Tag: AMPD

Approved tag

Year in Review 2018: Top headlines for York University, October to December

Year in Review 2018

As a new year emerges, YFile takes a look back on 2018 to share with readers a snapshot of the year’s highlights. “Year in Review” will run as a four-part series, and will feature a random selection of top news stories published in YFile. Here are the stories and highlights for October to December 2018, as chosen by YFile editors.

October
Carla Lipsig-Mummé

York U Professor Carla Lipsig-Mummé recognized with prestigious SSHRC Impact Award
York University Professor Carla Lipsig-Mummé, of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, was recognized for excellence in research by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Lipsig-Mummé, a professor of work and labour studies, is the recipient of the SSHRC’s prestigious Impact Award (Partnership Category). She is currently principal investigator of the Adapting Canadian Work and Workplaces to Respond to Climate Change project, which brings together 56 individual researchers and 25 partner organizations and unions in seven countries. Its groundbreaking work has been recognized by the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Schulich celebrates completion of campus expansion project
The Schulich School of Business community came together on Sunday, Oct. 21 to celebrate the official completion of the Rob and Cheryl McEwen Graduate Study & Research Building. This campus expansion was one of the five major pillars of Leading Change, Schulich’s most comprehensive fundraising and alumni engagement campaign to date. The ceremony was attended by more than 300 guests, including students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the University.

York University English Language Institute named World Language School of the Year
The York University English Language Institute (YUELI) was recognized as the 2018-19 World Language School of the Year – North America by iStudy Guide. The award is the highest recognition for a language institution. YUELI provides English-language instruction for academic and professional purposes and serves approximately 3,000 students from more than 50 different countries every year.

Lassonde School of Engineering graduate students Zhongpan Wu and Karim Hammad at Innovation 360
Lassonde School of Engineering graduate students Zhongpan Wu and Karim Hammad at Innovation 360

Lassonde graduate students win awards for work in DNA sequencing
Graduate students from the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science in the Lassonde School of Engineering won two industry awards for their work on custom computers that are helping to propel DNA sequencing into a low-cost mobile activity. Lassonde grad students Zhongpan Wu, Karim Hammad and Yunus Dawji, along with Assistant Professor Ebrahim Ghafar-Zadeh and Associate Professor Sebastian Magierowski, are making significant contributions in the field of DNA sequencing by developing specially designed hardware intended to increase the rate at which DNA measurements can be processed and decrease the power consumption required to do so.

November

Chemistry prof receives Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award
Darwinian evolution in a lab. That’s how this year’s winner of the Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award, Assistant Professor Ryan Hili, concisely describes what he does in his chemistry lab in the Faculty of Science. It’s also what won him the Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award, a distinction that recognizes outstanding early career faculty. The award program is a commitment by Petro-Canada (now Suncor Energy Inc.) and York University to encourage excellence in teaching and research that will enrich the learning environment and contribute to society.

Leading thinkers gather at York University to discuss countdown to Canadian climate action
To understand how climate change already impacts human health in Canada and around the world, leading scientific and civil society organizations gathered at York University on Nov. 29. The day-long event focused on findings contained in the Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change, a Lancet-led yearly review of the world’s response to climate change and how it affects human health globally.

Passion for Indigenous pedagogy fuels Professor Ruth Koleszar-Green’s work
Koleszar-Green’s application of Indigenous pedagogy to her teaching has earned her a 2018 President’s University-wide Teaching Award. She was one of five people selected by the Senate Committee on Awards for their imaginative and significant contributions to enhancing the quality of learning for students enrolled at York University.

Laurence Harris
Laurence Harris

York University research to start with Canadian astronaut in space
Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on Dec. 3. Soon after his arrival, some important research from York University Professor Laurence Harris began. This effort could one day help research in the areas of Parkinson’s disease, stroke recovery, damaged organs, aging and remote robots used for surgery. Harris is leading a virtual reality experiment, some equipment for which recently travelled to the ISS on NASA’s Northrop Grumman’s commercial resupply mission. While Harris will remain on Earth, his research will investigate the effects of microgravity on astronauts’ perception of their motion. 

December

York-led research results in breakthrough discovery for obesity-related health issues
New research led by York University Faculty of Health Professor Tara Haas could be considered a breakthrough discovery in understanding obesity-associated events that worsen an individual’s health. Haas and a multidisciplinary team of scientists investigated the cause of a vascular dysfunction that links obesity with undesirable health outcomes, such as inflammation and diabetes, and made a novel finding that blood vessels may participate in the control of whole-body energy balance.

Professor Emeritus Neil Brooks receives Canadian Tax Foundation Lifetime Contribution Award
York University Professor Emeritus Neil Brooks was named the recipient of the Canadian Tax Foundation (CTF) Lifetime Contribution Award. The most prestigious award given out by the foundation, it honours individuals who, over their careers, have made substantial contributions to the CTF and its purposes through their volunteer efforts and body of work. Brooks was a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, where he taught tax law and policy for more than 35 years.

Rob Bowman
Rob Bowman

York University music Professor Rob Bowman receives Grammy nomination for Best Historical Album
York University’s famous “rock ‘n’ roll professor,” Rob Bowman, was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Historical Album category as co-producer of the Numero Group’s 2017 two-disc compilation Jackie Shane: Any Other Way. This is Bowman’s sixth Grammy nomination and second as producer. In 1996, he won the Grammy for Best Album Notes for his 47,000-word monograph accompanying the 10-CD boxed set of The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 3: 1972-1975.

