Francophone Canadian immigrants who come from Sub-Saharan Africa rarely benefit from the symbolic capital of speaking French. Instead, they encounter triple marginalization due to living in a minoritized francophone community – because of their race, and by virtue of their French language accent. In partnership with Glendon Campus, this talk will explore the discrimination these immigrants face in the labour market in the Greater Toronto Area as well as their experience working in the francophone health-care and education systems.

Brought to you by 91��ɫ’s Office of Alumni Engagement, the Scholars’ Hub @ Home speaker series features discussions on a broad range of topics, with engaging lectures from some of 91��ɫ’s best and brightest minds. Students, alumni and all members of the community are invited to attend. All sessions take place at noon via Zoom.

Events are held in partnership with Vaughan Public Libraries, Markham Public Library and Aurora Public Library.

To register for the event, visit .

��’évé�Ա𳾱�Գ�&�Բ�����;Next Scholars’ Hub explore la discrimination à laquelle sont confrontés les immigrants francophones afro-canadiens

Pour l’édition du 20 octobre de la série de conférences Scholars’ Hub @ Home, Gertrude Mianda, professeure à Glendon et directrice du Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on Africa and its Diasporas à l’Université 91��ɫ, animera une discussion sur les immigrants francophones afro-canadiens au sein de la communauté francophone minoritaire.

Les immigrants canadiens francophones originaires d’Afrique subsaharienne bénéficient rarement du capital symbolique que représente le fait de parler français. Ils se heurtent plutôt à une triple marginalisation : en plus de celle liée à leur race et à leur accent français, ils vivent dans une communauté francophone minoritaire. En partenariat avec Glendon, cette conférence explorera la discrimination à laquelle ces immigrants sont confrontés sur le marché du travail dans la région du Grand Toronto ainsi que leur expérience de travail dans les systèmes de santé et d’éducation francophones.

Proposée par le Bureau d’engagement des diplômés de l’Université 91��ɫ, la série de conférences Scholars’ Hub @ Home propose des discussions sur un large éventail de sujets avec des conférences intéressantes livrées par certains des esprits les plus brillants de 91��ɫ. Les étudiants et étudiantes, diplômées et diplômés et tous les membres de la communauté sont invités à y assister. Toutes les sessions ont lieu à midi sur Zoom.

Les événements sont organisés en partenariat avec les bibliothèques publiques de Vaughan, Markham et Aurora.

Pour vous inscrire à l’événement, visitez le site��.

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Diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is critical; it enables the design of inclusive technologies and innovations that benefit all. Creating equitable opportunities in STEM education for youth will ensure that all students have access to experiences that will help them make informed decisions about their career pathways. In this talk, Cole will share her insights and experiences, and the journey that has led her to 91��ɫ

Brought to you by 91��ɫ’s Office of Alumni Engagement, the Scholars’ Hub @ Home speaker series features discussions on a broad range of topics, with engaging lectures from some of 91��ɫ’s best and brightest minds. Students, alumni and all members of the community are invited to attend. All sessions take place at noon via Zoom.

Events are held in partnership with Vaughan Public Libraries, Markham Public Library and Aurora Public Library.

To register for the event, visit .

The post Find out how Lassonde’s K2I Academy is creating opportunities for youth at the next Scholars’ Hub @ Home appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Equity was one of the first casualties of change when schools closed in March 2020 and teachers and students were suddenly physically separated from each other. This talk will describe the experiences of Ontario teachers and the students facing disproportionate academic, psychological and social consequences. These findings can inform how to best create equitable and inclusive classrooms online. ��

Brought to you by 91��ɫ’s Office of Alumni Engagement, the Scholars’ Hub @ Home speaker series features discussions on a broad range of topics, with engaging lectures from some of 91��ɫ’s best and brightest minds. Students, alumni and all members of the community are invited to attend. All sessions take place at noon via Zoom.

Events are held in partnership with Vaughan Public Libraries, Markham Public Library and Aurora Public Library.

To register for this event, visit��.

Courtesy of YFile.

The post Next Scholars’ Hub @ Home looks at equity and inclusion in online classrooms appeared first on Research & Innovation.

91��ɫ students, faculty, staff and alumni nominated students based on their engagement and leadership roles at 91��ɫ. An in-person ceremony was not possible this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, winners were notified in a congratulatory letter from Lucy Fromowitz, vice-provost, students.

