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Schulich student launches non-profit to help declining bee population

Non profit to help declining bee population
Non profit to help declining bee population

A fourth-year bachelor of business administration student in York’s Schulich School of Business has created a non-profit organization to help save the declining bee population.

Ilan Kogan recently launched Feed the Bees (feedthebees.ca), which provides bee-friendly seeds to anyone who registers.

Bees are facing a constellation of environmental stressors. The effects of monoculture farming, the paving over of fields and the widespread use of pesticides are contributing to the dramatic decline of bee populations.

“In the last decade, 40 per cent of honeybee colonies in the U.S. have died,” he said. “Bees are responsible for pollinating one-third of the food humans eat.”

Acknowledging that bees need more and better foraging options for colonies to survive, Kogan decided to offer the public an opportunity to help through Feed the Bees.

“Anyone can go to feedthebees.ca, register and receive free bee-friendly seeds,” said Kogan. “We ship the seeds out for them to plant. The idea is the seeds are pesticide-free and highly attractive to bees. They help revitalize the bee population.”

Kogan reported that Canadians are very receptive to the cause, and only three weeks after launching the website he received requests for 50 million seeds.

People can also submit donations to Feed the Bees to help cover the cost of sourcing the seeds and to fund bee-related scientific research.

Kogan credits his time at Schulich for giving him the confidence and the tools to tackle broad problems like this.

“One of the great things about Schulich’s management education is that you don’t just have to look at corporate problems. You gain the ability to see problems and come up with solutions,” he said.

Before Feed the Bees, Kogan had created five startups across a diverse range of sectors.

Schulich announces state-of-the-art expansion: The Graduate Study & Research Building

A state-of-the-art expansion to the Schulich School of Business complex is under construction on the northeast side of the current building and is the centrepiece of the Leading Change Campaign.

The new Graduate Study & Research Building was designed by award-winning international architectural firm Baird Sampson Neuert and is expected to open in the spring of 2018.

An artist’s concept drawing of the Graduate Study & Research Building, part of the Schulich School of Business complex at York University’s Keele campus

The 67,000-square-foot structure will stand as one of the most environmentally sustainable and socially responsible academic buildings in North America. It will house a number of Centres of Excellence in areas of management education, where Schulich is a global leader. These include Schulich’s Centre of Excellence in Responsible Business, the Centre for Global Enterprise and the newly established Brookfield Centre in Real Estate & Infrastructure.

James McKellar, director of the Brookfield Centre in Real Estate & Infrastructure

“This will be a landmark building in terms of sustainability and education,” said James McKellar, director of the Brookfield Centre in Real Estate & Infrastructure. “But more importantly, it will establish us as leaders in management education. It is a concrete statement of what we believe in.”

Other features of the building include: a 27-metre-high solar chimney to maximize natural ventilation and use of renewable energy; green roofs featuring a range of vegetation; a media production centre; 10 research labs; picturesque central courtyard; a spacious graduate student lounge; a fitness and wellness centre; rainwater recapture systems and much more.

Leading Change is Schulich’s comprehensive fundraising and alumni engagement campaign. Over the next five years, Schulich will be Leading Change through campus expansion, research and discovery, innovative thinking, student success and alumni engagement.

As part of the Leading Change initiative, the Schulich Foundation has delivered a powerful boost to the fundraising effort for the building. Until June 30, it will match every dollar donated by alumni towards the new building, up to a total of $5 million.

To learn more about the new building or the Leading Change Campaign, visit schulichleadingchange.ca.

And the NSSE Champion Cup goes to…

For the second time in a row, Schulich School of Business can claim the bragging rights as the NSSE Champion Cup winner.

NSSE, or “Nessie”, is the National Survey of Student Engagement that seeks input from first- and fourth-year York University students. Through NSSE, students are able to contribute their insight and have input into York University’s future direction. The online survey ran Feb. 6 to March 31.

NSSE Champion Cup

Organizers at York U challenged individual Faculties (except the Faculty of Education and Osgoode Hall Law School) to encourage participation in the survey. The Faculty with the highest participation rate wins the NSSE Champion Cup and bragging rights until the next survey.

President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri was present to hand out the awards and shared a few thoughts on the importance of student input.

The survey plays a crucial role in steering the University toward a “better learning environment,” he said. He also noted the importance of student opinion with respect to government priorities in post-secondary education, such as funding.

