Schulich ExecEd partnership to empower municipal leaders
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On June 7, the City of Ottawa hosted a Celebration of Learning event recognizing the 50 Schulich ExecEd Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership program participants for their dedication and accomplishments.
The City of Ottawa has long recognized the pivotal role of skilful leadership in achieving its vision of prosperity, sustainability and resilience. For over a decade, York University’s Schulich ExecEd has been a trusted partner, helping to equip Ottawa’s leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the increasingly complex challenges of municipal leadership. This past year, Schulich ExecEd delivered an updated version of its Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership program to 50 City of Ottawa managers.
Customized to meet the diverse needs of both new and seasoned leaders at the City of Ottawa, this 12-day learning program, which unfolded over 12 months, included three modules: Essentials of Municipal Leadership, Strategic Municipal Leadership and – the new addition – Future-proofing Municipalities.
“This program has challenged the participants to think about the type of leader they want to be – someone who encourages and develops people, who listens, who models integrity, who puts others first, and who acts with courage and care as we work together to build a truly great city,” said Wendy Stephanson, city manager. “It has also presented a wonderful opportunity for our leaders to broaden their skills and explore new and innovative ways of thinking.”
The new module epitomizes the City of Ottawa’s forward-looking vision, challenging participants to embrace complexity, leverage data, and lead through change with strategic foresight and digital acumen.
The cohort-based learning experience also provided networking and collaboration opportunities among leaders across different departments, fostering a culture of peer-to-peer learning and building collegial relationships to last beyond the program.
“The content was like a reassuring reality check,” said one participant. “Everyone is facing similar struggles and challenges, but all we have to do is redefine how we look at these and give ourselves some leeway in terms of how we define success.”
Last month, the City of Ottawa hosted a Celebration of Learning event, recognizing the 50 program participants for their dedication and accomplishments. With leaders from both the city and Schulich ExecEd in attendance, the celebration served as a testament to the transformative power of education and collaboration in shaping the leaders of tomorrow.
“In an era of unprecedented uncertainty, the need for skilled and agile leaders in the public sector has never been more apparent,” said Rami Mayer, executive director of Schulich ExecEd. “ExecEd’s Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership program delves deep into the psychology of leadership, effective communication, cultures of innovation, political acuity and agile decision-making. Those are skills that municipal leaders of our future need to harness today to nurture their leadership strengths, and those of their teams, and deliver on their commitment to provide exceptional service to their communities.”
Through strategic partnerships like this one, municipal professionals are being empowered with the skills and knowledge necessary to continue to shape the future of the communities they serve.
Lassonde partnership leverages 3D printing to address housing crisis
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At York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering, building relationships with external partners is a key objective that not only enhances Lassonde’s reach and reputation but provides students with unique learning opportunities and experiences.
Liam Butler
Recently, Liam Butler, an associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, teamed up with construction company Printerra, which offers 3D construction printing. Together, they are helping to address Canada’s growing demand for affordable and sustainable housing by manufacturing 3D-printed concrete homes. Using state-of-the-art printing technology and low-carbon concrete materials, the project’s goal is to transform the future of housing construction by reducing both labour costs and construction time.
In support of this initiative, Butler received funding through the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada’s Alliance Advantage program. In addition to aiding research objectives, this funding will allow for the training and recruitment of graduate-level student researchers, who will have the opportunity to advance their engineering skills through lab testing and field monitoring.
“The major goals of this project are testing the feasibility of 3D-printed concrete homes and their long-term performance against different climate conditions,” says Butler.
This project will take advantage of innovative facilities at Lassonde, including the High Bay Structures Lab and the Climate-Data-Driven Design (CD3) Facility – a unique space that allows for outdoor testing and monitoring of natural and infrastructure materials to evaluate their performance under realistic climate conditions.
3D concrete printing of structural components at Lassonde’s Climate-Data-Driven Design Facility.
“Printerra is the first industry partner to directly undertake work at the CD3 Facility,” says Butler. “This project fulfills the entire vision of the facility, and we hope it will put us on the map and generate further interest from industry partners.”
In addition to performance testing, Butler will focus on the development of low-carbon concrete mixtures that can be used to 3D print structural components.
Similar to 3D printing with plastics and metals, using concrete involves the successive deposition of thin layers of material through an extrusion nozzle. The properties of the concrete must be closely controlled to ensure each layer hardens and holds its shape prior to adding the next layer.