“All candidates for this award are role models who exhibit leadership, dedication, integrity, enthusiasm and the demonstrated pursuit of excellence. On behalf of the entire 91��ɫ community, thank you for your hard work and commitment to excellence,” Fromowitz wrote.

Tiffin also recognized the students’ achievements and their dedication to leadership amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Each year, students are encouraged to become proactively engaged with their educational experiences through their academic studies, co-curricular and extracurricular activities. You definitely embraced that challenge and, despite the disruption caused by the pandemic in the past two academic years, have not only enhanced the student experience of your fellow students, but also shaped the foundations for future students to become engaged within the 91��ɫ community,” he said. “I’m always impressed by the diversity of ways in which leadership occurs at 91��ɫ, and this was truly evident in the ways you contributed.”

Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award recipients this year:

Amin Hatamnejad
Hatamnejad is pursing a bachelor of science in the Kinesiology and Health Science program in the Faculty of Health. He has held a variety of roles within the Kinesiology and Health Science Student Organization, including president. He helped to transition the program fully online amid the pandemic and created two new chapters: Discover You and the Alumni Network (YUKSAN). Hatamnejad has also worked as a leadership coach, course representative co-ordinator and orientation co-ordinator at both Calumet and Stong Colleges, and has served as a student senator and a president’s ambassador.

Ammon Cherry
Cherry, an environmental studies student in the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC), is the president of the EUC’s Student Association (EUCSA). He was part of the Black Excellence YU Student Consultations, whose input contributed to the actions outlined in 91��ɫ’s Anti-Black Racism Framework. Cherry also served as a president’s ambassador, alumni ambassador and a as student representative on several Faculty committees while pursuing his studies.

Bri Darboh
Darboh is a doctoral student in clinical neuropsychology in the Faculty of Health and an MBA student at the Schulich School of Business. She has held many advocacy roles, including doctoral student representative, Black Students in Psychology (BSIP) graduate student representative, member of the Diversity Committee and peer mentor in the Autism Mentorship Program. She is also a student affiliate at the Canadian Psychological Association, the Ontario Psychological Association and the American Psychological Association. Throughout her time at 91��ɫ, Darboh has also created several new workshops, planned events and participated in student groups.

Humayra Rashid Safa
Safa, an international development studies student in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), fundraised with LA&PS’s Advancement team to help visible minority students experiencing financial difficulties. This effort allowed more than 200 students to take classes last summer. Safa has also held several roles on the International Development Students’ Association, including co-president, vice-president and treasurer. She also helped to co-ordinate the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals Hub and served as both a president’s ambassador and LA&PS dean’s ambassador.

Jean-Marc Moke
Moke, a psychology student in the Faculty of Health, is dedicated to improving the lives of Black students at 91��ɫ through his many leadership roles on campus. He is a co-founder and president of the BSIP and a member of the Department of Psychology Undergraduate Studies Committee. He sat on both Calumet and Stong colleges' Student Success Councils and is a volunteer with 91��ɫ’s Black Student Alliance. Moke also contributed to the development of 91��ɫ’s Anti-Black Racism Framework and is currently working on establishing a proprietary mentorship program for Black psychology students at 91��ɫ.

Magdalena Kajo
Kajo, an economics and French studies student at 91��ɫ's Glendon Campus, has been an active leader throughout her time at 91��ɫ. She has contributed by serving Glendon Campus as a school director for Peace by PEACE Glendon. She also held the positions of Chair of Glendon’s Student Caucus and co-founder and vice-president of the Glendon Economics and Business Club. In addition, Kajo was an RBC student ambassador for 91��ɫ with RBC Wealth Management.

Mahafarid (Fara) Seddigh
Seddigh, a psychology and law and society student in the Faculty of Health, has held various roles with the Undergraduate Psychology Student Association, including being promoted to co-president after serving as vice-president of student success and as a peer tutoring co-ordinator. She founded LetsStopAIDS at 91��ɫ, the local chapter of a youth HIV charity. She is currently a Daughters of the Vote Delegate for Equal Voice and a member of the Richmond Hill Constituency Youth Council.

