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Prof. Fahim Quadir appointed Interim Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Interim Associate Vice-President Graduate

Fahim Quadir
Fahim Quadir

Rhonda Lenton, vice-president academic and provost, has issued the following announcement to the York University community:

Fahim Quadir
Fahim Quadir

I am pleased to inform members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies that Professor Fahim Quadir has agreed to take on the role of Interim Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Interim Associate Vice-President Graduate.  President Shoukri and I have brought this recommendation for Board approval; and the Board of Governors Executive Committee, on behalf of the Board of Governors, has now approved the recommendation of this appointment.  Professor Quadir’s appointment will take effect June 1, 2017.  Information will be forthcoming through Faculty Council regarding the search for the next Dean and AVP Graduate.

Dr. Quadir will be well known to members of the Faculty and the York community.  He joined York in 2001 and is a Professor of Social Science and Development Studies in LA&PS.  Prior to his appointment here, he held academic positions at Queen’s University, St. Lawrence University in New York, and the University of Chittagong in Bangladesh.  He is the founding director of York’s graduate program in Development Studies and the undergraduate program in International Development Studies.

Dr. Quadir was appointed Associate Dean Students in the Faculty of Graduate Studies in 2013.  As Associate Dean, he has championed initiatives to improve the graduate student experience and success, including an online admissions process, a protocol for electronic submission of theses and dissertations, and a streamlined system to advance eligible students from a master’s to a doctoral degree option.  He has also enhanced the petitions process and led working groups on international students and graduate supervision.  He played an important role in offering a new postdoctoral fellowship program and introducing York’s first comprehensive student professional development initiative.  As a member of Senate’s Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee, he was involved in key planning processes such as the UAP and IIRP.  He is a recipient (2007) of a University-Wide Teaching Award in the full-time faculty category.

Dr. Quadir earned BA and MA degrees at Jahangirnagar University (Bangladesh), an MA from Northeastern University, and a PhD in Political Science from Dalhousie University.    He has held many grants and fellowships, including Fulbright, SSHRC, IDRC, SSRC (USA) and Killam.

His research interests include South-South cooperation, emerging donors, aid effectiveness, good governance, civil society, democratic consolidation, market reforms, transnational social movements, human security and regional development.  He is past President of the Canadian Consortium for University Programs in International Development and a Board Member of the Canadian Association for the Society of International Development.

I very much appreciate Dr. Quadir’s willingness to undertake this important responsibility.  I know that he will provide outstanding leadership as Interim Dean and AVP Graduate, and I look forward to working with him and colleagues in FGS as we continue to enhance graduate education at York.

Barbara Crow
Barbara Crow

There will be opportunities prior to her departure to thank Dr. Barbara Crow for her leadership of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and to wish her well, but I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank her for her significant contributions to graduate education at York, including chairing the Working Group in advancing a stronger alignment between graduate planning and all Faculties, strengthening professional development opportunities for graduate students, the implementation of a new funding model and health care plan for research-based graduate students to improve the student learning experience,  development of services and supports for post-doctoral fellows, and the appointment of a wellness coordinator.

Telling the York U story

Theme: Martian Snowfall part of a Decade of Impact campaign
Martian Snowfall part of a Decade of Impact campaign

One of the best ways we can enhance York University’s reputation is by telling informative and entertaining stories that capture who we are as a university, what makes us different from others and what will appeal to the best and brightest potential students to consider York University. In other words, these are the stories that make us proud to be part of the York community.

Above: One of the featured themes in the new communications approach designed to tell the York U story

At York University, we do this throughout the year in a myriad of ways – from large-scale communication campaigns like Open Your Mind, which includes paid advertising, to feature stories in newspapers, radio, television and social media postings. These institutional activities are complemented by communications done at the “local” level by faculties and divisions to celebrate all they have to offer current and prospective students.

Recently, communicators from across York University worked together to jointly identify common promotional themes. The themes, which are supported by positive proof points and visually engaging content, are designed to break through the communication clutter to tell York University’s story with consistent, frequent messaging, over a specific time frame. While social media channels are critical elements of this initiative, content is also showcased on institutional and faculty websites, publications, and LCD Screens.

This communications approach began as a pilot in November 2016 and enjoyed good initial results. Over the winter, this coordinated approach has been refined and strengthened and is now delivering growing positive impact.

