Tag: Students

Approved tag

Shaun Loney to grads: ‘Have the courage to do things differently’

Shaun Loney

Coming from Winnipeg, Man. to recieve an honorary degree, Canadian trailblazer in the social enterprise sector Shaun Loney shared words of inspiration to the fourth and final cohort of graduands in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) on June 21.

Loney, who has co-founded a dozen social enterprise non-profit businesses now operating in six Canadian cities and six First Nations, was recognized by York University with an honorary doctor of laws.

Before being called to receive his degree, Loney was introduced by LA&PS Dean J.J. McMurtry as a social entrepreneur that “uses business to resolve social and environmental challenges.”

Shaun Loney Lisa Philipps Kathleen Taylor
Provost and Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps, Shaun Loney and Chancellor Kathleen Taylor

As director of energy policy for the government of Manitoba, he worked to expand renewable energy and energy efficient projects far ahead of many provinces, and it was here, said McMurtry, that Loney discovered he could “make a difference by providing solutions and making change at grassroots levels.” He co-founded BUILD, a company that looked at better insulation and water solutions for homes with a mandate to break down employment barriers for Indigenous people and those with criminal records.

“His life’s work demonstrates a commitment to values shared by York University and expressed by our motto, Tentanda Via,” said McMurtry.

Loney opened his remarks with a story from a decade ago, when he was protesting before the Manitoba legislature “giving the politicians heck for making it hard for people with criminal records to get back on their feet.” He was there – along with a host of ex-gang members looking for equal access to employment – to share information about BUILD, when Loney heard his name called out from above.

Trying to discern who it was, he heard the call again, and then with urgency, a third time.

He looked up to see a former coworker, Bruce Carson – a man with a massive criminal record – on the roof of the legislature, wearing a hard hat. Loney had last seen Carson in his office of BUILD, when he shared he got a job, was renting a home and was getting his children back.

“And this is the kind of Canada that we all desperately want to live in,” said Loney.

Up on that roof, Carson had a job with a construction company that was fixing the roof of the legislature. Loney recalls Carson hollering down that day, asking “What are you doing down there?”

Since then, Loney has contemplated this question and asked graduands to do the same.

“What are you doing down there? What are we doing down here? What are we doing down here? What is the purpose of our lives?” he posed. “I have to admit, I’m a little envious of all of you all. You’re graduating at a time when problem solving is going to come to be a thing.”

His generation, he said, was focused on managing problems – not solving them – and now is the time for innovative thinking on issues like poverty, climate change, health care and education.

Today’s generation, he said, has the courage to do things differently and to chart new approaches. With so many issues to address, he said, it’s important to build love into careers, relationships and work.

“Then you’ll have achieved what success really looks like,” he said. “And when you build love and everything you do, maybe you’ll have an answer to the question, ‘What are you doing down here?'”

Ruth Lor Malloy reveals immense power of ordinary people

Ruth Lor Malloy

In a speech to graduands at the June 21 Spring Convocation ceremony, author, civil rights activist and recipient of York University’s honorary doctorate of laws, Ruth Lor Malloy emphasized that greatness is not inherent in certain people, rather, it is born from acts of kindness anyone can perform.

Malloy was introduced by Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Dean J.J. McMurtry, who showed his gratitude for her work by paraphrasing her own words. “’We may not be able to change the world, but we can brighten our own corners.’ Thank you so much, Ruth Lor Malloy, for brightening ours,” he said.

Malloy’s message to the new grads detailed how today’s political and social landscapes are in some ways both brighter and darker than when she first took up the mantle of civil rights activism.

Born into a family of Chinese restaurant owners in the small town of Brockville, Ont., Malloy had not even completed grade school by the time she had developed an acute awareness of racism and its ramifications. Her mother, a Canadian by birth, was unable to vote due to her Chinese heritage and the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act, which also barred immigrants from China entering Canada until its repeal in 1947 – this was just one example of the systemic discrimination her family faced that compounded their ostracization from the community.

Still, Malloy knew that she needed to expand her understanding of racism and all of its manifestations. Later, during her time at university in Toronto, she “discovered that being shunned and subjected to derogatory namecalling was nothing compared to what some of [her] classmates had experienced.

“I met Jewish students who had barely escaped the Holocaust,” she said. “I dated a Canadian-born man who had been imprisoned as a child in western Canada because his parents were born in Japan.”

Searching for a calling, as many undergrad students do, Malloy leapt at opportunities to oppose the discrimination, both political and social, that had deeply troubled her throughout her adolescence. Among these efforts was her organization of a delegation in Ottawa that fought, and defeated, a regulation preventing Chinese Canadians from bringing grandparents to Canada – a right already afforded to other immigrant Canadians.

