members this fall.

“It is always a pleasure to welcome new colleagues who bring original ideas and diverse perspectives to AMPD and York University. This year’s cohort of incoming AMPD faculty members bring extensive international experience, research and artistic accolades, coupled with strong teaching and a commitment to the vision that excellence in arts education serves the greater common good,” says AMPD Dean Sarah Bay-Cheng. “Their work is already making significant contributions toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and will empower our students to develop their work beyond the classroom through robust connections to professional fields. I look forward to working with each of them over the coming year and beyond.”

Jessica Campbell
Jessica Campbell (she/her) joins AMPD in the Department of Visual Art & Art History, with expertise in drawing. She is an interdisciplinary artist with a wide range of influences, including science fiction, art world politics and her evangelical upbringing.

Her Chicago Works solo show at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago from 2018 to 2019 was reviewed in Art in America, Hyperallergic and Juxtapoz. She is the author of three graphic novels, including the recent Rave (Drawn and Quarterly, 2022), and her comics have been published by MoMA, the New Yorker and Hyperallergic, among other publications. She has forthcoming solo exhibitions at the Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia (2023) and SPACES in Cleveland (2024), and her work has been included in group shows at the John Michael Kohler Art Center in Wisconsin, the Art Gallery of Hamilton in Ontario, the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton, the Institute for Contemporary Art in Baltimore and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

Campbell has taught studio and art history courses at a variety of institutions, including the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, DePaul University and Saint Norbert College. She holds a bachelor of fine arts from Concordia University and a master of fine arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Jackie Chau
Jackie Chau (she/her) joins AMPD in the Department of Theatre & Performance with expertise in set and costume design. She has designed over 200 productions and her work as a set and costume designer has toured across Canada and internationally. She has worked on many new and diverse Canadian plays, and has done production design and art direction for film and television. The most recent short film she designed, One Small Visit – a true story of an immigrant Indian family that unexpectedly passes through the tiny Midwest hometown of Neil Armstrong in the wake of the 1969 moon landing – was screened at the Smithsonian, NASA and the Cannes Film Festival.

Some of the theatre companies with which Chau has collaborated include Theatre Aquarius, Native Earth Performing Arts, One Little Goat, New Harlem Productions, Capitol Theatre (Port Hope), Can Stage, Factory Theatre, Fu-Gen, Prairie Theatre Exchange, GCTC, Buddies in Bad Times, Second City Chicago/Toronto, CBC Kids/Expect Theatre, ARC Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Soulpepper, Stratford Festival, Tapestry Opera, Soundstreams and Luminato.

Chau was named in NOW Magazine‘s Top 10 Theatre Artists of 2009 and has been nominated for three Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Awards in Costume Design, a Saskatoon Area Theatre award, two Broadway World awards and nine Dora Awards for outstanding set and costume design.

Chau has mentored many young designers over the years and has worked with other theatre departments, including Sheridan College, Humber College and George Brown. Before coming to York University, she taught theatrical design at the University of Toronto. She is excited to join AMPD this fall and is looking forward to sharing her experiences with students at York.

Melissa Davis
Melissa Davis (she/her) joins AMPD in the Department of Music. A Canadian mezzo-soprano, Davis is an active concert soloist, vocal professor, choral director and vocal clinician.

Awarded the distinguished Krannert Debut Artist Award by the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in Illinois, Davis has guest soloed with Grammy and Juno award-winning choirs and orchestras throughout North America, including the Buffalo Philharmonic and Thunder Bay Symphony orchestras.

A dynamic concert soloist, she has played principal roles in various concert and opera productions throughout Canada, the U.S., France, the U.K. and the Caribbean. As the Canadian premiering artist of Peter Ashbourne’s Jamaican classical art song cycle, “Fi Mi Love Have Lion Heart,” Davis released her live solo debut album, City Called Heaven: An Evening of Songs and Spirituals, including the cycle in 2015.

Davis has served as vocal director for prominent theatre productions, a vocal masterclass clinician and a guest lecturer for numerous national and international conferences.

