LA&PS highlights student achievements in social sciences
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York University’s Department of Social Science in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) hosted its annual Student Awards ceremony to celebrate the notable achievements of students in various disciplines within social science. The event, held on March 15, brought together staff, faculty, family and friends.
Dean J.J. McMurtry, of LA&PS, opened the awards ceremony by emphasizing the importance of celebrating the hard work and dedication each student has put into their program. “We are a Faculty in the University that is engaged in trying to make meaningful change in the world, and the excellent work that all of you have done in your various areas will be a part of that change going forward as you graduate and go out into the world,” he said.
Professor Teresa Abbruzzese, coordinator of the Urban Studies Program, and Professor Douglas Young pose with winners of one of the urban studies awards
This year, 36 awards were announced and presented to undergraduate students
This year’s awards and winners are as follows:
Department Awards
Gordon Lowther Scholarship: Gundega Daugavietis Otto Friedman Memorial Scholarship: Priya Basra Otto Friedman Memorial Scholarship: Liam Ryan The Department of Social Science Award: Jesuran Prakashkumar Ellen Baar Award in Social Science: Ariana Zunino Lillian Lerman Book Prize: Kiyanna Malcolm Lillian Lerman Book Prize: Maria Gullusci
African Studies Awards
Esiri Dafiewhare Scholarship: Zakirah Allain The Stevenson Scholarship in African Studies: Heather Tasker
Criminology Awards
Joshua Yasay Memorial Scholarship: Favour Aina Criminology Honours Scholarship: Ariana Zunino Criminology 1650 Book Prize: Olivia Tassone
Law & Society Awards
The Law and Society Honours Seminar Prize: Nashane Ralph Jane Banfield Book Prize: Jonathan Garcia Barahona Jane Banfield Book Prize: Elizabeth Hamilton Jane Banfield Book Prize: Allegra Van Klink-Wylie The Law and Society Prize: Rida Shah The C. Jane Banfield Scholarship in the Social Sciences: Avneet Lubana
Business & Society Awards
The Business & Society Honours Award: Chi-Yun Lee
Work & Labour Studies Awards
Neil Reimer Scholarship: Julie Wilson Work and Labour Studies Student Achievement Prize: Nguyet Dao
Health and Society Awards
Health and Society Founders Prize 2000 Level: Amen Okungbowa Health and Society Founders Prize 3000 & 4000 Level: Jennifer Santin The Gina Feldberg Prize: Amanda Cowen
International Development Studies & Latin American & Caribbean Studies
International Development Studies Honours Award: Sabrina de Losada Casab The Latin American and Caribbean Studies Honours Award: Sabrina de Losada Casab Sarah Akhtar Memorial Undergraduate Award in International Development Studies: Kyung in Lee
Development Studies Program
Sarah Akhtar Memorial Graduate Award in Development Studies: Eyram Agbe Sarah Akhtar Memorial Graduate Award in Development Studies: Malaly Bakhtbolland
Interdisciplinary Social Science Awards
Interdisciplinary Social Science Award: Noel Mirzoyev Interdisciplinary Social Science Award: Riya Bhatla
Urban Studies Awards
Marion Miller Urban Studies Award (3000 Level): Micah Meredith Marion Miller Urban Studies Award (4000 Level): Jordan Lopez The Social Science 3700 Urban Studies Prize: Steven Lum Frances Frisken Urban Studies Prize: Bruno De Marinis Mohamed Naim Malik Scholarship: Emily Lim
Professor becomes York’s first School of Nursing doctoral graduate
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By Alexander Huls, deputy editor, YFile
Ramesh Venkatesa Perumal, a sessional assistant professor in the Faculty of Health, became the first doctoral graduate of York’s School of Nursing program on Feb. 21 when he successfully defended his dissertation, “Impact of social support and mentoring on career advancement of internationally educated nurses.”
Venkatesa Perumal’s significant accomplishment is only the latest in an ongoing journey around nursing, which he has long considered his calling.
When Venkatesa Perumal was growing up in south India, his father encouraged him to become a nurse. Following his father’s advice, Venkatesa Perumal enrolled in the nursing program at the Christian Medical College Vellore, hopeful it would be the right career path for him. Because the college valued experiential education, within a few months Venkatesa Perumal was already allowed to care for patients, and he quickly realized how perfectly nursing suited him. “I thought, ‘I’m in a place where I can actually make some difference,’” he says. “I took it upon me as if it was a calling that I had to fulfill.”
That calling, initially, wasn’t without its challenges. Male nurses in India were rare, and he faced limited perceptions of what he was capable of. Too often he would be asked to only perform physical tasks, such as lifting immobile patients. It became important for Venkatesa Perumal to advocate that he – and other male nurses – could do more than just physical care. “We are critical thinkers. We are nurses who will be able to provide excellent care, as any other nurse will do, irrespective of gender,” he says. For him, even in the early days of his career, his guiding philosophy for excellent care became clear: compassion. “Knowledge and skills you can always learn. It’s that human touch that people are looking for,” he says.
