Order of Ontario appoints York-affiliated changemakers

November 8, 2023

Order of Ontario medal (source: Wikimedia Commons)

A total of four individuals with affiliations to York University are among those invested this year with the province’s highest honour, the Order of Ontario.

Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor The Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell — Lieutenant-governor of Ontario, Elizabeth Dowdeswell

The four were among 26 new appointments announced by Elizabeth Dowdeswell, lieutenant-governor of Ontario and chancellor of the Order of Ontario.

The Order of Ontario recognizes exceptional leaders from all walks of life and diverse fields of endeavour whose impact and lasting legacy have played an important role in building a stronger province, country and world.

“As chancellor of the Order of Ontario, I am proud to recognize the Order’s 2022 appointees. These remarkable Ontarians demonstrate outstanding merit and excellence in many diverse disciplines, including the arts, science, education, sports and human rights,” said Dowdeswell. “In reflecting the best of Ontario, they inspire the best in ourselves. On behalf of a grateful province, I offer my warmest congratulations.”

The incoming lieutenant-governor, Edith Dumont, will bestow the province’s highest honour to the new appointees in a ceremony taking place on Nov. 27.

The 2023 appointees with York affiliations are:

Dyane Adam, donor and former faculty

A former principal of York University’s Glendon College, Dyane Adam became the first woman and Franco-Ontarian to serve as Canadian commissioner of official languages. She did so from 1999 to 2006, protecting and promoting linguistic duality across Canada. Her bold leadership and determination helped her overcome extraordinary challenges to succeed in writing a report, during her tenure as Chair of the French Language University Planning Board, that would serve as the government’s basis for legislating the creation of the Université de l’Ontario Français in 2018. She has also received numerous awards, including being made Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes académiques de la France and Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Pléiade de l’Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, and receiving the Golden Jubilee Medal of the Order of Canada in 2013.

Christina Jennings, alumna

Christina Jennings is the founder, Chair and president of Shaftesbury, one of Canada’s largest production companies, and the nation’s only women-led entertainment company. She has helped the province become an important creative hub for original Canadian content, including the widely popular “Murdoch Mysteries,” which she executive produces. A recognized global leader, Jennings was named Playback Magazine’s Producer of the Decade and one of the 20 Most Powerful Women in Global Entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter. She currently serves as the Chair of the Canadian Film Centre Board of Directors, and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2019.

Arthur Lockhart, alumnus

As a filmmaker, author, teacher and advocate, Arthur Lockhart has transformed the narrative around childhood sexual abuse for tens of thousands of people, turning trauma into triumph. As a professor in the Faculty of Social & Community Services at Humber College, he saw the need for a facility where victims could share their stories in a space of safety and compassion, which led to the creation of the Gatehouse, an organization that provides a safe environment for those impacted by childhood abuse. The Gatehouse opened its doors in 1998, bringing Lockhart’s vision and action, “hear the child, heal the world,” to life. For his work providing training and organizational transformation consultation on the local, national and international levels, he has received numerous awards, including the City of Toronto Mayor’s Community Safety Award.

Ajay Virmani, government body member and donor

Ajay Virmani is president and CEO of Cargojet, Canada’s largest cargo airline, which he formed in 2002. Starting out as as window washer, he rose to be recognized as a Globe and Mail Report on Business Top CEO and 2020 Strategist of the Year and an Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young, and honoured with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. In fewer than 20 years, he has overseen the growth of Cargojet, making it the largest overnight air cargo airline servicing both domestic and international markets. Furthermore, he founded the Virmani Family Foundation, which has become one of the most significant charitable organizations in Ontario – a benefactor to multiple women’s shelters, hospitals and health-care initiatives. He has also served on York University’s Board of Governors.

York alum, faculty among Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100

November 7, 2023

Seven York University alum and one faculty member have been recognized as female leaders in Canada who work to build positive change and empower others. The women are recipients of the WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards for 2023.

