The Autism Scholars Awards Program, funded by the Council of Ontario Universities, ensures that the province continues to promote innovative scholarship in autism that can positively touch the lives of families across Canada. The community of scholars fostered by this awards program aims to excel in the creation of real-world change from creating more effective services and products for children with autism to the increase of the province鈥檚 capacity in diagnosis and treatment.  

The Selection Committee assessed Marshall and Braxton on their talent, the excellence of their work, the vision that they bring to their endeavours and the expected impact from their research. Both proposed exemplary projects that will create meaningful impacts in the field and the larger community.  

Nancy Marshall, PhD Education

Marshall鈥檚 research adopts a disability justice lens that directly centers on the needs and desires of autistic people. She will be investigating outcomes and lived experiences related to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which is currently the most recommended treatment and education approach for autistic people and their families in Ontario. Marshall鈥檚 research is the first of its kind in the province to examine mental health or well-being outcomes for autistic people who have received ABA. Her mixed-methods participatory analysis aims to fill a gap in research by revealing the impacts of ABA on the well-being and quality of life for autistic people.

Marshall鈥檚 research is vital in order for autism support services and community schools to better meet the needs of autistic people. Moreover, her analysis of lived experiences helps government and service providers to fulfill their goals of including autistic voices in policy, practice and research.

Outside of academia, Marshall has worked for 15 years with autistic and neurodivergent young people in a variety of school and community settings as a Child and Youth Worker. Throughout her career, she has aimed to support autistic young people with compassion and acceptance rather than to treat them as individuals in need of change.

Braxton Hartman, MA Psychology

Hartman鈥檚 project aims to use computational and statistical techniques to distinguish differences in how networks are organized in autistic brains and what ramifications this may have on the cognitive differences which characterize the condition. Previously, researchers would focus on individual brain regions thought to be responsible for performing specific functions which underlie the condition; however, Hartman鈥檚 research adds to the innovative work being performed by the community of autism scholars through focusing on neural systems which are broadly distributed throughout the brain. This research is ground-breaking in its identification of disruptions to the hierarchical organization of brain networks, which may underlie the core cognitive deficits in autism.

鈥淯nderstanding the underlying neural basis of autism has the potential to open new avenues of research into therapeutics, inform clinical decision making in diagnoses, and elucidate the neural mechanisms of attention and executive control in both healthy and clinical populations,鈥� says Hartman.

Outside of this proposed project, Hartman is an active member of the community, initiating positive change through his many endeavours. Hartman has passionately advocated for autism rights across various platforms, including interviewing with the Toronto Star's Autism Project, working to increase the understanding of autism at leading service providers and co-instructing a module for the Kerry鈥檚 Place Autism Services ASD Certificate Course. He is also an active member of the York community through serving as a panelist for ASD Transition Day, which aims to help integrate autistic students into the post-secondary environment.

Find out more about the ground-breaking work of the recipients on the .

Article originally posted in the July 18, 2022 issue of Yfile

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A new award named after Ron Owston, who served as Dean of 快播视频鈥檚 Faculty of Education from 2012-16, will provide financial support to students enrolled in the Faculty of Education鈥檚 Bachelor of Arts (BA) Educational Studies and Master of Leadership and Community Engagement (MLCE) programs.

Valued at $500 each, the awards will be granted to domestic or international students who, during their first year have a minimum 7.5 or A average and demonstrate financial need.

The BA Educational Studies and the Master of Leadership and Community Engagement programs were established under Owston鈥檚 leadership as dean of the Faculty of Education. A pioneer in teaching, learning, and research on the internet since its early days, he also was the founding director of the Institute for Research in Learning Technologies at 快播视频.

鈥淪ince both of these programs are reasonably new and had no specifically designated student awards, I wanted to provide this opportunity for students in each of the programs,鈥� said Owston. 鈥淭he award will help ease the financial burden students in these programs face.鈥�

Earlier this year, Owston decided to endow the award by committing to raise $30,000 over the next seven years.

Learn more about the Dean Ron Owston Award.

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Dr. Shelia Harms, MD, a 4th year PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education is the recipient of the prestigious 2020 U21 Health Sciences Group (HSG) Teaching Excellence Award. The Award was established in 2014 by Deans of Medicine as a way to celebrate and reward exceptional educational scholarship, particularly amongst research intensive universities, across the U21 HSG network. The Award also helps to nurture international cooperation, one of U21鈥檚 key objectives, by offering faculty from different universities, and regions, to work together on exciting, interdisciplinary projects.

