Faculty of Graduate Studies Archives - Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS)

91��ɫ study explores how fire could help fight the spread of tick-borne diseases

qings — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:32:41 +0000

As climate change warms the planet, a new study led by 91��ɫ postdoctoral fellow Marco Tosato examines the risks and potential solutions associated with a growing consequence: the spread of disease-carrying ticks into new regions. “Climate change is rapidly expanding habitats for ticks and mosquitoes across Canada, driving up rates of Lyme disease and introducing newer threats like anaplasmosis into regions where they weren't previously seen,” says Tosato, who works through the Faculty of Science's Laboratory of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LIAM).

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91��ɫ study finds smarter way to collect city data

qings — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:18:54 +0000

As cities face growing pressure to manage transportation networks, infrastructure and public services using smart-sensing systems, new research led by 91��ɫ suggests there may be a more effective – and economical – way to collect data. Urban planners depend on data to support decisions ranging from parking management and road maintenance to traffic operations and environmental monitoring, explains Elham Heydari-Gharaei, the study’s first author and 91��ɫ PhD alum. Collecting that information across an entire city, however, can require expensive networks of fixed sensors.

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91��ɫ PhD alum explores Soviet diaspora through American ballroom dance

qings — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:17:54 +0000

David Outevsky, a 91��ɫ PhD alum, has published Soviet Diaspora in American Ballroom based on his doctoral dissertation at 91��ɫ, which explores the historical journey of migrant ballroom dancers from post-Soviet countries to North America. Through movement analysis, author David Outevsky dissects their daily training and international performances to analyze the commodification and politicization of DanceSport in the current neo-Cold War climate.

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91��ɫ researcher explores safer, more reliable space manufacturing

qings — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:24:10 +0000

As space agencies and private companies explore the possibility of 3D-printing large structures in orbit, new research by Fuhzen Yao, a PhD candidate in the Lassonde School of Engineering, is helping address a challenge that could shape whether those ambitions become reality. Traditionally, spacecraft components such as satellites, antennas and solar arrays are built on Earth and launched fully assembled. That approach limits their size because everything must fit inside a rocket before launch. Those constraints, coupled with advances in 3D-printing technology, have fuelled interest in in-space additive manufacturing (ISAM), a process that uses 3D printing to create infrastructure in space rather than on Earth.

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91��ɫ alumni recognized for research on refugee leadership, health equity

qings — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:12:03 +0000

Two recent Faculty of Graduate Studies alumni have received national awards from prestigious Canadian scholarly associations for research examining how systems and policies influence access, opportunity and equity in communities affected by global development challenges. Patrick Abure (MA’26), who graduated from the Development Studies (DVST) program, received the Canadian Association for the Study of International Development (CASID) Institutional Membership Prize for his student essay Institutionalising Legitimacy: Gendered Gatekeeping, Women Refugee-Led Organisations, and the Limits of Localisation in Uganda. Valerie Lawson (MA’25), also a graduate of DVST, received the 2026 Fraser Taylor Prize from the Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS), which recognizes the best graduate student paper presented at the previous CAAS conference and supports publication of the winning paper in the Canadian Journal of African Studies.

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Greenbelt critical to Ontario’s ecological future, 91��ɫ U report finds

qings — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:07:22 +0000

Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change Professor Eric Miller as well as lead author and PhD student Peri Dworatzek have published a report titled The Ecological Value of Ontario’s Greenbelt which examines the protected natural and agricultural lands through the lens of biocapacity – the ability of land and ecosystems to provide resources and absorb environmental impacts. Prepared by the 91��ɫ Ecological Footprint Initiative for the Greenbelt Foundation, the report finds the Greenbelt provides significantly greater ecological biocapacity per hectare than the rest of Ontario, averaging 2.8 global hectares versus 1.02.

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Turning food waste into sustainable chemicals: 91��ɫ study investigates

qings — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:02:04 +0000

What if food waste could be transformed into something useful instead of ending up in landfill? A new 91��ɫ-led study suggests carefully selected microorganisms could help recover valuable chemicals from discarded food while reducing the energy needed to produce them. “When we think of environmental sustainability, we often immediately think about newer energy-efficient technologies. Organic waste treatment becomes rather an afterthought,” says Reema Kumar, a PhD candidate at 91��ɫ's Lassonde School of Engineering and lead author of the study.

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91��ɫ researchers help drive close to $15M in SSHRC partnership funding

qings — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:43:25 +0000

91��ɫ researchers are at the forefront of six major Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)-funded partnership grants worth close to $15 million, including a 91��ɫ-led international network examining how AI is transforming refugee decision making and access to justice worldwide. The Partnership Grants funding, announced by SSHRC on July 21, supports large-scale partnerships that bring together universities, governments, community organizations and international collaborators to address complex social, environmental and policy challenges.

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91��ɫ prof explores AI safeguards for youth mental health

qings — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:21:11 +0000

As AI chatbots become a growing source of advice, guidance and emotional support for young people, 91��ɫ postdoctoral researcher Abeer Badawi from the Faculty of Health is investigating the risks associated with these interactions and how the technology can be made safer. Drawing on recent research findings, usage statistics and her own work, Badawi has observed that chatbot use is increasing, with many people turning to these tools not only for information and practical assistance, but also for advice, emotional guidance and support with personal decisions.

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How mud play helps children connect with nature

qings — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:03:11 +0000

What if one of childhood’s messiest experiences could deepen a child’s connection to the natural world? That question is at the heart of 91��ɫ PhD student Ayesha Menezes’ doctoral research. Through her work, Menezes explores how mud play helps children see themselves as part of the natural world, fostering care, responsibility and belonging. Her research comes as many children have fewer opportunities for unstructured outdoor play and engagement with nature. Risk-averse settings and busy urban lifestyles have reduced interaction with the natural world, prompting Menezes to understand how learning might look different if it emerged through children’s relationships with the land, water, weather and natural materials around them.

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