Professor and York University Research Chair Chun Peng received $780,000 from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to fund a new project associated with her ongoing research into pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy disorder with a profound impact on maternal and fetal health.
Chun Peng
The grant funds a project titled “NLRC5 isoforms in placental development and pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia,” part of Peng’s long-term research goal to better understand pre-eclampsia, which usually develops after 20 weeks of gestation and is characterized by high blood pressure, as well as damage to liver, kidneys or other organs. It is the leading direct cause of maternal and fetal death in the world, with over 75,000 pregnant women and 500,000 infants dying from it each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Even if someone survives the disease, it can lead to negative effects on the mother and fetus health during pregnancy, and can have lifelong negative impacts on cardiovascular health for both. The causes of pre-eclampsia are not fully understood, but it is known that abnormal placental development – in particular, the insufficient invasion of placental cells into the uterus to carry out the remodelling of the uterine blood vessels – is a major contributing factor.
The new study builds upon findings from a previous project where Peng and colleagues identified two truncated isoforms of a protein called NLRC5 in human placenta. Preliminary results suggest that these NLRC5 isoforms play important roles in regulating placental development, and they may contribute to the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. In this study, her lab will collaborate with researchers from Mount Sinai Hospital and Toronto General Hospital to further examine how NLRC5 exert their functions in the placenta and to determine if their over-expression will lead to the development of pre-eclampsia-like symptoms.
“This project will allow us to understand more of how placenta development is regulated during pregnancy and how the abnormal levels of NLRC5 isoforms may contribute to the development of pre-eclampsia,” says Peng. “We really hope that this can give us some clues on whether a new strategy could be developed to either prevent or treat pre-eclampsia.”
Peng, who had her York Research Chair in Women’s Reproductive Health renewed in 2021, has been conducting research to better understand pre-eclampsia since 1998, and has received several previous CIHR grants – collectively amounting to nearly $3.5 million – to study the disorder.
Lassonde PhD students recognized for environmental research
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Three Lassonde School of Engineering PhD candidates in civil engineering have been recognized – two with awards and one with publication approval – for work in environmental research that promises to help right the future.
The award-winning students are:
Gurpreet Kaur, third-year PhD candidate
Gurpreet Kaur
In May 2023, Kaur presented research focusing on microorganisms to degrade harmful contaminants in groundwater at the International In-Situ Thermal Treatment (i2t2) Symposium in Banff, Alta., where she was honoured with a Best Presentation Award.
More than nine million people in Canada depend on groundwater as their primary source of drinking water. If groundwater is contaminated, pollutants can reach consumers and cause harmful effects like cancer and other diseases,” she says. Kaur specifically studies biomediation, a process that uses microorganisms that are naturally present in the subsurface to degrade environmental pollutants. However, the activity of these microorganisms may be hindered by cool temperatures below ground. To solve this issue, some remediation strategies supplement the subsurface with heat, but that can be an expensive process.
“My work analyzes the effect of geothermal heat pumps on bioremediation,” says Kaur. “This is a sustainable and cost-effective solution that can help enhance the growth and activity of microorganisms.” In addition to improving the efficiency of bioremediation, geothermal heat pumps can be used to provide heating and cooling to surrounding buildings, thereby serving two functions at once.
To explore the effects of geothermal heat pumps on bioremediation, Kaur isolated and analyzed two pollutant-degrading bacteria strains from geothermal borehole soil samples. Her analysis showed the strains have the ability to degrade Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX), four common chemical contaminants found in groundwater. She also applied heat to these pollutant-degrading bacteria, which resulted in significantly increased bacterial growth and BTEX degradation rate, suggesting the inherent beneficial effects that geothermal heat pumps may have on bacteria. The results of Kaur’s work demonstrate the great promise of this modified method for bioremediation, which could ensure clean drinking water for millions of Canadians.
De Santi’s research aims to develop and implement data-driven solutions for water safety issues in refugee and internally displaced person (IDP) settlements with SWOT. Primary sources of drinking water in these settlements are highly susceptible to contamination, which creates a risk for people to contract waterborne disease upon consumption.
