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York researchers appointed new, renewed Canada Research Chairs

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The Government of Canada has issued a new Canada Research Chair (CRC) appointment to York University Professor Godfred Boateng in global health and humanitarianism, as well as renewed the Chairs of three other faculty members – Ethel Tungohan (Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies), Isaac Smith (Lassonde School of Engineering) and Steven Connor (Faculty of Science).

The CRC program facilitates world-class research at Canadian universities, boosting their global competitiveness, while also providing training opportunities for the next generation of highly skilled personnel through research, teaching and learning.

“From global health to migration policy to planetary science to neurophysiology, York University faculty are at the forefront of research excellence in their respective fields,” said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. “I extend my sincere congratulations to our four new and renewed Canada Research Chairs whose impactful work benefits the lives of both Canadians and people around the world.”

Learn more about the new and renewed chairholders at York:

Godfred Boateng
Godfred Boateng

Godfred Boateng, Canada Research Chair in Global Health and Humanitarianism
Boateng is an assistant professor in the School of Global Health, director of the Global & Environmental Health Lab and a faculty fellow at the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research. He is also the principal investigator on a new project called “Retooling Black Anxiety” in the Greater Toronto Area.

As a CRC, Boateng will address global health priorities by focusing on anticipatory, instead of reactionary, approaches. Notably, he will look to further understand the synergistic epidemics of food, water, energy, and housing insecurity and their compounding effects, as well as the impact of environmental degradation and changes in climatic conditions on the health of older adults in sub-Saharan Africa and Canada.

Ethel Tungohan
Ethel Tungohan

Ethel Tungohan, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Canadian Migration Policy, Impacts and Activism
With her CRC renewal, Tungohan, an associate professor in the Department of Politics in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, will build on her work assessing the interconnections between policies, everyday lived experiences and social movement organizing.

She will continue to look at the impact on migrant workers, Canadian discourse, and policies on immigration, labour, and occupational health and safety in the pre-pandemic, pandemic and post-pandemic era.

Isaac Smith
Isaac Smith

Isaac Smith, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Planetary Science
Smith, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering in the Lassonde School of Engineering, will use his CRC renewal to investigate aspects of ice and climate on Mars and other parts of the solar system, including Pluto and Triton, Neptune’s moon.

The research is unique to York University and aims to advance knowledge of Mars’ climate and ice-related processes, in addition to performing glaciological modelling on icy worlds in the outer solar system.

Steven Connor
Steven Connor

Steven Connor, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the Synaptic Basis of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Connor, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science, will use his CRC renewal to focus on investigating how specific brain proteins facilitate the transmission of information between brain cells. The research aims to further understand how those proteins influence neural circuit function and activity, and how they can result in autism-like behaviour when compromised. Connor and his research team will also explore the restorative effects of reversing molecular changes linked to the loss of certain brain cells.  

The future of disease diagnostics explored at Lassonde

A modern research hub at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering is focusing on scientific innovation to transform the future of disease diagnostics.

Picture state-of-the-art technologies, busy researchers wearing white lab coats and futuristic, artificial intelligence-powered tools with capabilities beyond imagination. That is the Laboratory of Advanced Biotechnologies for Health Assessment (LAB-HA).

“LAB-HA’s mission is to develop wearable biomedical devices for early detection of burdensome diseases,” says Razieh (Neda) Salahandish, director of LAB-HA and assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science.

Early detection of diseases plays a key role in improving patient outcomes and care. Unfortunately, many diseases are diagnosed through complex and invasive processes requiring expensive equipment and facilities. LAB-HA is committed to changing this reality by creating cost-effective, non-invasive and convenient solutions.

It does so through a wide-ranging approach. “Our work applies all kinds of scientific methods in a multidisciplinary approach to disease diagnostics,” says Salahandish. “There are many different scientific disciplines required to support our research. We have chemists and computer scientists working alongside electrical, software, computer and mechanical engineers.”