"Questions of learning in academic psychiatry simultaneously require a commitment to a discourse of the mind. It has been through the scholarly work of education that I have found a rich place to encounter thought anew,鈥� says Harms.  鈥淭his award depends on the possibility for shared educational transactions marked by success and failure alike. For this I am deeply grateful to the many students and educators who have created a generative space for me to engage and explore what it means to have an education in psychiatry.  I am honored to receive this award and the possibilities it opens for ongoing educational transformation. "

Clinically, Dr. Harms practices as a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at McMaster Children鈥檚 Hospital with a focus on general outpatient care. Academically, she is in the role of Associate Chair Education within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences. She is actively involved in supervising undergraduate and postgraduate learners as well as teaching within the Faculty of Health Sciences. Dr. Harms has acted in numerous educational leadership roles within the department including the program director for Postgraduate Psychiatry Training and has held the role of the inaugural program director for subspecialty training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is also an active member on the Psychiatry Exam Board for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Dr. Harms directs the global mental health initiative in the department which includes leading a long-standing collaboration and novel educational initiative at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Western Uganda, where she also serves on faculty.

Dr. Harms is focusing on enhancing educational scholarship activities across the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. As part of these efforts, she is pursuing a PhD in education at 快播视频 under the supervision of Distinguished Research Professor and York Research Chair in Pedagogy and Psycho-Social Transformation, Dr. Deborah Britzman. Harms dissertation is titled, 鈥淎 different kind of education: Notes from a psychiatrist". Her focus is on critical histories in Psychiatry. Dr. Harms is particularly interested in thinking about medical education using psychodynamic concepts as they are applied to learning, in an attempt to understand educational phenomenology that are both relevant and pressing in contemporary medical education. The dissertation鈥檚 themes include studies of uncertainty in learning, difficult knowledge, the role of bodies in the study of the mind, and the work of encountering colonialism.

鈥淚t is my great pleasure to congratulate Dr. Harms on her illustrious award. The field of psychiatric education, as with any education today, must undergo major transformations and this award recognizes Dr. Harms as one of its creative international innovators,鈥� said Professor Britzman. 鈥淒r. Harms entered the PhD program with a four-year SSHRC and a deep interest in problems of psychoanalytic approaches to education. Her dissertation, 鈥淎 different kind of education: Notes from a psychiatrist鈥� is a model of humanity and generosity. Dr. Harms continues to distinguish herself as a leading scholar, now by opening psychiatric experience with autoethnographic methods with psychoanalytic sensitivity.鈥�

Finally, Dr. Harms has been recently elected to the American College of Psychiatrists, the elite scientific college dedicated to professional leadership and highest standards of psychiatry through teaching, education, research, and clinical practice.

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"Our sincere congratulations to all nominees and recipients on their achievement and our thanks for their contributions to the profession and development of rich learning opportunities for students," said course director Jocelyn Shih.  "Through their work they have highlighted the many ways that science education can be made more fulsome as they emphasize a critical integration of culture, sustainability, and creativity in the pursuit of meaningful learning and student engagement."

Intermediate/ Senior Award Recipient:  Saya Szparlo

鈥淚 am an enthusiastic and curious educator whose goal is to continue to strive for positive social and environmental change. I plan to do this by furthering my education at 快播视频 in the Master of Education program combined with an Environmental Sustainability Education Diploma beginning Fall 2020. Upon graduation, it is my hope to establish a strong community in a school that values my passion for social and environmental change through local hands-on projects. I plan to continue my learning, welcome opportunities to grow and to start an exciting career!鈥�

Junior/ Intermediate Award Recipient:  Caleb Wesley

"My immediate future plans include returning to York part-time to continue my studies in the Faculty of Science. I also intend on applying for the TDSB to become an occasional teacher for September. Aside from working as an occasional teacher in the classroom and being a student at York, I鈥檒l be dividing my time between biostatistical research with Well Living House at St. Michael鈥檚 Hospital and volunteer work in 2SLGBTQ+ community organizations. Long-term, my goals are to work with Indigenous students in the TDSB and continuing my work in bridging Indigenous ways of being in nature with the science curriculum. I would also to one day teach in the Waaban Indigenous Teacher Education Program, helping other Indigenous educators bring engaging science content to their classrooms. Hopefully, I can be part of the change that supports Indigenous students in pursuing careers in STEM. "

Primary/ Junior Award Recipient:  Dorothea Bailey-Leung

鈥淲hen I was growing up, there weren鈥檛 a lot of discussions about how science impacts communities and why we should care. Since becoming a Teacher Candidate at York, I have discovered that this disconnectedness is what drives progress without meaning, without compassion, without end. We have a unique opportunity to connect science education to other subjects and bring to focus the big picture. Doing so would help young students connect with 鈥渢he point of it all鈥�, to continually ask 鈥渨hy鈥�, and most importantly, to learn, grow, and change in order to become the best custodians of our planet. In the future, I hope to become a teacher who continues to be mindful of our planet, who never stops asking why, and who will teach my students to do the same.