Venkatesa Perumal completed a bachelor of science in nursing, then a master’s of science, and went on to accept a position as a lecturer at Sultan Qaboos University in the city of Muscat in Oman. During his 10 years there, he developed a significant career: he was a professor, helped establish a Bachelor of Nursing program, and became an assistant dean of undergraduate studies. After a decade, however, he was looking for change and more opportunity, so he and his wife – also a nurse – decided to move to Canada.
Ramesh Venkatesa Perumal (right) with his doctoral supervisor, Mina Singh
Once they arrived in Ontario, Venkatesa Perumal’s calling met an unexpected career detour. His education wasn’t deemed equivalent to a Canadian education, and he would have to go back to school to bridge the academic gaps if he wanted to continue in the field of nursing. The decision was discouraging at the time, but he credits that turn of events with a lifechanging blessing. “It actually opened the doors for me to come to York University,” he says.
He became a student in the Post-RN Internationally Educated Nurses BScN Program. There he met professors who he credits for nurturing and mentoring him, as well as honoring – not ignoring – his previous extensive experience and accomplishments. That was impactful to him not just as a student but a recent arrival to Canada. “Immigrants are like uprooted trees. When they’re getting ready to be replanted, they need extra nourishment, they need extra water, they need extra protection. That was given to me by the amazing teachers at York University,” he says.
He obtained his BScN, and his professors encouraged him to go further and pursue a doctoral study. His chosen subject was one close to his heart: the impact social and mentor support can have on internationally educated nurses.
“Being an internationally educated nurse, I always felt that I had a moral responsibility to give back to the community of nurses who are coming into this country as immigrants,” he says. “I thought, ‘What way could I be of help to the internationally educated nurses? I was lucky enough to have the additional support that helped me to continue with my passion. Is that help available to everybody who is coming into this country?’”
He began his doctoral work in September 2018, and was one among several others positioned to be the inaugural doctoral candidates of the new PhD in Nursing program. In February of this year, he became the first to complete the program.
Venkatesa Perumal’s accomplishment is one that the School of Nursing shares in. “It is a historic moment,” says Mina Singh, a professor in the Faculty of Health, and Venkatesa Perumal’s doctoral supervisor. “We’ve been a school for over 25 years and for us to get our first PhD completion is a very big event. It’s important for us, within York University, and the Faculty of Health, to raise our profile and highlight we’re now graduating doctoral students.”
Singh is certain Venkatesa Perumal’s ongoing journey will see his profile continue to grow as well. “He’s so ambitious,” she says. “He wants to progress as a nurse. He wants to progress in his career. He wants to advance in nursing and nursing education.”
Venkatesa Perumal doesn’t just look forward to how teaching can help him pay forward to those who have been on a similar journey as his but wants to build further on his dissertation. “I wish to continue the work that I’ve just started with internationally educated nurses, so I’m hoping I will have a program of research that focuses on that,” he says.
Social stigma of tuberculosis needs to be erased, researchers say
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While the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB) may be millions of years old, and the disease was first recorded in human history thousands of years ago, it remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases globally, with only COVID-19 surpassing it in recent years.
TB is also one of the most stigmatized diseases; people are often afraid to visit health facilities, take treatment or share news of diagnosis with others.
With that in mind, eradicating TB will require eliminating the social stigma, which includes a shift in how we frame and talk about the illness and those affected by it, according to York University and international researchers in a new paper published in advance of World Tuberculosis Day, March 24.
Beauty Umana
Amrita Daftary
“Policing language is not the goal – it’s not just about changing the way we talk about TB, but what impact that is going to have on the people and communities that are affected,” says lead author and York University postdoctoral researcher Beauty Umana, a Global Health Scholar with the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research at the University and a sociolinguist who studies how language can interact with disease treatment. “Empowering, destigmatizing language in TB would give people affected by it the opportunity to be included, and take ownership of the healing process and even the care itself.”
The paper was published March 23 in PLOS Global Public Health under the senior authorship of Amrita Daftary, a TB stigma researcher and founding director of York’s Social Sciences & Health Innovations for Tuberculosis Centre.
“It’s one of those underdog illnesses. It has not received as much attention on a global scale in terms of funding investment, political commitment, or support as some of the other diseases that have affected more affluent countries and different types of populations. But it’s entirely preventable, it’s curable and treatable,” says Daftary.
Contributor Rhoda Lewa, an independent consultant from Nairobi, Kenya who works on programming and policymaking for HIV, TB and malaria, developed TB in her early 20s while studying at university and knows the stigma of the illness all too well.
“Having to go through the entire treatment regimen without my entire family knowing, without my colleagues knowing, it was not an easy task,” says Lewa. “It takes more than new drugs and new technologies to overcome TB. Language is a very powerful lens. With the power of the tongue, you can either build or destroy, you can encourage or deflate somebody.”
While the researchers say that the language is evolving, a lot of what is used in practice still has negative connotations, including that of criminality. For example, people being referred to as TB “suspects” and “cases,” and those who don’t finish a course of treatment being referred to as “absconders.” Terms such as “vulnerable populations” can also be disempowering.
