Charles A. Hopkins, an internationally recognized pioneer in education for sustainable development and the inaugural holder of the UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education Towards Sustainability at 快播视频, has been named a Member of the Order of Canada, one of the country鈥檚 highest civilian honours. His decades-long leadership in embedding sustainability into education 鈥� from shaping curricula and campus practices at York to partnering with UNESCO, the United Nations University and global ministries of education 鈥� has inspired learners and educators around the world to make sustainability a core principle of teaching and learning.

The Order of Canada, established in 1967, honours individuals whose contributions have had a lasting impact in Canada and beyond.

Read more about Hopkins and all nine York community members honoured in this year鈥檚 Order of Canada announcement: /yfile/2026/01/07/order-of-canada-honours-nine-york-community-members/  

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Don Galbraith Pre-Service Teacher Award of Excellence winners: Lauren Cunningham, Anthony Pereira and Elvina Patapau (From left to right)

Congratulations to Lauren, Anthony, and Elvina on this well-deserved recognition. Their achievements reflect the high calibre of 快播视频鈥檚 Bachelor of Education program and its commitment to preparing future educators who will inspire and engage learners in science education across Ontario.

Pre-service students are encouraged to explore the many subject organisations related to their teaching discipline. These organisations often offer valuable scholarships, awards, and professional development opportunities designed to support and recognise future educators. A list of subject organisations can be found on the Education Resource Centre (ERC) website, an excellent place to start building connections with your future professional community.

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How can young people learn from their experiences and reshape who they are in a digital world that never forgets? 

That question will guide 快播视频 education scholar Mario Di Paolantonio鈥檚 research as a  York Massey Fellow at the University of Toronto for the 2025-26 academic year. 

The fellowship, awarded to full-time York faculty members on sabbatical or other leave, provides access to dedicated office space, library resources and full participation in the academic and social life of the college. Fellows hold the title 鈥淵ork Fellow of Massey College鈥� for life or while mutually agreeable. 

A professor in the Faculty of Education, Di Paolantonio will use the fellowship to advance research that builds on his 2023 book, Education and Democracy at the End. His work explores how digital technologies 鈥� particularly those that preserve personal data indefinitely 鈥� affect youth development and their ability to engage with education as a transformative process. 

During his sabbatical, he will study how creative and thoughtful activities 鈥� like making art, exploring culture and asking big questions 鈥� can help young people take back control of their lives, push back against the influence of digital technology and learn how to grow and change in positive ways. 

鈥淵oung people today are growing up in a digital environment where their past is always present,鈥� says Mario Di Paolantonio. 鈥淭his fellowship gives me the opportunity to explore how we can create space for reflection and renewal 鈥� where youth can learn to interpret their experiences differently and imagine new ways of being in the world.鈥� 

His research also explores how societies deal with past injustices in two interrelated streams. One research focus looks at how memorials, art and legal systems help communities learn from history, especially in countries that have experienced dictatorship. Another examines how the rise of digital systems and data-driven decision-making can weaken public trust and make it harder for people to connect and work together. 

Di Paolantonio鈥檚 scholarship and published work cover topics such as education, curriculum, politics, law, memory and the arts. He is also an international research associate at the Centro de Estudios en Pedagog铆as Contempor谩neas and the Escuela de Humanidades at the Universidad Nacional de San Mart铆n in Buenos Aires. 

Massey College is an independent academic community located at the University of Toronto. Its membership includes graduate students, faculty, journalism fellows, visiting scholars and leaders from various sectors. The college fosters interdisciplinary exchange and academic enrichment across disciplines and institutions.  

鈥淚t is a valuable opportunity to join a community that brings together scholars from many fields and institutions,鈥� says Di Paolantonio. 鈥淏eing part of that environment will support deeper thinking about the challenges facing education today and help connect my research to wider conversations about democracy, technology and youth.鈥� 

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In a remarkable recognition of his lifelong commitment to sustainability, 快播视频鈥檚 Charles Hopkins has earned the esteemed 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

The award celebrates his significant contributions to education, positioning him among a select group of leaders in higher education and sustainability transformation. Hopkins, who holds the UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education Towards Sustainability at York, is the seventh recipient since the award鈥檚 inception in 2006 and the first Canadian to receive the award.

