SPPA awards recognize public servants in face of pandemic

Image announcing Awards

The annual School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA) Student, Alumni and Community Recognition Awards ceremony took place on Nov. 25. The event recognized alumni, students and community partners who continue to answer the call of service. Last year’s recipient of the Alumni Recognition Award, Marco Giancarlo, served as host and moderator for the event.

Photo of John Riches
John Riches

The unfolding pandemic has brought into focus the importance of public service along with its challenges and rewards. The keynote speaker of the event, John Riches, deputy chief of Regulatory Compliance & Administration for the Region of Durham, highlighted the post-pandemic expectations from the public must include wrap-around services and flexible programs that focus on equity.

Riches is a 2019 graduate of the Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law (MPPAL) program and received the Foster-Greene Award for Excellence in Public Policy, Administration and Law for his work as a 25-year paramedic services veteran. He is a champion for collaboration and integration across health and social service sectors to ensure patients and residents receive the proper care and support from the right providers.

The Undergraduate Student Award was presented to Khushbu Dhaliwal, president of the Public Policy and Administration Student Association (PPASA). Dhaliwal is currently participating in the post-graduate Ontario Internship Program as a program and service delivery intern with the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries.

Sylvia Gajunsingh

Sylvia Gajunsingh (MPPAL ’21), is the recipient of the Graduate Student Award for her engagement and service to the Graduate Students’ Association of Public Policy, Administration and Law (GSAPPAL). Gajunsingh’s professionalism, enthusiasm and encouragement of her peers in SPPA was exemplified through her work to advance and support student success and well-being.

The Best Major Research Paper Award was presented to Gyula Kovacs (MPPAL ’21) for his paper titled, “Diversity Training in the Workplace: assessing effectiveness and outcomes,” which was completed under the supervision of MPPAL Graduate Program Director Naomi Couto.

University Professor Emeritus Ian Greene presented the Ian Greene Book Prize for Academic Achievement to the top five MPPAL students with the highest grade-point average in the graduating class of 2021: Sarika Bhatnagar, Munir Chagpar, Meghan Ditta, Gyula Kovacs and Cara Santoro.

Team York 2021, MPPAL students Eva Fok, Ranziba Nehrin, Pravina Rajadurai, Dilumi Rupasinghe and Paula Tablon-Modica, were recognized with the Team Award for their work in representing the University at the IPAC–CAPPA National Case Competition with their faculty member coach John Wilkins.

SPPA Director and Associate Professor Alena Kimakova, and Vice-President of PPASA Milena Basciano, introduced the 2021 winners of the “What is Your Vision for Canada?” high school essay contest.

First prize: Pritika Lally – Grade 12, Donald A. Wilson Secondary School, Whitby, ON, for the essay “A Longing Call to Prioritize the Safety of Indigenous Women against Violence in Canada.”

Second prize: Isabella Wossen Grade 10, Omer-Deslauriers Secondary Public School, Ottawa, for the essay “Ableism: The Unspoken Social Injustice in Canada.”

Third prize: Isabella Yue Grade 12, Paul Kane High School, St. Albert, AB, for the essay Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation.”

Couto also presented Jocelyn McCauley (MPPAL ’21) with the Emerging Leader Award. McCauley is a lobbyist registrar for the Town of Collingwood and senior advisor to Metrolinx’s chief safety officer. She identifies and actions strategic priorities in the areas of corporate administration, team governance and operations, stakeholder management, safety and system assurances.

Romina Chencheva

The Alumni Recognition Award was presented to Romina Chencheva. York University School of Public Policy & Administration Alumni Network (YUSPPAAN) Learning from Leaders podcast series, a primary and formal channel of mentorship, is just one example of initiatives Chencheva created and led. She also works with the student ambassadors of YUSPPAAN to foster a growing alumni community and develop future SPPA leaders.

SPPA also recognized Mandeep Flora, director of data strategy and solutions platform at the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services for his commitment in providing practicum opportunities for our undergraduate students in public administration despite the challenges of remote work.

