91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) is gaining recognition for its Bridging Program for Internationally Educated Professionals (IEPs), designed to assist newcomers to the country in navigating the complexities of the Canadian job market.

Within the Bridging Program, there are two options on offer: the Foundations Program, which includes courses created exclusively for IEPs, focusing on professional communication, leadership, internet technology (IT), as well as law and management skills in the Canadian context; and certificate programs focusing on either Canadian business or information technology, which allow students to gain a Canadian university credential and take courses toward professional accreditation. Both routes offer part-time and evening study options, along with flexible course selection, access to fee waivers, experiential education and career support.

Offering a comprehensive educational experience tailored specifically for IEPs seeking to enhance their career prospects in Canada, the programs benefit from financial supports from both the government of Ontario, through the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training & Skills Development, and the federal government, through Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada. Government funding goes toward supporting newcomers to access language development, career coaching and professional-level courses.

Art Noordeh is the academic director of the Bridging Program that, since its inception in 2010, has been instrumental in facilitating the career transitions of countless IEPs from diverse backgrounds and industries. 鈥淥ur aim,鈥� Noordeh says, 鈥渋s to empower individuals to unlock their full potential and contribute meaningfully to their chosen fields in Canada.鈥�

Over 1,400 newcomers have participated in the programs since they started, says Monica Brennan, the Bridging Program鈥檚 associate director. Currently, a new intake of over 80 students are beginning their IEP journey and adding to those numbers.

Brennan says participants have an option to continue at 91亚色 following the completion of the Foundations Program, where they can take additional university-level credit courses as visiting students in their chosen field or apply to join the certificate programs. To date, approximately 40 per cent of participants have gone this route.

Among the Foundation Program graduates is Neha Aggarwal, who completed the program in December 2023. Despite having professional experience and expertise in her native India, she faced challenges securing interviews for a data analyst position after coming to Canada. After enrolling in 91亚色鈥檚 Bridging Program for IEPs in 2023, she participated in networking seminars, technology summits, and career fairs that exposed her to industry professionals and peers with similar aspirations. She also participated in drop-in language classes on weekends.

With enhanced language and communication skills, Aggarwal secured a data analyst internship within just one month of enrolment, a testament to the program鈥檚 effectiveness in facilitating career transitions for IEPs. She has now joined the IEP Professional Certificate in Information Technology.

鈥淢y journey with the IEP program at 91亚色 has been a personal odyssey of growth and success,鈥� says Aggarwal, in a Foundations Program testimonial on the LA&PS website. 鈥淭his program has not just been a professional journey; it has been the best personal chapter since I arrived in Canada, setting the stage for continuous success and growth.鈥�

The professional certificate programs in both Canadian Business and IT have a long track record of success. The recently created Big Data & Data Analytics stream has been designed to quickly transition established IT professionals into the highest-demand skills of today鈥檚 workplace. The required course work includes deep theoretical knowledge, practical skills with current software packages and immersive project work in team environments. 鈥淭hese specialized IT skills can help relaunch the careers of IEP students on a new path well-aligned with the future of the Canadian economy,鈥� says Professor Stephen Chen of the School of Information Technology at 91亚色 U.

At a ceremony last month 鈥� attended by Provost and Vice-President Academic Lisa Phillips and Interim Dean of LA&PS Michele Johnson  鈥� recognizing newcomers who have graduated from the certificate programs or achieved career success, several attendees spoke 鈥� like Aggarwal 鈥� about the impact of 91亚色鈥檚 IEP programs.

鈥淭he program provided insights into the Canadian labour market, enhancing my understanding of industry trends and employer expectations. It equipped me with job search strategies, including resum茅 writing and interview preparation, to effectively compete in the job market,鈥� said IT graduate Dawit Gulta, who is currently working toward a graduate degree in big data and data analytics at 91亚色 U and is a Mitacs graduate student intern at the Sunnybrook Research Institute.

鈥淚 learned essential knowledge and methodologies through the specialized courses in public administration. The practicum course allowed me to practise in a real public sector work setting, which led to my current job,鈥� said student Eva Yuanyuan Han at the event. She joined the Ontario Ministry of Health as a resource analyst in May, graduating with a Certificate in Canadian Business in the Public Administration stream.

