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Inaugural events celebrate Black and rainbow grads

convocation

Spring Convocation saw the launch of two inaugural graduation celebrations, one organized by the York University’s Black Alumni Network (YUBAN), and the other by the Sexuality and Gender Advocacy Alumni Network (SAGA).

The events, designed to celebrate the resilience and achievements of the Black and 2SLGBTQIA+ graduates, joins the existing Indigenous grad event organized by the Centre for Indigenous Student Services (CISS), as part of York’s ongoing support of decolonizing, equity, diversity and inclusion (DEDI) initiatives.

The new events are also the result of efforts by the York alumni engagement team to re-build the Black, Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ alumni networks in recent years.

The Black Grad Celebration, hosted by economics alum Fikayo Aderoju (BA ’22) and Schulich School of Business alum Reni Odetoyinbo (BBA ’18), was marked by inspirational words from Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora Carl James (BA ’78, MA ’80, PhD ’86), as well as a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by York student Ayokunmi Oladesu, a member of Vanier College Productions.

Black Grad Celebration
Black Grad Celebration

“For many Black university students, Black graduation ceremonies are opportunities not only to reflect on their journey through university, but also to celebrate the fact that despite the odds, challenges, doubts and setbacks, they want to celebrate how they managed to obtain their post-secondary credentials that once seemed elusive and unobtainable,” said James.

Actuarial science graduate Kobe Cargill (BA ’23) also took to the stage, sharing his experience as a Black international student, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the achievements of Black graduates.

“I am the first in my family and in my high school to leave Jamaica and get a university degree. I am doing this first and foremost for my family and friends back home,” he shared. “York is a large university with an extensive alumni network, and as Black alumni, we are laying a foundation for those to follow.”

The 2SLBGTQIA+ event, organized by SAGA, was hosted by political science alum Sara Elhawash (BA ’15) who welcomed recent grads and alumni, while acknowledging their accomplishments and challenges in getting where they are today. The event featured food, music and remarks delivered by Alice Pitt, interim vice-president equity, people and culture, and alumnus/current PhD student Gin Marshall (MES ’20) of SexGen, York’s committee responsible for advising and advocating around issues and concerns of sexual and gender diversity.

Rainbow Grad Celebration
Rainbow Grad Celebration

“I was truly honored to witness the power of unity and authenticity within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Having graduated in 2015 without a supportive network, it was heartwarming to celebrate alongside my fellow graduates who finally had the opportunity to embrace their true selves,” said Elhawash.

The evening provided an opportunity to network in a safe space and share words of encouragement and advice for future grads. Marshall spoke about their experiences as a queer-identifying university student and their challenges in the workforce. “We know the pendulum is swinging back towards more discrimination, and there is lots of work to be done. Recognize yourself, frame your degree and make sure it represents who you are. It is essential for you to recognize this accomplishment,” they said.

Along with YUBAN and SAGA, these two inaugural events were supported by the Division of Advancement, the Division of Students and the Office of the VP, Equity, People and Culture, and had participation from faculty and staff across the University.

Osgoode students help win deportation reprieve for Kazakh family

Judge signing papers

Louis Althaus and Brandon Jeffrey Jang, second-year students at Osgoode Hall Law School, spent three weeks in June testing their practical knowledge of frontline immigration law learned through the School’s Community & Legal Aid Services Program (CLASP) to advocate for an at-risk migrant family facing expulsion.

Guided by CLASP’s veteran immigration lawyer, Subodh Bharati, the pair mobilized every legal strategy available to keep the family – who remain unnamed for privacy purposes – from being forcibly returned to Kazakhstan, where they faced potential persecution and death.

Thanks in part to their hard work in winning a last-minute reprieve, the family’s 14-year-old daughter, who was voted valedictorian by her Grade 8 classmates days before the deportation was to take effect, now has a chance of realizing her dream of becoming a doctor in Canada.

“It was a privilege to work on this case and have so much of the family’s trust,” said Althaus. “We were so thrilled to turn it around and get them the best result we could have hoped for.”

Throughout the case, Jang and Althaus filed a 180-page stay motion to the Federal Court of Canada; detailed affidavits to support a humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC); and submitted a deferral request to the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Getting to know the family helped the students add critical information to the H&C application, originally prepared by a Toronto law firm. “It was important to us that we brought their stories to life,” Jang said.

Louis Althaus and Brandon Jeffrey Jang
Louis Althaus and Brandon Jeffrey Jang

The family’s 2017 escape from Kazakhstan, where the father, a shopkeeper, was beaten and threatened with death by a local gang, reunited him with his brother and sister in Canada and enabled him to care for his sister, who was suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. In the six years that followed, the family’s three children became fluent in English and excelled in school.

