TORONTO, Oct. 22, 2026 鈥� A total of 175 91亚色 graduate students, along with 14 postdoctoral researchers, will receive more than $14 million through the (CRTAS), announced today by the federal government.

Today鈥檚 announcement highlights award winners funded through the , administered by the (CIHR), the (NSERC), and the (SSHRC).

鈥淚nvesting in emerging researchers is an investment in Canada鈥檚 future,鈥� says Lisa Philipps, interim president and vice-chancellor of 91亚色. 鈥淚 congratulate all of this year鈥檚 recipients. Their work in health, science, the arts and beyond shows the reach of 91亚色 research and its power to drive positive change in our communities.鈥�

For the (CGRS M), 96 91亚色 students will each receive $27,000 for 12 months, seven funded through CIHR, 18 through NSERC and 71 through SSHRC.

For the (CGRS D), 79 91亚色 students will each receive $40,000 per year for 36 months, nine funded through CIHR, 18 through NSERC and 52 through SSHRC.

鈥�91亚色鈥檚 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are making important contributions to research that deepens our understanding of the world and helps address complex challenges,鈥� said Alice MacLachlan, vice-provost and dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. 鈥淭hese awards recognize the excellence, creativity and dedication of emerging researchers while providing valuable support to advance their work. Their achievements reflect the strength and breadth of graduate and postdoctoral research at 91亚色.鈥�

Program of study for both the CGRS M and the CGRS D students include disciplines in health, science, art, social sciences and humanities, engineering, the environment and more. This year, as 91亚色 prepares to open its new School of Medicine in 2028 (pending accreditation), it has nine CGRS D recipients in health, six more than the previous year.

For the (CPRA), worth $70,000 per year for 24 months, 14 91亚色 researchers were awarded.

The awards promote and support high-quality research leading to high impact careers. Altogether, more than $480 million through the CRTAS.

The post 91亚色 grad students and postdoctoral researchers receive more than $14M in scholarships appeared first on News@91亚色.

91亚色 is poised to welcome 11 doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers through the first wave of the federal (CIRTA) initiative, reflecting the University鈥檚 strong research excellence and ability to attract top international research talent.

In total the CIRTA are worth $1.4 million in funding 鈥� $40,000 per year for three years for seven doctoral students and $70,000 for two years for four postdoctoral researchers at 91亚色 鈥� to address critical national and global challenges in some of Canada鈥檚 priority areas. Altogether, the CIRTA will go towards funding 600 doctoral students and 400 postdoctoral researchers at universities across Canada.

"We are thrilled to welcome these 11 exceptional doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to 91亚色. They will bring an array of international experiences and perspectives to their work alongside some of our most accomplished faculty, researchers whose expertise spans multiple disciplines, methodologies, and questions. It is the strength of these mentors and the vibrancy of our research community that draws top talent from around the world to 91亚色,鈥� says Lisa Philipps, 91亚色 interim president and vice-chancellor.

The recently CIRTA results are part of the a $1.7 billion strategy to strengthen the country鈥檚 position as a go-to-place for the world鈥檚 top scientists and innovators. They are jointly administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

91亚色 received a large number of highly qualified candidates for the positions, which will receive funding from all three funding agencies. In addition, two of the four postdoctoral researchers are coming from the social sciences and humanities.

鈥淲e are equally grateful to the Government of Canada and to CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC, whose Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards make these opportunities possible. This kind of bold public investment in emerging academic talent is exactly what strengthens our research culture and allows ambitious ideas to take root. Together, the vision of our funders and the dedication of our scholars and supervisors will help tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time, from removing forever chemicals from our water to strengthening our preparedness against emerging diseases. I could not be prouder of what this community will achieve,鈥� says Philipps.

The CIRTA research awards target specific high priority research needs identified by the federal government across disciplines.

At 91亚色 the doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers and their supervisors will embark on a vast array of research, including a climate-sensitive disease early-warning system, advanced functional materials for low-energy carbon capture, AI forecasting tools to improve outbreak prediction and public-health decision-making, methods to remove forever chemical contamination from wastewater sludge, and a better understanding of new drivers of aging and development of new personalized therapies to improve health span.

鈥淩esearch thrives when talented people are given the opportunity, support and freedom to pursue ambitious ideas. These scholars are asking important questions and bringing fresh perspectives to issues that matter deeply to society. Their arrival enriches our academic community, and we look forward to the contributions they will make during their time at 91亚色 and throughout their careers,鈥� says Alice MacLachlan, vice-provost and dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at 91亚色.

The following 91亚色 faculty members welcome doctoral students funded by the program:

Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Health and Humanitarianism Godfred Boateng, School of Global Health, Faculty of Health (supported by SSHRC)

Boateng鈥檚 research interests lie in resource insecurity, health and sustainable livelihoods; environmental pollution, climate change and health effects; the socio-ecological determinants of cardiometabolic conditions in aging adults; health equity and health systems research; and implementation and scale-up science in low- and middle-income countries. The research of his doctoral student will focus on the development a climate-sensitive disease early-warning system for informal settlements in Accra, using satellite data, health records, and machine learning to predict emerging disease hotspots. By co-designing tools with local health workers and communities, the project aims to enable earlier public-health interventions and create a scalable model for climate-health resilience in rapidly urbanizing cities.

Associate Professor , Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Freire-Gormaly鈥檚 research focuses on the development of stand-alone solar powered reverse osmosis water treatment systems and energy recovery systems for remote communities that lack access to grid electricity. She also is interested in machine learning applications for smart design of innovative energy and water systems. The research of her doctoral student will foster the development advanced functional materials for low-energy carbon capture and drinking water treatment, with a focus on modular, affordable systems that can operate in remote and resource-constrained settings. By combining materials innovation, computational modelling, and life-cycle assessment, the project aims to deliver scalable clean technologies that support climate mitigation, water security, and community resilience.

