Several times a month, a small drone rises above the trees at Swan Lake, following a precise path over the water. Parkgoers who enjoy walking, jogging or birdwatching might assume it鈥檚 there to capture scenic footage. Instead, the drone is part of a 快播视频-led effort to understand 鈥� and help restore 鈥� the health of an urban lake under pressure.

Swan Lake, a former gravel pit transformed into a stormwater pond and community green space, faces ongoing water quality challenges. As rainwater flows into the site from surrounding roads and neighbourhoods, it carries excess nutrients, road salt and other pollutants. Over time, this can fuel frequent algae growth, cloud the water and reduce oxygen levels, stressing fish and wildlife, limiting recreation and, in some cases, raising public health concerns.

Since April 2025, 快播视频 researchers, led by CIFAL York, have been turning concern about the lake鈥檚 health into measurable data and practical action through the Swan Lake Citizen Science Lab (SLCS Lab). The initiative brings together York research centres, including ADERSIM and the One WATER Institute, with local partners such as Friends of Swan Lake Park, a community鈥慴ased volunteer organization dedicated to protecting and improving the area鈥檚 ecological health.

鈥淐ommunities often know when something is not right with a local ecosystem, but it鈥檚 hard to act without clear, comprehensive and consistent information, as well as meaningful community engagement鈥� says Ali Asgary, director of CIFAL York and professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. 鈥淭he goal of the lab is to support those concerns with reliable data that can guide real decisions.鈥�

"To assess a lake is to assess ourselves," adds Satinder Kaur Brar, director of the One WATER Institute and professor at the . "Its health card is a mirror of our environmental stewardship."

One way the lab is assessing the lake is through advanced technology, such as the use of multispectral and thermal drones operated by York research teams.

Equipped with special cameras that capture different types of light 鈥� including some invisible to the human eye 鈥� the drones can detect potential algae growth and subtle changes in water clarity as they scan the lake from above. Flying low and on demand, they provide detailed, up-to-date views of trends across the entire water body, offering a clearer picture than satellite images and a broader perspective than scattered and spot鈥慴y鈥憇pot water sampling.

The drones have already yielded valuable insights, recently shared in a York鈥憀ed, under-review study that monitored patterns from spring through fall 2025. By flying the drones roughly once a month and analyzing the findings over time, researchers were able to pinpoint where algae forms, how blooms shift across the seasons and how changes in water cloudiness are driven by biological growth rather than stirred鈥憉p sediment.

The findings confirm what many residents and park managers have long suspected: the lake is rich in nutrients and prone to recurring algae growth. The drone data, however, also reveal something new.

Conditions vary significantly from one area to another, suggesting that targeted, location鈥憇pecific interventions may be more effective than broad, one鈥憇ize鈥慺its鈥慳ll treatments applied across the entire lake. Knowing where problems emerge helps guide chemical treatments, shoreline naturalization projects and future restoration efforts 鈥� and provides a better way to measure whether those interventions are working. "Interconnecting drone data with on-ground water quality can turn ecological signals into informed action that is vital for communities," says Brar.

鈥淲hat the data made clear is that this isn鈥檛 a uniform problem,鈥� adds Asgary. 鈥淲hen conditions vary so much from one part of the lake to another, it changes how you think about solutions. This kind of information allows us to be more precise, more proactive and more strategic in environmental management.鈥�

In addition to monitoring Swan Lake, York鈥憀ed teams are working to make the data easier to interpret and use in planning. Researchers are developing AI tools to identify patterns in the drone imagery, anticipate conditions such as algae outbreaks and translate complex trends into clearer insights.

Other teams are using virtual reality and simulation to help users visualize the lake over time and explore how different interventions might affect conditions. Meanwhile, geographic information system (GIS) specialists are turning the results into interactive maps and dashboards that help the public and those involved in lake management understand what is happening across the site.

A core goal of the Swan Lake Citizen Science Lab is to encourage meaningful community engagement and shared stewardship.