Althaus, who is originally from Germany, and Jang, a Scarborough native, said many law firms would not have had the resources to delve so deeply into the family’s story on a legal aid retainer. The experience “truly highlighted the magic” of Osgoode’s clinic system, added Althaus.

The two Osgoode students said they were also inspired by Bharati’s guidance and will carry those lessons with them.

“Subodh taught us to be courageous and to take initiative,” said Althaus. “He’s willing to fight for his clients on all fronts and to exhaust every avenue possible within the judicial system – and he has instilled that in us, too.”

Bharati said CLASP offers an incredible opportunity to students.

“They are able to work directly with vulnerable and marginalized people who truly need them,” he explained. “In doing so, they see, not only the privilege an Osgoode education affords them but their immense capacity to do good. These experiences will stay with them for the rest of their careers.”

“Just hearing the real difference you can make actually doing work on a case and having a real influence on someone’s life – that was something I was drawn to,” Jang said of his reason for joining CLASP. “I wanted an opportunity to help give a voice to people who need it the most, and CLASP provides a specialized opportunity to do so. After a few months working here, I can truly say that the clinic believes in its students.”

Althaus likewise said Osgoode’s wide selection of clinical programs was intriguing when it came time to pick a law school.

“When I chose Osgoode, I chose it knowing it has the most extensive clinical system in the country,” he noted. “I don’t think I could have worked on a case like this at any other law school.”

York team visits Arctic to learn about Mars

Mars

York University astrobiologist, Haley Sapers, an adjunct professor at the Lassonde School of Engineering, has traveled with a team to the McGill Arctic Research Station (MARS), an arctic research station situated on a polar desert island in Nunavut where they will study methane gas, execute Mars Rover simulations and more.

Haley Sapers
Haley Sapers

The station is located on Axel Heiberg Island and, while once travelled by Indigenous people, is currently uninhabited and only used by scientific expeditions and adventure companies. With stark landscapes in one of the northernmost regions in Canada, Sapers says the island is a unique environment, as beautiful as it is illuminating, and not just because of its 24-hour summertime sun, but its parallels to the planet Mars.

“With its permafrost-hosted methane seeps, this is really the only place in the world that you can go to study this phenomenon,” says Sapers. “Additionally, the polygonal terrain here, which looks very similar to polygonal terrain on Mars, is a compelling geological analogue.”

The conditions in the Martian subsurface are consistent with the habitats of some extreme forms of microorganisms here on Earth, such as those that may live in hyper-saline cold springs in the Arctic. The gas released from the island’s springs could function in a similar way to methane gas plumes on Mars, which present one of science’s current greatest mysteries:  Where is it coming from? Does methane signal life on Mars the same way its presence on Earth does? Do these plumes give clues to what areas of Mars could be inhabited down the line?

Less than a one-hour hike from MARS, several springs situated near the bank of a river formed by glacial run-off streams emit the methane gas the researchers are interested in. 

To measure the seeps, Sapers and the team  – which includes scientists from Caltech and McGill, fellow York professors at the Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science Mike Daly and John Moores, as well as York graduate students Alex Innanen, Elisa Dong, Grace Bischof and Madeleine Walters – are partnering with Quebec-based technology and engineering company ABB Inc. to create a spectrometer capable of frequent and sensitive measurements of methane gas on the red planet.

“There’s no such thing as definitive proof that we have life on Mars, unless we go there and we can shake hands with the Martians,” says Sapers. “The fact that we see methane on Mars suggests two things: it’s an energy source for microorganisms and, on Earth, it’s produced by microorganisms. So it gives us more clues as to present-day habitability and clues as to where life could be.”

Using geobiology techniques developed for ocean research cruises, the team will combine detailed biological and chemical sampling with methane measurements from the deep sediments of the spring and analyze the microbes to see if they can oxidize methane.

“The oxidation of methane by microbes in deep-ocean methane seeps prevents large amounts of this greenhouse gas from being released into the atmosphere,” explains Sapers. “Understanding if the arctic microbes are capable of methane oxidation not only has implications for possible life on Mars, but would also show the importance of Arctic microorganisms in mitigating increased methane emission as a result of warming temperatures in the Arctic.”

The researchers, whose work is being sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency, will also take methane readings in the atmosphere, giving valuable information on how climate change may affect the flux of methane into the Earth’s surface, and Innanen, who has experience with the Curiosity Rover currently on Mars, will lead the group in a simulated mission. 

