Welcome to YFile’s New Faces Feature Issue, part one
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Welcome to YFile’s New Faces Feature Issue 2021, part one. In this special issue, YFile introduces new faculty members joining the York University community and highlights those with new appointments.
The New Faces Feature Issue 2021 will run in two parts: part one on Friday, Sept. 3 and part two on Friday, Sept. 10.
In this issue, YFile welcomes new faculty members in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design; the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change; Glendon Campus; the Faculty of Health; and the Lassonde School of Engineering.
The Sept. 10 issue will include the Faculty of Education; the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies; Osgoode Hall Law School; the Schulich School of Business; and the Faculty of Science.
New Faces was conceived and edited by Ashley Goodfellow Craig, YFile deputy editor; Jenny Pitt-Clark, YFile editor; and Lindsay MacAdam, communications officer
Five new faculty members join the Lassonde School of Engineering
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This story is published in YFile’s New Faces Feature Issue 2021, part one. Every September, YFile introduces and welcomes those joining the York University community, and those with new appointments. Watch for part two on Sept. 10.
The Lassonde School of Engineering welcomes five new faculty members this fall: Amirali Amirsoleimani, Alvine Boaye Belle, Konstantinos Derpanis, Jennifer Tsai and Larry Zhang.
“I am pleased to welcome five new faculty members to the Lassonde community this year,” said Jane Goodyer, dean, Lassonde School of Engineering. “As a school, we are committed to creating positive change for our students, our communities and the world around us, and our new faculty members will help propel us forward by educating our future engineers and scientists and pursuing impactful research. We value the different backgrounds and experiences that professors Amirsoleimani, Boaye Belle, Derpanis, Tsai and Zhang will bring as they support us in solving complex, real-world issues on a global scale.”
Amirali Amirsoleimani
Amirali Amirsoleimani
Amirali Amirsoleimani is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Lassonde. He received his PhD in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Windsor in December 2017 and completed his postdoctoral research fellowship at the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Toronto in July.
His current research interests include application-specific processing units, in-memory computing, neuromorphic hardware design and RRAM-based accelerators for artificial intelligence. He received the IEEE Larry K. Wilson Award in 2016. He was also the recipient of a best poster honourable mention at the 2017 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks in Alaska. He has been a guest editor of the Frontiers in Electronics and Frontiers in Nanotechnology journals and is serving as a reviewer for several electrical and computer engineering journals, including IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I (TCASI), TCAS II, TNANO, TVLSI, TED, Frontiers in Neuroscience, Microelectronics Journal and Neural Computing & Applications.
Alvine Boaye Belle
Alvine Boaye Belle
Alvine Boaye Belle is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Lassonde. She holds a PhD in software engineering from the University of Quebec (Ecole de Technologie Supérieure). She has completed a two-year industrial postdoctoral degree in software engineering at the University of Ottawa, under the supervision of Professor Timothy Lethbridge. After completing her postdoctoral degree, she worked for the federal public service while completing a graduate diploma in public administration and governance at McGill University.
Boaye Belle’s previous research focused on software maintenance and evolution, optimization, system assurance, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Her current research focuses on the assurance of intelligent software systems throughout their lifecycle. Outside of academia, Boaye Belle is a mother, she speaks both French and English, is passionate about poetry and has won several contests with her work.
Konstantinos Derpanis
Kosta Derpanis
Konstantinos “Kosta” Derpanis joins Lassonde as an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He received a BSc Hons. in computer science from the University of Toronto in 2000, an MSc in computer science (supervised by Professor John Tsotsos and Professor Richard Wildes) from York University in 2003 and a PhD in computer science (supervised by Prof. Wildes) from York in 2010.
For his dissertation work, Derpanis received the Canadian Image Processing and Pattern Recognition Society 2010 Doctoral Dissertation Award honourable mention. Subsequently, he was a postdoctoral researcher in the GRASP Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2012, he joined the Department of Computer Science at Ryerson University as an associate professor.
Derpanis currently serves as an associate editor of the IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence journal. This year, he is also serving as an area Chair for AAAI 2021, ICRA 2021, CVPR 2021 and ICCV 2021. His main research field of interest is computer vision, with an emphasis on motion analysis and human motion understanding and related aspects in image processing and machine learning.
Jennifer Tsai
Jennifer Tsai
Jennifer Tsai joins Lassonde as a sessional assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering. She holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from McMaster University, an MSc in aerospace engineering from the University of Washington and a BSc in aerospace engineering from National Chung Kung University in Taiwan.