鈥淔rom the start, this was never about researchers working in isolation,鈥� says Asgary. 鈥淭he goal of the Swan Lake Citizen Science Lab is to create a shared process, where community knowledge and scientific tools come together.鈥�

Local partners are not just observers; they are active partners in the research. Residents take part in field checks, help interpret findings, attend workshops and contribute to outreach efforts that share findings. Alongside them, 快播视频 students gain hands鈥憃n experience applying classroom learning to a real environmental challenge, working with researchers and resident members in a local setting.

For CIFAL York, which is affiliated with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, the work at Swan Lake is a pilot that could inform other communities facing similar pressures on small urban lakes and wetlands.

鈥淭he impact here is very tangible,鈥� says Asgary. 鈥淭hrough drones, data and collaboration, we鈥檙e building a deeper understanding of how this ecosystem functions and how it can be protected over time. That kind of shared knowledge is what allows stewardship to last.鈥�

Find out more about the SLCS Lab, and see it in action, in the video below.

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In collaboration with Internet Archive Canada, a non-profit digital library, the MHSO is making its collection of multicultural newspapers 鈥� one of the most comprehensive in the country, with titles dating back to the 19th century 鈥� freely accessible online to scholars, educators and the public.

Housed within the offices of 快播视频鈥檚 Institute for Social Research (ISR), the MHSO鈥檚 archive was previously hosted by Simon Fraser University Library but is now migrating to a centralized, open-access platform designed to ensure long-term preservation and improve discoverability.

The initiative has launched with 鈥� The New Canadian, The Canadian Jewish Review, The Canadian Jewish News and L鈥橝mi du Peuple 鈥� which document the experiences of Japanese Canadian, Jewish Canadian and Franco Ontarian communities.

Additional titles, including Chinese Canadian Community News and The Chinese Times, are being added, with more publications from the MHSO鈥檚 extensive collection to follow.

鈥淓thnic and francophone newspapers were vital instruments for community members to engage with and express their views on contemporary events,鈥� says Julia Rady, Chair and president of MHSO. 鈥淭hrough our collaboration with Internet Archive Canada, there is now a single platform for people to discover and research these important resources, helping to preserve their legacy for generations to come.鈥�

鈥淭his partnership significantly expands access to rare and historically important primary sources,鈥� says Lorne Foster, director of ISR. 鈥淔or York researchers 鈥� and scholars at other institutions 鈥� it supports new and existing work in areas such as migration and diaspora studies, history, sociology and equity-focused research.鈥�

Beyond preservation and access, the collaboration also creates opportunities for student engagement. Under its agreement with York, the MHSO provides orientation and training for students working with its archives, supports work-study and co-op placements, and connects students with community historians and organizations. York is also represented on the MHSO鈥檚 board of directors.

The development builds on York鈥檚 and the MHSO鈥檚 shared leadership in digital research and cultural preservation. The ISR helped bring the MHSO to York鈥檚 Keele Campus in 2023, contributing to a growing digital ecosystem that includes searchable archives of oral histories, newspapers, photographs and textual records documenting the experiences of ethnocultural and Indigenous communities across Ontario.

鈥淏y supporting open, digital access to these materials,鈥� says Foster, 鈥渢he initiative helps preserve and amplify the histories of underrepresented communities in Canada, while highlighting the University鈥檚 role in fostering inclusive research infrastructure through its hosting of the MHSO and its connections with community-based knowledge.鈥�

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Faculty of Science Professor Cora Young and Associate Professor Trevor VandenBoer were recognized through the NASA Group Achievement Award for their contributions to the Atmospheric Emissions and Reactions Observed from Megacities to Marine Areas (AEROMMA) campaign, a joint effort between NASA and the The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to study air quality and climate interactions across North America.

The award is reserved for those who have made exceptional contributions to NASA's mission and scientific endeavours.

AEROMMA combined aircraft, ground-based measurements and satellite observations to study how contemporary emissions from cities and oceans affect air quality and climate. NASA and NOAA approached York to lead the Toronto supersite, one of several measurement hubs established in major North American cities to contribute to the campaign's airborne data.

Young served as scientific lead, coordinating a team of 25 to 30 researchers; VandenBoer served as logistical lead, overseeing the physical transformation of York's rooftop laboratory 鈥� on the Petrie Science and Engineering Building 鈥� to host the research.

