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91��ɫ U welcomes six new Schulich Leaders to campuses for the first time

egamulin — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 16:30:00 +0000

Students receive a combined $660K in scholarships, looking to give back to the communities that helped foster their success

Toronto, ON, Sept. 26,�� 2025 — 91��ɫ is proud to have welcomed a record six to campus this September, recipients of Canada’s largest, most prestigious Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) scholarship. The students say they are beyond thrilled to receive the generous scholarship that will allow them to focus on their studies at the Lassonde School of Engineering at 91��ɫ without worrying about financial pressures, and give them the skills they need to apply their technical and creative talents towards positive social change.

Selected from a pool of more than 350,000 candidates across Canada, over 1,400 graduating high school students were nominated, with 100 top recipients receiving the coveted award.

91��ɫ welcomed three times as many recipients in 2025 than it typically has in years past. Recipients pursuing an engineering degree will receive $120,000, while those pursuing a science, technology or math degree will receive $100,000.

“Schulich Leader Scholarships enable Canada’s top universities to attract and retain our exceptional STEM talent here at home, empowering them to become the innovators and entrepreneurs our country needs. When these scholars go on to drive prosperity and strengthen our economy, Canada must ensure the right economic conditions exist so they can build their promising futures here. Supporting their entrepreneurial ambition is essential for turning Canadian ingenuity into lasting national success,” says program founder Seymour Schulich.

Jane Goodyer, dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering, echoes this excitement: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome six Schulich Leaders to Lassonde this year — the most we’ve ever had. Each of these students brings not only academic strength, but also creativity, resilience and a strong drive to make a difference. At Lassonde, we give our students the space and support to turn bold ideas into real-world impact, and I can’t wait to see how this remarkable group will use this platform to shape the future of engineering, science and society.”

Eleen Aliyeva

is a graduate of Bradford DHS in Bradford ON where she was president of the student council, vice-president and co-founder of the coding club. She originally hails from North 91��ɫ and is entering a computer science program at 91��ɫ this fall.

“From a young age, I always had a fascination with technology, and I always asked myself questions like, ‘how does this work?’ and ‘how is this possible?” says Aliyeva. “As I grew up, I found out how science, engineering, mathematics were behind it all.”

Aliyeva, who also speaks French, hopes she can use her education to help and inspire women in STEM and sees herself creating software that has a positive impact on people, whether that be an app, game, or tool, and is excited to work towards that goal in a community of like-minded students at 91��ɫ. She is grateful to the Schulich Foundation for the scholarship that will relieve her from worrying about financing her education.

Wilamina Both

was born in Toronto and grew up in Maple and Woodbridge. She developed a passion for STEM through her involvement in the gifted program at her school and a bridge-building competition, as well as the travels she undertook while playing hockey with the North 91��ɫ Storm.

“It got me interested from a very young age in maps. Learning about all the different ways to get somewhere, such a giant network, I found it so interesting,” says Both. “Hockey was really the place I first found confidence and leadership skills, as it was really empowering for me as a woman to be in that male-dominated space, and in that sense helped prepare me for a career in engineering.”

Both spent her summer after graduation working as a hockey and skating coach and will continue to play hockey for the Mississauga Hurricanes during her time at 91��ɫ. Having completed the 91��ɫ Region Transportation Youth Ambassador program in her final year at Father Bressani Catholic High School, she plans on studying civil engineering at 91��ɫ with a focus on transportation planning.

Edward Drobnis

describes learning that he would be a Schulich Leader as a “surreal” experience.

“It wasn’t just a scholarship, but also a recognition of my dedication to STEM and my efforts to make it more accessible, especially for underrepresented groups.”

As a graduate of Alexander Mackenzie High School in Richmond Hill, he joined his school robotics and coding clubs in the ninth grade. Last year, he won his first hackathon, and since then, Drobnis has helped with organizing hackathons and fundraising to ensure the events were free and accessible.

Drobnis is enrolled in the Digital Technologies program at 91��ɫ’s new Markham Campus, a unique program where Drobnis will combine fulltime paid work at Shopify while he obtains his four-year degree.

“I find it really cool that you gain experience by working at a real company. And I love the innovation as well as the collaboration and mentorship it provides.”