With a doctor of musical arts in vocal performance and literature from the University of Illinois and a bachelor of fine arts (honours) in vocal performance from York University, she returns to York as the newly appointed assistant professor of vocal performance.

Sue Johnson
Sue Johnson (she/they) joins AMPD in the Department of Cinema & Media Arts. She is a filmmaker and cinematographer who works primarily in long-form narrative and documentary film. A member of both I.A.T.S.E. 667, a camera professionals union, and the Canadian Society of Cinematographers, Johnson has been working at the intersection of industrial and independent production for over 20 years. Their recent projects include a feature-length documentary about Canadian experimental animator and activist James MacSwain (Celestial Queer) and research on film archives that depict early iterations of drag and gender play.

Johnson holds a bachelor of arts degree in English literature and fine arts from Mount Allison University, and a master of fine arts degree in documentary media from Toronto Metropolitan University. She has taught previously at Toronto Metropolitan University, been a guest lecturer at both the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design and Mount Allison University, and hosted workshops for organizations such as Charles Street Video, Inside Out Film Festival, Centre for Art Tapes, Struts Gallery and Planet in Focus.

Fabio Montanari
Fabio Montanari (he/him) also joins AMPD in the Department of Cinema & Media Arts. He is a filmmaker and scholar who has written a number of series for top networks, including Netflix, HBO and National Geographic. He is the creator of an original international fiction TV series that is currently being filmed for Amazon Prime Video. 

As a screenwriter and director, Montanari’s independent work has been screened at over 50 film festivals around the world, including Palm Springs, Santa Barbara and São Paulo, where he was awarded Audience Favorite. He has created content in multiple markets, including in the U.S., Argentina and Venezuela, as well as for Canadian companies like Banger Films and BBDO Agency.

His mixed media stories have garnered awards including eight Cannes Lions, the CLIO and The One Club. Montanari holds a master of fine arts degree in film from Columbia University in New York (Fulbright Scholar) and a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from the University of São Paulo. He also serves as a mentor for Being Black in Canada, Canada’s largest mentorship and training program for Black filmmakers.

Watch a video introducing the new faces at AMPD here:

AMPD alumni at the Toronto International Film Festival

September 12, 2023

Alumni from York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) have films appearing at the 46th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which runs until Sept. 17.

This year, TIFF features several School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) alumni sharing their talent on and off the screen, contributing to AMPD’s ongoing impact on the fine arts.

“From Matt Johnson and Matt Miller’s Blackberry in wide theatrical release to Salar Pashtoonar’s Bad Omen receiving a Student Academy Award, as well as countless invitations to the Berlinale, TIFF, HotDocs and almost every other film festival around the globe – each recognition of a work by a York graduate from the BFA or MFA program in Cinema & Media Arts is also an endorsement of the creative collaboration between faculty, staff and students at York University’s production and screenwriting program to nurture creative talent in an inclusive and supportive environment,” says Manfred Becker, master of fine arts (MFA) graduate program director in York’s Department of Cinema & Media Arts.

Cinema & Media Arts alumni screenings this year at the festival

Atefeh Khademolreza

Meteor, directed by Atefeh Khademolreza (MFA ’19), is a Persian-language short film exploring grief and defiance in the face of the repression suffered by women and the LGBTQ+ community in Iran.

The TIFF world premiere of Swan Song, directed by Chelsea McMullan (MFA ’10) and shot by co-director of photography Tess Girard (BFA ’05), is a feature-length documentary examining the National Ballet of Canada’s 2022 production of Swan Lake, choreographed for the first time by the company’s artistic director Karen Kain, who famously debuted in the ballet in 1971, and chose Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s work as her retirement project.

I Don’t Know Who You Are, also a world premiere, is the debut film of M. H. Murray (BFA ’15). It focuses on a Toronto musician who, after a sexual assault, spends a weekend trying to find the money for HIV-preventive treatment.

Express, a 22-minute short film directed by Ivan D. Ossa (BFA ’21), follows a young man, who prides himself on his drive and determination who makes some tough discoveries as he awaits some big news.

Theatre alumni among this year’s TIFF Rising Stars

Theatre alumni Amrit Kaur (BFA ’15) is among this year’s cohort of TIFF Rising Stars. The Rising Stars program provides exclusive access to professional development, mentorship sessions and industry events for emerging actors.