Tsai’s research background includes waterjet dissector design, emission of pulsed combustion and elastomeric material design. She has experience in computational fluid dynamics, material modelling and machine learning, and several years of industrial experience as a computational analysis engineer. Her current research interests include fluid-structure interactions, micro aerial vehicles under harsh environments, energy harvesting and open educational resources.
Larry Zhang
Larry Zhang
Larry Yueli Zhang is an assistant professor in the teaching stream in Lassonde’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. His teaching and research interests include data structures, algorithms, computer organization, operating systems, computer networks, distributed systems, social network analysis and computing education.
Prior to joining York University, Zhang completed his PhD in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto and served as a teaching faculty member in the Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences at the University of Toronto Mississauga.
Faculty of Health welcomes seven new faculty members
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This story is published in YFile’s New Faces Feature Issue 2021, part one. Every September, YFile introduces and welcomes those joining the York University community, and those with new appointments. Watch for part two on Sept. 10.
Seven new faculty members join the Faculty of Health at York University this fall, with appointments in the School of Global Health, the School of Kinesiology and Health Science, and the Department of Psychology.
Dean Paul McDonald welcomed the new faculty members to the University.
“The Faculty of Health has added excellent new faculty members at a time when COVID has highlighted the importance of health, health care and health equity,” he said. “Our new colleagues come from a variety of backgrounds and expertise and will help build upon our tradition of diversity and excellence in research, teaching and service.”
Tali Boritz
Tali Boritz
Tali Boritz, who completed her PhD in clinical psychology at York University, joins the Department of Psychology as an assistant professor. Prior to joining York, she was a staff psychologist and clinician-scientist at the Borderline Personality Disorder Clinic at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.
Her research primarily focuses on psychotherapy process and outcome, with particular emphasis on the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and complex trauma. Her research aims to identify therapeutic factors (e.g. interpersonal, narrative, emotion processes) associated with therapeutic change, including therapist characteristics and behaviours linked to treatment outcomes. A current focus of this research is on alliance rupture and repair processes in psychotherapy, with the goal of improving the effectiveness of psychotherapy training and practice. She is also currently investigating the effectiveness of a novel intervention for the treatment of comorbid BPD and complex trauma.
Karl Erickson
Karl Erickson
Karl Erickson joins the School of Kinesiology and Health Science as an assistant professor of sport psychology. He completed his graduate work at Queen’s University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University. Prior to joining York, he was an assistant professor at the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University.
Erickson’s research addresses two primary questions: how does participation in sport and movement contexts contribute to psychosocial development and well-being; and how can this contribution be optimized toward positive development, learning and growth? He is interested in the integration of performance, health and psychosocial outcomes, and how interpersonal processes in sport, particularly involving coaches and coaching, influence these developmental outcomes for youth. To this end, he strives to ensure his work is interdisciplinary, systems-oriented and community-based.
Kathleen Fallon
Kathleen Fallon
Kathleen Fallon joins the School of Global Health at York University as undergraduate program director and teaching stream professor. She is coming from the Department of Sociology at Stony Brook University, where she served as Chair of the department. She also previously worked at McGill University.
Fallon’s research and teaching focus on topics related to political sociology, international development and gender studies. Specifically, she studies women’s social movements, women’s rights, women’s health and democracy within sub-Saharan Africa, as well as across developing countries more broadly. She has completed field research in Ghana, examining the influence of democratization on women’s rights and the emergence of the women’s movement. Through comparative analyses across developing countries, she also researches topics linked to democratic transitions, women’s political representation, women’s activism, and maternity leave and domestic violence policies.
Larkin Lamarche
Larkin Lamarche
Larkin Lamarche joins the School of Kinesiology and Health Science as an assistant professor in the teaching stream. They previously taught in the areas of mental health, aging and health care at McMaster University and exercise and health psychology at Brock University.
Lamarche’s doctoral work, completed at the University of Toronto, and postdoctoral work, completed at Brock University, looked at psychobiological and coping responses to body image experiences. Their recent research at McMaster University explored complex primary care programs for the improved delivery of care in diverse and underserved populations.
In the classroom, Lamarche creates opportunities for students to engage with diverse ways of knowing. Lamarche and co-developers received a grant to develop a land-based assignment where students learned about the mental health impacts of connection to, and disconnection from, the land. They are passionate about normalizing and destigmatizing conversations about mental health.
Lara Pierce
Lara Pierce
Lara Pierce joins the Department of Psychology at York University as an assistant professor. She received her PhD from McGill University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School.
