Two �첥��Ƶ community members – Professor Satinder Kaur Brar and Faculty of Education PhD candidate Anna Pearson – have been recognized with a 2024 Minister’s Award of Excellence from Ontario’s Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

The annual awards celebrate the work of faculty and staff at publicly assisted colleges and universities who are making a difference in students’ lives, in their communities and in the province. This year, there were more than 170 nominations and only six recipients selected, including professors, researchers and post-secondary leaders.

Brar, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at York’s , received the award in the category of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The category recognizes faculty and staff who work with industry and business to drive economic development in Ontario.

A globally recognized leader in green technologies for removing contaminants from drinking water and wastewater, Brar was recognized for her pioneering research in enzyme-based environmental remediation. Working in collaboration with researchers at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique and engineering consulting firm TechnoRem Inc., Brar helped develop and implement a faster, more sustainable method for cleaning petroleum-contaminated sites using enzymes rather than traditional microorganisms. The method, which is 100 times faster and achieves an 80 per cent reduction in contaminants without toxic residues, is especially effective in cold northern climates where other microorganisms are less viable.

The approach has been supported by the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan and is already in use at several polluted sites across Canada, addressing surface water, groundwater and soil contamination. “Once it [the method for cleaning sites] gets into the field, that is where the real magic starts,” says Brar, noting how rewarding it is for her team to see their lab work result in real-world environmental improvements.

She describs receiving the award as a “fantastic surprise” and emphasizes the recognition is a shared achievement with her research team. “It’s a great boost for them to understand that whatever we do in the lab does see light of the day at some point,” she says.

Brar also highlights the importance of collaboration with stakeholders and industry. “This kind of recognition reinforces the belief that we can transition from lab to field,” she says, “and when we see the results in the field, it can have fantastic repercussions.”

Pearson, a PhD candidate at York, received the award in the category of Future-Proofing Ontario’s Students. The category highlights individuals whose work helps students build the skills and resilience needed for success in a rapidly evolving world.

Pearson, who has taught in both elementary and secondary settings across Ontario for nearly two decades, was recognized for her contributions to program design, policy leadership and community-based learning initiatives aimed at preparing teacher candidates to meet the demands of a changing educational landscape.

Reflecting on the award, she credits those who shaped her own academic path. “It means I've had some wonderful teachers in my life,” she says. “And it also means that now I'm giving my students the same kind of mentorship that I received.”

She also sees the recognition as an opportunity for thoughtful evaluation. “It means that I have an opportunity to see what's working and what's not,” she says. “And that's the hard part.”

Brar and Pearson’s achievements exemplify �첥��Ƶ’s commitment to excellence in teaching, innovation and societal impact.

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Katrina Cain-Griffin was not expecting to find deep connections to the work of James Baldwin, an African American writer and civil rights activist, during a graduate seminar led by Professor Emeritus Warren Crichlow.

The first-year master’s student at �첥��Ƶ, who grew up in an inner-city area, saw herself in the protagonist of Baldwin’s semi-autobiographical novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain.

“I think this really reflects my own story because I’m the first in my family to pursue post-secondary education and come from a low-income background, much like Baldwin. While Baldwin pursued education independently and I chose the academic route, we both used education as a way to persevere and strive for something greater,” Cain-Griffin says. “Am I meant to be the chosen one? How can anyone truly be the chosen one in their family to break a generational curse?

“He talks about why is there this generational curse which, of course, goes back to systemic racism. And I questioned, how does Baldwin emerge from being the saved one in his family?”  

Crichlow, a retired professor in York’s Faculty of Education, designed the seminar to explore the relationship between Baldwin’s life and writing. He returned from recent retirement to honour the centenary of the writer’s birth by teaching this favoured topic.  

“Baldwin’s centenary was coming up, so I proposed the course to the Faculty of Education, and they wholeheartedly supported it,” he says.  

“Resurgence of interest in Baldwin’s work is frequent and is somewhat generational,” Crichlow says. “But we mustn’t forget that the murder of George Floyd prompted a massive return to Baldwin. And the year of his 90th birthday, in 2014, initiated several conferences, symposiums, film series and the founding of The James Baldwin Review, a major academic journal. There’s an abundance of excellent extant scholarship on Baldwin, but the constant proliferation of readings from newly considered optics does amaze one.”  