Typically, these mixtures contain significant amounts of Portland cement, a conventional material used to make concrete – and a significant contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions. By developing new, low-carbon concrete materials, Butler will establish a sustainable alternative to conventional concrete, helping to offset the associated carbon footprint of 3D-printed housing.
This project also gives student researchers the chance to collaborate with industry professionals and achieve research outcomes that directly relate to industrial applications. Such opportunities are crucial for career preparation, offering learners hands-on experiences and connections that are invaluable as they transition from academia to their professional careers.
“This project is going to demonstrate the strong potential of 3D-printed concrete homes while building trust in new, low-carbon concrete materials and construction technologies – it is a very exciting time for our research group,” says Butler.
YSpace participates in federal program supporting prospective immigrant entrepreneurs
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By Elaine Smith
This month, as one of the designated organizations in the Government of Canada’s Start-up Visa Program, YSpace – York University’s entrepreneurship and innovation hub – is welcoming a group of entrepreneurs from 10 startup companies based outside of Canada who are seeking to expand their businesses here. Advancing global entrepreneurship through initiatives like this one, in both Canada and overseas, is a priority of York U’s Global Engagement Strategy.
The federal government’s Start-up Visa Program targets immigrant entrepreneurs with the skills and potential to build innovative businesses in Canada that will create jobs. As one of the program’s selected partners, YSpace, which has a long history of assisting startups seeking to enter the North American market, works with these potential immigrant entrepreneurs to familiarize them with the Canadian business landscape.
“There are a limited number of designated organizations and it’s a highly coveted label,” said David Kwok, director of entrepreneurship and innovation at YSpace. “We are one of the few at the university level.”
YSpace received its formal designation last August and has since shepherded a pilot cohort and a full cohort of entrepreneurs through the program – 15 companies in total, primarily originating from South America and Asia. The team is planning to promote the program to European entrepreneurs next.
YSpace’s Jason Muloongo (right) with John Beluca, a participant in the Start-up Visa Program and founder of Gipo.
Each Government of Canada-designated organization creates its own process for the program and chooses its own entrepreneurs to mentor. YSpace’s Start-up Visa Program focuses on innovative technology companies across all sectors but has gained the most traction with artificial intelligence (AI) ventures. It accepts applications throughout the year and invites a selection of companies to participate.
YSpace’s process begins with Blueprint, a six-week boot camp where entrepreneurs assess the Canadian market and do a feasibility study for their business. Upon successful completion of Blueprint, participants become eligible for the Launchpad program, a year-long coaching and mentorship experience designed to provide strategic advice while ensuring consistent progress. YSpace works with the startups – up to five people from each company – to create and execute their business plans and facilitate opportunities to meet potential customers and buyers.
The businesses the Start-up Visa Program assists are not new ventures, but ones that are already operational in their home countries.
“We help them adapt their existing strategy to new markets,” said Ellen Kim, Start-up Visa Program officer. “It’s a new way to support industry looking to come to Canada and seeking a way to explore the market.”
For instance, the Korean company Kloser recently launched its AI-powered referral marketing tool in Canada after working with YSpace. The innovation hub is also working with Brazilian entrepreneur Milo Andreo to help him launch an English version of his successful piano learning app.
“These companies want to tap into the AI talent here in Canada and leverage the English-speaking local talent to adapt their products to the North American market,” said Jason Muloongo, Start-up Visa Program advisor.
The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), based at the Korean Consulate in Toronto, has placed a company in each of YSpace’s Start-up Visa Program cohorts to date and encourages its startups to work with YSpace.
“The partnership between YSpace and KOTRA Toronto has been beneficial for us,” said Miki Cho, deputy general manager of KOTRA Toronto. “Our collaborative efforts have provided invaluable resources and support, enabling Korean entrepreneurs to thrive in the Canadian market.”
When it comes to assisting startups, YSpace has a proven track record. Through its wide array of programs, it has supported 985 ventures to date, which have collectively generated $277 million in revenue, raised $143 million in funding and created 1,493 jobs. This federal program involvement will allow YSpace to further solidify its reputation as an industry-leading incubator for entrepreneurs and innovators alike.
“The growing interest in YSpace’s Start-up Visa Program is an indication of YSpace’s success in moving towards the goal of building York University into a global brand for entrepreneurship and innovation,” said Kwok. “The recent success has led to an increased interest in our soft-landing and market discovery programs from trade agencies across the world.”