Professor Neda Salahandish and student researchers working in LAB-HA
Professor Neda Salahandish and student researchers working in LAB-HA

Researchers at LAB-HA include both undergraduate and graduate students who help lead and support complex research projects and activities, enhancing their academic experiences and technical skills.

Many of LAB-HA’s projects are also conducted in collaboration with leaders in the health science industry, including the University Health Network and St. Michael’s Hospital, as well as startup companies, elevating research impact and capabilities.

Among LAB-HA’s initiatives is a smart contact lenses project. With support by the Lassonde Innovation Fund, the lab is working with the Department of Mechanical Engineering to fabricate smart contact lenses – wearable devices that can non-invasively collect patients’ tears and examine the presence of biomarkers – to support the early detection of various eye diseases and improve patient outcomes.

In another project under review by the Alzheimer Society of Canada, LAB-HA is developing smart goggles that can help diagnose and monitor the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Though there is currently no gold-standard technique for clinical and non-invasive detection and monitoring of Alzheimer’s disease, electrical activity in the brain, which can be measured using an electroencephalogram (EEG) test, has been associated with the presence of the disease. Less-explored indicators of the disease include various representations of eye and iris movements, which can be examined using eye movement tracker cameras.

The clinical relevance of these eye movements, EEG signals and iris responses in Alzheimer’s disease will be determined in a first-of-its-kind biomarker discovery initiative establishing a correlation between Alzheimer’s disease and these features.

LAB-HA will use this knowledge to develop smart goggles with embedded cameras for eye tracking and iris response measurements as well as extended electrodes for scalp EEG acquisition. Results will be analyzed using machine learning methods and retrieved on a portable device like a mobile phone.

Another research initiative at LAB-HA, currently in its early stages, focuses on the development of wearable devices that detect inflammatory biomarkers associated with cancers and chronic inflammatory conditions. This work, funded by a Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant, has the potential to expedite chronic inflammation diagnoses, which are the root cause of many diseases. These research efforts can also help reduce the need for time-consuming investigational procedures.

Learn more about LAB-HA on the lab website.

York University’s Centre for AI & Society is pioneering research for a connected future

Graphic of artificial intelligence and society

In a bid to spearhead socially conscious artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives, the Centre for AI & Society (CAIS) aims to bridge the gap between technological advancements and societal needs.

“CAIS is one of the founding organized research units of Connected Minds, which unites research on neuroscience, AI and technology to foster a healthy and just society,” says Professor James Elder, the York Research Chair in Human and Computer Vision, who co-heads CAIS. “It is particularly important in generating novel and beneficial technologies that will improve quality of life in Canada and elsewhere, but also in understanding how these disruptive technologies can best be integrated into society in order to minimize risk and maximize benefit for all.”

The centre combines various disciplines, including behavioural and neuroscience studies, computational modelling, statistical analysis and computer vision design. The objective is to not only advance fundamental perception science and AI but also hold implications for urban mobility, social robotics and sports analytics.

The origins of CAIS sprung from York University’s strategic vision, outlined in its 2018–2023 Strategic Research Plan, which identified AI integration into society as a crucial area for development. To make that happen, Elder collaborated with Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Pina D’Agostino to form and lead a task force to evaluate York’s AI landscape and chart a course for future research development.

Their findings, published in the report “Fostering the Future of Artificial Intelligence,” laid the groundwork for CAIS, which officially launched in July 2022, uniting faculty members from diverse backgrounds and Faculties.

Guided by Elder and D’Agostino, CAIS’s mission extends beyond academic discourse. The centre aims to foster a sense of community among researchers engaged in AI and society studies while promoting dialogue through lectures and conferences on critical issues such as technology and democracy, and disability considerations in AI. Most recently, it co-organized the latest iteration of the Bracing for Impact conference, in addition to the latest entry of its monthly CAIS talk series.