Pierce uses developmental cognitive neuroscience tools (e.g. electroencephalography, at-home language recordings, behavioural assessments) with infants and young children to explore how variation in the early environment impacts the development of neural systems – particularly those that support language. She further explores how very early language experiences influence the neural processing of language later in life. Pierce is especially interested in how variables associated with socioeconomic status and early life stress contribute to both early neurodevelopment and variation in the early language environment, and she aims to increase sociodemographic representation in developmental research. Pierce’s work is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Cindel White
Cindel White
Cindel White joins the Department of Psychology at York University as an assistant professor in social/personality psychology. She received her PhD in social psychology from the University of British Columbia.
White’s research investigates why people hold particular religious beliefs; how people evaluate what is right and wrong; responses to moral transgressions; and how culturally diverse religious beliefs affect people’s moral judgments, values and prosocial behaviour. Her current research looks at the causes and consequences of different supernatural justice beliefs such as beliefs about karma, gods and interpersonal fairness. Her work broadly seeks to understand variation in moral psychology across cultures and contexts, including across countries, religious groups, and judgments of children and adults. White’s research investigating cultural diversity in religious cognition has been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Issachar Fund and the John Templeton Foundation.
Cathy (Xijuan) Zhang
Cathy Xijuan Zhang
Cathy (Xijuan) Zhang is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, specializing in quantitative methods. She obtained her PhD from the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She also worked as a postdoctoral Fellow in UBC’s Department of Education before joining York University.
Zhang’s two main areas of research involve developing new methods for measuring the fit of statistical models and investigating new scale formats for psychological scales. As a quantitative psychologist, she also feels responsible for improving the quality of statistical training in the social sciences through teaching and writing tutorial papers. In her spare time, she takes piano lessons once a week and practices for two hours every day.
Glendon introduces three new faculty members this fall
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This story is published in YFile’s New Faces Feature Issue 2021, part one. Every September, YFile introduces and welcomes those joining the York University community, and those with new appointments. Watch for part two on Sept. 10.
La version française suit la version anglaise.
Glendon Campus will welcome three new faculty members this fall: Buddhika Bellana, Rose Ndengue and Célia Romulus.
“Glendon is fortunate to have these brilliant minds joining its rank this year, as we fully embrace a call to build a place that truly reflects our mission, our aspirations and the rich diversity of our student body,” said Marco Fiola, principal of Glendon. “Together, they embody Glendon, and they bring a wealth of knowledge and experiences that is nothing short of astounding. We know that they will find at Glendon the fertile ground to make their ideas flourish, and the young minds in which to instill the knowledge and cultivate the values that have made Glendon’s reputation as a place that constantly challenges barriers and limitations.”
Buddhika Bellana
Buddhika Bellana
Buddhika Bellana is joining York’s Glendon Campus as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology. He completed his undergraduate degree in psychology at Glendon, and after completing his doctorate at the University of Toronto and a postdoc at Johns Hopkins University, he is back where it all began.
Bellana’s research examines how humans learn and remember. Specifically, his current focus is how our existing knowledge affects the formation of new memories and why certain kinds of information (e.g. compelling stories, social situations, emotional experiences) are often more easily remembered than others. To answer these questions, he draws upon a variety of tools, including human neuroimaging, behavioural experimentation, automated text analysis and natural language processing.
In his spare time, you can find Bellana watching basketball highlight reels, reading fiction and reading about how we get lost in fictional worlds.
Rose Ndengue
Rose Ndengue
Rose Ndengue is delighted to join the Department of History at Glendon as an assistant professor. She was previously a visiting assistant professor of political science at the University of Rouen.
Ndengue holds a master’s degree in political sociology from the Institut d’études politiques de Lyon and a PhD in African history from the Université de Paris Sorbonne cité, Paris 7.
An expert on African decolonization, gender and Black feminisms in a colonial and postcolonial context, Ndengue’s research focuses on the mobilization of African and Afro-descendant women in Europe and Cameroon. With a multidisciplinary approach that mixes socio-history, political science, sociology, postcolonial studies, and feminist and gender studies, her research contributes to the emerging field of Black feminist studies from a transnational perspective.
Ndengue is a dedicated teacher whose classes provide a learning environment that values a critical, decolonial and inclusive approach to knowledge. Her professional life is nourished by her various other commitments: she notably co-founded the Afrofeminist collective Sawtche in Lyon and she is a member of Stand Up for Cameroon.
Célia Romulus
Célia Romulus
Célia Romulus joined Glendon’s Department of International Studies as an assistant professor in July. She completed her PhD in the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s University, where her research focused on: the normalization of gendered state repression under the Duvalier dictatorship; how these systematized forms of violence shaped movements of population out of Haiti; and the notion of citizenship as experienced by multiple generations of migrants.
Her research and teaching draws from anti-oppression and anti-racist education, Afro and decolonial feminisms, and explores questions related to the gender and the politics of memory, migrations, citizenship, political violence and interdisciplinary methods.