Mingyu (Matthew) Lim
Lim, a biology (biomedical science) student in the Faculty of Science, has held several leadership roles throughout his time at 91��ɫ. He has served in many capacities, including as a president’s ambassador, science student ambassador, vice-president of communications and first-year representative on the Bethune College Council. He also contributed his time as a Residence Life don. Lim is currently working as a research assistant in the infant clinical psychology field.

Monica Shafik
Shafik, an international development studies and law and society student in LA&PS, has been an active volunteer and social justice advocate, completing more than 4,200 hours of community service. She is the director of ancestral services for Future Ancestors Services, an Indigenous- and Black-owned, youth-led organization that advances climate justice and equity with an anti-racism and ancestral accountability focus. Shafik has also been a Go Global student ambassador for 91��ɫ International, a student advocacy co-ordinator for the Student Academic Support Centre in the 91��ɫ Federation of Students, and a student ambassador and dean’s ambassador for LA&PS.

Simi Sahota
Sahota, a psychology and business student in the Faculty of Health, has been dedicated to helping others reach their full potential. Her success as a Peer-Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) leader led to faculty inviting her to co-present about PASS at 91��ɫ’s 2019 Teaching in Focus Conference. She has also been a leadership coach, and as project lead of the Financial Wellness Project, she leads a team of research assistants, script writers and video editors.

Vishwaveda Joshi
Joshi, a social anthropology student in the Faculty of Graduate Studies, was 91��ɫ International’s first graduate international student engagement liaison and was invited to represent 91��ɫ during the High Commission of Canada’s Women’s Day Celebration. As co-chair of the Social Anthropology Graduate Students’ Association, she was involved in creating a COVID-19 emergency fund for graduate students in her program early in the pandemic.

To learn more about the Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award, visit the .

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Valued at $50,000 per year for up to three years, this prestigious scholarship is presented by the Government of Canada to support doctoral students who are conducting world-class research. The scholarship recipients embody all of the rigorous selection criteria: academic excellence, research potential and leadership.

This year’s Vanier Scholars, Debbie Ebanks Schlums and Maureen Owino, are advancing knowledge in areas that can stimulate positive change on a global scale. Both of their research areas have a diverse reach, from addressing the issues around the underrepresentation of small diasporic communities in formal archives to tackling injustices of pandemic responses that often overlook vulnerable populations.

"91��ɫ and its community are proud to support these incredible scholars in the advancement of their groundbreaking research and empower them for long-term success," says Thomas Loebel, dean and associate vice-president of 91��ɫ's Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Debbie Ebanks Schlums, cinema and media studies/film

Ebanks Schlums acknowledges the important role small diasporic communities play in the constitution of the Canadian nation in her proposed dissertation titled "Community-Engaged Memory Preservation: Co-Creating an Audio-Visual Archive of the Jamaican Diaspora in the Greater Toronto Area."

“Small diasporic communities significantly impact the national fabric of Canada, yet their contributions are marginalized within official archival collections and, therefore, within the idea of the nation,” says Ebanks Schlums of her project.

This cutting-edge study challenges the work done by official archives through creating an alternative presentation of artifacts that does justice to preserving the cultural heritage of the Jamaican diaspora in the Greater Toronto Area. Ebanks Schlums underscores that there are portable and non-material forms of archiving that carry history on and through bodies of communities that have a migratory nature. This project will embody a creative and collective imagining of a diasporic archive by creating a variety of unique artifacts from musical compositions to cellphone portraits of people and places. This innovative type of archive will be shared in mainstream spaces to provide as much accessibility to these cultural artifacts as possible.

Through this research, new methods dedicated to the study of diasporas and under-examined archives will emerge through the creation of novel forms of artifact presentation. The project aims to support the Jamaican community in exploring their own identity and sense of belonging through creating connections to community members, their homeland and the society in which they reside.

In addition to the cutting-edge academic work that Ebanks Schlums performs, she is also an active leader in her community. She was a founding member of the Out of a War Zone and To Lemon Hill collectives, both addressing the Syrian refugee crisis.

Maureen Owino, environmental studies

Owino’s research, titled "When HIV and COVID-19 Pandemics Collide in Black Communities in Canada," confronts issues relating to pandemic responses that impact already vulnerable communities.