Looking ahead, CAIS recently announced its inaugural advisory board and intends to expand its seminar series while hosting additional conferences, and involving more trainees, including graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

These efforts and more align with York University’s broader institutional goals under the interdisciplinary, $318.4-million Connected Minds initiative, which is currently investigating how emerging technologies, such as AI, are impacting and transforming society.

As AI continues to evolve at a rapid pace, CAIS remains committed to driving innovation while ensuring responsible AI deployment. By fostering collaboration, dialogue and cutting-edge research, the centre aims to shape a future where AI serves as a force for positive societal change.

Adds Elder, “Our systems approach places emphasis on how AI technologies operate when embedded in real-world contexts, interacting with humans and other technologies. Our research focuses on AI systems that address societal priorities in health care, smart cities and sustainability, and that are fair, explainable, reliable and trusted.”

York academics counted among world’s top two per cent of researchers

science beaker exploding with confetti BANNER

An annually updated list, compiled by a team at Stanford University, has identified over 90 York University scientists as being among the world’s top two per cent most cited researchers.

The impact of a researcher’s work isn’t measured solely by its findings, but by how it inspires – and advances – the work of others.

Since 2019, statistician John Ioannidis at Stanford University has attempted to quantify that impact with a list that provides standardized information on how often a scientist or academic’s published research has been the basis of – and citied within – the work of others.

Each year the list is updated to highlight the top two per cent most-cited researchers worldwide. Since the list’s inception, York University’s research leadership has been well represented by its community members. Over the past four years, the number of York researchers on the list has increased by over 50 per cent.

Among the over 90 York researchers represented in this year’s list were:

  • Ellen Bialystok, a Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology and founder of the Lifespan Cognition and Development Lab;
  • Rui Wang, dean of the Faculty of Science;
  • Jeffrey Schall, program director of the Visual Neurophysiology Centre;
  • Caroline Davis, a professor emeritus in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science;
  • Jianhong Wu, a University Distinguished Research Professor and York Research Chair in Industrial and Applied Mathematics; and
  • Sherry L. Grace, a Faculty of Health professor who recently received the 2022 Kite Innovation and Impact Award recognizing her global impact.

Previously, York’s Vice-President Research and Innovation Amir Asif has noted the significance of the list to the University’s reputation. “This high-profile American study from Stanford acknowledges that York University’s researchers are trailblazers in their fields … We have an enduring commitment to critical inquiry and the pursuit of new knowledge, and this study illustrates this leadership,” he told YFile in 2021.

The complete list of researchers can be accessed by publicly available spreadsheets.  

YSpace program gets boost for under-represented founders

hands holding out food banner

YSpace will receive more than $476,000 in new funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) over the next two years to expand its Food & Beverage Accelerator program across the country and support over 100 racialized and women founders to scale and thrive in the industry.

YSpace created Ontario’s first food and beverage accelerator in 2019 to help grow consumer packaged goods ventures in the field. The five-month program provides customized workshops, expert mentorship and peer-to-peer circles to ventures as they develop their strategy, grow their network and scale their business.

To date, the YSpace accelerator has supported 93 ventures and over 200 entrepreneurs who are scaling into mass retail, raising funds and getting acquired. Many ventures in the program have seen exponential growth and established valuable connections in the industry.

YSpace Food Accelerator entrepreneurs gather at the September 2023 Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) Pitch Competition. From left: Ari Alli – Noble Snacks, Charlene Li – EATABLE, Kieran Klassen – Heartwood Farm & Cidery, Dominique Mastronardi – The Happy Era, Rebecca Prime – Beck’s Broth, Muna Mohammed – eight50 Coffee).
YSpace Food Accelerator entrepreneurs gather at the September 2023 Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) Pitch Competition.
From left: Ari Alli, Charlene Li, Kieran Klassen, Dominique Mastronardi, Rebecca Prime and Muna Mohammed.

