Tag: Faculty of Graduate Studies

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Anne MacLennan earns Faculty of Graduate Studies’ Teaching Award

gold and red stars

The 2022-2023 Faculty of Graduate Studies’ (FGS) Teaching Award recipient is Associate Professor Anne MacLennan, recognized for her outstanding instruction in the history, communication and culture, and interdisciplinary studies graduate programs.

The award – bestowed annually on a member of the Faculty – recognizes the teaching and supervisory excellence, as well as the scholarly, professional and curricula development achievements of graduate program instructors at York University.

Associate Professor Anne MacLennan carrying her FGS Teaching Award framed certificate.
Anne MacLennan

Vice-Provost Academic Lyndon Martin presented the award on March 2 at the Faculty Council, praising MacLennan’s passion for educating. “I would like to extend my personal thanks and gratitude for your many contributions to graduate education, and in particular the excellent teaching and mentorship you have provided to our community.”

Letters of nomination applauded MacLennan’s pedagogical style, with many of her students noting her exceptional way of teaching them to push their own thinking and to work collaboratively to build ideas. The referees recalled her techniques and approaches that positively changed their relation to graduate study and enhanced their skill proficiency in various dissemination formats from grant-writing to syllabus design, conference presentation, or article and dissertation authorship.

“It is wonderful to be honoured with the Faculty of Graduate Studies’ Faculty Teaching Award,” said MacLennan. “Working with our graduate students at York University is a very rewarding experience. Their research and work makes positive changes in the world and contributes tremendously to research. I enjoy being part of their journeys.”

Also in attendance was Dean and Associate Vice-President Graduate Thomas Loebel, who also commended MacLennan’s exemplary work.

“I think that the heart of Dr. MacLennan’s highly effective and award-winning teaching is that she rivals even the best of clinicians at teaching students over the course of their degrees, both from work inside and outside of the classroom,” Loebel said. “Which is also to say, with a wealth of scholarly material and experiential development, but also as an interlocutor anywhere – how to locate the source of their confidence as scholar-people and to build it rightly and ethically with others.”

MacLennan is teaching her 40th distinct course in 2023 and over the years has supervised more than 30 MA and six PhD students to completion, as well as one postdoctoral Fellow. With over 20 years of experience teaching communication studies, media studies, history, methodology and other interdisciplinary topics, she is among the best equipped academicians offering to support to graduate students. Moreover, when MacLennan was the graduate program director of communication and culture, she led the program’s restructuring of the curriculum to incorporate professional development opportunities into formal courses, permitting skills-based approaches to flourish while facilitating opportunities for interdisciplinary growth among students.

Outside of the classroom, MacLennan continues to be an inspiration to colleagues and pupils, contributing widely to the academic community. She has been published in many recognized journals and has presented at 125 conferences. Additionally, MacLennan served as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Radio & Audio Media from 2017 to 2021. Her current work, a book manuscript in progress, is a study of the program listings of seven cities across Canada during the 1930s to explain the distinct elements of local, non-network radio and the changes across the country as national network radio was put in place.

Previously, MacLennan has been awarded the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (Tenure/Tenure-Track Stream) for 2020-2021 and the President’s University-Wide Teaching Award in 2006. 

MacLennan embodies the spirit of the FGS Teaching Award with her dedication to substantial, significant and sustained excellence, and her enthusiasm for the multifaceted aspects of teaching at the graduate level at York.

To learn more about the FGS annual Teaching Award, click here.

York alumnae celebrated as changemakers

gold and red stars

Three York alumnae are among a list of 50 Canadian business people, artists, academics and activists recognized as emerging leaders in their pursuit to make the world a better place. Published in The Globe and Mail, the 2023 Changemakers list showcases those who endeavor to inspire and revolutionize their fields of expertise.