Lassonde celebrates International Women in Engineering Day
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Each year on June 23, International Women in Engineering Day honours the efforts and achievements of women while highlighting the need for diversification in the field. In celebration of this day, York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering is spotlighting Zoi Ralli, Stavroula Pantazopoulou and Baoxin Hu – three of the many inspiring women at Lassonde who are demonstrating excellence in engineering through their passion, expertise and solutions-driven research.
Zoi Ralli
Zoi Ralli working in the lab.
A postdoctoral fellow in the Civil Engineering Department, Ralli has developed and tested a novel, sustainable concrete formulated with recycled waste material instead of cement.
“Cement production is a very energy-intensive process,” explains Ralli, “and it is responsible for seven per cent of carbon dioxide emissions globally.”
Ralli’s cement-free concrete addresses the extreme sustainability concerns of traditional concrete production, boasting a 70 to 90 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. The material was developed with byproducts from a Canadian quarry, comprised of Earth materials and minerals like silicon and aluminum. She also designed the concrete with microfibers to improve its overall strength and performance. These steel, needle-like fibers allow the concrete to withstand harsh conditions, while minimizing cracking and increasing durability.
“Our paper shows that it is possible to completely eliminate the use of cement by replacing it with geological and industrial waste materials to develop a high-performance and sustainable concrete,” she says.
Stavroula Pantazopoulou
Stavroula Pantazopoulou
Another achievement worth celebrating is the recent recognition of Lassonde Professor Stavroula Pantazopoulou – coincidentally, Ralli’s supervisor – as a fellow of the prestigious Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE). This distinction reflects her significant research impact and dedication to science and engineering, further underscoring the exceptional contributions of women at Lassonde.
“For me, this award represents the most important recognition of my work,” says Pantazopoulou, who was one of a small number of highly accomplished individuals to be selected as a CAE fellow this year. “No other award compares to this one.”
This commendation is a testament to the transformative efforts Pantazopoulou has made to the field of structural engineering. Her research focuses on addressing a range of complex and emerging infrastructure concerns. In particular, she dedicates her work to enhancing the structural design of various infrastructure, to improve resistance against earthquakes and other extreme events. Though modern infrastructure is typically developed with resilient materials, many older buildings are constructed with less advanced components, posing safety risks to occupants. To address this concern, Pantazopoulou’s work aims to upgrade and retrofit older buildings with new and innovative materials.
As a newly appointed CAE fellow, she is positioned to further advance the field of structural engineering and elevate her research to new heights.
Baoxin Hu
Baoxin Hu
Hu, a professor in the Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering, is an accomplished researcher at Lassonde who recently secured significant funding – three grants in total – from the Canadian Space Agency and Forestry Futures Trust Ontario. She will use this support to advance her forest management research through remotely sensed data analysis and the development of various artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
Motivated by the urgent demand for accurate information regarding carbon sequestered forest ecosystems, as well as the need for highly qualified personnel with particular skills and knowledge to help tackle climate change, Hu is leading a multidisciplinary team to address and create solutions for carbon stock in forest ecosystems. Through funding from the Canadian Space Agency, the team will use satellite Earth observation data to develop AI methods that can accurately quantify carbon flux and stocks in Canadian forests.
With funding from Forestry Futures Trust Ontario, Hu’s second project is aimed at improving sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation by developing AI methods to survey lichens in Canadian forests. These organisms play many critical roles in forest ecosystem dynamics, like serving as a dietary source for various animals and supporting water and nutrient cycling. Using single photon LiDAR (SPL) data, Hu and her team will map and characterize lichens in the Ontario boreal forest and use this information to develop AI methods that can effectively predict lichen distribution in other forest ecosystems.
Hu’s third project, also funded by Forestry Futures Trust Ontario, will explore drone-based AI technologies, referred to as remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), and their ability to analyze conditions of forest ecosystems. Specifically, these RPAS will collect data concerning the effects of silviculture, which is the practice of controlling the growth and composition of forests. By collecting this data, different forest ecosystems can be classified based on the intensity of silviculture, enabling forest managers to gain a more comprehensive understanding of forest environments.
To learn more about the ways Lassonde provides support, resources and opportunities for women in engineering, visit Lassonde’s Women in Science & Engineering web page.
Schulich ExecEd partnership to empower future leaders
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York University’s Schulich ExecEd is partnering with Skills/Compétences Canada (SCC), an organization dedicated to enhancing the involvement of youth and their communities in skilled trade and technology careers, to provide leadership training for the next generation of workers.