But, Umana emphasizes, it is not just about individual words, but also how those words are contextualized. For example, treatment management files that are written in a way where the person with TB, rather than the illness itself, is seen to be a problem may create barriers for those experiencing treatment.
The World Health Organization estimates that in 2021, more than 10 million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis and 1.4 million died, despite antibiotics being available. In Canada, while rates are overall very low, newcomers and Indigenous communities are greatly overrepresented compared with the general Canadian population. In Canada, and all over the world, tuberculosis is often talked about as an illness of poverty, which further stigmatizes those who develop the illness, the researchers say.
The United Nations has set a Sustainable Development Goal to eradicate TB by 2030.
Umana, Daftary and Lewa, as well as collaborators Jessica Vorstermans (assistant professor, Faculty of Health), James Malar (Community, Rights & Gender Advisor) and Deliana Garcia (Civil Society Organizer for the Americas), were involved in developing a TB language guide called Words Matter to change how people talk about the disease.
“Compassionate language is about people who are affected by tuberculosis seeing themselves in those words and saying ‘You know what? This is my story, this is my life, and I’m going to take full control of it,’” says Umana.
Watch a video of Umana and Lewa explain why compassionate language matters.
Dance students highlight human resilience in ‘Convergence’
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York Dances 2023: Convergence features new choreographic works of 27 third-year BFA majors performed by students engaged in all levels of York’s programs in dance.
In addition to steering their own creative processes, students led every facet of the production of Convergence, including costumes, lighting design, poster design and front of house. Supported by faculty and students – including guest artist and student Maxine Heppner, and current work-studies technicians – the show celebrates togetherness, individuality and the positive power of community.
“TBD” by Ella Booth-Doris
Ella Booth-Doris’s “TBD,” focuses on the strength needed to overcome life’s obstacles. Performed by Kian Hern, Maddy Moneypenny, Morgan Janes, Jessika Tafolla and Charlize Greaves, this work highlights ways in which people can work together to face challenges. “Relying on one another for support in these times of hesitation, lack of self-confidence, fear and vulnerability is crucial,” Booth-Doris says. Her choreography features a blend of movement genres, showcasing each dancer’s unique style and further proving that, despite their differences, they can help each other to reach a common goal.
“Ingress” by Ria Kerekes
Ria Kerekes’s “Ingress” also addresses themes of personal resilience. In their work, dancers Isabella Castro, Danika Geen, Sarah Goncalves, Annie Spence and Katie Waters portray various types of mental illness and neurodivergence. By shedding light on this aspect of the human experience, Kerekes brings awareness to the effects they have on day-to-day life. “I want to display how much of a struggle it is to deal with [mental illnesses and neurodivergence] every single day, and to hopefully teach those who do not understand how uncontrollable and difficult it is,” he says.
“Emergence” by Danika Geen
Another work that accentuates personal challenges and how to manage them is Leah Rodgers’ “Remember Who You Are.” Her work explores the complexity of finding one’s true identity within a society full of expectations. “I would like not only the audience, but the dancers themselves, in their own interpretation, to feel empowered to take on life with a new outlook and to do what makes them happy,” she says. Dancers Irene Leung, Amelia Mazza, Morgan McCarthy, Drake McKever, Elizabeth South, Katie Waters and Alex Woodley skillfully perform Rodgers’ choreography to show how a positive mindset can inspire them to find and celebrate what makes them unique.
“Emergence” by Geen, also addresses the difficulties inherent to being one’s authentic self. Their piece brings attention to transgender and nonbinary people, highlighting their ability to stay true to themselves, regardless of the negativity that may surround them. On the topic of transgender visibility, Geen says, “I wish I had this sort of representation growing up, especially in dance, which is an extremely gendered art form.” Through the emotionally charged choreography, performers Clara Chemtov and Jules Vance paint a stunning tribute to the transgender community by expressing feelings of gender dysphoria, confusion and, ultimately, radical self-acceptance.
“Collapse” by Travis Keith
Travis Keith’s work, “Collapse,” deals with the physical and mental manifestations of overwork and stress. Performed by Maya Erwin, Taylor Hooey, Tehillah Riley and Victoria Sharp, this piece addresses the experience of burnout. Through the dancers’ vulnerable performance, Keith questions the elements in our environment that push us toward collapse, and how we can draw strength to overcome them.
Isabella Sgambelluri’s “9-5 pm” examines the monotony of daily life, and tells the story of three dancers, Julianna Greco, Kiara Sinclair and Melissa Harve, who break out of their daily cycle to pursue a more fulfilling life. As the dancers take the courageous leap toward freeing themselves of their routine, they explore their true needs and desires. Through her powerful choreography, Sgambelluri asks the audience, “Are you tired of living a life that does not fulfill your innermost dreams?”