Also involved were York colleagues Mark Gordon, associate professor at the , and Rob McLaren, professor emeritus in the Department of Chemistry.

Collaborators came from across Canada and internationally, including Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the University of York in the U.K.

York graduate and undergraduate students had the opportunity to work on the project with those visiting researchers.

"Our ability to bring together this strong team of researchers allowed us to ensure it was worthwhile for AEROMMA to include Toronto," says Young. "Otherwise, we would have missed out on this unprecedented opportunity to learn about modern air quality here."

The 2023 summer AEROMMA project unfolded during a period of intense wildfire smoke across the region, an unplanned development that offered a rare opportunity for study.

"Wildfires will exacerbate air quality issues," says VandenBoer. "Understanding the chemistry of wildfire plumes arriving in the city is going to be critical to informing the public on when and how to protect their respiratory health."

The existing Air Quality Health Index is not well-suited to wildfire conditions because the smoke differs from the other drivers of urban air pollution.

One of the first papers to emerge from the project, now in its final round of peer review, found that wildfire smoke changed chemically as it travelled, changing how health and climate impacts are understood and communicated.

York researchers have also been in dialogue with the team behind ECCC鈥檚 2024 快播视频 of Winter Air Pollution in Toronto (SWAPIT). Together, the summer and winter datasets create a year-round picture of urban air quality in Canada鈥檚 largest city that could inform policy on everything from wood-burning smoke to the atmospheric impacts of road salt.

The work also validated NASA鈥檚 TEMPO satellite, a space-based instrument tracking air pollution across North America. Measurements from York鈥檚 site, alongside NASA research aircraft and ECCC sites, were essential in confirming the satellite鈥檚 early readings, helping move the tool into practical use for ongoing air-quality monitoring and research.

For York graduate students, the initiative created opportunities to build international networks. VandenBoer says students helped host collaborators by familiarizing them with York鈥檚 facilities and procedures, and in some cases were involved with operating, maintaining and responding to issues with visiting researchers鈥� instruments.

Those connections continued beyond the project. Graduate student Yashar Ebrahimi-Iranpour later spent two weeks collaborating at NOAA鈥檚 Chemical Sciences Laboratory, while graduate student Na-Yung Seoh went on to join an international University of York-led campaign in Cape Verde.

AEROMMA involved a range of York collaborators, including facilities staff, operations teams and University leadership.

"It's a York community undertaking," says VandenBoer. "A lot of people wanted to support us, and for no other reason than that's just the type of community that we have."

Young points to why the work is imperative today.

"There are a lot of chemicals being emitted into the environment we can't see or smell or taste," she says. "Just because we can't detect them with our own senses doesn't mean they're not a problem. We need to keep on top of it."

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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An associate professor of math education at 快播视频鈥檚 Faculty of Education, Osibodu focuses her research on how Black students experience math and how education systems can better support equity.

鈥淚 want Black learners who enter a mathematics classroom to be fully, completely themselves instead of feeling like they don鈥檛 belong,鈥� says Osibodu, who is keenly aware of the persistent and unfounded stereotypes about Black learners鈥� abilities in math 鈥� and how those beliefs intersect with Canada鈥檚 colonial legacy and history of immigration.

Osibodu鈥檚 teaching experience across three continents has fuelled her interest in and passion for addressing challenges faced by Black students in Canada. Before joining York, she taught secondary school mathematics in South Africa and later taught mathematics and mathematics education courses in the U.S. and Canada. Her research has since documented a range of obstacles faced by Black students in Canadian classrooms.

鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible to look at course syllabi without realizing that it鈥檚 important for equity to be at the core of the teaching practice,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y ultimate goal is to create math education where Black learners are thriving.鈥�

A key aspect of her work is understanding how Black students experience math, which, in Canada, requires knowledge of the population鈥檚 demography. As her colleague Carl James, the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora at 快播视频, has long emphasized, the Canadian Black community is diverse 鈥� including descendants who arrived via the Underground Railroad, families who immigrated from the Caribbean decades ago and more recent immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa 鈥� leading to a variety of educational experiences.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something I hope to explore,鈥� Osibodu says. 鈥淚n the United States, many scholars in mathematics education have studied the racialized experiences of Black learners and can trace these experiences through generations. In Canada, that isn鈥檛 the experience of most Africans, who are largely first-generation immigrants with a fairly young population.