Through institutional ethnography, the research will examine the cumulative impacts of existing and emerging social and public health policies on Black people’s health and well-being in Canada. “It will do so by: 1. Tracking the rapidly changing health and public policy landscape in Canada; 2. Using critical feminist and race theories to analyze, compare and contrast COVID-19 and HIV containment and mitigation strategies; and 3. Examining how these policies address, reify, challenge, and uphold existing health inequities from the perspective of Black people living with and at risk of pandemics in Canada,” says Owino of her research.

This research is vital, as it exposes how pandemics reveal inequities in health outcomes for vulnerable communities who also face racism, sexism, homophobia and poverty, which create acute conditions for these vulnerable populations. The findings will be accessible to a diverse audience base through a collaboration with Black organizations, community members, researchers, activists and scholars.

“Whereas most Canadians are reeling from the impact of COVID-19, Black people also remain in an HIV pandemic zone and must deal with the impact of both pandemics simultaneously,” says Owino. “This structural inequities creates conditions of vulnerability that are increased by barriers to effective and timely health care, and increases the Black communities' risks to future pandemics.”

In addition to being a dedicated scholar who promotes these vital social causes, Owino also shows exemplary leadership skills. She is the director of the Committee for Accessible AIDS Treatment and a member of the Ontario Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS.

"Both Debbie Ebanks Schlums and Maureen Owino are outstanding examples of Vanier Scholars through their innovative research and dedication to the community," says Loebel.

Courtesy of YFile.

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“We wanted to find a way to celebrate and also highlight original, cutting-edge research in different disciplines,” said��Yuko Sorano, manager, external scholarships and graduate awards for FGS.

Knowledge Now brought graduate research to life online through a  about individual research produced by FGS, as well as two synchronous online panels that were also recorded and made available online. Each panel focused on a theme that cut across disciplines and explored one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, referenced in 91��ɫ’s current Academic Plan. The  panel was moderated by Mark Hayward, associate dean, academic for FGS; and the  panel was moderated by FGS Dean Thomas Loebel.

“With the short videos, we tried to highlight a diversity of research, but there’s so much more that we can include,” Sorano said. “We’ve just begun discussing the next phase of the project.”

The videos were produced in an interview format via Zoom. Students were asked to answer six questions about their research, its impact and goals. The communications team in FGS, led by��Anesa Albert, graduate communications and recruitment manager, prepared the web and video production for this initiative.

Kushbu Patel, a PhD student in psychology who studies behavioural responses to surface colour and lighting and its application to virtual reality, was happy to discuss her research.

“It was my first time recording a YouTube video for such a broad audience and Yuko provided me with necessary support and guidance,” Patel said.

She discussed the question with her supervisor to boil her explanations down to the required time frame and reviewed her responses with Sorano before the recording started. There was also an opportunity to re-record the answers to polish her delivery.

“It’s a great way to reach out,” Patel said. “My supervisor forwarded it to the agency that gave me my scholarship and they’ve disseminated the link, and a lot of other graduate students have seen it.

“It’s really professionally done, so I can also put it on my resume and I have posted it on my Facebook page.”

Aaron Tucker, another Knowledge Now video “star,” is a PhD candidate studying face recognition technologies.

“Part of my research requires public engagement,” Tucker said. “There is only so much I alone can do, so I usually take every opportunity to speak about it. And, with our Zoom culture today, everyone is making videos.”

Tucker likes to speak extemporaneously, so he made notes and thought it through, but didn’t read from a script. He was pleased by the result.

“I’ve been using it as a bite-sized way to share my research with non-experts,” he said.

He also enjoyed seeing the breadth of research being done by his peers.

“It was neat for me to see what others are working on; 91��ɫ is so big.”

The panel discussions, in contrast, were more like dialogues, said Sorano, exploring broad issues and how the University can respond to them. The participants briefly explained their research before plunging into a moderated discussion. Each panel featured graduate students from various disciplines to offer a diversity of perspectives.

A PhD student in Earth & Space Science, Ima-Obong Ituen took part in the Climate Action panel. She is studying the effects of climate change on farming in northern Ontario and exploring the ways the changing climate is opening up new economic opportunities there.

“It was a privilege and a thrill to be part of the Knowledge Now panel discussion,” she said. “It was nice to have a platform to discuss what we’re doing and it was a great learning opportunity. The questions the dean posed were broad enough so we could all answer in our own way.