New online portal details how climate change will impact Ontario
York University’s Laboratory of Mathematical Parallel Systems (LAMPS) is exploring how climate change will affect Ontario in a new online portal containing hundreds of thousands of data points, maps, graphs and predictions. The Ontario Climate Data Portal, led by Huaiping Zhu, a professor of mathematics and statistics and director of LAMPS in the Faculty of Science, based calculations on the greenhouse gas concentration trajectories adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

This concludes the four-part YFile series for Year in Review 2018: Top headlines at York University.

Year in Review 2018: Top headlines for York University, April to June

Year in Review 2018

As a new year emerges, YFile takes a look back on 2018 to share with readers a snapshot of the year’s highlights. “Year in Review” will run as a four-part series, and will feature a random selection of top news stories published in YFile. Here are the stories and highlights for April to June 2018, as chosen by YFile editors.

April

Ten researchers earn York Research Chair appointments
Ten emerging and established researchers across the University joined the York Research Chairs program, York University’s internal counterpart to the national Canada Research Chairs program, which recognizes outstanding researchers. The program is designed to build, support and intensify the world-renowned research underway at York University. Appointed were: Tier I – James Elder, Lesley Jacobs, Lauren Sergio, Richard Wildes, Dan Zhang and Huaiping Zhu; Tier II – Jacob Beck, Jonathan Weiss and Derek Wilson.

3MT York winners and judges
Winners of the York U 3MT: Victoria Larocca (second place) and Annalise D’Souza (first place), Mikhaela Gray (third place), with judges Steve Watt, Shamshad Madhok, Alice Pitt and Matthew Shulman

Spotlight on student research at York’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) event
Eighteen graduate students from York University shared an elevator pitch-style presentation on their research during the annual 3MT competition held April 5. Students, who had three minutes to explain their research to a panel of non-specialist judges with the aid of only a single, static visual slide, delivered succinct and engaging presentations on a wide range of topics, including nationalism, artificial intelligence, safe drinking water and ovarian cancer, to list a few.

York U students’ Indigenous Friends App set to expand social network for Indigenous students
An app designed by York University students to connect and support Indigenous youth will be deployed in several colleges and universities over the next three years through a Youth Opportunities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. MPP Michael J. Coteau, minister of children and youth services, announced the funding for the Youth Opportunities Fund project. The Indigenous Friends Association will receive a $210,000 grant to expand the Indigenous Friends App beyond York University.

York study shows cognitive behavioural therapy can improve emotion regulation in autistic children
New research from York University’s Faculty of Health shows cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help children with autism manage not only anxiety, but other emotional challenges such as sadness and anger. Led by Jonathan Weiss, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Chair in Autism Spectrum Disorders Treatment and Care Research, the study shows CBT can lead to significant improvements in children’s emotional regulation. It also shows – for the first time – that CBT can improve more than just anxiety.

May
Still from Nicol’s From Russia, in Love (2009). Credit: Courtesy of the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives
Still from Nicol’s From Russia, in Love (2009). Photo courtesy of the Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives

York professor and alumna contributes to world’s largest LGBTQ+ archives
York Professor Emeritus Nancy Nicol, documentary filmmaker and activist in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD), donated her collection to the Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives (CLGA). The archives then established the Nancy Nicol Collection. Based in downtown Toronto, the CLGA maintains the world’s largest independent LGBTQ+ archives. Its acquisition of Nicol’s collection is part of a long-term strategy to become a more active resource for the Canadian and LGBTQ+ communities.

York U researcher identifies 15 new species of stealthy cuckoo bees
Cuckoo bees sneakily lay their eggs in the nests of other bee species, after which their newly hatched prodigies kill the host egg or larva, and then feed on the stored pollen. The host, a solitary bee, never knows anything is awry. Nine new species of these clandestine bees have been found hiding in collections and museums across North America by York University PhD candidate Thomas Onuferko, as well as another six unpublished in a decades-old academic thesis.

through surface tension – 2013 (video still), by Lisa Myers
“through surface tension” (2013, video still) by Lisa Myers

National billboard exhibit includes work of York faculty member Lisa Myers
Beginning June 1, billboards across the nation will feature contemporary art created by 50 Indigenous female artists in a call-to-action exhibition project titled “Resilience.” The project, which runs until Aug. 1, includes art by Lisa Myers, York University assistant lecturer and co-ordinator of the Certificate in Cultural & Artistic Practice for Environmental & Social Justice.

2018 President’s University-Wide Teaching Award recipients announced
Five outstanding faculty members who have demonstrated innovative approaches to teaching were honoured during the 2018 Spring Convocation ceremonies with President’s University-Wide Teaching Awards. This year’s recipients were: Professor Dan Palermo in the Lassonde School of Engineering; Professor Ruth Koleszar-Green in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS); Bridget Cauthery, a contract faculty member in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD); Minha Ha, a teaching assistant in the Lassonde School of Engineering; and Reena Shadaan, a teaching assistant in LA&PS. They were selected by the Senate Committee on Awards for their imaginative and significant contributions to enhancing the quality of learning for students enrolled at York University.