The three York alumnae highlighted in this year’s Changemakers list are: Shukri Abdulle (BBA ’18), scrum master and productivity manager at Bimbo Canada (formerly Canada Bread Company); Eva Lau (MBA ’05), co-founder of Two Small Fish venture capital fund; and Teresa Marques (MA ’03), president of the Rideau Hall Foundation.

The women, selected from hundreds of nominations, were evaluated based on their ideas, their accomplishments and their impact.

“The achievements of these York graduates serve as real-world demonstrations of the University community’s positive influence locally and globally,” says Susana Gajic-Bruyea, vice-president advancement. “International Women’s Day 2023 – which coincides with SDG Week Canada – gives us an opportunity to reflect on York’s role as the top-ranked advocate for UN SDG 5 (gender equality) among all Canadian universities.”

About the Changemakers

Shukri Abdulle
Abdulle committed to four years in the leadership training program at Bimbo Canada before she was eventually tasked with studying the bread maker’s production chain and implementing new measures to maximize output. Like many manufacturers in the food processing sector and elsewhere, Bimbo Canada was faced with a significant labour shortage that it is still trying to fill. In the meantime, however, Abdulle saw an opportunity to automate the sorting line with a new gantry that, according to her profile in The Globe and Mail, will save the company $2.3 million per year and allow human employees to focus on more complex roles.

Eva Lau
Lau belongs to a small yet ever-expanding cohort of women directing venture capital funds in Canada. After departing from an executive position at Wattpad, Lau co-founded her firm Two Small Fish. In her profile, Lau told The Globe and Mail that her experience as an entrepreneur arms her with a unique insight that gives her an advantage over other investors. Two Small Fish recently ended a $24-million round of funding.

Teresa Marques
Marques sits at the helm of the storied Rideau Hall Foundation, but under her leadership the historic non-profit remains at the leading edge of fundraising and sponsorship innovation. Some of her achievements include garnering $100 million in donations, $45 million of which was reserved for Indigenous teachers; building “Catapult,” a new skills-training program; and establishing the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program in conjunction with Canadian universities.

To learn more about The Globe and Mail’s 2023 Changemakers, click here.

Osgoode alumni establish $1.2M Davies Fellows Award to create positive change in legal profession

Osgoode Hall Law School alumni, representing Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, presenting a $1.2 million cheque for the Davies Fellows Award

Osgoode Hall Law School and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, one of Canada’s leading law firms, have jointly announced a $1.2-million Davies Fellows Award that is designed to break down barriers to legal education.

The new bursary is created with donations from Osgoode alumni at Davies with matching funds from the law school.

Every year, the bursary will help support one first-year student in the law school’s juris doctor (JD) program who has demonstrated financial need and exceptional promise.

The successful candidate’s personal and professional achievements will include overcoming obstacles related to financial means; racial, cultural, or gender inequalities; mental health; and physical or learning challenges. The recipient will be known as a Davies Fellow.

The award is renewable for the student’s second and third years in the JD program, provided the student remains in good academic standing and continues to demonstrate financial need and exceptional promise.

Osgoode Law School alumni representing Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP present $1.2 million cheque for the Davies Fellows Award
York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School receives transformative contribution to its No Barriers campaign from alumni working at leading Canadian law firm Davies

“We count among our lawyers at Davies, individuals who have overcome obstacles to achieve excellence in the profession, and we recognize that we have an opportunity to expand access to a legal education to students from equity-deserving groups,” says Osgoode alumna and Davies senior partner Patricia Olasker.

She adds that the initiative reflects the firm’s commitment to creating a more inclusive legal profession by removing barriers that stand in the way of remarkable students. “Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is a core value of our firm, and the creation of the Davies Fellows Award is an impactful way for us to turn our values into action.”

“I am so grateful for the amazing support our alumni working at Davies have given to this initiative, which will see generous alumni donations matched by Osgoode to help reduce systemic barriers to law school for students from equity-deserving groups who will, in turn, change the face of the legal profession,” says Mary Condon, dean of Osgoode. “The creation of the award is a transformative contribution to the law school’s No Barriers campaign, which aims to make Osgoode one of the most diverse and inclusive law schools in Canada.”