Herman Isayenka

Originally from Belarus, came to Canada at the age of 2 with his family. He grew up in Newmarket and credits his father for his early interest in STEM.

“My dad was a software engineer for my whole life,” says Isayenka, who also speaks Russian. “When I was seven years old, I began my first coding experience with block codes.”

Isayenka continued learning to program, focusing on learning Python and Java during the COVID-19 pandemic, and later worked on projects collaborating with university students. A graduate of Dr. John M. Denison Secondary School, Isayenka hopes to work on projects involving AI, robotics and computer vision during his engineering studies at 91��ɫ and hopes to apply this to a major societal problem post-graduation.

He describes feeling a mixture of happiness, gratitude and humbleness when learning he would be a recipient of the scholarship.

Rehan Jetha

is from the Ottawa South neighbourhood of Greenboro with parents from Kenya and Tanzania who trace their ethnic heritage back to India. A recipient of the Governor General’s Academic Medal, Principal’s Award and a writer’s award from his time at Canterbury High School, the engineering student credits much of his success to the Ismaili Muslim community he grew up in that instilled values of volunteerism, getting a strong education and helping the most vulnerable in society.

Growing up in a multi-generational home with his parents and grandparents sparked his early interest in how STEM could be applied to better the lives of people, with Jetha working on a home automation system for his grandparents at 12 years old in order to address some of the mobility issues they were experiencing.

“I was able to teach them simple English phrases to use the home automation service and that made their lives so much easier,” says Jetha, who also speaks French and Kutchi, a language spoken in Gujarat, India where his grandparents are from. “That really hooked me, that human aspect of STEM.”

Anthony Tu

was curious about how things worked from a very young age, taking apart his toys with a screwdriver to understand how they are put together. A graduate of Chaminade College School in North 91��ɫ where he developed a strong interest in robotics, he credits the encouragement and mentorship of his teachers with helping him become a Schulich Leader.

“A lot of teachers pushed me to take opportunities, especially in the STEM field, whether it was robotics or networking,” says Tu, now studying computer science at 91��ɫ. “Without those opportunities, I don't think I would have had as much experience as I have now.”

Tu, who also speaks Cantonese, was attracted to 91��ɫ for the educational opportunities and also the proximity to the community he grew up in. He would like to apply his studies and interest in robotics in a way where he is able to give back.

“I want to give them, not only the same opportunities, but more opportunities to explore future career paths.”

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91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

About Schulich Leader Scholarships Canada:

Recognizing the increasing importance and impact that STEM disciplines will have on the prosperity of future generations, businessman and philanthropist Seymour Schulich established this $200+ million scholarship fund in 2012 to encourage our best and brightest students to become Schulich Leader Scholars: the next generation of entrepreneurial-minded, technology innovators. Through The Schulich Foundation, these prestigious entrance scholarships are awarded to 100 high school graduates this year, enrolling in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) undergraduate program at 20 partner universities in Canada. Every high school in Canada can submit one Schulich Leader Nominee per academic year based on academic excellence in STEM, entrepreneurial leadership and financial need.

Media Contact:

Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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Incoming 91��ɫ U engineering students to pursue dreams of entrepreneurship, giving back, with $100K+ Schulich Leader scholarships

egamulin — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 14:00:05 +0000

Students entering Lassonde School of Engineering program receive Canada’s largest Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) scholarship

TORONTO, Sept 5, 2023 — Two students have been named recipients of the prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarship.

Out of a pool of 350,000 potential candidates across Canada, more than 1,400 students were nominated, of which 100 received this celebrated award.

With the help of the scholarship, the graduating high school students from the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas will be furthering their knowledge at the at 91��ɫ to support their goals of starting their own companies and putting their skills to use for the greater good.

, 17, of Waterdown, Ont. is entering an electrical engineering program and , 18, of Toronto, Ont., will study computer programming.

The is Canada’s largest for undergraduate education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). It is awarded to students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, charisma and creativity, as well as financial need.

Clapperton will receive a $120,000 scholarship and Gherman will receive $100,000, as per the scholarship funding for Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Science programs.

