Luin Goldring

CERIS is the Joint Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement, which explores issues specific to Ontario. Housed at 91��ɫ, it is tri-university partnership that also includes the University of Toronto and Ryerson University. CERIS also brings together both community organizations and different levels of government in all of its activities and direction through its governance board.

“Dr. Goldring brings a wealth of experience and understanding of the work CERIS does and the way it functions as an organization," says 91��ɫ health professor and CERIS board chair Lillie Lum. “I know she will guide CERIS into the future and will continue to build on the work it has accomplished through past and current leadership.”

Valerie Preston

Preston completes her leadership on a high note, following the third phase of this Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)-funded initiative that has effectively contributed to creating new knowledge in the field of immigration and settlement through annual research grants, graduate student awards and countless events. Together with Lillie Lum, Ryerson and University of Toronto directors, and other CERIS partners, she led the successful 14th Annual Metropolis Conference in Toronto earlier this year. The conference brought together more than 1,200 academics, policy-makers and community members to face challenges and explore opportunities of future immigration policy in Canada.

“We welcome Dr. Goldring as the 91��ɫ director,” says Preston. “I know her commitment and involvement in CERIS, both past and present, will be key to ensuring the future of immigration and settlement research in Ontario.”

“CERIS is an entity like no other,” says Goldring. “It is a research centre, a network and a community of people who all strive to improve the lives of newcomers to Ontario. I have had the pleasure of participating in its activities over many years and I look forward to working with everyone involved as we move ahead.”

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The symposium will take place Saturday, July 14, from 9am to 4pm, at 519 91��ɫ Research Tower, Keele campus.

EGCC brings together girls and young women with a network of researchers, public school professionals and youth-serving community organizations.

Nombuso Dlamini at last year's forum

The project, spearheaded by Nombuso Dlamini, a professor in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Education and the inaugural Jean Augustine Chair in Education in the New Urban Environment, investigates how young women and girls engage in leadership and civic activities in new urban environments.

Over the past 12 months, the project hired and trained youth from around the GTA to interview young women and girls about their experiences of leadership and civic engagement. The event highlights the youth interviewer participation in the research process by providing a space where they can present their experiences and receive positive feedback. Initial findings from the interviews will also be presented.

Youth interviewers being trained last summer

The symposium will also mark the kick-off of what promises to be an exciting and engaging second phase of EGCC, during which girls will be given resources to design their own projects and activities to learn about and practice leadership and civic engagement.

“There’s a pressing need for more women in leadership roles, particularly in government and the civic arena,” says Dlamini. “If we are to achieve this, we need to start from the ground up, which means getting girls engaged in civics early on.”

Youth interviewers from the GTA and the Windsor branch of the project will gather in Toronto on Friday to share a meal and visit a local attraction. On Saturday, project participants, researchers, community partners and a selection of youth from various community organizations will convene at 91��ɫ.

The day will begin with a short address from Dlamini and then launch into a panel showcasing youth engagement in different areas of Toronto. Youth interviewers will then present their experiences and findings with the audience. Finally, team building and brainstorming activities will take place to create and strengthen networks of collaboration, discuss next steps, as well as tap into the unique insight provided by youth from the communities for use in the construction of the summer initiative.

The project’s co-applicants, 91��ɫ Professor Joy Mannette of the Faculty of Education and Yvette Daniel of the University of Windsor, will also be in attendance.

Anyone interested in attending must RSVP to leadershipbygirls@edu.yorku.ca, or e-mail for more information.

This research is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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“On behalf of the 91��ɫ research community, I am very pleased by this announcement,” said Robert Haché, 91��ɫ’s vice-president research & innovation. “NSERC’s investment in science, engineering and technological research reflects the exceptional quality of the research activities undertaken by 91��ɫ’s researchers, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Our growing success in NSERC grant competitions allows our researchers to continue to grow and strengthen their innovative research programs across these disciplines from a base of excellence.”

Scientists, engineers and students at universities across the country will receive more than $410 million in grants and scholarships over terms ranging from one to five years.  These awards comprise the 2012 competition results for NSERC’s Discovery Grants, Discovery Accelerator Supplements, Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships, NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships and Postdoctoral Fellowships Programs.

Forty-nine 91��ɫ researchers received funding in the Discovery Grants Competition, securing $6,086,000 in funding – a success rate of 71 per cent – highlighting the strength of University research programs in the science and engineering disciplines.