June
Sean Kheraj

York historian gallops through untold story of Toronto horses and the Great Epizootic
It is a little-known fact that Toronto served as the origin point of the most explosive outbreak of a horse disease ever recorded. York history Professor Sean Kheraj has published new research on this extraordinary and unknown history. “The Great Epizootic of 1872-73: Networks of Animal Disease in North American Urban Environments,” published in the July 2018 issue of Environmental History, reveals that Toronto’s horse population was ground zero for an equine panzootic that caused a devastating disease to spread rapidly across North America.

Twenty-six York U researchers receive more than $4.2 million in SSHRC funding
Researchers at York University have been awarded more than $4.2 million in funding from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The grants, part of over $158 million in funding and awards recently announced in the Insight Development Grants and Insight Grants Competition, will support York research that improves the quality of life of Canadians, while advancing knowledge and building understanding of complex sociocultural and economic issues.

Top graduate students receive Governor General’s Gold Medals
Three York University grads were this year’s recipients of a Governor General’s Gold Medal, awarded for achieving the highest academic standing. The medals are the most prestigious recognition presented to graduate students. This year’s recipients were Miranda DiLorenzo, Rebecca Hall and Tamas Nagypal. “The Governor General’s Gold Medals are an academic distinction that celebrates the very highest level of scholarly excellence in Canada,” said Rhonda L. Lenton, York University president and vice-chancellor.

The York University Magazine, Winter 2017 coverThe York University Magazine wins prestigious gold award
The York University Magazine was awarded one of the most coveted prizes in post-secondary communications – an international gold award by the Washington-based Council for Advancement & Support of Education (CASE) through its Circle of Excellence competition. Considered the “Oscars” of post-secondary publishing, The York University Magazine placed first in the Digital Magazines category, which saw 21 entries from around the world. Both the print and digital versions of The York University Magazine feature an innovative modern design, which is the result of extensive consultations with the University community and alumni.

Check back in the next edition of YFile for Year in Review: Top headlines at York University, July to September 2018.

Year in review 2018: Top headlines at York University, January to March

Year in Review 2018

As a new year emerges, YFile takes a look back on 2018 to share with readers a snapshot of the year’s highlights. “Year in Review” will run as a four-part series and will feature a random selection of top news stories published in YFile. Here are the stories and highlights for January to March 2018, as chosen by YFile editors.

January

Indigenous Environmental Justice Project offers unparalleled resource
What does environmental justice mean to Indigenous Peoples? How can it be addressed? These are two of the foundational questions raised by the Indigenous Environmental Justice Project (IEJ), a five-year initiative funded by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The York University-based project is the brainchild of Osgoode Hall Law School’s Professor Deborah McGregor, Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Indigenous Environmental Justice, cross-appointed to the Faculty of Environmental Studies.

Having knowledge on how to operate and analyze the results of a test on space materials in crucial to obtaining a space-related job or career in the future. Pictured above is the International Space Station, a living laboratory of space engineering, hardware and materials. Photo: NASA
Having knowledge on how to operate and analyze the results of a test on space materials in crucial to obtaining a space-related job or career in the future. Pictured above is the International Space Station, a living laboratory of space engineering, hardware and materials. Photo: NASA

Space engineers test for good vibrations
Space engineering graduates from York University should have a leg up on other job candidates, given the practical experience they are getting in their Materials for Space Applications and Space Hardware courses. Lecturer Hugh Chesser and fellow members of the program’s curriculum committee have been able to “inject more experiential work into the curriculum, work that the students would experience during their careers,” thanks to testing equipment purchased with the help of an Academic Innovation Fund grant.

Investment in vaccine mathematics a powerful tool to combat infectious diseases
A major new research initiative based in the Faculty of Science at York University will develop mathematical techniques to identify populations most susceptible to infectious diseases and enable manufacturers to produce cost-effective vaccines that can be deployed quickly. The research is also expected to better position Canada to respond rapidly to emerging public health issues such as Zika outbreaks. The $2.6-million NSERC/Sanofi Industrial Research Chair in Vaccine Mathematics, Modelling and Manufacturing, awarded to York University Distinguished Research Professor Jianhong Wu, was announced at York on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

Osgoode scholars’ work contributes to new Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise
A number of Osgoode Hall Law School professors have been working for years on transnational corporate accountability for human rights and environmental violations by Canadian companies in other countries. This includes, most recently, the work of Professor Emeritus Shin Imai and the students who have worked with him for several years in the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project (JCAP), the work of which the Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime and Security is proud to have funded and otherwise supported.

February
Seyed Moghadas

Two York University mathematicians determine how to stay a step ahead of C. difficile
Clostridium Difficile, or C. difficile, strikes fear into the hearts of many. This life-threatening infection, caused through contact with bacteria, can develop rapidly even under the watchful eye of hospital staff. Two researchers, Professor Seyed Moghadas and PhD student Sara Maghdoori, mathematicians in York University’s Agent-Based Modelling Laboratory in the Faculty of Science, wanted to evaluate strategies for reducing this risk. Their research is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

AMPD honours ‘Offshore’ documentary creator at inaugural research celebration, Feb. 14
The School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) at York University honoured one of its own during the inaugural AMPD Research Celebration on Feb. 14. Cinema & Media Arts Professor Brenda Longfellow was presented with the AMPD Research Award in recognition of her outstanding work. She launched the interactive web documentary Offshore, funded by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada, and co-directed with Glen Richards and Helios Design Lab. Offshore can be viewed at offshore-interactive.com/site.