Call for nominations for the President’s University-Wide Teaching Awards

image shows a class in the Curtis Lecture hall

The President’s University-Wide Teaching Awards honour those who, through innovation and commitment, have significantly enhanced the quality of learning by York students.

Four awards are offered each year in the following categories:

  • Full-Time tenured faculty with 10 or more years of full-time teaching experience
  • Full-Time faculty (tenured/tenure-stream/CLA) with less than 10 years of teaching experience
  • Contract and adjunct faculty
  • Teaching assistants

The purpose of these awards is to provide significant recognition for excellence in teaching, to encourage its pursuit, to publicize such excellence when achieved across the University and in the wider community, and to promote informed discussion of teaching and its improvement.  The awards demonstrate the value York University attaches to teaching. Recipients of the awards, selected by the Senate Committee on Awards, receive $3,000 less applicable deductions, have their names engraved on the University-Wide Teaching Award plaques in Vari Hall and are recognized at convocation ceremonies.

Nominators are encouraged to approach the Teaching Commons to explore ways to best highlight the teaching strengths and accomplishments of the nominee. Nominators may schedule a consultation –  by phone or Zoom – with an educational developer at the Teaching Commons to discuss the preparation of a nomination package by sending a request to teaching@yorku.ca.   

Only online nominations for the 2022 Teaching Awards, submitted by 4:30 pm on Jan. 28, 2022, will be accepted.

The President’s University-Wide Teaching Awards criteria and nomination form are available on the Senate Committee on Awards webpage.

Ruth Green

Ruth Green
Ruth Green

Associate Professor Ruth Green is the recipient of the City of Toronto’s Mino Bimaadiziwin Award (Indigenous Award), which recognizes outstanding contributions to the well-being and advancement of the Urban Indigenous Community of Toronto.

York U in the news: interdisciplinary research, salary negotiations and more

An image of a woman with a laptop that shows the YFile website

York U invests in interdisciplinary research through CIRC initiative
York University President and Vice-Chancellor, Rhonda Lenton, and Vice-President Research and Innovation, Amir Asif, were quoted in Academica Top Ten Dec. 9.

Newcomers to Canada often face barriers finding jobs, Aurora researcher says
York University student Shruti Kalyanaraman was featured in Toronto Star Dec. 9.

Avoid these 5 phrases when asking for a raise—and what to say instead, according to a salary negotiations expert
York University instructor Fotini Iconomopoulos contributed to CNBC Dec. 8.

The long fight against sexual harassment and assault at Ontario universities
York University was mentioned in TVO.org Dec. 8.

AFSPA without economic development will never succeed
Former Director at the Schulich School of Business (India Program), V Raghunathan contributes to Times of India Dec. 8.

‘Non-Application Of Mind, Impounding Over A Private Complaint Without Any Rhyme Or Reason’: Madras High Court On Impounding Of Leena Manimekalai’s Passport
York University student Leena Manimekalai was featured in Live Law Dec. 8.

5 astronomical phenomena this retiring professor will still chase
York University Professor Paul Delaney was featured in CTV News Dec. 10.

Children ages 5 to 11 are getting COVID-19 vaccinations: What this might mean for the holidays and the Omicron variant
York University Associate Professor Dasantila Golemi-Kotra and Professor Jianhong Wu were quoted in Yahoo News Dec. 9.

MRU report outlines issues facing today’s seniors in Canada
York University Associate Professor Brad Meisner was quoted in Calgary Herald Dec. 9.

How skilled newcomers can stave off major career sacrifices when job-seeking
York University Associate Professor Jelena Zikic contributed to Canadian Immigrant magazine Dec. 9.

Cargill labour disruption avoided
York University was mentioned in Western Producer Dec. 9.

Universities have a sexual violence problem, Charlene Senn has part of the solution
York University alumna Charlene Senn was featured in University Affairs Dec. 9.

The best Canadian nonfiction of 2021
York University was mentioned in CBC Books Dec. 9.

‘Community spirit is stronger than ever’: Residents being recognized by Newmarket chamber, Upper Canada Mall
York University alumna Sarah Nguyen was featured in Newmarket Today Dec. 9.

