L’Université York se hisse parmi les 35 premiers rangs du palmarès Times Higher Education Impact
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Chers collègues, chères collègues,
L’Université York a fait un bond impressionnant de cinq places pour figurer parmi les 35 meilleurs établissements au monde pour la promotion des 17 objectifs de développement durable (ODD) des Nations Unies, selon le palmarès Times Higher Education Impact de cette année, publié aujourd’hui.
Ces résultats témoignent de la reconnaissance croissante du leadership mondial de York dans le domaine des ODD. Ils ont été rendus possibles grâce aux efforts de tous nos artisans du changement : membres du corps professoral et enseignant, du personnel, de la population étudiante et de la communauté des diplômés ainsi que nos nombreux partenaires. C’est votre engagement en faveur de nos valeurs communes de durabilité, d’inclusion et d’équité qui nous a permis d’obtenir notre meilleur classement à ce jour.
Au nom de l’Université, nous vous remercions pour vos contributions individuelles et vos efforts collectifs dans la recherche interdisciplinaire, l’enseignement et une myriade d’initiatives sur le campus et de projets communautaires, qui ont conduit à ce succès.
Avec plus de 300 universités supplémentaires ayant rejoint le classement cette année, York a conservé sa position de leader parmi plus de 2 100 universités dans le monde pour la sixième année consécutive. York est particulièrement bien placée au niveau mondial dans les catégories suivantes :
ODD 1 (Pas de pauvreté) – n° 2 dans le monde et n° 1 au Canada
ODD 10 (Réduction des inégalités) – no 33 dans le monde et no 1 au Canada
ODD 11 (Villes et communautés durables) – no 13 dans le monde, ex æquo
Toute la communauté de York peut s’enorgueillir de ce succès. Nous nous réjouissons de voir la communauté unie pour réaliser ensemble le Plan académique de l’Université 2020-2025 et relever le défi des ODD.
En travaillant de concert pour susciter des changements positifs, nous permettons à York de s’attaquer aux problèmes mondiaux les plus pressants de notre époque. Lisez l’article de News@York pour plus de détails.
Sincères salutations,
Rhonda Lenton Présidente et vice-chancelière
Lisa Philipps Rectrice et vice-présidente aux affaires académiques
Amir Asif Vice-président de la recherche et de l’innovation
Ceux qui souhaitent partager l’actualité dans des publications sur les réseaux sociaux ou dans des signatures électroniques peuvent trouver des instructions sur la façon de le faire dans la boîte à outils THE Impact Rankings toolkit.
Three faculty members to receive honorific professorships
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York University will honour three esteemed faculty members during 2024 Spring Convocation with Distinguished Research Professor and University Professor recognitions.
Distinguished Research Professor is a designation reflecting a member of faculty who has made outstanding contributions to the York U community through research and whose work is recognized within and outside of the University.
A University Professor is a member of faculty recognized for extraordinary contributions to scholarship and teaching, as well participation in university life.
This year’s winners are:
Distinguished Research Professor
Roger Keil, Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change
Roger Keil
Professor Keil’s research and teaching has focused on health in cities and suburbs, societal relationships with nature and how people govern themselves. His most extensive contributions have been in the fields of urban political ecology, global suburbanization, as well as cities and infectious disease. Recently, he has demonstrated research leadership in studying the ongoing impact of COVID-19.
At York U, Keil has occupied several important roles, including founding director of York University’s City Institute (made up of interdisciplinary urban scholars) and York Research Chair in Global Sub/Urban Studies.
Throughout his career, Keil has published over 10 books and 150 articles, in addition to overseeing others’ work as editor of the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, a premier journal in his field. He has also earned several awards, including being named a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and receiving a York University President’s Research Excellence Award.
“I am extremely honoured to receive this prestigious award,” says Keil. “I am fortunate to have worked alongside supportive colleagues and brilliant students at the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change and the City Institute.”