Kaur is best known for her breakout role on Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble’s HBO Max hit series The Sex Lives of College Girls, and her performance has been praised by critics like the Chicago Sun Times’ Richard Roeper as “funny,” “clever” and “captivating.”

“There is nothing more gratifying than witnessing the professional success of our graduates. We know that degrees in the performing arts lead to career success in film, television and a range of other media. It’s great to see Amrit’s success across international screens and to celebrate her recognition by TIFF,” shared AMPD Dean Sarah Bay-Cheng.

Kaur appears at TIFF this year in The Queen of My Dreams, directed by Fawzia Mirza, as Azra, a queer Muslim grad student travelling back to her ancestral home in Pakistan. Set in 1999, she returns home after the sudden death of her father, Hassan (Hamza Haq). Her stern mother, Mariam (Nimra Bucha), demands she play the role of the perfect grieving daughter. But through flashbacks to Mariam’s own life in Karachi 30 years before, the film shows the connections uniting mother and daughter, starting with their shared love of Bollywood star Sharmila Tagore.

AMPD invites other alum who want to be celebrated as part of TIFF to reach out to through the Faculty’s social media channel on X, formerly known as Twitter: @YorkUAMPD.

York welcomes international students

September 6, 2023

A group of five York University students walking down York Boulevard in the fall

By Elaine Smith

This fall, York University welcomes to its campuses more than 2,000 new international students who bring their unique experiences, perspectives, talents and skills to the University and to Canada.

Home to more than 10,000 international students from 178 countries, York is a community of diverse experiences, languages, cultures and viewpoints, notes Vinitha Gengatharan, assistant vice-president, global engagement and partnerships.

“This is a privilege we don’t take lightly,” she says. “We know that each journey to Canada began well before a plane, train or car ride to Toronto. We appreciate the trust placed in choosing York and the years of hard work that our international students and their families have put in to make studying at York University, far from home, possible.”

Gengatharan says the University is well-equipped to help steer international students through the challenges they may face, such as housing, finances and adjusting to a new culture, through supports and resources offered through York International (YI).

“We know how important international students are to our community and how much strength and value they bring to York and to Canada. York is committed to continuing to advocate with our municipal, provincial and federal governments to improve services, resources and processes that impact international students.”

First impressions

Nargis Rafie grew up in Afghanistan and came to Canada as a refugee. She transferred to York this fall to study computer science and is living off campus. After attending YI’s orientation for international and exchange students, as well as a shopping expedition to help students buy essentials, she shared her first impressions of the University.

“The campus is beautiful and the staff is very friendly, helpful and quick to respond,” Rafie said.

Orientation, she said, helped her become familiar with campus and with the resources she needed to set up her new life. It also helped her meet other international students who she plans to stay in touch with.

Nigerian computer science student Fatima Yusuf transferred to York for her second year after attending another Ontario university.

“I wanted a school that had a co-op program and I wanted to be exposed to a more diverse group of people,” she said. “I volunteered at York’s orientation for international and exchange students, checking people at the registration desk. It was nice meeting different people, even briefly, and it was a diverse group.

Her twin sister, Khadija Yusuf, also transferred to York and will be studying commerce with an eye toward becoming an accountant. She jumped right into action, volunteering at orientation and attending a special session for students in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. She is already planning to join the accounting association and will see if her schedule permits other activities.

“I felt that York had better opportunities: more people, more resources and more activities,” said Khadija.

Commitment to international students

Welcoming international students is part of York University’s commitment to advancing global engagement, as stated in the University Academic Plan and York’s new Internationalization and Global Engagement Strategy.

Sarah Bay-Cheng, dean of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, is aware of the value international students contribute to the learning experience.

“Knowledge doesn’t stay in one place, but relies on the vital movement and exchange of ideas around the world,” says Bay-Cheng. “Global networks are, therefore, essential to the success of researchers, creatives and students everywhere.”

York International works closely with the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students and Faculties to design and deliver programs and services to ensure international students succeed and feel at home on campus. It serves as a central hub for international students, offering immigration advising, health insurance, orientation, social events, workshops, academic and career supports, and more.