Georgian College names new associate VP
York University alumnus Maher Ghalayini was featured in Barrie Today Dec. 9.

6 elements of a perfect pitch every founder needs to nail
Cherry Rose Tan, Entrepreneur in Residence with Schulich’s School of Business, was featured in Startup Here Dec. 9.

Make your dream come true with Startup India’s new initiative “Together 2022”
York University was mentioned in The Digital Hacker Dec. 9.

Man in the arena – almost perfect
York University Professor Gordon Flett spoke to ESPN Dec. 7.

Planning Case Competition fosters experiential education for MES students

Image announcing Awards

Students in York University’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC) had an opportunity for innovative experiential education during the second virtual Planning Case Competition, held earlier this fall. 

The event, designed for Master in Environmental Studies (MES) planning students, was hosted by the MES York Planning Alumni Committee (MYPAC) and connects students with alumni and professionals in the field of urban planning. 

Students were welcomed by Professor Philip Kelly, associate dean of research, graduate and global affairs, who explained they would have an opportunity to participate in a project they may encounter in the planning field.

“At EUC we see our mandate, not just studying changing cities and environments, but also effecting change by imparting the skills and active citizenship among our students to make change out in the world,” said Kelly. “I hope that today’s event equips you with some of those skills. As you embark on your planning careers […] have a lot of fun and learn a lot in the process.” 

The case study was presented by Chris Wong, director of transportation and master planning, York University Development Corporation (YUDC). 

“Being invited to prepare the planning challenge for the MYPAC Case Competition was a huge privilege,” said Wong. “The competition is not only an innovative experiential education platform for the next generation of city planners who participated, but it allowed YUDC to use an emerging new vision and strategy initiative for the Keele Campus as a real-world demonstration of what they could be a part of over their careers.” 

Students were asked to create a plan for the ‘Village Main’ neighbourhood in the southern quadrant of area surrounding York University. The plan would need to be consistent with York’s campus vision and incorporate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which York is committed to. This case gave excellent insights into the kinds of projects students might encounter in future roles as planners.  

Wong, as part of a panel of judges that included: David MacMillan, MES ’14, project manager, City of Toronto; Adam Zendel, MES’13, director of investments and planning, Royal Indevco Properties; and Gabriella Sicheri, MES ’94, vice-president, CreateTO. The panel assessed the students’ presentations, offered feedback and answered questions about city planning. 

After much deliberation, the judges awarded the $2,000 cash prize to the winning team of MES students Justin MinorAllsun Campbell and Erin Foster. The team was recognized for making connections to the existing infrastructure and implementing focus on the density that would be needed in this area. Their proposal encapsulated the following vision:

“The village corner will be an anchor of the York Community. A gathering space that provides a full host of amenities and services. It is connected to the university precincts and surrounding communities by network that prioritises transit, active transportation modes and green spaces. The land use and building types will be flexible enough to meet current demands and future needs.” 

The second-place team – Paul Berkun-Drevnig, Jasmine Mohamed and Elika Zamani – earned $800 for their submission that demonstrated a strong land use plan and strong connection to the University’s physical and educational uses. 

The third-place team – Bria Hamilton, Nigel Carvalho and Amanda Rooney – won $400 for their submission that showed a great understanding of open space and programming.  

“The MYPAC case competition was a valuable experience as it allowed for my team and I to think of an urban-design solution for a particularly challenging space. We were able to create an innovative solution that consolidated a variety of perspectives and strategies,” said Berkun-Drevnig. 

Brandon Stevens and Patrycja Jankowski of MYPAC organized the annual event and noted that MYPAC is proud to have hosted the Case Competition this year for students to have the opportunity to work on a planning case. The event builds on the positive reception from last year’s case competition and provides students the opportunity to showcase their work to their peers and alumni.  

The 2021 MYPAC Case Competition proved to be an extremely useful tool for MES planning students in gaining experiential education that will support them in their studies as well as afterwards in their careers. 