Since assuming the role of UNESCO Chair at York in 1999, he has dedicated his efforts to integrating sustainable practices into both the curricula and operations of the University. 

Through his leadership, Hopkins has helped develop collaborations between institutions, engaging thousands of learners in activities that aim to address some of the world鈥檚 most pressing environmental challenges. 

Hopkins has also been a driving force for advancing education for sustainable development (ESD) initiatives across the globe. He coordinates two global research networks (the International Network of Teacher Education Institutions and the #IndigenousESD Network), each active in more than 50 countries, and acts as co-director of the Asia-Pacific Institute on ESD in Beijing. 

鈥淎ASHE is honoured to highlight the work of a person who has committed his life鈥檚 work to advancing education for sustainable development," says Meghan Fay Zahniser, executive director of AASHE. "Through decades of international and regional collaborations, Hopkins鈥� work continues to inspire and advance equitable learning across the globe.鈥� 

The award honours outstanding leaders 鈥� both academic and practitioners 鈥� with 10 or more years of impactful contributions to the advancement of sustainability in higher education. 

鈥淭his award symbolizes the collective effort of many passionate individuals at 快播视频 who are dedicated to sustainability,鈥� says Hopkins. 鈥淭ogether, we strive to harness education as a powerful tool for creating meaningful change.鈥� 

Hopkins鈥� extensive commitment to sustainability has positioned 快播视频 as a leader in the field and has contributed to the development of transformative educational practices that cultivate the next generation of environmental stewards.  

To read more about AASHE鈥檚 awards programs, visit . 

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At 快播视频鈥檚 Fall Convocation ceremony on the morning of Oct. 16, an honorary degree was presented to financial services executive Mark Beckles, vice-president of social impact and innovation at the Royal Bank of Canada.

After accepting his honorary degree, Beckles spoke to graduands about his move from Barbados to Canada with his wife 34 years ago. The young, ambitious couple chose to relocate to Canada 鈥� where Beckles had lived briefly as a child and where his wife had been born 鈥� because they believed in its promise as a place where their wildest dreams could be fulfilled and their fullest potential could be reached.

The adjustment to Canadian life, however, wasn鈥檛 quite as smooth as they had hoped.

Arriving in Ottawa with a job offer already in hand 鈥� or so he thought 鈥� from one of Canada鈥檚 big banks, Beckles quickly came to understand that the person who hired him remotely hadn鈥檛 realized he was Black.

鈥淭hat was, for me, the first time in my career that I recall being consciously confronted with the ugliness of racism,鈥� said Beckles, 鈥渁nd discovered that I possessed a certain naivety that I would need to quickly shed.鈥�

The job offer was revoked, and Beckles was left, disheartened, to navigate an unfamiliar career landscape in a new country. Yet, he remained hopeful that better opportunities would come his way. And they did.

One week later, while waiting in a freezing-cold Ottawa bus shelter on their way to church, Beckles and his wife were offered a ride from a kind woman in a sky-blue Oldsmobile. One brief conversation later and she was introducing Beckles to a man who would help him gain the Canadian work experience he needed to land a job in his field 鈥� and would end up becoming a lifelong friend and mentor in the process.

鈥淭hey did not judge me on the color of my skin or the thickness of my accent,鈥� Beckles said of the generous strangers who came into his life that day and helped set him on a path to success that has continued since.

鈥淚鈥檝e had an inexplicably phenomenal career in Canada,鈥� he continued. 鈥淒espite the dark inclinations of some people, opportunity has come my way through hard work 鈥� yes 鈥� but also with the support and allyship of people, most of whom look nothing like me.鈥�

It is for those reasons and many others that Beckles continues to believe in the promise of Canada and its people, and its potential to become the just and inclusive society he imagined when he arrived here all those years ago.