“After we fought for and achieved family reunification, I realized that ordinary people like me could successfully petition our government for such changes. It was exciting … and encouraging,” Malloy said.

Alice Pitt, Ruth Lor Malloy, Kathleen Taylor
Interim Vice-President Equity, People and Culture Alice Pitt, Ruth Lor Malloy and Chancellor Kathleen Taylor

Following graduation, she travelled through the U.S. and Mexico, planting fig trees to create economic opportunity for the Otomi Indigenous people and testing the service of segregated diners in Washington D.C. following the city’s enactment of anti-discrimination laws. That “was the year before Rosa Park’s historic stand in Alabama,” Malloy explained.

Developing a flourishing writing career throughout her work as an activist, eventually Malloy’s work took her overseas, where she’d learn about her cultural roots and the politics of 1970s China; about the social rift between Hong Kong and Japanese students, spurred by the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong that had recently ended; and about India’s Hijra people, a community typically composed of Hindus “who were born male but prefer to be female.”

“We encouraged one group of Hijras to tell us their story – their painful castration, their dreams and their relationship with their goddess. They wanted education, jobs and respect,” Malloy recounted. “As a result, Indian newspapers and magazines, reaching millions of readers, started publishing positive stories about them … I like to think we also influenced government practices. Official Indian documents, such as passport applications, now include a ‘transgender’ option.

“The problems you face today are existential and more critical than those of my era. Holding us back still is indifference and the lack of respect for others who are different from us,” she continued. “My generation made some progress, but we also saddled you with many issues to resolve. You have more skills and knowledge than my generation had, and I hope you will use them wisely.”

Highlighting the tangible influences of activism, journalism and individual creative expression – while acknowledging the novel anxieties in academia caused by artificial intelligence (AI) – Malloy beseeched the LA&PS grads to use their gifts to better the lives of others. “I hope you will not give your innate curiosity and your ability to think and create to artificial intelligence.

“My book Brightening My Corner: a Memoir of Dreams Fulfilled was recently published. Writing it without the help of a bot helped me evaluate what I did with my life in time to make a change and I hope you will also look at your lives too,” she concluded. “Have you really been respecting others and trying to alleviate their suffering? I believe that if we take down one stone from the walls of indifference and hatred that separate us, and someone else takes down another stone, someday, that wall will be gone. The torch is now yours.”

‘There’s always an alternative’ Cory Doctorow tells grads

Cory Doctorow

The first of four cohorts of graduands from York University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professionals Studies celebrated their respective milestones on June 20 during the sixth Spring Convocation ceremony for 2023.

Students from the class of 2023 were greeted by Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, who shared inspiring words as an alumna of York and encouraged the group to embrace failure, saying “always remember that failure is not a reflection of your worth, but simply a stepping stone towards your next great achievement.”

Taylor’s message was echoed by Cory Doctorow, the recipient of an honorary doctor of laws degree. Doctorow is a prolific science fiction author, technology and digital rights activist and journalist who spoke of his own academic journey and offered a message of empowerment to graduands.

Honorary degree recipient Cory Doctorow with interim VP Equity, People and Culture Alice Pitt and Chancellor Kathleen Taylor
Honorary degree recipient Cory Doctorow with interim VP Equity, People and Culture Alice Pitt and Chancellor Kathleen Taylor

“It is a gigantic honour to be here today, and to be recognized in this way,” Doctorow said. “I’m profoundly grateful to the faculty and administration here at York, and to my friends and family in the audience, especially my parents, who put up with a lot – as you’ll shortly hear.”

Doctorow, who began publishing science fiction at the age of 17, shared with guests his post-secondary experience, and said after enrolling in and dropping out of four universities in four years – his first try, at York – he realized he wasn’t “cut out for it.” Very few people saw science fiction writing as “literature” and he left academia without a degree, but with a drive to chart his own path in writing, and then later, technology and digital rights.

As his career moved into that technology sector, he shared he felt he was finally surrounded by people “who thought that science fiction writing was literally the coolest thing in the world.

“I think they’re right,” he continued. “A couple dozen books later – and after 20 years of working in digital human rights, in intergovernmental bodies like the UN and the EU – I’ve had cause to reflect on science fiction and its connection to politics, literature, and ‘the human condition.'”

He went on to say that society is in a polycrisis: climate emergency, inequality, infrastructure neglect, rising authoritarianism and zoonotic plagues. He cautioned, however, that to intervene and create change one has to believe that change is possible. “After all,” he said, “if you can convince people that nothing can be done, they won’t try to do anything.”