As part of the collaboration, Schulich ExecEd served as an education sponsor for this year’s Skills Canada National Competition, a multi-trade and technology competition for students and apprentices, which was held in Quebec City last month. Schulich ExecEd also served as the official 2024 training partner of the Skills Canada National Alumni Committee, comprised of 13 youth leaders from across Canada who will receive critical training in the areas of strategic communications, business case development and coaching.
Members of the Skills Canada National Alumni Committee.The Skills Canada National Competition in Quebec.
“We take pride in our collaboration with Skills/Compétences Canada, serving as a sponsor and the official training partner of the National Alumni Committee for 2024,” says Rami Mayer, executive director of Schulich ExecEd. “The programming provided goes beyond theoretical knowledge, focusing on cultivating leadership skills crucial for empowering the next generation of youth.”
In an effort to bridge the gap between trade expertise and business acumen, Schulich ExecEd endeavours to equip future leaders with essential business skills such as management, leadership, finance, communications, data analytics and more. Through accelerated programming, Schulich ExecEd will provide tools to help ignite an entrepreneurial spirit, cultivate a resilient workforce and empower trades professionals to achieve desired growth levels in their respective fields.
“In today’s dynamic business landscape, young professionals are faced with multifaceted challenges that demand a comprehensive skill set,” says Mayer. “Through this meaningful partnership, we aim to empower these talented youth members with the business acumen necessary to navigate the complexities of tomorrow’s job market.”
York alumnus helps Ghana farmers flourish
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By Elaine Smith
Moustapha Seck, an electrical and electronic engineering graduate from York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering, has created a company in Ghana that provides loans, market access and guidance to small-scale farmers in Ghana.
One of every two adult Ghanaians work as smallholder farmers, and many of them merely subsist, struggling to achieve profitably year after year. Seck created a company called Fluid Finance Technologies after identifying the need for those farmers to be able to obtain loans, despite their lack of collateral, to improve their businesses with more modern equipment and the latest agricultural knowledge, thus creating wealth for them. “There was a lot of education needed and lots of people have taken advantage of them, so their work was often a zero-sum game,” Seck says. “We wanted to turn that into a win-win situation.”
Moustapha Seck
Fluid Finance Technologies looks to create those scenarios by offering aid to smallholding farmers in Ghana and creating a bridge between them and the banking community so they can obtain business loans. Seck had no contacts in the banking industry as he was starting out, so it required a lot of cold calls and a lot of research and attending conferences to convince people that his company could be trusted. One bank got on board in 2022, and now Fluid Finance works with nine financial institutions in Ghana and about 6,000 farmers.
The company and its success is driven, in part, by Seck’s time at York University.
Seck was born in Canada and split his childhood between Senegal, his parents’ birthplace, and Canada, where his father taught finance at the University of Windsor. As he enrolled at York, Seck had a firm goal. “For me, it was all about studying something that would help me be an asset to the African continent,” he says.
Initially, that ambition took Seck on a different path than where he has ended up today. “In Senegal, there used to be a lot of power outages, so I thought an electrical engineering degree would help me fix that problem,” he says. Seck did pursue opportunities in that direction, like an internship at Hydro One and jobs with a startup venture and a technology company. That is, until an experience with a lender that helped e-commerce businesses get started got the wheels in his brain spinning with ideas.
“I see everything through the lens of creating opportunities in Africa,” he says. He saw value in how he might be able to help business in Africa get off the ground or achieve greater profitability. “So, I transitioned to finance and learned on the job.”
Now four years into existence, Fluid Finance Technologies assists banks with collecting and digitizing the information about farming they need to make decisions about providing loans to individual farmers. The company also brings in agronomy experts to teach farmers about appropriate fertilizers and new harvest methods and how to troubleshoot problems. In addition, Fluid has worked to ensure that farmers have fair and available markets for their crops.
The result? Banks understand the needs of the local farmers and a willingness to work with them means new banking customers. Meanwhile, farmers get the financial, marketing and agricultural assistance they need to succeed and earn a living wage.
A Ghana Broadcasting Corp. segment featuring, from left to right, Amir Asif, Solomon Boakye-Yiado and Moustapha Seck.
Looking ahead, Seck hopes to expand the business to other African countries in the Global South. He is also thinking about how to provide farmers with markets on a global scale and trying to be proactive about climate change, “giving farmers access to resources ahead of time so they can withstand shocks.”