In the Discovery Grants and Discovery Accelerator Supplements Competition, the funding was granted for research programs covering a wide range of topics, including:

• Experiments in the atmospheres of Mars and Earth
• Structural and functional imaging of the human thalamus
• The role of electrical synapses in vision
• The development and application of dynamic smart surfaces
• Thoracic and lumbar spine biomechanics
• Development and application of mass spectrometry imaging to biological models

91��ɫ researchers were also awarded $601,733 in funding in the Research Tools & Instruments competition.

"Our government's top priority is jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. To remain at the forefront of the global economy, our government is investing in the people and ideas that will produce tomorrow's breakthroughs," said Gary Goodyear, federal minister of state for science and technology. "Through these investments, we are creating the best-educated and most skilled workforce in the world."

"Through these programs, NSERC provides direct support to an exceptionally strong base of scientific and creative talent in every field of the natural sciences and engineering," said Suzanne Fortier, NSERC president. "Our scholarships and fellowships programs help us recruit and retain the bright young minds that will lead the next generation of Canadian discoverers and innovators. The flexibility and broad base of research supported by our internationally recognized Discovery Grants Program maintains our capacity to promote important breakthroughs."

The Discovery Grants Program supports ongoing programs of research in every scientific and engineering discipline. Valued at $120,000 over three years, Discovery Accelerator Supplements are awarded to researchers whose research proposals suggest and explore high-risk, novel or potentially transformative concepts and lines of inquiry, and are likely to have impact by contributing to groundbreaking advances in the proposed areas of research.

Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) grants foster and enhance the discovery, innovation and training capability of university researchers in the natural sciences and engineering by supporting the purchase of research equipment and installations.

The NSERC scholarships and fellowships awards announced Wednesday − comprised of the Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships, NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships and Postdoctoral Fellowships − offer support at the master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral levels.

For more information, visit the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The roundtable provided a forum for participants to discuss technological advancements, research partnerships and community collaborations for the benefit of improving health care delivery for citizens.

From left, Altaf Stationwala, president & CEO of 91��ɫ Central Hospital, Ken Ono, vice-president analytics of NexJ Systems Inc., Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, Harvey Skinner, dean, Faculty of Health, Robert Haché, vice-president research & innovation at 91��ɫ University

“The 91��ɫ Leadership Roundtable provided an opportunity to facilitate and create mutually productive relationships with businesses, industry, social service organizations and the municipal and regional leadership of 91��ɫ Region,” said Robert Haché, 91��ɫ vice-president research & innovation. “During the session, our keynote speakers provided a great snapshot of new innovations in the health services sector and the exciting opportunities to foster collaborative research partnerships for continued growth and development.”

Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua welcomed all participants to the event and highlighted the importance of forming collaborative networks to improve health care delivery in the region.

“The 91��ɫ Roundtable was a great initiative to better comprehend and seek solutions to the challenges we face in health care. The thoughtful analysis of the changing dynamics of our system provided much value added to the understanding of what is required to bring about much needed reform," said Bevilacqua.

"Through effective dialogue and collaboration we can find the path that will bring us closer to the answers needed to build an effective, efficient and caring user-friendly health care system. The discussion about the use of technology as an enabler for positive change was a reminder of the incredible opportunities we must seize to move forward and innovate towards the creation of a modern and avant-garde system,” said Bevilacqua.

Speakers at the event included Harvey Skinner, dean of 91��ɫ's Faculty of Health; Ken Ono, vice-president of NexJ Systems Inc.; and Altaf Stationwala, president & CEO of 91��ɫ Central Hospital.

Skinner discussed how a new approach to the management of health care is setting the stage for industry partnerships, creating efficiencies within the delivery of health care and driving new models for teaching and educating the health care professionals of tomorrow.  He presented a new integrated eHealth solution and software development project aimed at enabling patients to monitor their health and wellness, diet and exercise program on a daily basis with the support of a health coach.

The program will help to promote a health active lifestyle, explained Skinner, and will enable health care providers and patients to work collaboratively to improve a patient’s health, minimize dependency on an already heavily-taxed health care system. He  and can lead to job creation for a new Health Coach profession – an individual who will monitor the health and wellness of patients and help them change behaviourthrough the technology.

Ono offered an industry perspective on innovating in the health care sector. He addressed some of the opportunities and surmountable challenges of working with universities to spearhead commercialization vehicles.

Sharing his experiences working collaboratively with 91��ɫ researchers,  Stationwala presented his perspective on the research agenda that will help to deliver a sustainable health system at 91��ɫ Central Hospital and the Region of 91��ɫ.