From March 20 through April 7, York’s promotional theme is “Decade of Impact” and it focuses attention on the changes undertaken over the last ten years under the leadership of York President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. These changes have provided York University students with innovative, cross-disciplinary programming and teaching and learning environments designed for 21st-century education; with research intensification and community-engaged research.

“Decade of Impact” focuses on five areas of dramatic positive change, these areas are:

  • Excellence: Proven excellence in educating the next generation, creating knowledge and value to society.
  • Transformation: How York University’s campuses and campus life have been transformed and modernized to meet the needs of 21st-century education.
  • Discovery: A decade of world-leading research innovation, ‘firsts’ and new frontiers.
  • Community: Engaging with York University’s communities has shaped who we are today and we, in turn, have helped shape our communities.
  • Green: How York University became a leader in university sustainability through a growth mindset.

For more information on York’s Decade of Impact, visit http://progressive.yorku.ca/.

Going forward YFile will continue to keep you informed about the upcoming promotional themes and we encourage you to share and spread the good news about York University’s Decade of Impact with family and friends.

Save the date: Community cafés planned for April 3 to welcome York’s next president

Vari Hall
Vari Hall

York University President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri has issued the following invitation to the community:

Mamdouh Shoukri President & Vice-Chancellor invites you to join him at a Community Café for York University’s Next President & Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton Monday, April 3rd, 2017 9am Lobby, Centre of Excellence, Glendon Campus RSVP go.yorku.ca/glendoncommunitycafe or 416-736-5307 Brief Remarks at 9:30am Welcome & Reflections – M. Shoukri The Way Forward – R. Lenton

 

RSVP for the Glendon Community Caf here and for the Keele Community Cafe here.

York celebrates Red & White Day with spirit rally, special events

Red & White Day
Red & White Day

York University students, staff and faculty showed their YU pride on March 23 during Red & White Day at various events running across both campuses.

The day’s events included activities such as a faculty/staff spirit challenge, an alumni breakfast, a stress-buster carnival, an arcade station, a photo booth, food trucks, a spirit rally and more.

 

York U community members assembled in the Student Centre from noon to 1pm for the spirit rally, which showcased the artistic talents of student Hip Hop Dance Club, student a capella group WIBI and also highlighted the achievements of student varsity athletes, including the Lions men’s hockey team which claimed the Queen’s Cup for the first time.

President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri spoke briefly to the crowd, noting that it would be his last Red & White day as the University’s president.

“Red and White Day is always a very inspiring day for everybody. It’s an opportunity to share in our great institution,” he said, adding that serving the University for the past decade has been “wonderful and inspiring.”

He parted with some encouraging words for students: “Don’t underestimate who you are and what you can do.”

For the full schedule of events that took place, visit redandwhite.info.yorku.ca/schedule.

York students to share research on Greece at conference

Modern Greece photo
Modern Greece photo

York University students will present their recent and ongoing research on Greece during a special conference on Friday, March 24.

The student conference, titled “Research on Greece,” will showcase the research on Greek history and society that York students do as part of their undergraduate and graduate degrees in various programs in humanities and social sciences.

The event is open to the academic community, media and the general public, and is hosted by The Hellenic Heritage Foundation Chair in Modern Greek History, the Department of History and the Department of Anthropology.

It takes place from 10am to 4pm in the Harry Crowe Room, Atkinson Building
York University.

The day’s events include:

Registration and introduction, 10 to 10:30am
• Othon Alexandrakis, Department of Anthropology, and Sakis Gekas, HHF Chair in Modern Greek History, Department of History

The politics of rhetoric, 10:30 to 11:10am
• Sotiria Kalpachtsi, Department of English, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, visiting student, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Scholarships at York University, presents “Why the Visual Designer of Our Era is the New Rhetorician”
• Foteini Pliaki, School of Philology, Department of Classics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, visiting student, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Scholarships at York University, presents “Rhetoric: ancient art or important skill of our time?”