For Seck, it’s all about advancing a singular passion, one readily found on his LinkedIn page like a motto: “Creating opportunities for people in the Global South is my calling.”
Innovators look to commercialize research with York fellowship
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By Diana Senwasane
Four aspiring researchers have completed York University’s Commercialization Fellowship program, advancing their potential to bring to market innovations driven by the latest in emerging technologies.
The Commercialization Fellowship program is aimed at preparing and supporting postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows in understanding the process of transforming academic research into a product or service.
Funded by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, the program started in 2021, providing a group of annual fellows education on intellectual property (IP) and commercialization, exposure to industry and community partners, experiential learning opportunities, and a $7,500 stipend to use towards creating a proof of concept, testing their prototype and completing validation studies.
“Research commercialization can lead to real-world solutions, turning York community’s great ideas into products and services that provide both social and economic benefits,” said Suraj Shah, associate director of commercialization and industry partnerships.
Aspire spoke with this year’s fellows about the program and their products.
Hamed Esmaeili, mechanical engineering Project title: An accelerated strategy to characterize mechanical properties of materials
Hamed Esmaeili
A PhD student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Esmaeili’s research leverages the power of machine learning to create new software that could have widespread application in the automotive manufacturing and construction industries.
His software innovation streamlines the way in which materials’ mechanical properties are characterized, eliminating the need for extensive physical testing.
“For designers and engineers, this software offers a way to prototype new parts or evaluate existing materials without ever having to set foot inside a lab,” said Esmaeili.
This could prove useful in many industries such as infrastructure – when it comes to designing and testing structures, like buildings and bridges, to ensure they can withstand forces and automotive manufacturing – where components of a car, like the doors or brakes, consistently operate under various load conditions.
Esmaeili’s software allows users to input specific parameters – such as material composition, environmental conditions and processing factors – resulting in a comprehensive prediction of a material’s behaviour when subjected to external loads.
While the project, under the supervision of Reza Rizvi, an associate professor at the Lassonde School of Engineering, is still under development, the implications are vast. Being able to predict how materials will respond in different environments – without the need to physically test each variation – can dramatically accelerate innovation, reduce costs and promote sustainability in manufactured components, making this an advancement in the manufacturing industry with far-reaching impact.
Esmaeili said the Commercialization Fellowship has helped him utilize code development software and allowed him to conduct validation experiments in the laboratory to ensure the software effectively predicts material behaviour.
He has completed the back-end code of his software and is currently working on developing the front end for the desktop version in the coming months.
Lauren Turner, kinesiology and health science Project title: Digital Decision Support for Exercise and Type 1 Diabetes
Lauren Turner
A PhD candidate in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Turner’s doctoral research has resulted in the creation of a decision support platform designed to transform how individuals with Type 1 diabetes approach exercise.
Addressing the fine balance between maintaining glucose levels and staying active, the platform allows users to input data about their current glucose levels and planned physical activities. Based on an extensive database of research and insights, it provides personalized recommendations on carbohydrate intake to maintain safe glucose levels during exercise.
“Anyone with Type 1 diabetes can use it,” said Turner. “We’re also hoping that it can be a clinic tool to help individuals, especially those newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, understand how their needs may differ depending on their different types of activity and their current blood glucose levels.”
While exercising has numerous health benefits for individuals living with Type 1 diabetes, it can also make blood glucose management difficult and, in extreme cases, lead to potentially severe consequences, such as low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia), which could result in dizziness, confusion, seizures or even death.
The platform, led under the supervision of Michael Riddell, a professor in York’s School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health, directly addresses and alleviates these risks, offering a layer of protection and confidence to those affected. And unlike traditional insulin pumps, which may only adjust glucose targets and/or insulin delivery, this platform offers actionable advice for its users.
Turner credits the fellowship with helping her to advance the project and said the monthly check-in meetings, advice on how to bring her idea to market, and hearing about events and opportunities were highlights of the program.
Turner and her team have been working closely with a web developer to develop the platform and they hope to launch it shortly.
Parham Mohammadi, electrical engineering and computer science Project title: PowerSync: Intelligent V2G Charging with TinyML Analytics
Parham Mohammadi
A PhD student in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Mohammadi’s project hones in on tiny machine learning (TinyML) to infuse electric vehicle (EV) chargers with unprecedented levels of intelligence and autonomy, giving them the ability to make decisions without relying on a centralized control system.