“9-5 pm” by Isabella Sgambelluri
“Obscured” by Sahara Shwed explores visual disabilities and how they can affect individuals. Inspired by her grandmother, Shwed uses her choreography to bring awareness to blindness, and how people with visual impairments can use their other senses to live fulfilling lives. Dancers Sherry Boamah, Jaelyn Jones and Tehillah Riley beautifully depict the struggles and victories of a blind person.
“Obscured” by Sahara Shwed
Convergence, presented across two series, features 27 short works staged in the McLean Performance Studio, (second floor Accolade Centre East), March 30 and 31, at 7 and 8:30 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased online and in person at the AMPD box office. To reserve, call 416-736-5888 or click here.
Welcome to the March 2023 issue of ‘Innovatus’
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Welcome to our March issue of Innovatus. This month, our newsletter shines the spotlight on the Lassonde School of Engineering as it celebrates its 10th anniversary and continues to find innovative ways to fulfil the promise of engineer Pierre Lassonde’s gift to the University.
“My gifts,” he said at the time, “are about helping the next generation of Canadians to fulfil their dreams and continue to make Canada one of the best places to live in the world.”
With its experiential, entrepreneurial approach to engineering, Lassonde is making a name for itself in the engineering community, the world of innovators and places where STEM wasn’t previously a byword. The School is well on its way toward fulfilling its vision, as articulated in the Lassonde Strategic Academic Plan, 2021-2026: To be recognized among the world’s best interdisciplinary engineering schools, a home where engineers and scientists collaborate to improve the world for everyone.
This issue of Innovatus offers you a peek at a number of the innovative approaches, programs and courses the School offers its students and the wider community. Our first story demonstrates Lassonde’s dedication to the availability of clean water, one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). This focus on clean water reflects the University Academic Plan’s commitment to the UN SDGs and is reflected in research and programs undertaken by civil, electrical and mechanical engineering faculty and students.
Lassonde’s innovation is also evident in the tools available to its students, and faculty take an active interest in those tools. Professor Mojgan Jadidi in the Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering has taken it upon herself to upgrade a tool for topographic visualization so her students gain a better understanding of the implications of their work. This open-source VR Sandbox is being used in the classroom by Jadidi and her colleagues.
Tools, broadly speaking, are something Lassonde provides to youth from kindergarten through their undergraduate years, allowing them to indulge their curiosity about the world around them through STEM and embrace the opportunities STEM careers provide. Our third story introduces the reader to this wide range of support programs that surmount barriers toward equity and inclusion.
Finally, our fourth story speaks to partnerships, one of the UAP’s priorities for action. At Lassonde, partnerships can bring together academics and students from around the globe or they can connect researchers with community partners seeking practical solutions to current problems, such as cybersecurity, as you’ll see for yourself.
We hope you enjoy learning more about the journey Lassonde has created to ensure a better future for all of us.
Will Gage Associate Vice President, Teaching & Learning
Faculty, course directors and staff are invited to share their experiences in teaching, learning, internationalization and the student experience through the “Innovatus” story form, which is available at tl.apps01.yorku.ca/machform/view.php?id=16573.
Using a virtual reality sandbox as a teaching tool By the time students enter York’s Lassonde School of Engineering, they’re long past the age of playing in sandboxes – or so they believe; however, faculty member Mojgan Jadidi and her colleagues have turned that assumption on its head.
Lassonde’s STEM programs reflect changing world Lassonde is changing the face of STEM education to ensure it aligns with the world of the future by breaking down systemic barriers and offering opportunities for inclusion.
Lassonde partnerships spell success York’s academic plan calls “Working in Partnership” one of the University’s six priorities and Lassonde’s partnerships with Scotiabank and other universities speak to that commitment.
Lassonde’s STEM programs reflect changing world
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By Elaine Smith
The Lassonde School of Engineering is changing the face of STEM education to ensure it aligns with the world of the future by breaking down systemic barriers and offering opportunities for inclusion, while building excitement about STEM throughout.
The journey begins with Lassonde’s k2i academy, an initiative that launched in 2020 and brings together an ecosystem of diverse partners to create more equitable outcomes for underrepresented youth (kindergarten to high school) in STEM.
“The k2i academy works intentionally with partners, including the K12 sector, to address systemic barriers that hinder students and staff in engaging with STEM,” said Lisa Cole, director of programming for k2i. “We bring people together to create an ecosystem for equity-focused innovation.”
Students at a previous UNHack event
k2i has received more than $5 million in funding from a variety of partners in government and the private sector. It works alongside publicly funded school boards and community organizations to leverage collective resources to create and implement programs that strategically remove roadblocks for students and families, inspire future innovators and creators, and build capacity for others to engage in this work.
“For example, the Bringing STEM to Life: Work-Integrated Learning program works with school board leaders to employ high school students while also working towards a high school physics credit,” said Michelle Tsui-Woods, k2i’s associate director of operations and development. “We know that students are not always taking the prerequisite courses they need to pursue STEM post-secondary studies and, at times, have to choose between work and learning. This program removes that barrier.”
Cole notes, “We are always working alongside educators, exploring how to push boundaries with cost-effective, flexible tools so schools can update their programs and invest to get beyond the status quo.”