To decontaminate drinking water and mitigate disease risk, free residual chlorine is used as a water treatment; however, this can significantly alter its odour and taste. Using data collected from a refugee settlement in Uganda called Kyaka II, the SWOT generated a risk model to help determine an optimal concentration of free residual chlorine that allowed for a balance between water safety, as well as favourable odour and taste. This work suggests the SWOT can be effectively used in real-world scenarios, to help water system operators satisfy both water safety and consumer standards in refugee and IDP settlements.
De Santi’s ongoing research and aspirations are supported by his PhD supervisors, Professor Usman Khan and Research Fellow Syed Imran Ali, as well as the Lassonde community, and reflects engineering’s potential to impact the world. “Engineering isn’t just about learning; it’s also about solving problems,” says De Santi. “The reason I was drawn to civil engineering is because I think it can be used to tackle the most global challenges and help the most people.”
Olivares recently had an article, titled “Thermally assisted deformation of a rock column above Tomb KV42 in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt,” accepted for publication in the journal Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering.
The article is an extension of his PhD thesis, supervised by Professor Matthew Perras, which has primarily involved geological field campaigns based in Egypt. His research focuses on the thermal effects of crack growth in rocks. Examining such growths is important, as climate change in post-glacial and arid regions can significantly progress rock damage over time, leading to altered function and behaviour.
The publication summarizes Olivares’ ongoing work in the Valley of the Kings, located within a large landscape and UNESCO World Heritage Site called Theban Necropolis in Luxor, Egypt. Along with his research team, he monitored the transient conditions of a micritic-limestone rock column above a tomb, as well as an existing fracture, while investigating thermomechanical displacements with various tools. Data gathered throughout this study will enhance understanding of environmentally-driven fracture growth mechanisms and help inform approaches to preserve and protect the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Osgoode student earns scholarship for disability advocacy
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Third-year Osgoode Hall Law School student Angela Dittrich was awarded a Legal Leaders for Diversity Trust Fund Scholarship in recognition of both her academic excellence and her work to improve accessibility to legal education. The fund, created through donations from general counsel and law firm managing partners across Canada, was established in 2015 to promote equal access and diversity in law schools.
As an advocate for people with disabilities, Dittrich has always understood that there is strength in numbers. That’s why she is actively campaigning to create the first national organization representing law students with disabilities. Her brainchild, the Canadian Coalition for Law Students with Disabilities, has so far brought together students from all 23 law schools across Canada.
Angela Dittrich
“My disability advocacy work has been the most challenging and fulfilling work I have done during my law school career,” she said. “While some progress has been made, there is still a long way to go to tackle the many challenges and inequities that disabled law students and lawyers continue to face across the country.”
Dittrich, a native of Hamilton, Ont., and an active leader with the Disability Collective of Osgoode (DisCO), has been diagnosed as neurodivergent and has had a variety of neurological, chronic pain, cardiac and connective tissue disorders since early childhood.
Being a law student ith disabilities poses numerous challenges and barriers, she said. But the most frustrating challenge, she noted, is that many of these barriers could easily be eliminated through the development of equitable policies, more thoughtful planning approaches and a system that prioritizes the creation of a more diverse, inclusive profession.
It was in her role as DisCO’s outreach co-ordinator last year that Dittrich said she saw the need for a national organization to advocate for law students with disabilities. The idea took shape during discussions with disability advocates from local law schools about advocacy strategies for COVID-19-related accommodations.
“I realized that our advocacy efforts would be amplified if we were working collectively, and began to build this network alongside other disability advocates at Canadian law schools,” she said. “The coalition is still in its early stages of formation, and I hope for it to be fully established within the Fall 2023 term.”
This year, her third year in the combined Juris Doctor/Master in Environmental Studies program, Dittrich will serve as co-president of DisCO. She said she plans to build on the organization’s work in creating an important sense of community and engaging with the law school’s administration to implement key equitable policy measures.