While not her first trip to the island, with MARS now having access to solar-powered WI-FI via Starlink for the first time, Sapers says this year’s trip is a vastly different one.

“It makes interviews and mission simulations possible, but it really changes the character of the experience. It no longer feels like we’re a world away.”

Watch Sapers explain the research and life on MARS, Axel Heiberg Island.  

See more ways York University is making headlines at News @ York.

Schulich team studies impact of updated accounting code of ethics

two men working together on computer

New research by York University researchers and alumni from the Schulich School of Business shows that the likelihood of professional accountants reporting illegal acts by their employers or clients will increase because of explicit wording that was added to an international code of ethics in 2017.

Linda Thorne close up portrait
Linda Thorne

The language introduced via the updated standard for non-compliance with laws and regulations (NOCLAR) clarifies and elevates accountants’ professional responsibility to report fraud and illegal acts to an external authority. The change was established in 2017 to address previous ambiguity around whether or not to maintain confidentiality when accountants suspected a breach of law.

The findings are contained in a forthcoming article in the Journal of Business Ethics. The article, titled “An Experimental Study of a Change in Professional Accountants’ Code of Ethics: The influence of NOCLAR on the duty to report illegal acts to an external authority”, was co-authored by Linda Thorne, professor of accounting at Schulich, together with two former PhD students at Schulich, Pier-Luc Nappert, an assistant professor of accounting at Laval University; Carolyn McTavish, an associate professor of accounting at Wilfrid Laurier University; and Sameera Hassan, a current Schulich PhD student.

The researchers evaluated the effect of NOCLAR’s updated wording on accountants’ perception of their responsibility to report illegal acts to an external authority. To carry out the evaluation, the research team conducted an experiment involving 113 Chartered/Certified Professional Accountants (CPAs) from the U.S. and Canada that showed that NOCLAR increases clarity and elevates CPAs’ perceptions of professional responsibility to report illegal acts externally.

“Prior to NOCLAR, the international code of ethics was seen by the public, the securities markets, audit regulators, and the audit profession as ambiguous,” says Thorne. “The ambiguity of the code prior to the introduction of NOCLAR facilitated the precedence of the principle of confidentiality over that of external reporting of fraud. But as a result of NOCLAR, there is now language in the code that explicitly grants accountants the right to break confidentiality in the face of illegal acts and outlines the steps for accountants to take when encountering them.

“Our findings suggest that the likelihood of professional accountants reporting illegal acts externally will increase,” Thorne concluded.

Philippine Studies Group offers research and publishing funds

writing in notebook

York University faculty members engaged in research and research creation related to the Philippines, or its diasporas, are invited to submit applications for funding and publication support by Tuesday, July 25.

The Philippine Studies Group (PSG) at the York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR) is offering up to five minor research grants worth a maximum of $4,500 each, as well as support for faculty members to publish research in the field of Philippine studies – with the number and value of the latter set to fluctuate based on the number of applications received. This opportunity is open to full-time York faculty, with a preference for early career scholars.

Available minor research and research creation grants are intended for faculty members wishing to explore subject that could include, but are not limited to: Filipino arts, history, cultures, languages, politics, society, economics and environments; Filipino Canadian relations; Filipinos in Canada; Filipinos in the diaspora; and Canadians in the Philippines. Applicants from Faculties across the University are invited to apply. Ideal applications show a clear link to Philippine studies. Where possible, applications that offer opportunities for training and professional development to undergraduate or graduate students are also welcomed.

Further grant information and applications for research and research creation can be found here.

Grants for publication support are intended to assist in covering expenses that will enable or enhance the publication of research in the field of Philippines studies. Eligible expenses include research support, indexing, artwork, copyright clearance, cartography, image reproduction, translation or copy editing. The fund might also contribute towards the cost of a publishing subvention required by a university press.

Information and applications for publishing support grants can be found here.

For further details, contact the PSG at phillipinestudiesgroup@yorku.ca or visit the YCAR website.

Call for mentors to register for York’s SDGs in Action Student Challenge

tablet united nations sustainability goals unsdgs

York University is looking to engage faculty members with expertise and interest in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to mentor and provide advice and support to student project teams participating in York University’s Go Global SDGs in Action Student Challenge.

The program, funded by the Government of Canada’s Outbound Student Mobility Pilot Program Global Skills Opportunity (GSO), aims to empower York students and their peers around the world to take action towards the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a global lens.