As students consider their university options, the Lassonde Academy is on hand with a pre-university program that assists students in meeting the admissions requirements for STEM programs.
“The program began in 2015 and has evolved over time,” said Sean Billingsley, director of recruitment and admissions, who leads the Lassonde Academy. “Initially, it expanded the number of students to whom we could make offers and has pivoted to become a tool to help increase access for underrepresented students, especially those who identify as female.”
The Academy offers free, fully virtual, self-paced summer courses in chemistry, math and physics that students can pursue to boost their skills, build confidence in their capability and earn an offer from Lassonde. Although women were the initial target audience, the Academy is expanding to support other groups underrepresented in STEM fields.
“The courses are tools designed to help students be successful going forward,” Billingsley said. “We are not replicating high school courses; the content was designed to strengthen transitions to first year while also engaging diverse learners.”
The program courses are intentionally self-paced so prospective students can work around their other commitments. To date, more than 250 students have successfully completed the courses and proceeded to join Lassonde programs.
Once students enter Lassonde, administrators, faculty and staff are committed to keeping them engaged and inspired. Jeffrey Harris, an associate professor, is leading a project redesign of the common core of engineering courses, including the first year.
“These courses – about 30 credits – form a substantial part of the curriculum,” Harris said. “We’ve found that it’s not just about the curriculum; we need to think about the student experience and about education as an experiential journey for the learner.”
With the support of the Lassonde Educational Innovation Studio, he and a working group have spent two years researching and redesigning the common core using design principles, interviewing students, doing a global environmental scan, incorporating innovations and adjusting procedures. They’re looking toward a more project-based experience for their students and will run a pilot program in Fall 2023 for 70 first-year students.
The pilot will feature one course that runs throughout the semester with all the other courses offered sequentially in a more intensive fashion.
“We’ll pilot this with existing courses and it will inform larger change,” said Harris. “We’re evolving the way we think about higher education and setting a new standard.”
Lassonde students have other opportunities for enrichment, including the Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (BEST) program, administered by program manager Maedeh Sedaghat.
The BEST Program offers students the environment, culture and resources to learn how they can use technology to solve societal challenges, become creators and grow as entrepreneurs. One of its main pillars is experiential education, such as UNHack and BEST Startup Experience (BSE); both are designed to empower students to develop essential skills like teamwork, critical thinking, creative problem solving, communications and decision-making.
UNHack revolves around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), challenges that underpin the University Academic Plan. During UNHack and BSE, students go through a structured learning journey using design sprint methodology and work in multi-disciplinary teams over a weekend to create innovative solutions to sustainability challenges proposed by community partners from across York University and beyond. All student teams get supports from their dedicated mentors throughout the experience and present their solution ideas to a panel of judges. Winning projects will have access to additional supports like coaching, resources for prototyping, and lab space to take their project to the next level and turn it into a startup.
Other opportunities offered by the BEST Program include the BEST Certificate, BEST entrepreneurial co-op, and the BEST entrepreneurial Work Integrated Learning where students get to develop entrepreneurial mindset and learn how to play a greater role in the management of technological innovation in larger organizations or start their own ventures.
“This is a safe space for students to experiment, explore their passions and strengths and achieve their full potential,” said Sedaghat. “Our programs provide students with multi-disciplinary education and experiences so they have the foundation, skills, knowledge and tools to feel confident in making big impacts in their communities and beyond.”
Jane Goodyer, dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering, is justifiably proud of this suite of programs.
“The work we do to increase engagement and interest in STEM is incredibly rewarding – whether it’s sparking initial interest among youngsters who never dreamed they could be engineers; providing a helping hand to prospective students; or facilitating the richest possible educational experiences for our current students,” Goodyer said.
“To improve the world for everyone – our ultimate goal – we need different perspectives and approaches to global engineering and science problems. That only begins by making STEM education accessible to all and cultivating interdisciplinary connections through which our diverse creators can collaborate in making positive change.”
Students thrive on York’s experiential education opportunities
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By Elaine Smith
Thanks to York internship opportunities, graduating human resources student Khanh Do has a part-time job this term and Mohaimen Hassan, a third-year engineering student, has a job offer waiting for him upon graduation.
The two students, along with fifth-year geography student Averrie Vesico, were part of a March 8 panel at the EE Symposium, discussing their experiential education (EE) placements. The event was organized by a pan-University committee co-chaired by Lisa Endersby, an educational developer at the Teaching Commons, and Melanie Belore, associate director, experiential education for the Faculty of Liberal Arts &Professional Studies.
The students were excited about the growth opportunities they had thanks to their experiences. Do, who worked for electronics manufacturer Vexos, had the chance to work with a variety of software systems used to record employee data. In addition, she learned “to never give up and believe in what you do. There are a lot of opportunities out there if you are willing to put in the effort. I had the opportunity to work in different departments and transferable skills really do work.”
Lauren Rudolph, a third-year psychology student, explains her EE poster to attendees at the Student EE Symposium
During his co-op with consulting firm Deloitte, Hassan realized that he loved engineering.