Student wins prestigious crystallographic award
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Nicholas Bragagnolo, a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry’s Audette Lab at York University, won the 2023 Etter Student Lecturer Award from the American Crystallographic Association (ACA), which represents those working in the branch of science concerned with the structure and properties of crystals.
Nicholas Bragagnolo
The ACA houses 14 scientific interest groups (SIG), each representing a specific crystallographic discipline or area of interest. Among them is the Canadian Division SIG, which had the opportunity to – along with all other groups – invite one student to present a lecture at an ACA conference and receive an award.
Bragagnolo was selected and – after receiving transportation funding from the ACA Travel Award and the Canadian National Committee for Crystallography’s Larry Calvert Award – attended an ACA meeting in Baltimore in July.
There, he presented a 20-minute lecture titled “Solution characterization of the dynamic conjugative entry exclusion protein TraG,” as part of a session about the future of light sources, and won the Etter Student Lecturer Award. He also received honourable mentions for a three-minute thesis presentation.
The event, and the award, are part of the ACA’s initiative to provide young students and scientists with opportunitues to demonstrate their research achievements and work.
“Overall it was a very successful conference and I’m grateful to my lab members Arnold Apostol and Christina Rodriguez and my supervisor Gerald Audette for their support,” Bragagnolo wrote in a LinkedIn post following the event. “I made many valuable connections as well as new friends and gained a lot of insight into new techniques to help complete my thesis.”
Earlier this year, Bragagnolo was recognized by York University’s Association for Graduate Students in the Biological Sciences (AGSBS) with the People’s Choice Student Talk Award (Session 2) during the AGSBS 49th Annual Biology Symposium. Bragagnoloa presented a talk titled “Structural Studies of the Conjugative Entry Exclusion Protein TraG.”
In 2021, he was awarded a York Graduate Scholarship by the Faculty of Science.
Global crisis leadership research earns Article of the Year recognition
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A research publication co-authored by Schulich School of Business Professor Abi Sriharan was recently named Article of the Year by the Medical Care Research and Review, an influential, peer-reviewed journal that is central to health-care and medical research.
Abi Sriharan
Produced in collaboration with co-authors from Canada, the U.K. and the U.S., the article, “Public Health and Health Sector Crisis Leadership During Pandemics,” examines global crisis leadership amidst pandemics, a topic underscored by the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research findings shed light on the political, structural and cultural dynamics that influence health-care policy decisions.
The authors observed that traditional leadership models often fall short in the dynamic environment of pandemics. The study calls for a paradigm shift in leadership training, to encompass both task- and people-oriented competencies to empower leaders to navigate unprecedented situations with transparency and efficiency.
“We are honoured to be recognized for redefining crisis leadership in the pandemic era,” said Sriharan. “This recognition by Medical Care Research and Review reaffirms the significance of our findings for health-care systems globally.”
Sriharan, an award-winning leadership scholar specializing in the health sector, joined Schulich earlier this year and currently serves as a senior scientist and research director at Schulich’s Krembil Centre for Health Management and Leadership.
Committed to supporting and nurturing thought leadership like Sriharan’s, Schulich recently launched the Master of Health Industry Administration program to equip future health-industry leaders with the skills and knowledge they need to effect meaningful change.
Recognizing student influence: Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award winners
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Ariana Mah first knew she was going to attend York University’s Glendon College during a tour in high school.
“I looked around and I decided, ‘This one is my first choice. This is what I’m going to do; this is where I’m going to be,’ ” says Mah, a fifth-year political science major. “It was that moment when I found out that I could have a community here. It’s like a second home.”
Ariana Mah
Despite feeling apprehensive when starting at Glendon, Mah quickly became involved. She entered her first year as a Top Scholar and has since sat on several committees, including serving as the Chair of Glendon’s Student Caucus and as a member of the Faculty Council’s Committee on Academic Standards, Teaching and Learning, where she actively discusses policy planning and academic expectations with her professors and peers.
