STS Seminar Series continues with discussion on Platform Feminism and the Politics of Elevation
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York University’s first Science and Technology Studies (STS) Departmental Seminar Series of the new year commences on Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 12:30 p.m., featuring Rianka Singh, assistant professor in the Department of Communication and Media Studies. The talk is titled, “Platform Feminism and the Politics of Elevation.”
Rianka Singh
“I develop the term ‘Platform Feminism’ to describe an emerging view of digital platforms as an always-already useful form of empowerment. I argue that ‘Platform Feminism’ has come to structure and dominate popular imaginaries of feminist politics,” says Singh. “In the digital age, there is a common perception that platforms are necessary for a kind of empowerment; they are spaces and places to amplify one’s voice, to have a speaking part in a narrative, and to display power, even in limited ways.”
The talk proposes a new feminist media theory that positions the platform as a media object that elevates and amplifies some voices over others while rendering marginal resistance tactics illegible.
Singh will explain how platforms have been especially tied to feminist modes of liberation such as #MeToo and the stages at women’s marches that became popular in 2017. She will also argue the equation between elevation and political power is too simple.
“Elevation is certainly imbricated with power dynamics, but these materialize in more complicated ways. To account for the politics of elevation is to consider how being raised is at once something both to fight for and to fight against.”
The talk will dive deeper in showing how the politics of elevation are about attending to the power relations connected to the process of elevating particular people through various forms of platform media. Singh will also describe the need to reconsider the material consequences of elevation altogether. This talk will make a case for the continued study of the platform’s role in shaping feminist and anti-racist politics.
Now in its 28th year, the STS Research Seminar Series features seminars on a wide range of STS-related topics. Sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology Studies and coordinated by its members, the series has hosted more than 500 speakers from Canada and around the world.
All events in the series will run on Tuesdays from 12:30 to 2 p.m. They are all free and open to the public, with no registration required. The talks are delivered via Zoom in the fall term, with delivery for the winter term to be determined. To receive a Zoom link for this event and others in the series, contact STS Professor Conor Douglas, seminar series coordinator, by email at cd512@yorku.ca.
York U in the news: N95 mask, online voting and more
They’re small and cute, and provide us with that sweet food called honey. Bees are also integral to our survival, which is why their mysterious decline has researchers like Amro Zayed looking for answers. Bee CSI on this week’s CRAM podcast.
Number sense exists for rational numbers, say York researchers
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Running past the kitchen counter, you catch a glimpse of a plate of raspberries. Although you don’t stop to count them, you’re left with a rough idea of how many there were. Rushing back past the counter again, you now see a plate of blueberries. You can tell just by looking that there were more raspberries than blueberries.
Cognitive scientists call this capacity for estimating numbers ‘the number sense.’ Studies have found evidence for it in a wide range of animals, including fish, birds and mammals. Even human infants seem to have it since, if you show a six-month-old displays of 12 dots until they get bored and look away, they’ll recover interest and look intently if you switch to a display with six or 24 dots.
But does the number sense really represent ‘numbers?’ Could all of these organisms really be innate mathematicians? Or might the ‘number’ sense instead represent something simpler, such as how much surface area is covered with red stuff, or how densely the raspberries are packed together?
Jacob Beck
Sam Clarke
In a new target article in Behavioral and Brains Sciences, York Research Chair in the Philosophy of Visual Perception Jacob Beck and VISTA Postdoctoral Fellow Sam Clarke (now a MindCore Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania) argue that number sense does represent numbers.
“We both noticed that cognitive scientists have been locked in a debate about whether the number sense represents numbers,” said Clarke.
“And as philosophers, we noticed that there were conceptual issues that kept tripping people up,” added Beck. “So we decided to dive deep into the empirical literature and try to figure out what was really going on.”
Beck and Clarke concluded the number sense not only represents positive whole numbers such as one, two and three, but also rational numbers more generally, such as one-half and two-and-a-half. “But not irrational numbers, such as 𝜋 or √2,” said Clarke. “We drew the line there.”
Their target article has been published alongside 26 commentaries by 62 researchers and their reply. The commentators hail from a variety of disciplines, including vision science, philosophy, neuroscience, developmental psychology and education.
“It was a tremendous honour,” said Clarke, “if also a bit intimidating, to have so much attention lavished on our arguments. We learned so much. The whole process was amazing.”
Join the York community for a virtual town hall on Jan. 21
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La version française suit la version anglaise.
Dear York community,
We are pleased to announce that we will be holding the first virtual town hall of the new year on Friday, Jan. 21, where we will discuss the University’s ongoing plans for the winter term.