My entry, a comprehensive lesson sequence on Sustainable Electricity Generation, taught me to be mindful of how we make, use, (and waste) electricity, and how we can pursue green energy solutions with our students in a fun, accessible, and meaningful way.鈥�

We would also like to acknowledge the following nominees for their entries:

Yasmine Abdelaal
Entry: Integrating Multicultural Content in Science:  Meet the Elements (Gr. 9) and Molecular Genetics (Gr. 12 biology) 

Rawan Ibrahem
Entry: Investigating the impact of electricity production on Indigenous communities and the environment (Gr. 6)

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Congratulations to Mohamed Duale, a PhD candidate at Faculty of Education, on being awarded the African and African Diaspora Studies (AADS) Dissertation Fellowship at Boston College for 2020-21. As one of the most competitive fellowships in the social sciences and humanities in the United States, the fellowship with a $30,000 stipend recognizes students who pursue innovative and interdisciplinary projects within the field of African and African Diaspora Studies.

Duale鈥檚 doctoral research examines Somali refugee youth in the Dadaab refugee camps of north-east Kenya and their experiences of displacement and aspirations to return home. Established in 1992 to host Somalis fleeing civil war, the Dadaab camps currently host 217, 511 registered refugees.

鈥淎fter nearly 30 years of war and displacement, my research project seeks to document not only 鈥榳hat is鈥� in terms of refugee adolescence in Dadaab, but also how displaced young Somalis are imagining 鈥榳hat might be鈥� in the aftermath of civil war.鈥�

Duale himself was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, in its cosmopolitan heyday in the 1980s and fled the civil war in the early 1990s. 鈥淚 subsequently lived as a refugee in Kenya before immigrating with my family to Canada. I grew up listening to the BBC Somali Service with my family. Social and political developments in Somalia and East Africa loomed large at the dinner table. A memorable moment was listening to radio reports from the Arte Peace Conference in Djibouti 20 years ago and seeing the look of hope in my mother鈥檚 eyes of returning to a homeland that she thought she might never see again,鈥� he said.

Duale鈥檚 desire to figure out solutions to the complex problems that were plaguing his homeland led him to pursue a degree in Political Science at the Bachelor鈥檚 and Master鈥檚 levels at 快播视频 with a focus on peace and conflict in Africa and Middle East. Later, he saw himself playing a role in education and trained as a teacher. For his PhD in education, Duale decided to focus on exiled youth in East Africa.

鈥溈觳ナ悠礽ng at York鈥檚 Faculty of Education, I was encouraged to critically examine the meaning of education, culture and identity in a post-modern and global world,鈥� he said. During his doctoral studies, Duale also served as a Teaching Assistant and Course Director in the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER) project and taught students in the Dadaab camps.

鈥淚t is while working with students in Dadaab that I noticed a desire among Somali youth, who either grew up or were born in the camps, to return to Somalia. At the heart of my doctoral research is an attempt to figure out why Somali youth, who have been long displaced in the Dadaab camps, aspire to 鈥榬eturn鈥� to a country that they barely remember or have not seen, and which is still reeling from decades of conflict.鈥�

BHER has given Duale invaluable opportunities to immerse himself in the field through on-site research and teaching in Dadaab, which facilitated his development as an engaged migration scholar and helped him to stand out as a scholar-practitioner.

With his academic pursuit at the intersection of African and refugee studies, Duale seeks to contribute to the AADS community at Boston College. He will deliver a public lecture and will have the option of teaching a small upper-level seminar on forced migration and youth in Africa. 鈥淭he fellowship will afford me the opportunity to focus on my dissertation writing and professional development,鈥� says Duale. 鈥淚 am deeply honoured to have received it.鈥�

鈥淏oston College made a very wise choice in its decision to offer the Africa and African Diaspora Studies Dissertation Fellowship to Mohamed Duale.鈥� said Professor Don Dippo, Duale鈥檚 doctoral supervisor. 鈥淢ohamed鈥檚 scholarship and teaching in forced migration and youth studies will add an important dimension to the AADS program at Boston College.鈥�

Upon completing his fellowship, Duale鈥檚 plans involve keeping track of the life trajectories of his research participants, whether they return to Somalia, remain in the camps, or migrate elsewhere. 鈥淚 hope to pursue a career as an academic and dedicate my life to researching and teaching others about displaced and war-affected youth, and their needs and aspirations.鈥�

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Congratulations to Kim Tran, a recent graduate of the Faculty鈥檚 Concurrent Bachelor of Education program who was selected as one of the recipients of the 2020 OSSTF/FEESO Faculty of Education Award for this past school year.