“I was part of an engineering team and I improved my technical, collaboration and time management skills,” he said. “I love solving problems and this solidified that belief. It made me realize I had a lot to learn and that you need to have a growth mindset throughout your life.”
Vesico went on a Reading Week research trip to gain some hands-on research skills; she is now assisting the professor who led the trip with his research.
“I would never have approached him otherwise, but the trip introduced me to scientific research,” she said. “It has encouraged me to pursue physical geography and I am considering graduate studies.”
There were other student EE opportunities offered at the symposium, too, in the form of poster presentations. For example, Utku Ugur, a master’s student in political science, and his classmates in Regional Economic Development, worked with the Town of Grimsby to improve the municipality’s marketing communications in order to attract residents and investors.
“I certainly improved my communications skills in working with township officials and my peers,” said Ugur, an international student from Turkey. “I also improved my research skills. It was an opportunity to apply theory to real life.”
Abbie Mauno, a York BFA graduate who is finishing her teaching degree here, was enthused about teaching ceramics to high school students at Northern Secondary School in Toronto.
“It’s really fulfilling,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to be in an art community and talk about art with peers. During my teaching experience, my students actually taught me a lot in return, such as how to throw on the wheel. We do a lot of co-learning.
“Ceramics is an opportunity for tangible, hands-on learning using trial and error. The students experience failure and learn to grow in a safe way, and we all learned more about tenacity, problem-solving and persistence.”
The event also featured a welcome from Will Gage, associate vice-president, teaching and learning, on behalf of the provost, calling EE an example of the University Academic Plan in action as it advanced 21st century learning. A panel of faculty and staff – Sheril Hook, associate dean of teaching and learning for York University Libraries; Geneviève Maheux-Pelletier, director of the Teaching Commons; and Yvette Munro, assistant vice-provost, student success – each discussed the value of EE from their perspectives.
“EE helps build confidence, no matter what the discipline,” said Hook. “It helps you feel employable and helps you engage with a subject you love.”
Maheux-Pelletier said, “EE provides the spark where you can understand what theories look like in the real world.”
For Munro, EE is “a chance to tie the student’s journey to the development of competencies that will benefit them when they graduate, especially in a highly competitive job market.”
New cohort of Lassonde Scholars announced
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York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering welcomed the 2022 cohort of Lassonde Scholars on March 6 during a reception to celebrate their accomplishments.
The newest recipients of the Lassonde Scholarship were joined by Pierre and Julie Lassonde of the Lassonde Family Foundation and Dean Jane Goodyer. The 14 students join a community of more than 100 Lassonde Scholars who demonstrate academic excellence, creative thinking and community leadership.
2022 Lassonde Scholars with Pierre and Julie Lassonde
“Through their extracurricular activities, research, entrepreneurial endeavours and community leadership, our Lassonde Scholars are an inspiration to others both within Lassonde and in the broader community,” says Goodyer.
Through the Lassonde Scholarship, the Lassonde Family Foundation supports Lassonde’s work in empowering diverse creators to make a positive impact. This financial support reduces barriers to post-secondary STEM education completion, helping to ensure that the next generation of engineers and scientists are part of a more equitable, diverse and inclusive STEM environment.
“The community of scholars that Mr. Lassonde has built here is one that I am proud to call family and one that I’m proud to be a member of,” says Yisroel Rosenberg, Lassonde scholar and third-year civil engineering student. “The students and faculty at Lassonde are consistently looking out for one another, no matter the discipline one is studying.”
The 2022 Lassonde Scholarship recipients
Shahen Alexanian is a third-year computer science student. During his time at Lassonde, he has been a PASS leader and mentor in the Computational Thinking Club. Alexanian hopes his future career involves collaborating with others to solve challenging problems.
Jatin Chhabra is an international student in his third year of mechanical engineering. He has worked as an undergraduate researcher in machine learning as part of the LURA program and strives to be a changemaker and community leader.
Lucas Chua is in his final year of the electrical engineering program and is also completing the BEST program. Chua is currently working on a capstone project that uses machine learning and Wi-Fi to help older adults and people with disabilities gain more independence through smart home devices.
Shannon Fernando is studying atmospheric science and completing a certificate in meteorology. She hopes to pursue new media journalism and is currently working at the Weather Network as part of a video meteorologist internship.
Connor Humphries is a third-year space engineering student. He is hoping to focus his studies on space debris and space architecture. Through research opportunities, events and involvement with the York University Robotics Society, Humphries hopes to gain expertise and experience within these fields.
Kiet Le is a computer engineering student with a passion for learning. Community involvement is important to Le, and he has been active in the Lassonde Engineering Society (LES) in addition to his studies. Through his work with LES, Le is creating opportunities for students to learn and network.
Wan Ning Ma is a first-year computer science student aspiring to a career in machine learning. As the first-year representative of the Computing Students Hub, she is committed to helping her peers navigate the transition into post-secondary education. She also gives back to the community through her work as an interpreter and translator for families seeking refugee protection in Canada.
