_{Screenshot of the Council meeting with Vice-Provost & FGS Dean Alice MacLachlan, Provost & Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps, Professor Amro Zayed, and Professor Alison Crosby}

Both Crosby and Zayed exceeded general supervisory expectations through their mentorship creativity, excellence and dedication to their postdoc fellows. This annual award serves to applaud and acknowledge all the important work performed by both professors and their postdoc fellows. Alice MacLachlan, Vice-Provost & Dean, Graduate Studies, said the two recipients embody the award's dedication to mentorship creativity, excellence and dedication. "You serve as a role model for all of us to follow," she added.

Alison Crosby

Crosby is an Associate Professor and Interim Chair of the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women鈥檚 Studies. Her research projects and publications use an anti-racist, anti-colonial and transnational feminist lens and participatory methodologies to support protagonists鈥� multifaceted struggles to redress and memorialize harm in the aftermath of political violence, with a particular focus on Guatemala where she has worked for over 30 years.

Crosby is currently working on the SSHRC-funded research project . The project brings together feminist scholars, artists, activists, and community practitioners from a wide range of contexts and disciplinary perspectives to explore the transnational dimensions of how we collectively remember and memorialize colonial, militarized and state violence. The project also offered Crosby鈥檚 postdoc fellow, Dr. Ruth Murambadoro, with a space to house her research and become a part of this digital community.

鈥淧rof Crosby embodies Ubuntu principles of communitarianism, humility, mutual respect, hospitality and so much more, which have enabled me to integrate and chart a new pathway for my career in Canada. She remains a key player in my life and role model, who taught me fundamental lessons on collegiality, humanness and effective mentorship,鈥� noted Murambadoro in her letter of nomination. 鈥淚 value the contributions that Prof Crosby has made in my research, scholarly and personal development over the time we have worked together.鈥�

In response to the award, Dr. Crosby said, "It's my pleasure, privilege and honour to work with postdoc fellows." Of her nominator, Dr. Murambadoro, she said, "I look forward to my collaborations with her for many years to come."

Amro Zayed

Zayed, a Professor in the Department of Biology and York Research Chair in Genomics, is equally an exemplary intellectual leader, role model and mentor. He is currently the inaugural Director of 快播视频鈥檚 Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution and Conservation (BEEc), leading a research program on the genetics, genomics and behaviour of social insects using the honey bee as a model organism. 

provides ample opportunities to conduct high-quality research as well as network with academics and industry partners worldwide. The collective achievements of postdocs in his group are commendable, with a total of 28 peer-reviewed publications and 71 conference presentations. Through this dedicated work, Zayed equips postdoc fellows with the skills necessary to successfully navigate the increasingly competitive job market. Since 2009, Zayed has supervised eight exceptional postdoc fellows.   

鈥淗is approach to leadership has inspired us to seek creative solutions in research and to collaborate with diverse groups of stakeholders. To this end, Amro exemplifies all of the characteristics one would expect of an intellectual leader and role model. He provides a unilateral environment of support to his research group. He is personally invested in our success and well-being, going above and beyond to help with professional skill development. He is actively involved in our career development, prioritising our long-term success over our short-term role in his group,鈥� stated Dr. Sydney Wizenberg and Dr. Sarah French in their letter of nomination.

Dr. Zayed was caught off-guard by the award. "I was really surprised by this. When I started my career I never appreciated the joy of having postdocs." He said he has come to enjoy the contributions made by postdoc fellows and exceptional graduate students.

The Postdoctoral Supervisor of the Year Award accepts nominations annually by no later than June 1 of each year. For more information, please visit: .

Graduate Student Wellness Services welcomed their first clinical practicum student. The addition to the Wellness Consultation & Counselling team during the 2021-22 academic year provides greater access to grad-specific counselling at 快播视频. This initiative promotes good health and well-being (SDG #3) through the easily accessible wellness consultations, which can provide a starting point for students seeking to enhance their personal mental health.

Meta endowed a prestigious $250k fellowship. This endowment establishes the first-ever corporate-sponsored graduate fund for sustaining vision research at York, which the University has dedicated to its Centre for Vision Research. SDG #9 (Industry, innovation, and infrastructure) emphasizes how important it is to promote innovation in order to enable positive change and foster a successful community. York has been producing cutting-edge work in vision research for decades and now has further support to continue this globally impactful work.

Four outstanding scholars were named recipients of the 2022 Postdoctoral Fellowships for Black and Indigenous Scholars. Sylvester Aboagye, Landing Badji, Leora Gansworth and Graeme Reed are this year鈥檚 recipients of the fellowship. This important initiative sets individuals up for a successful career by providing four scholars annually with a salary of $70,000 per year for a two-year term and supporting their research and collaboration endevours.

FGS partnered with the Office of the University Registrar (OUR) and the Indigenous Council to build an Indigenous Queue in Grad Adjudication. This new feature enables the review and contextualization of Indigenous applications by Indigenous Faculty members and responds to the Indigenous Framework's call to increase the recruitment and admission of Indigenous applicants. This initiative acts as a key opportunity area for York to facilitate greater access to higher education and is reflective of SDG #10 (Reduced Inequality). York aims to promote an inclusive research culture by creating policies and initiatives that encourage equality and hopes that other institutions follow suit.