Mentors will need to facilitate discussions, workshops and immersive abroad opportunities for York students and their peers in order to develop global competencies, leadership, digital fluency and project management skills necessary to take action on SDGs. By participating in the program, students will learn and experience the opportunities and challenges in leading community action for social change.

The program rolls out as follows:

From Oct. 10 to 13, students will participate in workshops hosted by mentors to build SDG knowledge and global competencies, including learning concepts in international development, social change, grassroots movements and community engagement. The workshops are designed under the principles of inclusive pedagogy, intersectionality and Universal Design of Instruction (UDI).

Next student groups will work towards a Dec. 5 deadline to plan and execute SDG community action projects advised by mentors and in collaboration with student peers from York global partners. Teams will be supported by York project teams from project ideation, pitch and implementation.

Lastly, on Dec. 6, students will share their experiences and learnings at a knowledge fair, by showcasing SDG community projects with the wider York community, Canadian peers and international partners.

To learn more about the Go Global SDGs in Action Student Challenge, visit here.

Those interested in registering as mentors can do so here.

York’s three-year budget plan approved

Featured image VARI Hall drone image of the commons and Ross Building

La version française suit la version anglaise. 

York University’s three-year budget plan has been approved, taking a thoughtful and prudent approach to secure long-term success.

Like many post-secondary institutions across Canada, York University has been actively managing emerging financial pressures resulting from post-pandemic enrolment trends, government funding frameworks, inflation and other factors. After extensive consultation and dialogue with all Faculties and divisions, the three-year rolling budget 2023-26 was approved by the Board of Governors and presented at Senate in their June meetings. 

The budget plan ensures that an in-year balance can be achieved in 2025-26 while continuing to advance the strategic priorities outlined in the University Academic Plan 2020-2025 for the long-term success of the University. York’s financial reserves will help mitigate the near-term impact of revenue shortfalls.

“York’s strong vision continues to shape the academic programs, research, creative activities and innovation that are elevating our reputation, attracting high-quality students, faculty and staff, and enhancing the well-being of the communities we serve,” said Rhonda Lenton, president and vice-chancellor.

Provost and vice-president academic Lisa Philipps added, “York has made extraordinary progress over the past few years, with teaching and research advances, improved global and domestic rankings, innovative curricula, more experiential learning opportunities, and a new campus in Markham actively preparing to welcome students next year. All these initiatives are designed to meet the needs of our current and future learners, and further strengthen York’s commitment to driving positive change.

“Providing new and returning students with high-quality experiences and supports is key to our success and remains a top priority for the University,” said Philipps. 

Steps are now being implemented across the University to help achieve the planned recovery, including both short-term cost reductions and initiatives that will drive growth, innovation and enrolment.

Le plan budgétaire triennal de York a été approuvé, adoptant une approche réfléchie et prudente pour assurer le succès à long terme.

Comme de nombreux établissements d’enseignement postsecondaire au Canada, l’Université York doit faire face à des pressions financières émergentes résultant des tendances d’inscription postpandémiques, des cadres de financement gouvernementaux, de l’inflation et d’autres facteurs. Après une consultation et un dialogue approfondis avec toutes les facultés et divisions, le budget triennal glissant de 2023-2026 a été approuvé par le Conseil d’administration et présenté au Sénat lors des réunions de juin. 

Le plan budgétaire garantit l’atteinte d’un équilibre durant l’exercice 2025-2026 tout en continuant à faire progresser les priorités stratégiques définies dans le Plan académique de l’Université 2020-2025 afin d’assurer le succès à long terme de l’Université. Les réserves financières de York permettront d’atténuer l’impact à court terme du manque à gagner.

« La vision forte de York continue de façonner les programmes académiques, la recherche, les activités créatives et l’innovation qui renforcent notre réputation, attirent des étudiants, des professeurs et du personnel de qualité et améliorent le bien-être des communautés que nous servons », a déclaré Rhonda Lenton, présidente et vice-chancelière de l’Université.

Lisa Philipps, rectrice et vice-présidente aux affaires académiques, a ajouté : « York a réalisé des progrès extraordinaires au cours des dernières années, notamment des avancées en matière d’enseignement et de recherche, une amélioration des classements mondiaux et nationaux, l’offre de programmes d’études innovants et de possibilités additionnelles d’éducation expérientielle ainsi qu’un nouveau campus à Markham qui se prépare activement à accueillir des étudiants l’année prochaine. Toutes ces initiatives sont conçues pour répondre aux besoins de nos apprenants actuels et futurs et consolident l’engagement de York envers la création de changements positifs. 