The seminar’s description indicates its range: “James Baldwin’s writing, to include novels, poetry, essays, plays, children’s book, speeches and interviews, along with his personal experiences in national and international contexts, remains an exemplar of activism for civil rights, social and racial justice and principles of human equality.” 

Crichlow says it was fascinating to see a different generation react to Baldwin, noting this was a first encounter with the author and civil rights activist for some. The seminar offered the opportunity to read, in a concentrated way over the term, and take a deep dive into a number of works, particularly novels, ranging from his first, Go Tell It on The Mountain (1953), to his last, Just Above My Head (1979). Students read several of Baldwin’s autobiographical essays in between to explore how conceptions of self and other relations inform his novels.

“The seminar was structured to foster thinking about the way in which concerns Baldwin articulated in his first novel in 1953 return in the last novel decades later in 1979 but are recirculated in a markedly different manner.” 

The class includes students from across disciplines and many reacted to the material in different ways. Some, for instance, collaborated on a podcast. “They brought a bit of technology into the mix to produce a podcast-like dialogue between themselves and their reading of Baldwin and intercut that with samples of Baldwin’s own voice.” 

Other students were interested in Baldwin’s relationship to music because, as Crichlow explains, so much of Baldwin’s writing is rooted in music, particularly gospel music and the blues. One theatre student in the class concentrated on Baldwin’s work as a playwright to deepen their understanding around issues of performance in educational practice. Another student, steeped in the humanities, explored points of contact between Baldwin and the 19th century theologian and philosopher Søren Kirkegaard.  

“The range of interests was variously broad. I would never have thought of this particular intersection,” Crichlow says.  

Aida Mohammadi, a student in Crichlow’s class, was inspired to enrol after learning the course included reading several fictional pieces, as she had been looking for a chance to read more novels. She initially approached the class out of curiosity, but it profoundly changed her perspective on literature.  

“I consider Baldwin in everything now, everything I read, everything I see, any social conflict today, whether in a movie or real life, I wonder what Baldwin would think, what he would say,” Mohammadi says.  

The course also opened her eyes to the power of the essay as a literary genre, a form she believes is not as valued in literary studies as it should be.  

“Baldwin showed me the artistry of essays, and I now see them as just as impactful and complex as novels.”  

She praises Crichlow’s thoughtful arrangement of the readings, emphasizing the order in which he assigned them was essential to her understanding of Baldwin’s work. “I found it brilliant.”  

Crichlow has applied to organize panels for students to present their final papers in York’s upcoming Education Graduate Student Conference and may plan future conference opportunities. He intends to continue working with the 14 students enrolled in the course, regardless.  

“I will follow up on insights from their own reading and research that I hadn’t imagined or encountered,” he says. “Indeed, I have certainly learned a lot from these students that will enrich my continued study of James Baldwin.”

With files from Julie Carl

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By Elaine Smith, special contributing writer, Yfile

Investments made by �첥��Ƶ’s Faculty of Education in talent, research, infrastructure and leadership have been recognized recently by its place in the Top 100 education faculties worldwide as designated by the 2024.

QS ranks York’s Faculty of Education 66^th globally and fifth in Canada, lauding its strong academic reputation. They feature 55 individual subjects across five broad subject areas, and 1,559 institutions have been ranked across these subjects for 2024. “This marks our Faculty’s debut in the QS World University Rankings and we’ve entered the field at No. 66, which is an excellent beginning,” says Dean Robert Savage.

The Faculty of Education is also among the Top 150 in the world according to the and among its Top 80 in research quality. �Ѳ������𲹲�’s magazine has consistently ranked York’s Faculty of Education in the Top 10 in Canada for the last four years. These rankings reflect the intention with which the Faculty continues to improve its strength in all aspects of education.

In 2023, York’s Faculty of Education celebrated its 50^th anniversary with the release of a new five-year strategic plan that focuses on research excellence and innovation.

The Faculty also marked this milestone with a $7 million investment in infrastructure through renovations made to its home on the Keele campus. These changes combine the best of the past with the present and look toward the Faculty’s future. One of the major features of the renovations is the consolidation of all the student services for undergraduate students, making it a one-stop shop for assistance of any kind.