“We are proud to provide so many excellent students from other countries with a home-away-from-home, and we are committed to ensuring their experience is a fulfilling one, academically, socially and developmentally,” says Woo Kim, director of international scholar and student services for York International.

“We work closely with university partners and Faculties to support students and provide an excellent experience for international students.”

For example, York International offers a Global Peer Program to support prospective and incoming first-year students, keeping them active and engaged as soon as they’ve received their offer to York, to better help them navigate their student journey. Current upper-year students remain connected with newly admitted students through monthly check-ins, virtual group connections and ongoing virtual support. This summer, 112 students completed the program.

Once international students arrive on campus, they are invited to an orientation program geared specifically toward their needs. They receive immigration guidance, are introduced to local community resources, such as banks and cellphone providers, and have the opportunity to network with other incoming students. They also engage in academic orientation delivered by the Faculties.

YI and the Faculties also assist international students with their needs, either through one-one-one guidance, career workshops or social opportunities.

“Our goal is to support international students achieve success, in whatever way they define it, whichever path they choose,” said Gengatharan. “When international students succeed, it is a win for everyone at York and in Canada. “And, to our international students – you belong here, you bring so much to our community and we’re so glad you’ve chosen us.”

York faculty members elected to Royal Society of Canada

September 5, 2023

York University professors Joshua Fogel, Sara Horowitz, Ali Kazimi and Debra Pepler are among the latest Fellows to be elected to the ranks of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) – one of the country’s highest honours in the arts, social sciences and sciences – in recognition of their career achievements and their positive contributions to public life.

“York University is thrilled that the exceptional work and leading expertise of professors Fogel, Horowitz, Kazimi and Pepler has been recognized by the Royal Society of Canada,” said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. “Their appointments as RSC Fellows are a testament to their passion and dedication in their respective fields of Asian studies, Jewish studies, film and psychology. The entire York community congratulates them on this well-deserved academic honour and recognition for advancing inclusive excellence for the benefit of Canada and the world.”

The RSC fellowship is made up of over 2,000 Canadian scholars, artists and scientists, who are all distinguished individuals in the arts, the humanities and the sciences. The York scholars join 101 new Fellows as part of the RSC Class of 2023. The new appointees will be inducted at an official ceremony hosted by the University of Waterloo in November.

The new RSC Fellows elected from York University are:

Joshua Fogel, professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

Fogel is a professor in the Department of History. A leading scholar in Asian studies, his research focuses on the cultural, political and economic interactions between China and Japan, the importance of Japan in China’s modern development and the changing attitudes both countries have towards one another from the 14th to 19th century.

Sara Horowitz, professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

Horowitz is a professor in the Department of Humanities, the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics, as well as the graduate program in the Department of English. She is the former director of the Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies at York. One of the world’s foremost experts in Jewish studies, her research and published works focus on Holocaust literature, women survivors, Jewish American fiction and Israeli cinema. She received the Distinguished Achievement Award in Holocaust studies from the Holocaust Education Foundation in 2022.

Ali Kazimi, professor, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design

Kazimi is an award-winning independent filmmaker and a professor in the Department of Cinema & Media Arts. Among Canada’s most acclaimed artists, his work explores issues of race, social justice, migration, history and memory, including documentaries that explore the diasporic South Asian relationship with Indigeneity. In 2019, he received the Governor General’s Award for Visual and Media Arts. His most recent feature film, Beyond Extinction: Sinixt Resurgence, won the People’s Choice Award at Toronto’s Planet in Focus International Environmental Film Festival in 2022.

Debra Pepler, professor, Faculty of Health

Pepler is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Psychology and an Officer of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honour. Pepler’s influential research on bullying, aggression and other forms of violence, particularly among marginalized youth, has received international attention. She is a member of Ontario’s Safe Schools Action Team and the co-founder of PREVNet, a national research and knowledge mobilization hub focused on youth interpersonal violence prevention.