History, 11:15am to 12:15pm 
• Spyridon (Spyros) Papageorgakis, Department of History, presents “Primitive Rebels and the Balkans, A Case Study in Greek Banditry”
• Christina Ioannides, Hellenic Studies program, presents “Metamorphosis of Athens Post Asia Minor Catastrophe”
• Sotiri Varlokostas, Osgoode Faculty of Law, presents “Spilling Blood Abroad, Spilling Tzatziki at Home: Contextualising the Legal Aftermath of Toronto’s Anti-Greek Riots and the Forgotten Veteran”
• Elaina Lampropoulos, MA history, presents “Belonging to Greece and the Soviet Union: Private Life of Greeks in Tashkent 1949-1974”

Coffee break, 12:15 to 12:30pm

The times of crisis, 12:30 to 1:30pm
• Peter Milonas, Department of Political Science, presents “The Golden Dawn and the Mainstream Media: A Symbiotic Relationship”
• Anthony Prassoulis, MA international development, presents “Workers’ perceptions on self-management: a case study on the recuperated factory, Vio.Me.”
• Kiryl Rusetski, BA anthropology and political science, presents “Shadow Currency: How Economic Crisis Impacts the Grey Market”

Lunch, 1:30 to 2:30pm

Migration, 2:30 to 3:30pm
• Parinaz Adib, MA anthropology, presents “What Are We Doing Here?: Exploring the Uncertain Spaces of Solidarity in Athens, Greece”
• Larissa Noel, Department of Anthropology, presents “Mediated Greek family: The transformation of refugee families through crisis”
• Gina Jibran, BA children’s studies and education, presents “Living In Exile: The Refugee Crisis From a Child’s Perspective”

Ethnographic fieldwork, 3:30 to 4pm
• Meha Patel, BA anthropology, presents “Flexibility in the field”
• Nadine Ryan, MA anthropology, presents “Ethnography of an Absence”

For more information, contact Othon Alexandrakis at oalexand@yorku.ca or Sakis Gekas at agekas@yorku.ca.

For a full description of the research, visit researchongreece.wordpress.com.

York dance artists tap into infinite space and movement

Featured image for the York Dances story
York dance artists

York University’s rising young dance artists take the stage March 30 and 31 in York Dances, an annual showcase concert spotlighting undergraduate choreographic and performance talent.

This year’s edition is a two-part program titled Space Continuum: Infinite and Endless. It features 22 original works inspired by the idea of a continuum in space and movement, created by third-year BFA dance students.

Course director Tracey Norman, a graduate of the Department of Dance (BFA ’03, MFA ’10) and an independent choreographer and performer, serves as artistic director for the show.

“In keeping with the theme, each of the choreographers has created a distinct spatial world and physical language that lie along the continuum of contemporary dance,” Norman said. “The environments they have created are mysterious, fantastical, desolate, animal, urban and more. The concepts and constructions of their dances vary widely, but what unites them is a distinctive driving force behind each piece which propels the outstanding performers in this exciting program.”

“They Move on Tracks of Never Ending Light” choreographed by Sophie Dow. Dancers: Julianna Velocci, Meagan Asquith, Sophie Goyette Hammels, Carly Psutka, Nic Szekely. Photo by Mackenzie Clark
They Move on Tracks of Never Ending Light
Choreographed by Sophie Dow
Dancers: Julianna Velocci, Meagan Asquith, Sophie Goyette Hammels, Carly Psutka, Nic Szekely
Lighting design: Andra Legault
Photo: Mackenzie Clark

Sophie Dow’s ensemble work, They Move On Tracks of Never Ending Light, builds on a theme of seeking solace within our cosmos, our solar system and the illuminating energy of our sun. Until We Look Closer by Shayla Lewis exhorts us to take the time to observe and experience the beauty in the world.

Inspired by Philip Pullman’s epic trilogy His Dark Materials and set to original, live music by Luc Gaylie, Maria Lucia Llano’s quintet Multiverso explores human connections through space and time. Using space as a medium devoid of meaning, Evan Winther’s trio Void reveals the inner workings of human connection when living in an unknown and unknowable world.