Associate Professor , Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Ghafar-Zadeh鈥檚 research focuses on microelectronic and biosensing technologies for clinical diagnostics and environmental monitoring to address critical challenges in health care, environmental monitoring and scientific research through his Biologically Inspired Sensor and Actuator Laboratory. The research with the doctoral student will develop a new version of DePerio, an AI-powered saliva screening tool that uses deep learning to detect oral neutrophils as biomarkers of periodontal disease and potential neurological disorders, enabling earlier, non-invasive diagnosis. Building on proof-of-concept results achieving 88 per cent precision and 94.7 per cent mAP, the project aims to validate a clinically deployable system that links oral inflammation to disease progression and improves preventive care for both oral and brain health.

Associate Professor , Department of Social Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (supported by SSHRC)

Hamraie鈥檚 doctoral student will be part of 91亚色鈥檚 Science and Technology Studies graduate program. His research will address the tensions between approaches to accessibility based in mass standardization and those that are rooted in disability activism. In particular, he is interested in how disability activists and technologists have shared information, theories and concepts, and how accessible computing, in particular, has influenced architectural practice. As a graduate student, he will also continue to work in Hamraie鈥檚 , a collective of disabled artists, designers and researchers who approach accessibility through disability cultural frameworks. 

Professor , Department of Earth & Space Science & Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Hu鈥檚 research focuses on developing scalable and interpretable AI approaches for forest characterization, carbon estimation, biodiversity assessment and environmental monitoring using multi-source remote sensing data. Her doctoral student鈥檚 research will develop multimodal AI techniques that combine LiDAR, multispectral imagery and forest inventory data to identify individual tree species in Ontario鈥檚 mixed and transitional forests. By enabling scalable species-level forest monitoring, the project will improve biodiversity assessment, forest carbon quantification, and evidence-based forest management to support nature-based climate solutions in Canada.

Professor and 91亚色 Research Chair in Mechanisms of Cardiometabolic Disease Gary Sweeney, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science (supported by CHIR)

Sweeney鈥檚 doctoral student鈥檚 research will build on evidence that high adiponectin levels are linked to exceptional longevity and protection against age-related diseases, while low levels are associated with poorer health outcomes. It proposes combining adiponectin biology with extracellular vesicle science to identify new drivers of aging and develop personalized therapies to improve health span in individuals with low adiponectin.

Associate Professor , Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Tabassum鈥檚 research focuses on developing trustworthy AI for wireless sensing, localization, spectrum intelligence, and next-generation communications. Her work combines optimization, machine learning, large language models, and multimodal AI to advance intelligent resource management, integrated sensing and communications, wireless forecasting, and energy-efficient 5G/6G networks, with applications in digital health, smart infrastructure, and connected and autonomous systems. The research of her doctoral student will develop multimodal AI techniques for wireless localization and spectrum intelligence by combining radio-frequency measurements with complementary sensing modalities to enable accurate positioning and automated understanding of complex wireless environments. By integrating trustworthy AI, deep learning, and large language models, the project aims to improve spectrum awareness, network intelligence, and wireless resilience, supporting the deployment of next generation 5G/6G systems for smart infrastructure, public safety, and autonomous applications.

The following faculty members will welcome postdoctoral researchers funded by the program:

Professor and James and Joanne Love Chair in Environmental Engineering and Director of the One WATER Institute , Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering (supported by NSERC)

Brar is a globally recognized researcher with expertise in value-added waste processing through the development of bioproducts from wastewaters and sludge using fermentation technologies and the removal of emerging contaminants, such as microplastics and pharmaceuticals. She also works on innovative treatment technologies for environmental remediation. The postdoctoral researcher鈥檚 work will address the wastewater sludge contamination of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of 4,700 man-made 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥� found in non-stick cookware, cosmetics and waterproof textiles, and everywhere from groundwater to human blood. Current wastewater treatment plants were not designed to primarily remove PFAS, however, if they are not properly treated prior to discharge, it can lead to contamination of soil and groundwater. Conventional PFAS removal methods like sludge pyrolysis, incineration, electrochemical oxidation are energy and cost intensive and cannot be easily integrated into existing plants. Through their research, Brar and her postdoctoral researcher will develop a circular-economy pretreatment approach using ultrasonication and biochar to reduce 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥� while enhancing biogas production. Through lab and pilot-scale testing on anaerobic digester sludge, the research aims to optimize conditions for PFAS removal in a way that is compatible with existing treatment infrastructure.

Associate Professor , Department of Sociology, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (supported by SSHRC)

Jean-Pierre鈥檚 research in the sociology of education, sociology of race and ethnicity, youth studies, and research methodology. She focuses on school and postsecondary trajectories, policies and interventions, and qualitative research. The research of her postdoctoral researcher will redefine democracy as every day, community-based practice by examining how Black women in Brazil, Argentina, and Canada build collective infrastructures of care, mutual aid, and political organizing amid systemic exclusion and democratic crisis. Through comparative ethnography, it shows how these grassroots practices sustain and reimagine democratic life beyond formal state institutions, challenging dominant models shaped by anti-Blackness and inequality.

Professor and Scientific Director of the Artificial Intelligence for Public Health Advancement Seyed Moghadas, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science (supported by NSERC)

Moghadas鈥檚 research involves advanced theoretical and computational methods for modelling and analysis of infectious disease dynamics, evaluating public health interventions and policies, and health economics of healthcare programs. The postdoctoral researcher will develop transparent, uncertainty-aware AI forecasting tools that combine machine learning with mechanistic disease-transmission models to improve outbreak prediction and public-health decision-making. By integrating diverse data sources and explicitly quantifying uncertainty, the project aims to strengthen preparedness, resource allocation, and health system resilience against emerging infectious disease threats.

Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Social Reasoning , Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (supported by SSHRC)

Rini is an internationally recognized expert in the philosophical disciplines of ethics and epistemology. In ethics, she specifically examines structural injustice and the complexities of moral disagreement, while in epistemology, she has studied the effects of online misinformation on public debate and the erosion of digital recording as a regulator of testimony. Rini will supervise a postdoctoral researcher examining how testimonial narratives in the Colombian and Canadian truth commissions contribute to reparative justice by helping survivors reclaim agency, foster collective understanding and rebuild social trust after systemic violence. Through a comparative philosophical analysis, the project develops a framework for understanding narrative as a tool for epistemic repair and reconciliation while exploring its limitations in addressing ongoing structural inequalities. The research will look at the following three questions: The guiding questions are: What is the relationship between testimonial narrative and reparative justice; How does narrative support individual healing, collective recognition and the rebuilding of social trust; and What tensions arise between individualized testimonies and structural accounts of systemic injustice?

The post 91亚色 to receive $1.4M in Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards appeared first on News@91亚色.

New course-based MEng in Sustainable Energy Systems prepares graduates for leadership roles in Canada鈥檚 expanding clean energy sector

TORONTO, June 22, 2026 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 Lassonde School of Engineering is launching its first-ever professional master鈥檚 degree with a new course-based Master of Engineering (MEng) in Sustainable Energy Systems designed to prepare graduates for leadership roles in the rapidly expanding energy sector. 

The program can be completed full-time in as little as 12 months, with flexible part-time study options designed for those looking to advance their careers while continuing to work. Unlike traditional research-based master's degrees, the program emphasizes advanced coursework, applied learning and professional development. Courses will be delivered by a blend of faculty and industry professionals, giving students direct exposure to both emerging research and real-world energy challenges. 

鈥淐anada鈥檚 energy transition is creating significant demand for talent, with  more than 171,000 hiring requirements across energy-related environmental specializations by 2033,鈥� says Jane Goodyer, Dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering at 91亚色. "Our new Master of Engineering in Sustainable Energy Systems is designed to help meet that need by preparing graduates to lead the planning, implementation and management of the sustainable energy systems that will power our future.鈥� 

Offered through Lassonde鈥檚 Department of Mechanical Engineering, the program combines advanced engineering knowledge with training in areas including: 

• Project听management and commercialization听
• Computational听methods for sustainability听
• Technoeconomic听and life-cycle assessment听
• Advanced听thermofluids听and heat transfer听
• Energy听transitions and global perspectives听
• Systems-level thinking听

Learning is grounded in project-based problem-solving, hands-on labs and simulations, real-world case studies and industry-informed coursework. Graduates may pursue roles across sustainable energy, infrastructure and advanced manufacturing sectors, including: 

• Senior or Principal Engineer听
• Energy Transition Strategist听
• Engineering or Project Manager听
• Clean Energy Implementation Consultant听
• Energy Systems听Designer听听
• Sustainability and Transformation Consultant听
• Data听Center听Facility & Infrastructure Engineer听
• Electrification Specialist听
• Advanced听Manufacturing and Smart Systems Specialist听
• HVAC Systems Engineer听

鈥淔rom an industry perspective, this initiative is highly relevant and timely,鈥澨齭ays听Khalid Malik,听lead听auditor听general,听nuclear听oversight听engineering, Ontario Power Generation. 鈥淚t aligns well with current trends, regulatory shifts and technological advancements, and it offers meaningful contributions to workforce development. Graduates will be well-positioned to make an immediate impact.鈥澨�

The program was developed by Lassonde faculty in consultation with industry advisors and external reviewers, with a strong focus on real-world applications, industry relevance, and professional development. 

About 91亚色 

91亚色 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 meaningful life and career paths. 91亚色's Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campus in Costa Rica offers students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs, while at the Markham Campus, innovation, technology, entrepreneurship and industry collaboration are built into every program. 91亚色鈥檚 new School of Medicine, the first Canadian medical school to focus on community-based primary health-care education, will welcome its first cohort in September 2028. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future. 

About Lassonde School of Engineering 

Located in the heart of the multicultural Greater Toronto Area, the 鈥� at 91亚色 is home to engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs, representing a diverse community of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners. With 14 undergraduate programs, eight graduate programs and a host of certificates and accessible study options, Lassonde is shaping the next generation of creators who tackle complex challenges and design solutions through interdisciplinary learning. Lassonde鈥檚 steady growth in programs, research and industry-connected learning is increasingly reflected in global rankings. Aerospace Engineering is ranked 32^nd globally and #1 in Canada for the second consecutive year (ShanghaiRanking 2025). Lassonde also contributes to 91亚色鈥檚 global standing in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science & Engineering, Computer Science & Information Systems, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical & Electronic Engineering across ShanghaiRanking, QS and Times Higher Education鈥攔eflecting the emergence of a recognized and growing AI research cluster and a strong foundation for training students to be a step ahead in an AI-powered world. 

Media Contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca 

The post 91亚色听University鈥檚 Lassonde School of Engineering听听launches first professional master鈥檚 degree听 appeared first on News@91亚色.

Lassonde Professor Sunil Bisnath was recently appointed to a ' expert panel to examine opportunities for renewed domestic investment in geodetic infrastructure 

Most people take their place in the world for granted. Standing in a grocery story isle deciding which cereal to buy or driving to work, the Earth feels static even though it is constantly changing. Continents shift, gravity fluctuates, water levels rise or fall and timing across the globe varies, but all that goes unnoticed to most unless their map app leads them to a bridge that is no longer there or off a dock into a lake or they lose all smartphone service.

Those who study geodesy, such as 91亚色鈥檚 Lassonde School of Engineering Professor Sunil Bisnath, understand the importance of the vast array of underlying systems, processes and geodetic and digital infrastructure needed to keep daily life and the world at large running smoothly, including for navigation, emergency response, banking and precision farming.