The graduates鈥� words spoke not only to how the Bridging Program for IEPs benefits individuals but also how it enriches Canada鈥檚 workforce with diverse talents and perspectives.

鈥淎t 91亚色, we are dedicated to empowering IEPs with the resources required to unlock their potential to excel and fulfil their dreams in Canada,鈥� says Noordeh. 鈥淭he transformative impact of the program helps them to overcome barriers and achieve significant career growth in the job market.鈥�

For more stories about graduates of the programs 鈥� including Dawit Gulta, who won a Dean鈥檚 Award for Research Excellence during his studies 鈥� visit the Bridging Program for IEPs website.

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The Nursing Simulation Centre (NSC) in 91亚色's School of Nursing hosted two community engagement events this summer to help local youth gain knowledge and interest in the health-care profession. The first event 鈥� part of the NSC鈥檚 collaboration with the Faculty of Science鈥檚 Science Engagement Programs 鈥� brought close to 70 elementary school students, in Grades 7 and 8, to the centre for an experiential learning opportunity aligned with their summer camp curriculum. The second event welcomed members of the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance, who led a hands-on workshop for high-school students.

"The School of Nursing鈥檚 Simulation Centre is excited to work with nursing students to support future health-care professionals," said Laura Nicholson, a professor in the School of Nursing and director of the NSC. "Annually, since 2018, the Nursing Simulation Centre has been working with high-school student groups and various camps to showcase elements of nursing to prospective students."

As part of the Science Engagement Programs visit to the NSC 鈥� a collaboration celebrating a decade of inspiring the next generation of health-care professionals 鈥� students from 91亚色 U's Mini-Med School 1.0 and 2.0 summer camps were treated to a morning full of engaging experiences complementing their camp curriculum focused on exploring the science behind the health-care system. The objective for the Mini-Med School 1.0 workshop participants was to learn how to take a pulse, while the Mini-Med School 2.0 students learned how to measure blood pressure.

The NSC was able to host these prospective future health-care leaders because of the support provided by the enthusiastic team of facilitators made up of 91亚色 U graduates and current students from direct-entry, collaborative and second-degree undergraduate nursing programs. The facilitators were organized by Igor Kabanov, director of the Nursing Student Tutoring, Ambassadorship & Mentorship Programs (NSTAMP), a student-led peer support organization that provides services to help ensure nursing students have a positive experience at 91亚色 U.

For the other NSC community outreach initiative this summer, the centre worked closely with James Ehiagwina, president of the 91亚色 chapter of the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance (CBNA-YU), and the wider CBNA team to plan and implement a three-hour workshop for high-school students from the Greater Toronto Area.

Outreach and planning for the workshop were supported by the 91亚色 U-TD Community Engagement Centre (CEC), which seeks to support Faculties in community engagement initiatives. The CEC also provided bus tickets for student attendees, in an effort to reduce barriers to participation. Facilitated by members of CBNA and NSTAMP, the workshop taught participants how to put on personal protective equipment and assess a patient, among other practical skills.

"This summer, the sessions were facilitated by record numbers of nursing graduates and current students," said Nicholson. "The professionalism, knowledge and skill displayed by the facilitators was outstanding. They displayed not only passion for the nursing profession but a commitment to educating the next generation."

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The latest issue of 91亚色鈥檚 nationally recognized, student-run literary magazine, Existere, features new fiction, non-fiction, art and poetry from a diverse array of Canadian literature鈥檚 rising stars. Available for purchase now at the 91亚色 Bookstore, Existere, vol. 43 includes work by Francesca Ekwuyasi, who was awarded the Writers鈥� Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers in 2022; acclaimed poet Ellen Chang-Richardson; Saeed Teebi, a finalist for the 2022 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize; and Fiddlehead Poetry Book Prize winner Fawn Parker. The issue's cover was created by Kate Sinclair, lead designer at Penguin Random House Canada.

While previous issues of Existere relied on open calls for international writers, the latest issue presents a curated mix of local and national contributors. The new approach is the result of intentional editorial direction and decision-making by new faculty advisors 鈥� Matthew Bucemi and Christopher Morris, both assistant professors in the Writing Department 鈥� and new student editors currently enrolled in the Writing Department.

Bucemi, whose professional experience in publishing includes serving as a founding managing editor for Sutherland House, wanted to lead the magazine in this different direction. Having taken on the role of faculty advisor in Summer 2023, he leveraged his experience and connections to implement a new approach that prioritized experiential education and community engagement.