Prior to completing her PhD, Romulus worked as a program director in the areas of gender-based violence in public spaces and in security sector reform for UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. She continues to work as a consultant and trainer on questions related to anti-oppression, anti-racism, Black femininities/masculinities, gender mainstreaming in public policies and in development.
Cet article est publié dans la première partie du numéro spécial « Nouveaux visages 2021 » de YFile. Tous les ans au mois de septembre, YFile présente les personnes qui se joignent à la communauté de l’Université York, ainsi que celles qui sont nouvellement nommées, et leur souhaite la bienvenue. La deuxième partie de cet article sera publiée le 10 septembre.
Le corps professoral du campus Glendon accueille trois nouveaux membres cet automne : Buddhika Bellana, Rose Ndengue et Célia Romulus.
« Glendon a la chance de voir ces brillants esprits grossir nos rangs cette année, alors que nous répondons pleinement à l’appel à construire un lieu qui reflète véritablement notre mission, nos aspirations et la riche diversité de notre corps étudiant », a déclaré Marco Fiola, principal de Glendon. « Ensemble, ils incarnent Glendon et apportent une richesse de connaissances et d’expériences qui est tout à fait étonnante. Ils trouveront à Glendon un lieu propice au développement de leurs idées ainsi que des étudiantes et étudiants désireux d’acquérir les connaissances et les valeurs qui ont fait la réputation de Glendon comme étant un lieu qui repousse sans cesse les obstacles et les limites. »
Buddhika Bellana
Buddhika Bellana
Buddhika Bellana rejoint le campus Glendon de York en tant que professeur adjoint au Département de psychologie. Il a obtenu un baccalauréat en psychologie à Glendon puis un doctorat à l’Université de Toronto avant de faire des études postdoctorales à l’Université Johns Hopkins. Le voilà de retour là où tout a commencé.
Les recherches de Buddhika Bellana portent sur la façon dont les êtres humains apprennent et se souviennent. Plus précisément, il s’intéresse à l’effet de nos connaissances actuelles sur la formation de nouveaux souvenirs et à la raison pour laquelle certains types d’informations (comme les histoires remarquables, les situations sociales et les expériences émotionnelles) s’inscrivent souvent facilement dans notre mémoire. Pour répondre à ces questions, il s’appuie sur une variété d’outils, dont la neuro-imagerie humaine, l’expérimentation comportementale, l’analyse automatique de textes et le traitement du langage naturel.
Pendant son temps libre, Buddhika Bellana visionne les faits saillants de parties de basketball, lit des romans et étudie la façon dont nous nous perdons dans des mondes fictifs.
Rose Ndengue
Rose Ndengue
Rose Ndengue est ravie de rejoindre le Département d’histoire de Glendon en tant que professeure adjointe. Elle était auparavant professeure adjointe invitée de sciences politiques à l’Université de Rouen.
Rose Ndengue est titulaire d’une maîtrise en sociologie politique de l’Institut d’études politiques de Lyon et d’un doctorat en histoire africaine de l’Université Sorbonne-Paris-Cité, Paris 7.
Spécialiste de la décolonisation africaine, du genre et des féminismes noirs dans un contexte colonial et postcolonial, Rose Ndengue concentre ses recherches sur la mobilisation des femmes africaines et afrodescendantes en Europe et au Cameroun. Grâce à une approche multidisciplinaire mêlant sociohistoire, sciences politiques, sociologie, études postcoloniales et études féministes et de genre, ses recherches contribuent au domaine émergent des études féministes noires dans une perspective transnationale.
Rose Ndengue est une enseignante dévouée et ses cours offrent un environnement d’apprentissage qui valorise une approche critique, décoloniale et inclusive de la connaissance. Sa vie professionnelle est nourrie par ses autres engagements : elle a notamment cofondé le collectif afroféministe lyonnais Sawtche et elle est membre de Stand Up for Cameroon.
Célia Romulus
Célia Romulus
Célia Romulus a rejoint le département d’études internationales de Glendon en tant que professeure adjointe en juillet. Elle a obtenu son doctorat au Département d’études politiques de l’Université Queen’s. Ses recherches doctorales ont porté sur la normalisation de la répression étatique fondée sur le sexe sous la dictature de Duvalier, sur la manière dont ces formes de violence systématisées ont façonné les mouvements de population hors d’Haïti et sur la notion de citoyenneté telle qu’elle est vécue par plusieurs générations de migrants.
Sa recherche et son enseignement s’inspirent de l’éducation anti-oppression et antiraciste ainsi que de l’afroféminisme et du féminisme décolonial. Ils explorent des questions liées au genre et à la politique de la mémoire, aux migrations, à la citoyenneté, à la violence politique et aux méthodes interdisciplinaires.