TinyML uses artificial intelligence algorithms within the EV charger to independently manage and adapt its operations – ensuring grid stability, predictive maintenance, fault analysis and more. It aims to not only streamline operations but significantly mitigate the potential for system-level power issues as the number of EVs and chargers continue to enter the market.
The project, supervised by Afshin Rezaei-Zare, an associate professor at the Lassonde School of Engineering, reflects a broader shift toward a smarter, more efficient way of managing energy resources, especially as we pivot to renewable and clean energy solutions. Through the integration of TinyML technologies, EV chargers can seamlessly synchronize with the energy grid, efficiently distributing power without overwhelming the system.
“For the everyday consumer and the environmentally conscious, this project is a pivotal step toward sustainable electric vehicle adoption,” said Mohammadi. “By integrating smart, autonomous chargers into the energy grid, we’re looking at a smoother, more reliable transition to green mobility solutions across the globe.”
Mohammadi said the Commercialization Fellowship provided him with critical information for commercialization, IP management and connections with lawyers through the IP Innovation Clinic.
He is currently in the process of developing a prototype, which is anticipated to be completed mid-summer.
Siamak Derakhshan, electrical engineering and computer science Project title:Fully Soft-switched AC/DC Bi-directional Converters with High Power Factor and Minimal Low-Frequency Voltage Ripple
Siamak Derakhshan
A third-year PhD candidate in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Derakhshan’s research aims to revolutionize on-board EV chargers. Deviating from traditional unidirectional charging methods, which function only to charge, Derakhshan has created a bidirectional converter, allowing the charger to not just power a car but also harness its battery power.
The innovation unlocks tremendous possibilities – from lighting up homes during blackouts or emergencies to contributing power back to the grid during peak demand.
Under the supervision of John Lam, an associate professor in the Lassonde School of Engineering, Derakhshan’s converter enhances existing on-board EV chargers in the market by making modifications such as reducing the size of the traditionally bulky capacitor by 20 times, which improves the lifespan of the on-board charger, its efficiency and reduces the potential for thermal issues such as overheating.
“What we are trying to do is to improve the reliability, efficiency and power density of these converters,” he said. “We are designing better and more robust control systems to better support the power grid.”
Derakhshan says the fellowship’s workshops helped him understand the importance of IP and patenting his idea. He also found value in being able to connect with industry and showcase his work to industry partners.
Derakhshan has designed the prototype for his converter and has successfully tested it for charging. He is currently working on the next phase to test the bidirectional component.
York researchers launch exhibit documenting Ontario’s wine history
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York University history Professor Marcel Martel and research assistant Alex Gagné have collaborated with the Archives of Ontario to launch a new online exhibit titled Wine Making in Ontario. Through images, maps and graphs, the exhibit surveys wine production in Ontario from 1866 to 1940.
Marcel Martel
Martel and Gagné proposed the exhibit based on their surprising research findings of an active pre-Second World War wine industry that spanned the province, from Windsor to Sudbury.
“When I conduct research on an issue, there are always some unexpected discoveries,” explains Martel. “I was surprised to discover the number of wineries and wine sellers in urban areas, especially in Toronto, and the multicultural ethnic origins of wine makers and sellers, since most of them came from Britain, France, Italy and the United States.”
The exhibit shows how European settlers struggled to use Indigenous-cultivated grape varietals to make European-style wines. It examines the background of various figures in the industry, including farmers seeking wealth and international acclaim, but also Jewish and Italian migrants and women who made wine for domestic consumption. It also considers the impact of prohibition and other headwinds that ultimately delayed the industry’s flourishing until the 1990s.
Barrels at Canadian Wineries Ltd., A. McKim and Co. in Niagara Falls, 1941. Photo by Gordon Powley. Archives of Ontario, I0002637.
“As we continued our research, we expected to find a landscape of grape growers and vintners in competition – each vying for their share of the Canadian market,” says Gagné. “Instead, we found a story of co-operation and unity among the multicultural wine makers who dotted the 19th-century Canadian landscape.”
Among their many surprising discoveries, the researchers learned that early Canadian winemakers would share grape cultivation, harvesting and hybridization secrets through publications like Canadian Agriculturist. This collaborative spirit, Gagné explains, aimed to overcome the prevailing belief that Canada’s climate wasn’t suitable for winemaking.