Quick facts about this year’s NSSE:

• Student response rate tabulated at 33.6 per cent (increased from 27.8 per cent in 2014)
• Overall winner of the inter-faculty contest: Schulich School of Business
• Second place: Faculty of Science
• New award: Most improvement over 2014 NSSE: Faculty of Health
• New award: Most creative campaign: School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD) with their version of a cute and cuddly blue NSSIE monster walking the halls of AMPD.
• Four participating students were drawn as winners of a $500 tuition waiver: Neekens Marcelin (first-year, biomedical science); Federico Jara (first-year, film production); Carol Singh (environmental studies; fourth-year); and Manal Rahim (law and society, fourth-year, absent from the ceremony)

The online survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, allows students in their first and final years of a four-year degree to offer their insight into what York U does well and what it could improve. It will be used to determine how much time and effort students put into educationally rewarding activities and to what degree York University facilitates this involvement.

York students attend historic Daughters of the Vote initiative at House of Commons

Daughters of the Vote
Daughters of the Vote

Nine York University students were among the 338 young women to attend Equal Voice Canada’s historic Daughters of the Vote initiative in the House of Commons on International Women’s Day (March 8).

The young women were representatives for each of Canada’s federal ridings, and made Canadian history by taking their seats in the House with more women than had ever been elected to that office. The Daughters of the Vote delegates shared statements – received with several standing ovations – on a variety of issues, and asserted that women and gender minorities are underrepresented in elected office but are equally entitled to political power.

The delegates were then addressed by the leaders of each party with seats in the House, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who also opened the floor for questions. The historic event was part of a four-day conference in Ottawa that included panels and networks on effective leadership, advocacy and networking, and multi-partisan insight from executives, union leaders, elected officials and political staffers.

The delegates from York University included:

• Melinda Phuong, a master of education candidate, represented the riding of Markham-Thornhill. Phuong was one of 16 Daughters selected to testify before the House of Commons Status of Women Committee. As a teacher, Phuong spoke about how cyber-bullying of girls affects future leadership among women in politics and other fields. While cyber-bullying currently has negative consequences on these girls’ self-confidence and perceptions on women in leadership, Phuong is committed to using her platform to change this culture.

• Chimwemwe Undi, a master of linguistics student, represented her home riding of Winnipeg South. Undi was invited to share a spoken word piece. Undi, who is able to count performing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and opening for Dr. Cornel West among her literary accomplishments, was excited to use her perspective as a linguist and language advocate to contribute to the conversation on reconciliation.

• Chenthoori Malankov, president of the York Federation of Students, represented Etobicoke North. Following conversations with many women of colour and members of the Indigenous community, Malankov hopes to increase the number of safe and accessible spaces on campus, which she will use in part to mentor young women leaders who are interested in running in both on- and off-campus elections.

• Rebecca Rossi, a fourth-year law and society major and president of York University’s Women Empowerment Club, represented King-Vaughan. Rossi has committed herself to change the mindset of young women around her. “Women belong in political office and in leadership roles,” she said. “The reality is that these spaces are usually overflowing with men, when women deserve to be just as present and heard.”

• Paige Fisher, a political science student, represented Brampton West. While Fisher was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to meet politicians, learn from leaders of major policy and non-profit organizations, and take her MP’s seat in the House of Commons, the moments she found most poignant were the ones she spent engaging with and learning from her fellow delegates.

• Samantha Redaj, currently enrolled in her first year at York’s Schulich School of Business, represented the Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding and found that this event increased her already-present desire for political involvement. Redaj called the experience a “direct call-to-action,” and plans to use her knowledge to increase and enhance her engagement in the York University community.

• Maymuna Mohamed, a poet, arts educator and cultural liaison of the Somali Students Association, represented York Centre – one of the most diverse ridings in Canada. During her week in Ottawa, she felt intensely reassured that leadership is where she belongs. Mohamed made a statement in the House of Commons regarding the urgent need for menstrual leave to be added to Canada’s Leave Policy Manual. As a health policy student, she is committed to advocating for mental health and women’s health rights. She plans to launch an e-petition soon calling for government action.

• Neelofer Mansuri is pursuing her double major in political science and philosophy at York University. She is currently the executive assistant to the Member of Parliament for Vaughan-Woodbridge, her home riding, which she also represented during her delegation with Daughters of the Vote. As a daughter of Afghan-Canadian immigrants, she is dedicated to serving newcomers and refugees through her volunteer efforts, and through her non-profit organization, which has a special focus on empowering underrepresented women and youth.