Valued at $1,000, the annual award is presented to one graduating Intermediate/Senior or Technological Education teacher candidate at each Faculty of Education who has shown a clear understanding and empathy for the values of unionism; demonstrated political or social activism that promotes the professional nature of teaching; shows leadership by supporting and advocating for fellow teacher candidates; demonstrates a high degree of professional competence and is attempting to secure a job with a public secondary board.

Tran has demonstrated social activism and student leadership throughout her role as President of the Faculty of Education Students' Association (FESA). 鈥淚 felt that this group not only had great members that were like-minded, welcoming, and kind, it was a group that planned opportunities for students in their program meaningfully,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t became important to me that, while this is such a short program, we had additional opportunities for growth before going on to teach other students.鈥� Tran鈥檚 experience with FESA encouraged personal and professional development, which drove her to seek opportunities outside of school for learning and development.

鈥淚 hope to continue pursuing higher education, and to use my knowledge and experiences to advocate for social justice beyond education,鈥� says Tran. 鈥淲hether it be teaching in public schools, doing policy work, lecturing as a professor, or being on the ground working in my communities, I hope to fill the knowledge-action gap.鈥�

Tran will begin 快播视频's Master of Education program this September while Occasional Teaching.

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Amira El Masri

Amira El Masri, a recent PhD graduate at the Faculty of Education has recently been awarded two national awards: the Michel Laferri猫re Research Award for the best doctoral thesis by the Comparative and International Education Society of Canada (CIESC) and the George Geiss Award by the Canadian Society for the 快播视频 of Higher Education (CSSHE). While recognizing El Masri鈥檚 outstanding research in the field of comparative and international education, the award also facilitates and encourages dialogue within the field.

In fact, El Masri鈥檚 dissertation was also funded by the SSHRC鈥檚 Joseph-Armand Bombardier Scholarship. 鈥淚 am truly honoured to be recognized by two academic societies that have been home to many great scholars, researchers, and thinkers who have worked relentlessly and collaboratively to facilitate, promote and share research in higher education (CSSHE) and comparative and international education (CIESC)鈥� she said.

El Masri鈥檚 dissertation explores Ontario鈥檚 international education policy-making context for the period 2005 to mid-2017 while also taking into account the announcement of the new policy document Ontario鈥檚 International Postsecondary Education Strategy 2018: Educating Global Citizens. By adopting discourse analysis, El Masri analyzed data from various sources, including international education stories in the three highest-circulation newspapers in Ontario (415 articles); 23 interviews with policy actors, and 195 policy documents.

Her study provides an analysis of how international education as a discourse flows and changes across time and space, its social, cultural, and historical construction and the multiplicity of actors that mobilize it, creating disparities and inequities within this discourse space.

鈥淚nternational education in Ontario is not a policy problem per se; instead, it is constructed as a policy solution to problems beyond the postsecondary education and the education sector such as immigration, innovation, economy, foreign affairs, and trade.鈥�

El Masri鈥檚 areas of research are post-secondary education and public policy focusing on international education policies and international students' experiences. She has participated in research projects funded by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities; the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO); Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

During her PhD studies at the Faculty of Education, El Masri worked as a research assistant on many research projects focusing on different aspects of international and comparative education. 鈥淎t York, I got the chance to learn from great scholars and work with great minds who broadened my horizons and inspired me along the way. My research idea matured through classroom discussions, hallway chats, and endless communication with my supervisor, Dr. Roopa Desai Trilokekar, who was the backbone of my research journey with her critical insights, endless support, and commitment for excellence鈥� said El Masri.

鈥淚n my twenty-five years of teaching and advising students, twelve of which have been in our Faculty, I have not come across a more outstanding student than Amira El-Masri鈥� said Dr. Roopa Desai Trilokekar, El Masri鈥檚 dissertation supervisor. 鈥淎mira鈥檚 work, as the two awards she has won substantiate, is a stellar example of research excellence, one that stands apart for its significance, substance and distinctiveness.鈥�

Growing up in Jordan, El Masri was always intrigued to learn more about other cultures and languages, which influenced her interest in the field of international education. 鈥淢y education in comparative literature and then my work as an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor and administrator further introduced me to the world beyond national boundaries鈥� she said.