“Sink deeper, and deeper, and deeper…” choreographed by Nina Milanovski. Dancers: Josh Murphy and Lucia Llano. Photo by Jana Gracia
Sink deeper, and deeper, and deeper…
Choreographed by Nina Milanovski
Dancers: Josh Murphy, Lucia Llano Lighting design: LD Scarlett Larry
Photo: Jana Gracia

Why do we hide our thoughts and voices behind facades? Liam Ellington’s collaborative ensemble work Concerning the Soul seeks the answer. Ashlyn Kuy’s quartet Among Others explores self-doubt and insecurity, leavened by a sense of hope and community. The reciprocal relationship between the performers in Natasha Smith’s duet Divide expresses the dilemma of having to make a decision in the face of multiple options. Aliyah Beckles’ trio Backwards and Forwards plays with the concept of being pulled down different paths in life.

The desert represents both a symbolic and real experience in Sink deeper, and deeper, and deeper…, choreographed by Nina Milanovski in collaboration with six dancers. With his septet Orchid, Dylan Caetano invites audiences to experience a mythological world inhabited by beautiful creatures that exude a fatal attraction. In UnTerrestrian, choreographed by Vanessa Boutin, unnatural, unearthly creatures walk among us, though we are unaware of them.

Shifting between human and animal movement, Serwaa Daley’s Primitive Instincts illustrates the long-lost connection between people and their mammalian ancestors. Inspired by choreographer Meghan Van Der Giessen’s favourite animal, Elephant Skin is a tribute to the feelings and experience of family.

Constanza Oreamuno’s sextet Chromatic Corporealization offers a visual narrative that interprets the dynamics within music through improvisation and imagery. In Kinesics, devised by Angela Wells in collaboration with three dancers, the repeated motifs of gestures create an energetic, highly communicative body language.

Embracing hybrid movement vocabularies of classical Indian Bharatanatyam and western contemporary dance, Tahmina Anwar Anika’s solo Weltanschauung, set to a soundscape by Bangladeshi film music director Soummo Saha, explores worldviews that are the fundamental cognitive orientation in society. In Turbid Waters, choreographer Lindsay McBride presents flowing movements juxtaposed with clear focus as well as a variety of dynamics and physical motions. Sometimes the imagination conjures illusions of what lurks below.

“|F|ace |E|verything |A|nd |R|ise” choreographed by Nicole Robb. Dancers (from left): Rebecca Trainor, Téa Paluzzi, Meghan Van Der Giessen. Photo by Jana Gracia
|F|ace |E|verything |A|nd |R|ise
Choreographed by Nicole Robb
Dancers (from left): Rebecca Trainor, Téa Paluzzi, Meghan Van Der Giessen
Lighting design: LD Scarlett Larry
Photo: Jana Gracia

What do you do when faced with the entity that frightens you the most? Nicole Robb’s |F|ace |E|verything |A|nd |R|ecover, set to an original score composed by Alan Drenkel-Andrade, dances a response. Themes of loss, grief, longing and human connection pervade the duet Rubatosis, charting choreographer Holly Buckridge’s painful personal journey following the loss of her father. Inspired by Pixar’s Inside Out, Téa Paluzzi’s duet of the same title investigates how the human body understands and reacts to emotions.

Stop, Take a Breath, a quintet by Hailey Cook, investigates what happens when you pause for a moment amid the chaos and commotion of your daily life. With Ceaseless, Matina Zaharatos choreographs life as an unstoppable energy force, constant and unending, and the support and encouragement of others that helps us go on.

York Dances: Space Continuum unfolds Thursday, March 30 and Friday, March 31 in the McLean Performance Studio, 244 Accolade East Building at York’s Keele campus. Program A, Infinite, takes place at 7pm, followed by Program B, Endless, at 8:30pm. Admission is $10 for each program. Purchase tickets at the Box Office, online or tel. 416-736-5888.

Update on the Open Access and Open Data Steering Committee

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Upcoming events

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

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

Faculty of Science celebrates student and faculty member achievements at annual ceremony

Science Annual Ceremony
Science Annual Ceremony

The Faculty of Science celebrated its own recently at a special honours and awards ceremony on March 8. The event paid tribute to the outstanding accomplishments of professors and undergraduate and graduate students in the Faculty.

Faculty, staff, students and members of the York University administration took time to attend the Faculty of Science honours and awards ceremony on March 8

Students who received awards for their academic excellence and extracurricular involvement over the past year were invited to attend along with their families, and faculty members, staff and senior administrators at York University also joined the ceremony. The event featured a keynote address by alumnus Ian Harnarine, who is now a filmmaker and a physics and film professor at New York University.