During a lively question and answer period, the group of more than 40 senior executives and community leaders discussed the continuing importance of investing in research and development, strategies for addressing the innovation needs of businesses and the health care sector, and the role of universities in fostering economic strength in their surrounding cities.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The recent federal budget reinforced the importance the government is placing on putting its fiscal house in order with some programs receiving cuts in excess of 10 per cent.

Within that overall context of restraint is a welcome affirmation of the government’s strong commitment to research and innovation, with funding programs largely preserved and substantial new commitments made.  At the same time, the new investments focus predominantly on Canada’s innovation agenda, while the importance of supporting fundamental research is acknowledged in less tangible ways. It is explicitly stated on page 271 of the budget document that "programming in support of basic research, student scholarships and industry-related research initiatives and collaborations are preserved."

The budget has reaffirmed the importance of Tri-Council funding by returning mandated budget cuts in the form of $37 million in new investment, albeit with a focus on industry-academic partnerships. This leaves Tri-Council with stable overall budget envelopes in the present fiscal year and the hope that next year’s mandated budget cut of $31.3 million may be similarly rescued through the infusion of additional new monies.

The long-term investment in the Canada Foundation for Innovation ($500 million over five years, beginning in 2014) and the doubling of support for graduate students to gain workplace experience through the Industrial Research & Development Internship Program, are further positive signals of the importance the government places on high-quality university research, and in attracting and retaining top students and researchers.

Other notable investments in research and higher education include:

• $40 million over two years to support Canada’s Advanced Research & Innovation Network’s (CANARIE) operation of Canada’s ultra-high-speed research network;
• $60 million for Genome Canada to launch a new applied research competition in the area of human health, and to sustain the Science and Technology Centres until 2014-2015;
• $10 million over two years to the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research to link Canadians to global research networks;
• $5.2 million in 2012–2013 to establish and integrate a network of mental health-related researchers in the Canadian Depression Research & Intervention Network;
• $67 million to assist the National Research Council (NRC) refocus on business-led, industry-relevant research, as well as doubling the contribution budget of the NRC’s highly successful cross-Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) in aid of small and medium enterprises.

These investments can only be seen as encouraging and a reflection of continuing strong support for university sector research. They provide important building blocks to developing knowledge, creativity and innovation within universities, now and into the future.  This is a reality the government recognizes. We are fortunate to have experienced a significant upswing in university research investments over the last decade, with investments having nearly quadrupled since the mid-1990s and continuing to rise despite economic setbacks. Budget 2012 presents a stable agenda for research funding – delivering a longer term message on research and innovation that reinforces the government’s goal, “to position Canada for increased success in the global economy that depends more and more on knowledge and innovation as a key driver of long-term competitiveness.”

Canada’s societal well-being and future economic health depend greatly on our capacity to innovate and build a highly competitive advantage.  This is a vision that 91��ɫ shares and will continue to foster in benefiting our researchers. With the sustained support towards higher education and excellence in research and technology, we will continue to work with the government to ensure the continuation of these vital investments – and to reinforce the need to invest equally in the ongoing development of fundamental research.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Where have all the girls gone? That’s what 91��ɫ Professor Sharada Srinivasan examines in her new book, Daughter Deficit: Sex Selection in Tamil Nadu, about the elimination of daughters in India through sex selection, female infanticide and neglect.

It is neither an aberration nor an idiosyncrasy. It accounts for a large proportion of missing girls in India, says Srinivasan, so much so that the proportion of boys to girls in the zero to six age group is 1,000 to 826.

Daughter Deficit (Women Unlimited) will launch Wednesday, March 7, from 2:30 to 4:30pm, in the Senior Common Room, 010 Vanier College, Keele campus. Everyone is welcome to attend and light refreshments will be provided.

The book explores the issue of girls who are denied the right to live or to be born in India, and it asks why and how such a situation has come about, says Srinivasan. In Tamil Nadu, the practice of eliminating daughters is more recent, and not as severe as in northern India – it is a state that sits between the northern and southern Indian states and has implemented programs to prevent the practice. And, although it may seem economic or socio-cultural at first glance, Srinivasan says it is a much deeper issue.

Sharada Srinivasan

A professor of International Development Studies in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Srinivasan examines the issue from the context of women’s lives, unraveling the causes of daughter elimination and the mechanisms which create and sustain an environment in which this is imaginable. Reflecting on the way ahead, the book concludes that even as public policies can and should play a decisive role in reversing the immediate outcomes in favour of daughters, an environment favourable to daughters will need fundamental changes in social norms, attitudes and policies of governments and non-governmental organizations.