Abandoning the belief that there is an alternative solution to a problem, he suggested, is the opposite of science fiction. His job, he said, is to imagine alternatives. However, he cautioned that science fiction does not “predict” outcomes.

“If we could predict the future, then what we did wouldn’t matter, because the future was coming no matter what.”

Science fiction, he continued, does the opposite of predict – it contests; it demands we seek out alternatives where there is something better than optimism: hope.

“Hope is the belief that if we make a change that betters our circumstances, that from our new vantage point we will espy a previously obscured next step that will bring us closer to a better future,” Doctorow said. “Hope is how we’ll get through the polycrisis.”

Doctorow closed by saying that although science fiction writing wasn’t valued as “literature” in the early 1990s, there was a place for it – along with all genres and styles of writing. And despite the challenges he faced, he persevered with the belief that science fiction is still important literature.

“Hope begins with the ability to imagine alternatives, and there is always an alternative,” he said.

Chef Susur Lee shares life lessons with grads

Susur Lee

Award-winning Chef Susur Lee accepted his honorary degree from York University by sharing his personal and professional journey as the graduands of the June 20 convocation ceremony prepared to continue the next stage of their own.

Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, J. J. McMurtry, introduced Lee by noting his accomplishments. “Susur Lee embodies the spirit of this University. His tenacity, hard work and ingenuity are all hallmarks of this Faculty as well,” McMurtry said, before Lee was presented with his honorary doctor of laws.

Once Lee reached the podium, he shared his personal journey – one reflective of the direct and indirect paths many graduands are poised to experience themselves as their lives continue after convocation.

Lee began by recounting growing up in Hong Kong with four sisters and a brother. His mother worked long hours and was the primary cook of the house, and while he credits her for instilling in him a strong work ethic, he couldn’t do the same for his passion for food.

“My mother came home very late at night – often late as six or seven o’clock. Then she’d start making dinner and her favorite dishes to make were one pot cooking, so I never liked her cooking. She’s a terrible cook,” Lee joked.

TK, Susur Lee and Chancellor Kathleen Taylor
VP Research and Innovation Amir Asif, Susur Lee and Chancellor Kathleen Taylor

Instead, it was his father’s more refined palette that influenced Lee’s culinary path when his father would bring home delicious and savory takeout food from the streets of their neighborhood. “That was the beginning of learning about taste for me,” Lee said, who can remember even at 12 years old smelling the aromas of street food through his window, and longing to understand the mechanics of why it smelled better than his mother’s cooking. “I got very inspired.”

Lee’s palette and budding abilities would develop further at times when his father would take him to a restaurant, especially out for dim sum, and allow him to order whatever he’d like – such as black bean sauce spare rib. Soon, at age 14, he began his food career as a dishwasher in a Pekinese restaurant, then two years later began an apprenticeship at Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotel.

In 1979, Lee immigrated to Canada. He knew a lot about being a chef by then, but not much about his new home. A job at the Toronto Sheraton Hotel quickly introduced him to the country’s diversity, with people in the kitchen from Greece, Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, and also Korea and Japan. “They didn’t really talk about food. They talked about politics, their religion, their family and how they wanted to integrate. I learned very fast, what Canada is about in terms of food, in terms of culture, and the integrity of different beliefs,” he said. “I feel so proud to be Canadian.”

Lee opened his first Toronto restaurant, Lotus, in 1987, and ran it for 10 years before moving to Singapore in the late 1990s to become a chief consultant for 35 Chinese restaurants. He noted that a recurring theme in his life is an ambition to always be learning and relearning his craft. His experience in Singapore led him back to Toronto – re-inspired, he opened the restaurant Susa, which would be named one of the world’s best 50 restaurants by Restaurant Magazine. Over the next two decades, he would open several more restaurants, succeed on popular cooking competition shows like Iron Chef and Top Chef, and be named one of the top 10 chefs of the millennium by Food & Wine Magazine.

For all his accomplishments, he assured graduands that he experienced obstacles too. “It might sound like there’s a lot of success, but in my journey I went through a lot of periods of challenges,” he said. He explained that what has given him the strength to push through, and be where he is today, is hard work, astute mentorship and having embraced the freedom to learn and – especially – make mistakes, stressing, “It is part of the journey.” Lee emphasized too, the important connection, relevant to graduands embarking on the next stage of their lives, between what we learn and who we are. “In terms of our skill in terms of our knowledge, once you have it, it means you can express yourself,” he said.