We invite all students, staff, course directors and faculty to attend, and to submit their questions in advance of the event using this form. Community members can also visit the updated Better Together FAQs page for answers to frequently asked questions about enhanced health and safety measures, vaccination requirements, the University’s plans for the winter term, and more.
To help answer your questions, I will be joined by:
Lisa Philipps, provost & vice-president academic
Amir Asif, vice-president research & innovation
Sheila Cote-Meek, vice-president equity, people & culture
Carol McAulay, vice-president finance & administration
Lucy Fromowitz, vice-provost, students
Parissa Safai, special advisor to the president for academic continuity planning and COVID-19 response and associate professor, School of Kinesiology and Health Science
If you have any accessibility needs, notes, or comments, please let us know.
We will be hosting this town hall via the video conferencing platform Zoom Webinar. You can learn about downloading and using Zoom here. The webinar will also be livestreamed on the Town Hall website.
If you have attended a past town hall, we would like your feedback through this short survey. If you were unable to attend previous town halls, you can access all of them here.
The latest community updates, resources and answers to frequently asked questions can always be found on our Better Together website. I look forward to your questions.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Lenton President and Vice-Chancellor
Chers membres de la communauté de York,
Nous avons le plaisir d’annoncer que nous tiendrons la première conversation communautaire virtuelle de la nouvelle année le vendredi 21 janvier, au cours de laquelle nous discuterons des projets de l’Université en cours pour le trimestre d’hiver.
Nous invitons tous les membres de la communauté étudiante, du personnel, du corps enseignant et du corps professoral à y assister et nous les encourageons à soumettre leurs questions avant l’événement à l’aide de ce formulaire. Les membres de la communauté peuvent aussi consulter les dernières mises à jour de la FAQ sur le site Mieux ensemble pour voir les réponses aux questions fréquemment posées au sujet des mesures renforcées de santé et de sécurité, des exigences en matière de vaccination, des plans de l’Université pour le trimestre d’hiver et bien plus encore.
Pour m’aider à répondre à vos questions, je serai accompagnée de :
Lisa Philipps, rectrice et vice-présidente aux affaires académiques
Amir Asif, vice-président de la recherche et de l’innovation
Sheila Cote-Meek, vice-présidente de l’équité, des personnes et de la culture
Carol McAulay, vice-présidente des finances et de l’administration
Lucy Fromowitz, vice-rectrice aux affaires étudiantes
Parissa Safai, conseillère spéciale de la présidente pour la planification de la continuité académique et la réponse à la COVID-19 et professeure agrégée, École de kinésiologie et des sciences de la santé
Si vous avez des besoins, des remarques ou des commentaires en matière d’accessibilité, veuillez nous le faire savoir.
Cette conversation communautaire aura lieu grâce à la plateforme de visioconférence Zoom Webinar. Vous pouvez télécharger Zoom et apprendre à vous en servir ici. Le webinaire sera également diffusé en direct sur le site Web des conversations communautaires.
Si vous avez déjà assisté à une conversation communautaire, nous aimerions connaître votre opinion par le biais de ce bref sondage. Si vous n’avez pas pu assister aux conversations précédentes, elles sont affichées ici.
Vous trouverez les dernières mises à jour, ressources et réponses aux questions fréquemment posées sur notre site Web Mieux ensemble.
J’attends vos questions avec impatience.
Veuillez agréer mes sincères salutations,
Rhonda Lenton Présidente et vice-chancelière
Year in Review 2021: Top headlines for York University, September to December
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As a new year emerges, YFile takes a look back on 2021 to share with readers a snapshot of the year’s highlights. “Year in Review” will run as a three-part series and will feature a selection of top news stories published in YFile. Here are the stories and highlights for September to December, as chosen by YFile editors.
September
YFile marked a major milestone in its 19-year history with the debut of a lively new website and newsletter in September
Welcome to the new and improved YFile York University’s journal of record, YFile, marked a major milestone in its 19-year history with the debut of a lively new website and newsletter. Both feature a modern design, improved functionality and an enhanced experience for the York University community.
York University’s groundbreaking Academic Innovation Fund turns 10 York University’s Academic Innovation Fund celebrated an important anniversary in 2021. The program has promoted exceptional innovation in teaching, learning and the student experience, and it continues to grow and thrive.