The launch is sponsored by the Office of the Dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, International Development Studies, the Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on the Global Migration of African Peoples, the Alliance Against Modern Slavery and the 91��ɫ Bookstore.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Several international observers were asked to oversee the January Taiwan presidential election to ensure freedom and fairness in what was predicted to be an extremely close race. Susan Henders, director of the 91��ɫ Centre for Asian Research (YCAR), was one of them. She’ll be discussing her experience as part of a panel Tuesday.

“Taiwan’s Super Saturday: Perspectives on the 2012 Polls from Canadian Election Observers” will take place Feb. 14, from 3:30 to 5:30pm, at 857 91��ɫ Research Tower, Keele campus.

Invited by the (ICFET), Henders was one of about 21 scholars, business people, parliamentarians and former government officials from eight countries, including Canada, the United States and several in Europe and Asia. This was the fifth time the Taiwanese people have voted directly for a presidential candidate since 1996. In addition, the legislative elections were also underway.

A street rally in support of the Democratic Progressive Party campaign

“There are always issues of freedom and fairness in Taiwan elections,” says Henders, a political science professor at 91��ɫ. “However, there were particular concerns about this one because the presidential race was predicated to be really close. The ICFET wanted some international observers there who could comment on the spot about what might be going on in the days leading up to the polls and also to provide some judgment about the freedom and fairness of the election.”

Michael Stainton (left) in Taiwan with a poster in the background in support of the Kuomintang, the Chinese Nationalist Party, which was re-elected

Henders found the experience interesting and enlightening, and despite Taiwan’s unique situation and challenges, feels it has something to teach other democracies about the conditions that undermine the strength of democracy and the democratic nature of elections. She will join Michael Stainton, a Taiwan scholar and president of the Taiwan Human Rights Association of Canada who was also a member of the ICFET mission, in discussing their experiences as observers at the Tuesday event.

Stainton and Henders will examine how Taiwan’s democracy is affected by the island’s authoritarian past and its relations with China and the United States. B. Michael Frolic, a 91��ɫ political science professor emeritus, will speak about the election in light of Taiwan-China relations and democratization in other contexts. Lois Wilson, a former Canadian senator and president of the World Council of Churches, who was also part of the election observation mission, will also speak at the event.

A meeting for the Democratic Progressive Party campaign, with the presidential candidate and her running mate on the background poster

In the preliminary report following the election, the ICFET observers noted issues, such as vote buying, were a problem in the Jan. 14 polls. They also noted some misuse of government power and a severe imbalance in party wealth and resources, which undermines the freeness and fairness of elections, but is a result of the island’s authoritarian past. Taiwan was under authoritarian rule until the late 1980s and is still trying to throw off the residue of that period in its bid for democracy.

Susan Henders

Taiwan’s particular geopolitical and economic positioning with respect to China and the United States also means that foreign interference in elections remains an issue, says Henders. 

The international election observation report stated that both Chinese and former United States officials interfered in the political process. During the election process, Taiwan and international media reported that Chinese officials were using China’s economic power to try to sway the election outcome. In addition, a few days before the election, a former American Institute in Taiwan chairman commented that Taiwan relations with China and the US would suffer if the opposition won.

“It was that kind of thing we were able to respond to quickly,” says Henders. Head of the ICFET mission Frank Murkowski, former US Alaska governor and senator, publicly condemned the remarks saying the US government should be neutral in the election.

The Taiwanese people are particularly sensitive to the views of US and Chinese officials. Although the US doesn’t recognize Taiwan as a state, it is obliged to protect it militarily. “So if a former US official says anything before an election in Taiwan, it gets a lot of attention,” says Henders.  As Canada doesn’t formerly recognize Taiwan either, “it is particularly important that Canadian people, by participating in the election observation mission, showed support for efforts by Taiwanese people to strengthen their democracy.”

The Central Election Commission counting centre

Henders says the mission should be seen as a small contribution to the long-term building of a stronger democracy in Taiwan by getting rid of old authoritarian legacies and dealing with the power of China. “We were in many ways impressed by the election. We did not hear of issues with ballot counting or the mechanics of the process while we were there, and the candidates on the whole were forthcoming in answering the questions of our observation mission. Taiwan has achieved a lot.”

The ICFET mission visited Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan and Taichung and met with candidates or organizers from the three main political parties – the Democratic Progressive Party, the Chinese Nationalist Party and the People’s First Party. They also attended street rallies and campaign events, and visited polling stations. The mission members were present in the Central Election Commission counting centre on election day, they spoke with the media and held press conferences, as well as a public forum on democracy.