One example is EATABLE, a company that produces all-natural gourmet popcorn with flavours inspired by classic cocktails, wines and spirits, which has expanded their retail footprint to over 1,600 doors across Canada and the U.S. “As part of the YSpace Food Accelerator, we connected with industry experts who helped us grow 19 times in revenues since our launch in 2019,” says Charlene Li, co-founder and CEO.

Another example is Zing, which creates vegan and gluten-free condiments and seasoning salts that are designed to be pantry shortcuts. It is available in over 400 retail doors across Canada and the U.S. “YSpace programming and mentorship helped our company develop and execute an effective retail strategy that allowed us transition from an e-commerce to an omni-channel business,” says co-founder and CEO Jannine Rane.

The new funding provided by the AAFC’s AgriDiversity Program will support under-represented groups in the food and beverage industry and help provide them with the resources to build their entrepreneurial and business skills. The program was created under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a $3.5-billion, five-year agreement between the federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector.

“We are thrilled that our Food & Beverage Accelerator will soon be able to support racialized and women founders nationally,” says David Kwok, director of entrepreneurship and innovation at YSpace. “We have built a robust and impactful program, and now with the funding resources to serve these groups, we can expand not only our reach but impact across Canada.”

In his role as Canada’s minister of agriculture and agri-food, Lawrence MacAulay has seen first-hand how integral women are to creating a thriving economy. “A more diverse and inclusive labour force can provide significant benefits to the agriculture sector by supporting competitiveness and risk management, innovation and rural vitality, and sustainable growth,” he says.

The new Food & Beverage Accelerator program will build and implement specialized tools and resources to support the unique challenges faced by under-represented groups in the consumer packaged goods and agri-food sector. To achieve this, YSpace will be leveraging its expertise from both ELLA, which provides dedicated programming for women entrepreneurs, and the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance, which provides specialized streams for Black entrepreneurs to better engage with those communities. YSpace will also look to leverage those experiences and expertise to consciously expand its offering into other under-represented communities in consultation with those communities.

“This specialized and comprehensive programming designed for under-represented communities doesn’t quite exist yet on a national level and will fill an ecosystem gap in the consumer packaged goods and agri-food sector,” says Judy Wong, consumer packaged goods program advisor at YSpace. “This is incredibly important for both our economy and the entrepreneurial ecosystem to further drive growth and innovation in the agri-food sector.”

Further information about YSpace and its diverse programming for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs can be found through its website.

Charging up: new Tait McKenzie exercise machines power York

Person on a bicycle charges the battery
Renewable energy, green electricity, exercise bike generates electricity, healthy lifestyle, hard work to replenish energy and build strength for the future, a person on a bicycle charges the battery.

New electricity-generating workout machines introduced last year at York University’s Tait McKenzie Centre have demonstrated the University’s commitment to affordable and clean energy, one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by reducing emissions and powering the institution’s grid.

In 2023, at the Tait McKenzie Centre’s 11,000-square-foot fitness centre, many of the exercise machines used by the York community were worn down and nearing the end of their lifespan. While considering how to replace the equipment, Athletics & Recreation (A&R) saw a unique opportunity.

They could replace the machines with new, comparable ones, or they could take an approach that would further one of the University’s most notable ongoing institutional goals – affordable and clean energy ­– with something more innovative: electricity-generating workout machines.

Steven Chuang
Steven Chuang

The decision was an easy one. While the green machines were comparable in price to traditional equipment, they offered a notable advantage: the value of using human power to reduce emissions on the Keele Campus. “This is one of the key driving forces that led us to purchase these state-of-the-art machines that can advance our mission towards sustainability, contributing back to the grid and keeping up with our fitness goals, one step at a time,” says Steven Chuang, executive director for A&R. “We wanted to ensure that we’re really striving towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and educating students about the value of sustainability.”

Since August 2023, 42 electricity-generating machines – which include treadmills and indoor bicycles from green fitness company SportsArt – have been introduced to the Tait McKenzie Centre, helping York become one of the first universities in Canada to have green workout equipment at that scale.