With Bucemi鈥檚 guidance, students reimagined the magazine鈥檚 mandate to emphasize dynamic art that reflects Canada鈥檚 equally dynamic communities. Students actively identified local and national artists and directly solicited submissions that fit the new mandate.

Morris, a published poet and former technical writer, also lent expertise to Existere鈥檚 student editors who implemented the magazine鈥檚 reimagined vision. 鈥淲ith Dr. Bucemi鈥檚 insights from his time as an editor and with student leaders who truly love art, literature and collaboration, Existere has quickly become a unique professional development opportunity for 91亚色 students, as shown by the high quality of this latest issue," said Morris.

Earlier this summer, the magazine's student leadership team hosted a launch party on 91亚色 U's Keele Campus to celebrate the release of the new issue. Held at Founders Assembly Hall, more than 50 guests were in attendance to hear readings from contributors and to help the magazine raise over $400 for future publications.

Reflecting on their achievement, the student leadership team expressed gratitude and pride. 鈥淲e know how difficult it can be to navigate school and Existere,鈥� they said, 鈥渆specially while we found our footing with the revamp鈥� We truly feel we鈥檝e made something amazing this year.鈥�

Existere was founded and first published at Vanier College in 1978. The journal is currently stewarded by 91亚色鈥檚 Writing Department as a venue to showcase emerging and established Canadian talent 鈥� and as a place for 91亚色 students to gain valuable, hands-on, pre-professional experience in editing and publication production.

To support the magazine, visit .

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Not long ago, self-driving cars were merely the stuff of science fiction. Today, however, researchers across the globe are diligently working to integrate autonomous vehicles (AVs) into everyday life. Among these trailblazers is a team of students from 91亚色鈥檚 Lassonde School of Engineering who achieved a second-place win in the Self-Driving Car Student Competition at the 2024 American Control Conference in Toronto last month.

One of the most prestigious conferences in the field of control systems, it brings together experts from academia, government, and industry to share creative ideas and network with like-minded individuals. The Self-Driving Car Student Competition, sponsored by Quanser 鈥� a company that designs and manufactures engineered lab equipment 鈥� provides an opportunity for student researchers to apply their critical thinking skills and solve technical challenges faced by autonomous vehicles.

The competing team from Lassonde, known as Full Throttle 鈥� Spacecraft Dynamics Control and Navigation (SDCN), was led by Mingfeng Yuan, a postdoctoral researcher working under the supervision of Jinjun Shan, a professor in the Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering.

As the only Canadian team at the competition, the Full Throttle 鈥� SDCN team's award-winning performance highlighted their technical expertise and capacity to represent Canada on a global stage.

The team also included PhD candidates Hunter Schofield and Yida Zang, MASc candidate Amal Haridevan and undergraduate students Hao Zhang and Yiqun Ma.

鈥淪elf-driving cars are complex systems, and it鈥檚 impossible for a single person to design and debug the entire system on their own in a short period of time,鈥� says Yuan. 鈥淭he success we achieved at this competition was a result of the unity and full commitment of our team.鈥�

The competition was structured into three distinct phases, starting with an initial pool of 40 teams, representing 28 universities and 15 countries.

First, teams developed and validated solutions using a cutting-edge digital twin platform for self-driving cars. This phase was followed by the implementation of solutions on actual hardware.

The final and most difficult challenge took place at the American Control Conference, where teams navigated a complex circuit with a fully operational self-driving car. This stage required expert-level programming, as teams ensured their car demonstrated impeccable driving accuracy and appropriately responded to street signs, traffic lights and various obstacles.

The high-pressure environment put the team鈥檚 programming and problem-solving skills to the ultimate test.

鈥淓vents like this are incredibly valuable for the student experience,鈥� says Yuan. 鈥淭hey foster team spirit and provide an opportunity to apply our knowledge in a practical setting.鈥�

In addition to the educational experience gained by participating students, this competition allowed the Full Throttle 鈥� SDCN team to meaningfully contribute to the exciting future of the AV market.