Pratish Patel is an international third-year mechanical engineering student. Patel would like to pursue a career in aerodynamics and aviation. He is also a member of the Lassonde Motorsports team and has participated in many Lassonde Engineering Society events.
Yisroel Rosenberg is a third-year civil engineering student. He aims to inspire other students at Lassonde through his role as co-president of the Civil Engineers of Lassonde club. Rosenberg hopes to pursue a master’s degree in environmental engineering so that he can help design global sustainable systems.
Fatema Roshni is a mechanical engineering student with the aspiration of starting a small business. She is involved with several clubs at York University, has taken part in mentorship programs and is teaching herself coding to better integrate software with machines.
Glendon Stewart is a first-year computer engineering student. He is currently working on a project to outfit a compressor tank that is a part of an air suspension in cars with a water sensor and Arduino. Stewart hopes to pursue his master’s degree in computer engineering and focus his career in the automotive and electric vehicles sector.
Misheel Tuguldur is a first-year computer science student who is passionate about inspiring women in STEM. She is an active member of the Lassonde community and is focused on volunteering, getting involved with student clubs and assisting others as a peer helper.
Kristin Villena is in her first year studying computer science. She aims to become a computer science educator after her positive experience volunteering as a student-teacher. Her passion for teaching and learning motivated her to become a class representative at Lassonde.
Dominique Wanandi is an international student in his second year of civil engineering. He is committed to using his skills to improve Lassonde and has gotten involved in the Civil Engineering Society. Wanandi is interested in project management and strives to lead by example.
York marks International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
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La version française suit la version anglaise.
Dear York community members,
Tuesday, March 21 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which commemorates the day in 1960 that police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws.” Racism, xenophobia and intolerance continue to be pervasive in societies worldwide, including in Canada. York stands against all forms of injustice and prejudice fueled by racial discrimination.
Research conducted by the (In)Justice Project shows that Black and Indigenous people are disproportionately affected by excessive force from the police and incidents have risen over the past three years. Black and Indigenous people account for 27 per cent of fatal police shootings where the race of the victim was known, despite representing a combined 8.7 per cent of the Canadian population. “A Disparate Impact,” an interim report by the Ontario Human Rights Commission, found that between 2013 and 2017 Black people in Toronto were nearly 20 times more likely to be fatally shot by police than white people. The Race and Identity-Based Data Collection (RBDC) Strategy from the Toronto Police has also found that officers were more likely to use force against Black residents.
Recognizing the role that universities play in dismantling systemic barriers, York University committed to undertake a review of campus security and explore alternative models for community safety in response to a recommendation in the University’s Action Plan on Black Inclusion. The Action Plan accompanies the Framework on Black Inclusion, which lays the foundation and blueprint for addressing systemic racism, specifically anti-Black racism. The year-long review concluded in late 2022 and the final report with recommendations will be released to the York community soon.
York has recently posted an overview of its first pan-University Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DEDI) Strategy which will lay the foundation for the work ahead. The DEDI Strategy is organized around five strategic directions: Teaching and Learning, Research and Innovation, Representation and Success, Leadership and Capacity Building and Campus Climate and Environment. It augments existing frameworks, including the Framework and Action Plan on Black Inclusion and the Indigenous Framework for York University: A Guide for Action, which affirms York’s commitment to decolonization and creating access for Indigenous peoples. To combat racism and white supremacy, meaningful consultation and movement on the actions within these initiatives must be ongoing. As such, York continues to action its commitment to the University Academic Plan priority of Living Well Together, which includes systematic efforts to embed human rights, decolonization, equity, diversity and inclusion training across the University.
Today, we call on the community to engage in those efforts contributing to a more equitable world.
Thank you. Merci. Miigwech.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Lenton President and Vice-Chancellor
Sheila Cote-Meek Vice-President, Equity, People & Culture
Déclaration à l’occasion de la Journée internationale pour l’élimination de la discrimination raciale
Chère communauté de York,
Le 21 mars marque la Journée internationale pour l’élimination de la discrimination raciale qui commémore le jour de 1960 où, à Sharpeville, en Afrique du Sud, la police a ouvert le feu et tué 69 personnes lors d’une manifestation pacifique contre les lois relatives aux laissez-passer imposées par l’apartheid. Le racisme, la xénophobie et l’intolérance restent omniprésents dans les sociétés du monde entier, y compris au Canada. York s’oppose à toutes les formes d’injustice et de préjugés entretenus par la discrimination raciale.
Une recherche menée par le Projet (In)Justice montre que les personnes noires et autochtones sont touchées de manière disproportionnée par la force excessive de la police et que les incidents ont augmenté au cours des trois dernières années. Bien qu’elles ne représentent que 8,7 % de la population canadienne, les personnes noires et autochtones représentent 27 % des cas de fusillades mortelles où la race de la victime était connue. « Un impact disparate », un rapport provisoire de la Commission ontarienne des droits de la personne, a révélé qu’entre 2013 et 2017, une personne noire à Toronto était 20 fois plus susceptible qu’une personne blanche d’être abattue par le service de police. La stratégie de collecte de données fondées sur la race et l’identité (Race and Identity-Based Data Collection-RBDC) de la police de Toronto a également révélé que les agents étaient plus susceptibles de faire usage de la force contre les résidents noirs.