She has been an undergraduate representative for the Board of Governors since 2022, where she dedicates her time to a multitude of issues, including improving student well-being and advocating for increased diversity at York. Mah also progressed from a section editor of Glendon’s bilingual student newspaper, Pro Tem, to editor-in-chief.
Her impact has not gone unnoticed. Mah, who also has a certificate in law and social thought, is one of 11 recipients of the Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award, which annually recognizes students whose leadership has contributed to the growth, development and vitality of the University.
Now in its 11th year, the award was created in honour of Robert J. Tiffin, who served as York University’s vice-president, students, from 2005 to 2012. University members nominate individuals who demonstrate leadership and make valuable contributions to the York community.
“I’m always impressed by the diversity of ways in which student leadership occurs at York,” says Tiffin. “The importance of active participation in the University, inside and outside the classroom, cannot be overstated. It is through this engagement that student leaders unlock their own potential and empower others to do the same, creating a ripple effect that extends beyond their time at York.”
Mah is honoured by the nomination and recognition.
“As a student leader, we don’t necessarily do the work we do for these awards, but it is always nice to be acknowledged for what we put forward,” she says. “Winning this award will encourage me in the coming year to continue to strive for the betterment of student life on campus and for better representation of students, especially undergraduate students.”
This award recognizes students who have a wide impact on the York community. “We are all grateful for your pride in the institution and desire to be ambassadors for York,” says Yvette Munro, assistant vice-provost, student success. “Your work makes a difference and makes our institution – and, more importantly, the student experience – better.”
Mah says her involvement at York has helped her find her voice and she is motivated to help other students find theirs as well.
“The idea of the student voice inspires me and my work,” she says. “I know a lot of my peers are unsure about navigating student leadership or student governance – it’s kind of a scary thing to sit in rooms full of professors or University staff. I want to continue representing those that may not feel comfortable voicing their opinions, but also encourage others to try these things out, too.”
When thinking ahead to the future, Mah has a few ideas. She says she is interested in eventually pursuing a master’s in journalism, focusing on learning more languages or working within legislature and policy.
This year’s Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award recipients also include:
Alita Gideon, master of science, kinesiology and health science: Gideon has served as a class representative and has mentored underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). She has also served on the York Federation of Students, most recently as the vice-president, equity, commissioner, and her contributions as an undergraduate student mentor have had an impact on individual students, both within the Faculty of Health and across the University.
Amireza Nikzadfar Goli,honours bachelor of science, kinesiology and health science: Goli was a founder of the Undergraduate Health Research Exploration Program (UHRE) and also helped to found and co-ordinate York University’s first-ever Conference of Undergraduate Health Research. He has also supported students as the Chair of the Student Advisory Committee and served as a student senator with the Faculty of Health.
Ana Kraljević, bilingual honoursbachelor of arts and bachelor of education: Kraljević has served as the president of Glendon’s Student Union. She has also represented the York community as a president’s ambassador and played a key role in the Glendon Tournament, a web-based initiative to help increase student engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Arman Sadr, bachelor of science, biomedical science: Sadr has been involved with Bethune College since his first year at York, most recently serving as the president of the Bethune College Council, where he represented and supported the growth of the community. Sadr has also served as the executive vice-president and vice-president, athletics, for the council.
Christina Da Costa, honours specialized bachelor of arts, Indigenous studies: Da Costa has been actively involved with the Indigenous Student’s Association at York (ISAY). She has served as the president and has made various contributions to Indigenous life at York, including as an ISAY representative on the Indigenous Council of York and by planning and hosting the 20th and 21st All Nations Pow Wow.
Kaye Trishia Canoy, honours bachelor of arts, psychology and linguistics: Canoy has served as both as the president of Calumet College Council and co-president of the Undergraduate Psychology Student Association. She is also the co-founder of Lingua Franca, an initiative that aims to support English as a second language students at York.