“It really broadens our own perspectives when we see other perspectives and realize there is not one set way of doing things.”

Ituen said the panel was an opportunity to show graduate students how research actually unfolds.

“You can start on one path and go on a different trajectory,” she said. “I have realized that the path isn’t necessarily straight and you need to pivot sometimes, but you’ll get there. This is valuable knowledge for graduate students early in their research careers.”

Sorano said FGS ran Knowledge Now as a campaign in March, leading up to the panel discussions and video releases.

“Students come with a huge passion for exploring their topic, but they don’t often have the chance to discuss it with a wider audience outside academia,” she said. “This is a chance to showcase it more broadly.

“In-person events may have different advantages, but we could potentially use a hybrid model in the future. The pandemic has brought us new possibilities to explore.”

By Elaine Smith, special contributing writer,��Innovatus

Courtesy of YFile.

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The unique celebration honoured professors Michaela Hynie and Mike Zryd as 2019-20 recipients, and professors Michele Johnson and Sandra Schecter as the 2020-21 award recipients. The event was held virtually, and was attended by more than 100 people over Zoom.

“It is so wonderful to see that all four recipients were able to join us today, and I would like to take this opportunity to personally recognize all of you for your exceptional contributions to graduate education at the University,” said President and Vice-Chancellor��Rhonda L. Lenton��during the virtual Faculty Council held on May 6.

All awards were presented by FGS Dean and Associate Vice-President Graduate Thomas Loebel. He remarked on the vital work of the recipients. “The Faculty of Graduate Studies' Teaching Award is bestowed annually on a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies who has displayed not simply excellence, commitment and enthusiasm to the multifaceted aspects of teaching at the graduate level at 91��ɫ, but rather excellence alliteratively, adjectivally qualified," he said.

The celebration included recognition of the 2019-20 award winners, who were recognized this year due to the postponement of last year’s ceremony.

The 2019-20 recipients are:

��is a professor in the graduate programs in Psychology, Health, Kinesiology & Health Science, Development Studies, Environmental Studies, and Interdisciplinary Studies. Letters of support for her nomination noted her drive to provide students with fundamental skills needed to succeed outside of the classroom, such as becoming ethical researchers and creating projects that are meaningful to members of the larger community.

Hynie's work to address the challenges faced by refugee students, from housing support to financial aid, was highlighted. Her research addresses the development and evaluation of interventions that can strengthen social integration and inclusion in communities that have experienced social conflict or forced migration, whether through political and economic conflict or environmental change.

“Thank you to the students who went through all the trouble of nominating me… that is the biggest gift of all. I’m very moved,” said Hynie.

��is a professor in the graduate programs in Film, Communication & Culture, and Humanities, and was the second recipient of the 2020 award. He was noted for his intrinsic and internal pedagogical drive that supports students to reach the finish line in any endeavour they undertake. Zryd was recognized for his ability to motivate students in connecting critical course components to the advancement of their own research by providing them with the right tools and critical methodologies for their projects.

Nomination letters from current and former students highlight Zryd’s generosity of time in various graduate endeavours, such as his steadfast participation in the department’s Graduate Student Association events, including scholarship application support and TA training seminars.

“Grad teaching and supervision is always a collective activity. I want to thank the amazing staff, managers and decanal team at FGS, and all of the GPA and GPDs at the University,” said Zryd. “I also want to thank the students… not quite sure what I teach them, but I learn an enormous amount from everyone.”

The 2020-21 recipients are:

, a professor in the graduate programs in Education, History, Social & Political Thought, and Theatre & Performance Studies, has served the University in a variety of important capacities. Her past roles include: co-ordinator of the Latin American & Caribbean Studies program; 91��ɫ’s affirmative action officer; and director of the Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on Africa and its Diasporas. Currently, she is the associate dean, students, in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.

Nomination letters emphasized Johnson’s dedication to support every member of the 91��ɫ community. She is descried as selfless by constantly supporting not only her official advisees, but anyone in need. Johnson provides extensive encouragement to students as they navigate the academy and adapt to the unique demands of graduate education.

Johnson expressed gratitude to her support system after accepting the award, saying, “I’d like to thank my family, some streaming in from Ontario, Saskatchewan and Atlanta. I’m profoundly moved to receive this award, because it is the students at this institution who hold my heart. It is to those graduate students, who have trusted me to contribute to their dreams, to whom I would like to give my thanks.”