WXN is a Canadian national organization that celebrates the advancement of women. Launched in 2003, the Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards celebrate the incredible accomplishments of Canada’s top female executive talent as well as their organizations and networks.

The 2023 winners will be celebrated in person at the 21st annual Top 100 Awards Gala, hosted at the Fairmont Royal York Toronto on Nov. 30.

The Top 100 Awards span the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, with the winners selected by WXN’s Diversity Council of Canada. The awards are presented to remarkable women in 12 categories. York recipients earned awards in five of those categories.

Below are this year’s winners and the categories for which they were recognized.

Amex Emerging Leaders

This award recognizes women between the ages of 30 to 40 years, who have been targeted for successive leadership positions within their organizations and have a proven passion for learning and innovation.

A master connector, Rochelle Atizado is senior advisor, partnerships and special initiatives at the United Nations Foundation and leads social impact partnerships with purpose-driven companies, creative community, civil society, young people and the UN to propel the sustainable development goals forward. Atizado is also a UN published writer. A Filipino Canadian hailing from Toronto, Atizado holds a bilingual masters of public and international affairs from Glendon College, York University. Having worked in Canada, Switzerland and the U.S., Atizado is now based in New York City.

Brittany Straitton is a dynamic leader with retail experience that spans merchandising, marketing, financial planning and replenishment. As vice-president of forecasting, replenishment and planning at the Canadian Tire Corporation, Ltd., Straitton is responsible for the correct timing of the $11-billion flow of goods from vendors to Canadian Tire stores at the right quantities. Passionate for promoting diversity and inclusion, she was one of the founders of CTC’s Families Employee Resource Group. Straitton holds an honours BBA from Brock University and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Compass Rose Entrepreneurs

This award recognizes women who own and operate thriving businesses.

Lisa Melchior, a Schulich School of Business alumna, has been a successful private equity investor for more than 25 years and has global investing expertise in enterprise software. Melchior is a thought leader in her sector and has sat on numerous public and private boards across North America and Europe. She is the first woman in Canada to launch a private equity fund, as she is the founder and manager partner of Vertu Capital, a technology private equity fund supporting the growth of the Canadian tech ecosystem.

Professionals

This award recognizes women who are professionals in practice and play a leadership role within their organizations.

A full professor of law at Osgoode Hall Law School, Poonam Puri is an internationally recognized scholar of corporate law, corporate governance and capital markets regulation. She is the York Research Chair in corporate governance, investor protection and financial markets. Co-founder and director of the Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic, she chairs the board of directors of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto and serves on the board of the Canada Infrastructure Bank and Colliers.

BMO STEM

This award recognizes women in STEM roles who are challenging the status quo for knowledge and female empowerment.

An alumna of the Schulich School of Business, Victoria Granova is an industry leader, educator and passionate advocate for diversity and gender inclusion in the cybersecurity industry. Granova is a PhD student researching human-centric cybersecurity at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Cybersecurity Research Lab. She is also an instructor at Queen’s University, Toronto Metropolitan University and York University teaching enterprise cybersecurity and financial data privacy. Outside of teaching, Granova is a security technical program manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS), managing global vendor security, as well as the founder of CyberToronto, an edtech startup.

Women of Courage, presented by Richardson Wealth

This award recognizes women who champion Canada and its values across a diverse range of causes, with courage and compassion, even as it means risking their careers, reputations and, sometimes, their lives.

Domanique Grant, an alumna of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, leads Grant Creativity Inc., a BIPOC-owned, female-led Canadian social enterprise dedicated to increasing access and development for equity-seeking groups through wellness and entertainment-based programming. Her music has been at the forefront of some of the largest global movements of our time. Through Grant Creativity Inc., her work as a social entrepreneur includes founding The Imagine Summit, Canada’s first visualization, mental wellness and professional development summit. The Imagine Summit supports youth and entrepreneurs from underserved communities.