An engineer uses a tablet to control a heavy automation robot arm machine in smart factory

York University will participate in the new Innovation Superclusters initiative
York University applauds the Government of Canada’s $950-million investment in the Innovation Superclusters Initiative, a commitment that will be matched, dollar for dollar, by the private sector. The Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster, in which York University is proud to be a participant, is an exciting initiative that will help to substantially propel our region into a globally leading centre for advanced manufacturing, which is critical to the success of the Canadian economy.

York research informs special report on Canada’s role in global health
York University Professor Steven Hoffman is among a cohort of Canadian scholars to author a special report for The Lancet that examines Canada’s system of universal health coverage and role in global health. The two papers, authored by leading scholars, indicate the Canadian government must match its public declarations with concrete action on issues such as disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples’ health, health system reform, and flagging levels of overseas aid, if it is to renew its legacy of leadership in health.

March

Carla Lipsig-Mummé wins 2018 Sefton-Williams Award
York University Professor Carla Lipsig-Mummé was named the 2018 winner of the Sefton-Williams Award for Contributions to Labour Relations. It honours those who have made a significant contribution to the field of labour relations and human rights. The Sefton-Williams award is presented by the University of Toronto’s Woodsworth College and the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources. Both practitioners in labour relations as well as academics have received this award.

Prof. Pat Armstrong among YWCA’s 2018 Women of Distinction
York University Professor Pat Armstrong is one of eight women recognized by the YWCA Toronto for her outstanding contributions to and leadership in improving the lives of women. Armstrong, a distinguished research professor of sociology in the Faculty of Liberal Arts &  Professional Studies (LAPS), is a 2018 YWCA Toronto Women of Distinction recipient in the category of Health & Education. She was recognized with the award for her work on pay equity, women’s work, women’s studies and women and health care reform.

QS rankings put York University in the top 10 in 15 subject areas
York University ranks among Canada’s top universities in the arts and humanities, law and legal studies, social sciences, and business management according to the 2018 QS World University Rankings by Subject report released Feb. 28. “These rankings are a reflection of York’s success in providing students access to a high-quality, research-intensive learning environment, with academic programming that is enriched by experiential learning opportunities, innovative scholars and researchers who are making breakthroughs in their chosen fields, and a shared commitment to having a positive impact on the wellbeing of society,” said York University President & Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton.

Developers' Den Schulich
The Developers’ Den winning team 2018 is from Schulich School of Business

Schulich students clinch first place title at Developers’ Den competition
A team of students enrolled in the Master of Real Estate and Infrastructure (MREI) program at York University’s Schulich School of Business won first place in the eighth annual Developers’ Den international case competition. The students beat out 11 other teams from leading graduate business and professional school programs. A team of MBA students from the Ivey School of Business placed second and an MBA team from the Schulich School of Business placed third.

Check back in the next edition of YFile for Year in Review 2018: Top headlines at York University, April to June.

And the winners of the #MyExperienceYU contest are…

When York University students were challenged to capture their experiential education in a photograph and submit it to the #MyExperienceYU photo contest, they did so in droves and their photos tell stories of vibrant, exciting and interesting learning experiences.

More than 450 entries were submitted to the contest, which offered prizes of $2,000 awarded to each contest category winner. The winners in the three categories – classroom, community and workplace – have been decided. Entries were submitted  from all of York University’s faculties and included international exchanges, events, placements and internships. More than 2,500 votes were cast before the contest closed.

The contest highlighted the breadth of experiential education offered to York University students and provided an opportunity for students to document their memorable learning journeys. The winners are:

Classroom category

  • Sadie Cahill, a third-year student in the Dance (BFA) Program in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design.

Community category

  • Carolyn Ewins, a fourth-year student in the Biology (BSc) Program in the Faculty of Science

Workplace category

  • Leandro Evangelista, a fifth-year student in the Psychology (BA) Program in the Faculty of Health.

Each of the winners shared some of their thoughts on experiential education at York, and their contest entries.

Sadie Cahill

Sadie Cahill’s experiential education photo was taken during her second year of study in the Dance Program. The photograph, she says, offers a perfect representation of the traditional classroom boundaries she has pushed during her dance classes, which involve connecting her mind, body and soul. “Experiential learning has brought a new level of awareness to my education as I am able to physically feel movement and connect it to intellectually principles and emotional expression,” says Cahill, who notes that engaging in experiential learning offered in the Dance Program at York University has helped her not only to train and perfect her physical practice, but also to develop her artistry and individual expression within dance.

Carolyn Ewins

For her entry, Carolyn Ewins documented her experience during an international exchange to Monash University in Australia. Her #MyExperienceYU photograph was taken late in June 2018 during a 21-km hike in Tongariro National Park – New Zealand’s oldest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The photo depicts the highest point of the Tongariro Crossing. “The hike was a grueling, full-day challenge, where we faced unexpectedly strong winds, blowing snow and sheets of ice,” says Ewins, who says the experience gave her a greater appreciation of the origins of the scientific studies and information that she learns in the classroom. “For centuries, scientists have endured extreme, inhospitable conditions to discover more about biology, and their work has allowed me to sit comfortably in a safe, heated YorkU lecture hall and learn about the things they found. It has also motivated me to pursue more international experiences and gain more field experience.”