Mohamed Elsayed Elghobashy, bachelor of science, kinesiology and health science: Elsayed Elghobashy has served as the president of the Kinesiology and Health Sciences Student Association and is a co-founder of the Undergraduate Health Research Exploration program. He has been involved in other leadership roles as a student senator, and has been equally active in supporting others in the community.
Mustafa Abdulkadhim, honours bachelor of science, biomedical science: Abdulkadhim has served as a class representative for STEM courses and has been a member of the Science Student Caucus and volunteered as a research assistant for multiple labs. Abdulkadhim has also been a peer tutor with the Undergraduate Psychology Student Association and a member of the Committee on Examination and Academic Standards.
Nathi Mbuso Zamisa, master of arts, social and political thought: Zamisa has served as the president of the York University Graduate Students’ Association. He has also served as the Chair of the York Community Housing Association and has been a representative on various committees, including the Advisory Council on Black Inclusion and the Student Representative Roundtable.
Prabhjee Singh, honours bachelor of science, computer science: Singh has served as the Lassonde Student Government president, where he implemented new policies and organized multiple events. He has also actively participated in the Student Caucus and the Student Representative Roundtable, and has volunteered with York International.
The recipients’ names will be added to the awards display wall in the Vari Hall Rotunda.
About the award
The Robert Tiffin Student Leadership Awards recognize students whose leadership has contributed to the growth, development and vitality of York University. Established in 2012, these awards are named after Robert Tiffin, who served as York University’s vice-president, students, for nine years. Through his strong leadership, dedication and integrity, Tiffin transformed his operation into one of the most professional student service organizations in the country, serving one of Canada’s largest student populations.
Four York researchers receive grants for knowledge mobilization projects
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Four York University researchers have been awarded 2023 Connection Grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for various knowledge mobilization projects, ranging in topic from local Indigenous history education to youth affected by conflict in Africa to corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
Connection Grants support events, workshops and outreach activities that often lead to longer-term research projects and enable scholarly exchanges with academic and non-academic partners, and collaboration between the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
The York recipients for this latest round of funding include Jennifer Bonnell, Alan Corbiere and Annie Bunting, professors in the Faculty of Liberal & Professional Studies, and Barnali Choudhury, a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School.
“York University is a national leader in knowledge mobilization efforts and these successful grant recipients exemplify our research community’s exceptional talents in this area,” said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation at York. “With SSHRC’s support, our faculty members can more broadly engage, collaborate and share their work with the public. Congratulations to Dr. Bonnell, Dr. Corbiere, Dr. Bunting and Dr. Choudhury as they apply their research in ways that create lasting positive change.”
Jennifer BonnellAlan CorbiereAnnie BuntingBarnali Choudhury
Bonnell and Corbiere’s project, “Changing the Narrative: Connecting Indigenous and Settler Histories at Black Creek Pioneer Village,” received $43,911. The project brings together a team from York, the University of Toronto and Black Creek Pioneer Village, a history museum, to mobilize SSHRC-funded research to support the development of a permanent exhibition and associated programming on the Indigenous history of the northern Greater Toronto Area and its interconnections with settler history at Black Creek Pioneer Village.
Bunting’s project, “Youth and Gender Violence – Health and Gender Justice,” received $25,000. Bunting and her team will organize virtual workshops with youth and young adult survivors of violence in several African countries in crises (Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia), researchers, filmmakers and practitioners working with youth to develop a research program that focuses on intergenerational trauma and psycho-social needs of youth affected by conflict.
Choudhury’s project, “Sustainability impacts of Canadian companies,” received $17,776. The grant will support a conference that will bring together scholars from around the world to collaborate on ways to better address Canadian corporations’ impacts on sustainability issues. The conference will look to develop legislation and other regulatory vehicles to address corporate responsibility and feature a keynote speech by a member of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights.
The York researchers were among 66 recipients across the country to receive funding.