Nomination deadline for the President’s Research Awards extended to Dec. 20

research graphic

The Senate Committee on Awards invites current or emeritus tenure-stream faculty members to nominate colleagues for the President’s Research Excellence Awards.

As introduced in 2018-19, there are two disciplinary clusters for the President’s Emerging Research Leadership Award and the President’s Research Excellence Award: 1) Engineering, Science, Technology, Health and Biomedicine; and 2) Social Sciences, Art & Design, Humanities, Business, Law and Education.

The President’s Emerging Research Leadership Award (PERLA) recognizes full-time faculty members within 10 years of their first academic appointment who have had a notable impact on their field(s) and made a significant contribution to advancing the University’s international reputation for research excellence while significantly and positively contributing to one or more aspects of the York community’s intellectual life. The PERLA will be conferred to two researchers, one from each disciplinary cluster.

The President’s Research Impact Award recognizes full-time, active faculty members whose body of research or scholarship has translated into a notable impact on communities, individuals, public policies or practice, or translated successfully into impactful commercial or other applications, while significantly and positively contributing to the University’s research culture and reputation.

The President’s Research Excellence Award (PREA) recognizes senior full-time faculty at the rank of professor, with distinguished scholarly achievements, who have had a notable impact on their field(s) and made a significant contribution to advancing the University’s international reputation for research excellence while significantly and positively contributing to one or more aspects of the York community’s intellectual life. The PREA will be conferred in alternating years between the two disciplinary clusters. This year, the PREA is open to researchers in Cluster 1: Engineering, Science, Technology, Health and Biomedicine.

The criteria and nomination forms can be found on the Senate Committee on Awards web page. The deadline for receipt of nominations has been extended to Dec. 20, by 4:30 p.m.

New partnership gives boost to Schulich’s continuing education for healthcare sector

A stethoscope and patient chart

York University’s Schulich Executive Education Centre and Krembil Centre for Health Management and Leadership have come together to create executive development programs for the healthcare sector. 

The Schulich Executive Education Centre (SEEC) and the Krembil Centre for Health Management and Leadership announced a partnership to enhance and enrich Schulich’s executive/continuing education for the healthcare sector. The new partnership, announced Dec. 6, will create relevant, cutting-edge, evidence-based development paths for people in the healthcare industry at any stage in their careers. 

Robert Krembil
Robert Krembil

The Krembil Centre for Health Management and Leadership, established in September 2021 and located at York University’s Schulich School of Business, was made possible by a generous $5-million donation from the Krembil Foundation and Schulich graduate Robert Krembil (MBA ’71, Hon LLD ’00). The facility is a leading hub of education, applied research and industry outreach and will help expand Schulich’s reputation as an international thought leader in health sector strategy, transformation, and organizational leadership. 

SEEC has established itself as a leading provider of executive education programs aimed at the healthcare sector, with customized, needs-based executive education for physicians, dentists, clinicians, healthcare practitioners and non-medical staff in the healthcare industry. 

“SEEC and the Krembil Centre share a common mission to cultivate and advance high-performance leadership,” said Detlev Zwick, dean of the Schulich School of Business. “This exciting new collaboration that will result in additional successful executive and continuing education programs for healthcare professionals.” 

For more information on SEEC’s programs for healthcare professionals, visit:

Chloe Brushwood Rose

Chloe Brushwood Rose
Chloe Brushwood Rose

Faculty of Education Associate Professor Chloe Brushwood Rose discusses why children must be involved in research in the aftermath of COVID-19 in The Conversation.

Schulich research challenges conventional thoughts on high-speed train sector in China

An image depicting the logo for Schulich School of Business

Relational assets or liabilities? New research out of the Schulich School of Business examines competition, collaboration and firm intellectual property breakthrough in the Chinese high-speed train sector.

How does government coordination in the strategic sectors affect the impact of relational resources on firm intellectual property (IP) development in emerging economies?

A photo of Justin Tan
Justin Tan

A research team led by Professor Justin Tan of York University’s Schulich School of Business attempted to address this question by investigating innovative performance in China’s high-speed train sector.