Government invests more than $15.5 million in York-led research projects

August 30, 2023

light bulb in front of colorful background

More than 30 projects led by York University researchers in the social sciences and humanities were awarded a combined total of $15,541,343 in federal funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grants, Partnership Development Grants and Insight Grants.

The funding, announced on Aug. 29 by the Randy Boissonnault, minister of employment, workforce development and official languages, on behalf of the François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry, goes towards 33 projects, ranging from research on migrant labour and gender inequality in retirement to heritage design in Canada.

“This week’s funding announcement highlights the council’s faith in the high calibre of our researchers’ work, ranging from Indigenous circumpolar cultural sovereignty, ecological footprint, to renewable greener transition and policy gaps in international mobility, in collaboration with other local and international subject experts,” says Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation at York. “I thank SHHRC for their support and I commend York’s research community for their ongoing commitment to creating positive change, both locally and globally.”

The new round of grants will support 605 social sciences and humanities research projects across Canada. Learn more about the York-led projects below.

Partnership Grants

SSHRC Partnership Grants support teams of researchers from post-secondary institutions working in new and existing formal partnerships with public, private or not-for-profit organizations. Through collaboration, sharing of intellectual leadership and resources by cash or in-kind contributions, the grants support work for four to seven years to advance research, training and knowledge mobilization in the social sciences and humanities.

Four York-led projects received a combined total of almost $10 million ($9,978,586) in funding.

Peter Victor, Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
The International Ecological Footprint Learning Lab: Training, research and novel applications
$2,486,161

Richard Saunders, Department of Politics, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
African Extractivism and the Green Transition
$2,498,948

Leah Vosko, Department of Politics, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Liberating Migrant Labour?: International Mobility Programs in Settler-Colonial Contexts
$2,499,975

Anna Hudson, Department of Visual Art & Art History, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
Curating Indigenous Circumpolar Cultural Sovereignty: advancing Inuit and Sami homelands, food, art, archives and worldviews
$2,493,502

To learn more about the York-led projects, click here.

To view all Partnership Grant recipients, click here.

Partnership Development Grants

Partnership Development Grants support teams of researchers from post-secondary institutions working in a formal partnership with public, private or not-for-profit organizations for one to three years. The grants support research development, existing and new partnerships, knowledge mobilization, and related activities in the social sciences and humanities.

Eight York-led projects received a combined total of more than $1.5 million ($1,514,498) in funding.

Anna Agathangelou, Department of Politics, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Building an International Partnership to Research and Address Reparative Justice in Post-Conflict Situations: Canada, Africa and Europe
$176,127

Thi Viet Nga Dao, Department of Social Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Slow violence and water (in)justice: Feminist political ecologies of intergenerational struggles in the Mekong region
$199,689

Anne MacLennan, Department of Communication & Media Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Interrogating Canadian Identities/ L’identités canadiennes – une interrogation (ICI)
$173,836

Jan Hadlaw, Department of Design, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
The xDX Project: Documenting, Linking, and Interpreting Canada’s Design Heritage
$193,400

Christopher Kyriakides, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Refuge, Racisms, and Resistances: A Co-Created Analysis of the Experiences of Syrian and Ethiopian Refugees in Canada
$196,426

To learn more about this project, click here.

Abigail Shabtay, Department of Humanities, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Strengthening Participatory Drama-Based Research in Institutional, Community, and Educational Contexts
$199,341

Susan Winton, Faculty of Education
The Public Education Exchange
$175,679

Debra Pepler, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health
Walking the Prevention Pathway for Indigenous Communities’ Journey of Change
$200,000

To view all Partnership Development Grant recipients, click here.

Insight Grants

Insight Grants are awarded to emerging and established scholars in the social sciences and humanities to work on research projects of two to five years.