“It’s a modernized look to a building that opened in the 1960s,” says Savage. “We’ve added glass to the corridors so light pours in, and they become cathedral-like, a metaphor for the illumination provided by education, shining light on our values and our scholarship. The renovations show confidence in ourselves as a leading education faculty with a strong research reputation.

“In addition, we’ve invested in building a strong research and teaching environment, bringing in young, energetic faculty who have strong research portfolios and a global perspective.”

There can be no doubt about the Faculty of Education’s research strength. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject positions the Faculty in the top 80 worldwide for research quality, something that is borne out by publication data, Savage notes.

“Our research papers are highly cited and cited by the authors of other important articles in the field, so we have a real network impact,” he says.

The word about York’s Faculty of Education is also spreading thanks to its Public Lecture Series, popular Faculty of Education Summer Institute and the Faculty’s participation in Congress 2023, the annual meeting of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, hosted by York.

Governments, national, provincial and local­ – know about the talent available at the Faculty of Education. Faculty members model leadership, not only in the classroom, but through the work they do outside the classroom, serving as consultants to the Ministry of Education, the Toronto District School Board and other government entities on policy. “We are trusted voices and they turn to us for advice,” says Savage.

Students learn by example when they see their professors “walk the talk” and take advantage of opportunities to volunteer and work in the community.

At the undergraduate level, the Faculty of Education offers a choice of two degrees, each practical in its own way. Undergraduate students can work toward a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Educational Studies, which provides an in-depth look at education and its role in society today, or a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree, geared toward classroom teaching. Whichever program they choose, they learn from outstanding researchers and academics in the field.

The BA in Educational Studies program gives students a broader understanding of the education system and its relation to policy, economics, health and technology, among other fields. It teaches the essential skills necessary to succeed in educational work outside of the traditional classroom, whether that is as a corporate trainer, a career counsellor, an academic advisor or one of many other adjacent fields.

As an added bonus, students in the BA in Educational Studies program can earn a Certificate in Educational Development at no extra cost. This allows them to apply their skills to any position requiring the creation of educational materials, including positions at not-for-profit agencies eager to inform the public about their cause.

The BEd – either concurrent or continuous — is a full-time professional degree program that prepares students to become teachers through a combination of coursework and community/school placements. The degree equips students to teach not only in Canada, but in international schools anywhere in the world.

“Both of these degrees provide our students with strong pathways to employment,” Savage notes. “Students in each of these programs also have opportunities for hands-on, experiential education. There’s a strong focus on turning theory into practice.”

Another attractive aspect of the Faculty of Education is the diversity of BEd offerings, including opportunities focused on International Education , French as a Second Language and  Indigenous Teacher Education. This variety of programs reflects the diversity of the student body, bringing together international students and domestic students from a multiplicity of cultures.

Graduate degrees from the Faculty of Education also prepare students to become leaders in the community and in their field of expertise. Leaders supporting future leaders in education is a hallmark of all of the Faculty’s programs

The Master of Education (MEd) degree allows them to deepen their knowledge by delving more deeply into topics that interest them. The doctoral program (PhD) offers the students an opportunity to conduct primary research in order to make a meaningful contribution to the fields of education, community, teaching and learning.

Current students and alumni have found their courses and programs of study to be both practical and highly interesting.

Jonatan Fuentes (BEd '15, MEd '20) found that getting to know the community through the community practicum component of the BEd program enabled his pedagogy to become more effective by utilizing the community as a vehicle for learning.

Justin Williams (BEd ' 23) commented, "I had a professor that was very influential during my time as a student in the Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree program. He was very friendly and relatable, and was unafraid to discuss and share his opinion on social issues in the world. His style of teaching and how he interacted with his students has shaped my teaching practice in the ways that I aim to build my relationships with my students."

Esther Martinez, a third-year Master of Education (MEd) student has found the broad scope of the program beneficial by allowing her to pursue her areas of interest. "I have an interest in areas such as disability and accessibility and the MEd program has provided me with the opportunity to explore these areas further at the post-secondary level ."