鈥淭he closest connection people have to geodesy every day is the Global Positioning System or GPS 鈥� satellite-based positioning that we use in our phones, our cars, and everything else. However, it goes much deeper than that,鈥� says Bisnath, director of the in the .

He was recently appointed by the (CCA) to an expert panel 鈥揈nhancing Canada鈥檚 Geodetic Infrastructure 鈥� to assess the state of Canada鈥檚 geodetic infrastructure. The panel, sponsored by Natural Resources Canada, will review whether Canada has sufficient geodetic infrastructure to meet its current and future needs and opportunities for renewed domestic investment. The main question: How does geodetic infrastructure impact Canada and its economy?

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), which includes GPS and other satellite constellations, not only affects how Canadians navigate their world, but also ensure maps line up from country to country, the world鈥檚 time clocks are aligned so things like bank transactions are stamped with the correct time, and electrical transmission grids across the country are precisely synchronized to keep the power on.

鈥淓very time you make a financial transaction, a stock trade or somebody turns the lights on in their house, we're using the timing component to timestamp everything and to manage the electrical grids to ensure there's not too much or not enough electricity. We're using time servers attached to GPS time to get the time right on our computers so that we're all using the same time down to nanoseconds. Today, there's a huge amount of digital infrastructure,鈥� says Bisnath.

鈥淕eodesy is a really old but highly important science. Without it, many of the things we take for granted today would no longer work.鈥�

Geodesy involves measuring the Earth鈥檚 size, shape, orientation and gravity field, and any changes over time, as well as timing, while geodetic infrastructure is the backbone for positioning activities on Earth. It also helps to monitor things such as climate change, coastal hazards and sea level changes.

Canada鈥檚 geodetic infrastructure, as dual-use technology, is important as it has national implications for sovereignty, security, including Arctic security, economic development and scientific advancement. Like most countries, Canada has physical stations on the ground to receive signals from satellites and provide calibration information, while other positioning technologies use natural signals from space, such as quasars or laser ranging from specialized satellites to determine position on the ground.

Currently, Canada is the only G7 country without its own satellite navigation system. Instead, it relies on the United States, Russia, Europe and China, along with aging geodetic infrastructure across the country, which in today鈥檚 ruptured world order heightens national security and sovereignty concerns.

鈥淐anada鈥檚 reliance on others means it doesn鈥檛 have the capacity to keep critical systems running nationally when interruptions happen and neither can it contribute to global efforts. The current situation also has implications for economic development and scientific advancement,鈥� says Bisnath.

鈥淥ur purpose for the panel is to gather all the facts and talk about what the state of geodetic infrastructure is in Canada and put that in context with the world going forward, figuring out what are we doing well and where are the gaps.鈥�

His research at 91亚色 involves GNSS measurement processing, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and sensor fusion for resilient positioning, navigation and timing, next generation solutions, precise point positioning algorithm development, measurement error mitigation, and scientific, engineering and mass market applications.

He also researches how to improve atmospheric modelling for commercial GNSS navigation services, the effectiveness of new jam-resistant GNSS antennas and enhanced GNSS-based smartphone positioning with AI. By using math and physics which frames and defines how positioning, navigation and timing happens globally, the current and future digital infrastructure is being built.

If any of that is out of whack, it could cause major issues. 鈥淚f you think of something like a commercial airliner, the technology used is not just to know how to get to the other side of the Atlantic, but for lining up the plane for landing. It's taxing on the runway and which runway you should be on,鈥� says Bisnath. 鈥淚f they weren't aligned, a plane could take off with one map from say Paris and then try to land with that map in Toronto, but if the coordinates don't match, then how is that plane going to land on the runway?鈥�

All these definitions are the basis of what used to be paper maps, now digital maps and smartphone apps, like Google Maps. 鈥淭hey need constant updating as the planet is far from static. We鈥檙e moving about a centimetre a year further from Europe every year because the continents are moving apart. A very large part of the job of the federal government鈥檚 Canadian Geodetic Survey is maintaining Canada鈥檚 spatial reference system, which every country has, being the custodian of all these definitions and maintaining these definitions over time,鈥� he says.

As the world鈥檚 weather intensifies, phenomena like solar storms become more problematic. Some of the work Bisnath and his team do at 91亚色 is monitor GNSS data to help predict or mitigate any impact of the next solar storm on GNSS positioning, navigation and timing, and hopefully lessen its effect on signals from space that people rely on, including, smartphones and for the ever-increasing number of autonomous and semi-autonomous land vehicles, robots and drones.

Bisnath and his team have recently worked with a Canadian GNSS receiver manufacturer to better model those storms and their effects on signals using AI to help with predictive models to produce better positioning and timing results. 鈥淚f the storms are really bad, they can prevent us from tracking the signals altogether, though that's quite extreme. When you add up what the cost would be of losing technology like GPS, even for short periods of time, it theoretically rapidly runs into the billions of dollars a day in Canada.鈥�

They are also working with a Canadian manufacturer of GNSS antennas as they are needed to receive signals before it can go into the actual GNSS sensor that processes them. The company has designed and built new low-cost antennas, which Bisnath and his team are assessing to see how they work under various conditions, including system jamming. Some of those antennas are being used on allied drones in active war zones.

鈥淭hese information systems are like pyramids. If the user is at the top with their smartphone, we have layers of information underneath it to define all the coordinates on that map and at the base layer is what the geodetic work does. It needs to be very precise over very large areas and interconnected with the rest of the world.鈥�

It鈥檚 a field of study that continues to interest Bisnath. He originally wanted to be a land surveyor, but his first course on geodesy, considered the most difficult course in the land surveying program, fascinated him. 鈥淲hen we start looking at the entire globe versus just tiny little pieces of it, the math is much more complicated. The Earth isn't exactly a sphere, so the mathematics are very complicated, but that鈥檚 the underpinning for everything. Then we started studying satellites and satellite orbits because of technologies like GPS and satellite laser ranging.鈥� He was hooked.