“They sought to convince both the government and the public to embrace Canadian wines,” he says. “While ultimately stymied by the rise of temperance movements and prohibition, their efforts revealed an industry defined by shared knowledge – and, often, even shared vine cuttings – to prove to the world that Canada was home to unique and delicious wine.”
In support of the online exhibit, the Archives of Ontario has also prepared a display of archival records and historical artifacts related to Ontario’s wine history that can viewed until fall when visiting the Archives in person at 134 Ian MacDonald Boulevard, next to the Kaneff Tower on York’s Keele Campus. The Archives is open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday.
York’s Institute for Technoscience & Society looks to shape public debate, policy
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Credit: Zoran Svilar
York University’s Institute for Technoscience & Society (ITS), established in 2022 as an Associated Research Centre of the new Connected Minds: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society initiative, is on a mission to build a global hub focused on the complex relationship between technoscience – the scientific study of how humans interact with technology – and society. In particular, the institute is committed to unravelling the configuration of social power that underpins science, medicine, technology and innovation.
According to Professor Kean Birch, the inaugural director of ITS, the institute was established to cement York’s international standing and reputation in disciplines such as science and technology studies, communication and media studies, design, critical data studies, the history and philosophy of science, and other related fields in which York is a global leader. Aligned with the University’s Strategic Research Plan, especially when it comes to the topics of digital cultures and disruptive technologies, its members are actively engaged in research on the social, political, and economic implications of artificial intelligence (AI) and neuroscience.
Kean Birch
Birch is enthusiastic about the future of research in this area: “We’re seeing a lot of interest in these topics,” he says, “especially in the societal implications of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and other digital technologies.”
He insists, however, the institute’s depth in expertise is not limited to those areas, extending into topics such as the history of science through games design, the global governance of biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovation.
To support this diversity of knowledge, ITS is organized into the following four research clusters to help create synergies and support collaboration:
Technoscientific Injustices, which deals with the implications of emerging technoscience, its impacts on different social groups, and how to create just and inclusive science and technologies;
Technoscientific Economies, which deals with the entanglement of science and with different economies, what kinds of innovation get promoted by which kinds of economy, and how to support responsible and inclusive innovation;
Technoscientific Pasts & Futures, which deals with how the future of science and technology is bound up with our pasts and how the past helps us to build hopeful visions of and policies for the future; and
Technoscientific Bodies & Minds, which deals with the societal implications of prevailing understandings of health risks, diseases, and health-care delivery, as well as how prevailing understandings reinforce social injustices, inequities and divisions.
The institute is making its impact known in Canadian debates about the role of science and technology in society. Recently, Birch was interviewed by the CBC about the U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against Apple Inc. for antitrust violations; and his recent opinion pieces about personal data as a collective asset and the social costs of generative AI were published in the Globe and Mail.
ITS plans to continue on this trajectory through regular events and policy briefing papers, as well as interventions in public and policy debates.
“York is incredibly well-placed to make an important social, political, and economic impact when it comes to these issues,” explains Birch, “because of the institutional strength and expertise of faculty and early career researchers here.”
Schulich partnership seeks to address global infrastructure gap
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Schulich Real Assets – an area within York University’s Schulich School of Business that focuses on tangible investments – is teaming up with the Global Infrastructure Investor Association (GIIA) to offer the next generation of leaders more tools and resources to help them tackle the climate crisis through sustainable infrastructure projects.
This new partnership is designed to help increase private investment into infrastructure projects that are supporting the global transition to cleaner energy.
Jim Clayton
“We look forward to working together with GIIA and its members towards the common goal of promoting an infrastructure investment ecosystem that mobilizes private capital,” said Professor Jim Clayton, the Timothy R. Price Chair in Real Estate and Infrastructure at Schulich and the MREI program director. “We are excited by the alignment and synergy of the collaboration.”
Through new research and educational programming opportunities, Schulich students will now be empowered with knowledge and resources to deliver the infrastructure that communities need to thrive, with GIIA’s global membership base also helping them to expand their networks and experience.
“It is critical to empower emerging leaders in our industry with the skills and specialist knowledge that enables them to unlock the potential for infrastructure investment, so we can grow the market, and bring in the capital to make the major investments that governments alone cannot afford,” said Jon Phillips, chief executive officer of GIIA, which represents 100 of the world’s leading investors and advisors in infrastructure.
“Since Canada is already a hub for innovation in the infrastructure investment industry, partnering with Schulich makes good sense,” he said.