Lily Pourzand came to Canada as an asylum seeker from Iran at age 24 after graduating from law school. She continued her education in women’s studies and graduated with an LLM in feminism and law from Osgoode Hall Law School. Through her work as a director of programs for violence against women shelters, she provides services to women, children, immigrants and has become a leader in Social Services in York Region. Since 2021, Pourzand began to share her life experience in the media to shed light on women’s challenges and braveries.

An alumna of Osgoode Hall Law School, Lisa Raitt joined CIBC Capital Markets in January 2020, after careers in the public and private sectors. Her focus is on senior client coverage and business development with clients in the energy, infrastructure and industrial sectors. Previously, Raitt was the president and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority. She was elected into the House of Commons in 2008, and held three senior portfolios. Raitt was the deputy leader of the Official Opposition and the Conservative Party of Canada. She is currently the vice-chair and managing director, global investment banking at CIBC Capital Markets, as well as the co-chair of a Coalition for a Better Future.

About the Women’s Executive Network (WXN)

WXN (Women’s Executive Network), a member-based organization, is North America’s No. 1 and only organization that meaningfully propels and celebrates the advancement of professional women at all levels, in all sectors, and of all ages. WXN delivers this advancement through training, events, mentoring, networking and award and recognition programs for members and partners. WXN operates in Canada and the U.S.

Glendon School of Public and International Affairs director earns recognition from NATO

November 7, 2023

Glendon College’s new director of the Glendon School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), Susan Pond, has been recognized by the NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence (SFA COE) with the prestigious title of senior Fellow.

The award recognizes the relationship Pond developed with SFA COE in supporting its strategy and related products for the NATO Alliance and Partners.

Susan Pond accepting her award as a NATO SFA COE senior Fellow.

Senior Fellow is an honorary title awarded to highly distinguished senior experts who have forged positive connections with the NATO SFA COE and are committed to supporting its activities and projects on a continuing basis.

The NATO SFA COE is a multinational entity that provides expertise contributing to the development and experimentation of concepts and doctrines, and also conducts education and training activities for instructors, mentors and personnel belonging to other Nations.

The organization states its mission is “to improve effectiveness of the Alliance in promoting stability and reconstruction efforts for conflict and post-conflict scenarios through related lessons learned, education and training analysis, development of concept and doctrine activities” as well as “to provide a unique capability to Alliance, NATO Nations and NATO Partners in the field of SFA.”

The award was presented to Pond by Col. Matteo Luciani, director, and Maj. Ludovica Glorioso, legal advisor from NATO SFA, while on a visit to Glendon College, where they also met with Principal Marco Fiola and Professor Francis Garon, as well as students from Glendon’s Masters in Public and International Affairs (MAPI).

The presence of Luciani and Glorioso at the Glendon Campus was a follow up to the signature earlier this year of a Letter of Cooperation (LOC) between NATO SFA and Glendon.

“These meetings with NATO SFA COE representatives allowed us to further discuss the role of Glendon’s School of Public and International Affairs, in support of the development of an education hub, as well as a unique summer internship opportunities for MAPI students at the SFA Centre of Excellence in Rome,” said Pond.

Pond was recently at the offices of the Italian delegation to the United Nations on Oct. 31, where she was given the opportunity to speak about York University and Glendon College, as well as the University’s role in support of ongoing research. Previous to her role as director, Pond served Glendon as a senior Fellow where she taught graduate students and provided expertise on defence and security issues. She also served in several leadership roles at NATO for more than three decades.

The Glendon School of Public and International Affairs is preparing for an exciting year of programming, beginning with the Glendon Global Debate event “Arctic security, are we ready for the future?” on Nov. 29.

Professor to honour Canadian wartime nurses

November 7, 2023

Andrea McKenzie, associate professor and Chair of the Writing Department in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies at York University, has been asked by the Western Front Association (WFA) to place a wreath in honour of Canadian nurses at the Cenotaph in London, England, in Nov. 11 ceremonies honouring veterans of the First World War.