鈥淎utonomous vehicles are revolutionizing the transportation industry due to their potential to enhance safety, improve driving efficiency and increase vehicle accessibility,鈥� explains Yuan. 鈥淭he applications for AVs are vast, diverse, and have the potential to reshape cities, economies and our daily lives.鈥�

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Fifteen undergraduate students, from across Faculties and disciplines, travelled to South Korea for a Global Political Studies course designed to immerse undergraduates in the history and culture of the country 鈥� both academically and experientially.

Each year, students in the course South Korea: The Politics of Youth and Old Age participate in a unique opportunity representative of 91亚色鈥檚 commitment to experiential education.

Beginning with one week of study at 91亚色 U鈥檚 Keele Campus, students in the course embark on a three-week trip to Seoul, South Korea. There, the students 鈥渢ake advantage of every opportunity to understand, and participate in, Korean society,鈥� notes Professor Thomas Klassen, who teaches the annual course.

This year, in addition to absorbing the culture through visiting museums, palaces and temples, the students learned to cook, watched live shows and a professional baseball game. They also met with staff at the Canadian Embassy in Seoul for a presentation on Canadian diplomacy and the life of diplomats. The course 鈥� and trip 鈥� concluded with a full-day guided tour to the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. Kavindi Perera, a student in the course, says, 鈥淕etting to visit and study in South Korea was a dream come true for me. I was able to learn and experience so much.鈥�

During their visit, students spent two days collaborating with Korean undergraduate students at Chung-Ang University, exchanging knowledge on 鈥� and designing solutions to 鈥� major social problems in both Canada and Korea.    

Each student developed a research project while in Seoul, covering topics such as the K-pop industry, gender inequality, Korean beauty standards, fertility trends, education fever and international relations. Speaking and observing Koreans, seeing local advertisements and clothing, and living in Seoul provided students with a rich knowledge base that would have been impossible to obtain otherwise.  

鈥淚 learned enormously by being immersed in Korean culture, politics and society," says student Alex Singh. "The knowledge I acquired helped me grow as a person and will be an integral part of my university education.鈥�

Another student, Samantha McConnell, says the course was 鈥渢he greatest and most fun adventure of my academic career.鈥�

Klassen adds, 鈥淭he students learned more, not only about Korea but about themselves. They returned with a much deeper understanding of the world around them, but also their place in it, and the possibilities they have to make positive changes."

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Students from 91亚色 have an opportunity to collaborate with students from Japan鈥檚 Mukogawa Women鈥檚 University this month as the result of a (GNL) award granted to Lisa Sandlos, a contract faculty member in 91亚色 U鈥檚 School of Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies and the Faculty of Education, by the GNL team at 91亚色 International.

GNL is an approach to teaching and learning that enables people from different locations worldwide to work together on knowledge-making processes and research projects. It provides cross-cultural opportunities for students who might not have the chance to study abroad 鈥� a definite benefit in today鈥檚 global economy.

Sandlos will be pairing students in her summer course GSWS/DANC4528 3.0 鈥� Feminism, Dance and The Body: Performance, Movement and Transformation 鈥� with students in a course at Mukogawa Women鈥檚 University taught by Naoko Murakoshi, who offers a seminar focusing on somatic movement, education and dance. The two women studied together in a professional training program at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre (now called the Dance Arts Institute) and were faculty colleagues at 91亚色 U for several years before Murakoshi returned to teach in her native Japan.

Thanks to a Hyogo Overseas Research Network fellowship, Sandlos was able to travel to Japan this spring and plan the GNL exercise with Murakoshi in person.

鈥淏ecause we are considering bodies, movement and dance, it was helpful to be together in a physical space with her students,鈥� Sandlos said. 鈥淚 was there doing research, but I also taught five classes and gave a lecture on gender, sexuality and sexualization in competitive dance.鈥�

Murakoshi noted, 鈥淚t was good to have Lisa here so we could create the GNL plans together. The process is very important, and we wanted to share our thoughts.鈥�

The 91亚色 U course, which began at the end of June, is six weeks long. Sandlos introduced the GNL component during the second class, and provided another assignment option for students who preferred not to participate.

As part of the GNL component, both students in each pair will create a video 鈥渁bout any aspect of their identity that they wish to share,鈥� Sandlos said. 鈥淭hey will then observe their partner鈥檚 video and write a reflection on what they observe and what they have experienced. They will also reflect on what the body can tell us, especially through movement and dance.鈥�

Once the students begin the project, they will be able to work either asynchronously or synchronously, but the 13-hour time difference will likely play a part in their decisions.