That knowledge should also continually keep expanding. “As a chef of many years, I’m still learning,” he said. When he goes on trips abroad with his family, he’ll take, for example, spices from another country to experiment with them in his kitchen when back home. He pointed also to his recent popularity on TikTok with videos where his son hands him fast food meals and challenges him to turn them into a gourmet meal.

Lee ended his address to the graduands by emphasizing what type of success will matter most in their lives. “It’s not about a nice car or having a job where you make a lot of money. Success is what you achieve,” he said. “That achievement will stay for you forever.”

Faculty of Health grad receives Murray G. Ross Award

Essete Tesfaye and Amir Asif

Essete Makonnen Tesfaye, who is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in science and specialized in global eHealth, was given the prize in recognition of a catalogue of accomplishments over the course of her time at York.

“I am so honored to have received this award. I feel so grateful to have had such a wonderful community that has helped me achieve this award,” said Tesfaye. “The previous winners of this award all have extraordinary accomplishments and I am so excited to become a part of this outstanding group.”

In pursuit of a passion for a more holistic understanding of health and health care, Tesfaye has garnered several awards prior to receiving the Murray G. Ross prize.

Essete Makonnen Tesfaye
Essete Makonnen Tesfaye at her June 19 convocation ceremony

She has received the Faculty of Health Gold Medal for Academic Excellence and Outstanding Leadership, as well as awards for achieving the highest GPA in the Global Health program in her third and fourth years. She also earned the best collaborator award for the World Health Assembly Simulation, an experiential education project, and was a McCall MacBain Scholarship finalist.

In addition to being a President’s Ambassador, during her academic journey she was a research assistant to Lora Appel, an assistant professor of health informatics and adjunct researcher at Michael Garron Hospital. Tesfaye also counted Oghenowede Eyawo, an assistant professor specializing in global health epidemiology, among her mentors and is grateful for his continued encouragement and support.

“The quality of mentorship I have received from professors and other campus partners has been outstanding,” says Tesfaye. “Many global health professors are leaders in the field, and I have greatly benefited from both their teaching and all the wisdom they have shared with us.”

Among Tesfaye’s numerous favorite experiences at York was participating in the capstone Global Health Practicum, which she says gave her the opportunity to put into practice many of the skills she developed throughout her coursework. Similarly, she says a practicum at St. Michael’s Hospital in her final semester provided valuable experience with real-world applications of eHealth.

Tesfaye also pursued opportunities outside York, such as volunteering at a grassroots community organization named Art+Health, which provides culturally specific mental health programming for Ethiopian and Eritrean youth in the Greater Toronto Area. There she was able to learn more about health promotion and learned the importance of community work and empowering communities to create their own resource. That aligned as well with principles of her degree, such as engaging research participants and ensuring that findings are of value to the communities being researched.

Currently, Tesfaye’s future plans are to remain at York in the Residence Life department, where she has worked for several years, and earned two impact awards for contributions to residence life as a porter and as a senior don. “I am excited to continue my journey in residence life and improve the student experience at York,” she says.

Looking back at her time at York, Tesfaye is grateful for the opportunities it has provided her. “York is a space that encourages students’ personal and intellectual growth. York is a large school but really quite a tight-knit community where we get to engage with so many different ways of thinking and ways of life. It has truly been a place that has given me the safety to explore the world around me while pushing me to think critically about it and envision how I can be a changemaker within it.”

Watch a video on Tesfaye below.

Lassonde’s BEST program launches Bridge to Startup initiative

Diverse students working together

The Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (BEST) program at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering unveiled the BEST Bridge to Startup (BB2S) program, a new initiative that will run throughout the summer and aims to empower teams of undergraduate and graduate students to develop their capstone projects or research prototypes into successful startups.

The four-month program provides a unique opportunity for students nearing graduation by equipping them with entrepreneurial skills and resources, and enabling them to explore entrepreneurship as part of a team on a full-time basis and receive mentorship, coaching and funding.

With a grant of $10,000 as a salary and $5,000 for project expenses, participating students will have a chance to refine their business strategies, gain valuable insights and contribute to the overall entrepreneurial ecosystem at Lassonde. As part of the program, each team will have the opportunity to work with a Schulich MBA/masters/BBA intern to help develop competitive intelligence reports, go-to-market strategies, fundraising plans and product roadmaps.

By encouraging students to embrace entrepreneurship, the program aims to cultivate a generation of innovative and socially responsible entrepreneurs who will lead the way in creating solutions for a just and sustainable world.