The Cenotaph is a war memorial unveiled in 1920 as the United Kingdom’s national memorial to the dead of Britain and the British Empire of the First World War. In 1946 it was designated to include the fallen from the Second World War. The memorial has become a central location for the annual services organized on Remembrance Sunday – the U.K. equivalent of Canada’s Remembrance Day – where crowds gather to observe two minutes of silence, and wreaths are laid by distinguished representatives to honour the fallen.

The invitation to place a wreath honouring the role of Canadian nurses during the First World War is, in part, a recognition of McKenzie’s ongoing work and expertise around the subject. In the past, McKenzie has provided articles and presentations to the WFA – both in person and virtually – on the sometimes little known or unrecognized role Canadian nurses played in the conflict. It was a 2018 event at the National Army Museum in London that first drew WFA organizer’s attention to McKenzie’s work, and led now to the invitation to place a wreath in this year’s Remembrance Sunday’s ceremony.

Following the ceremony and the laying of her wreath, McKenzie will read a poem to dignitaries at the Guards’ Chapel in Westminster as part of a service to commemorate veterans who served during the First World War, those who were lost in the war and those who mourned them.

McKenzie’s ongoing work has also included numerous publications and lectures about Canadian nurses’ experiences during the First World War in Canada and Europe. She is also the author and editor of War-Torn Exchanges: The Lives and Letters of Nursing Sisters Laura Holland and Mildred Forbes (UBC Press, 2016), a book of letters written by Canadian nurses during the First World War.

New book explores Toronto’s Bloor Viaduct bridge history

November 3, 2023

Paul McLaughlin, an award-winning writer and course director at York University’s Writing Department, has released The Suicide Magnet: Inside the Battle to Erect a Safety Barrier on Toronto’s Bloor Viaduct, which details the history of the barrier and the citizen volunteers who advocated for its existence.

From 1918 to 1997, Toronto’s Prince Edward Viaduct (more commonly referred to as the Bloor Viaduct) was once considered the second most used suicide bridge in North America. During that time frame nearly 500 individuals used it to end their lives.

McLaughlin’s new book recounts the story of how a group of volunteers led by two citizens – Al Birney and Michael McCamus – underwent a six-year journey to advocate to help those with mental health challenges, and push Toronto’s City Hall to fund and construct a suicide barrier on the bridge.

The Suicide Magnet is the latest achievement for McLaughlin in an award-winning career that has spanned more than four decades of writing and teaching. He is the author of several books, numerous magazine articles, several plays, and has also worked as a broadcaster and producer at CBC Radio. He has been teaching writing – currently third- and fourth-year courses in the Professional Writing Program – at York University since 2006. His most recent book, published in 2022, was an extension of his teaching called Asking the Best Questions: A comprehensive interviewing handbook for journalists, podcasters, bloggers, vloggers, influencers, and anyone who asks questions under pressure.

For more information about The Suicide Magnet, or to secure a copy of McLaughlin’s new book, visit Dundurn Press.

PhD candidate receives fellowship to bring Indigenous lens to STEM

November 1, 2023

Andrew McConnell, a PhD candidate at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering, has been awarded an Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology (IBET) Fellowship to transform the future of technical science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for Indigenous students.

The IBET program, which works in partnership with more than a dozen higher education institutions across Canada, was created to help reduce systemic barriers that exist for Indigenous and Black scholars pursuing doctoral degrees in STEM by providing financial support and academic mentorship. As part of the IBET program, Lassonde aims to increase representation in STEM, while uplifting decolonization, equity, diversity and inclusion.

McConnell is the first Indigenous student to receive the IBET Fellowship at Lassonde and is grateful for the four-year, $30,000-per-year financial support provided. “For the first time in my life, I have the freedom to solely focus on my passion instead of working multiple jobs to help pay for schooling,” he says.