Through this project, the two professors hope their students will gain an understanding of the cultural and social dimensions of movement.

鈥淚deas about the body are social and cultural and aren鈥檛 fixed,鈥� Sandlos said. 鈥淲hen we communicate cross-culturally, we realize that people collectively create their understanding about the world and the body. Movement is culturally coded and we need to understand the level of diversity that exists in order to communicate effectively.鈥�

Murakoshi noted that bodies are socially conditioned. In Eastern philosophy and Japanese culture, she explained, small gestures can carry great meaning.

鈥淭his exchange will help the students start to reveal their own biases and understand that how they perceive things is societal,鈥� said Murakoshi. 鈥淭his is revealed clearly when they exchange movement, and I want them to experience that with peers.鈥�

Sandlos hopes students will find the GNL project informative, not only as a cross-cultural exchange but as experiential education, which was her impetus for creating it.

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A recent initiative highlights how 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC) is helping high-school students reach their potential as the next generation of sustainable changemakers.

With the ongoing climate challenges the world faces, the need for active citizenship and environmental stewardship has never been greater. It鈥檚 why EUC has made an ongoing effort to provide climate, sustainability and social justice education for the leaders of tomorrow.

The Faculty fulfills that goal with the students currently enrolled in its post-secondary programs, but it doesn't want to stop there. Among its key objectives, EUC commits to frequently offering high-school outreach activities that provide resources, hands-on skill building opportunities and support to young people who want to make a difference in the world.

Big events, like February鈥檚 annual iteration of the 鈥� which welcomed 500 Ontario high-school students and their teachers to 91亚色 U's Keele Campus for a day of environmental education and inspiration 鈥� are part of those efforts. Smaller initiatives are part of them, too 鈥� like the recent Design Thinking Challenge event in May, attended by 60 students and teachers from several 91亚色 Region schools.

The event offered local students two programming tracks. The first was a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) ICE Challenge Case Competition, which tasked participating students to come up with a sustainable architectural solution for redesigning the front entrance and foyer of the Health, Nursing & Environmental Studies Building on 91亚色鈥檚 Keele Campus.

The second track was a new extracurricular Urban Solutions program, where students presented their solutions to global challenges, ranging from language accessibility in the Toronto Transit Commission system to disaster relief in Haiti.

Once students worked through their projects, they had a chance to present their design proposals and get feedback from Abidin Kusno, EUC professor and undergraduate program co-ordinator; Teresa Abbruzzesse, EUC professor and Cities, Regions, Planning program co-ordinator; and Laura Taylor, co-author of the SHSM challenge, professor and master of environmental studies Planning program co-ordinator.

鈥淭he students came up with some ingenious solutions for the challenge that was presented to them,鈥� said Philip Kelly, professor and interim dean of EUC.

One example was a student who presented a proposal to solve period poverty 鈥� the inability to afford feminine hygiene products 鈥� in Uganda, building upon her existing interest in gender equality. Her solution was a more sustainable, accessible, disposable pad that would be produced using locally sourced materials.

For students, EUC initiatives like this can provide experiential learning opportunities that are rewarding in more ways than one. In this case, the event featured several prizes: the Feasibility Laureate award for the most practical and easy-to-implement solution; the Empathy Emblem award for the solution that shows the deepest understanding of the users; and the Impact Pioneer Plaque award for the solution with the greatest potential for positive impact.

EUC hopes experiences like these 鈥� representative of the Faculty's broader efforts with high-school students 鈥� are rewarding in other ways, too.

鈥淭he event offers students early exposure to higher educational environments, which can motivate students to pursue further education and set higher academic and career goals,鈥� said Brittany Giglio, EUC recruitment and liaison officer. 鈥淭hese partnerships contribute significantly to the development of well-prepared, motivated and successful individuals.鈥�

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91亚色鈥檚 Las Nubes Campus in Costa Rica is serving as a home base for its first-ever Eco-Arts Residency, an intensive, 10-day course being offered by two professors from the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD).

Professor Brandon Vickerd, a sculptor, as well as theatre and performance artist Laura Levin, director of Sensorium 鈥� a 91亚色 research centre for digital arts and technology 鈥� are leading a group of 25 students in research centred on the Alexander Skutch Biological Corridor preserve and communities near Las Nubes.