21 York-led projects received a combined total of more than $4 million ($4,048,259) in funding.

Tasso Adamopoulos, Department of Economics, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Inequality and Productivity in Developing Countries
$125,669

Kee-hong Bae, Department of Finance, Schulich School of Business
Incentive-focused corporate culture
$74,440

Anh Nguyen, School of Administrative Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Labour force aging and business vibrancy: Evidence and solutions for businesses and workers in Canada and around the world
$193,356

Thanujeni (Jeni) Pathman, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health
How accurate is memory for time across childhood and adolescence? Theoretical and practical implications for forensic settings
$240,030

Alexandra Rutherford, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health
Intersecting difference: Gender, race and sexuality in 20th century U.S. psychology
$134,090

Robert Savage, Faculty of Education
Tackling two of the most important unresolved tasks in reading intervention
$278,472

Marlis Schweitzer, Department of Theatre, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
Decoding the Lecture on Heads: Performing Objects and Satire on the 18th-Century Stage
$99,923

Simon Adam, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health
Entangled identities: Exploring neurodiversity through social media expression
$103,553

Kean Birch, Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
Digital Data Value Paradox: An Empirical Investigation of Personal Data Valuation
$328,946

Antony Chum, School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health
Social and policy determinants of self harm across gender identities in Canada
$328,104

Julia M. Creet, Department of English, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Digital Afterlives
$283,757

Robert Cribbie, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health
Extensions of Negligible Effect Statistical Testing
$251,006

Ganaele Langlois, Department of Communication & Media Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
The Art of Necessity: Making Sustainable and Just Worlds through Local Textiles
$228,206

Brenda Longfellow, Department of Cinema & Media Arts, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
Abolition Feminism: Collaborating Across Communities
$352,679

Kinnon MacKinnon, School of Social Work, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Detransition: Examining pathways and care needs
$112,113

Jonathan Nitzan, Department of Politics, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
The capital-as-power fractal: toward a general theory of the capitalist mode of power
$111,766

Yuval Deutsch, Schulich School of Business
Social capital, corporate social responsibility and corporate irresponsibility
$133,799

Caitlin Fisher, Department of Cinema & Media Studies, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
Mobilizing the arts for global health: a virtual museum of antimicrobial resistance
$236,457

Kamila Kolpashnikova, Department of Design, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
Gender Inequality in Retirement: Understanding Social Organization in Domestic Tasks
$88,145

Palma Paciocco, Osgoode Hall Law School
The Gatekeeper and The Timekeeper: Regulating Expert Evidence and Trial Delay in Criminal Courts
$51,777

Yan Shvartzshnaider, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Lassonde School of Engineering
Virtual Classrooms Privacy
$291,971

To view all Insight Grant recipients, click here.

Updated: AGYU to debut public art series with City of Markham

August 25, 2023

York University's Accolade Galleria, Keele Campus

Update: New information after publication of this article indicates the Sept. 10 launch event has been cancelled, and the first edition of this program entitled “Bicycle” will not proceed. Continue to read YFile for further updates on this project.

The Art Gallery of York University (AGYU) has partnered with the City of Markham to launch a two-year public art series called Façade, in which four artists will be commissioned by four different curators to each develop a 127- by 32-foot photomural for the west façade of the Markham Pan Am Centre in Markham, Ont.

A 2023 artwork by Julian Yi-Zhong Hou called "Bicycle" — Julian Yi-Zhong Hou, *Bicycle,* 2023 (detail)

The series invites four artists to explore the performative potential of an architectural element as public space and to contemplate the layered identity of a place through the lens of their artistic and theoretical concerns.

Each of the artworks presented in Façade will bring a distinct perspective to this series, in both artistic approach and content. The projects will be unveiled consecutively, beginning with Bicycle by B.C.-based multidisciplinary artist Julian Yi-Zhong Hou, and be curated by Yan Wu, public art curator for the City of Markham.

The rest of the series will include work by northern Minnesota- and Chicago-based visual artist Andrea Carlson, curated by AGYU assistant curator of exhibitions Clara Halpern; and Berlin-based artist Aleksandra Domanović, curated by AGYU director and curator Jenifer Papararo; with a final project curated by Mariam Zulfiqar, director of British arts organization Artangel.

“This collaboration between the AGYU and the City of Markham’s Public Art Program reflects the essence of the project Façade itself – a liminal space where exterior and interior meet, where rigid dividing lines open and where art becomes a bridge to the public,” said Papararo. “Just as the artworks in this new public art series address complex issues of belonging and identity, the partnership between the AGYU and the City of Markham’s Public Art Program invites us to reimagine the potential of education, culture and its impact in defining communities.”