‘These kinds of observer missions represent a way civil society groups can be vigilant in helping each other and strengthening democracy,” Henders says.

For more information, contact YCAR at ycar@yorku.ca or visit the YCAR website.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The commissioner visited the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) on Dec. 2 to speak with students about energy conservation initiatives and to present his newly published report, . The report, submitted annually to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, was released only days before Miller’s visit to students in Fundamentals of Energy Efficiency, a fourth-year environmental studies class connected to the FES Sustainable Energy Initiative. In his visit, Miller shared a number of ideas on how government agencies, regulators, companies and the government could strengthen and support energy conservation.

Right: Gord Miller discusses strategies for the future of energy in Ontario with students in the Faculty of Environmental Studies

In his presentation, Miller noted that Ontario’s Smart Grid program “has not been well communicated to the public, and thus it is not understood.”

The Ontario Ministry of Energy describes the Smart Grid system as an “intelligent electricity infrastructure” using sensors, monitors, communications, automation and computers to “improve the flexibility, reliability and efficiency of the electricity system.” The Ministry website states the program will allow utilities to identify and repair outages more quickly, enable consumers to better manage and monitor their electricity usage and allow more renewable electricity generation, such as wind and solar power, to connect to the electricity grid. The switch to a Smart Grid, however, will require a series of integrated initiatives over a number of years.

Left: Gord Miller

Because of this, the program received criticism in the October 2011 provincial election, along with public resistance to the need for new meters to be installed on all homes and businesses. But Miller said, “People who are resistant to change, they state and retell a narrative to convince themselves and others of their case. You have to change that narrative and accumulate case studies where meters did not have an adverse effect.”

In addition, Miller identified another vital concern: “the absence of leadership at the systems level means there is not one single organization with an overall perspective who will ensure that this program succeeds.” Still he was optimistic, saying, “Energy conservation starts with smart metering, [which will allow us to] find out the waste in transmission in the system.”

Another conservation initiative that has had considerable criticism, said Miller, is (TOU) electricity pricing. TOU pricing breaks down electrical consumption into demand-based categories: on-peak (time of day when electrical demand is highest), mid-peak (demand is moderate) and off-peak (demand is lowest). Consumers pay higher rates for electricity consumed during higher demand periods. According to the Ontario Energy Board, the TOU plan was developed “to provide stable and predictable electricity pricing, which ensures the price consumers pay for electricity better reflects the actual cost of producing the electricity.”

Right: Several students parted the event with expanded minds as well as pockets, having received USB keys from the commissioner

Miller thinks the negative media and public response towards the plan was overblown. “TOU pricing was viewed as a ‘tax’,” he said, as if to suggest that “old people would have to do laundry in the middle of the night.” He said peak demand determines the amount of energy which power plants must generate. He further suggested that if Ontarians could lower their peak consumption, fewer power plants would be required in the future, having a direct environmental impact.

Miller, excited about his upcoming climate change report, also spoke about transportation, road pricing and electric vehicles. He promised this report would include further analysis of greenhouse gas emissions, along with a necessary update on the science of climate change.

“Last year’s report was very critical of the government's actions [on climate change]. Since then, the programs have fallen apart,” he said, adding that Ontario won't be able to meet its . But he said, “If there’s a concerted, sincere effort, I won’t judge everything negatively.”

Miller feels it is his job “to address the white elephants in the room,” tackling difficult subjects and getting closer to solutions in energy conservation. In sharing his insight and optimism with 91��ɫ’s environmental students, Miller says he hopes to strengthen the future in preserving Ontario’s environment.

Submitted by Imelda Nurwisah, FES communications graduate assistant

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The first conversation, “The Future of Public Sector Collective Bargaining,” will take place Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 12:30 to 2pm, 2003 Osgoode Hall Law School, Ignat Kaneff Building, Keele campus.

Left: Steven Barrett

of Sack, Goldblatt Mitchell LLP, (LLB ’94) of the School of Management at Ryerson University and of McGill University will discuss the issue of collective bargaining, a topic on many Canadians' minds right now.

Barrett, managing partner of the firm since 2006, practises in the areas of labour law, the Charter of Rights and constitutional litigation, as well as public interest litigation. An alumnus of Osgoode Hall Law School, Bartkiw’s research interests include industrial relations, labour and employment law, labour policy, public policy and political economy. Hebdon, a professor in the Desautels Faculty of Management, worked for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union for 24 years and his research interests include public sector labor relations and restructuring, collective bargaining, dispute resolution and industrial conflict.