As the first Canadian law school to adopt a holistic admissions policy 15 years ago, Osgoode has been a leader in making legal education more open, inclusive and diverse, the dean adds.

Learn more at News @ York.

Osgoode RedDress Week honours murdered and missing Indigenous women

Red dress hanging from tree branches beside lonely arboreal highway, stock image banner for missing Indigenous girls awareness

As third-year law students Megan Delaronde and Annika Butler recently wrote out the stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, one fact became painfully clear: the Canadian justice system has not solved the vast majority of cases.

Butler, the co-chair of the Osgoode Indigenous Students’ Association (OISA); Delaronde, OISA’s director of cultural and community relations; and a group of other volunteers, wrote out 300 of the stories for OISA’s “RedDress Week” (Feb. 13 to 17), posting them throughout the main floor of the law school along with a number of red dresses. They selected stories from thousands of cases chronicled in a database maintained by the Gatineau, Que.-based Native Women’s Association of Canada.

“There are stories that I have written out that will stick with me,” said Delaronde, a member of the Red Sky Métis Independent Nation in Thunder Bay, Ont.

She and Butler, a member of the Mattawa/North Bay Algonquin First Nation, pointed to examples like a nine-month-old baby girl who died in foster care – no charges were ever laid – or 20-year-old Cheyenne Fox of Toronto, whose three 911 calls just prior to her 2013 murder went unanswered.

“I think a lot of the time this problem stays abstract for people who aren’t Indigenous,” said Delaronde. “One of the things we were hoping to accomplish with our names wall was to show the vastness of this problem and for people to understand that these aren’t just names. Many of them were mothers and the vast majority of these cases have gone unsolved.”

Many of the postings on the wall did not carry a name. “A lot of the names of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) we don’t know,” said Butler, “but we still wanted to hold a place in our hearts for them.”

She noted that official statistics kept by police underestimate the number of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada compared with records kept by the Native Women’s Association and other Indigenous organizations and communities.

Osgoode Indigenous Students’ Association members, from left: Megan Delaronde, Hannah Johnson, Sage Hartmann and Annika Butler.
Osgoode Indigenous Students’ Association members, from left: Megan Delaronde, Hannah Johnson, Sage Hartmann and Annika Butler.

OISA’s “RedDress Week” this year was the most extensive in the club’s history. Inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black’s 2010 art installation, “The REDress Project,” Red Dress events are typically held in May to raise awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous women. But because the academic year is usually over by May, Delaronde said OISA decided to schedule the event in February.

She said the timing seemed appropriate considering one of the latest reminders of the continuing tragedy ­– the recent murders of four Indigenous women in Winnipeg: Rebecca Contois, 24; Marcedes Myran, 26; Morgan Harris, 39, a mother of five children; and a fourth unidentified woman who has been named Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.

“We wanted to ramp it up this year so we poured our hearts into it,” said Delaronde.

The group also organized a trivia night event that raised almost $1,000 for the Native Women’s Association of Canada.

Butler and Delaronde said that OISA’s first-year reps Sage Hartmann (Red River Métis) and Hannah Johnson (Secwepemc Nation) also played a key role in organizing the event, with support from OISA members Levi Marshall and Conner Koe, Osgoode’s student government and Osgoode’s Office of the Executive Officer.

Past and future OISA events

In September, OISA organized a special event for Orange Shirt Day (also known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation), with guest speakers and Osgoode alumni Deliah Opekokew (LLB ‘77), the first First Nations lawyer to ever be admitted to the bar association in Ontario and in Saskatchewan; and Kimberly Murray (LLB ‘93), who serves as the federal government’s special interlocutor on unmarked graves at former residential schools. In March, it plans to organize a Moose Hide Campaign Day. The Moose Hide Campaign is a nationwide movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians from local communities, First Nations, governments, schools, colleges/universities, police forces and many other organizations committed to taking action to end violence against women and children.