Marc Robinson-Weekes, a first year Phd student and graduate of the Master of Education program comments that "taking courses in the MEd program at �첥��Ƶ has meaningfully enriched my growth as a learner, researcher, and teacher in elementary classrooms. Each course I took was relevant to today’s educational landscape, providing me with opportunities to critically reflect on how to create learning environments that meet the expectations of current students while foreseeing the needs of future learners."

Students coming to York from abroad discover a diverse, welcoming environment. The University is home to students from all countries and walks of life; 28 per cent of its student body is international and receive strong support from ; its Student and Scholar Services Team reaches out to students long before they arrive on campus and assists their success by offering expert, non-academic programs and services, , and by fostering a dynamic global community.

For those students who are eager to sample other educational and cultural experiences, the Faculty of Education offers its students the opportunity for international experiences through exchange programs, international internships and classes at �첥��Ƶ’s in Costa Rica. The Faculty has long-standing exchange programs with the University of Freiburg in Germany and two Norwegian universities, and its newest exchange with universities across Vietnam, is now taking shape. In addition, �첥��Ƶ has partnerships with more than 100 universities worldwide, and there are numerous available.

“The Faculty of Education has an international presence at all levels,” says Savage. “We have students from around the world and many of us have worked in education globally. Our faculty members have an international perspective on key education issues.”

By joining the Faculty of Education, students become part of a multicultural community with a sterling reputation and a global perspective on education that prepares them for leadership in tomorrow’s world.

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A closer look into Shava McLean’s Master of Leadership and Community Engagement (MLCE) professional degree program Capstone Project

The Faculty of Education is proud to showcase the work of Master of Leadership and Community Engagement (MLCE) professional degree program student Shava McLean, who is making a significant impact in the field of education through her capstone project, "Mobilizing to Shift Power."

“The project sets out to better understand how non-profits and grassroots leaders might reimagine mobilization approaches as a vehicle that enables Black and Brown voices to direct and to be in control of policies that affect them in pushing for police reform and broader access to justice,” Shava says. “And to further share recommendations for inclusive policy-making practices that lawmakers and community organizers should be aware of.”

Through this project, McLean had the chance to ally with grassroots leaders and community organizations in Toronto's Regent Park neighborhood to complete her research.

One such leader was Joseph K. from Regent Park, a dedicated community activist who has been making positive change in the community through using media documentation and community storytelling as a tool to challenge dominant narratives that are harmful to racialized communities. McLean also collaborated with Community leader Sureya Ibrahim from Toronto Centre for Learning and Development (TCCLD), who played an integral role in ensuring that her research authentically centered BIPOC voices. To complete her research, McLean also worked closely with Mothers of Peace – Regent Park, a grassroots group, comprised of racialized female-identified resident leaders who have been impacted or provide leadership support to victims of gun violence in Toronto Downtown East. The group engages in numerous community mobilization efforts, served as a community crisis response collective, while advocating for neighborhood safety, racial justice and economic opportunities for low-income residents.

“The capstone work contextualizes Black and Brown communities’ socio-historical experience of excessive use of police force and broader systemic injustices as symptomatic to a much larger problem of lack of equitable access to public participatory processes and decision-making power over the policies that impact them,” Shava says. “A number of processes, techniques, program materials, oversight bodies were drawn on to bring this project to life.”

McLean notes that her research drew on a number of theoretical frameworks, which included: Critical Race Theory, Design Thinking, community centered leadership, and anti-oppressive research practices. "Part of that included recognizing that, in the search to understand and challenge the way power is constructed, research in itself is laden with power,” she says. “Traditionally, researchers hold significant decision-making over the research process and framing.

“In my capstone research work, I took a decentralized approach by creating pathways for research participants to have input and control over the research". The significance of McLean's work is not only felt in the University's Faculty of Education, but also in the broader Ontario education community. Her research shines a light on the importance of inclusive policy-making and the need to empower marginalized voices in the fight for justice.

"It's important for the education community to understand the impact of systemic injustices on marginalized communities and to work towards creating inclusive and equitable policies," says McLean.

Article by Dennis Bayazitov special contributing writer.

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Ph.D. candidate Nicola Dove, co-authored an opinion piece about structures of continuing dehumanization and devaluation of Black lives in Canada, the United States, and elsewhere. "Living within often-contradictory sets of circumstances speaks to our experiences and those of our extended communities, so we offer paradox and the questions it raises... as a means of wayfinding," said Dove and co-authors.