• Nawal Mohammad is pursuing a BA in political science with a minor in music. She represented the riding of Mississauga-Erin Mills when taking her seat in Parliament. She is committed to a fair, just and holistic politics. The highlight of Daughter of the Vote, for Mohammad, was having the opportunity to meet other young women who also feel strongly about the inclusion of marginalized people in politics. Her work at public libraries has brought in her in close contact with a variety of people from all walks of life, and drives her to be compassionate towards others.

Moving forward, the delegates plan to hold the University accountable to its mandate on social justice issues, emphasizing that women’s leadership in politics and other fields is an issue that should be important to people of all genders. Although York does not have an Equal Voice chapter, the delegates are planning to work closely with the Toronto chapter to address the intersectional barriers faced by women in politics, who often lack access to financial and community support. They hope to have a registered chapter of Equal Voice by the fall of 2017. Students interested in joining can contact Paige Fisher at paigef@my.yorku.ca.

Schulich roundtable explores opportunities for Canadian business in Southeast Asian financial services markets

York University’s Schulich School of Business and the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy will co-host an international roundtable to discuss timely opportunities for Canadian businesses wishing to expand into financial services markets throughout Southeast Asia.

The roundtable, “Canada and Southeast Asia: The Opportunity in the Financial Sector,” will run from 8:30am to 4pm on March 30 in the Seymour Schulich building at York University.

Business leaders, academics and government policy makers will meet to share their experiences, increase their knowledge of risks and opportunities in Southeast Asia, and directly contribute toward better government policy by informing government decision makers what “getting public policy right” for Canada’s opportunities in the financial sector in Southeast Asia looks like.

Emerging markets are becoming increasingly attractive areas for the export of Canadian financial services, and Southeast Asia, with a population of over 600 million and a growing middle class, is one of the most promising regions globally for the provision of these services. It is the second fastest growing economy in Asia, after China.

“This conference could not be more timely as Canada and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are currently preparing terms of reference for a feasibility study on the merits of a free trade agreement,” said Lorna Wright, executive director of Schulich’s Centre for Global Enterprise, associate professor of International Business and Organization Studies and Export Development Canada Professor in International Business. “The time has never been better for Canadian businesses wishing to break into ASEAN markets, including within the financial sector. The fact that just the ASEAN middle class alone is almost double the size of the total Canadian population means there are tremendous opportunities.”

Ambassador Marie-Louise Hannan, Canada’s first dedicated ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), will be the keynote speaker at the conference. Other featured speakers include: Mari Pangestu, former Indonesian Minister of Trade and Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Professor of International Economics at University of Indonesia and Senior Fellow at the Indonesian Center for Strategic and International Studies; Supachai Panitchpakdi, former Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, former Secretary-General of the World Trade Organization, past President of the Thai Military Bank and former Deputy Minister of Finance and former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand; Jean Charest, PC, Honorary Chairman, Canada-ASEAN Business Council, and partner, McCarthy-Tétrault; and Manfred von Nostitz, director, Dragonfly Fintech, former Canadian ambassador to Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar and High Commissioner to Brunei and Malaysia.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was formed in 1967 to represent the interests of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, and now also includes Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. ASEAN member countries border India, China, Bangladesh, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea, and share maritime borders with India, China, Palau and Australia.

To attend the March 30 Canada and Southeast Asia Conference, visit netcommunity.ucalgary.ca/SPP/ASEAN.

Passings: Schulich Professor Gordon S. Roberts remembered as inspirational teacher

Gordon Roberts
Gordon Roberts

York University’s Schulich School of Business lost one of its most esteemed faculty members on March 23, with the death of Gordon S. Roberts, professor emeritus of finance.

Gordon S. Roberts

Prof. Roberts was a longtime member of Schulich, serving as faculty since 1994 when he was appointed the CIBC Professor of Financial Services. During his time with Schulich, he also served as the Director of the Financial Services Program from 1994 until 1998 and was the Finance Area Coordinator from 1999 through to 2005.

“To his students, Professor Roberts was an inspirational teacher both inside and outside the classroom.  He was a dedicated supporter of student initiatives and career endeavours,” said Schulich Dean Dezsö J. Horváth.