鈥淐anadians remain, for me, the brightest of lights,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd I know that my Canadian journey is not unique, and that many of you within an earshot of my speech can relate to my experiences 鈥� You can see yourself in part of my story 鈥� someone saying no to you, followed by others, plural, who say yes to you.鈥�

His message to graduands was clear: to remain optimistic about the future despite the setbacks and challenges that are sure to come their way, just as they did for him.

鈥淪ometimes, in a world that surrenders to its own darkest impulses, you too must be among the brightest of lights,鈥� he said, 鈥淩egardless of faith, identity, culture or tongue, we are all huddled and masked in this intersectional moment on lands upon which we are mostly all settlers just trying to belong, and that requires of us a new courage and a new commitment to a shared prosperity.鈥�

Article originally published in the October 18, 2024 issue of Yfile

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Three 快播视频 faculty members will be recognized during the 2024 Spring Convocation ceremonies with President鈥檚 University-Wide Teaching Awards for enhancing quality of learning and demonstrating innovation and excellence in teaching.

This year鈥檚 President鈥檚 University-Wide Teaching Award recipients 鈥� selected by the 快播视频 Senate 鈥� are representative of three categories: full-time faculty with 10 or more years of teaching experience; full-time faculty with less than 10 years of experience; and contract and adjunct faculty.

Each winner will not only be recognized during a convocation ceremony this spring but will have their name engraved on the University-Wide Teaching Awards plaques displayed in Vari Hall on the Keele Campus.

This year鈥檚 recipients are:

Full-time tenured faculty with 10 or more years of full-time teaching experience

Danielle Robinson, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD)

Robinson received the award in recognition of her ability to create an interdisciplinary learning environment where students from diverse academic backgrounds can work collaboratively and approach problems from contrasting directions. That ability has, in part, been channelled into her leadership around the Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom (C4) initiative, an experiential education opportunity for students that allows them approach real-world challenges with social impact in interdisciplinary ways. 

鈥淚n my collaboration with Danielle, I find her a passionate advocate for our students, excellent at organization, caring and interested in those she works with and one of the most hard-working colleagues I know,鈥� said Robinson鈥檚 nominator, Professor Franz Newland, a C4 co-founder and co-academic lead. 鈥淪he achieves this with a sense of fun, recognizing its importance when doing hard work. I believe she is an irreplaceable asset to York.鈥�

Robinson has been the recipient of several other awards, including the Dean鈥檚 Teaching Award for Junior Faculty (from AMPD), and the Airbus and Global Engineering Dean鈥檚 Council鈥檚 Diversity Award.

Full-time faculty with less than 10 years of teaching experience

Vidya Shah, Faculty of Education

Shah received the award for her collaborative approach to pedagogy, which looks to honour students鈥� voices and recognize their needs, interests and agency 鈥� often by incorporating their views into the content of her courses. The award also acknowledges Shah鈥檚 ongoing efforts to address inequities within the larger academic community, often through inspiring a rethinking of practices in the areas of racial and social justice, as well as teaching and learning.

Her nominator, Myrtle Sodhi, a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education, said of Shah, 鈥淗er ability to support a large number of students who are under-represented through various stages of their academic career speaks to Dr. Shah鈥檚 commitment to student learning, mentorship and social change.鈥� She added: 鈥淒r. Shah鈥檚 research, teaching, collaboration and mentorship has changed the landscape of the 快播视频 academic community in profound ways. She continues to inspire leadership, social justice action and academic pathways.鈥�

Shah is also the recipient of the Faculty of Education Graduate Teaching Award. In 2022, she was awarded the Leaders and Legends Award for Mentor of the Year by the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education.

Contract and adjunct faculty

Heather Lynn Garrett, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

Garrett was honoured in recognition of her her ability to engage with and motivate her students, incorporating story, anecdote, music and various media to bring course material to life. She has provided valuable mentorship to students in her program, notably through her support of the Sociology Undergraduate Student Association (SUSA). She has served as a faculty mentor of SUSA鈥檚 annual Falling in Love with Research project, guiding students in conduction sociological research on a topic chosen by SUSA members.