Avant de terminer son doctorat, Célia Romulus a travaillé comme directrice de programme dans les domaines de la violence sexiste dans les espaces publics et de la réforme du secteur de la sécurité pour ONU Femmes, l’entité des Nations Unies dédiée à l’égalité des sexes et à l’autonomisation des femmes. Elle continue à travailler en tant que consultante et formatrice sur des questions liées à l’anti-oppression, l’antiracisme, les féminités/masculinités noires et l’intégration du genre dans les politiques publiques et dans le développement.
Two new faculty members join the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change
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This story is published in YFile’s New Faces Feature Issue 2021, part one. Every September, YFile introduces and welcomes those joining the York University community, and those with new appointments. Watch for part two on Sept. 10.
The Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC) welcomes two new faculty members this fall: Muna-Udbi Abdulkadir Ali and Lina Brand Correa.
“The Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change is thrilled to welcome Professors Muna-Udbi Ali and Lina Brand Correa this fall,” said EUC Dean and Professor Alice Hovorka. “Both of these scholars bring with them talents in theoretical innovation and action-oriented research – students will be inspired by their ideas and their actions for shaping a just and sustainable future.”
Muna-Udbi Abdulkadir Ali
Muna-Udbi Abdulkadir Ali
Muna-Udbi Abdulkadir Ali joined EUC as an assistant professor in 2021. Before that, she worked as an assistant professor at California State University San Marcos and as visiting faculty in sociology at Christopher Newport University. Trained as an interdisciplinary scholar, her primary research interests include diverse fields such as Black studies, critical race studies, postcolonial studies, Black feminist studies, criminology, transnational feminism, queer studies, environmental justice, media studies, public pedagogy and public policy (specifically immigration, refugee, health and welfare policies).
Ali’s research explores issues of gender, race, class, criminality, surveillance and citizenship as it manifests for Black refugee communities. Her work has appeared as book chapters from Peter Lang Publishing and Life Rattle Press. She has also published articles in Darkmatter and Reconsidering Development. Outside of academia, Ali is a community worker, curriculum and policy consultant, researcher and anti-oppression educator. She has worked in education and curriculum development in Canada, the United States, Kenya and Somalia.
Lina Brand Correa
Lina Brand Correa
Lina Brand Correa is EUC’s new faculty member in the field of ecological economics. Her research interests include the impact of energy systems on climate change, energy return on investment, energy (service) requirements for the satisfaction of human needs, the impact of provisioning systems on well-being and the democratic implications of climate action.
She completed her PhD, “Following the ‘golden thread’: Exploring the energy dependency of economies and human well-being,” at the University of Leeds, received an MSc (with distinction) in ecological economics at the University of Edinburgh and a BA in economics from the National University of Colombia, Medellín campus. She has used innovative participatory workshops to analyze the relationship between energy services and human needs in different case study countries, including Colombia, Zambia, Nepal and the U.K.
York team helps local school realize its vision for a youth park
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Teresa Abbruzzese
A small team from the Urban Studies program in York University’s Department of Social Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, has volunteered their time to help a local Grade 7 class realize their dream of creating a park specifically designed for youth aged 12 to 18.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, parks have become more beneficial than ever, providing a safe place for children to hang out and have fun. Not all parks are meant for all ages, though, which is a topic that was explored this year by the Grade 7 class at Summitview Public School in Stouffville, Ont.
Led by York alumna Connie Calvert, the library, arts and digital learning lead at Summitview, the Grade 7 students reflected on their experiences in parks and came to the conclusion that there weren’t any that felt acceptable for youth to be in without judgement from other park goers. Thus began their assignment to design a park specifically for youth – and that’s where the assistance from a team of York urban studies experts came in, guiding Calvert and her class to bring their vision to life.
Mark Antoine
The team includes: Assistant Professor Teresa Abbruzzese, who has a background in critical urban and social theory; Mark Antoine, a sessional instructor and Urban Studies program alumni, who is a senior development planner for the City of Vaughan; and Monica Dolmanyos, who just graduated from the Urban Studies program, and used this project to complete her placement hours for Abbruzzese’s “The Urban Professional” course, gaining first-hand experience with city planning.
Antoine taught the Summitview students to write planning reports, rationales and other formal documents, while Dolmanyos taught them how to lead focus groups, collect data and present it in an effective manner.
The students’ extensive research and planning showcased how this park would benefit the community through its upscale design targeted at youth, including swings, chess tables and parkour structures, to name a few of its many unique features. Focus group data from participants within Summitview and other schools revealed strong interest in the park, with feedback suggesting it be located on the bike trail and use eco-friendly lighting sources.