Distinguished Research Professor
Leah Vosko, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Leah Vosko
A professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in the Political Economy of Gender and Work, Vosko has become a leader in the study of gender and politics, citizenship, migration and labour markets. Her research has a frequent focus on part-time, seasonal and contract workers, and the question, “What can be done to mitigate labour market insecurity?”
An author and editor of numerous scholarly books, volumes and articles, her work has been driven by the aim of protecting precarious workers by shaping better policies and understanding around the labour market.
For those efforts, Vosko has received several prestigious recognitions, including the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada’s Impact Award (Insight Category), an election to the Royal Society of Canada, a Fulbright Fellowship, the Charles Taylor Prize for Excellence in Policy Research and a Premier’s Research Excellence Award.
“I feel extremely fortunate to have received this recognition and to have spent so much of my career in the highly collaborative and critical interdisciplinary environment at York,” says Vosko.
University Professorship
Aleksander Czekanski, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Aleksander Czekanski
Since joining York University in 2014, Czekanski has specialized in cutting-edge engineering principles, including additive manufacturing, bioprinting and soft tissue mechanics, with applications ranging from biomedical science to materials manufacturing. His research has been awarded more than $10 million in external grants as a principal or co-applicant.
In addition to holding the role of Natural Sciences & Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Chair in Design Engineering, Czekanski has filled several roles at Lassonde and the University, in particular as founder or co-founder of: the Integrated Design & Engineering Analysis Laboratory, which supports high-calibre research, student learning experiences and the development of innovative engineering solutions; the Additive Manufacturing in Engineering Design & Global Entrepreneurship program, which provides students with technical and entrepreneurial training as part of the NSERC Collaborative Research & Training Experience; and the Manufacturing, Technology & Entrepreneurship Centre, which aims to bring innovative technologies to market.
Over the past decade, Czekanski has received awards recognizing his excellence in teaching and research, including the President’s University-Wide Teaching Award, the Lassonde Innovation Award – Established Researcher, the Engineering Medal for Engineering Excellence in Industry from the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, as well as multiple industry fellowships. He has also served on the board of directors of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering and is currently its president.
“Receiving this University Professorship is both an honour and a profound responsibility. It signifies recognition by peers and the academic community for my contributions to scholarship, education and community engagement, and it catalyzes my commitment to continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge and pedagogy,” he says. “As I embrace this role, I am inspired to further cultivate a legacy of intellectual curiosity and academic excellence that extends beyond the classroom, impacting our community and the broader world.”
York U study examines immigrant families’ experiences with autism stigma, caregiver stress
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A study by York University Faculty of Health Professor Farah Ahmad and her students Fariha Shafi and Amirtha Karunakaran, titled “Autism, Stigma, and South Asian Immigrant Families in Canada,” was recently published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
While existing evidence suggests early autism diagnosis and support results in positive outcomes for children and youth on the spectrum and their families, Ahmad believed the same might not be true for children of racialized families, who are often diagnosed at later ages and are more likely to be misdiagnosed and experience barriers to service access. She also identified a lack of research examining the experiences of parents in Canada from specific immigrant groups – many from racialized communities – who are caring for their children on the spectrum.
With funding from York University’s Faculty of Health, through a Collaborative & Community-based Research Seed Grant, the York U researchers set out to address this knowledge gap by looking at South Asian Canadian immigrant parents with children on the autism spectrum and examining their experiences with available care programs and supports, as well as their perceptions of social stigma.
“Disability should not hinder people’s opportunities to reach their full potential,” said Ahmad, “so it’s a matter of human rights to bring forth hardship experienced by families caring for their children or adult family members on the autism spectrum. This is particularly relevant for racialized immigrant families, given the dearth of scholarly knowledge in Canada on their experiences.”
The team worked with community collaborators, including the SAAAC Autism Centre and Health Access Thorncliffe Park, to find suitable study participants. Nine South Asian parents living in the Greater Toronto Area were selected and interviewed individually.
The study’s findings confirmed barriers to an autism diagnosis and to service access. Additionally, parent participants reported that the stigma surrounding autism kept them from receiving a timely diagnosis, access to support services and guidance on health-promoting behaviours. The findings also revealed considerable caregiver stress and psychological distress.