Deadline extended: Call for graduate/professional student nominations to Board of Governors

Wellbeing Week FEATURED image shows community members entering Vari Hall

The Student Senator Caucus (SSC) at York University oversees nominations for student members for the Board of Governors and makes a recommendation to them based upon the election results. The election of student governors rotates annually between undergraduate and graduate/professional students.

The nomination period has been extended until March 16 at noon.

The Board of Governors appoints its members. The Student Senator Caucus is responsible for nominating those members, and in practice has done so through an election. This year, the SSC has appointed Nyarai Chidemo as chief returning officer and Shawn Yuan as deputy returning officer. Following the election results, SSC will confirm the results and recommend to the Board that the candidate with the highest vote total be appointed to the Board.

This year SSC is accepting nominations for graduate/professional student nominees. Nominations will be accepted starting Monday, Feb. 27 at 9 a.m. The deadline for nominations is March 16 at noon. No late or incomplete forms will be accepted.

For further information including nomination forms, election rules, regulations and important dates, visit the Secretariat’s website or contact Elaine MacRae at emacrae@yorku.ca.

New research reveals loss of local newspapers increases organizational wrongdoing

A pile of newspapers tied with a string

A paper from York University’s Schulich School of Business shows that the decline in local newspapers has led to a rise in organizational wrongdoing within communities.

The media has a long history of serving as a societal watchdog, offering accountability journalism that can keep organizational wrongdoing – such as misconduct, fraud, bribery, tax evasion and more – in check.

Schulich School of Business
The Schulich School of Business

The decline in local newspapers due to financial challenges, however, has had a significant impact on accountability journalism, according to “The Crisis in Local Newspapers and Organizational Wrongdoing: The Role of Community Social Connectedness,” a paper published in Organization Science by two York-affiliated academics.

The paper was co-authored by Mike Valente, an associate professor of business and sustainability at the Schulich School of Business, as well as Tony Jaehyun Choi, an assistant professor in the Business-Society Management Department at Rotterdam School of Management and a former PhD student of Valente.

“Because local newspapers, through their general watchdog function, play an instrumental role in balancing economic and non-economic values, we investigated whether the significant decline in local newspapers in U.S. municipalities weakened the enforcement mechanism that would normally curb organizational wrongdoing,” says Valente.

The two academics analyzed local newspapers and organizations in American metropolitan areas during the period between 2007 and 2015 and found that the decline in local newspapers has led to an increase in opportunistic behaviors from organizations due to the diminishing presence of accountability journalism.

“Our results in fact show that a decline in local newspapers increases organizational wrongdoing,” adds Valente. The academics discovered, however, that another watchdog is gaining strength in the absence of the strong interconnection of accountability journalism and organizational responsibility.

“This relationship is moderated by community social connectedness, which is defined as the dense interlocking network of relationships between local people in a community. Community social connectedness ultimately compensates for the scarcity of local newspapers by essentially replacing news outlets as an enforcement body,” says Valente.

New research casts doubt on belief that spontaneous sex is better

Giant pile of candy hearts

Two studies published in the Journal of Sex Research by PhD student Katarina Kovacevic and Professor of psychology Amy Muise reveals planned sex can be as satisfying as unplanned sex.

The idea that spur-of-the-moment sex is the most passionate and satisfying is deeply ingrained in popular Western imagination, but new research from a York University student and a professor in the Faculty of Health calls this into question. In a new study, the researchers found that planning ahead can be just as sexy as sex that “just happens.”

York PhD student Katarina Kovacevic
Katarina Kovacevic

“There can be a lot of resistance to asking clients to talk about and plan sex more, to work as a sexual team. I think it’s because of what we see in the media, but the funny thing about that is there’s so much planning that goes into those scenes – a whole production team is there, actors memorize their lines,” says Kovacevic, a PhD student at York’s Sexual Health and Relationship Laboratory and registered psychotherapist specializing in romantic relationships and sexual issues.

