Changemakers Archives - Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS)

Sustainability in action: 91��ɫ alumni named leaders for driving environmental change

vinish — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 13:16:44 +0000

Two 91��ɫ alumni are among Canada’s 2025 Clean50 leaders for their innovative and lasting contributions to environmental impact and climate action. Each year, the Clean50 Awards celebrate 50 individuals from across Canada whose work over the previous two years has created measurable progress toward a cleaner, more sustainable future. This year, two 91��ɫ alumni have earned recognition, reflecting the University’s continued leadership in preparing graduates who create lasting environmental impact across industries and communities.

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Global health PhD at 91��ɫ empowers future changemakers

vinish — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 12:59:52 +0000

When 91��ɫ opened its new PhD program in global health last September, the world was still grappling with the aftershocks of COVID-19, a surge in drug-resistant infections and the ethical dilemmas posed by artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine. In a country where most doctoral programs remain rooted in traditional academic structures, 91��ɫ is betting on a bold, interdisciplinary approach—one designed to break barriers between fields, countries and the worlds of research and real-world impact.

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Future business leaders drive social innovation in Costa Rica

vinish — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:16:59 +0000

In the lush hills of Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica, 91��ɫ’s Las Nubes EcoCampus shows how education can cross borders. At its centre is Casita Azul, a modest one-room library that serves as a hub for cultural exchange, community empowerment and collaboration. Recently, Casita Azul received a donation from Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA (EMBA) students at the Schulich School of Business – a gesture inspired by their experience during the program’s capstone course. But, this story is about more than a donation; it’s about how a week in Costa Rica is reshaping how future business leaders see their role in addressing global challenges.

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King Charles III Coronation Medal honours 91��ɫ U community members

vinish — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 19:22:53 +0000

More than 20 91��ɫ community members have been recognized with a prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal, a commemorative honour awarded to individuals in recognition of their outstanding contributions to public service and society. Recipients of the King Charles III medal are recognized for their meaningful impact across various sectors, including education, research, public policy and social advocacy. The medal particularly honours individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in their communities, long-standing dedication to Canada’s well-being and efforts that foster positive change both nationally and beyond.

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91��ɫ celebrates International Women’s Day

vinish — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 15:43:01 +0000

On March 8, people around the world will celebrate the contributions of girls and women, giving focus to issues such as gender equality, gender-based violence and violations, and reproductive justice. 91��ɫ has a long-standing reputation for its leadership in gender equality scholarship and research. The collective efforts of our students, faculty, course instructors, staff and alumni have significantly advanced the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality and are aligned with the United Nations’ 2025 theme for International Women’s Day: For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.

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From research to revolution: women in academia lead the charge for gender equality

vinish — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 13:35:12 +0000

International Women’s Day 2025, themed “Accelerate Action,” emphasizes the urgent need for gender equality. This year's focus is on creating a world where diversity is celebrated, inclusion is integral and differences are valued. Women, especially in academia, are at the forefront, challenging norms and reshaping disciplines. Alice MacLachlan, vice-provost and dean at 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Graduate Studies, highlights the critical need for gender equity in addressing global challenges. “There has never been a more important time to accelerate action around gender parity,” says MacLachlan. “The world is facing an increasing number of urgent and almost existential threats. From climate change to political instability, economic disparity to mental health crises – as well as ongoing calls for decolonization, inclusion, and meaningful justice – each of these challenges requires the participation and leadership of women at all levels.” Women’s leadership, she says, is essential in tackling these issues.

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91��ɫ alumna harnesses healing power of equine therapy

vinish — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:18:53 +0000

In the quiet paddocks of her 22.5-acre farm, Lyndsey McKeown offers a therapeutic experience that is deeply personal and grounded in nature. Instead of sitting across from a therapist in a clinical setting, her clients interact with miniature donkeys, spend time with retired racehorses, or share reflective moments with Trillium, a retired Toronto Police Service Clydesdale. These animal-assisted therapy sessions provide a unique way for clients to process emotions, rebuild trust and heal. McKeown works with The Trauma Centre, an organization based in Sharon, Ont., specializing in mental health services for individuals affected by trauma. From her clinical office in Sharon—a village within East Gwillimbury, just 48 km north of Toronto—and on her farm in nearby Whitchurch-Stouffville, she provides therapy to first responders, military veterans and others burdened by experiences too heavy for words.