The treadmills and bicycles have been plugged into outlets where no energy is drawn and are leveraging the energy generated by users to give back to the University’s power grid. Over the past months, the machines have been working toward the roughly 19,264 kilowatts of energy they can produce per year, which equals roughly 7,700 kettles of water.

York community member on a green bike

They are expected to save $25,000 over the next five years, as energy produced from workouts follows the path of least resistance to where it’s needed on campus – whether it’s providing energy to power a clock or an LCD screen. Tait McKenzie, and the machines, even offer a feature where those breaking a sweat on the machines can directly see their contributions to sustainability through a leaderboard display screen that tracks which workout equipment units are producing the most power.

“Having these machines on campus is a model for what can be done for sustainability,” says Mike Layton, chief sustainability officer. “That’s what being part of a university is all about – contributing not only to making the university space better but making a better world.”

In the past few months, these machines have made an impact on several users, including staff members. “I smile when I’m on them,” says Art McDonald, acting associate director of campus recreation. “It feels good to use these machines and give back to the planet.”

For those interested in testing these machines, visit the Tait McKenzie Centre on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Keep an eye out for the green SportsArt logo.

Tech innovation and health-care advancements earn funding, recognition for York researchers

Header banner for ASPIRE

Welcome to the March 2024 issue of Aspire, a special issue of YFile highlighting research and innovation at York University.

Aspire is produced by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation in partnership with the Communications & Public Affairs Division.

Renowned for its high-profile, research-intensive environment, York University fosters a community of forward-thinking scholars and changemakers dedicated to creating positive, global change.

In this issue:

Lassonde research boosts accuracy of GPS positioning in smartphones
Using precise satellite tracking data currently unavailable to smartphone processors, York University engineers have developed a new technique that significantly improves the accuracy of global positioning system (GPS) tracking in Android smartphones.

Faculty of Health study explores pros and cons of preschoolers in sports
Research Associate Meghan Harlow and Associate Professor Jessica Fraser-Thomas in York University’s School of Kinesiology & Health Science are investigating the benefits and risks of organized sports programming for children aged six and under.

Five York-led research projects receive over $3M in new CIHR funding
York researchers Mark Bayfield, Elham Dolatabadi, Skye Fitzpatrick, Anthony Scimè and Jeffrey Wardell are leading five projects that have been awarded a combined total of more than $3 million in new funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

York immunologist’s work recognized as standout achievement in arthritis research
York University Professor Ali Abdul-Sater‘s work on blocking inflammation in gout has been named one of the most significant advancements in arthritis research in 2023 by Arthritis Society Canada.

YSpace startup receives $2M to develop health-care technologies for space travel
Phyxable, a virtual physical therapy platform supported by York’s YSpace entrepreneurship hub, was selected by the Canadian Space Agency for its Health Beyond Initiative, which aims to develop innovative and sustainable solutions for remote health-care delivery.

Osgoode prof named Woman of the Year by Canadian Italian business community
Pina D’Agostino, the new scientific director of York-led research program Connected Minds, has been named Woman of the Year by the Canadian Italian Business & Professional Association of Toronto.

YSpace startup receives $2M to develop health-care technologies for space travel

View of the Earth from space

By Diana Senwasane, student and community engagement coordinator, YSpace

A YSpace-supported startup has been awarded $2 million by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to develop new health-care technologies designed for astronauts during space flight and for people living in remote communities across the country.

Phyxable, a virtual physical therapy platform, was one of five companies selected earlier this year by the CSA for their Health Beyond Initiative, which aims to develop innovative and sustainable solutions for remote health-care delivery.  

The Phyxable Advanced Medical Pod prototype, currently located north of Brampton, Ont.

As space flights go further and become lengthier, access to medical care becomes challenging, with problems such as delays in telecommunication, medical emergencies and restocking supplies proving increasingly difficult.