Leandro Evangelista

Leandro Evangelista’s winning photo was taken in July 2018 during a trip to Radical Raptors bird rehabilitation facility in South Africa. Radical Raptors undertakes the rehabilitation of birds of prey allowing the injured birds to recover and return to the wild. Evangelista says he used the knowledge gained through this experience to enrich his internship with in the Nature’s Valley Trust (NVT) Birding Masters and Champions Program in South Africa. “Although I come from a psychology background, working with conservation and animals demonstrated to me how important our connection to our environment is,” he says. “I no longer look at psychology with an isolated, mind-dominated view.” He notes the theories and articles that he studied while in class have been animated by his internship experience.

York University strengthens commitment to Black studies with new programs

York University has launched five new programs and research initiatives that reinforce its dedication to Black studies in Canada.

Professors Andrea Davis and Christina Sharpe, from the Department of Humanities

These programs and initiatives include the Black Canadian Studies Certificate; the Black Studies & Theories of Race & Racism graduate stream in the Graduate Program in Social & Political Thought; the Black Child & Youth Studies Network; the Network for the Advancement of Black Communities; and the Jean Augustine, Inez Elliston and Beverly Salmon library fonds.

“At York, we believe that our diversity deeply enriches our community, and we are committed to expanding collaborative research and programming that is relevant to the historical, cultural and creative productions of Black and other racialized communities,” said York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton. “The launch of these programs is an important milestone in a continuing process that addresses the need to foster stronger connections with Black youth, families and communities at York and beyond.”

The Black Canadian Studies Certificate was born, in part, from student advocacy for a more diverse curriculum. The program, housed in the Department of Humanities in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), combines approaches from the humanities and fine arts, and examines the historical, cultural and various expressive productions of people of African descent in the Americas.

The Black Studies & Theories of Race & Racism stream, in the LA&PS graduate program in Social & Political Thought, will prepare students to develop innovative scholarship that explores and analyzes the distinct contributions of Black intellectual, political and cultural productions, as well as to critically investigate and develop new methods and theories of interdisciplinary scholarship on race and racism.

The Black Child & Youth Studies Network brings together faculty and postdoctoral fellows from five Ontario universities – York, McMaster University, University of Toronto, University of Ottawa and University of Windsor – to conduct research that is relevant and responsive to the needs of Black communities and that will inform work in education for Black youth from middle school through to university and the work force. The network is led by the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora, currently filled by Faculty of Education Professor Carl E. James.

The Network for the Advancement of Black Communities, also led by the Jean Augustine Chair, consists of more than 70 programs that provide services for Black children, youth and families. Funded by the Ministry of Child & Youth Services, the network seeks support from governance and data collection to inform systemic changes to improve the social, educational and employment conditions of Black peoples.

The Jean Augustine, Inez Elliston and Beverly Salmon library fonds are special collections of records that document Augustine’s public service and advocacy in women’s rights, in urban education and with Black youth; Elliston’s work as an educator, community development leader, researcher and writer who specialized in intercultural education and anti-racism training and practice; and Salmon’s experience as a nurse and the first Black female municipal councillor.

In recognition and celebration of these five initiatives, a two-day launch was held on Oct. 18 and 19. The launch’s opening night featured greetings from Canadian Senator Wanda Elaine Thomas Bernard and MPP Mitzie Hunter from Scarborough-Guildwood, performances by the York University Gospel Choir, jazz soloist Kavya Rajith and spoken word artist Kareem Bennett, and the keynote lecture “Still Here” by humanities Professor Christina Sharpe.

“Black studies has a long tradition at York. But tonight, we pause, gather as community and friends to reaffirm our commitment to this ongoing work,” said Professor Andrea Davis, Chair of the Department of Humanities, to those who gathered on day one of the launch.

Together, these programs and initiatives signal York’s importance as a leader in Black Canadian Studies, both in research concentration and in the education of a new generation of scholars and graduates who can respond thoughtfully and purposefully to the rapidly changing world in which we live and ask critical questions to find bold solutions for the social and political problems of our time, she said.

“Black artists, writers, scholars, activists and Black people just trying to live in the world all over the Black diaspora insist Black being into the present and the future,” said Sharpe in her keynote. “They say, yes, we are still here. They think and make and work and live and imagine from Black.”

The second day of the launch, titled Engaged Scholarship: Struggles and Possibilities of Black Studies, consisted of panels that addressed Black women’s experience in the academy, tensions and conflicts doing research with and for the community, and navigating the academy.

“In the 40-plus years since I was a student in university, this was something that I’ve hoped for, something that I’ve worked for, something that I’ve prayed for, to have Black studies – research, scholarship and teaching in Black studies – seriously taken up by universities, to have our place in this country,” said Sen. Bernard, adding that this can create opportunity for both students and faculty. “I want to thank York University for its leadership.”

The Launch of New Programs and Research in Black Studies at York event was funded by the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, the Faculty of Education, the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies and Founders College.