One year ago, the three of us delivered a presentation entitled . Since then, we have moved through the two-year mark of the murder of George Floyd and witnessed another set of with its attendant promise of an(other) awakening and call to change. We have also witnessed the recent loss of and other previous deaths – some of which are covered by the media and others are not. Those violent losses, especially intensified as we move through the global pandemic, have shone a light on structures of continuing dehumanization and devaluation of Black lives in Canada, the United States and elsewhere. The repeating calls to action reveal the deep paradox that in order to be heard, and to initiate a movement for what calls “,” more souls have had to be lost. The lives and experiences of Black people are rife with such paradoxes in this, .

Read the full article on the .

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Cristina De Simone, a Ph.D. student in Mathematics Education at �첥��Ƶ, Canada, and Tori Trajanovski, a Ph.D. student in Education at �첥��Ƶ, write about teachers who are now moving beyond traditional ways of teaching math and shifting towards evidence-based equitable teaching and assessment practices.

Families might be wondering why in school.

Why aren’t teachers putting students on the spot and getting them to prove that they know the math? Why are teachers letting students solve problems in lots of different ways instead of just telling them how to do it?

Teachers are moving beyond and shifting towards more evidence-based equitable teaching and assessment practices. This means every student is provided with what they need as opposed to being provided with the exact same resources and assessment practices.

For example, instead of giving all students in the classroom the exact same test, a student with test anxiety will be given an alternative format to showcase their learning.

Read the in .

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A �첥��Ƶ graduate program assistant and doctoral student was named among six recipients of the 2022 Women Who Rock Awards and one of six changemakers for racial equity as the recipient of the 2022 Award for Racial Justice in Creative Arts presented by Urban Alliance on Race Relations.

Collette Murray, a graduate program assistant in the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Critical Disability Studies in the Faculty of Health, was recognized for her efforts in cultural education, and amplifying Black arts and diasporic styles of African dance vernacular.

Murray is an artist-scholar, dance educator and cultural arts programmer with a performance background range in Caribbean Folk, traditional West African, and other diasporic dance styles with past Toronto-based companies. She holds a master of education and a bachelor’s degree (specialized honours) in race, ethnicity and indigeneity from �첥��Ƶ, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Toronto.

The Women Who Rock Awards program selects six recipients from within the GTHA who have made significant contributions to the community in their field of endeavour. Recipients must demonstrate one of the following criteria: attained a high level of achievement; advanced a cause that has broad impact on the community; achieved recognition as an expert or leader in a specific field; or contributed in a significant manner to their community.  The award was presented in October.

The board of Urban Alliance of Race Relations Canada selected Murray as a recipient of the 2022 Award for Racial Justice in Creative Arts for her multifaceted approach to anti-racism in dance. She was presented the award in December. This honor was a celebration of those who work towards racial equity, dismantling systemic barriers and increasing inclusion.

“2022 has been a transformative year for me, where I am responding with intention, responsibility, and accountability,” says Murray. “I am humbled and with gratitude as I continue to stand for the dance communities, I am a part of.”

Murray’s past graduate centered on the perspectives of Black arts educators’ experiences using culturally responsive teaching in Ontario, Canada. She is currently pursuing a PhD in dance studies at �첥��Ƶ with focus on dance education pedagogies and mentorship that impact the training of Afrodiasporic dance educators in Canada.

Her artistry includes teaching, arts education, mentoring, , community arts engagement and a recent article about upholding student cultural identities and the use of African, Caribbean and Black arts in classrooms in a new Canadian publication on culturally relevant pedagogy for educators. She has previously been recognized as one of 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women honorees in 2020, and in 2019 was the recipient of the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Community Arts Award. She also earned the Canadian Dance Assembly’s “I love Community” Award in 2013.

Murray is the artistic director of Coco Collective, which offers culturally responsive projects that connects organizations and schools to African and Caribbean arts. She runs her own mobile dance education business, , and is also a contributing writer in dance media.

Her advocacy includes serving on the National Council for Canadian Dance Assembly, the Board of Directors for Arts Etobicoke, and as the newly appointed board Chair of Dance Umbrella of Ontario (DUO) to bring an equity, education, and inclusion lens to their organizations.