“I believe in a proactive strategy,” said Ahmad, “where we as researchers examine the ‘ground reality’ of caregivers’ challenges and ways to cope, with the aim to enhance equity in practice and policymaking for improving structural supports for them, including efforts to reduce societal negative attitudes towards disabilities.”
Ahmad and her team expect the evidence revealed by their study to have wide-ranging impacts, including helping to inform equitable policy, programming, and practices that better support the needs of children on the spectrum and their immigrant families.
Three professors receive SSHRC Partnership Development Grants
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Social sciences and humanities research at York University has received a boost of more than half a million dollars from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), awarding Partnership Development Grants to three researchers in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS).
The latest round of Partnership Development Grant funding supports short-term partnerships (one to three years) between research teams from post-secondary institutions and organizations in the public, private or not-for-profit sectors.
“York University is grateful for SSHRC’s investment in our outstanding faculty and their mission to create positive change through community-engaged research,” said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. “As an institution that excels in social sciences and humanities research, these three York-led projects exemplify our commitment to research excellence driven by impact and rooted in meaningful collaboration with our partners.”
Through their combined efforts, the research teams develop projects in the social sciences and humanities or design and test new partnership approaches for research and related activities, including knowledge mobilization.
The York U recipients include:
Annie Bunting
Annie Bunting, a professor in the Law & Society program in LA&PS, for a project titled “Youth-led initiatives for gender justice and peacebuilding,” which received $199,850. The project will bring together researchers, filmmakers, artists and others to study the long-lasting impacts of violence on youth, aged 15 to 29, in places affected by war and conflict. The project looks to gain a deeper understanding of how young people cope in such situations and involves multiple collaborating partners, with groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Kenya.
Marcello Musto
Marcello Musto, a professor in the Department of Sociology in LA&PS, for a project titled “War and the Left: A Global History,” which received the maximum $200,000. The project will examine how left-wing political forces and theorists have responded to war, deepening understanding of the intellectual and political history of numerous progressive social movements and political parties around the world. It aims to be the most comprehensive study of the topic to date and involves researchers from York University, five archives, six research-focused organizations and two museums, from eleven countries across four continents.
Miguel González
Miguel González, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Science in LA&PS, for a project titled “Emancipatory Horizons for Self-determination of Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples in Central America,” which received $199,840. The project will gain insights into the struggles and strategies of these peoples to protect their land, rights and way of life. It will promote the political and legal efforts of civil society organizations to advocate for autonomous self-governance and will involve a dozen Indigenous and Afro-descendant groups in Costa Rica, Panama and the San Andrés archipelago.
The three York-led projects were among 75 projects across Canada to receive the new funding. A full list of the Partnership Development Grant recipients can be found on the SSHRC website.
EUC provides opportunities to high-school students
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A recent initiative highlights how York University’s Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC) is helping high-school students reach their potential as the next generation of sustainable changemakers.
With the ongoing climate challenges the world faces, the need for active citizenship and environmental stewardship has never been greater. It’s why EUC has made an ongoing effort to provide climate, sustainability and social justice education for the leaders of tomorrow.
The Faculty fulfills that goal with the students currently enrolled in its post-secondary programs, but it doesn’t want to stop there. Among its key objectives, EUC commits to frequently offering high-school outreach activities that provide resources, hands-on skill building opportunities and support to young people who want to make a difference in the world.
Big events, like February’s annual iteration of the Change Your Work conference – which welcomed 500 Ontario high-school students and their teachers to York U’s Keele Campus for a day of environmental education and inspiration – are part of those efforts. Smaller initiatives are part of them, too – like the recent Design Thinking Challenge event in May, attended by 60 students and teachers from several York Region schools.
The event offered local students two programming tracks. The first was a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) ICE Challenge Case Competition, which tasked participating students to come up with a sustainable architectural solution for redesigning the front entrance and foyer of the Health, Nursing & Environmental Studies Building on York University’s Keele Campus.