��is a professor in the Graduate Program in Education. She deserves equal praise for her contribution to the 91��ɫ community. Since joining the University in 1996, Schecter has made sustained contributions to multiple fields of inquiry and has promoted an enduring commitment to anti-racist and social justice education. Furthermore, her work at 91��ɫ has been instrumental in new program creation of degrees and diplomas in the Faculty of Education.

Letters of support from students praise her direct instruction style and note her energetic personality and good-natured humour that demonstrate her consistent dedication and care.

“I am honoured and appreciate how much work goes into these nomination files when time is so valuable,” said Schecter. “This award is just beautiful.”

Courtesy of YFile.

The post FGS honours four recipients with Faculty Teaching Award appeared first on Research & Innovation.

, assistant professor in the teaching stream at the School of Administrative Studies, teamed up with a part-time faculty member from RBC to offer the graduate students in her Performance Measurement Systems class an experiential education (EE) opportunity, and the results have been beneficial to all parties involved.

Amit Brahme, senior director, Newcomer & Cultural Client Segment at RBC, who teaches a management accounting course at 91��ɫ, together with his colleague��Lara Beauvais, senior manager, Performance Optimization & Early Talent Strategy, challenged students in Kwan’s class to determine how RBC could better connect with international students. This substantial segment – 640,000 students across Canada – is desirable for RBC to connect with, especially since 60 per cent of these students have expressed a desire to remain in Canada post-graduation.

Most of the students enrolled in Kwan’s class this spring were international students and related immediately to the problem put before them. “This hit home for them,” Kwan said. “Many of them have walked that ‘new incoming international student’ journey.”

The students regularly work on case studies, but this was a chance to “see how the tools and building blocks that they’ve learned get applied in industry,” Kwan said. “They are able to see how they will be able to leverage their knowledge in a future career.”

Brahme and Beauvais asked the students how RBC could connect better with international students during their journey; what resources could the bank make available to improve their outreach to this market segment and how could the bank measure its success in such endeavours? They attended an online class session to present the challenge, and the students collaborated in work teams to provide RBC with insights.

“It was a great opportunity to get some perspective from actual newcomers and see the issues from fresh perspectives,” said Beauvais. “They all had great ideas and did a lot of research.”

Brahme said it was an opportunity for excellent feedback. “We had an opportunity to see how students looked at banks,” he said. “We don’t usually get this level of feedback unless we use a marketing firm. The students gave us a lot of information about the things that appealed to them and did comparisons with other banks. Their input has already been useful to our marketing and product teams.”

The students were delighted to get some hands-on experience.

“This was the best part of the course,” said Ladan Hafezi, who immigrated to Canada from Iran with her family. “It was useful to work on a case study that was live. We learned a number of things we’ll be able to use in our careers as we did research, talked about improving customer service and practised communicating with management.”

Junrui (Sherwin) Gao, a student from China, said the EE assignment helped him improve his writing, speaking, and presenting skills. “Many international students are shy,” Gao said. “Although we have great ideas, we may not feel comfortable using our second language to speak up. Our skills will really improve if we’re forced to speak and present via a live case study.”

Raunak Kher, who was born in India and has lived all over the Middle East, said it was “a golden opportunity to share our perspective.”

He and his group did a lot of research on immigration, but they were also able to speak from personal experience. “We wanted to show RBC how to welcome international students,” Kher said, “and suggested they should consider a financial settlement advisor who can educate students about housing options using GIC (guaranteed investment certificate) funding and about the community, as well as an incentive to make using their credit card worthwhile.”

The feedback from RBC was also valuable, Kher noted. “We wanted constructive feedback. They helped us understand what we need to work on, and the experience assisted us with transferable skills for future presentations.

“Theory trains our minds to learn, but students also need to know how to execute, and EE is good for that.”

Beauvais said it was undoubtedly valuable for the students to be forced out of their comfort zones to make a presentation to strangers. “It was definitely a real-world experience,” she said, “although one that they were able to do in a safe and trusting environment.

“The students had to decide what direction to take and what the outcome would look like. Giving, taking, deciding and negotiating are all foundational skills that are really important, as well as the hard skill of working with data.”