York University music Professor Rob Bowman receives Grammy nomination for Best Historical Album

Rob Bowman

York University’s famous “rock ‘n’ roll professor,” Rob Bowman, has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Historical Album category as co-producer of the Numero Group’s 2017 two-disc compilation Jackie Shane: Any Other Way.

Rob Bowman
Rob Bowman

This is Bowman’s sixth Grammy nomination and second as producer. In 1996, he won the Grammy for Best Album Notes for his 47,000-word monograph accompanying the 10-CD boxed set of The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 3: 1972-1975.

In addition to co-producing Jackie Shane: Any Other Way, Bowman penned the 20,000-word album notes that are included in the package, which tell the incredible story of the enigmatic soul singer. Shane, who was friends with Jimi Hendrix and Little Richard, has a story that  takes a number of wild and unpredictable turns. Prior to Bowman’s work for the Any Other Way reissue, Shane had never done a serious interview. Over a series of three months, Bowman recorded 33 hours of interviews with Shane. The resulting essay tells a story that Hollywood script writers would find impossible to conceive.

Shane was born as a boy in Nashville in 1940. At the age of 13, Jackie told her mother that she was a woman in a man’s body and began wearing makeup to school in the segregated Jim Crow south. Six years later, she came to Canada, becoming a star first in Montreal and then in her adopted home of Toronto.

“Jackie Shane was an extraordinary soul singer above and beyond any interest in her gender or sexuality,” Bowman said. “Known amongst connoisseurs, but for most of her career neglected among the general public, her work has experienced a resurgence in Toronto in the last year and a half. I’m hoping this reissue will introduce new audiences around the world to the magic of her voice and musicianship.

“This reissue also connects into the vital academic and popular press work of recovering lost histories and building a historical archive for underrepresented communities, including women and LGBTQ individuals, before these stories are completely out of reach.”

Bowman became familiar with Jackie Shane when he was a teen. She disappeared from the public eye around the same time that he began attending and reviewing concerts.

“I always thought it would be amazing to find her and tell her story,” Bowman said. “It has always been in the back of my mind. Four decades later, it was finally realized.”

Bowman has been writing professionally about rhythm and blues, rock, country, jazz and gospel for more than 45 years, extensively interviewing several hundred artists ranging from Bob Marley to Mick Jagger. He is the author of Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records (Schirmer Books), and winner of the 1998 ASCAP-Deems Taylor and ARSC Awards for Excellence in Music Research. In 2013, Soulsville U.S.A. was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis, Tenn. In the past year, Bowman has worked on boxed sets for Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and Rush, and has just finished working on a three-CD set documenting the work of cutting-edge Canadian synthesizer composer John Mills-Cockell.

The 61st Grammy Awards air Feb. 10, 2019, on Citytv, broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Graduate Studies honours Professor Laura Levin with Postdoctoral Supervisor Award

Faculty of Graduate Studies Dean Tom Loebel and Professor Laura Levin
Faculty of Graduate Studies Dean Tom Loebel and Professor Laura Levin

Laura Levin, associate professor of theatre in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design at York University, was recognized with the Postdoctoral Supervisor of the Year Award from the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS). The award honours professors who demonstrate exemplary support for postdoctoral scholars at York University, exceeding general supervisory expectations.

Faculty of Graduate Studies Dean Tom Loebel and Professor Laura Levin
Faculty of Graduate Studies Dean Tom Loebel and Professor Laura Levin

She received the award at the Postdoctoral Welcome Reception on Nov. 29, presented by Tom Loebel, dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The event brings together postdoctoral researchers and their supervisors from across disciplines, coming together in part to recognize the wonderful contributions postdocs make at York.

“The list of career-boosting experiences Dr. Levin has connected me to during my postdoctoral fellowship is impressive,” said Alana Gerecke, a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow who nominated Levin, in a written statement. “Ranging from co-editing an issue of a major publication in our field, to co-facilitating a panel at our scholarly association’s annual conference, to co-curating a speaker series, to co-organizing a workshop, to guest teaching in her classes, to guiding me through the navigation of my first book contract, collaborating with Dr. Levin has broadened my professional network, pushed my research content and enriched my professional skill base.”

Levin’s research and teaching focus is on contemporary theatre and performance art; performing gender and sexuality; site-specific and immersive performance; performance and urban space; digital and intermedial performance; and disciplinary genealogies in performance. In July 2018, she was appointed director of Sensorium, a research centre for creative inquiry and experimentation at the intersection of the media arts, performance  and digital culture.

Upon receiving the award, Levin spoke about the importance of synergy between a prospective postdoctoral scholar’s research and that of their proposed supervisor, as well as the intersection this has, not only on grant applications, but on cultivating collaboration and co-operation.

“I’ve come to really appreciate how synergy – both as an idea articulated in a grant application, and more significantly as a set of shared activities and commitments performed over time – also allows us to think about what postdoc-supervisor relationships can be at their best,” she said.

Expanding on this relationship further, she noted, “It’s important to consider how mentorship might be imagined in more lateral ways – to insist that postdocs are treated as sources of wisdom and experience. They come to York with unique skill sets and different local, cultural and institutional knowledges that faculty members urgently need to learn…. In making space for postdocs to share what they know – not only through devising collaborative projects, but also by setting up occasions for postdocs to share their research – supervisors stretch themselves as researchers while, more importantly, developing their supervisees’ confidence in their voices as emerging research leaders.”