New partnership to advance fight against global financial crime and support equity, diversity and inclusion in STEM Funding from Scotiabank provided $980,000 to support critical research into global financial crimes and security. It is named the Scotiabank Lassonde Financial Crimes Research Initiative and supports research into global financial crimes and computer security, while also providing support for programs that advance equity, diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The Royal Society of Canada elects five York professors into its ranks Faculty members elected included: Philip Girard, a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School; Jennifer Hyndman, associate vice-president research and a professor in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change and the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS); Michele Johnson, associate dean of students and a history professor in LA&PS; and Christina Petrowska Quilico, a music professor in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design. Appointed to the RSC College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists is Jane Heffernan, a professor of mathematics and statistics in the Faculty of Science.
October
UNESCO Chair Charles Hopkins recognized with lifetime achievement award York University’s UNESCO Chair Charles Hopkins was the recipient of the Clean50 Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on a global scale to reorient education towards sustainable development. This prestigious award recognized Hopkins’ focus on creating a better future for all.
York U Class of 2021: A pandemic can’t keep this Tamil grandma from graduating Varathaledchumy Shanmuganathan, known as Varatha, was among the more than 4,000 resilient students, some young enough to be her grandchildren, who celebrated their graduation during York University’s virtual fall convocation on Nov. 2.
Planting the seeds for a better tomorrow The actions of Sovann Muon and the Grounds Maintenance team at the Glendon Campus show that with passion, innovation and just a seed of an idea, anything can grow.
Lassonde professor advances research in predicting cancer treatment outcomes The quantitative MRI biomarker developed in this project led by Lassonde School of Engineering Professor Ali Sadeghi-Naini can predict whether a patient’s tumor is likely to be controlled by stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) or if the treatment is likely to fail.
Building future pathways for nursing education The launch of York University’s new stand-alone four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree was announced. The new program builds on Ontario’s recent changes allowing both publicly assisted colleges and universities to offer a baccalaureate degree in nursing to increase opportunities for students to access a high-quality education.
December
York invests more than $3.5M to support interdisciplinary research clusters York University will fund new and groundbreaking research through the Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research Clusters (CIRC) program. Seven proposals will receive $150,000 per year over three years. An additional six other proposals will receive $75,000 for one year.
Announcing York University’s Action Plan on Black Inclusion York University launched its Action Plan on Black Inclusion: A Living Document for Action. The document outlines a series of strong and accountable commitments and is informed by input received from the community.
DARE research project continues into grad studies for sociology student An undergraduate summer research project selected for the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies’ (LA&PS) Dean’s Award for Research Excellence (DARE) program in 2020, has shown that mentorship between faculty and students can have a long-lasting impact.
James Webb telescope (image by NASA)
York University scientist helps build instrument on new James Webb Space Telescope The state-of-the-art telescope is the result of a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency and is the most powerful telescope ever built and there is an expert research connection with Associate Professor Adam Muzzin of the Faculty of Science.
This concludes YFile‘s Year in Review 2021 series. To see part one, January to April, go here.To see part two, May to August, go here.
Thomas Klassen
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Thomas Klassen
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Professor Thomas Klassen looks at the political events that will dominate headlines in 2022 for The Conversation.
Canadian Writers in Person continues with a reading from Thomas King’s new novel
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If you love meeting talented writers and hearing them read from their published work, or just want to soak up a unique cultural experience, don’t miss the Canadian Writers in Person Lecture Series, which continues Jan. 18 with a reading from Thomas King’s latest novel, Sufferance (HarperCollins Canada, 2021).
The series gives attendees an opportunity to get up close and personal with 11 authors who will present their work and answer questions. Canadian Writers in Person is a for-credit course for students and a free-admission event for members of the public. All readings take place at 7 p.m. on select Tuesday evenings via Zoom. Links for each reading can be found here.
King is an award-winning writer whose fiction includes Indians on Vacation, which won the Leacock Award for Humour;Green Grass, Running Water; Truth and Bright Water; and The Back of the Turtle, which won the Governor General’s Literary Award. The Truth About Stories won the Trillium Book Award, and The Inconvenient Indian won the RBC Taylor Prize as well as the BC National Book Award for Canadian Non-Fiction. A companion of the Order of Canada and the recipient of a National Aboriginal Achievement Award, King taught at the University of Lethbridge and was Chair of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota. Following this, he taught at the University of Guelph until he retired. King lives in Guelph with his partner, Helen Hoy.
Jeremiah Camp, a.k.a. the Forecaster, can look into the heart of humanity and see the patterns that create opportunities and profits for the rich and powerful. Problem is, Camp has looked one too many times, has seen what he hadn’t expected to see and has come away from the abyss with no hope for himself or for the future. So Jeremiah does what any intelligent, sensitive person would do. He runs away. Goes into hiding in a small town, at an old residential school on an even smaller Indian reserve, with no phone, no Internet, no television. And then his past comes calling. A sly and satirical look at the fractures in modern existence, Sufferance is a bold and provocative novel about the social and political consequences of the inequality created by privilege and power – and what we might do about it.