Brahme was impressed with the professional approach the students brought to the experience. He noted that one of the ideas the students put forth, a student price card, is something RBC is seriously considering. “It wasn’t on our radar, but we’re actively looking at implementing one,” Brahme said.

Kwan is delighted by the outcome and is looking forward to continuing her relationship with RBC for this fall’s iteration of the course.

“I call this going from Keele Street (91��ɫ Campus) to Bay Street,’” Kwan said. “It helps students plan their journey between classroom and career. The energy of presenting to actual executives has a different feel to it than making a presentation to your professor.”

Courtesy of YFile.

The post From Keele Street to Bay Street, powered by experiential education appeared first on Research & Innovation.

The award recognizes teaching and supervisory excellence, as well as other elements including scholarly, professional and teaching development and initiatives in graduate program and curriculum development.

“I am truly honored to have been selected as recipient of this award – especially in light of the centrality of teaching and student mentorship to my identity – and most gratified to read the testimonies that current and past students have chosen to share,” said Schecter. “Like other inspiring colleagues, I am committed to helping students find their voices and express their unmistakably unique worldviews. I have learned that these goals are best achieved by assuming that our students are really smart, surrounding them with complex and provocative ideas, and expecting them to rise to the challenge. And they are; and they do.”

Since joining 91��ɫ in 1996, Schecter has made sustained contributions to multiple related fields of inquiry – bilingual and multilingual language acquisition and learning, language socialization, language and cultural identity, language policy and planning, and community-referenced pedagogy. Her contributions have significantly enhanced the quality of learning by 91��ɫ students at the graduate level.

Over the years, Schecter has received funding from the Spencer Foundation and has sustained continuous Social Sciences & Humanities Research Foundation of Canada (SSHRC) funding for her research initiatives. She served as graduate program director in education from 2009-12 and in 2013-14 and has published articles, books, and edited volumes on language policy and planning, language socialization, language and cultural identity, and bi- and multi-lingual language acquisition and learning.

In 2016, she was invited to present her research on “Fostering the academic literacy development and social integration of Canadian-born English language learners” at a special symposium on 'Learning for the newly arrived' hosted by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Swedish Department of Education.

“Dr. Schecter is a distinguished scholar and researcher in multiple fields of expertise and our program has been strengthened by her engagement with graduate students through many forums of teaching and learning,” said Graduate Program in Education Director��. “Professor Schecter’s classes are regularly oversubscribed and the graduate students she supervises and teaches express great enthusiasm and gratitude for her tireless mentorship and work with them. Many of our graduate students have been given opportunities for research and scholarship and I am delighted that Dr. Schecter has received this highest honor recognizing and affirming her unwavering commitment to both the program and graduate students.”

Schecter will be presented with the award at a virtual meeting of the Council of the Faculty of Graduate Studies on May 6.

Additionally, Schecter has been recognized by the FGS Awards Committee and the Faculty of Graduate Studies and will be nominated for the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools’ Graduate Faculty Teaching Award (Doctoral level).

Courtesy of YFile.

The post Professor Sandra Schecter earns 2020 FGS Teaching Award appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Michael Greyeyes, former Director of the Graduate Program in Theatre at 91��ɫ and critically acclaimed actor/director/choreographer, joined forces with playwright Yvette Nolan to produce Bearing, a dance-opera about Canada’s residential school system that débuted at Toronto’s Luminato Festival last spring. While the last such schools closed in the 1990s, the aftermath of this painful social experiment to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture, resonates to this day in Indigenous communities and across the nation. It is woven into the present-day fabric of our country.

Bearing was a deeply personal endeavour as both Greyeyes and Nolan’s parents attended residential schools. To create the work, Greyeyes, a Plains Cree, and Nolan, an Algonquin, collaborated with librettist Spy Denommé-Welch, who is Anishnaabe.

In this Q&A, Greyeyes sits down with Brainstorm to talk about the goals and impact of Bearing, what it meant to him personally and the supportive environment at 91��ɫ.

Q: What was the impetus or the driving force behind Bearing?
A: My co-creator and co-director, Yvette Nolan, and I, as Indigenous people, have been dealing with the aftermath of Indian residential schools pretty much our entire lives. Indigenous families are affected by this piece of history in countless ways. It’s akin to someone who has been displaced, like a family from a war-torn country. It’s so significant that it affects your life constantly, even if the war’s over, you’ve moved to another country or your country has rebuilt. Things impact you, they haunt you still.