鈥淚t was very expensive back in the 1990s and not something that the general public knew about. We were using the technology for very precise things, for surveying, engineering work and certain timing applications. The public never saw any of this technology. One of the early projects I worked on was a Canadian Space Agency analysis of what if we put a GPS receiver on a satellite to determine the location of the satellite,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was novel back then, although common place now.鈥� There are now some 14,000 satellites orbiting Earth with many more proposed.

鈥淥ver the last decade, the engineering challenge has been to get super accurate coordinates out of much cheaper hardware, where hardware cost cents rather than thousands of dollars. That continues to be a tremendous engineering challenge,鈥� he says. 鈥淗ow can we improve the positioning performance and when does it degrade? We're introducing AI approaches to try to deal with the extreme outliers that exist and to see if AI can take us any further,鈥� says Bisnath.

That includes positioning for autonomous vehicles.

And with increased technological advancement, comes bad actors, hackers who try to breach, jam or spoof these systems, like tricking a GPS receiver by broadcasting false signals like making it look like an oil tanker is on dry land. 鈥淲hat you're seeing in Ukraine or right now in the Persian Gulf is there are systems that don't necessarily work properly or don't work at all because of nefarious actors. We are building countermeasures for such situations to make more resilient technological solutions?鈥�

Despite being a part of an exciting, growing and increasingly important field, Bisnath says the most rewarding part is working with students, conducting research with them and preparing them to lead the way. 鈥淭hey are the future of technological innovations to keep the world running safely and smoothly and on time,鈥� he says.

The post 91亚色 U professor helps assess Canada鈥檚 geodetic resources for the future appeared first on News@91亚色.

91亚色 U prof part of North American research team working to make high-performance prosthetic limbs for children more affordable, accessible
 
A child who uses a lower-limb prosthesis faces unique challenges when it comes to activities most children take for granted, such as running and being active. Without access to a prosthetic device designed to support these movements, children may miss out not only on the simple joys of play, but also on critical opportunities for physical development during key stages of growth.  

91亚色 Lassonde School of Engineering Associate Professor is working with project lead George Mason University Assistant Professor Quentin Sanders and Jonathon Schofield, an associate professor at the University of California, as part of a collaborative research team working to make high-performance prosthetic limbs more affordable, accessible, and better tailored to the needs of active children. The three received a three-year, $500K grant in the fall from the U.S. National Science Foundation to support the project.

Most standard foot or leg prostheses are built for basic walking, not for the kind of active movement that helps children develop strength, balance, and coordination, the benefits that come from running and jumping with friends.  

鈥淏y combining manufacturing, composite materials, prosthetics, design, and biomechanics, this project provides an innovative and holistic solution,鈥� said Melenka.

Often seen in competitive events such as the Paralympic Games, running blades are curved, spring-like prosthetic feet made from carbon fiber that mimic the energy return of a biological foot. While these devices offer an alternative option to standard leg prostheses and can enable children to run, they are expensive and often inaccessible. A single running blade can cost several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars and is typically not covered by insurance because it is considered non-essential, rather than medically necessary.  

Some charitable organizations help families access these devices, but demand far exceeds supply, and for growing children, one blade is rarely enough. 鈥淜ids grow quickly,鈥� said Sanders. 鈥淎s they get taller, they outgrow their prostheses, which means going through multiple blades over time.鈥�  

The research team has several goals, starting with identifying what children truly need from an activity-enabling prosthesis. The researchers will examine how motivation to be active, physical growth, and different types of movement influence prosthetic performance in everyday settings.

The team will also analyze how children move while using their current running blades, studying activities such as running, jumping, and changing direction to better understand the biomechanics and physical demands involved. 

Finally, the team will take a close look at how today鈥檚 running blades perform under real-world demands, looking at how stiff they are, how much load they can handle, and when they might fail, and using that information to create blades that are better suited for active play.

The collaborators are using an advanced additive manufacturing approach known as continuous-fiber 3D printing, in which carbon fibers are embedded within the printed plastic to reinforce the prosthetic structure. This method enables the creation of strong, lightweight devices that can be tailored to a child鈥檚 size, growth, and activity needs.  

The technique is already used to produce strong, lightweight components in the aerospace and automotive industries, but it has seen limited adoption in prosthetic design. This project represents one of the first efforts to apply it systematically to activity-enabling prostheses for children. 

鈥淲hat鈥檚 most exciting about this project is the collaboration across institutes, disciplines, and areas of expertise,鈥� said Schofield. 鈥淲e are bringing together researchers in movement mechanics, advanced materials manufacturing, and pediatric lower-limb prosthetic care. We are also incorporating the lived experience of children and families, along with clinicians who work with these patients every day.鈥� 

Read the original story from George Mason University .

The post Printing prosthetics for child's play appeared first on News@91亚色.

Professor says this could lead to better treatments for late-stage cancer patients

TORONTO, Dec. 8 2025 鈥� While targeted radiation can be an effective treatment for brain tumours, subsequent potential necrosis of the treated areas can be hard to distinguish from the tumours on a standard MRI. led by a 91亚色 professor in the Lassonde School of Engineering found that a novel AI-based method is better able to distinguish between the two types of lesions on advanced MRI than the human eye alone, a discovery that could help clinicians more accurately identify and treat the issues.

鈥淭he study shows, for the first time, that novel attention-guided AI methods coupled with advanced MRI can differentiate, with high accuracy, between tumour progression and radiation necrosis in patients with brain metastasis treated with stereotactic radiosurgery,鈥� says 91亚色 Research Chair Ali Sadeghi-Naini, senior author of the paper and associate professor of biomedical engineering and computer science. 鈥淭imely differentiation between tumour progression and radiation necrosis after radiotherapy in brain tumours is a crucial challenge in cancer centers, since these two conditions require quite different treatment approaches.鈥�

The study, published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, was conducted in close collaboration with imaging scientists, neuro-oncologists and neuro-radiologists at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre using data acquired from more than 90 cancer patients whose original cancer had metastasized to the brain.