The Postdoctoral Supervisor of the Year Award recognizes professors who: serve as role models for intellectual leadership and professionalism in research; provide an exemplary environment of support for professional skill development in research; promote and model a climate of respect and collegiality; and offer advocacy and guidance in long-term personal, professional and career development. More information is available at gradstudies.yorku.ca/postdoctoral-fellows/supervisor-award.

York University’s Capstone Network is up and running

Capstone courses provide students with exciting learning experiences, but they can be challenging to teach, said Danielle Robinson, an associate professor of dance at York University. Thanks to Robinson and engineering Professor Franz Newland, faculty who teach these finishing-year courses can derive support from the new Capstone Network, which will allow them to connect at monthly meetings and online.

Danielle Robinson

“The network came about because of a conversation between Franz and me about the profound impact capstone courses have on students’ lives – and the profound difficulty of teaching them,” Robinson said. “We decided to create a network of professors who can support each other, share resources and help others develop their own capstone courses.”

A capstone course is a final-year course that consolidates everything a student has learned in his or her major during undergraduate studies. It generally involves a project that draws on the skills and knowledge they have already gained, while also acquiring new skills and knowledge in the process.

“A capstone course helps students recognize the value of their degree and prepare for what comes next,” Robinson said. “It’s a bridge to the job market, preparing them to succeed on the other side of graduation. Experiential education is baked into capstone courses, whether through extracurricular workshops, service learning, placements or even professional mentoring.”

Given that most projects created during capstone courses are individualized and a class can have upwards of 20 or 30 students, it’s an intensive endeavour for the faculty who are involved.

Capstone courses are also known as finishing courses and can be challenging to deliver

“They are challenging to deliver, so this grassroots network will allow us to learn from each other and help each other out,” Robinson said. “We’ll be able to spark innovation in each other’s classes, expand our understanding of what capstones can be, and even bring our students together on collaborative projects.”

Monthly meetings

The Capstone Network has begun meeting, and they have started an internal website that includes different capstone resources for instructors. Robinson has already had expressions of interest from 13 professors in a variety of disciplines, including mathematics, international studies, theatre, and health policy and management.

“Given how busy professors are, this is amazing,” she said.

Franz Newland

Robinson and Newland have big plans for the network that include exploring what pedagogical research says about capstone courses and developing best practices. Beginning in January, they will host monthly Capstone Cafés, where professors and students can share coffee, cookies and capstone experiences. Their goal is to make these rich but also overwhelming classes a little easier.

“We’d like to develop a pathway for students in capstone courses to find each other for support and potential collaboration, especially in interdisciplinary projects.”

Robinson sees an opportunity for the University to become a leader in capstone education. The network plans to partner with the Teaching Commons to build workshops on capstone courses and with the Career Centre to create professionalization and career development modules that will work in any capstone setting.

“We’re just getting started, and we are looking for other professors to be part of shaping the network’s future direction,” she said. “Our goal is to reach every campus and every department, since capstone courses are a York priority. They enable students to look beyond their majors and focus on professional skills. Capstone courses push them outside their comfort zones, making them a little braver, a little more confident before graduating.”

Students speak

Robinson can speak with authority about the impact of capstone courses, as she has been teaching them at York since 2006. Last year, she worked with the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD) Instructional Technology Team to make mentorship videos with alumni who had taken her capstone course over the years, to find out and share how that experience might have impacted their careers.

Graduate Krista Antonio Onayemi, for example, who has gone on to do graduate work in international development and is now a labour lawyer, created a project called Art for Hope that enabled her to teach dance to children in Ecuador.

“I’m convinced the only way I was able to get into graduate school was from the research and experience I got in my senior [capstone] project,” she said.

Andréa De Keijzer, who created a dance photography installation as part of her capstone course, said, “My senior [capstone] project was a very important launching pad for my career as a dance photographer and choreographer. I discovered that I had the capacity and the skill, and what I didn’t know, I could research and learn on the go.”

Their experiences demonstrate the value of undertaking a capstone course.

“Capstone courses get students to broaden their career possibilities and understand how to work towards the job they want,” Robinson said. “They prepare students to succeed, no matter what they want to do. My hope is that one day every York student will have the benefit of experiencing a capstone course before graduating.”

For more information about the Capstone Network, contact Danielle Robinson at drobin@yorku.ca.

By Elaine Smith, special contributing writer to Innovatus

Theatre @ York presents ‘rochdale’ from Nov. 17 to 24

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Department of Theatre at York University and kicking off a season dedicated to the theme of “Disruptors,” Theatre @ York presents rochdale, a new play by David Yee under the direction of Nina Lee Aquino, running Nov. 17 to 24 in the Joseph G. Green Theatre at York University.

Yee’s script explores the legacy of Rochdale College, an experiment in post-secondary education that focused on a student-run alternative education and co-operative living in Toronto. It opened in 1968. It was a free university, and was built on a model where students and education live together and learn from each other; however, it could not sustain itself financially and ultimately closed down.

This play looks at all of its compelling fictions, and sometimes-difficult truths.