Reconnaissant le rôle que jouent les universités dans le démantèlement des barrières systémiques, l’Université York s’est engagée à entreprendre une évaluation de la sécurité des campus et à explorer des modèles alternatifs pour la sécurité communautaire en réponse à une recommandation du Plan d’action sur l’inclusion des personnes noires de l’Université. Le Plan d’action accompagne le Cadre d’inclusion des personnes noires, qui jette les bases et les fondements de la lutte contre le racisme systémique, et plus particulièrement contre le racisme anti-Noirs. L’évaluation, qui a duré un an, s’est achevée fin 2022 et le rapport final, assorti de recommandations, sera bientôt transmis à la communauté de York.
York a récemment publié un aperçu de sa première stratégie de décolonisation, d’équité, de diversité et d’inclusion (DEDI) panuniversitaire qui pose les jalons du travail à accomplir. La stratégie DEDI s’articule autour de cinq orientations stratégiques : Enseignement et apprentissage; recherche et innovation; représentation et succès; leadership et renforcement des capacités; climat et environnement des campus. Elle complète les cadres existants, notamment le Cadre et le Plan d’action sur l’inclusion des personnes noires et le Cadre stratégique autochtone pour l’Université York :un guide d’action (en anglais), qui affirme l’engagement de York en faveur de la décolonisation et de l’accès pour les peuples autochtones. Pour lutter contre le racisme et la suprématie blanche, la consultation et la mise en œuvre des actions définies dans le cadre de ces initiatives doivent être continues. À ce titre, York poursuit son engagement en faveur de la priorité Bien vivre ensemble du Plan académique de l’Université, qui comprend des efforts systématiques pour intégrer la formation aux droits de la personne, à la décolonisation, à l’équité, à la diversité et à l’inclusion dans l’ensemble de l’Université. Aujourd’hui, nous invitons la communauté à s’impliquer dans ces efforts pour contribuer à un monde plus équitable.
Merci. Thank you. Miigwech.
Sincères salutations,
Rhonda Lenton Présidente et vice-chancelière
Sheila Cote-Meek Vice-présidente de l’équité, des personnes et de la culture
York dancers star in Toronto premiere of acclaimed show ‘Colossus’
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Twenty graduating BFA students from the Department of Dance in York’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) will perform in Colossus at the Meridian Arts Centre, alongside dancers from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), from March 22 to 26.
Created by renowned Australian contemporary choreographer Stephanie Lake, Colossus has been touring to pre-professional training institutions around the world since its global premiere in Brisbane in 2018.
Talia Cooper
Described as a tribute to collective humanity and the range of emotions inspired by existing alongside others, Colossus explores the delicate balance between intimacy and explosive expressivity and asks important questions about who individuals are within a collective.
For the show’s Toronto premiere, the Stephanie Lake Company will rehearse with York and TMU dancers throughout March, up until the opening night. Remounting the choreography for the local dancers is led by two of Lake’s company members, acting as rehearsal directors, with Lake herself joining rehearsals throughout the week leading up to the premiere.
“Colossus is unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of before,” says fourth-year AMPD student Talia Cooper. “It is fast and the movements have to be precise. We are also working in collaboration with TMU students who I’ve never worked with before.”
The show’s initial run in Australia garnered resounding praise, with Time Out Melbourne crowning it the number one show of the year. Following its triumphant premiere, the company took Colossus on tour. Instead of travelling with a static cast of dancers, however, Lake uses her platform to promote local emerging artists. In each city, Lake sets the iconic choreography on groups of pre-professional dancers, sharing with them an opportunity to work in an internationally esteemed company. Throughout the pandemic and its resulting travel disruptions, Lake seized the chance to innovate further, turning to web conference calls to teach choreography across borders and eventually directing performances in France, Taiwan and Hong Kong from Australia. To date, Colossus has toured in Oceania, Asia, Europe and North America, with upcoming performances in Africa and South America.
For many York dancers, this performance marks their first foray into the world of professional dance. Cooper says, “the whole process requires us to work in such close proximity to practical strangers, and because of the condensed rehearsal period, we are spending a lot of time together. I love expanding my dance vocabulary by watching my peers move across the space.
Blythe Russell
Nicole Faithfull
“Even though it’s not close to being finished, I feel so accomplished,” she adds. “Colossus has been performed so many times worldwide, so we are now a part of the international Colossus community and I cannot wait for people to see it.”
Cooper’s peers agree: “It’s a thrilling, exciting process,” York dancer Blythe Russell says. “It’s so special to be part of a community of dancers from all around the world who have performed Colossus.”
Nicole Faithfull describes similar feelings, “I’m very excited to be a part of such a beautiful piece and big cast.”