Sadeghi-Naini says the incidence of brain metastasis  is rising as treatments improve and survival rates increase. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), where a concentrated doses of radiation are applied to the cancer lesions only, is effective at controlling the tumours.  In up to 30 per cent of cases, SRS is not able to control the tumour and it continues to grow. Where it is successful, healthy brain tissue immediately surrounding the tumour may also die off, called brain radiation necrosis, and it can come with significant side effects.

Sadeghi-Naini and his colleagues introduced a 3D deep learning AI model with two advanced attention mechanisms to differentiate between tumour progression and radiation necrosis using a specialized MRI technique, called chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST), and found that the AI was able to differentiate between the two conditions with over 85 per accuracy. Sadeghi-Naini says with a standard MRI the two conditions are accurately diagnosed about 60 per cent of the time, and with more advanced MRI techniques alone, the rate increases to about 70 per cent.

鈥淒ifferentiating tumour progression and  radiation necrosis is very important 鈥� one needs more anti-cancer therapies and may need to be aggressively treated with more radiation, sometimes surgery.  The other may require observation, anti-inflammatory drugs, so getting this right is crucial for patients.鈥�

-30-

91亚色 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亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 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 Contact:

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

The post Novel AI technique able to distinguish between progressive brain tumours and radiation necrosis, 91亚色 U study finds appeared first on News@91亚色.

Each Solution Network will receive $700,000 over two years to design, develop and implement AI safety solutions to pressing challenges.

Reposted with permission from CIFAR and written by Justine Brooks. See .

CIFAR has launched its first two AI safety Solution Networks under the . The two research teams 鈥�  and  (the latter co-funded by the IDRC) 鈥� will spend the next two years developing and implementing open-source AI solutions to make AI safer and more inclusive for Canadians and the Global South. Each network is awarded $700,000 to support their groundbreaking research and development.

The Solution Networks are funded through the CAISI Research Program at CIFAR, an independent, multidisciplinary research arm led by CIFAR. The dedicated research program is a core component of the Government of Canada鈥檚 Canadian AI Safety Institute, launched in November 2024 with a $50 million investment to address the evolving risks of AI to Canadians.

鈥淎I safety is crucial as the technology becomes more deeply embedded in how we live and work. At its core, it鈥檚 about two things 鈥� building trust and developing the tools to uphold it,鈥� says the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. 鈥淭rust that AI will be used responsibly, and tools that make it safer, fairer, and more transparent. These new Solution Networks show how Canadian researchers are advancing the science of safety itself 鈥� turning ideas into real solutions that make AI work for people.鈥�

鈥淐IFAR鈥檚 Solution Networks provide a unique approach to trustworthy AI research and development, bringing together exceptional teams of interdisciplinary researchers 鈥� who might not otherwise cross paths 鈥� to address issues of global importance, but more importantly, to design, develop and implement solutions,鈥� says Elissa Strome, Executive Director, Pan-Canadian AI Strategy at CIFAR. 鈥淐ore to the work of both of these Solution Networks is exploring ways to mitigate the potential harms of AI to people in Canada and around the world.鈥�

Solution Network Members

• , Solution Network Co-director (University of Toronto)
• , Solution Network Co-director (University of Waterloo, Osgoode Hall Law School (91亚色), Vector Institute)
• , Solution Network Member (University of Ottawa)
• , Solution Network Member (Western University) 
• , Solution Network Member (University of British Columbia, Canada CIFAR AI Chair, Vector Institute) 
• , Solution Network Member (University of Waterloo) 

Co-directed by Ebrahim Bagheri and Maura R. Grossman, this Solution Network aims to address the rising prevalence of synthetic AI-generated content in the justice system. This includes fake image or video evidence generated by people using AI tools, but also court documents that are created using large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT that may produce hallucinations.

鈥淭he issue now is that you can do this at scale and at convenience,鈥� Bagheri says. Previously, one would have to spend large amounts of time and money to forge evidence. Now, evidence can be doctored quickly and easily, and even fabricated entirely from scratch.

The stakes are incredibly high, says Grossman. 鈥淪omebody can go to jail or not go to jail depending on whether something is a real or fake video.鈥�

Somebody can go to jail or not go to jail depending on whether something is a real or fake video
Maura R. Grossman, 91亚色 adjunct professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, CIFAR Solution Network Co-director

It鈥檚 not always financially feasible to bring in an expert who can evaluate the provenance of AI-generated content or evidence. The team proposes to develop a free, open-source framework that anyone within the court system can use to identify potentially problematic content. 

鈥淲e need a [transparent] tool that knows when it鈥檚 not sure about its output. One that is user friendly for this very unique group of users including both self-represented litigants and officers in the court system,鈥� adds Grossman. 

Their solution could have a huge impact on the efficiency and trustworthiness of a justice system that is facing a great amount of change in a short period of time. 鈥淓ven if our solution isn鈥檛 perfect, even if it gets 50, 60 or 70 percent of the way to be able to rule out [synthetic content], then we鈥檝e really come a long way for the court system.鈥�

Solution Network Members

• , Solution Network Co-director (91亚色, Vector Institute)
• , Solution Network Co-director (Brock University)
• , Solution Network Member (University of Waterloo, Canada CIFAR AI Chair, Vector Institute) 
• , Solution Network Member (University of Nigeria)
• , Solution Network Member (University of Nigeria)
• , Solution Network Member (University of Ibadan)

The use of LLMs like ChatGPT has exploded in recent years, but for speakers of non-standard English, these tools are not as safe or effective as they are for others. This is the problem Laleh Seyyed-Kalantari and Blessing Ogbuokiri are working to address. 