“Our BEST Bridge to Startup (BB2S) program helps students turn their capstone prototypes into successful ventures using cutting-edge technologies,” says Maedeh Sedaghat, BEST program manager. “We provide aspiring entrepreneurs with the necessary skills, resources and mentorship to confidently navigate their entrepreneurial journey. Our goal is to cultivate a community of innovators who use their talent and purpose to build a better and more sustainable future.”

This summer, there are five projects taking part in BB2S:

Reefers Technologies Inc.: An energy recovery system that uses exhaust gases to create electricity to power the refrigeration system of refrigerated truck trailers.

Handi-Fuel: A project that is providing automated, accessible fuelling for mobility-challenged drivers. Mobility-challenged drivers need help getting out of their vehicles to fuel up their vehicles. The team is building a robotic arm that will eliminate this need.

Chatbase: An AI chatbot builder that trains ChatGPT on data and allows users to add a chat widget to their website. Chatbase leverages the power of ChatGPT to create a custom, intelligent chatbot for any website by training it on specific data sources. This results in a highly accurate, responsive chatbot that understands user queries, retrieves relevant information and provides natural language answers.

MechTronX Inc.: is an innovative tech company that specializes in addressing the research and development (R&D) needs of startups. MechTronX’s mission is to provide cost-effective, customized solutions that cater to the unique technical requirements of early-stage companies by offering a comprehensive range of services, including consultation, simulation, prototyping and assistance with mass manufacturing.

PowerRanger Multifunctional Robotic Platform: A project that takes a proactive approach to power line maintenance: enhancing efficiency, reducing downtime, and improving the overall reliability of power infrastructure by using an autonomous power line inspection robot for preventative maintenance. Their robot scans power lines using sensors and cameras to detect potential damage. Images are then sent to a centralized database where machine learning algorithms analyze them, identifying any issues. Geotagging ensures the easy location of areas of concern for ground workers.

Further information those interested can be found here.

Indigenous students share reflections on National Indigenous Peoples Day

Banner National Indigenous Peoples Day

National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day are times of celebration and reflection. The month signifies the opportunity to welcome learning as well as come together to build connections between Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people.

Each year on June 21, the cultural richness and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples is celebrated. In the spirit of reflection, Indigenous students who are a part of the York University community have shared what Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day means to them. The students shared their reflections with Leo Manning, a psychology student entering his third year of studies. Manning is of Plains Cree and settler descent, a member of Saddle Lake Cree Nation, but grew up in amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton).

Charlie Wryland
Scotty Peters
Melissa Somer
Greg Michael Loon
Erin Goulais
Cheyenne Schmidt-Harlick

Student: Greg Michael Loon has completed their first year of the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program and is Indigenous James Bay Cree.
“Indigenous History Month means acknowledging a strong and passionate culture of first peoples of this land. We are strong and united; we will never go away.” 

Student: Charlie Wryland is in their fourth year of the Work and Labour Studies program and is Haudenosaunee First Nations. 
“For me, National Indigenous History Month is a time to reflect and take stock of the work we’ve done as a society and the work I’ve done individually in advancing our efforts towards reconciliation.” 

Student: Melissa Somer is in the 2023 Master of Education (MEd) – Urban Indigenous Education Cohort. They are First Nations mixed with Pennsylvanian Dutch. 
“Indigenous Peoples Day is about gathering for the solstice by being with friends, family and community to tell stories, celebrate a fresh start and the removal of past burdens.”   

Student: Scotty Peters is currently studying in the third cohort of the Waaban Bachelor of Education. They are from We’koqma’q in Cape Breton Island; a Mi’kmaw person currently a visitor in Tkaronto.
“National Indigenous Peoples Day reminds me of the day I graduated high school, as I graduated on the 21st of June. I also appreciate how Indigenous people saw the 21st of June as the longest day of the year and celebrated it.” 

Student: Cheyenne Schmidt-Harlick is in their third year of studies with a major in psychology and minor in Indigenous studies. They are Afro-Indigenous Six Nations – Mohawk, MiKmaq and Trinidadian. 
“As an Indigenous person, what Indigenous History Month means is all about connecting within your community, creating allyship with non-Indigenous peoples and celebrating your Indigeneity proudly.”

Student: Erin Goulais is going into her fourth year in cognitive science, Indigenous studies and is working on an ethics certificate. They are Ojibwe Anishinaawbe kwe from Nipissing Dokis Toronto indoojiban. 
“The month of June is very important and matters a lot, especially for people like me who have a legacy of colonialization within my family. Residential school survivors, ’60s Scoop survivors, a lot of people in my family have gone through the foster care system. There’s a lot of broken ties and room for healing within myself, so reclaiming my Indigeneity is something I do on a daily basis. Healing and reclaiming my culture is the work I do for myself, my children and future grandchildren.” 