Chosen as the architectural host of Façade, the Markham Pan Am Centre is a multipurpose community and aquatics centre designed to serve as one of the venues for the 2015 Pan American Games, and is adjacent to where York University is constructing its new Markham Campus, scheduled to open in 2024, which will focus on technology and entrepreneurship, hosting programs in science, engineering, the arts and more.

A family-friendly launch event, free and open to all, will kick off the Façade public art series on Sept. 10, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Markham Pan Am Centre. The event will feature drag performances by Haus of Devereaux, with a special guest appearance by Lady Boi Bangkok; tarot card readings by FASTWÜRMS; I Ching readings by Yam Lau, associate professor in York’s Department of Visual Art and Art History; food trucks; and the big reveal of Yi-Zhong Hou’s new photomural.

“We’re delighted that AMPD Professor Yam Lau will be a part of the AGYU’s exciting series in Markham,” said Sarah Bay-Cheng, dean of York’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD), “and we look forward to future collaborations, with the opening of the Creative Technologies program in fall 2024.”

Façade photomural on-view dates:

September 2023 to March 2024: Bicycle by Julian Yi-Zhong Hou, curated by Yan Wu, public art curator for the City of Markham.
April to September 2024: Project by Andrea Carlson, Curated by Clara Halpern, Assistant Curator, AGYU.
September 2024 to April 2025: Project by Aleksandra Domanović, Curated by Jenifer Papararo, Director/Curator, AGYU.
April to September 2025: Project curated by Mariam Zulfiqar, Director, Artangel, U.K.

Free bus transportation will be available from downtown Toronto (Spadina Avenue and Bloor Street West) to the launch event, subject to capacity; contact Maria Won at mwon11@yorku.ca to register. For more information about the Façade launch event or the public art series, visit facadepublicart.ca.

Professor edits journal exploring Shakespeare authorship question

August 23, 2023

York University theatre Professor Emeritus Don Rubin has edited a 160-page special issue of the Journal of Scientific Exploration, exploring the Shakespeare Authorship Question (SAQ), the field of study focused on the argument that the name William Shakespeare was actually a pseudonym.

Rubin, who has taught a senior-level course at York on the subject, spent over a year shaping the material as guest editor of the issue, which is titled “The Shakespeare Authorship Question: Alternative Mappings,” and includes 10 major essays by scholars and researchers from across the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

The issue presents evidence that casts doubts about who authored the works credited to Will Shakespeare, a businessman from an illiterate family in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England. The core argument is that the published name “William Shakespeare” was a pseudonym, something used regularly by writers and commentators during this politically and religiously fraught period to protect both themselves and their families.

President of the Shakespeare Authorship Coalition, Rubin argues that literature scholars who hold with the Stratford man as author seem unwilling to read contradictory research and have therefore simply not kept up with these important new studies in their own field. “That doesn’t happen in most other fields,” says Rubin. “Scientists change positions as new research emerges. But it is rare to come across a literature professor who has read the newest research on this question and who is willing to encourage openness about alternative ideas within the field. Most simply don’t know the depth and detail of the alternative arguments.”

It’s why the issue appears in the Journal of Scientific Exploration, an open-access, peer-reviewed U.S. web journal that typically focuses on scientific issues. “People in the science community are always challenging one another with new findings. For some reason, though, literature professors seem hesitant to keep testing their ideas against new research. They seem to feel that history is settled,” says Rubin. “Well, it’s not. It is still contested, and if English professors won’t read the recent research, maybe scholars in other fields such as science, history and law will have to do it for them.”

Rubin’s hope is that the issue’s exploration of the SAQ will generate interest across numerous academic fields. Legal scholars and historians are already looking into this area. “The authorship question is also a unique and creative way into the study of Shakespearean materials and Elizabethan history,” Rubin says. “If it gets students excited to do more research – and it does – it also merits looking into as an academic strategy, one not just for theatre professors but for anyone teaching this material.”

The issue is freely available online and can be downloaded at journalofscientificexploration.org/index.php/jse/issue/view/93.

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