The number of Indigenous Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Awards increased annually for Indigenous graduate scholars. The additional resource will enable Indigenous researchers to access much needed funding, promote culturally responsive research and engage in collaborative initiatives.

Academic integrity training becomes mandatory for incoming Graduate students. FGS鈥� commitment to academic honesty is at the forefront of this initiative. By establishing a mandatory academic integrity training requirement for incoming graduate students effective 2023, York is committed to academic honesty.

FGS standardized program-level guidelines for Graduate Milestone Examinations. To enhance the graduate student experience and support timely completion of studies, FGS supported the creation of Standardized program-level guidelines for Graduate Milestone Examinations such as the comprehensive examinations and research evaluations.

Postdoctoral researchers now have access to the Individualized Development Plan (IDP). The IDP is employed to structure conversations with one鈥檚 supervisor concerning professional skills development and to provide a framework for navigating various opportunities at the institution. This resource acts as a valuable tool for postdocs that can enable them to build a successful career.

FGS partnered with UIT to build an online portal for graduate petitions. Digitizing the petition process eliminates a paper based and manual process, allowing submission tracking and online access for ease of file review. This initiative is a key opportunity to support the graduate student experience and improves the quality and efficiency of services. Introducing online platforms into the community and eliminating paper use also promotes sustainable lifestyles, which is an important part of SDG #12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

Future students can find out more about York and everything the university is undertaking for the success of the community through the newly Launched Choose Grad York initiative鈥� the first ever graduate conversion event. These events include: 1) a breakdown of the different parts of an offer of admission, which may include different types of funding; 2) a networking opportunity with alumni who have translated their studies into successful careers; 3) a chance to compare admissions offers and learn how to navigate the degree once the applicants have accepted their offer from York.

York鈥檚 SDG Challenge is ongoing, and the new year will welcome a number of other important initiatives, inspiring members of the York community to act as agents of positive change.

_{Screen shot of the Council meeting with Provost Lisa Philipps, FGS Dean and Associate Vice-Provost Graduate Thomas Loebel and Professor Sapna Sharma}

Sharma consistently went above and beyond her expected role, supporting the members of her lab, Sharma Lakes, by advocating for their personal as well as professional career development. This dedication was especially crucial within the context of the global pandemic and its impact on mental, financial and overall wellbeing.

鈥淭he past two years have been an unprecedented time with the Covid-19 pandemic and 快播视频 frequently closing. In response, Dr. Sharma has prioritized the mental health of everyone under her supervision, including myself,鈥� stated Dr. Alessandro Filazzola in a nomination letter. 鈥淪he frequently checks in to ensure we are financially stable, whether we require leave, or have the necessary support should we decide to continue working.鈥�

On the challenges of research during the pandemic, Sharma said 鈥淭he students and postdocs in my lab worked incredibly hard to keep our research moving forward, despite the immense challenges of working remotely during the pandemic. I thank them for their work, supporting one another and the research program, and keeping the lab environment alive.鈥�

Sharm鈥檚 area of research is also exemplary in nature. She examines how lakes worldwide respond to climate change, including rapid ice loss, warming water temperatures, degrading water quality and changing fish distributions. The work performed in her lab involves predicting the effects of environmental stressors, such as invasive species and habitat alteration, on lakes. This important research highlights the real-life repercussions of climate change, which can inspire others to seek out ways to create a more sustainable future.

鈥淚 am lucky to have a wonderful lab. I work with amazing students and postdocs. They make my work life fun and intellectually stimulating as I learn a lot from them,鈥� said Sharma.

Outside of her research and role as supervisor, Sharma is an active member of the community. She currently holds the position of Vice-Chair of the Royal Canadian Institute for Science (RCIS), a charity committed to science public engagement, which demonstrates her dedication to science communication. Moreover, she is also the founder and Chair of SEEDS at 快播视频, an outreach program that provides refugee children who have recently arrived in Canada with additional educational opportunities in science and math.

鈥淎s a Provostial Fellow, Dr. Sharma has been working on a university-wide engagement strategy to build partnerships that focus on access to clean water, and in that sense is really taking hold of York鈥檚 commitment in the University Academic Plan to further the UN Sustainable Development Goals鈥�, says Thomas Loebel, Dean and Associate Vice-Provost Graduate.

FGS is proud to celebrate Sharma鈥檚 achievement and highlight her meaningful impact on members of the York community. The Postdoctoral Supervisor of the Year Award acts as a way to acknowledge this dedication displayed by faculty who exemplify all the characteristics of an outstanding role model. 鈥淪he has enriched the lives of her postdoctoral fellows. Her investment and commitment serve as a model for others to follow. She embodies the award鈥檚 dedication to mentorship creativity, excellence, and dedication鈥� says Dean Loebel.

For more information on the award please visit: yorku.ca/gradstudies/postdoctoral-fellows/current-fellows/supervisor-award/