To learn more about Indigenous History Month and Indigenous Peoples Day at York and to view the student’s full reflections, visit https://www.yorku.ca/about/indigenous-history-month/.

Denis Mukwege spurs grads to endeavour for peace

Dr. Denis Mukwege speaks before an auditorium of York Faculty of Health graduands

Dr. Denis Mukwege, renowned obstetrician/gynecologist, Nobel Prize laureate and recipient of an honorary Doctorate of Laws from York University, called on Faculty of Health graduands to use their talent to fight injustice and care for those in need.

Mukwege received his honorary doctorate from the newly inaugurated York University Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, who opened the ceremony by addressing the graduating class, acknowledging the hope they represent. “Ladies and gentleman, as we look up today at the graduands of 2023, what we see are the future faces of the leadership of this country. May your successes be our successes in the decades ahead,” Taylor said.

Following Taylor’s remarks, Mukwege spoke to graduands, as well as their family and friends. (Mukwege’s speech was originally presented in French. The story below contains the English translation of his words).

An internationally recognized and decorated medical doctor, Mukwege began his career just as York’s Faculty of Health grads did, with endless potential, ambition and only a vague conception of what the future would hold. Mukwege spoke to the graduating class about the courage of the medical staff at his hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the resilience of the patients who are treated there, and the challenges of the Congolese people who continue to endure violence on a daily basis.

Dr. Denis Mukwege with York University President Rhonda Lenton and Chancellor Kathleen Taylor
Taylor and Mukwege with York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton

“From April 17 to April 30, 2023, Doctors Without Borders teams treated 674 female victims of sexual violence in displacement camps on the outskirts of the city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu, east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),” Mukwege explained. “That’s an average of 48 new victims per day. These figures illustrate the gravity of the humanitarian situation that currently exists in a region already martyred after 30 years of recurring wars.”

Beginning his education in the DRC, before pursuing studies in Burundi, France and Belgium, Mukwege became highly specialized in obstetrics with the intention of bringing world-class maternal care to his home, leading to his founding of Panzi Hospital in 1999. “Our goal was to reduce maternal and infant mortality in a region where many women still risk their lives giving birth,” he said.

As is common among fledgling professionals, Mukwege eventually found that the career he had envisioned and the work he was called to do differed dramatically. He realized that, despite his aspirations to help new mothers and deliver babies, the primary purpose of the hospital would be to serve as a critically important trauma and rehabilitation centre for survivors of extreme sexual violence. Scenes similar to those described earlier by Mukwege in the neighbouring province of North Kivu would also unfold at Panzi Hospital throughout its history.

Driven to put an end to such atrocities, Mukwege, Panzi Hospital and the Panzi Foundation have become leaders in developing specialized treatments for survivors of sexual violence. Mukwege’s patients “receive complete treatment in one place based on four pillars: medical-surgical, psychological, socioeconomic and legal,” with the goal of providing care that goes beyond mere treatment of physical injuries. This model has recently been replicated at hospitals in the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa, and in other countries enduring conflict, like Ukraine, where non-combatants – especially women and children – face the threat of sexual violence.

By implementing this model, the Panzi Hospital has allowed patients to “become masters of their destiny and change,” with many survivors eventually pursuing careers in law, nursing, social work, and in one case, anesthesiology.

Though he’d have struggled to imagine it at his graduation, the ever-evolving trajectory of Mukwege’s career led not only to the construction of his own hospital, but to the pioneering of a holistic care regimen, which in turn inspired patients to become doctors, nurses and legal professionals. A great deal of work remains to be done, but nevertheless, Mukwege’s mission demonstrates the chain reaction that is sparked when changemakers foster future changemakers.

“By awarding me these York University insignia, you are showing your solidarity with the Congolese tragedy, and you are helping to stir Canadian public opinion and decision makers to work for the return of peace to the heart of the African Great Lakes region,” Mukwege said.

Throughout his speech, Mukwege reminded the University and its graduands of the complexity of the fight for a better future and the importance of protecting human rights. Mukwege made clear that there can be no justice in pursuing a sustainable future without first raising up the various peoples around the world living in crises, like those in the DRC, where conflict is driven by competition for minerals needed to build green technologies developed in the Global North.

“We hope that this honorary doctorate will contribute to raising awareness among the academic world and the Canadian authorities and the Canadian people of the urgent need to pull the Congolese tragedy out of indifference and support the Congolese nation having the right to dispose of its resources and advance on the path of peace through justice,” Mukwege concluded.