Monica Dolmanyos
Although the location and name of the park have not yet been decided, a successful presentation to the Stouffville City Council on June 15 resulted in Summitview’s proposal being sent to the town planning department for further consideration. The project is now moving forward to next steps.
Abbruzzese commends the students for their incredible work, initiative and dedication to developing their proposal. “They are such an inspiring group to work with and we are particularly thankful for Connie Calvert, who is also an alumna of York University, for reaching out to us.”
Dolmanyos will continue to work with this team as she begins her master’s in information studies at the University of Toronto. As a new alumna of York, she says she “appreciates the creative synergies and community partnerships that can be created when York University alumni stay connected.”
If all continues to go well, Summitview’s Grade 7 class will get to see their youth park vision through to completion. And, with any luck, this experience has inspired them to consider pursuing a degree in urban studies at York when the time comes.
An important update on the vaccine requirement at York University
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The following is an important message to the University community from President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton:
La version française suit la version anglaise.
Dear York community,
In my last update, I shared that York will require all individuals coming to our campuses this fall to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Since then, I am very pleased to learn that the Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health has recommended that all post-secondary institutions across the province require proof of vaccination for those coming to campus.
As we work to finalize the details of our strategy, I can confirm that this September the University will require all members of the community to provide proof of full vaccination or an exemption based on a validated medical or human rights ground.
Community members will use the YU Screen tool to submit proof of vaccination or an approved exemption. YU Screen will be ready to accept this documentation on Sept. 7 and all information that is collected here will be subject to strict privacy and confidentiality requirements.
Those who cannot be vaccinated or who are awaiting their first or second dose will be required to adhere to additional health and safety measures, including frequent testing. Between Sept. 7 and Oct. 19 (the date whereby proof of having received a full vaccination series is required), those attending activities on York’s campuses who are not yet fully vaccinated (including those with approved exemptions), will be required to submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test result.
We recognize that not every community member will be able to be fully vaccinated by the first day of the fall term. Some time will also be needed to process exemption requests for medical or other reasons recognized by the Ontario Human Rights Code. I want to assure you that the University will make every effort to support community members to receive their vaccinations in a timely way, and to access testing in the meantime where needed.
We continue to partner with Humber River Hospital to offer a series of vaccine clinics on the Keele Campus in August and September. As well, those who are eligible and who study or work on the Glendon Campus will be able to access walk-in vaccination clinics offered through Sunnybrook Hospital. Community members are also reminded that vaccines are widely available in Canada on a walk-in basis through local public health units and community pharmacies.
As well, anyone who is vaccinated in Ontario can prove that they have been fully vaccinated by uploading the physical or emailed receipt that was provided to them at the time of vaccination from the Ministry of Health. Vaccination receipts can be downloaded through the provincial portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Booking Line at 1-833-943-3900. Those arriving from out of province will need to provide proof of vaccination in that province and anyone arriving to Canada from international destinations can use the proof of vaccination that was required for upload to the ArriveCAN app prior to entry into Canada. York University recognizes both World Health Organization and Health Canada-approved COVID-19 vaccines.
I recognize that there are still many questions about how this will be rolled out within our community. We will be sharing more specific details and instructions on the new process that will support this requirement before Sept. 7. Thank you for doing your part to ensure a safe return to our campuses this fall.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Lenton President & Vice-Chancellor
Mise à jour sur l’obligation de vaccination à l’Université York
Chers membres de la communauté de York,
Dans ma dernière communication, je vous annonçais que York exigera que toutes les personnes fréquentant nos campus cet automne soient vaccinées contre la COVID-19. Je me réjouis d’apprendre que depuis le Conseil des médecins hygiénistes de l’Ontario a recommandé que tous les établissements postsecondaires de la province requièrent une preuve de vaccination pour les personnes fréquentant les campus.
Alors que nous finalisons les détails de notre stratégie, je peux confirmer qu’au mois de septembre, l’Université exigera de tous les membres de la communauté qu’ils fournissent la preuve d’une vaccination complète ou d’une exemption fondée sur un motif médical ou de droits de la personne validé.
Les membres de la communauté devront utiliser l’outil YU Dépistage/YU Screen pour soumettre leur preuve de vaccination ou une exemption approuvée. L’outil YU Dépistage sera prêt à accepter cette documentation le 7 septembre; toutes les informations recueillies seront assujetties à des exigences strictes en matière de vie privée et de confidentialité.