Garrett has twice received the John O鈥橬eill Award for Teaching Excellence by the Department of Sociology, and has been nominated for the Ian Greene Award for Teaching Excellence.

Article originally published in the June 18, 2024 issue of

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Six Indigenous scholars at 快播视频 have been awarded a combined $204,298 in new funding from the latest round of Indigenous Research Seed Fund Grants to explore language revitalization, Indigenous-led land restoration, decolonizing physical education curriculum and more.

The York Indigenous Seed Fund was established in 2021 by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation in collaboration with the Office of the Vice-President Equity, People & Culture, the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges & Languages (CIKL) and the Indigenous Council, an internal committee at York that works to improve access, input and opportunities for Indigenous peoples in higher education. The fund aims to build on the University鈥檚 ongoing commitment to support Indigenous early career researchers, their knowledge creation and the Indigenous communities they are working with.

鈥溈觳ナ悠� is wholly invested in advancing Indigenous research excellence, recognizing the critical importance Indigenous perspectives have in the pursuit of new knowledge and learning capable of creating positive change,鈥� said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. 鈥淭he seed fund grants contribute to an emerging area of research expertise at York focused on Indigenous futurities, which emphasizes scholarship that can directly benefit Indigenous communities and imagines a brighter future for nations, communities and individuals.鈥�

Recipients of these grants, supported through CIKL and the Office of the Associate Vice-President Indigenous Initiatives, include:

• Rebecca Beaulne-Stuebing, assistant professor, Faculty of Education
  鈥淕ekinoomaadijig Mashkiki Gitigaaning Endazhi-Baakwaanaatigikaag: Restoring Urban Land Relations through Indigenous Leadership, Towards Establishing a Land Education Collaboratory鈥�
  
• Kiera Brant-Birioukov, assistant professor, Faculty of Education
  鈥淩esearch Support to Conduct Literature Review for 2024 SSHRC Insight Application鈥�
  
• Ashley Day, assistant professor, School of Kinesiology & Health Science
  鈥淲iisokotaatiwin 鈥� Gathering to Discuss & Re-Imagine Health & Physical Education鈥�
  
• Jeremy Green, assistant professor, Department of Humanities, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
  鈥淭ehontenhnhonteront谩hkwa 鈥楾hat by which they are connected鈥� 鈥� Co-creating supportive learning environments for second language learner teachers of Kanien鈥檏茅ha 鈥楳ohawk鈥�, an indigenous language鈥�
  
• John Hupfield, assistant professor, Faculty of Education
  鈥淭he miikaans: movement lab鈥�

鈥淭hese projects cultivate positive relationships between university-based researchers and Indigenous communities,鈥� said Susan Dion, associate vice-president Indigenous initiatives, who served as co-chair of the committee that reviewed the applications alongside Sean Hillier, interim director of CIKL.

鈥淭he institutional commitment to supporting these scholars through the Indigenous seed grant will have impacts beyond their own work and will reverberate throughout the Indigenous communities and peoples they engage with, as well as the wider York community,鈥� said Hillier, as institutional grants for early career researchers provide not only support for foundational and pilot projects but often lead to larger grant proposals.

鈥淭he seed fund program is not only about supporting these specific researchers and research programs; it represents a longer-term and wider-ranging commitment to creating conditions in which Indigenous students, colleagues and communities can thrive at York,鈥� said Laina Y. Bay-Cheng, interim vice-president equity, people and culture.

驰辞谤办鈥檚鈥�University Academic Plan 2020-2025鈥痑ffirmed its commitment to the鈥�痑nd identified six priorities for action for building a better future, including stronger relationships with Indigenous communities.鈥�

Additionally, York鈥檚 Strategic Research Plan 2023-2028 (SRP) identifies Indigenous futurities as an opportunity to help research make a positive impact on Indigenous communities and advance social, cultural, artistic, legal, policy, economic and justice areas that holistically shape Indigenous experience.

