LA&PS students honoured at the 2026 Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Awards 

On Wednesday, May 6, 91ÑÇÉ« students were celebrated as recipients of the 2026 Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award. The award honours Robert J. Tiffin, who served as 91ÑÇɫ’s vice-president, students, for nine years. It recognizes individuals nominated by members of the university community who demonstrate outstanding leadership and make meaningful contributions to 91ÑÇÉ«. 

Recipients from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) include: 

• Isabella Gouveia, bachelor of arts (specialized honours) in history and concurrent education 

• Dipanpreet Kaur, bachelor of arts (honours) in English and professional writing 

• Rubaljeet Kaur, bachelor of commerce (specialized honours) in accounting 

Read more about this year’s award winners in YFile. 

Join us for a special event on Wednesday, Nov. 19, featuring an engaging conversation between fantasy and horror author Ai Jiang and editor Jen Albert. The event be held in the Junior Comms Room, McLaughlin College (MC 014) from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Learn about genre publishing from both sides of the table: learn how to write, get an agent and get your book published— plus discover what it takes to acquire, edit and get your book on store shelves. If you want to write a fantasy, horror, or science fiction book of your own – or if you want to be an editor in the publishing industry who works on these awesome projects – this is a rare opportunity to meet two talented industry heroes who can give you the full picture.

Register for the event.

Rich Shivener and Elizabeth Caravella, professors in the Writing Department at the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, have completed a study exploring how immersive technology is changing how students work. The study, “," was published in the journal Written Communication.

The two researchers used virtual reality (VR) headset recordings to document writing tasks in both virtual and hybrid settings to see how VR would impact writing practices. VR enhanced the writers’ feeling of collaboration by allowing them to share virtual environments but there were also negative aspects to the technology, such as issues with hardware, software and accessibility. However, the researchers concluded that VR holds potential for enhancing the learning experience for both students and educators.

Read the full study published in .

91ÑÇÉ« faculty members were recognized with the President’s University-Wide Teaching Award and among the recipients were four members from the LA&PS community. The award recognizes the contributions made by faculty and instructors to student success and excellence in teaching. The awards were presented at the Spring Convocation and recipients will have their names engraved on plaques displayed in Vari Hall.

Brian Huss, a professor in the Department of Philosophy, was recognized for his ability to spark dialogue in the classroom and for making abstract concepts digestible for learners.

Keith O’Regan, a member of the Writing Department, was honoured for creating programming that helps students improve their writing while contributing to scholarship around teaching and learning.

LA&PS teaching assistants Sarah Vanderveer and Fatemeh Gharibi were recognized for their contributions to inclusive teaching and mentorship.

Read the full story in YFile.

Narrative Director at UBISOFT Toronto, Navid Khavari will participate in a special talk and Q&A in Founders Assembly Hall on April 1 from 6 - 7 p.m. The event will be hosted by Professor Matt Bucemi in the Writing Department.

Navid has turned his passion for games and storytelling into a high-profile career in video game narrative design. This is an exciting opportunity for students to discover how to break into the video game industry as a professional writer. Many students are deeply interested in gaming, but it’s an intimidating and mysterious industry. Navid is exactly the person to dispel these mysteries and to give students the cutting-edge tips that will help them get their foot in the door.

Food will be served.

RSVP by emailing mbucemi@yorku.ca.