The CSA initiative is focused on building state-of-the-art medical technologies that can all be contained in a mobile structure, called the Connected Care Medical Module (C²M²). Phyxable’s version of the C²M² prototype, known as an Advanced Medical Pod, is fully autonomous, and uses equipment operated by artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and more.

Jim Feng
Jim Feng

“Our pod is essentially alive,” says Jim Feng, CEO and founder of Phyxable. “It can do extraordinary things remotely, like medical imaging, ultrasounds, live communication via voice and text. We can do it all with data reporting directly into the Phyxable platform.”

Developed with support from its partners, Micron Digital and WizCraft Design, the Advanced Medical Pod uses a core computer system to connect advanced devices and collect medical data.

C²M² is intended to be a plug-and-play system that allows users to independently detect, diagnose, treat and monitor health conditions on site, which can improve the timeliness, quality and cost of transporting patients from remote regions to urban hospital facilities.

“It’s all about empowering the individual to take charge of their own health care, says Feng. “This is exactly what Phyxable was created to do. We want the user to be able to have all the tools to effectively manage their own health, whether it be on Earth or beyond.”

Although the modules will initially be tested and used for the first five years in remote communities, it is anticipated to be used in space in the years to come.

“With applications beyond Earth, we will be able to use our innovative technologies to essentially allow astronauts to manage their own health,” Feng says. “It will be a monumental stride in the way health care is delivered.”

Phyxable’s version of C²M² has completed its testing phase and will be showcased at the Canadian Space Agency.

Since its conception in 2017, Phyxable has been supported by York University’s entrepreneurship and innovation hub YSpace, through mentorship, connections to investors and undergoing an intense, four-month accelerator program designed for technology startups.

The startup has since grown, impacting over 5,600 patients and establishing partnerships with companies like League Insurance, Right at Home and Shoppers Drug Mart.

York prof leads groundbreaking research on green hydrogen

Modern city and environmental technology concept

York University’s commitment to sustainability and innovation takes a significant leap forward with Professor Hany Farag’s pioneering work on green hydrogen integration.

As a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at the Lassonde School of Engineering, Farag is spearheading efforts to revolutionize Ontario’s energy landscape.

As previously reported, Farag has been tapped to receive funds from a new initiative to revamp Ontario’s energy system.

Hany Farag
Hany Farag

The newly created Hydrogen Innovation Fund, a funding initiative administered by the Independent Electricity System Operator, will invest more than $15 million to help integrate hydrogen into Ontario’s clean electricity system over the next three years. Farag is among the first group of researchers to successfully attain this funding.

A York Research Chair in Integrated Smart Energy Grids, Farag will use government support to advance the work he does at York’s Smart Grid Research Lab, which aims to seamlessly integrate green hydrogen resources into electricity systems to decarbonize not only the power grid but also hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy-duty vehicles, fertilizers and steelmaking.

In collaboration with Alectra Utilities, Bruce County, York University Facilities Services and other industry partners, Farag plans to investigate the implementation of green hydrogen plants (GHPs) across Ontario. Addressing the lack of infrastructure to support electricity and hydrogen integration, his research project will look to optimize GHP design and integration into Ontario’s power systems.

Farag’s scientific inquiry dovetails with York University’s brand message of shaping a sustainable future. York’s leadership in sustainability and its focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) find resonance in Farag’s quest to lead the charge in decarbonizing energy production and utilization, particularly advancing SDG 7, which looks to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.”

It’s an important initiative.

Although the production of green hydrogen is currently expensive, with estimates ranging from $4 to $6 per kilogram, it remains pivotal in the quest for achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Across the globe, nations such as Canada and the U.S. are unveiling ambitious hydrogen strategies and investment goals for the forthcoming decades. In a significant move in 2020, the federal government released a hydrogen strategy with the aim of solidifying hydrogen’s role as a cornerstone tool in reaching the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

But while hydrogen holds promise as a potential game changer in combatting climate change, the shift toward “green” hydrogen faces significant hurdles. A 2021 report by the International Energy Agency highlighted a staggering statistic: global hydrogen production emitted 900-million tonnes of carbon dioxide, exceeding emissions from the aviation industry by roughly 180-million tonnes.