Her research has also been in Revue YOUR Review, an academic journal at �첥��Ƶ that highlights the work on undergraduate students.

Article originally published in the January 13, 2023 issue of .

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Laura Mae Lindo was shocked to see the amount of Antisemitism and Anti-Black racism permeating campus when she first became Director of Diversity at Laurier University in 2012. Quickly, she found herself representing the school in media interviews.

“In my frustration, I called for a summit on the status of race and racism in Canadian university campuses,” she recalls. “I decided I was only inviting people that had power to make change—so I invited the prime minister.”

Lindo invited every local education leader in the Waterloo region to address the threat of such racism. She invited the leaders of every official party. Her uncle being Alvin Curling—the first Black elected Speaker of the House in Ontario—she extended an invited his way too.

But the only politician who showed up? Catherine Fife, MPP Waterloo.

Nevertheless, undeterred, together, they had a summit to run. With representatives from 20 institutions present, the summit would continue and would go on to become . Soon after its close, Lindo’s office began getting phone calls from representatives of Canadian universities and colleges who wanted to participate.

Lindo began to develop a strategy to keep the work going collaboratively. Her rationale? That there was nothing she could do at Laurier to address racism—not until all other institutions also got it right. Meanwhile, impressed with the success of the e(RACE)r, Fife began calling Lindo with one request—to run for office.

“I kept saying no, yet she kept trying. Then, one day, she said to me, ‘Look, you’re working within this little sphere of influence over here at Laurier. Imagine if your platform to do that change work was the province.’”

That one got her attention.

“I had to sit back and think about, honestly, the theory I was working on. So many of us in academia decide to stay in academia, but we’re just talk, talk, talking... We’re so disconnected from what is happening on the ground.

“So I was like, ‘If I’m serious about this and I do have this opportunity, if I say no, I am literally saying that I will continue to do this work only with theory and only practice at a distance.’ I didn’t think I would win, but decided, ‘Okay, I’ll try.’ And then all of a sudden, here I was—elected.”

Andrea Horvath appointed MPP Lindo to be the critic for anti-racism, and recently critic for colleges and universities, while also being the chair of the first-ever Black Caucus. Lindo says to best serve in these posts, she would further draw upon her various past experience in education.

One instance arose during her Master’s in Philosophy with U of T and her PhD in Education with York, she found herself teaching Teacher Candidates—new teachers, on how to address race and racism in school. This was a natural teaching moment for Lindo, one she could take from the classroom to advising the country’s very own leadership.

Today, she questions where the expertise lies to address racism in the classroom. She recently tabled a private member’s Bill called that spans kindergarten to post-secondary to embed racial justice and racial equity language in any piece of legislation that governs education in Ontario.

Lindo says because of the support she got at York, she has been able to take a far more creative approach to the work she now does at Queen’s Park.

“The kinds of deals that I’ve decided to do? The types of connections and people I’ve reached out to? I cannot help but attribute a lot of that to the way that education was taught to me. Not knowing K to 12, but just about what it means in theory to educate people and what are the social realities that stop certain people from having access to education, why, and how does it socialize people?”

“That’s so much bigger than I thought education was when I first put my application in at York.”

Today, a big focus of her work likewise centers on developing different pedagogical strategies to teach back into the system what she currently learns about the community—to further highlight that there are racialized communities that are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

“That’s what racism in the system looks like, which is why we need to ensure there are targeted supports and we need to track and collect data we’ve got.”

Lindo notes that when everything shut down, some workers were going to be considered essential, while others would not. Often, these essential workers were racialized women.

“The government refused to collect data about these types of hot spots. They did not want to collect data about who was on the front lines, but with pressure, from the community, and from us as the official opposition, they had to start collecting race-based data during the pandemic.”

For Lindo, this win and her most recent Bill goes hand in hand with her vision of politics, which always comes back to centering the most marginalized, being authentic and critical.

“I’m offering myself and my expertise to and sometimes those conversations are heard. But they have to happen. At the end of the day, if you’re doing it from a place of love, care, and compassion, there’s always somewhere we can go.”