Dr. Denis Mukwege joined by friends and members of Toronto's Congolese community at a Glendon College dinner
Mukwege joined by friends and members of Toronto’s Congolese community at a Glendon College dinner

In addition to the convocation ceremony at York’s Keele Campus, Mukwege attended a commemorative dinner at Glendon College, hosted by Principal Marco Fiola, Professor Gertrude Mianda and fellow Nobel Prize-winner Professor James Orbinski. The event also included 75 members of Toronto’s Congolese community.

The event marked many firsts for York University, being the first time that two Nobel Prize laureates had been hosted at Glendon College, and the first time that Toronto’s Congolese community had gathered there to welcome an esteemed countryman.

Daniel Kahneman offers advice to grads on building a happy life

Daniel Kahneman

The honorary degree recipient shared advice on living a successful life with Faculty of Health graduates, the first cohort of York University’s Keele Campus to celebrate Spring Convocation 2023.

The beginning of the ceremony saw York University’s newly installed chancellor Kathleen Taylor address graduands, asking them to consider an important question for their lives ahead. “What is success? How do we find define it in our own lives?”

She offered an answer. “Remember that success is not an endpoint, but a continuous pursuit in a lifelong journey. It’s a journey that will present new challenges requiring us to adapt and grow. So, embrace them, seize opportunities, and continue to strive for excellence to better yourself and the world around you. And once you achieve one goal, as you have here today, be sure to set another that will set you on a path of lifelong learning and experience that will serve you well,” she said.

It was a theme that would be continued by economic and psychologist Kahneman, the winner of the Nobel prize in 2022 for Economic Sciences and the best-selling author of Thinking, Fast and Slow.

Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, honorary degree recipient Daniel Kahneman and President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton
Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, honorary degree recipient Daniel Kahneman and President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton

Kahneman began addressing the graduating class by explaining how all individuals have two separate aspects of well-being: the self that experiences life minute by minute, and the self that writes the story of a life through memories. “The experiencing self does the living and your remembering self keeps score and creates the story of your life,” he said.

To illustrate the difference, Kahneman recalled someone who once was recounting to him how they had been enjoying listening to a vinyl recording of a symphony, but then a record scratch at the end had ruined the whole experience. “I pointed out to him that he was wrong. It wasn’t the experience that was ruined. He had experienced 20 minutes of glorious music. What was ruined was a memory of the experience. This is entirely different,” Kahneman said.

The recipient of an honorary doctor of science proceeded to share his thoughts on how to live a life that satisfies both our experiencing and remembering selves.

“Make the best possible use of your time,” he stressed for the experiencing self. “There are experiences that just waste time. This is the time that you spend commuting unless you do something while you’re commuting. This is the time that you spend on mindless games. And you should think of time as a precious resource because actually time is all you have. Time is the currency of life and spending it wisely is a very good idea,” he says. “Don’t settle for ways of just making the time pass. And don’t settle for experiences that don’t mean anything.”

As for graduands remembering selves, Kahneman – like Taylor – emphasized the importance of goals. “Satisfaction comes from meeting and achieving your goals. And so your life satisfaction will depend on the goals that you adopt,” he said. “Setting aspirations in a way that you can meet is one of the ways of achieving a satisfying life. The goal should be high. They should challenge you but they should not be out of your reach.” He cautioned against goals like wealth and fame, because they are difficult to achieve and when unmet can create dissatisfaction.

Kahneman also offered graduands some hopeful reassurance. “Most of you will have satisfying lives. You have a very good chance for long and healthy life,” he said before leaving graduands with his own hopes for them. “In sum, my wish for you is that you spend your time wisely, because that’s the way to a happy life, and that you adopt sensible and challenging goals, because that’s the way for your life to be a good story.”

Grad students win thesis, dissertation prizes

a man holding a trophy

Six York University graduands have been awarded thesis and dissertation prizes by the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) for their outstanding scholarly work.

The prizes are bestowed to celebrate exceptional master’s and doctoral research work from the recent academic calendar year. The value of the awards is $2,000 for doctoral dissertations and $1,000 for master’s theses. From creating the world’s largest dataset on honeybee genomics to demystifying the function of consciousness, these talented scholars are breaking new ground with their research.