The second track was a new extracurricular Urban Solutions program, where students presented their solutions to global challenges, ranging from language accessibility in the Toronto Transit Commission system to disaster relief in Haiti.
Once students worked through their projects, they had a chance to present their design proposals and get feedback from Abidin Kusno, EUC professor and undergraduate program co-ordinator; Teresa Abbruzzesse, EUC professor and Cities, Regions, Planning program co-ordinator; and Laura Taylor, co-author of the SHSM challenge, professor and master of environmental studies Planning program co-ordinator.
“The students came up with some ingenious solutions for the challenge that was presented to them,” said Philip Kelly, professor and interim dean of EUC.
One example was a student who presented a proposal to solve period poverty – the inability to afford feminine hygiene products – in Uganda, building upon her existing interest in gender equality. Her solution was a more sustainable, accessible, disposable pad that would be produced using locally sourced materials.
For students, EUC initiatives like this can provide experiential learning opportunities that are rewarding in more ways than one. In this case, the event featured several prizes: the Feasibility Laureate award for the most practical and easy-to-implement solution; the Empathy Emblem award for the solution that shows the deepest understanding of the users; and the Impact Pioneer Plaque award for the solution with the greatest potential for positive impact.
EUC hopes experiences like these – representative of the Faculty’s broader efforts with high-school students – are rewarding in other ways, too.
“The event offers students early exposure to higher educational environments, which can motivate students to pursue further education and set higher academic and career goals,” said Brittany Giglio, EUC recruitment and liaison officer. “These partnerships contribute significantly to the development of well-prepared, motivated and successful individuals.”
New required training for all York U staff, faculty and instructors
York University is launching a new online training module called Slips, Trips and Falls Prevention, available June 10 on YU Learn.
Slips, trips and falls are among the most common causes of injuries reported at the University. This training aims to prevent workplace injuries using a series of lessons and knowledge checks to review how to identify and eliminate hazards, how to report and correct unsafe conditions, and how to respond to a slip, trip or fall incident.
This concise, self-paced module will be offered online via YU Learn and is required training for all staff, faculty and instructors at York University. This training is mandatory and all employees must complete the training before Oct. 1.
To access the training module, employees must register on YU Learn using their Passport York credentials. Select “Register” and then click the “Access Course” button. The course will then remain on the YU Learn dashboard until successfully completed. Upon completion, the course will be listed with the date completed in the Required Courses section of the My Learning History tab (accessible via the YU Learn dashboard).
For more information or assistance with the training, employees should reach out to their manager or academic administrator, or email hslearn@yorku.ca.
Nouveau formation obligatoire pour l’ensemble des membres du personnel et des corps professoral et enseignant
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L’Université York est heureuse d’annoncer un nouveau module de formation en ligne sur la prévention des glissades, des faux pas et des chutes, disponible le 10 juin dans YU Learn.
Les glissades, les faux pas et les chutes sont parmi les causes les plus courantes de blessures signalées à l’Université. Cette formation vise à prévenir les accidents du travail à l’aide d’une série de leçons et de contrôles des connaissances afin d’apprendre à définir et éliminer les dangers, à signaler et corriger les conditions dangereuses et à réagir en cas de glissade, de faux pas ou de chute.
Ce module concis à faire à votre rythme sera proposé en ligne dans YU Learn et constitue une formation obligatoire pour l’ensemble du personnel et des corps professoral et enseignant de l’Université York.
Tout le monde doit l’avoir suivie avant le 1er octobre.
Sélectionnez Register, puis cliquez sur le bouton Access course. Le cours restera sur votre tableau de bord YU Learn jusqu’à son achèvement. Une fois terminé, le cours sera répertorié avec la date d’achèvement dans la section Required Courses de votre onglet My Learning History (accessible sur votre tableau de bord YU Learn).
Si vous rencontrez des difficultés pour accéder à la formation ou si vous avez des questions, n’hésitez pas à contacter votre gestionnaire, votre gestionnaire des affaires académiques, ou hslearn@yorku.ca.