Article by Dennis Bayazitov special contributing writer

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“A Vanier scholarship is an honour, but it also materialises a belief with impressive financial support that these scholars will change our future for the better,” says FGS Dean Thomas Loebel. “Each of the scholars has identified challenging problems to solve and proposed creative paths toward solutions—and the range across disciplines really stands out.”

This year’s recipients come from a diverse set of research fields exploring a variety of topics from issues in family law to interactive projects aimed to accentuate the impact of the global climate crisis.

Vanier Scholars

Katherine Barron–Education: Languages, Culture & Teaching

Barron’s cutting-edge research will examine the use of curriculum modifications for elementary school students. Curriculum modification includes changing a student’s curriculum to a different grade level if the teacher believes that the student is unable to work at grade level. This is a common practice in elementary education that has not been thoroughly explored by scholars. Barron proposes that the decision to modify a student’s curriculum is highly subjective and can have long-term negative impacts. This study is vital due to the fact that marginalized students (particularly Black and Indigenous students) have been disproportionately disadvantaged through special education processes throughout history.

“Given the negative impacts that special education decisions can have on the trajectory of a student’s academic future, it is essential that we investigate the use of curriculum modifications and their efficacy in achieving their intended outcomes,” says Barron.

Barron’s research in the Toronto District School Board will examine the use of curriculum modifications in relation to equity, achievement and well-being.

Toby Finlay–Sociology

Finlay’s project presents a historical study of the development of transgender health care in the Gender Identity Clinic (GIC) of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Ontario. Through archival research and interviews, the results of the research aim to demonstrate how CAMH has shaped the landscape of transgender health care in Ontario for the last 50 years.

This project presents trailblazing research by preserving an archive of the histories of trans health care practices and trans community activisms in Ontario. This crucial study will provide a story of the ways that trans communities have navigated and resisted dominant discourses about gender to access gender-affirming treatment.

“This historical study has contemporary relevance to the politicized debates about trans health care taking place globally and to Canada’s current policy shifts towards gender-affirming approaches to trans health care,” says Finlay of the project.

S. Grace Grothaus–Computational Arts / Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

Grothaus provides a glimpse into the deterring implications of black carbon air pollution through her research-creation project, Habitats. She will create visualization and environmental sensing wearables that create a second skin for the user, enabling individuals to bring their environmental data to life. Specifically, her project is aimed to ignite the public imagination and instigate policy change regarding toxic exposures to carbon emissions.

Grothaus believes that her project can create a sense of realization regarding the urgency of addressing global climate change, “Habitats will focus on empowering citizens to better understand and communicate their local environment, and issues connected to environmental sacrifice zones: places where residents live near environmentally threatening polluting industries and/or heavy usage transportation routes.”

Once complete, the project can be shared with the larger community through educational workshops, public art performances and other contexts intended for raising the alarm about environmental dangers.

Deanne Sowter–Law

Sowter’s research “Towards a Modified Conception of the Family Lawyer” raises the concern that the current understanding of the lawyer’s role fails to properly capture the realities of family law. The structure that is being used, reinforces power imbalances and gendered hierarchies in terms of process and outcome. Specifically, the current model does not respond effectively to non-adversarial advocacy, family violence and issues involving a client’s child.

Her research hopes to offer a reformulation of family lawyers’ duties to their clients, inform law reform and amendments to professional codes of conduct and make recommendations for pedagogical reforms at law schools and for continuing legal education.

“Family law has an impact on more Canadians than any other area of law, yet the family justice system is widely perceived to be broken. There is potential for lawyers to be responsive to family laws’ challenges,” says Sowter.

Alyssia Wilson–Clinical Developmental Psychology

Wilson contends that homeless and precariously housed people continue to be understudied in brain injury research. In particular, women in this population report a greater number of injuries as they are more likely to experience intimate partner violence, making them uniquely vulnerable to repeated mild traumatic brain injury (mTBIs). Wilson explores how those who have suffered mTBIs can experience long-term effects on their psychological health, increasing the risk for both substance use and mood problems. The project aims to create a real-world impact by allowing clinicians to more readily identify individuals at risk for substance use and mental health disorders and develop targeted interventions that may reduce risk of mTBI and improve health outcomes.

“These developments are particularly critical for underserved and marginalized populations, who already face numerous psychosocial and economic barriers,” says Wilson.