Their Solution Network focuses on Nigerian Pidgin English, a language spoken by over 140 million people, primarily in West Africa. LLMs trained on standard English often misinterpret marginalized dialects like Pidgin as toxic or offensive and penalize the user. This can lead to very real harms like censorship on social media and discrimination in service-delivery systems. 

I think what makes our solution unique is that it is locally rooted and culturally representative of citizens of African countries
Laleh Seyyed-Kalantari, 91亚色 assistant professor, Lassonde School of Engineering, CIFAR Solution Network Co-director

The team will work to create the first ever bias and safety benchmarks for Pidgin English as part of an open-source audit and mitigation toolkit. These resources will be available for developers and policymakers to use to ensure AI systems are fair and safe for all users. 鈥淲e are trying to create an AI system where marginalized voices can feel comfortable using these tools because it will accommodate them,鈥� adds Ogbuokiri. 

The team will work with a citizen network in Nigeria, who will help to evaluate the data sets and LLMs used in the project. 鈥淚 think what makes our solution unique is that it is locally rooted and culturally representative of citizens of African countries,鈥� explains Seyyed-Kalantari. 

The team also has a policymaking objective, adds Seyyed-Kalantari. 鈥淲e want to ensure that the research that we are developing [鈥 brings actual positive changes for people who are using these LLMs in Africa.鈥�

Ogbuokiri notes the impact this project could have beyond West Africa for immigrant and Indigenous communities in Canada who also use non-standard English varieties. 鈥淭his will serve as a vital public resource for researchers, developers and policymakers,鈥� he states. 鈥淭his project will contribute to locally-grounded and culturally-relevant AI systems that reflect the realities of the Global South.鈥�

About the CAISI Research Program at CIFAR

The CAISI Research Program at CIFAR is a component of the , launched by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.  is the scientific engine of a broad national effort that aims to promote the safe and responsible development and deployment of AI. The research program is independently leading Canadian, multidisciplinary research to find solutions to complex AI safety challenges and develop practical tools for responsible AI so that AI is safe for all Canadians.

The post CIFAR launches new AI safety Networks to address synthetic evidence in the legal system and linguistic inequality appeared first on News@91亚色.

TORONTO, Oct. 30, 2025 - This weekend, nearly 1,000 undergraduate students from across disciplines and academic faculties will convene at the Bergeron Centre, 91亚色鈥檚 engineering hub, for .

The three-day immersive learning experience is designed to harness creativity, collaboration, and artificial intelligence to address some of the world鈥檚 most pressing sustainability challenges.

Media are welcome to attend portions of the event, such as the Friday evening kick-off at 5 p.m., Saturday afternoon prototyping sessions starting at 9 a.m., or Sunday鈥檚 pitches at 1 p.m. On-site interviews will be available with participating students, mentors, and organizers.

Organized by (Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science & Technology) Program at the Lassonde School of Engineering, UNHack 2025 brings together students from engineering, science, business, humanities, and more to work in interdisciplinary teams on grand challenges aligned with the United Nations鈥� Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

KEY FEATURES OF UNHack 2025:

• A structured design-sprint learning journey: Participants will move through stages of discovery, root-cause framing, rapid ideation, prototyping and pitching over the weekend.
• A focus on sustainability and social impact guided by the SDGs and real-world problems 鈥� including transportation/mobility, energy efficiency, education, manufacturing and more.
• The integration of AI tools and mentor guidance to augment the experiential learning process, helping students move from ideation to actionable solutions.
• A celebratory closing-day with judging, awards, and next-step support for winning teams.

鈥淯NHack isn鈥檛 just about building prototypes or winning prizes,鈥� says , Bergeron Chair in Technology Entrepreneurship. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about empowering students to discover their passion, operate in unfamiliar environments, collaborate across disciplines, and apply design-thinking in real time. The inclusion of AI-enabled tools means students not only respond to challenges 鈥� they sharpen their digital literacy and agility for the future workforce.鈥�

, UNHack has engaged hundreds of students to great effect. In 2022, more than 450 participants came together to tackle SDGs such as quality education and clean water and sanitation. This year鈥檚 scale, diverse cohort, and AI-enhanced structure mark a significant leap forward in experiential learning design.

PROGRAM TIMELINE (highlights):

• Friday, Oct. 31 (5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.): Kick-off, challenge-briefing, root-cause analysis and team formation.
• Saturday, Nov. 1 (8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.): Ideation, prototyping, mentor check-ins, refinement and early pitches.
• Sunday, Nov. 2 (9 a.m.to 4 p.m.): Final presentations, judging and closing ceremony with prize announcements.

91亚色 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亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 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 Contact: Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post 91亚色 U students to tackle sustainability challenges at UNHack 2025 appeared first on News@91亚色.

Multidisciplinary degree with strong AI component to emphasize听experiential learning, leadership, collaboration and creativity听

TORONTO, Oct. 29, 2025 鈥� The Lassonde School of Engineering at 91亚色 has launched a new, innovative  that integrates multiple engineering disciplines with hands-on industry experience in a single four-year program. Dean Jane Goodyer says the program鈥檚 focus on experiential learning, leadership, creativity, and problem-solving will prepare students for success in a rapidly transforming workplace. 

鈥淲hat excites me most about mechatronics engineering is the creativity, empathy and big-picture thinking it demands,鈥� says Goodyer. 鈥淥ur new Mechatronics program brings together computer science with mechanical, electrical, software, space and computer engineering to prepare students to design AI-enabled technologies that work seamlessly with people 鈥攊n homes, workplaces and communities 鈥� to make life more sustainable and inclusive. We鈥檙e preparing students to lead in a world transformed by AI 鈥� equipping them to use it as a tool, understand its limitations, and apply it ethically and responsibly to solve problems people care about most.鈥澨�

The degree promises to prepare integrative, interdisciplinary engineers who can use advances in AI to solve complex, real-world problems from day one.  