The research, reported in a new paper recently published in the Journal of International Business Studies, challenged some widely held conventional wisdom. For instance, contrary to prior findings that international joint ventures (IJVs) lead technological innovation in the emerging economies, IJVs under-perform in IP development in the context of China’s high-speed train sector, whereas government-affiliated domestic firms out-perform.

The authors argue government coordination in the strategic sector has escalated cross-border competitive tension but facilitated domestic collaborative innovation. Hence, IJVs face relational liabilities that hinder IP breakthrough, whereas government-affiliated domestic firms can leverage relational assets for innovation. The authors further examine the effects of ego-network density in the innovation network, which captures the degree to which a firm relies on partners to innovate. Consistent with this theory, innovation network density hampers IP development for the IJVs but promotes it for the government-affiliated domestic firms.

The findings, based on comprehensive proprietary panel data from 1993 to 2014, offer actionable insights for innovation managers and policymakers in the strategic sectors. Firm managers should consider the potential influences from government coordination when acquiring relational resources for innovation. Policymakers should keep in mind how government actions may influence both inter-firm collaboration and competition when building an innovation network. Given the significant role, Canadian companies such as Bombardier have played in the development of the Chinese rail transportation equipment manufacturing industry, and many other key suppliers who are customers, suppliers, research and development partners, and competitors, this line of research has profound implications for vital Canadian economic interests.

The research paper, titled “Relational Assets or Liabilities? Competition, Collaboration, and Firm Intellectual Property Breakthrough in the Chinese High-Speed Train Sector,” was co-authored by Aurora Liu Genin (PhD, Schulich), assistant professor of management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the U.S.; Tan, professor of management and the Newmont Chair in Business Strategy at the Schulich School of Business in Canada; and Juan Song, professor of management at Central South University in China. It is part of a comprehensive research project about governance reform, innovation and technology development in the rail transportation equipment manufacturing industry. Another research paper from the project was also published in the Journal of International Business Studies in 2021 (“State Governance and Technological Innovation in Emerging Economies: State-Owned Enterprise Restructuration and Institutional Logic Dissonance in China’s High-Speed Train Sector”).

A copy of the study can be found here.

Professor co-edits book on remorse and criminal justice

An open book

York University Professor Richard Weisman is the co-editor of a new book Remorse and Criminal Justice: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives published Nov. 29 by Routledge.

Weisman is Professor Emeritus in the Law and Society Program in the Department of Social Science in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.  For the past two decades, his research has centered on exploring the interpenetration of law and moral regulation as well as the interrelationship between legal discourse and popular discourse.

York Professor Emeritus Richard Weisman
York Professor Emeritus Richard Weisman

Remorse and Criminal Justice: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives is a multi-disciplinary collection of essays that brings together original contributions on current thinking about the nature and place of remorse in the context of criminal justice. Despite the widespread and long-standing nature of interest in offender remorse, the topic has until recently been peripheral in academic studies. Weisman worked with co-editors Steven Tudor (La Trobe University, Australia), Michael Proeve, (University of Adelaide, Australia), and Kate Rossmanith (Macquarie University, Australia) to bring together a diverse array of contributors who are scholars from North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa and Australia, and from diverse academic disciplines. The resulting text reflects on the role of remorse in law, for better or for worse; on how expressions of remorse are affected by the legal contexts in which they arise; and on the impact of these expressions on the individual, the court and the community.

The book is divided into four parts – Part one, “Judging Remorse,” addresses issues concerning the task of assessing remorse in the courtroom, usually prior to determining sentence. Part two, “Remorse Beyond the Courtroom,” explores the place and significance of remorse in various post-court settings. Part three, “Remorse, War and Social Trauma,” addresses remorse in the context of political violence and social trauma in the former Yugoslavia and South Africa. Finally, Part four, “Reflections,”seeks to underscore the multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary nature of the collection through personal and disciplinary reflections on remorse.

Remorse and Criminal Justice: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives provides a showcase for how diverse academic disciplines can be brought together through a focus on a common topic. The book is available from Routledge and through Amazon.