Women entrepreneurs thrive thanks to York, Visa Canada partnership
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By Lindsay MacAdam, communications officer, YFile
Last month, Visa Canada announced the 10 recipients of its 2023 She’s Next Grant Program in partnership with York University, supporting women-owned businesses spanning a wide range of consumer products and services. The program rewards business owners with a $10,000 grant and a four-month mentorship from York’s YSpace ELLA accelerator program.
David Kwok
“We are so excited to be partnering with Visa and their She’s Next program to support women entrepreneurs across the country,” said David Kwok, associate director of entrepreneurship at Innovation York. “By pairing the $10,000 grant with expertise mentorship that is catered to business needs, we are driving tangible impacts with each business we support. This partnership will not only elevate York University’s brand as a premier entrepreneurial hub, but also position YSpace ELLA, our women’s accelerator program, as an exceptional resource for women entrepreneurs.”
ELLA is providing the Visa She’s Next Grant Program recipients with valuable mentorship, access to educational resources and networking opportunities. “We offer a bespoke experience by ensuring each participant sets up objectives and key results, and uses the mentorship to drive those,” said Kwok. “The participant connects with the mentors on a biweekly basis to drive through strategic elements, while working with our team to ensure progress and accountability.”
Out of the thousands of applicants to this year’s Visa She’s Next Grant Program, 10 inspiring entrepreneurs were selected as winners, and here are three of their stories.
Nuria Madrenas
Nuria Madrenas
Nuria Madrenas is the founder of Tacit, an online art gallery and consultancy dedicated to amplifying female creatives to the emerging art collector. Madrenas graduated from York with a bachelor of arts in communications in 2016 and worked in public relations and marketing for various fashion and lifestyle brands before her foray into entrepreneurship. As an artist herself, and having worked with many artists on campaigns and events, she recognized a gap in the market between the entry-level art marketplaces and the often intimidating world of high-end art. Tacit occupies that space in between.
“I would always ask [artists], ‘Where do you sell your work?,’ ” she said. “It felt like there was no suitable platform. It was either these entry-level, oversaturated marketplaces, where you’re competing with makers of all kinds, or the intimidating world of blue-chip art that felt out of reach at the time.”
After doing some research, Madrenas discovered a disturbing disparity between women and men in the visual arts: women account for a mere two per cent of all art sold. “So I set out to create this platform that solved the many pain points I found,” she said.
Madrenas started her business back in 2019 with 10 local artists, and has since expanded to upwards of 70 – from Canada, the U.S., Europe and Australia. Beyond the e-commerce site, Tacit also provides art consultancy services for both residential and commercial clients.
This was Madrenas’s third time applying to the Visa She’s Next Grant Program, and her persistence finally paid off with this full-circle moment: “I graduated seven years ago, and now to get that mentorship from my alma mater, it’s really exciting,” she said. “I’ve been on my own throughout this process, and I find that sometimes it’s a bit isolating. I’m excited to get some fresh, new perspectives, and to get support from somebody with B2B experience…. I’ve identified that as an area of focus.”
Natalie Sabri
Natalie Sabri
Natalie Sabri is the founder of The Dough Parlour, which manufactures sweet, fruit-scented play dough made from non-toxic, all-natural, food-grade ingredients. The mother of four has an undergraduate degree in political science, and studied early childhood education before becoming a preschool teacher and eventually opening her own preschool business.
But after spending nearly a decade experimenting with homemade play dough recipes for her children that other parents would always ask about, Sabri decided to pivot into consumer packaged goods. She branded her sweet-smelling play dough around the idea of an old-fashioned ice-cream parlour, where customers choose their own scents, and that has been her main differentiator in the market.
“Everything that goes into our play dough is food grade,” said Sabri, “so if a child puts it in their mouth by mistake, it’s it’s 100 per cent safe.”
Based in Oakville, Ont., the company launched in 2017, and Sabri made an appearance on CBC’s “Dragons’ Den” just four months later, where she happily accepted a business deal from Boston Pizza founder Jim Treliving.