"We’re delighted that Jasmine and Mitchell have chosen Lassonde as their academic home,” says Jane Goodyer, dean of Lassonde. “Their decision to pursue their aspirations here underscores our school’s reputation as a world-class hub for future engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs to collaborate in improving the world for everyone. As they embark on their postsecondary journeys with the generous support of the Schulich Leader Scholarship program, we look forward to seeing the positive impact they'll make within our School, the STEM field, and beyond."

Mitchell Clapperton

Mitchell Clapperton

Clapperton hails from the Waterdown area situated halfway between Westdale Secondary School in Hamilton, where he was enrolled in the French Immersion program and founded the school’s STEM club, and Burlington Ont., where he volunteered as a coach for the Special Olympics softball and floor hockey teams. He was a gold medal winner in four regional science fairs, three of which went on to win medals Canada-wide and one that qualified for an international competition.

With entrepreneurial instincts, many of Clapperton’s ideas are inspired by talking to people in his community, such as a pharmacy worker who developed carpal tunnel syndrome, which sparked his first real invention in the seventh grade, and more recently, a firefighter who shared challenges, which led him to look at creating navigation systems for emergency vehicles to help reduce response times in urban areas. In addition to receiving an excellent STEM education, he says the program at Lassonde at 91��ɫ appealed to him specifically for the support offered to entrepreneurs.

“The cool thing about science fairs is there's always a little piece of ‘for good’ in there. I'd love to keep that up and keep innovation for good as a goal in the future,” he says. “I am really looking forward to getting this education so I can tackle more projects like this and this Schulich Leader scholarship will help me to do that.”

Jasmine Gherman

Jasmine Gherman

Born to an immigrant family from Romania, Gherman is from Scarborough where she attended Mary Ward Catholic Secondary, one of only a handful of self-directed learning schools in Canada, where she took a leadership role at the coding club. She is a contributor for an award-winning arts-and-science Romanian-language newspaper, where she has written about advice for parents and encouraging girls to consider STEM career paths. A self-described introvert, Gherman has embraced her quiet leadership style and says teachers describe her as being someone who does not always speak up, but when she does everyone listens.

Similar to Clapperton, Grade 7 was an influential year for her, when her mom took her to the bookstore and let her choose any book she liked. She picked Learn Python 3 The Hard Way, and while she has also studied robotics and other STEM fields, examining the code in there set her on the path she is on now and sees as a lifelong one. Being familiar with 91��ɫ through her years of track and field, it was at 91��ɫ that she won her first race and feels the program is a good fit for her ambitions.

“I'm not someone who likes cutthroat competition. I appreciate drive and collaboration for the greater good and I believe that this program will give me those opportunities. I’m grateful that this scholarship will allow me to focus on my studies without taking on a large debt burden.”

Gherman has a strong interest in cybersecurity and hopes to one day found a company related to quantum computing and AI.

“We are proud to celebrate the continued success of Schulich Leader Scholarships, the premiere STEM scholarship program in Canada. This group of outstanding students will represent the best and brightest Canada has to offer and will make great contributions to society, both on a national and global scale. With their university expenses covered, they can focus their time on their studies, research projects, extracurriculars, and entrepreneurial ventures. They are the next generation of entrepreneurial-minded, technology innovators,” says program founder Mr. Schulich.

About Schulich Leader Scholarships Canada:
Recognizing the increasing importance and impact that STEM disciplines will have on the prosperity of future generations, businessman and philanthropist Seymour Schulich established this $100+ million scholarship fund in 2012 to encourage our best and brightest students to become Schulich Leader Scholars: the next generation of entrepreneurial-minded, technology innovators.

Through The Schulich Foundation, these prestigious entrance scholarships are awarded to 100 high school graduates this year, enrolling in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) undergraduate program at 20 partner universities in Canada. Every high school in Canada can submit one Schulich Leader Nominee per academic year based on academic excellence in STEM, entrepreneurial leadership and financial need.