« Offrir des expériences et un soutien de grande qualité aux nouveaux membres de la population étudiante et à ceux et celles qui poursuivent leurs études est la clé de notre succès et reste une priorité absolue pour l’Université », a-t-elle précisé. 

Des mesures sont actuellement mises en œuvre à l’échelle de l’Université pour contribuer au redressement prévu, y compris des réductions de coûts à court terme et des initiatives qui stimuleront la croissance, l’innovation et les inscriptions.

Schulich student wins Vector Institute AI scholarship

Medical,Healthcare,Research,And,Development,Concept.,Doctor,In,Hospital,Lab

Darren Singh, a candidate for the Master of Management in Artificial Intelligence (MMAI) at York University’s Schulich School of Business, was named a winner of this year’s Vector Scholarship in Artificial Intelligence (VSAI).

Darren Singh
Darren Singh

Valued at $17,500, the merit-based VSAIs are bestowed upon top candidates pursuing studies in either Vector-recognized master’s programs, which provide students with the AI skills and competencies sought by employers, or individual AI study paths in Ontario.

“The Vector Scholarship allows me to have peace of mind while pursuing my MMAI and serves as a reminder that hard work does pay off,” said Singh. “The countless late nights that I had spent studying, working on assignments and programming during my undergraduate degree in astrophysics and computer science at York University played a large role in me receiving this award.”

Singh says the scholarship will allow him to focus more on his studies and less on funding his education. He is also looking forward to familiarizing himself with Vector Institute’s vast network which will accelerate his learning and education in AI.

“The MMAI, being a 12-month professional degree related to artificial intelligence, allows me to obtain a graduate degree without needing to remain entirely in academia,” says Singh. “The Artificial Intelligence Consulting Project (AICP) that is part of the degree will enable me to obtain relevant work experience before I graduate and enter the workforce.”

Scholarship recipients become part of the Vector Institute’s community of renowned researchers, major Canadian companies and AI startups solving high-impact problems. Recipients receive support for their education, and affiliation with Vector can open high-quality career options through Vector’s networking and career events, Digital Talent Hub and professional development programming.

‘YFile’ piloting new text-to-speech accessibility feature

Woman enjoying listening to something with headphones on

YFile has launched a new pilot project which aims to improve accessibility to its content.

YFile stories now offer text-to-speech capability, allowing readers the opportunity to listen to YFile via artificial intelligence-generated voices. Readers can click on the grey bar at the top of each article – including this one – to initiate the audio version of the story. Look for the text “Click to listen to this story.”

As this is a pilot project, with room for growth and improvements, the YFile editorial team welcomes feedback at yfile@yorku.ca.

Professors create VR summer program for high school students

child using virtual reality goggles

York University Faculty of Science Associate Professor Derek Jackson, and Kyle Belozerov, a sessional assistant professor, have partnered with Science Engagement Programs to develop a new Spark Lab virtual reality (VR) research course that will introduce high school students to pharmaceutical chemistry.

Derek Jackson
Derek Jackson
Kyle-Belozerov
Kyle Belozerov

Spark Lab courses are week-long sessions designed for students in grades 9 to 12 who are interested in gaining hands-on experience in the science labs. The Faculty of Science offers courses in the experimental and research categories.

Experimental courses are developed and taught by York undergraduate and graduate students, teacher candidates, or Ontario-certified teachers, while research courses are developed and led by graduate students and/or professors and are based on the research they are conducting at York.

Students enrolled in the new Pharmaceutical Chemistry research course – which runs from July 17 to 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Keele Campus – will explore modern pharmaceutical chemistry through hands-on laboratory drug synthesis experiments and by using virtual reality (VR) to examine their structure and how they interact with their targets. By the end of the week, students will have a deeper understanding of biological molecules and the foundations of drug action in the human body.

As a postdoctoral researcher at the Emory University Medical School, Belozerov worked on pre-clinical development and testing of drug candidates targeting an aggressive form of brain tumor called glioblastoma. He also has taught pharmacology to students in the nursing program at York.

Jackson’s expertise is in organic chemistry, a field of study that is used to synthesize the molecules found in a large number of medications, ranging from everyday medicines, like Tylenol, to complex and life-saving cancer medications. The professors have combined their respective areas of expertise to develop an engaging and dynamic summer lab course for curious Toronto high schoolers.

For more information about Belozerov and Jackson and their pharmaceutical chemistry course, visit the Science Engagement Programs website.

To register for this course, visit the online ActiveWorks registration system.