African-born parents tend to be trusting of education systems, she notes. 鈥淚 want to understand how these parents navigate the mathematics education of their children in the Canadian system. I want to collaborate with and support these parents with more tools to advocate for their children better.鈥�

Osibodu is also examining how math education can address broader social and economic realities. Together with Alexandre Cavalcante at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, she has findings from their Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Development Grant exploring critical financial literacy among Black youth. The work highlights the importance of teaching financial literacy in response to Ontario鈥檚 2020 mathematics curriculum, which introduced financial literacy expectations.

The research emphasizes that financial literacy should be taught through a systemic lens (e.g. discussing barriers to financial systems) rather than focusing exclusively on personal responsibility (e.g. budgeting).

Osibodu鈥檚 scholarship often draws on decoloniality as a theoretical and analytical lens, particularly for work directly connected to sub-Saharan Africa. One of her examined the impact of coloniality through the widespread use of the British-developed Cambridge Assessment International Education curriculum throughout anglophone Africa.

Across her work, Osibodu returns to the same principle for math education worldwide.

鈥淚t is imperative for equity to be at the core of a mathematics education practice and to constantly challenge deficit narratives about who belongs and who doesn鈥檛,鈥� Osibodu says. 鈥淲e need to be very intentional in pushing against those narratives.鈥�

With files from Elaine Smith

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York鈥檚 entrepreneurship and innovation hub YSpace and the IP Innovation Clinic, Canada鈥檚 largest intellectual property (IP) clinic, are introducing the Inventor to Founder Fellowship, a 13-week program that supports students, researchers, faculty and recent graduates as they navigate commercialization and entrepreneurship.

Building on YSpace鈥檚 award-winning entrepreneurial programs and the IP Innovation Clinic鈥檚 15 years of experience supporting IP and commercialization needs, the fellowship is supported by (IPON) Innovation Fellowship program. The initiative reflects the University鈥檚 growing emphasis on collaboration across its entrepreneurship and commercialization network to drive social and economic impact.

"York has always been home to exceptional research and innovative work," says Pina D'Agostino, associate vice-president research and founder and director of the IP Innovation Clinic. "Through IPON鈥檚 support, the Inventor to Founder Fellowship gives our students, researchers and faculty real runway to take their inventions and innovations forward with funding, guidance and ecosystem connections that help translate discovery into real-world benefits."

Founded in 2010 by D鈥橝gostino, the IP Innovation Clinic is a first-of-its-kind IP law clinic based at . Through partnerships with private practice lawyers and firms, the clinic assists York community members with strategy and planning.

As part of the fellowship, the clinic will embed strategic IP considerations throughout the program, aligning with the University鈥檚 broader efforts to advance research-driven opportunities. Since 2023-24, the clinic has assisted more than 125 York community members, including faculty, researchers, students, alumni and venture teams.

Participants in the Inventor to Founder Fellowship will receive a $10,000 stipend and progress through a structured journey that includes invention and venture idea validation, minimum viable product development, go-to-market strategy and pitching to investors. The fellowship concludes with a public showcase where selected founders present to mentors, angel investors and ecosystem partners.

For many participants, the fellowship will serve as a bridge between academic research and the entrepreneurial ecosystem needed to bring their inventions and innovations forward.

"We built this program for people who have an innovative solution and are ready to move forward to determine its market viability and build a business," says David Kwok, director of entrepreneurship and innovation at YSpace. "The stipend helps remove the early financial barriers and creates startup capital, but what we're most excited about is giving York's student and research community a home to build on their innovations with mentorship and accountability that moves their research and businesses forward."