Her e-commerce business has been steadily growing ever since, with a recent, unexpected boost from famous moms Kim Kardashian and Chrissy Teigen, who accepted her unsponsored product gifting and decided to share their delight on Instagram. “[Kardashian] called it the best-smelling, cutest play dough she’s ever seen,” said Sabri, “and our business saw $25,000 in sales overnight. That’s why they call them influencers, right?”
The Dough Parlour also has a presence in well-known retailers such as Indigo and Anthropologie, and Sabri hopes to take the business overseas in the coming years with the help of the Visa She’s Next Grant Program and the accompanying YSpace ELLA mentorship.
Coincidentally, Sabri enrolled in the ELLA Ascend program in June, just two weeks before finding out she had been selected as a recipient of the Visa grant. The win will extend the length of her existing mentorship by four months, and she couldn’t be more grateful.
“I have three amazing mentors in the ELLA program,” said Sabri. “They have a wealth of knowledge that they so lovingly give to to us. The mentorship has really helped with structuring my business and directing me to loans and government programs. And even from a therapeutic perspective, having them listen to the daily struggles that [women entrepreneurs] go through and offering support has been so valuable.”
Chantal Bekhor
Chantal Bekhor
Born and raised in Montreal, Chantal Bekhor, founder of VG Gourmet Vegetarian Foods, worked as an elementary school teacher for a decade before embarking on her entrepreneurial journey in 2015.
As a consumer of plant-based products for many years, Bekhor saw a gap in the market for a burger made with fresh, gourmet ingredients and without the preservatives and fillers that are all-too common in meat alternatives. She decided to set out to find a partner kitchen to produce her vegan burger recipes, and she hasn’t looked back since.
Today, VG Gourmet has over 13 products available in more than 1,500 grocery stores and restaurants throughout Canada, including Whole Foods and Farm Boy, and she’s hoping to expand to new markets with the help of the the Visa She’s Next Grant.
“I was specifically interested in the mentorship that Visa was offering,” said Bekhor. “I thought this could be a really great opportunity for me to grow personally. I find, as an entrepreneur, it’s a little bit lonely. I’m hoping to learn a lot, and to be able to connect with the other entrepreneurs.”
And even though the program has barely kicked off, Bekhor has already benefited from the supportive community it has provided: “We had an event in Toronto a couple weeks ago,” she said, “and it was so refreshing to talk to other women entrepreneurs. We’ve built a little community after spending only one day together – we clicked.”
About YSpace ELLA
ELLA is the women’s accelerator program offered by YSpace, York University’s entrepreneurship and innovation hub, with funding from the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy. The ELLA team consists of experienced professionals with diverse backgrounds in business and entrepreneurship, who provide the tailored support that women entrepreneurs need to be successful.
YSpace works to facilitate and maximize the commercial, economic, and social impacts of research and innovation, and to create a culture of engaged scholarship and experiential learning. To learn more about YSpace and its initiatives, visit yorku.ca/yspace.
PhD nursing student receives Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral Award
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Danielle Washington, the first student in York University’s PhD in Nursing program to be awarded the Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral (CGS-D) Award, was honoured for her research, titled “Exploring the Mental Well-Being of Black Women Living in Poverty and at Risk of Intimate Partner Violence.”
The CGS-D is one of the two listed awards within the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Research Award program and includes $35,000 of funding to support students pursuing a doctorate in a health-related field in Canada.
Danielle Washington
“I am very grateful for the CIHR doctoral award. The financial support will allow me to increase my focus on my doctoral studies,” says Washington, whose doctoral work is being supervised by Nazilla Khanlou, professor and Women’s Health Research Chair in Mental Heath. “I am also thankful for the support of Dr. Khanlou and the School of Nursing professors at York University who have been and continue to be very instrumental in my graduate journey.”
In the upcoming year, Washington – a registered nurse in the mental health field, with experience working with marginalized populations– will use the three-year funding to carry out research focusing on the mental well-being of Black women who experience poverty and intimate partner violence.