The Indigenous Research Seed Fund supports the goals of York鈥檚 Academic Plan and SRP. The pilot round of the fund awarded a total of $204,298 to 10 scholars in May 2022.

Article originally published in the April 25, 2024 issue of

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Three women with affiliations to 快播视频 have been recognized in the list for their impact and contributions to driving meaningful progress and to the advancement of women in their respective fields. 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Every year , a leading global organization dedicated to promoting gender equity in the workplace, announces its list recognizing the achievements and contributions of women who have made significant contributions in their respective fields, driving meaningful progress and change in business and society.

This year, in particular, recipients are recognized for their innovation, leadership and pursuit of gender equity and inclusion.鈥��&苍产蝉辫;

鈥淭heir accomplishments demonstrate the important role that women play in driving meaningful progress in business and society. Through celebrating their stories, we aim to inspire others to challenge the status quo, paving the way for future generations,鈥� said Rumeet Billan, CEO of Women of Influence+, about the recipients.

Among the list of 2024 recipients are two York alumnae and one honorary degree recipient:

Pamela Farrell (BEd 鈥�07)鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
The founder and executive director of the GROW Community Food Literacy Centre, Canada鈥檚 first community food literacy centre, Farrell has sought to provide vulnerable Canadians with access to healthy and culturally relevant foods as well as essential food literacy skills. Her community work has also looked to address health disparities, as well as promote health and social equity. Furthermore, combining her expertise in special education with equity, diversity and inclusion, Farrell looks to play a transformative role in guiding and inspiring the next generation of educators.

Tina Singh (BA 鈥�04)鈥�鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
Singh is an occupational therapist, digital content creator and the founder of Bold Helmets, which creates helmets to fit over Sikh kids鈥� head coverings. As a mother and therapist working in the areas of head and brain injuries, Singh understood the importance of helmets but was unable to find any suitable for her children, leading her to create the first safety-certified, multi-sport helmet for Sikh children. 鈥�

Lynn Posluns (LLD [Hon.] 鈥�19)鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
Posluns is the founder, president and CEO of Women鈥檚 Brain Health Initiative, the only organization dedicated to protecting the brain health of women, caregivers and families. Through this initiative, she has raised awareness of women鈥檚 cognitive brain health and the inequity in women鈥檚 brain aging research, funding and preventative health programs.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Article originally published in the March 20, 2024 issue of

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Report on the series of 11 murals honouring Black Torontonians who have had a positive impact on the City. The murals were unveiled on Saturday as part of a Subway tour from 快播视频 to Union Station. Carl James, a Distinguished Research Professor of Education and Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community, and Diaspora at 快播视频, comments on the project. James says it's a way African Canadians can educate Torontonians and the rest of the world about the Black presence in Canada.

For more information on each of the 11 remarkable individuals being honoured, visit the .

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Collette Murray (MEd 鈥� ), was among the remarkable group of 20 dance educators to receive an award for Outstanding Leadership in Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Murray is a dance scholar in arts education, community arts engagement and Afrodiasporic dance vernacular. She centralizes dance education in teaching, mentorship, and advocacy of the Canadian African diasporic dance sector. Her multi-award recognitions are for advancing the importance of cultural arts and anti-racism work in dance in Ontario and for significant contributions to collaboratively work with culturally diverse communities and creating access to arts and culture in Toronto.

With a background in West African, Caribbean folk, and stilt-walking/dance, Murray is pursuing a Ph.D. in Dance Studies at 快播视频 on the pedagogical training of Afrodiasporic dance educators. She holds a master鈥檚 in education, an Honours BA in Race, Ethnicity and Indigeneity from 快播视频, and a Sociology BA from the University of Toronto.

Miss Coco Murray is her mobile dance education business, and she is artistic director of Coco Collective, an intergenerational team offering culturally responsive dance programs and cultural arts education of African and Caribbean practices to schools, organizations, and communities. Murray leads as Board Chair of Dance Umbrella of Ontario, a National Council member of the Canadian Dance Assembly, and the Board of Directors for Arts Etobicoke to bring an equity and decolonizing lens for change.

Read the full article posted on the web site

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