To be eligible, applicants must be undergraduate, master鈥檚 or PhD students, recent graduates within the past two years, researchers or faculty members based in Ontario and demonstrate a serious interest in advancing an invention or innovation for social or commercial impact. Participants are also required to complete IPON's virtual IP education modules as part of the program.

Applications are due May 4. Visit the program website for more information.

With files from Jiho Bak

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Announced March 27 at York鈥檚 Markham Campus, Natural Resources Canada will invest $28.9 million in 12 projects across the country to build and deploy clean energy technologies through its Energy Innovation Program.

These investments support efforts to reduce emissions and modernize Canada鈥檚 energy systems as clean technologies advance.

York's project, led by Associate Professor Marina Freire鈥慓ormaly at Lassonde, is one of four initiatives funded in the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage stream which supports early research on capturing, moving, story and reusing carbon dioxide.

Freire-Gormaly will focus on developing a carbon capture technology that replaces heat鈥慽ntensive systems with electrochemical and light鈥慸riven processes. By using advanced materials, the technology aims to cut energy use, reduce operating costs and improve performance.

鈥淭his funding allows us to move promising carbon capture ideas from the lab and scale them up, closer to real鈥憌orld use,鈥� says Freire鈥慓ormaly. 鈥淚t supports York鈥檚 role in developing practical, low鈥慹nergy solutions that can help reduce emissions.鈥�

The project, titled 鈥淒evelopment and scale-up of novel solid C02 capture photoelectrochemical active sorbents,鈥� began in 2023 and will continue until March 2027 with a focus on creating and testing new solid materials that absorb carbon dioxide when exposed to light and electricity, instead of through thermal processes.

Freire鈥慓ormaly and her team of researchers 鈥� including co-applicant Assistant Professor Solomon Boakye-Yiadom and other collaborators at York's Faculty of Science 鈥� have developed new electrode materials using copper, aerogels and specialized coatings to improve performance.

Researchers are using a small, custom-built lab to accurately measure how much carbon dioxide is captured. Findings will help evaluate costs, environmental impacts and carbon emissions, and help determine how sustainable and practical the innovative solvent-based pathway would be at an industrial scale.

鈥淭hese innovations are crucial towards a net-zero energy transition for all Canadians,鈥� says Friere-Gormaly.

Tim Hodgson, minister of energy and natural resources, says the project reflects Canada鈥檚 goal to scale up clean energy and responsibly grow the nation鈥檚 conventional energy industry.

鈥淲e are investing to provide reliable, affordable and clean power across the country that will propel our economic growth, protect affordability for Canadian families and make Canada a low-risk, low-cost, low-carbon energy superpower.鈥�

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, a first-year practice-based PhD student in visual arts at 快播视频鈥檚 (AMPD) was selected from more than 200 applicants across Canada. A national jury of artists and curators chose Marsh, with the final selection made by Glenfiddich Artists in Residence program curator Andy Fairgrieve.

Marsh will spend three months living and working at the historic Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, where she will develop a permanent public sculpture as the residency program marks its 25th anniversary. She expects the experience will directly inform her PhD outcomes at York, including the research documentation that supports her dissertation and future exhibits.

Marsh's proposed project draws on her research into the ritual of coin-wishing and its historic roots in Celtic water worship.

Her work will centre on the Robbie Dhu spring, the water source that has supplied the Glenfiddich distillery since 1887.

For Marsh, the residency is timely and deeply personal. Though she is half Scottish, these histories and rituals were never passed down to her. She sees her time in the Highlands as an act of learning through presence 鈥� listening to local knowledge, walking the land and gathering stories that will shape her final work.

"I hope that while I am in the Highlands, I can learn as much as I can from locals about regional histories around holy wells, coins and the kinds of small acts of sacrifice I am interested in, which have been practiced in the Celtic world since prehistory," says Marsh. "A lot of my residency will just involve soaking up the atmosphere, landscape, histories and stories.鈥�

At York, Marsh points to AMPD鈥檚 hands-on facilities as a key reason she chose the program, with specific interest in the metal shop and foundry.

"Having access to these resources was a big draw in my wanting to study at York," she says. "I'm aiming to do several bronze pours and possibly a copper pour over the next year."