The course focuses on developing research methodologies and strategies for building community-driven, site-oriented, collaborative approaches to art production.

鈥淐urrent studio courses focus on students' artistic skills and don鈥檛 teach them how to go to a community, make connections and respond to the reality of the environment, the politics and the institutions while producing meaningful works,鈥� said Vickerd. 鈥淭his residency-based course provides such an opportunity.鈥�

The students are living with families in the local villages, two per home, and taking part in a curated, daily schedule of activities and exploration. Their experience began in San Jos茅, Costa Rica鈥檚 capital, with two days of visiting theatre companies and museums before travelling to Las Nubes. Once there, they were able to get a sense of the landscape, the people, the economy and politics.

鈥淭hey will engage with the larger questions of the course in a site-specific way,鈥� Levin said. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l visit local farms, and 鈥� informed by their readings on food sovereignty 鈥� they鈥檒l learn first-hand about the challenges of individuals running small farms in the global food system. 

鈥淲e鈥檒l also travel to an Indigenous village that is the home of the Boruca people, a group that has developed over time an intricate mask-making tradition and a youth theatre company that imaginatively incorporates those masks. There will be a lot of hands-on engagement with cultural producers.鈥�

One of the students鈥� other major tasks is to assist with producing ExpoCOBAS, an annual festival organized by the local community designed to celebrate and consolidate identity around the Alexander Skutch Biological Corridor. It鈥檚 an exercise that will include everything from making pi帽atas to putting on a student art showcase to brainstorming about activities that will engage young people.

鈥淭here are important lessons we鈥檇 like our students to absorb,鈥� said Vickerd of the residency鈥檚 goals. 鈥淲e want to show them that they can engage with the environment in a variety of ways. We also want them to understand what it means to engage ethically with a community and collaborate, to engage in social action. They need to understand what鈥檚 important about a culture and how they can contribute with support and understanding, meaningfully adding to its health.鈥�

Levin noted that some students had never travelled to Latin America before undertaking this residency, offering an additional opportunity for some.

鈥淲e want them to learn what it means for artists not to be tourists and how to negotiate their experiences in a thoughtful way, rather than viewing the community as a spectacle to be consumed,鈥� Levin said.

Vickerd and Levin are providing the students with creative prompts and exercises to help them engage with the unique landscape, such as participating in outdoor classes or hiking in the rainforest.

鈥淭hey won鈥檛 be able to sit back,鈥� said Vickerd. 鈥淭his course is about engagement.鈥�

Po Kuen Cheung, a graphic designer and mature visual art and art history student who is studying part time for a degree, is one of the students registered for the intensive Las Nubes course.

鈥淚 want to explore the wonderful world of art when I retire, and when I saw the Costa Rica course, it matched exactly what I want to do 鈥� explore what happens elsewhere,鈥� said Cheung. 鈥淚t will be an experience of a lifetime.鈥�

Once he and his fellow students return home, they will have the opportunity to reflect on the experience and translate it into either an essay or artistic output.

鈥淭his experience allows them to think about how to explore and explain the world in a different way,鈥� Vickerd said.

Their responses, whatever form they take, will enrich the understanding of others, giving what they鈥檝e learned a broader impact.

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When a group of researchers approached Professor Angela Norwood to ask about hiring a few of her 91亚色 design students to provide data visualization for the results of one of their studies, Norwood saw an opportunity to provide the students with a career-enhancing experience.

In anticipation of Congress 2023, the annual meeting of the Federation for the Social Sciences & Humanities hosted by 91亚色, a research team led by 91亚色鈥檚 Laina Bay-Cheng and Sarah Flicker, along with Jen Gilbert, needed some visual help.

Their mixed-methods study looked at the risks to which LGBTQ and racialized young women ages 16 to 22 were exposed during COVID-19 in three cities: Melbourne, New 91亚色 and Toronto. The researchers sent out surveys, conducted interviews and had the participants maintain timelines of their risk-taking behaviours. They wanted the resulting data to be translated into a pop-up display for Congress.

The team approached Norwood, who applied for an Academic Innovation Fund grant and created a special topics course, Representing Risk: A Physical and Virtual Pop-Up Gallery, which would turn students into consultants for the research team.