Right: Timothy Bartkiw

The second conversation will feature , a professor of economic security at the University of Bath, talking about his new book, The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class (Bloomsbury Academic). The event will take place Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 12:30 to 2:30pm, at 2003 Osgoode Hall Law School, Ignat Kaneff Building, Keele campus.

Left: Robert Hebdon

“91��ɫ had traditionally been the go to place for media and government policymakers for pressing and hot labour issues of the day, as well as long-term labour-relations issues,” says social science Professor Carla Lipsig-Mummé of 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) and co-convener of the series with law Professor Sara Slinn. “One of the reasons for this kind of a speaker series is to bring that role back to 91��ɫ as the leading university in research and community-based action-research in labour relations and get people talking about labour issues both internally and externally.”

Standing, a former research director of the International Labour Organization and an internationally acclaimed scholar, will argue that the long-term work-based precarisation of increasing numbers of people worldwide is leading to the crystallization of a new class. The volatility and political potential of this new class is just starting to be recognized, he says. Neoliberal policies and institutional changes have produced a huge and growing number of people with sufficiently common experiences to be called an emerging class. This conversation is co-organized with 91��ɫ Professor Peer Zumbansen and the Comparative Research in Law & Political Economy Network.

Right: Guy Standing

There will be six conversations throughout the academic year, featuring nationally and internationally influential speakers from Canada, the United States, the European Union, international organizations and 91��ɫ. 

These conversations will foster more internal dialogue with students and academics, as well as law and social science collaborative research at 91��ɫ, and will help bring people external to the University into the dialogue, said Lipsig-Mummé. It will allow collaboration with labour and labour law practitioners that will benefit students, researcher and the wider public.

A will allow those conversations to continue and deepen long after the panel discussions are finished. More disciplines than ever are now concerned with labour issues, which makes this speakers series highly relevant, she says.

As Slinn of 91��ɫ’s Osgoode Hall Law School points out, “91��ɫ has a lot of expertise and interest in labour and employment issues. This speaker series takes advantage of expertise and provides a nexus for a multi-dimensional discussion on timely and important issues.”

Right: Sara Slinn and Carla Lipsig-Mummé

The conversations will encompass a variety of different viewpoints and ideologies regarding the topic at hand and will include union leaders, academics, lawyers and academics. “They are meant to be fulsome conversations. We hope the panels will be enlightening and interesting and will examine crucial questions at the heart of each topic,” says Slinn. “There aren’t many spaces in existence for those kinds of conversations anywhere right now.”

The Conversations on Work and Labour Speakers' Series is a joint project of Osgoode Hall Law School and LA&PS. A number of departments, programs and associations are also sponsoring the conversations.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Kent, president of the Horticultural Societies of Parkdale and Toronto, founded the Pollinator Garden Project two years ago to teach gardeners, members of the public and school children how to create and conserve habitat for pollinators.

A postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biology in 91��ɫ’s , he is the only Canadian to receive the award this year from the (NAPPC). The NAPPC is made up of more than 120 groups of scientists, researchers, conservationists, government officials and volunteers who lead programs to protect pollinators.

“A pollinator garden is a garden that maximizes chances for food, nesting, and survival, for any kind of pollinator – so we are not focused on just bees, or birds, or butterflies,” says Kent. “That means it needs to have leaves that caterpillars eat, flowers chosen specifically for hummingbirds, and nesting sites like stems, or places in the ground for bees.”

He and a team of volunteers have planted pollinator gardens in Toronto’s High Park and other city parks and worked through the winter to prepare a pollinator garden for the Canada Blooms garden show in March, where they distributed Kent’s guide How to Plant a Pollinator Garden. They have also taken the pollinator guide to schools and planted pollinator gardens at four Toronto elementary schools.

A gardener for many years, Kent left a successful career in the software industry to earn a PhD in biology. He now uses his background in math to do genetics and genomics research in Professor at 91��ɫ.

“I found myself working in a lab at 91��ɫ where Professor Bridget Stutchbury, who wrote Silence of the Songbirds, is down the hall. In the other direction is Professor Laurence Packer, who wrote Keeping the Bees. A lot of what they are talking about is habitat,” says Kent. “I recognized that gardens can be very good habitat if they are managed properly, so I decided to spread the word.”

The NAPPC will present Kent’s award at an international conference at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington in late October.

For information, visit the  �ɱ�������ٱ�.������

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