By increasing our understanding of mTBIs, clinicians will be better informed in assessing and providing treatment, psychoeducation and intervention services to vulnerable community members.

“It’s heartening to see that nationally York is being recognised for what our community has long known: we nurture ingenuity. As these award winners lead in the development of new research methods, results, and creation, society at large will experience the benefits,” says Dean Loebel.

Article originally published on the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) blog on November 28, 2022

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A closer look into �첥��Ƶ’s Master of Leadership and Community Engagement Program

The Master of Leadership and Community Engagement (MLCE) is a part-time interdisciplinary cohort-based Master’s program that brings together professionals from varied education contexts to learn together how to best serve their immediate communities. The program creates a unique learning community where students learn from each other — both in theories that work across workplaces, and in practical applications of these theories.

Natalia Balyasnikova is just one of many experienced professors who has taught in the program. “What I was taken by was the students’ passion,” she says. “Because these are working professionals, many with years of experience, MLCE students truly care about the issues we discuss in the classroom, and are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes of their learning.”

MLCE addresses broad issues in leadership and community engagement without limiting itself to one area. As such, students are empowered to envision new career pathways for themselves. They gain interdisciplinary knowledge and develop transferable skills that significantly elevate their chances of employment.

One such student is Kaitlin Biddie, who was looking for opportunities to continue her education — specifically in the field of community engagement. “I was drawn to the MLCE program and its experiential model because I felt I would not only gain academic and theoretical knowledge, but practical experience as well,” she says. “I found that the program really helped round out my education. I have a background in environmental science and conservation, so the MLCE program has been the perfect bridge to help me gain more perspective about the ‘human side’ of the work I do.”

Biddie notes one thing she especially appreciated about the MLCE program was the cohort-based model. “In the MLCE, we are learning about community building, so it makes so much sense to participate in this program alongside a tight-knit community of peers,” she says.

Tharmila Apputhurai is another student, who after completing her Bachelor of Education degree, sought a graduate degree from York. Having discovered the MLCE program, she felt it had been designed to “truly reimagine graduate work and look beyond what we might consider the ‘traditional’ norms of graduate studies.”

“The program prepares students to reflect deeply about what leadership means to them, what is community engagement, and how they can be leaders within various public and private sector organizations,” Apputhurai says. “It provides students various opportunities to make connections with a wide network of people and really prepares them with innovative and practical tools that they can implement in their current and future jobs.”

A chief tenet of the program is experiential education. There are two placements that students need to complete as part of the program. They have to be taken in two different community-based spaces, which makes the experience a truly diverse one in learning.

Biddie participated in two different community placements as part of her program. “Both placements were in sectors that I wanted to try out, and it was helpful to gain experience in roles that were quite different than my own,” she says. “In the MLCE placements, I was able to share my visions and thoughts with my placement organizations and felt like a valuable contributor to their teams. “This left me feeling more empowered and confident in my abilities.”

Apputhurai, too, recounts her own experiential education, which extended an opportunity for her to partner with two different public and non-profit agencies. “It helped me complete a literature review, connect with leading researchers in the area that I was interested in, and create networks outside of my current employment sector,” she says. “It allowed me to collaborate with others on projects in a meaningful way through which I gained valuable insights about myself and about employment sectors that were unfamiliar to me prior to the experiential education aspect of this program.”

To any prospective students considering pursuing the MLCE, professor Balyasnikva says this: “This is a special program, where one can broaden their horizons both academically and professionally.” She notes that one unique aspect of this program is that it is cohort-based, which means that all students move through the courses together and deepen their relationships with each other and within the community.

Bidde emphasizes that no matter who you are, or what field of work you are pursuing, the learning outcomes of the MLCE program will prove to be valuable. “This program has changed the way I think about the world around me and the power dynamics that have built it,” she says. “I will forever be grateful that I had the learning experience, and I had fun along the way too!”

Appuruthurai echoes this sentiment. “Go for it!” she says. “This will be one of the best educational journeys you’ll embark on in your life and it truly will transform your perceptions of what it means to be a leader, and to work in and with the community to improve the world that we live in.”

The application deadline for the next cohort who will be admitted to start the program in May 2023 is December 15, 2022. Visit yorku.ca/edu/mlce to learn more.

Article by Dennis Bayazitov special contributing writer

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