Twenty-three students registered for the course, which was designed as a vertical studio 鈥� meaning that design students from second to fourth years could enrol.

鈥淚t allowed students to mix with others from different years and offered an opportunity for everyone to contribute,鈥� Norwood said.

鈥淚t was the perfect bridge between the worlds of design and education,鈥� said Helen Han, a 91亚色 master of fine arts graduate working toward a PhD in education, who Norwood hired as her research assistant for the project.

The researchers visited the class to present the data and discuss ways it could be shared with the study participants, other researchers and the public. They collaboratively decided on a website with interactive visuals from the data set and a pop-up gallery that could travel.

The students formed teams to work on various aspects of the project, often resulting in a fruitful mix of perspectives and collaboration.

鈥淭he youth in the class saw things differently than the older principal investigators, and they had to be open to new ways of seeing the data,鈥� Norwood noted as an example.

The project resulted in a significant experiential education opportunity. 鈥淧rofessor Norwood made it possible for students to bring theory to life in class,鈥� said Han.

鈥淲e allowed them space to reach their goal, and the work mirrored real life as professional designers,鈥� said Norwood.

As for the end result? 鈥淭hey came up with totally dynamic, fantastic ideas, and any failures (problems) were just as interesting as the successes, because we learned a lot about collaborating with designers and about the data itself,鈥� praised Gilbert. 鈥淭he students amplified the voices of the young people in our research through their design choices.鈥� 

The pop-up exhibit was featured at Congress 2023 and will be viewed in the other cities involved in the study, too. The researchers held a launch for the exhibit, attended by their design partners, who are grateful for the collaboration.

鈥淲e鈥檒l definitely always build a design element into future research projects,鈥� said Gilbert. 鈥淲e also learned that it would be valuable to collaborate with designers from the beginning, because their design thinking can help us hone our research questions.鈥�

Norwood, too, is open to overseeing future collaborations between her students and researchers.

鈥淚t was very much about the process of getting to the final product,鈥� Norwood said. 鈥淭he students brought all their advanced technical skills to the project and left understanding more about teamwork, peer mentorship and social science methodology.

鈥淭hey know more about themselves as designers and what design can contribute to projects like this.鈥�

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Fourth-year mechanical engineering student Rehan Rashid, in 91亚色's Lassonde School of Engineering, always dreamed of working at NASA 鈥� the ultimate goal of every space enthusiast. He's already done so three times now, thanks to internships and his time at 91亚色.

Inspired by stories he had heard of Lassonde students forging their own paths in space engineering and beyond, Rashid made the most of his time at Lassonde by getting involved in student clubs, extracurricular activities and programs that would allow him the opportunity to pursue his passions beyond the classroom.

With support from Lassonde, Rashid completed three internships at NASA during his undergraduate years. And he will soon begin his fourth, at the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, where he will be working on a project about novel carbon utilization-based technology for the lunar surface. These internships, he says, have been instrumental to his academic and career progression.

鈥淢y internship experiences at NASA have strengthened my passion for space exploration and energy storage technology,鈥� says Rashid.

His internships took place at three different NASA locations: Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va.; Johnson Space Center in Houston; and Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Fla. As part of the internships, Rashid conducted several research projects, including designing, fabricating and testing new battery designs for electric aircraft. He was also recognized as a NASA Innovator for his work on a compact, plasma-based elemental analyzer for astronauts in the International Space Station.

Beyond knowledge acquisition, skill development and invaluable real-world experience, each of these internships nurtured Rashid鈥檚 fascination with space, providing him ample opportunities to witness launches for companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin and, of course, NASA itself. During his first internship, in 2022, he also had the pleasure of meeting several astronauts who were preparing for upcoming space missions.

鈥淢y advice to students is to get involved early on,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 strongly recommend participating in extracurricular activities, especially the clubs offered at Lassonde. There are numerous organizations and programs that students can join to gain hands-on experience, like the 91亚色 Robotics Society and Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology program.鈥�

Doing just that has allowed Rashid to not only make his mark on NASA, and fulfill his dream of working there, but build on 91亚色's ever-growing leadership in fields of study focused on what lies outside the Earth's atmosphere.

Rashid鈥檚 extraordinary undergraduate experience has prepared him well for the next step of his academic journey, as a master鈥檚 candidate at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. As for where will he end up after that, the sky's the limit.

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