鈥淭he goal of mechatronics is to provide the necessary technical background so that any graduate is well prepared for that, but also providing the soft skills, work and life experiences that will make them well suited for careers in industry,鈥� says Mechatronics Program Director Michael Jenkin, also a professor at Lassonde. 鈥淥ne of the things that's particularly exciting about Mechatronics is that the systems interact with the real world. So, it's not just something in software that exists in simulated isolation.鈥� 

In the first-year block model option, students focus on one course at a time rather than juggling several at once. Lassonde has tested this approach in recent years, and early results show it is helping students achieve higher grades, reduce stress and find a better study-life balance. Another innovation is cross-year collaboration, with students in upper years acting as mentors to students in lower years.听听

Third-year Engineering student Chantal Hanna, who recently transitioned into the Mechatronics Engineering discipline to prepare for a career in robotic automation, says the program opens doors to a wide range of emerging fields. 

鈥淚 would absolutely recommend the Mechatronics program to students who are looking for a balance of creativity, design and technology,鈥� says Hanna. 鈥淢echatronics is teaching me to see technology not just as machinery, but as a way to connect with the future and innovate with purpose. There are always new advancements in tech, and this is the field that will continue to grow alongside those advancements.鈥� 

Students gain work experience through two mandatory work terms plus optional co-op placements for durations of four to 16 months, which participating employers say will help them accelerate talent recruitment.  

鈥淏y making work-integrated learning, co-op and employability skills mandatory components of the Mechatronics curriculum, graduates will be equipped to excel in the global market, make meaningful contributions from day one, and achieve long-term career success,鈥� says Jack Collier, a senior defence scientist with Defence Research and Development Canada. 鈥淎t DRDC, we are constantly seeking innovative solutions to respond to talent shortages.鈥� 

Recognizing employers鈥� desires for well-rounded graduates to join their teams, the program also requires at least 12 hours of extracurricular leadership or teamwork experience, which could include playing a team sport, volunteering with a community organization or playing in a band or joining a choir.听听

鈥淏eyond the classroom, students build leadership and teamwork skills through volunteering, clubs and community projects, and gain confidence by mentoring and collaborating on multi-year teams,鈥� says Goodyer. 鈥淲ith work-integrated learning and strong employer partnerships, our graduates will be ready to shape technology that connects with society and ensures AI serves people first.鈥� 

-30-

About 91亚色 

91亚色 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亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 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 Lassonde School of Engineering 

Located in the heart of the multicultural Greater Toronto Area, the  at 91亚色 is home to engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs, representing a diverse community of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners. Since 2013, the School has seen a 260 per cent increase in student enrollment. With 11 undergraduate programs, seven graduate programs and a host of certificates and accessible study options, Lassonde is shaping the next generation of creators who will tackle the world鈥檚 biggest challenges and devise creative solutions through interdisciplinary learning opportunities. Lassonde鈥檚 creators think in big systems rather than small silos, design with people in mind and embrace ambiguity. 

Media Contact: Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post Lassonde School of Engineering launches new Mechatronics program听 appeared first on News@91亚色.

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

Toronto, ON, Sept. 26,听 2025 鈥� 91亚色 is proud to have welcomed a record six to campus this September, recipients of Canada鈥檚 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亚色 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亚色 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.

鈥淪chulich Leader Scholarships enable Canada鈥檚 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,鈥� says program founder Seymour Schulich.

Jane Goodyer, dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering, echoes this excitement: 鈥淲e鈥檙e absolutely delighted to welcome six Schulich Leaders to Lassonde this year 鈥� the most we鈥檝e 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鈥檛 wait to see how this remarkable group will use this platform to shape the future of engineering, science and society.鈥�

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亚色 and is entering a computer science program at 91亚色 this fall.

鈥淔rom a young age, I always had a fascination with technology, and I always asked myself questions like, 鈥榟ow does this work?鈥� and 鈥榟ow is this possible?鈥� says Aliyeva. 鈥淎s I grew up, I found out how science, engineering, mathematics were behind it all.鈥�

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亚色. 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亚色 Storm.

鈥淚t 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,鈥� says Both. 鈥淗ockey 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.鈥�

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亚色.  Having completed the 91亚色 Region Transportation Youth Ambassador program in her final year at Father Bressani Catholic High School, she plans on studying civil engineering at 91亚色 with a focus on transportation planning.

Edward Drobnis

describes learning that he would be a Schulich Leader as a 鈥渟urreal鈥� experience.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 just a scholarship, but also a recognition of my dedication to STEM and my efforts to make it more accessible, especially for underrepresented groups.鈥�

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亚色鈥檚 new Markham Campus, a unique program where Drobnis will combine fulltime paid work at Shopify while he obtains his four-year degree.

鈥淚 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.鈥�

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.

鈥淢y dad was a software engineer for my whole life,鈥� says Isayenka, who also speaks Russian. 鈥淲hen I was seven years old, I began my first coding experience with block codes.鈥�

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亚色 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鈥檚 Academic Medal, Principal鈥檚 Award and a writer鈥檚 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.

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

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亚色 where he developed a strong interest in robotics, he credits the encouragement and mentorship of his teachers with helping him become a Schulich Leader.

鈥淎 lot of teachers pushed me to take opportunities, especially in the STEM field, whether it was robotics or networking,鈥� says Tu, now studying computer science at 91亚色. 鈥淲ithout those opportunities, I don't think I would have had as much experience as I have now.鈥�

Tu, who also speaks Cantonese, was attracted to 91亚色 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.

鈥淚 want to give them, not only the same opportunities, but more opportunities to explore future career paths.鈥�

-30-

91亚色 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亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 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亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post 91亚色 U welcomes six new Schulich Leaders to campuses for the first time appeared first on News@91亚色.