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91��ɫ U grad makes cancer research breakthrough during PhD studies

vinish — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 16:50:36 +0000

Research out of 91��ɫ has made history as the first to document that muscle weakness precedes muscle wasting in cancer—a groundbreaking discovery that presents new possibilities for early detection and treatment of the disease.

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91��ɫ U alumna makes history as Ghana’s first female vice-president

vinish — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 14:24:17 +0000

When Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang was sworn in as Ghana’s first female vice-president on Jan. 7, it marked the latest barrier shattered by the 91��ɫ alumna.

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91��ɫ SDG toolkit earns prestigious nomination

vinish — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 17:39:00 +0000

The 91��ɫ SDGs-in-the-Classroom Toolkit, designed to assist the interdisciplinary infusion of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in academic curriculums, recently earned a prestigious spot as an international finalist for the Green Gown Awards, which recognize exceptional sustainability initiatives. It serves as culmination of the pioneering journey to create it.

The seed of the SDG toolkit began in 2021 with Provostial Fellow and Professor Cheryl van Daalen-Smith. She wanted to create shared practices to promote and enable the infusion of all 17 SDGs into classrooms across 91��ɫ campuses and disciplines.

A community of practice was formed with over 60 educators and the decision was made that a toolkit could be a useful communal resource. Tracy Bhoola, a SDGs project coordinator and manager in the Graduate Supervisory Support Hub and former ESL instructor, as well as doctoral student and research assistant Nitima Bhatia, were enlisted to create a comprehensive online tool that would help faculty across 91��ɫ better integrate SDGs into learning environments through discussions, lessons or curriculums.

But what should that toolkit look like?

Bhoola and Bhatia first turned to faculty, creating a survey asking participants what they would want out of the SDG toolkit, how they would use it, and what would make it most user-friendly.

“We wanted to know how we can make things easier and simpler for everybody so that they can access it,” says Bhatia.

The survey provided two guiding principles: faculty wanted relevant resources to be accessible in three clicks or less, and that they be organized by discipline and individual SDG.

“That forced us to make sure we were organized and ask, ‘Could we get people what they wanted,’” says Bhoola.

The pair began researching what toolkits may already exist at other academic institutions to gain inspiration from how they were organized. They found nothing comparable to what they had in mind for 91��ɫ. As for possible resources to include in the toolkits, most were only applicable to elementary education – not college or university.

It fell then to Bhatia and Bhoola to be something of pioneers, investing uncountable hours to not only find existing resources and materials, but then adapt them for the university level curriculums. Along the way they leveraged their unique experiences and perspectives as teacher and student to aid the project, assessing resources based on how they might use them.

The pair also continued to draw on faculty feedback, not just from the survey but ongoing collaborations. “They needed to be involved because if people are asked questions and are involved in each step of the process, they’re invested more,” Bhoola says.

Since its launch, the toolkit has been accessed by educators and students from over 50 countries, expanding its pool of collaborators along the way. Within Canada, for example, George Brown College reached out to partner on expanding the toolkit’s experiential education section, the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business added to the business section, and the University of British Columbia contributed to the wellness section. International institutions have reached out to provide content as well.

“It’s nice to have that collaboration and build on that community, so it’s not just the 91��ɫ community—it’s beyond,” says Bhoola.

The external collaborations following the toolkit’s launch have been important too in contributing to one of the team’s major ongoing goals. “It’s not just that we got these resources and we created this toolkit and that’s it,” says Bhatia. “We wanted it to be a living and breathing thing.”

As the toolkit moves forward and evolves, that’s something Bhoola and Bhatia want to remind internal collaborators too, urging faculty to continue sharing how they’re using the toolkit, what resources they like and if there’s something missing that they would like to see.

As Bhatia and Bhoola reflect on the year since the tool launched—and the recent Green Gown Awards finalist nomination—they feel grateful for the engagement. “It validates our efforts, and the hours upon hours that we’ve put into it,” says Bhoola.

It also gives them a push, says Bhatia. “It keeps inspiring us, giving us the motivation and encouragement to keep going.” Bhoola agrees: “It reinforces our commitment towards the SDGs and our toolkit.”

That commitment remains strong, especially as both are very cognizant of the stakes and potential impact the SDGs can have.

“If we can help bring those to them, or put them into the classroom, that’s what’s going to drive the change in the future,” says Bhoola. “We need to make sure that we’re constantly there for teachers and students so that they can right the future.”

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