That technical development connects to the sculptural work she plans to produce in the years ahead, with elements from the pours expected to carry into upcoming exhibitions.

Marsh has previously completed residencies at the Banff Centre for the Arts, AiR Bergen and Rupert in Vilnius, among others. She describes residencies as essential to her practice, not only for the time and space they offer, but for the productive challenges of adapting to new conditions.

"Although a residency tends to require a lot of adaptation 鈥� for instance, making work without my very lived-in studio 鈥� these challenges force a flexibility that can allow new insights and require new experiments," she says. "I am hoping for this kind of generative struggle in Scotland."

Marsh鈥檚 work has received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, Partners in Art, the Chalmers Arts Fellowship, the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council. She received her BFA from the Alberta University of the Arts in 2007 and her MFA from the University of Guelph in 2013.

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For people who have experienced trauma, early support is critical for regulating distress and restoring a sense of safety. But Harmsen, a PhD candidate in York鈥檚 Clinical鈥慏evelopmental Psychology program and the聽Trauma & Attachment聽Lab, notes that individualized, in鈥憄erson therapy isn鈥檛 always accessible. Cost, distance, time constraints, mobility challenges and a shortage of trained clinicians can all stand in the way.

During 鈥� and after 鈥� the COVID鈥�19 pandemic, many mental health services shifted online to reach more people, she explains. Alongside individual sessions, clinicians also began offering more virtual group formats. Trauma therapy in that format allows multiple survivors to receive care at once. The virtual format can foster a sense of shared understanding and may reduce stigma by helping participants see their responses as common, rather than isolating.

Despite its potential, Harmsen says group therapy remains an underused resource, in part because of lingering public hesitation. That gap helped inspire a research project she's been part of, now published in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, which tested whether online, skills鈥慴ased trauma groups could offer meaningful early鈥憇tage support 鈥� and how to make them as effective as possible.

The project was developed by a team at York's Trauma & Attachment Lab, directed by psychology professor Robert T. Muller. Harmsen worked collaboratively with Muller and York postdoctoral fellow聽厂补谤补听搁别辫别苍诲补,听笔丑顿听肠补苍诲颈诲补迟别听George Langdon, and聽clinical聽psychologist Anna聽Baranowsky. The team聽designed聽an eight鈥憌eek, skills鈥慴ased trauma program delivered in partnership with聽the聽community聽organization聽Trauma Practice for Healthy Communities. The initiative was offered entirely online and focused on grounding, self鈥憆egulation, basic coping聽strategies聽and psychoeducation 鈥� tools to help individuals manage distress safely, without detailed trauma disclosure.

鈥淥ur guiding goal was to understand how to create an online program that was informative, practical and helpful, particularly during a difficult time,鈥� Harmsen says.

The study followed 178 adults who took part in a series of small, closed online groups between 2020 and 2024. To assess impact, the research team compared changes in participants鈥� symptoms before the group began with those measured after the final session.

The results were encouraging. PTSD symptoms declined much more after participants completed the program than during the waiting period beforehand, suggesting the program's success. About one鈥憈hird of people showed clinically meaningful improvements, with symptoms easing across areas such as intrusive memories, avoidance, and negative mood and thinking. More than a quarter of those who initially scored in the range associated with probable PTSD fell below that screening threshold by the end of the program.

Soon after completing that project, the research team conducted a follow鈥憉p study to better understand why some participants benefited more than others. Although online trauma groups are increasingly used, Harmsen says far less research has examined the factors that help explain how and why they work.

鈥淭here are so many different types of therapy,鈥� she says. 鈥淚dentifying when online group therapy is most successful, and how to use it effectively, is important.鈥�

The follow鈥憉p study examined the experiences of 80 adults drawn from the same community鈥慴ased program. Those who participated completed symptom questionnaires before and after the experience, along with post鈥憄rogram feedback on dynamics and satisfaction.

What stood out most was that satisfaction 鈥� not group climate 鈥� predicted improvement. Participants who felt the techniques were clearly explained, easy to understand and practical in everyday life showed the largest reductions in trauma鈥憆elated symptoms.