Master’s Thesis Prizes

Abdul Basit (MASc, civil engineering) for “Impact of Climate Change on Thermal Behaviour of Pavement Structures in Ontario”

Basit’s cutting-edge study was motivated by rapid alterations to the climate, the particular consequences of which can be seen in the performance of road infrastructure systems. Through his research, Basit developed a critical evaluation for anticipated climate change and how this could potentially cause changes to asphalt binder grades and variations in spring load restriction (SLR) periods across Ontario. His innovative work contributes to the discipline of civil engineering through its useful industrial conclusions, as is attested by Basit’s peers.

“The new generation of civil engineers will be increasingly reliant on a sound academic background in climate change to make appropriate and intelligent engineering decisions,” said Rashid Bashir, Basit’s supervisor. “Mr. Abdul Basit’s graduate training, and specifically his thesis, is a step in the right direction.”

Melodie Lao (MSc, chemistry) for “Developing an Automated Nitrous Acid (HONO) Platform to Detect Emerging Pollutants in a Commercial and Domestic Environment”

Lao’s innovative research focused on the development and application of new methods to measure the important atmospheric component, HONO. This chemical can react with other atmospheric component to form highly toxic products. Only in the last few years has HONO’s importance indoors been considered, but it remains difficult to measure accurately. Lao’s work creates substantial impact in the field by advancing the ability to measure HONO indoors.

Cora Young, Chair of the Examining Committee, commended Lao’s study: “It was clear to the committee that Melodie’s contributions to the field of atmospheric chemistry are significant, greatly exceeding those typical for an MSc degree. Her work has and will continue to make an impact on a national and global stage.”

Anna Waisman (MA, psychology) for “Investigating the Role of Autobiographical Memory in Post-surgical Pain Up To One Year after Major Surgery”

Waisman’s thesis investigated autobiographical memory before and after major surgery in 97 adult patients. The purpose of her study was to see if highly specific autobiographical memory could be a predictor for greater post-surgical pain. Her results showed that recalling higher numbers of pain-related autobiographical memories resulted in lower post-surgical pain.

Waisman’s groundbreaking project was the first study in this area, and her results point to immediate and tangible interventions that physicians can implement to reduce post-surgical pain in their patients. Her research was already published in the prestigious journal Pain.

Doctoral Dissertation Prizes

Kathleen Dogantzis (PhD, biology) for “Understanding the Evolutionary Origin and Ancestral Complexity of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Populations”

Through her study, Dogantzis – who was also awarded a Governor General’s Gold Medal – advanced knowledge in the field of bee evolution and population genetics and developed new tools to protect the beekeeping industry from the accidental introduction of the highly invasive Africanized bees. Dogantzis created the world largest dataset on honeybee genomics, which involved sequencing over 200 new honeybee genomes from all over the world. Her sophisticated bioinformatic analysis debunked a recent hypothesis that honeybees originated in Africa by providing evidence that honeybees originated in western Asia.

Chair of the Examining Committee Elizabeth Clare praised Dogantzis’ accomplishment. “Her applied tools are expected to have a massive societal and economic benefit, not just for Canada, but across the world.”

Dylan Ludwig (PhD, philosophy) for “The Functional Contributions of Consciousness”

The substance of Ludwig’s dissertation tackled one of the most difficult problems in the philosophy of the mind: the function of consciousness. Many philosophers maintain that consciousness makes no contribution to the causal powers of the mind. Scientists, on the other hand, tend to assume consciousness must have some overarching, unitary function. Ludwig’s main thesis contrasted with both approaches by arguing that phenomenal consciousness makes varying functional contributions to different cognitive and affective processes. This outstanding study has already led to three publications in prominent peer-reviewed academic journals.

Ludwig’s supervisor, Muhammad Ali Khalidi, contended that his work “has the potential to change the terms of the debate.”

Sara Pishdadian (PhD, psychology) for “Subjective and Objective Spatial Memory and Navigation Abilities in Aging and Amnesia”

Pishdadian’s dissertation investigated subjective and objective spatial navigation. She took a novel approach of integrating cognitive theory with clinical neuropsychology, video-game technology and multivariate statistical methods to systematically investigate this skill in normally aging people and in individuals with medial temporal lobe amnesia.

Her innovative work makes significant contributions to cognitive neuroscience theory as well as to clinical practice. Pishdadian has published in the top international journals in her field, including Neuropsychologia, Cortex, and Learning and Memory.

Next steps

FGS additionally nominated Ludwig and Pishdadian for the dissertation prize presented by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS). The CAGS-ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award recognizes Canadian doctoral dissertations that make significant and original contributions to their academic field. Winners will receive a $1,500 cash prize, a certificate of recognition and an invitation to attend the 61st Annual CAGS Conference, to be held in Victoria, B.C., in November 2023.