With that passion, his intentions are to pursue the overcoming of challenges faced by the Indigenous community in STEM fields. “We need to start talking about the barriers that lead Indigenous people away from professional career paths like engineering; we need to build a system that truly supports us,” says McConnell.

He will do so by drawing on experiences, which includes working at the York Region District School Board in various roles such as teacher and department head for technological education, as well as teaching advisor, co-ordinator and board lead for First Nations, Métis and Inuit education.

“Working as a consultant for Indigenous education, I built a sense of community and belonging, but I also noticed the ways the education system was not serving Indigenous people,” he says. “The barriers start as early as kindergarten. Young students who are great at fixing things and love to tinker are moved into trades, as if they are not good enough to be scientists or engineers. This makes us limited in what we can contribute to the needs of our communities and causes us to be reliant on non-Indigenous people. I want to uplift Indigenous ways of problem solving to introduce students to technical subjects in STEM, encourage them to ask questions and build a practical foundation for their natural engineering minds.”

Supervised by Professor Melanie Baljko in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, McConnell will apply his extensive educational and professional background in English, education, digital media and technology to explore, develop and inform new approaches to Indigenous education in STEM. McConnell is also enrolled in the school’s Digital Media program, which operates jointly with York’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, allowing learners to do specialized hybrid research, uniquely combining computational science and artistic practices.

In addition to his research, McConnell will extend his expertise to York’s Waaban Indigenous Teacher Education program. Through teachings from Indigenous elders, educators and community leaders, the program aims to prepare the next generation of teachers, who will address the needs of First Nation, Métis and Inuit students, families and communities – putting Indigenous futures in Indigenous hands.

Glendon student earns National Youth of the Year award

November 1, 2023

A third-year psychology student at York University’s Glendon College has earned the 2023 National Youth of the Year award from BGC Canada, the country’s largest child- and youth-serving charitable and community services organization. The award is presented in partnership with Hyundai Canada.

Sebastian Cifuente is BGC Canada’s 2023 National Youth of the Year (CNW Group/BGC Canada) — Sebastian Cifuentes is BGC Canada’s 2023 National Youth of the Year (CNW Group/BGC Canada).

Sebastian Cifuentes was selected for his outstanding leadership, service and achievements within his community at BGC West Scarborough. As a natural-born leader within his club, Cifuentes says he wants to use his voice to amplify those in his community that need to be heard. He plans to share his experiences as a child of immigrant parents to help others understand the value of making opportunities, resources and programs accessible to families.

Youth of the Year is BGC Canada’s national initiative, now in its third year, that acknowledges and honours exceptional young individuals. It strives to inspire young people to serve as active role models and advocates for youth across the country.

“Sebastian is an incredible volunteer and contributor to BGC West Scarborough and to his community. I am extremely proud of him and all of our participants in the Youth of the Year program,” says Owen Charters, president and chief executive officer of BGC Canada. “As BGC ambassadors, they are working to define the next generation of young people through their compassion, dedication and drive. They have already made a strong impact on their local communities and clubs, and I can’t wait to see what they do next as they continue to grow and thrive.”

As an aspiring educator, Cifuentes is also the founder of the Homework Help Program at BGC West Scarborough – a one-to-one after-school academic support program for children within schools around the community. He was moved to start this program after his own experiences, and realizing many youth in his community had difficulty finding support for their homework, living in homes where English is not the first language. Cifuentes continues to advocate for education as the key to unlocking someone’s full potential.

“Everyone has the power to be a leader, but not everyone recognizes it. BGC Canada has given me the opportunity to thrive and own who I am,” said Cifuentes. “My biggest passion is to work with the community and to help kids learn. It is my goal to become a teacher and work with youth full time.”

Youth of the Year winners receive prize packs, laptops and post-secondary scholarships, as well as media and leadership training to prepare them for the next two years as official BGC ambassadors.