In the paper, the researchers note this does not mean the collective setting was unimportant; rather, the findings suggest that for early鈥憇tage, skills鈥慴ased trauma groups, the primary value comes from expanding access and delivering practical tools safely and efficiently. Individual improvements, however, depend on how clearly those tools are taught and how easily they can be applied in daily life.

Harmsen stresses that more research is still needed, including randomized trials and longer鈥憈erm follow鈥憉p. In the meantime, she hopes the work highlights how early stabilization in online group settings can be a valuable part of broader trauma鈥慶are pathways, and encourages clinicians to think carefully about how similar programs are designed and facilitated.

鈥淯nderstanding how to make online group therapy as effective as possible will help make services more accessible to those in need,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 hope this research encourages people to consider using online group therapy in their practices and provides some guidance on how to make the most of these groups.鈥�

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鈥淣ew grads are not staying in nursing,鈥� says Robbio, who teaches in the School of Nursing at 快播视频. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of sacrifices they鈥檙e making, a lot of money they are spending, to not stay in nursing.鈥�

High turnover and ongoing staffing pressures affect not only individual nurses but also the broader health care system, Robbio says. Her work focuses on addressing burnout and retention challenges that emerge early in nurses鈥� careers.

Many new graduates face a difficult shift as they enter professional practice where support can be limited and workplace pressures high. These challenges were further intensified during the COVID鈥�19 pandemic, which disrupted clinical placements and contributed to work fatigue among practising nurses.

That transition period prompted Robbio to focus on mentorship and social connection as ways to help students build confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging as they move into the workforce. However, through her doctoral work in 2018 鈥� titled "E-Mentoring as a Socialization Strategy for New Graduate Nurse Role Transitions and Workplace Adjustment" 鈥� Robbio confirmed that traditional in鈥憄erson mentoring models can be difficult to sustain due to competing priorities, scheduling conflicts and heavy workloads.

In 2023, supported by a York Academic Innovation Fund grant, Robbio expanded her research by launching a pilot e鈥憁entoring initiative to explore a more flexible approach. The project examined whether virtual mentoring could offer an accessible, cost鈥慹ffective way to overcome common barriers to mentorship. It did so through an interdisciplinary research team consisting of co-principal investigator Mavoy Bertram, an associate professor from the School of Nursing; former Teaching Commons educational developer Lisa Endersby; statistician Hugh McCague from the Institute for Social Research; Helen Brennagh from Learning Technology Services; Stephanie Quail, director of the Open Scholarship Department at 快播视频 Libraries; and research assistant Doina Nugent.

The initiative explored how an e鈥憁entoring model within York's School of Nursing could provide psychosocial guidance, networking opportunities and career support for fourth鈥憏ear undergraduate collaborative BScN students.

Following positive responses from both mentors and mentees, Robbio received support through a 快播视频 Faculty Association Teaching Fellowship and 快播视频 Minor Research Grant to integrate the system directly into the curriculum of an undergraduate nursing leadership course she teaches.

The three鈥憁onth program 鈥� built on the 2023 research work and started in January 2025 鈥� paired third鈥憏ear undergraduates (e鈥憁entees) with graduate nursing students who are also experienced registered nurses (e鈥憁entors). The mentors came from within the York community.

鈥淲e already have nurses at York who are working on their graduate degrees,鈥� says Robbio. 鈥淲e have a pool of people who want to give back to the profession while continuing their education.鈥�

Mentors created detailed profiles that included clinical experience, years in practice and personal interests to help foster strong matches. Students were then able to indicate preferred mentors, with efforts made to accommodate those choices where possible.

Once matched, mentors and mentees connected by email, text or Zoom every two weeks. They discussed topics such as goal setting, conflict management, career pathways and work-life balance, supported by a series of online learning modules. Robbio emphasizes the tone of the relationship was central to the initiative鈥檚 success.

鈥淚t was not so much about preaching to your mentee, but really listening,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t felt more like a peer鈥憇upport relationship.鈥�

At the end of the program, e鈥憁entees completed a reflective learning assignment to assess their development and experiences. Mentors and mentees were also invited to complete a post鈥憄rogram satisfaction survey.