This year’s Canadian Writers in Person Lecture Series lineup consists of a unique selection of emerging and established Canadian writers whose writing explores a broad range of topics and geographical and cultural landscapes. Featuring seasoned and emerging poets and fiction writers, the series highlights Canada’s ever-growing pool of literary talent.
Other readings scheduled in this series are:
Feb. 1: Zsuzsi Gartner, The Beguiling (Penguin Random House Canada)
Feb. 22: Rebecca Salazar, sulphurtongue (Penguin Random House Canada)
March 8: Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Mexican Gothic (Penguin Random House)
Canadian Writers in Person is a course offered in the Culture & Expression program in the Department of Humanities in York University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. For more information on the series, visit yorku.ca/laps/canwrite, or email Professor Gail Vanstone at gailv@yorku.ca or Professor Leslie Sanders at leslie@yorku.ca.
Professor Aleksander Czekanski receives prestigious Fellowship
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Lassonde School of Engineering Professor Aleksander Czekanski has been elected a 2022 Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada in recognition of his exceptional contributions to engineering in Canada.
Czekanski has been instrumental in creating and launching the Mechanical Engineering program at Lassonde. He is the NSERC/Quanser Design Chair in Design Engineering which, in concert with his recently awarded large-scale NSERC CREATE project titled Additive Manufacturing: Engineering Design and Global Entrepreneurship, has facilitated his leadership in the development of design engineering activities and education at York University. As a researcher, Czekanski has been awarded more than $10 million in external research grants as a principal or co-applicant and has similarly been a beacon for creating industry partnerships at Lassonde, in particular with Magna Closures.
A Fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME) and the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA), Czekanski is also the senior vice-president of the CSME and the former president of the CEEA. He has a long list of internal and external recognitions, including the NSERC Gold Medal, the CSME Robert W. Angus Medal, the Lassonde Innovation Award – Established Researcher and numerous other accolades.
The Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) is a not-for-profit corporation that was originally founded in 1887. It took on the name of “Engineering Institute of Canada” in 1918 to reflect the various disciplines of the membership, including mechanical, civil, geotechnical, chemical and electrical engineers. The mission of the EIC is to recognize the excellence of engineers and assure excellence in engineering education. This year, 20 outstanding engineers will be inducted as 2022 EIC Fellows for their exceptional contributions to engineering in Canada.
Take 30 minutes a week to manage stress with this online series
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A half hour, once a week, is all you need to learn techniques and practices that will help in managing stress, which we all encounter in our daily lives – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harvey Skinner
Faculty of Health Professor Harvey Skinner will teach how simple Qi Gong practices can empower us to care for our health and well-being during the 10-week series Stress Busting: 30 Minutes of Magical Practices beginning Jan. 17.
In 2020, students in Skinner’s Global Mental Health fourth-year undergraduate course found Qi Gong and mindfulness practices very helpful for calming down and managing stress, and, at the end of the course they raised a challenge for him: to open the practice to everyone at York.
Skinner previously ran a series of ‘Stress Busting’ practices delivered online via Zoom. Each 30-minute session features Qi Gong, which combines the calming and insight benefits of a meditation session, the flexibility and balance of a yoga class, and the strength and endurance building of a bodywork routine.
For Winter 2022, the initiative has been expanded to run over 10 weeks starting Jan. 17 from 12 to 12:30 p.m. and running until March 24 with three programs:
Qi Gong Mind-Body Movement Practices (Mondays and Thursdays) – a typical 30-minute session involves breath work, energizing movements, purging exercises, flowing movements and meditation. This program is led by Skinner and each session is followed by an optional Q-and-A discussion. It runs Jan. 17 to March 24. Register here.
Mindfulness Meditation Practices (Tuesdays) – a typical 30-minute session involves mindfulness of breath, awareness of body sensations, loving-kindness and self-compassion practices, RAIN meditation for strong emotions. This program is led by Susan Harris and each session is followed by an optional Q-and-A discussion. It runs Jan. 18 to March 22. Register here.
These programs are offered for free to the York University community. Details about the series and registration are available from the Stress Busting website or by contacting Skinner directly by email at harvey.skinner@yorku.ca.
Skinner is a professor of psychology and global health and was founding dean (2006-16) of the Faculty of Health. His daily wellness routine includes: Qi Gong energy and movement practices, mindfulness meditation and body work exercises.