Les personnes qui ne peuvent pas être vaccinées ou qui attendent leur première ou deuxième dose devront se soumettre à des mesures de santé et de sécurité supplémentaires, notamment des tests de dépistage fréquents. Entre le 7 septembre et le 19 octobre (date à laquelle une preuve de vaccination complète sera requise), les personnes participant à des activités sur les campus de York qui ne sont pas encore entièrement vaccinées, y compris celles ayant des exemptions approuvées, devront fournir la preuve d’un résultat négatif à un test de dépistage de la COVID-19.
Nous sommes conscients que tous les membres de la communauté ne pourront pas être complètement vaccinés avant le premier jour du trimestre d’automne. Il faudra également un certain temps pour traiter les demandes d’exemption pour des raisons médicales ou autres reconnues par le Code des droits de la personne de l’Ontario. Je tiens à vous assurer que l’Université fera tout son possible pour appuyer les membres de la communauté afin qu’ils reçoivent leurs vaccins en temps voulu et qu’ils aient accès à des tests de dépistage entre-temps si nécessaire.
Nous poursuivons notre partenariat avec l’hôpital Humber River pour offrir des cliniques de vaccination sur le campus Keele en août et en septembre. De plus, les personnes admissibles qui étudient ou travaillent sur le campus de Glendon pourront accéder aux cliniques de vaccination sans rendez-vous de l’hôpital Sunnybrook. Nous rappelons également aux membres de la communauté que les vaccins sont largement disponibles au Canada, sans rendez-vous, auprès des unités locales de santé publique et des pharmacies communautaires.
De plus, toute personne vaccinée en Ontario peut prouver qu’elle a été complètement vaccinée en téléchargeant le reçu papier ou le courriel du ministère de la Santé remis au moment de la vaccination. Les reçus de vaccination peuvent aussi être téléchargés sur le portail Web provinciall ou en appelant la ligne provinciale de réservation des vaccins au 1-833-943-3900. Les étudiants et étudiantes qui arrivent au Canada en provenance d’autres provinces devront fournir la preuve de leur vaccination dans leur province d’origine et ceux et celles en provenance de destinations internationales pourront utiliser la preuve de vaccination qui devait être téléchargée dans l’application ArriveCAN avant leur entrée au Canada. L’Université York reconnaît les vaccins contre la COVID-19 qui ont été approuvés par l’Organisation mondiale de la santé et par Santé Canada.
Je sais que vous vous posez encore beaucoup de questions sur la façon dont ces mesures seront mises en place dans notre communauté. Nous vous communiquerons des détails et des instructions sur le nouveau processus appuyant cette exigence avant le 7 septembre. Merci de contribuer à assurer un retour sécuritaire sur nos campus cet automne.
Sincères salutations,
Rhonda Lenton Présidente et vice-chancelière
Transit information to help you plan your commute this fall
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The following is a message to the York community from Anthony Barbisan, executive director, Ancillary Services Department:
La version française suit la version anglaise.
Dear colleagues,
As the summer ends and the University community prepares for the coming academic year, we would like to share some valuable updates with you about public transit, to help you plan your commute when coming to the Keele Campus.
GO Transit
Since March 2020, GO train service to the York University GO Station has been suspended. Recently, Metrolinx announced that they have permanently closed that station to accommodate an additional track as part of their service expansion on the Barrie Line. Commuters on this line will be required to go to the Downsview Park Station and transfer to the TTC. Transferring to the TTC will require an additional fare. Commuters can then exit at either the York University Subway Station or the Pioneer Village Subway Station, whichever is more convenient. While York University has no control over this decision, the University continues to actively advocate for fare integration among transit providers servicing the Greater Toronto Area.
Brampton Transit
Brampton Transit has advised that its 501A and 501C services that travel directly to the Keele Campus will remain suspended for September. Instead, an enhanced service with increased frequency on Route 501, between Brampton and the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (SmartVMC) Bus Terminal, will be provided. Commuters using the 501 service will have several transfer options to get to the Keele Campus, including York Region Transit at no additional fare or the TTC that requires an additional fare.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, transit agencies have continued to modify their routes and schedules to adapt to the changes in ridership. Although we do our best to advocate for enhanced transit services and to bring you the latest updates from our transit partners, we encourage you to visit the websites of the specific transit agencies you use to get the most up-to-date information.
If you require assistance planning your commute to campus, Parking & Transportation Services staff are available to assist you. Please visit our website to find out the different ways in which you can contact us.
Sincerely,
Anthony Barbisan Executive Director, Ancillary Services Department
Informations pour vous rendre sur le campus Keele cet automne
Cher collègue, chère collègue,
Alors que l’été touche à sa fin et que la communauté de York prépare la nouvelle année universitaire, nous souhaitons vous communiquer quelques informations utiles au sujet des transports en commun afin de vous aider à planifier vos déplacements vers le campus Keele.