This alarming figure underscores the pressing need for a transition away from fossil fuel sources, as highlighted in a recent CBC report.

Although currently not recognized as a low-emissions fuel, there is optimism that hydrogen will emerge as a pivotal player in the fight against climate change. Its potential lies in serving as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels in various sectors such as power generation, home heating and transportation – an area where Farag’s expertise shines through.

“In the Smart Grid Research Lab, we aim to develop new solutions that facilitate seamless and cost-effective integration of green hydrogen to decarbonize the power grid and hard-to-abate sectors/industries,” Farag says.

“This vision is aligned with York’s efforts to decarbonize our campus, where hydrogen could replace – either fully or partially – the existing natural gas–based co-generators.”

Continuing Studies Building earns gold for sustainable design

School of Continuing Studies Building

Further solidifying York University’s place as an international leader in sustainability, York’s School of Continuing Studies Building has achieved LEED Gold certification from the Canadian Green Building Council. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is the global building industry’s premier benchmark for sustainability.

School of Continuing Studies Building
School of Continuing Studies Building exterior.

The six-story, 9,012-square-metre, 50-classroom building, which opened last spring at 68 The Pond Road on York’s Keele Campus, was designed by global architecture firm Perkins&Will, led by architects Safdar Abidi and Andrew Frontini. Its twisted design is said to symbolize the school’s twist on the traditional mission of continuing studies – that is, to solve Canada’s most pressing labour challenges by connecting employers to a highly skilled talent pool through innovative program offerings.

“Our stunning, architecturally twisted learning facility emphasizes sustainable practices, safeguards the environment and lowers operating costs,” said Christine Brooks-Cappadocia, assistant vice-president, Continuing Studies. “This purposeful design, with its abundant natural light and other innovative features, is welcoming and promotes a healthy atmosphere so we can focus on what matters most: excellence in programming and a vibrant community for student interactions.”

Some of the building’s most notable environmental features include: a self-generating heat recovery system; an infrastructure-ready, solar-powered water heater; a high-performing façade system for weather resistance; and daylight harvesting to offset electric lighting requirements. The building is believed to be well positioned to achieve net-zero emissions in the future due to its low energy consumption and ability to accommodate solar photovoltaic panels that convert sunlight into electricity.

School of Continuing Studies Building
School of Continuing Studies Building front view.
School of Continuing Studies Building
School of Continuing Studies Building side view.

But contrary to popular belief, LEED is not only about energy-efficient design. It also considers occupant wellness, an area where the School of Continuing Studies Building focused much attention. Designed with the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion in mind, the building houses a lactation room for nursing mothers and a payer room, plus guide rails, automated doors, standing desks, screens for the visually impaired, elevators and large, wheelchair accessible hallways.

“LEED is a comprehensive sustainability objective,” explained Norm Hawton, director of design and construction for Facilities Services at York, “ranging from site selection and recycling of materials to designing for energy performance, minimizing waste, encouraging wellness – from daylighting to healthy commuting, by providing bicycle racks and showers – and thinking holistically about how this building will contribute to a sustainable lifestyle.”

According to Hawton, the LEED Gold certification could not have been achieved without the contributions of the School of Continuing Studies students, instructors and staff who were instrumental to both the scoping and design phases of the project, the University administrators, consultants, and construction and design teams.

“It was the collaborative participation by all throughout the project, from the initial building concept through to successful operations supporting continuing education, that led to LEED quantify the success of the School of Continuing Studies Building in this way,” he said.

In addition to this new sustainability certification, the building has also been recognized for its interior design achievements. Last October, the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO) named it one of the most vibrant, innovative and inspiring educational spaces of the year – a true testament to York’s visionary leadership in the higher-education building space.