“We are delighted to open our season with a new Canadian play that embraces the same spirit of experimentation and social advocacy that guided the founding of the Department of Theatre at York 50 years ago,” said department Chair Marlis Schweitzer. “We are incredibly fortunate to have such Canadian innovators kick off our anniversary season, as we reflect on the past 50 years and look ahead to the future.”

Lee Aquino and Yee share an enthusiasm for the production, which is reflects their long-term commitment to creating new works with college and university students.

“Almost 10 years after our first bespoke project together, we’re thrilled to bring another play tailored specifically to a singular class of young people to the stage,” they said. “Our goal is to showcase and challenge these soon-to-be-graduates and illustrate just how perfect an instrument art is for growth and change. Through the history of Rochdale, both real and imagined through the lens of the play, we have been inspired by the spirit of the rebel. We hope that spirit continues to inspire and guide this next generation of artists as they become the vanguard of their own theatrical revolutions.”

rochdale features 14 students in the fourth-year acting ensemble. All elements of set, costume, and lighting are designed and executed by undergraduate theatre students.

Yee is a playwright, actor and the artistic director of fu-GEN Theatre Company. His play Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave won the 2015 Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama.

Lee Aquino is an award-winning director and dramaturge, and the artistic director of Factory Theatre. She is committed to the development of new works, and to the manifestation of interculturalism in theatre.

rochdale sound designer and Juno Award-winning musician Debashis Sinha’s creative output spans a broad range of genres and media. Recent projects include his solo album, The White Dog, as well as music and sound design for Shirley Valentine at the 1000 Islands Theatre Festival and Secret Lives of a Mother at the Theatre Centre.

The performance schedule is: 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 17 and Nov. 19 to 23; 1 p.m. on Nov. 21 and 23; and 2 p.m. on Nov. 24. Tickets are $7 to $20 and are available online or by phone at 416-736-5888

The 2018-19 Theatre @ York season theme of “Disruptors” presents plays that focus on the impact and influence of people who are agents of change. Selected by a department reading group made up of three faculty members and fifteen students from across the department, the Disruptors season celebrates the unconventional, challenging actions of those who refuse to leave well enough alone

Read more about the season here.

Two of Canada’s top pianists perform dance music duets for the Faculty Concert Series

Two of Canada’s top pianists, York University music Professor Christina Petrowska Quilico and Shoshana Telner, are teaming up under the name Duo Forte to headline York’s Faculty Concert Series on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Specializing in four-handed piano repertoire, they have put together a program of dance music guaranteed to delight their audience in the Tribute Communities Recital Hall. The musical lineup will include Barber’s “Souvenirs,” Gershwin’s “Cuban Overture,” Arthur Benjamin’s “Jamaican Rhumba,” Kapustin’s jazzy “Slow Waltz,” Ravel’s “La Valse,” and Piazzolla’s “Libertango,” along with other gems sure to get you moving in your seats.

Christina Petrowska Quilico

Christina Petrowska Quilico
Christina Petrowska Quilico. Photo by Tim Leyes

Petrowska Quilico’s repertoire ranges from baroque, classical and romantic to some 20 contemporary concerti out of 41 she has premiered or played, collaborating with such esteemed conductors as John Eliot Gardiner, Bramwell Tovey and Jukka-Pekka Saraste. Her recordings of eight Canadian concerti have earned three of her four JUNO nominations – one of them for Larysa Kuzmenko’s concerto with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Jukka-Pekka Saraste. Her 50-CD catalogue includes the Healey Willan piano concerto, with Victor Feldbrill conducting the Taipei Symphony; and David Mott’s “Eclipse,” which debuted on the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

CBC Music named Petrowska Quilico one of 20 Can’t-Miss Classical Pianists of 2014 and one of 2015’s 25 Best Canadian Classical Pianists. She is a full professor of piano and musicology at York University, and founder of the Christina and Louis Quilico Award administered by the Ontario Arts Council Foundation and held under the auspices of the Canadian Opera Company.

Shoshana Telner
Shoshana Telner. Photo by: Bo Huang

Shoshana Telner

Canadian pianist Shoshana Telner has performed from coast to coast and around the world. Described as an “authentic musician with a sparkling technique” (Le Droit) and “full of fire and warmth” (New York Times), Telner has a passion for engaging audiences with exciting performances. She made her solo orchestral debut with the National Arts Centre Orchestra at the age of 16 and has since performed as a soloist with several orchestras, including the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Boston Classical Orchestra and the National Academy Orchestra.

Telner received a bachelor’s degree on full scholarship from Boston University, a master’s degree from the Juilliard School in New York and a doctorate in performance from McGill University. She has taught piano and coached ensembles at McGill University, the University of Ottawa and Wilfrid Laurier University, and currently teaches piano at McMaster University. She frequently gives masterclasses, adjudicates competitions and examines for the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Telner’s recordings include solo works of Canadian composer Colin Mack (CanSona), the Grieg violin/piano sonatas with Jeremy Bell (Chestnut Hall Music) and the six Bach Keyboard Partitas (Centaur Records).

The Faculty Concert Series featuring Duo Forte will take place Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Tribute Communities Recital Hall, Accolade East Building, Keele Campus. Tickets are $15 each; $10 each for students and seniors. Purchase tickets online or by phone at 416-736-5888.

For maps and directions, visit the York University website.