She aims to promote an understanding of the interplay between poverty, intimate partner violence and mental well-being for Black Canadian women, while identifying the facilitators and barriers Black women encounter when accessing support services. Washington plans to engage in knowledge translation and dissemination activities throughout her research career and incorporate her research findings into ongoing advocacy, health policy development and mental health initiatives. She looks forward to seeing how her research will contribute to the Canadian health-care field during and beyond the tenure of her award.
k2i receives $400K donation from 407 ETR
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York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering k2i (kindergarten to industry) academy will put a $400,000 donation from the 407 ETR towards programming that will help dismantle systemic barriers for underrepresented groups in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and prepare the next generation for careers in these fields.
The donation was announced at an on-campus event at the Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence, where leadership from Lassonde and 407 ETR were on hand to speak to the importance of the initiative and what this gift would mean for the programming offered through k2i.
“We launched the k2i academy three years ago with the idea of bringing STEM learning to life,” says Jane Goodyer, dean of Lassonde. “The k2i academy is a sandbox for innovation in STEM education, building a network of collaborative partners, committed to creating systemic change in our education system. With this gift, Lassonde will continue our work to increase equity, diversity and inclusion, and create a talent pipeline in STEM through job-ready training and innovative learning models.”
Lisa Cole
The donation will be divided equally between two programs, administered by Lisa Cole, director of the k2i academy.
The first program, the 407 ETR Path2STEM Fund, will support a micro-credentialled Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program. SHSMs allow students to gain experiences and develop skills toward their high-school diploma in Ontario while focusing on a specific economic sector. The 407 ETR Path2STEM Fund will be used to create a series of innovative SHSM experiences in engineering and digital technologies. Geared toward diverse learners, the program will prepare students for innovative post-secondary programs and meaningful STEM careers.
407 ETR President and CEO Javier Tamargo says his organization is keen to invest in a highly skilled and diverse workforce that can meet the challenges of tomorrow.
“407 ETR is a company rooted in STEM. In fact, about half of our workforce is employed in a STEM-related position ranging from data analytics and IT to traffic and tolling. These professionals are integral to our business, and so is ensuring that our team is reflective of the vibrant communities we serve,” says Tamargo. “That starts with doing our part to help foster a diverse talent pool, which is why we’re so proud to support the Lassonde School and York University’s work to move more youth into the pipeline towards rewarding academic and professional careers in STEM.”
The second program, the 407 ETR Work Integrated Learning Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Fund, will specifically be geared to help k2i expand its offerings to students underrepresented in STEM, including women, Black and Indigenous youth, and those from low-income communities. Since 2020, k2i has been offering paid summer work opportunities for students in grades 10, 11 and 12 while gaining school credit. The programming is done in partnership with the Toronto District School Board, York Region District School Board and Peel District School Board. Students receive 140 hours of paid work with an added opportunity to earn a high-school prerequisite credit for STEM pathways while learning skills in coding, design, electronics and more. This year’s on-campus program offered a unique Grade 12 English credit, rooting language and communication in hands-on science and engineering experiences.
Students are empowered to explore, question, wonder and discover through interactive learning experiences to strengthen skills in computational thinking, coding, electronics, engineering design, 3D modelling and creativity. Combining work and learning provides an innovative way for students to explore possibilities in STEM careers, connect with networks and mentors to launch their interests in post-secondary studies, gain experience in developing STEM skills, and strengthen professional skills in communication, collaboration and problem-solving.
“With this generous donation from 407 ETR, we will continue our journey of offering paid educational experiences to underrepresented students in environments that are dynamic, innovative and collaborative,” says Cole. “We’ve already reached 6,000-plus youth and offered more than 175,000 hours of learning, and we’re thrilled to be able to expand this work and hit our next milestones.”
407 ETR has been a supporter of the Lassonde School of Engineering and York for over a decade. In 2013, a donation was made to support the 407 ETR Learning Laboratory, home to pre-laboratory training, theory and application for a generation of civil engineering students.