The findings were positive. A large majority (86 per cent) of e鈥憁entors said they would participate again, citing the experience as rewarding and meaningful. Many e鈥憁entees reported they valued the additional guidance and planned to stay in contact with their mentors. While designed to support undergraduate nursing students, mentors also gained from the experience.

鈥淓鈥憁entoring was really a reciprocal relationship,鈥� Robbio says, noting that mentors had opportunities to reflect on their own practice, strengthen leadership skills and reconnect with their professional purpose.

Ultimately, the initiative aims to support long鈥憈erm retention in the profession. By helping students build resilience, navigate challenges and develop coping strategies early in their careers, Robbio hopes it will make a lasting impact.

鈥淥ur goal is that whatever skills they鈥檝e learned 鈥� whether it鈥檚 resilience, conflict resolution or managing work-life balance 鈥� this program will help them stay in nursing,鈥� she says.

Robbio and her team plan to continue work on the initiative. In the fall, she hopes to expand the program to support internationally educated nurses, who may face additional pressures as they transition to working in Canada. She is also exploring ways to involve alumni as e-mentors and believes the model could eventually be adapted for use in other programs and disciplines.

With files from Ruth Robbio

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Created in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the initiative brings together researchers, community organizations and international partners to build knowledge and capacity to respond to the global water crisis.

With Shooka Karimpour, associate professor at the , as academic director, the academy supports learning, strengthens global dialogue and bridges water knowledge with decision-making and public policy.

"Water insecurity means different things for different groups and different demographics," says Karimpour.

While some water challenges are shared internationally, she says, the academy also works to highlight local issues 鈥� from changing ice patterns in Canada to the impact of drought on specific communities elsewhere in the world.

That dual focus shapes everything the academy does. Its free online courses are open to learners worldwide at no cost. Offerings include 鈥淥n Thin Ice: The Impacts of Climate Change on Freshwater Ice鈥� and 鈥淎n Introduction to Indigenous Relationships to Water on Turtle Island,鈥� among others.

The courses aim to build practical knowledge of water systems, governance and sustainability at both local and global scales 鈥� whether the learner is a student, a community organizer or a policy professional.

In 2024, the academy engaged nearly 8,000 participants from 147 countries through courses, events and partnerships including United Nations conferences, international research collaborations and public exhibitions.

One of its most recent collaborations illustrates how that work translates beyond the classroom. For World Water Day 2026, the Global Water Academy partnered with the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto to present a Microplastics Discovery Station. This brought York scientists directly to the public to demonstrate how microscopic plastic particles move through aquatic ecosystems. Visitors examined water samples, identified microplastics and engaged with researchers first-hand.

For Karimpour, the event captured something central to the academy's mission: moving water science from the digital space into hands-on, in-person public engagement with communities.

There is also work happening with community-based organizations to surface stories and solutions that connect research to lived experience.

A with water activist Swani Keelson and the non-profit Global Water Promise examined how water insecurity in Ghana affects women's physical and mental health 鈥� and how limited access to clean water compounds broader inequalities, including period poverty and barriers to education.

"We are providing them with a platform and opportunity to share not only global water insecurity issues, but also innovative solutions that have been developed to mitigate this problem," says Karimpour. "Our goal is to raise awareness and ultimately inspire collective action."

That combination of training, storytelling and public programming reflects how the work aligns with York's broader sustainability agenda.

While its mandate is rooted in Sustainable Development Goal 6 鈥� clean water and sanitation 鈥� the issues it engages consistently extend into climate resilience, health, gender equity and governance. The work around the Ghana story advances SDG 5 on gender equality, while the microplastics research supports SDG 14, life below water.

"You can't really confine the impact to one SDG because water availability is such a deep issue," says Karimpour. "It really affects and falls into a lot of other SDGs as well."

Karimpour credits strong institutional support from York, including from University leadership, as central to the academy's growth. Looking ahead, Karimpour says it will continue to build new courses and partnerships, with an emphasis on reaching communities that have the most at stake in global water insecurity.

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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