Associate Dean of Students Alex Mills addresses the audience

“Given the often hectic pace experienced by students and other members of the university community, it is particularly gratifying to hold an event like this where we can celebrate the successes of our community, and take time to share those achievements with family, friends, and other loved ones,” said Associate Dean of Students Alex Mills.

The ceremony opened with remarks from Mills and Dean of Science Ray Jayawardhana.

The dean presented Professor Kim Maltman in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics with the Dean’s Special Recognition Award for his leadership in creating background tutorials that prepare incoming science students for the demands of university math. Jayawardhana also congratulated Biology Professor John McDermott for the renewal of his McLaughlin Research Chair.

Awards were then presented to faculty members and graduate students who were adjudicated as winners for the Excellence in Teaching and Research Award categories:

  • Lecturer Paula Wilson in the Department of Biology received an Excellence in Teaching Award (Senior Tenure Stream Faculty) for the development of many innovative and thoughtful teaching initiatives, including the Faculty’s Early Alert program that seeks to assist new students who are struggling.
  • Graduate students Uzma Nadeem and David Miller in the Department of Biology received the Richard Jarrell Award of Excellence for Teaching Assistants.
  • Professor Sapna Sharma in the Department of Biology received the Early Career Research Award for her research on the effects of environmental stressors on ecosystems and improving the use of quantitative approaches used to generate these predictions.
  • Professor Ilijas Farah in Department of Mathematics and Statistics received the Established Research Award for his research in logic, operator algebras and their interactions.
  • Professor Derek Wilson in the Department of Chemistry received the Excellence in Graduate Mentorship Award for his commitment and enthusiasm in training graduate students.
Alumnus Ian Harnarine delivered the keynote speech

Finally, the students in attendance were called up to receive certificates congratulating them for the external and internal awards and honours they received in the last year. Among them were winners of the NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Postgraduate Scholarships, which provide financial support to high caliber scholars in the natural sciences or engineering. Doctoral students Alyssa Murdoch, Laura Newburn, Marlee Ng, and Benjamin Voloh, and Master’s students Jessica D’Angelo, Julia Gauberg, Seyed Hassani, Travis Valdez were honoured for receiving the scholarship.

In the undergraduate student award category, recipients for awards such as the York University President’s Scholarship and the Cragg Scholarship for Academic Excellence were recognized. The President’s Scholarship is a renewable entrance scholarship given to students with the highest averages coming out of high school; Nicholas Chrobok and Joel George were recipients. The Cragg Scholarship for Academic Excellence is given in memory of C. Brian Cragg, chemist, professor and first director of the Division of Natural Science, and it is awarded annually to outstanding students who have distinguished themselves academically; Yaakov Green and Shaili Perez were honoured for receiving the award.

For a complete list of awards and recipients, see the Faculty of Science website.

York U leads research on tool to assess hospital patient readmission risk

Entrance of NYGH
Entrance of NYGH

A team of researchers led by York University Professor Christo El Morr has published its findings on the success of using a specific real-time tool to assess the risk of unplanned readmission of hospital patients.

Christo El Morr

The two-year collaborative project was funded by North York General Hospital Exploration Fund, and the team included Professor Liane Ginsburg (Co-PI) from York University, York U School of Health Policy & Management undergraduate student Seungree Nam, and Susan Wollard, director of the Medical, Critical Care & Elderly Care Program at North York General Hospital.

The study, “Assessing the Performance of a Modified LACE Index (LACE-rt) to Predict Unplanned Readmission After Discharge in a Community Teaching Hospital,” was published in JMIR Publications here: i-jmr.org/2017/1/e2.

Liane Ginsburg

The LACE index is used to predict unplanned readmission of patients, or patient death, after discharge, and considers the length of stay; the acuity of admission; co-morbidities; and the number of emergency department visits within the past six months. However, until now, its implementation and use on a daily basis in real-life situations were never assessed. The team adapted LACE for implementation in a hospital setting; the adapted LACE was used in real time, hence the name LACE-rt, said Ginsburg.

“Our team assessed LACE-rt and found it a fair tool for identifying patients at high risk of readmission,” said El Morr. “We found high-risk patients are 2.648 times more likely to be readmitted than those at low risk. We have also identified data entry errors caused by a lack of information system integration.”