Nous nous réjouissons de vous offrir cette nouvelle occasion d’apprentissage et vous remercions par avance de votre participation.
Osgoode professor recognized for governance leadership
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Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Poonam Puri has been inducted as a fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), a prestigious organization dedicated to governance excellence, in recognition of her governance leadership in Canada.
Poonam Puri
Created in in 1997, the ICD Fellowship Award – the organization’s highest honour – is presented annually to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Canadian enterprises and not-for-profit organizations by bringing strong corporate governance leadership to boardrooms across the country.
Since the award was launched, only 108 Canadian governance leaders have received it, earning Puri a very exclusive spot and representing another milestone in an already accomplished career.
Since Puri joined Osgoode in 1997, at the age of 25, she has taught and produced significant scholarly research on corporate accountability and responsibility, directors’ duties and diversity in leadership, among other areas of research leadership in corporate law and governance. She has received $5 million in external research and program funding.
Puri co-founded and served as academic director of the Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic and the Living Research Lab, a clinic that both provides pro bono legal assistance to individuals who have suffered financial harm and collects real-time data for scholarly research. She is also the founder and director of the Professional LLM in Business Law at Osgoode Professional Development.
In addition to being a former associate dean of research, graduate studies and institutional relations, she is also currently the Chair of York University’s Senate. In 2023, she was named a Tier 1 York Research Chair in Corporate Governance, Investor Protection and Financial Markets, allowing her to continue her research leadership, delving deep into projects on environmental, social, and governance issues and their backlash, as well as corporate governance and artificial intelligence.
The ICD Fellowship Award is only the latest award in Puri’s career, as she has been previously recognized with the Governance Professionals of Canada Peter Dey Governance Achievement Award, the Attorney General of Ontario’s David Walter Mundell Medal, the Royal Society of Canada’s Yvan Allaire Medal and the Law Society of Ontario’s Law Society Medal, among other distinctions. She has also previously been named one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers and one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40 leaders.
In the community, Puri currently serves on multiple boards, including the Canada Infrastructure Bank and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital – the latter as Chair. She has previously served as a commissioner of the Ontario Securities Commission and on the boards of the Women’s College Hospital and the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (Pearson Airport), among others.
Ceremony celebrates Pride Month with York University community
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A ceremony to celebrate Pride Month on June 4 at York University’s Vari Hall Rotunda was attended by staff, faculty, students and other University community members who took part in the day’s events organized by the Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Events.
Beginning with opening remarks, the event featured a flag unfurling ceremony and booths to share information about 2SLGBTQIA+ resources and services available at York U. Attendees were also invited to enjoy free treats provided by the Office of the Vice-Provost Students and snap a selfie with mascot Yeo.
See a photo gallery of the event below. Visit York University’s Pride Month website to learn more.
Passings: Robert Simmons
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Robert E. Simmons, a former York University professor and Chair of the English department, passed away on May 19 at the age of 87.
Robert Simmons
Simmons joined York U in 1966 as a professor of English at the then newly formed Glendon College. He did so after obtaining his master’s of philosophy degree from the University of Toronto, an experience that included classes with renowned philosopher Marshall McLuhan and literary critic Northrop Frye, which intensified his lifelong love of literature, learning and writing.
During his time at York U – where he remained until his retirement in 2000 – Simmons taught English literature, linguistics and creative writing. He also co-authored the linguistics textbook The Language of Literature and the geography textbook Urban Canada.
Being a longtime fan of William Blake – whose poetry and vision of the human condition deeply affected Simmons and influenced his own writing and creative work – led Simmons to publish a book of literary criticism called A New Interpretation of Blake’s Minor Prophecies.
Even after his time in academia, Simmons continued to pursue teaching and literature, offering weekly creative writing classes at his local library in Chesley, Ont., and editing local authors’ works.
A celebration of life will be held on Aug. 13 in Guelph, Ont., at the Gilbert MacIntyre & Son Funeral Home’s Dublin Chapel. All are welcome to attend. RSVP to Barb Simmons at barbsimmons22@gmail.com