Roberts was nominated many times by his students for the masters-level Seymour Schulich Award in Teaching Excellence, and he was awarded first prize in 2007 and placed second overall in 2002 and 2011. He was also named the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA Professor of the Year in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

“Professor Roberts was a leading researcher and active in his academic and professional communities,” said Horváth. “He had widely published in the field of corporate finance, with a focus on syndicate loan structuring and loan pricing.”

His research also explored the pricing impact of fixed income securities and studied the implications of corporate governance and CSR within a financial context.  He continued to focus on his academic research even in retirement, completing a paper co-authored with his colleague, Professor Kee-Hong Bae, earlier this month.

A service in remembrance of Roberts was held on Sunday, March 26, and York University lowered the flags on the Main Keele campus and Glendon flagpoles and those at Passey residences to half-mast from sunrise on Sunday, March 26 until 1pm Monday, March 27.

“Gordon will be remembered as one of our school’s most prominent faculty members. On behalf of the many friends he had within the Schulich community, I offer our deepest sympathies to Gordon’s wife, Sonita, his family, and his friends,” said Horváth.

Update on the Open Access and Open Data Steering Committee

The new campus-wide Open Access an Open Data Steering Committee, co-chaired by Joy Kirchner, University librarian, and Sushanta Mitra, associate vice-president research & innovation, began its work in fall 2016 with the goal of coordinating campus-wide education on open access and data management, particularly in light of Tri-Agency Open Access Policy requirements and the Tri-Agency Statement of Principles on Digital Data Management.

Specific objectives include: an articulation of a framework and coordinated service models that support faculty with these requirements and to create a wider forum for discussion and consideration of changes to the system of scholarship; sustainability of current economic models of scholarship, access to publicly funded research, issues surrounding authors’ and users’ rights in the digital age; and new scholarly distribution systems and other connected open movements.

Two working groups have been formed with the following titles: “Research Data Infrastructure” and “Open Access Policy and Implementation.” The terms of reference for the steering committee and the working groups were finalized and are available on the Open Access & Open Data Steering Committee website at library.yorku.ca/web/open.

A road map and roadshow are being developed to raise awareness and encourage discussion about open access publication and dissemination models, and research data management at York. These materials will also address related topics, such as authors’ and users’ rights; methods for enhancing the visibility of research; supports for managing research data; and the Tri-Agency guidelines regarding open access publication and data. The intention is to bring the roadshows to Faculty Councils, Associate Deans of Research (ADR) and Organized Research Units (ORU) and Senate.

Faculty Council meetings are being scheduled in April and May to inform faculty of the work of the Steering Committee. Specific roadshows to Faculty Councils, ADRs and ORUs are being developed to address concerns from faculty members, graduate students and postdoctoral Fellows on matters associated with open access, author’s rights, and data management planning. A Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) section on the website will document questions and answers that will arise from meetings with the broader York community.

The Open Access Policy and Implementation Working Group members are in the process of working on a communications roadmap, an FAQ, and an open access policy in consultation with the Steering Group.

The Research Data Management and Infrastructure Working Group is in the process of compiling a list of supports available on campus and beyond for research data management, and identifying areas where additional supports are required. A website is in development, and the community will be invited to share their feedback and concerns.

Upcoming events

Charles Humphrey of the Canadian Portage Network will be invited to campus in early May to discuss developments in creating a community of practice for research data and fostering Canada’s national research data culture.

For past stories on the committee, visit yfile.news.yorku.ca/2016/09/11/open-access-open-data-steering-committee-to-support-york-community/.

Schulich students place third at Developers’ Den VII

Schulich students at Developers' Den VII
Schulich students at Developers’ Den VII

A team of Schulich students brought home a third-place finish from the Developers’ Den VII challenge, which saw 21 teams from North America’s top schools complete in a real-world real estate case.

Under tight deadlines, graduate students prepared proposals for mixed-use development of the Wellington Basin Sector in downtown Montreal. The top three teams, including Schulich, moved on to the final round and presented to a panel of leading industry executives.

Schulich master’s students placed third in Developers’ Den VII

After an intense day of planning and presenting, final judge Robert Howald, executive vice-president, Real Estate of Canada Lands Company CLC, applauded all teams for their hard work at the evening reception.

Howald said the winning team from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture had good synergy and worked well together through the Q&A portion of their presentation.

The third-place Schulich team consisted of Master of Real Estate & Infrastructure students Dina Badran, Abishek Bhasin, Pranavan Ganesh and Imran Mangalji. The judges complimented their attentive approach to community integration and city heritage.