The team, he said, has already designed an updated version of the software interface that minimizes data entry and avoids errors, and has developed plans to assess interventions targeting readmission reduction.

Susan Woollard

“The project highlights the need for collaborative efforts that bridge acute and community care sectors,” said Ginsburg.

Assessing readmission risk and reducing hospital readmission to acute care is of paramount importance for patient health, quality of care and cost reduction, said El Morr.

“The collaborative work between researchers in the School of Health Policy & Management and collaborators at North York General Hospital has culminated in a new understanding of the performance of LACE index in a real-life environment,” said El Morr. “The collaboration with North York General Hospital was an excellent experience; we encountered positive leadership and supportive environment. It allowed Prof. Ginsburg and myself to engage our students in experiential learning and produce research that has impact.”

Wollard said of the project: “I think this is a tremendous work that will support our discharge planning in the future. The collaboration has been so satisfying.”

Koerner Lecture to examine conservation of wild biodiversity via biodiversity development

Koerner lecture
Koerner lecture

A free public lecture hosted by the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) will feature superstar of Costa Rica conservation Daniel Janzen, who will deliver a talk titled “Conservation of tropical wild biodiversity via biodiversity development: a Costa Rican example.”

The talk is the fourth annual Koerner Lecture Series in Neotropical Conservation, and it takes place on Friday, March 31, from 2:30 to 3:30pm, in Room 101 of the Life Sciences Building.

Janzen, the DiMaura Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Pennsylvania and technical advisor to Area de Conservacion Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica, will look at where classical tropical national parks are gradually failing in many ways.

He will discuss the 165,000-hectare government/private hybrid ACG’s practical approach to tropical wild biodiversity conservation with 35 years of success. Its basic principals contend conservation must be site-based and respond to the biological, social and economic reality of the region.

Decisions must be taken at the regional level, the wilderness area must be visualized as a productive sector for the economy of the region and the country, and that quality conservation must be economically sustainable over time. ACG is testing and proving that biodiversity development is a viable way forward to protect vulnerable species and help local communities thrive, with ecotourism, biodiversity prospecting for medicine, carbon sequestration and more.

Light refreshments will be available before and after the lecture (1:30 to 2:30pm and 3:30 to 4:30pm).

About Daniel Janzen

Daniel Janzen (image: Penn Arts & Sciences)

A tropical ecologist and biodiversity conservationist with over 60 years of field experience and 466 scientific papers, Janzen is a world-level authority on the taxonomy and biology of tropical caterpillars; a member of the U.S. and the Costa Rican National Academy of Sciences; and recipient of the Crafoord Prize (1984), the Kyoto Prize (1997), BBVA Prize (2012) and Blue Planet Prize (2014).

Janzen and his biologist wife, Dr. Winnie Hallwachs, are co-architects and co-constructors, along with hundreds of others, of ACG and of Costa Rica’s INBio (Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad), and of Costa Rica’s Iniciativa Paz con la Naturaleza (IPN) (2006-10), which morphed into the present-day NGO Costa Rica Forever. He is president of the Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund (GDFCF), the U.S.-based NGO for ACG.

Together, Janzen and Hallwachs are currently focused on facilitating the CBOL (Consortium for the Barcode of Life) and iBOL (International Barcode of Life) efforts to DNA barcode all species of the world for their identification and species discovery by anyone, anywhere, at any time; and simultaneously, on facilitating Costa Rica’s willingness to permanently conserve the 4 per cent of the world’s biodiversity that lives on 25 per cent of Costa Rican national terrain and sea, and do it as a global example of sustainable, non-damaging use of tropical wildland biodiversity.

About the Koerner Lecture Series

Funded by the Koerner Foundation, the Koerner Lecture Series in Neotropical Conservation aims to promote and raise awareness of the Las Nubes Project, which is overseen by Professor Felipe Montoya-Greenheck, Chair of Neotropical Conservation and Director of the Las Nubes Project in Costa Rica. Las Nubes (“The Clouds”) is the home of York’s EcoCampus, a rainforest in Costa Rica that has generously been donated to York University by Dr. Woody Fisher, a prominent Toronto physician, medical researcher and co-founder of the Canadian Liver Foundation.