El Masri has contributed to the field of International Education with her scholarly work and through her professional work in a range of senior student-facing and policy-oriented roles in national and international universities. She has provided consultancy services to postsecondary education institutions working on developing their internationalization strategies such as the Faculty of Education at Brock University. She is currently working at York International where she provides support for the development of internationalization and global engagement strategies.

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Congratulations to Magdalena Kisielewska-Zaranek 鈥� a student in the Faculty鈥檚 Bachelor of Education degree program at 快播视频鈥檚 Glendon Campus 鈥� on being awarded the Ontario Modern Language Teachers鈥� Association (OMLTA) Helen G. Mitchell Award.

One graduating student from each Faculty of Education who will be qualified to teach French as a Second Language (FSL) or an International Language is awarded with the Helen G. Mitchell Award, in recognition of their dedication to, interest in, and passion for second language teaching.

Kisielewska-Zaranek recently completed the final year of the consecutive Bachelor of Education, French as a Second Language program in the Junior and Intermediate division. She holds a Honours Bachelor of Arts and Masters degree both in French Studies from 快播视频.

In past years she has been working as a language instructor for the International Language and French Conversation Programs at the York Catholic District School Board, and as a tutor for French immersion students. She is currently providing her students with opportunities to continue learning French through distance learning.

鈥淚 am very honoured that the Faculty chose me to receive the Helen G. Mitchell Award,鈥� says Kisielewska-Zaranek. 鈥淢y dedication to studies and to my students wouldn't be possible without the support from my family. I am passionate about languages, in particular French, and I look forward to continuing to share this passion with my students, with the hope that they will become lifelong language learners.鈥�

C茅cile Robertson, Course Director at 快播视频鈥檚 Faculty of Education says, 鈥淢agdalena is a conscientious student who works diligently to create creative, engaging and stimulating activities for her students. I had the pleasure of working with her and seeing her in the classroom context during practicum - at all times, she is respectful, kind and attentive towards student needs. She will be such an asset to the teaching community and in particular in the FSL context where her passion for French teaching and learning will inspire and motivate all who come in contact with her.鈥�

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Lois Kamenitz receiving her award.

Faculty of Education PhD candidate Lois Kamenitz has been awarded the Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging Scholarship by the Canadian Association on Gerontology. The award recognizes academic success and community involvement with older adults and supports doctoral students whose programs of study relate to gerontology.

Kamenitz has more than 35 years of experience in Education. After a long career as an educator and counsellor at various levels including elementary, secondary, and post-secondary, Kamenitz obtained a Master鈥檚 Degree in Library and Information Studies at Dalhousie University and continued to work in a volunteer capacity as a key enabler of consumer health education.

In addition to a long career dedicated to education, health and wellness as well as volunteer service with older adults, Kamenitz鈥檚 interest in gerontology actually dates back to her childhood. Kamenitz was raised by her grandparents and grew up an only child in a multi-generational household. 鈥淚 was surrounded by older people whose company I always enjoyed鈥� she said.

As a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education, her research focuses on the reasons why later life women (women over fifty-five) return to graduate school to pursue a PhD. Her study examines the socio-cultural, economic and aging factors that pull older women back into university and how these experiences shape their accomplishments, sense of self, personal identities and life goals. Kamenitz has sampled this growing population in order to contribute to an expanding literature on gender, education and aging.

Kamenitz herself started her doctoral studies at age seventy. 鈥淚 am in a unique position as I interview women in their late fifties, sixties, and seventies who have embarked on their own doctoral journey,鈥� she says. While adding to the body of literature on older women doctoral students, Kamenitz鈥檚 research also has the potential to contribute to a shift in the conversation about age and ageing. 鈥淢y research also has implications for younger doctoral students and it has the potential to lead to further studies, all with a view to transforming societal structures and relationships.鈥�

The Schlegel-University of Waterloo RIA Scholarship permits Kamenitz to focus on her research by assisting with travel costs to conduct interviews, transcribe the interviews, and analyse data. The scholarship acknowledges the value of her research and its potential to bring about change in the field of gerontology.

鈥淭raditional stereotypes of old age are challenged by the post-war 鈥榖aby boom鈥� generation. Now, there is an emphasis by 鈥渂oomers鈥� on enhancing mental capital and promoting wellbeing in later life through a range of learning opportunities including a return to higher education deferred over the life course by many, but especially by women.鈥� Kamenitz鈥檚 research is key to shaping a response to this demographic change.

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