“What our new study found was that while many people do endorse the ideal of spontaneous sex, there was no difference in their reported satisfaction of their last actual sexual encounter – whether it was planned or unplanned.”

For this research, published Feb. 13, in the Journal of Sex Research, two studies were conducted by Kovacevic, her supervisor Muise, and their collaborators. The first looked at more than 300 individuals in romantic relationships and asked them questions via an online survey. The second, had more than a hundred couples respond for three weeks to daily surveys about their romantic and sex lives. In both cases, they wanted to look at people’s beliefs about planned versus spontaneous sex, but also if these beliefs would translate into satisfaction with actual sexual encounters.

Psychology professor Amy Muise
Amy Muise

In the first part of the study, they did find that endorsing the idea of spontaneous sex being better did correlate with reported satisfaction. While in the second study, when looking at participants’ last sexual encounter, they found there was no difference in how satisfying a sexual encounter was reported to be – based on whether it was planned or happened spontaneously – regardless of people’s beliefs.

“Generally, we did find that people endorsed the spontaneous sex ideal,” says Muise. “But, despite these beliefs, across our two studies we did not find strong support that people actually experience spontaneous sex as more satisfying than planned sex.”

Kovacevic says when therapists like herself talk about planned sex, they don’t necessarily mean scheduling it, and while planning sex may seem like a chore to some, anticipation can also sometimes lead to desire.

“When we suggest that couples or other romantic configurations carve out that time, we’re not necessarily saying you put it into a calendar – like 7 p.m. on a Tuesday, after putting dinner in the oven and before folding the socks,” she says. “But the intentionality behind it can be transformative in the sense that we don’t wait around for the right moment, because sometimes the mood just never strikes, really, for some people, and that might deter them.”

Additionally, Muise and Kovacevic remind us of how much planning goes into the important and enjoyable aspects of our lives, like going on vacation or pursuing a rewarding career. There is no reason sex cannot be the same. Since sex is important to many people, and has numerous health and relationship benefits, it makes sense to prioritize and approach sex in the same way.

Kovacevic says expectations for sex during holidays, anniversaries and birthdays can lead to folks feeling pressure; instead, she recommends that romantic partners plan to regularly spend quality time together, without distractions, to keep the spark alive.

Black excellence centre stage at Word, Sound, Power celebration

Coco Murray performance during Word, Sound, Power 2023 (image: Anderson Coward)

Black artistic talent was centre stage during a showcase of performances on Feb. 8 when the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora presented Word, Sound, Power: An annual celebration of Black Artistic Expression.

Watch the video below for highlights from the well-attended event.

The Black History Month celebration spotlights Black cultural and artistic expression through performance, which this year featured:

• York University doctoral student Miss Coco Murray with Coco Collective with a presentation in drumming and dance;
• Peel District School Board student Marie Pascoe with a spoken word performance;
• a performance by York’s Oscar Peterson jazz ensemble;
• a spoken word performance by Canadian poetry slam champion Dwayne Morgan;
• a performance by York’s R&B ensemble;
• a performance by spoken word artist Ryan Burke;
• a presentation by the Toronto Gospel Choir; and
• a spoken word presenation by York University student Ashley Keene.

York postdoctoral Fellow is Holland Bloorview’s first EMBARK scientist

Recognized for his exceptional contributions to pediatric health care, York postdoctoral Fellow De-Lawrence Lamptey has been named Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital’s inaugural EMBARK scientist. The first program of its kind in Canada, EMBARK (Empowering Black Academics, Researchers and Knowledge creators) fills an important gap in amplifying diverse Black voices in disability research.