The home club of each Youth of the Year recipient will also receive a grant to further support their youth engagement and leadership work. Learn more about Youth of the Year at bgccan.com/youth-of-the-year.

CIHR names York researcher for prestigious award

October 31, 2023

Hyekyoung (Cindy) Sung, a former postdoctoral Fellow and current research project manager at York University’s Sweeney Lab, received the CIHR Research Excellence, Diversity, and Independence Early Career Transition Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). She is the first York community member to receive the award.

Sung earned her doctor of philosophy in biology in 2017 at York University, followed by a York Outstanding Postdoctoral Fellowship later that year. In 2019, she earned CIHR postdoctoral Fellowship. Her research has been focused on the examination of skeletal muscle cells, insulin resistance, oxidative stress and more. Additionally, she has been involved in numerous research papers, including three published in 2023 so far.

The Early Career Transition Award that Sung received is part of the CIHR’s efforts to nurture a more equitable, diverse and inclusive health research ecosystem. The award was launched in December 2022 to provide mentorship and early-career support to specific under-represented groups of researchers.

It does so through a two-phase program that runs over the course of five to seven years. The first phase is mentored and includes a $20,000-per-year research allowance, a $70,000-per-year stipend, as well as mentorship and career development. The second phase includes at least $240,000 per year in research allowance, plus salary support and faculty mentorship.

Available to postdoctoral researchers, clinicians and research associates, the award uses a cohort-building approach to support winners’ transitions to successful, independent research careers in Canada and address the impact of racism and gender inequality on early-career researchers.

The Sweeney Lab researches cardiometabolic disease, how these diseases develop, and novel treatments and therapies, with a collaborative network of research groups across Canada as well as in Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, the U.S. and the U.K.

Student wins inaugural Faculty of Science award

October 31, 2023

3d golden star golden with lighting effect on black background. Template luxury premium award design. Vector illustration

Department of Mathematics & Statistics student Yibin Zheng is the inaugural recipient of the Global Engagement Funding Award (GEFA), created by the Faculty of Science to support York University science students who want to study or participate in academic activities abroad as part of their degree.

Zheng received the award in recognition of ongoing academic excellence and a profound commitment to expanding his research knowledge and skills across borders. Most recently, he demonstrated those qualities this summer by taking part in the Faculty of Science’s experiential education program, which led him to participate in a research internship in the Department of Applied Mathematics at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where he was responsible for using the Bayesian statistics theory to work with R, a programming language, and help solve statistical problems.

GEFA is part of the Faculty of Science’s efforts to support a wide variety of global experiences and perspectives for science students, notably eligible degree-seeking undergraduate students (domestic or international), by facilitating international academic experiences.

The award was spearheaded by the Office of International Collaborations & Partnerships within the Faculty and – recognizing the financial barriers that may deter students from engaging in enriching opportunities – is designed to extend financial aid to ambitious students like Zheng, enabling them to immerse themselves in global scientific communities and endeavours.

Schulich’s Master of Marketing program earns top spot in Canada

October 27, 2023

The QS World University Rankings has ranked the Master of Marketing program at York University’s Schulich School of Business No. 1 in Canada and 10th overall in North America.

To compile its 2024 ranking, QS surveyed 131 master of marketing programs in 26 countries around the world using a number of criteria, including employability, thought leadership, class and faculty diversity, value for money and alumni outcomes.

Schulich’s Master of Marketing program ranked 10th in the world in the category of Alumni Outcomes – the extent to which the school’s graduates have gone on to pursue highly successful careers.

“We’re very pleased to have been ranked the No. 1 master of marketing program in Canada and one of the top programs in North America,” said Schulich Dean Detlev Zwick. “Today’s ranking results are a reflection of our world-class faculty, the high quality of our students and program, and the success of our graduates.”

For more information about the 2024 QS master of marketing ranking, visit QS World University Rankings: Business Master’s 2024 – QS.

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Order of Ontario appoints York-affiliated changemakers