Teams from MIT, Johns Hopkins University, New York University, Rotman School of Management, Queen’s University and the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University also competed.

“Developers’ Den simulates the highly competitive nature of the real estate industry in front of a group of industry leaders, some of whom they are likely to confront in their professional careers,” said James McKellar, director, Brookfield Centre in Real Estate & Infrastructure. “It is an extraordinary learning opportunity that extends far beyond a classroom environment.”

Developers’ Den is organized by the Schulich Real Property Alumni Association and is presented by Altus Group. Net proceeds of Developers’ Den benefits the Student Experience Fund at the Brookfield Centre in Real Estate & Infrastructure.

Final judges also included: Michael Emory, president and CEO of Allied Properties REIT; Mitch Goldhar, chair of the board of SmartREIT and founder of SmartCentres; Jeff Hull, president of Hullmark Developments Ltd.; and Avi Tesciuba, senior managing director, country head of Hines Canada.

Fifth week of the NSSE survey shows a tightening race

Vari Hall from the exterior
Vari Hall

Thousands of first- and fourth-year York University students are taking part in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), or “Nessie”. Through NSSE, they’ll be able to contribute their insight and have input into York University’s future direction. The online survey, which began Feb. 6, continues to March 31.

Organizers at York U have challenged the individual Faculties (except the Faculty of Education and Osgoode Hall Law School) to encourage participation in the survey.  The Faculty with the highest participation rate will win the NSSE Champion Cup and bragging rights until the next survey.

Faculty results published for the fifth week of the survey show that while students in the Schulich School of Business still have a lead, other faculties are making huge gains. In second place, the Faculty of Science continues to close the gap with Schulich. Lassonde students have launched a challenge and leaped 4.9 per cent in one week. Glendon, the Faculties of Health, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Environmental Studies and the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design are making great progress. Who will win? Has Schulich got a lock on first or is it up for grabs? The survey closes March 31, so in two weeks, the winner of the NSSE Champion Cup will be announced.

The online survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, allows students in their first and final years of a four-year degree to offer their insight into what York U does well and what it could improve. It will be used to determine how much time and effort students put into educationally rewarding activities and to what degree York University facilitates this involvement.

Updates on the progress of the survey and the NSSE Champion Cup will be published every week in YFile.

Schulich EMBA student honoured with Meritorious Service Medal

Schulich EMBA student honoured
Schulich EMBA student honoured

He’s the chief of staff at Toronto’s Humber River Regional Hospital, a Kellogg-Schulich EMBA student at York University and now the recipient of the highly prestigious Meritorious Service Medal.

Narendra Singh was awarded one of Canada’s highest honours, the Meritorious Service Decoration (Civil Division), by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, the Governor General of Canada

Dr. Narendra Singh, who is working toward reducing the number of infant mortality rates in Guyana, was recently awarded one of Canada’s highest honours, the Meritorious Service Decoration (Civil Division), by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, the Governor General of Canada.

Guyana has one of the Western world’s highest infant mortality rates, but thanks to a program spearheaded by Singh – Guyana Help the Children – those numbers are in decline.

Singh, who moved to Canada from Guyana when he was a teenager, wanted to bring about lasting change that would improve Guyana’s access to basic prenatal care. Instead of volunteering his services as a pediatrician on a short-term basis, he envisioned a sustainable and comprehensive program to improve the state of infant mortality.

“The foundation for any sustainable program has to be education,” said Singh.

In partnership with the local government, he created a residency program at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) that brought state-of-the-art technology to the country, using a hybrid model blending in-person education with volunteer doctors and a virtual classroom where Singh and other faculty members provide instruction from anywhere in the world.

In the NICU at GPHC

“Before we started this program, Guyana had only two pediatricians,” said Singh. “To date, we have trained over 10 pediatricians and over 50 nurses, which is a lot for a country of only 750,000 people. Early individuals that we trained are now becoming the educators, so we are close to it becoming a self-sufficient program.”

To date, the infant mortality rate has dropped over 40 per cent at GPHC in Guyana, and has saved the lives of over 150 babies annually. For his contribution to the welfare of Guyanese people, Singh was awarded the Meritorious Service Decoration.

Now completing his Kellogg-Schulich EMBA in Canada’s top ranked executive MBA program, Singh is looking to gain the financial, administrative and managerial skills necessary to take the same model for a high-impact, non-profit campaign to other at-risk countries around the world.