Launched in partnership with the Black Research Network, an institutional strategic initiative at the University of Toronto, the EMBARK program addresses barriers that researchers from Black communities face in order to set them up for successful academic careers. Specifically, the network’s mission is to promote and propel the interdisciplinary work of Black scholars at the university and beyond through investment and mentorship.

De-Lawrence Lamptey close-up portrait
De-Lawrence Lamptey

Lamptey was selected from a competitive pool of qualified applicants from across Toronto and surrounding areas. The important work that he will perform at the hospital will support children and youth with medical complexity, illness and injury.

“I am thrilled to join Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and be part of the outstanding work going on here in the field of childhood disability. I look forward to making a positive impact on children and youth with disabilities and families through this exciting opportunity,” said Lamptey.

The EMBARK program offers two scientists the following over a three-year term: start-up funds for their research; principle investigator status; access to advisors from a diverse range of backgrounds; connections to networks and career support; and media profiling to build their personal brands. In his new role, Lamptey will develop and lead an independent research program that advances scholarship in childhood disability, with a focus on meaningfully engaging Black communities.

Previously, Lamptey was one of the inaugural recipients of the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowships for Black and Indigenous Scholars at York University. The program supports up to four scholars every year in any field of study and provides the successful applicants with a salary of $70,000 annually for a two-year term. The important initiative seeks to address underrepresentation in many disciplines and fields, by providing Black and Indigenous scholars the ability to dedicate their time to pursue new research, while accessing the collegial resources, faculty supervision and mentorship. While at York, Lamptey’s research focused on the intersectionality of race/ethnicity and disability among children and youth in Canada, providing him the necessary expertise to succeed in his new role.

Programs like EMBARK and the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowships for Black and Indigenous Scholars actively address the systemic barriers that researchers from Black communities experience in advancing their careers by providing them the opportunities and resources to push the boundaries of knowledge, said Anesa Albert, associate director, communications, recruitment and digital engagement in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

“Work performed by Black scholars in these programs results in better science as well as positive change,” said Albert.

Lamptey will formally begin in his position as EMBARK scientist on Sept. 1.

Schulich master’s student earns Gary Whitelaw Strength in Diversity Award

students black diverse woman

An award that celebrates individuals committed to improving diversity and representation in Canada’s commercial real estate industry has been awarded to Silas Jjuuko, a master’s student at York University’s Schulich School of Business.

Silas Jjuuko
Silas Jjuuko

The Gary Whitelaw Strength in Diversity Award was established by BentallGreenOak (BGO) in June 2021, and honours Gary Whitelaw’s tireless efforts and commitment to creating opportunities for underrepresented communities and aims to create pathways for Black, Indigenous and female students in the commercial real estate industry.

As a recipient of this award, Jjuuko will receive $25,000 to support his scholarly activities and research as a student enrolled in Schulich’s Master of Real Estate and Infrastructure program. Second-year MBA students, specializing in the Real Estate and Infrastructure program, are also eligible for the award.

“This recognition will alleviate the financial pressures I have been experiencing. I am honoured beyond words and promise to pursue my education, leadership responsibilities and true representation of the group of students for which this award was intended,” said Jjuuko.

The Gary Whitelaw Strength in Diversity Award not only provides generous financial support, but it also removes additional barriers by offering students, like Jjuuko, the opportunity to gain industry experience and networking opportunities through a paid, 12-month internship program at BGO following graduation.

“This scholarship represents our ongoing commitment to increasing diversity in the commercial real estate industry and our firm belief that collectively we can build diverse talent pipelines by addressing barriers to entry,” said Natasha Soobramanie, principal, EDI & Talent Development at BGO. “We are delighted for Silas as a scholarship recipient and look forward to his ongoing professional contributions to the industry.”

Detlev Zwick, Schulich dean, said “Schulich is grateful for companies like BGO who share our commitment to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of its programs and we look forward to supporting more students like Silas on their journey to success.”

To learn more about championing student support, please contact Schulich’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement at advancement@schulich.yorku.ca.