It’s been a busy summer for 91��ɫ's new Lassonde School of Engineering as it prepares to welcome its first cohort of new students in September.

Next year, the Lassonde School of Engineering will launch new programs in Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering, which will both drive the planned growth in students and faculty. The Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance has confirmed the final approval of the Mechanical Engineering program.

“It’s full steam ahead at Lassonde! This is yet another milestone in our speedy development," said Lassonde School of Engineering Dean Janusz Kozinski (right). "The swift approval of this program is a tribute to our dynamic Chair of Mechanical Engineering, Professor Alidad Amirfazli, who joined us only this year, and our fearless team in the Dean’s Office that has cut through the red tape like a hot knife through butter to get this done in record time. Next on the list is civil engineering."

Amirfazli joined Lassonde from the University of Alberta in January. “We’re very proud to put in place one of the foundations of Lassonde’s future with the approval of the Mechanical Engineering program,” said Amirfazli. “This progressive department will be at the nexus of the avant-garde and tradition, offering students an outstanding technical education combined with multidisciplinary skills reflecting Lassonde’s mission to create renaissance engineers.

������������������ Alidad Amirfazli

“This is just the beginning. We look forward to working closely with everyone in the 91��ɫ community to turn our vision into reality,” he added.

Applications to other engineering programs at Lassonde increased by some 38 per cent this year.�� Demand is expected to be high for the new programs.

The Mechanical Engineering program will launch at the Lassonde School of Engineering in 2014. Students can start applying in the Fall 2013 semester.

For more information, visit the website.

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Join Vice-President Research & Innovation Robert �Ჹ����é��for an open forum to launch the consultation process for the University’s Strategic Research Plan 2013 – 2018.

“The open forum will provide an opportunity for members of the 91��ɫ community to participate in the conversation as we work towards becoming a more recognized research-intensive university through the development of this new plan,” said���Ჹ����é.

Robert �Ჹ����é

“91��ɫ has a strong history of showcasing research excellence through the integration of collaborative and interdisciplinary models of research," he said. "We have built a solid basis for future growth and development and we look forward to hearing from all members of the 91��ɫ community, as we fully articulate our ��collective ambitions for 91��ɫ research over the next five years.”

The open forum will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 11,��from 1��to 3 pm in the Senate Chamber, N940, Ross Building.�� The purpose of the open forum is to discuss the goals, values and objectives that will help shape the continued development of research at 91��ɫ over the next five years and learn more about the rollout of the consultation process and upcoming workshops. ��In addition, the audience will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on the scope of research at 91��ɫ.�� All students, faculty, and staff are welcome.�� To RSVP for this event, click .

�Ჹ����é will be joined by 91��ɫ’s President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri, members of the Strategic Research Plan Advisory Committee and the Strategic Research Plan facilitators: Gary Miller, instructor in the MBA Program at the Schulich School of Business, as well as at the Schulich Executive Education Centre��and Celia Haig-Brown, professor in the Faculty of Education.

The mandate of the Strategic Research Plan Advisory Committee is to advise the vice-president research & innovation��on all aspects of the consultation with the 91��ɫ Community and in the development of the plan, which will articulate a vision and aspiration for 91��ɫ research over the next five years. The goal is to provide regular updates to the community on the progress of the consultation and development of the plan working towards a completed plan in the spring of 2013.

The open forum will also be available via webcast on the website, or questions can be sent in advance by clicking and via Twitter using the hashtag #yuresearchplan.

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

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91��ɫ graduate students Pierre-Yann Dubé Dolbec, Douglas Hunter and Juha Mikkonen are the 2012 recipients of Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships, Canada’s most prestigious awards for doctoral research. Each will receive��$50,000 per year for three years.

Vanier scholars are selected for their exceptional leadership skills and for realizing the highest standards of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in natural sciences, engineering, and the social sciences and humanities.

Pierre-Yann Dubé Dolbec (left) is a doctoral student in 91��ɫ’s Graduate Program in Administration, offered through the Schulich School of Business. A world traveller, Dubé Dolbec has conducted research, studied and fostered collaborations in more than 30 countries, including India, France and Denmark.

Dubé Dolbec has an��undergraduate degree in business administration from Laval University and a master’s of science in marketing from HEC Montréal. His previous research on brand experiences is set to be published in the coming year.

“Pierre-Yann is motivated, highly involved and enthusiastic,” said Allan Hutchinson, dean and associate vice-president graduate, “and he has an exemplary drive for research innovation.”

Dubé Dolbec's��research is aimed at helping��create public spaces that encourage more socially responsible behaviour when people come together in large groups, perhaps avoiding destructive riots and creating an environment that fosters more peaceful discussion.

Douglas Hunter (right) is completing his doctoral studies in 91��ɫ’s Graduate Program in History. A nationally known and award-winning author, public intellectual, popular historian, journalist and artist,��Hunter is dedicated to educating a national audience by making Canadian history accessible.

“With an unusual academic background for a doctoral student in history, Mr. Hunter’s work in historical nonfiction has been exceptional, incisive and richly informative,” said Hutchinson.

The winner of the National Business Book Award in 2002 for The Bubble and the Bear: How Nortel Burst the Canadian Dream��(Doubleday 2002) in which Hunter analyzed the��rise and fall of Nortel Networks, Hunter is also the��author of six history books on topics as diverse as hockey and North American exploration, and��numerous articles on historians and historical��artifacts. With an undergraduate degree in humanities from McMaster University and an advanced degree in securities, Hunter's career has included working as a journalist, editor, illustrator and graphic designer for newspapers, magazines and publishing houses, before he started his own business in 1993.