About 91��ɫ

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ’s fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario’s Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post Incoming 91��ɫ U engineering students to pursue dreams of entrepreneurship, giving back, with $100K+ Schulich Leader scholarships appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

OSIRIS-REx mission attempting to get sample from Bennu: 91��ɫ U expert and member of mission science team available to comment

roshanp — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 13:15:33 +0000

OSIRIS-REx mission attempting to get sample from Bennu today: 91��ɫ U expert and member of mission science team available to comment

TORONTO, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020 –��Today, after years of studying the near-Earth asteroid Bennu, the OSIRIS-REx mission will make its first attempt to collect and retrieve a sample from its surface. The mission will use a robotic arm and novel sampling device to collect the sample, more than 200 million miles from Earth, in a Touch-And-Go (TAG) by the NASA spacecraft.

Professor Michael Daly, director of 91��ɫ’s Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (), led the development of the OSIRIS-REx laser altimeter (OLA), which has provided unprecedented topographical measurements of Bennu. This data was instrumental in the selection of a sampling site and navigation of the spacecraft to the surface of Bennu.

A professor in 91��ɫ’s Lassonde School of Engineering, Daly is a member of the international team that will receive the Bennu sample on Earth in 2023 for scientific analysis. Through an agreement between NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, Canada will receive four per cent of the pristine sample for future analysis and curation.

Scientists hope the sample will help them to better understand the origins of life and the dynamics of our solar system.

“The sample is a first for NASA and also for the Canadian Space Agency,” says Daly. “It is the culmination of an already successful mission and it will be studied by scientists for decades to come.”

Professor Michael Daly is available for interviews about the role of the laser altimeter data and what he hopes to learn as a member of the team that will be analyzing the sample.

NASA’s coverage begins at 5pmET. Follow for more info.

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91��ɫ champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media contact: Anjum Nayyar, 91��ɫ Media Relations, cell 437-242-1547,��anayyar@yorku.ca��

The post OSIRIS-REx mission attempting to get sample from Bennu: 91��ɫ U expert and member of mission science team available to comment appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

OSIRIS-REx mission attempting to get sample from Bennu: 91��ɫ U expert and member of mission science team available to comment

roshanp — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 13:15:33 +0000

OSIRIS-REx mission attempting to get sample from Bennu today: 91��ɫ U expert and member of mission science team available to comment

Scientists hope the sample will help them to better understand the origins of life and the dynamics of our solar system.

“The sample is a first for NASA and also for the Canadian Space Agency,” says Daly. “It is the culmination of an already successful mission and it will be studied by scientists for decades to come.”

Professor Michael Daly is available for interviews about the role of the laser altimeter data and what he hopes to learn as a member of the team that will be analyzing the sample.

NASA’s coverage begins at 5pmET. Follow for more info.

��

Media contact: Anjum Nayyar, 91��ɫ Media Relations, cell 437-242-1547,��anayyar@yorku.ca��

The post OSIRIS-REx mission attempting to get sample from Bennu: 91��ɫ U expert and member of mission science team available to comment appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

Breaking barriers: Canadian senator to lead discussion on women in STEM

roshanp — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 17:37:34 +0000

TORONTO, October 24, 2019 – When Rosa Galvez entered the field of environmental engineering, girls and women weren’t always encouraged to consider STEM professions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Senator Rosa Galvez to discuss women in STEM

is now an Independent senator for Quebec and a leading expert on the effects of pollution on human health. She will join 91��ɫ President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton on Monday, October 28, for an Armchair Discussion on Women in STEM.

Galvez and Lenton will be speaking with Lassonde School of Engineering students in a conversation about gender inequality and the barriers that women face in the field of STEM.

Galvez will share her lived experiences, including how her leadership style has been shaped by being a woman in engineering, an immigrant from Peru, and a woman of colour. She has advised international government bodies on the protection of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, and studied the catastrophic oil spill at Lac-Mégantic.

The event moderator is , dean of Lassonde and an advocate of the advancement of women in engineering. Goodyer created a national humanitarian engineering outreach program for 10- to 14-year-old girls. Her experiences as a woman engineer are also featured in the e-book , released earlier this month.

WHO: Senator Rosa Galvez to discuss women in STEM

WHEN: Monday, October 28, from 2 p.m. to 3:10 p.m., including audience questions

WHERE: The Eatery, Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence at 91��ɫ’s Keele Campus (see #81 on this��).

NOTE:��Members of the public are required to . Members of the media should RSVP to the contact below.

91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact: Vanessa Thompson, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 647-654-9452, vthomps@yorku.ca

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