As artists, we’ve been making work that is marked by this history. Bearing is our deepest examination of that fallout.

Q: What is the story of Bearing?

A: Bearing revolves around a family�� ̶ ��a metaphor for a community or a nation. We looked at the family because residential schools broke apart families. At the heart of our drama is a family impacted and torn apart by residential schools.

Over the course of the three acts, we are introduced to this family, they interact with the Canadians around them and, in the end, the family is brought together again. So, the journey for the audience charts the progression of the Indigenous family, how they were separated by this history, by circumstance, by their trauma and, ultimately, how they find their way back to each other.

Q: The final act speaks to a deeper understanding, to healing, to what it means to bear some of the weight of this history. How did you accomplish this?

A: When we look at the body of work that’s out there – and it’s a growing body of work since many people are addressing residential schools in literature, performance and visual art – what I’ve seen is an historical approach, primarily. Indigenous artists are required, quite unfortunately, to educate Canadians around this history.

“History is not gone, forgotten, over. History plays out into our present; it is part of our current experience, our everyday lives.” – Michael Greyeyes

We wanted to present something quite different. This is what I suggested to my collaborators: Let’s look at what residential schools means today, in this moment, on this street. That’s where the drama lives. We did this very purposefully to make apparent, for Canadian audiences, a truth that Indigenous people have been living with for a long time: History is not gone, forgotten, over. History plays out into our present; it is part of our current experience, our everyday lives.

That’s how Bearing is remarkably different compared to other works. It’s about now, about how people survive trauma, how we live with each other, how we collectively live with that trauma.

The premise of the work is this: Unless we, as a larger Canadian community, acknowledge and accept that history, accept our complicity in those events and how this affects all of us – not just Indigenous people – then there really is no chance the nation can move forward as a whole.

Q: Bearing premiered at Luminato. What did it mean to you as an Indigenous person and an actor/director/choreographer to unveil this work to the world?

A: It was a very proud moment for me as the Artistic Director of Signal. Bearing was our most ambitious project. I was particularly proud of the quality of the work.

When Bearing was being created, I was also working on the AMC television series “Fear the Walking Dead,” filming in Mexico. So Yvette, Nancy Greyeyes, my wife and co-choreographer, and Brittany Ryan, our general manager, led the final weeks of Bearing rehearsals.

The strength of that kind of collaboration really came forward. I feel that Bearing is our finest work. It was a collective effort. This represents Indigenous ways of working, of power sharing, and how we communicate and work together.

“Unless we, as a larger Canadian community, acknowledge and accept that history, accept our complicity in those events and how this affects all of us – not just Indigenous people – then there really is no chance the nation can move forward as a whole.” – Michael Greyeyes

Q: What kind of feedback have you received?

A: The feedback was tremendously gratifying. People were deeply moved by the work and struck by its great beauty. With live music, it was a very powerful kind of document. Live theatre affects people in ways that film can never hope to.

I think the experience from audiences was incredibly positive. They walked away from it saying that it was a profound experience. That makes me, as one of the collaborators, deeply proud.

Q: How has 91��ɫ’s Theatre Program, in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD), supported your work?

A: I’ve always felt a great deal of support from my colleagues at 91��ɫ. I’m always impressed by the generosity of the department and my colleagues.

As a long-time 91��ɫ faculty, I recognize the quality of the graduates that we produce. I’m always seeking an opportunity to work with 91��ɫ students and colleagues. For example, Aria Evans, one of our main performers, is a 91��ɫ grad, as is Ervin Chow. ��Our brilliant costume designer, Joanna Yu is a graduate of the theatre department, as was our award-winning lighting designer, Michelle Ramsay. The chance to work with very talented professional artists from 91��ɫ is truly gratifying.

A related article, “,” was published by AMPD (June 2017). For more information about Greyeyes, visit his . To learn more about Signal Theatre, visit the

To learn more about Research & Innovation at 91��ɫ, follow us at , watch the and see the .

By Megan Mueller, manager, research communications, Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, 91��ɫ, muellerm@yorku.ca

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