Now focused on his doctoral research at 91��ɫ,��Hunter is exploring “cryptohistory”, looking at how scholarly histories have influenced and been influenced by public prejudices. Similar to conventional histories, cryptohistorical ideas bolstered the celebration of the racial and cultural superiority of European colonists and later immigrant communities. Douglas is interested in particular in how cryptohistorians appropriated indigenous records, particularly in rock art, oral traditions and archaeological material, to support claims of pre-Columbian European visitors.

Juha Mikkonen (left) is working toward��a PhD in health policy and equity studies. Working in Finnish, French and English, Mikkonen joined 91��ɫ with impressive background in research. With��more than��50 professional and academic contributions geared towards linking academic and non-academic fields, he also has more than a decade working in health promotion in Helsinki and in poverty reduction in 27 European nations.

Mikkonen joined 91��ɫ`s Health Policy and Equity Studies Program with undergraduate and master’s degrees in social sciences from the University of Helsinki, Finland. As a visiting scholar at 91��ɫ, he co-authored a report, Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts with��91��ɫ Professor Dennis Raphael. The report aims to educate the public and health advocates about social determinants of health and shifting thought processes surrounding well-being.

His doctoral research, a comparative analysis of Canadian and Finnish public health policy, will help in developing future policy in both countries and beyond.��“Creative motivated and thoughtful,��Mikkonen will provide many insights into current health policy debate in Canada,” said Hutchinson.

“We are, of course, incredibly proud of our Vanier scholars,” says Peter Mulvihill, associate dean, Graduate Studies at 91��ɫ. “They have each demonstrated their talents at bringing their research out into the world, and the world into their research. I look forward to seeing their progress and the evolution of their work over the next few years.”

Administered by Canada’s three federal granting agencies, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Vanier Canada scholarship program’s goal is to build world-class research capacity in Canada by recruiting and supporting top-tier doctoral students who will positively contribute to��Canada's economic, social and research-based growth.

The Vanier scholarship program is available online at .

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 �Ჹ����é, 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 �Ჹ����é, 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 �Ჹ����é, 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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VPRI will be advised in the consultation process by a Strategic Research Plan��Advisory Committee comprised of individuals from the University and community, whose membership will be announced shortly.��The goal is to engage the community in a discussion of��goals and values to provide shape to��a��strategic research plan��that will set the vision for the continuing development of research at 91��ɫ for the next several years. The expectation is to provide the community with a draft of the plan before the end of 2012, with��a final version going to Senate for approval in spring 2013.

“The establishment of a new strategic research plan will help to advance research intensification broadly at 91��ɫ and identify areas of opportunity for growth and development,” said��Robert �Ჹ����é (left), vice-president research & innovation. “The plan will help to foster the support of research excellence across the University while providing a strategic framework for driving our research reputation forward in areas of opportunity.”

In order to create a document with the broadest possible support, VPRI��is inviting��all members of the 91��ɫ community to contribute to the development of the strategic research plan by sharing their points of view throughout the consultation and development process.�� The��University community is invited to participate in workshops, focus groups, town hall meetings and other events being organized or through��an online form that is available .

Through an extensive process of broadly-based consultations, VPRI will arrive at a plan that sets well-defined goals within an aspirational vision that is strongly supported by the University academic community, as represented by Senate.

The goals of the strategic research plan��consultation process are:

• To engage in a collaborative, University-building exercise that articulates a clear valuation and appreciation of research at 91��ɫ��and its integration into all aspects of the��fabric of the University;
  ��
• To build a strong, broadly accepted aspirational vision��for��the development of research based on a comprehensive consultation process with the University community and external stakeholders;
  ��
• To appropriately identify and articulate areas of opportunity in the strategic development of research across the institution.

�Ჹ����é, in collaboration with the Strategic Research Plan��Advisory Committee, invites all members of the��community to be an engaged part of a comprehensive consultation process that will help 91��ɫ continue to move forward in research excellence and scholarship.

For more information,��click .

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

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Join President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri and the rest of the senior executive team at the President’s Town Hall – an interactive dialogue bringing 91��ɫ faculty, staff and students together.

The town hall will take place Wednesday, Sept. 21, from 11am into the noon hour, in the Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan Theatre, Accolade East Building, Keele campus. All students, faculty, staff and parents are welcome.

Right: 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri

Shoukri will talk about the growth and evolution of 91��ɫ, its recent successes, and the opportunities and challenges moving forward. Then it’s your turn to ask questions to the entire executive team.

Joining Shoukri for the Q&A period will be Gary Brewer, vice-president finance & administration; Robert �Ჹ����é, vice-president research & innovation; Patrick Monahan, ;��Jennifer Sloan, vice-president university relations; and Robert Tiffin, vice-president students. The Q&A will be moderated by 91��ɫ law Professor , director of the 91��ɫ Centre for Public Policy & Law.

Can’t attend in person? There is more than one way to participate. The town hall will be available to watch via webcast through the president's website.

In addition, questions can be sent in advance by e-mail to the president at mshoukri@yorku.ca and via Twitter using the hashtag #yutownhall.

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

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