GO Transit
Depuis mars 2020, le train GO ne dessert plus la gare de l’Université York. Récemment, Metrolinx a annoncé la fermeture permanente de cette gare pour permettre l’ajout d’une voie supplémentaire dans le cadre de l’extension de la ligne de Barrie. Pour aller à l’Université York, les usagers de cette ligne doivent se rendre à la gare de Downsview Park et prendre le métro. Ils peuvent ensuite descendre à la station York University ou à la station Pioneer Village. Cette correspondance avec la TTC requiert l’achat d’un billet supplémentaire. Bien que l’Université York n’ait aucune influence sur les décisions de Metrolinx, elle ne cesse de plaider activement en faveur de l’intégration tarifaire entre les différentes agences de transports en commun desservant la région du Grand Toronto.
Brampton Transit
Brampton Transit nous a signalé que les services 501A et 501C qui desservaient directement le campus de Keele ne reprendront pas en septembre. Un service plus fréquent de la ligne 501 — entre Brampton et le terminal d’autobus du centre métropolitain de Vaughan (SmartVMC) — sera offert à la place. Les usagers qui utilisent le service 501 auront plusieurs possibilités de transfert pour se rendre sur le campus Keele, notamment avec York Regional Transit (sans supplément tarifaire) ou la TTC (avec un supplément tarifaire).
Pour plus de détails sur les options de correspondance et les autres itinéraires possibles, visitez notre site Transportation Services ou le site Brampton Transit.
Depuis le début de la pandémie de la COVID-19, les agences de transport ne cessent de modifier leurs itinéraires et leurs horaires en réponse aux changements de fréquentation. Nous faisons tout notre possible pour plaider en faveur de l’amélioration des services de transport en commun et pour vous communiquer les dernières mises à jour de nos partenaires. Nous vous encourageons toutefois à consulter les sites Web des agences de transport que vous utilisez pour obtenir les informations les plus récentes.
Si vous avez besoin d’aide pour planifier votre trajet vers le campus, le personnel des Services de stationnement et de transport est à votre disposition. Veuillez consulter notre site Web pour découvrir les différentes façons de le contacter.
Sincères salutations,
Anthony Barbisan Directeur principal du Département des services auxiliaires
Eric Tucker
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Eric Tucker
Professor Eric Tucker talks to the Toronto Star about the province rejecting COVID-19 work refusals
How artificial intelligence and big data are fighting COVID-19 in Africa
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A collaboration led by York University researchers in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Health is using artificial intelligence (AI) to define public health policies and interventions to contain and manage the spread of COVID-19 in Africa.
With a scarcity of COVID-19 vaccines in many African countries and the rise of new variants of concern, the Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Consortium (ACADIC) is playing a pivotal role in providing locally nuanced analysis of data to inform public health decision making, as well as vaccination rollout strategies.
The Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Consortium is playing a pivotal role in providing locally nuanced analysis of data to inform public health decision making, as well as vaccination rollout strategies
The interdisciplinary consortium is directed by York University ProfessorJude Kong from the Faculty of Science. Also serving on the executive committee from York University are: Distinguished Research Professor Jianhong Wu, director of the Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics in the Faculty of Science and ACADIC co-president; Professor James Orbinski, director of the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research and ACADIC executive committee member; and LA&PS Associate Professor Ali Asgary, associate director of the Advanced Disaster, Emergency and Rapid Response Simulation and ACADIC executive committee member. ACADIC brings together an interdisciplinary team of data scientists, epidemiologists, physicists, mathematicians and software engineers, as well as AI, disaster and emergency management, clinical public health, citizen science and community engagement experts. It is leveraging big data and AI-based techniques in nine African countries, with experts from 11 different countries – Botswana, Cameroon, Canada, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
These techniques help identify and analyze emergent COVID-19 hotspots and outbreaks, and develop strategic, highly targeted and staged delivery plans for vaccines to priority areas. The team is also using ongoing monitoring to enhance COVID-19 testing to ensure public health interventions are equitable and effective.
Half of the world’s doses of vaccines have been secured by a handful of economically developed countries, but most African nations have received very few and continue to prepare and test their vaccination campaigns for when sufficient vaccine doses are made available.
A defining challenge is to develop local strategies that will reduce the number of COVID-19 cases, even as variants of concern circulate amidst a dearth of vaccines.
Some areas of focus for York researchers involved in ACADIC include:
making big data and AI actionable for real-time delivery of reliable and comprehensive information to predict the spread and impact of an epidermic, and to guide governmental policies and best practice in an epidemic;
the role of big data and AI in understanding and intervening in pandemics;
