Social Sciences and Humanities Archives | Research & Innovation

91��ɫ students win Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

muellerm — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 08:00:00 +0000

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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November is Research Month: 91��ɫ celebrates with a series of events

fmaquito — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Research Month celebrates the achievements and diversity of 91��ɫ’s research community.

Throughout November, the Vari Hall Rotunda will play host to displays and demonstrations featuring our faculty and graduate researchers. Drop by between 10 am and 2 pm each Wednesday to learn what 91��ɫ's researchers are doing.

The Research Month index on 91��ɫ's Research website contains complete information about the researchers, research centres and research support groups participating in the event.

Social sciences and humanities research – Nov. 3

Confirmed participants include:

Institute for Science & Technology Studies
91��ɫ Centre for Education & Community

Science and engineering research – Nov. 10

Confirmed participants include:

Health research – Nov.17

Confirmed participants include:

Professor Joseph DeSouza, Faculty of Health, Department of Psychology
Professor , Faculty of Health, School of Nursing
Professor Jennifer Kuk, Faculty of Health, School of Kinesiology & Health Science
Professor Gail Mitchell, Faculty of Health, School of Nursing
Professor Jennine Rawana, Faculty of Health, Department of Psychology
Professor Rose Steele, Faculty of Health, School of Nursing
LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence & Conflict Resolution
91��ɫ Institute for Health Research

Fine and performing arts research — Nov. 24

Confirmed participants include:

Want to participate?

Do you have completed works, prototypes, technology, or works in progress that you could demonstrate? Do you have graduate/undergraduate students working with you who could assist and help talk about the work? If you have other ideas, we would love to hear about them.

Interested faculty members or research centres should contact Elizabeth Monier-Williams in the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation at ext. 21069 or eamw@yorku.ca. Please note that space is limited and allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Other research-related events

These research-related events will also be running in November:

Nov. 6 – , featuring Professor Poonam Puri from Osgoode Hall Law School and Professor Steven Gaetz from the Faculty of Education among other speakers.
Nov. 10 – Toward a Behavioral Neuroscience of Parenting, sponsored by the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Health.
Nov. 24 & 25 – at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (by invitation only).
Nov. 26 – Campus visit from Suzanne Fortier, president of the .
Nov. 30 – Campus visit from David Malone, president of .

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer

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91��ɫ signs research collaboration agreement with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

fmaquito — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 08:00:00 +0000

91��ɫ will have even more opportunity to partner with researchers from China after the University signed a collaboration agreement with the (CASS) Monday.

CASS has over 30 research institutes, while 91��ɫ has one of the largest faculties of social sciences and humanities in Canada, which makes this an ideal partnership. “CASS is the premier institution in China for social sciences research,” says , associate vice-president international. “As 91��ɫ International researchers and 91��ɫ faculty members have already partnered with CASS researchers, I thought it was probably time we formalize what we were doing.”

Right: Delegates from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences meet with Lorna Wright (centre)

Six delegates from CASS came to 91��ɫ from China to meet with 91��ɫ researchers and discuss future initiatives and collaborations. “Basically, it will give 91��ɫ researchers better access to opportunities in China for research and we’ll have a partner for that research,” says Wright.

One of those researchers is 91��ɫ political science Professor Gregory Chin in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, who currently has about six research projects on the go all involving CASS scholars in one way or another across disciplines. "The signing of this agreement with CASS will further strengthen these links," he said.

As the two delegations discussed areas of mutual interest, , associate vice-president research (social sciences & humanities), said he has worked with several CASS researchers in the past, in the 1990s. “91��ɫ used to work a lot with CASS researchers. I hope this will afford us the opportunity to start that again.”

Left: Wright signs a collaboration agreement with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. From left, Zhang Youyun, deputy director general in CASS's Bureau of International Cooperation; vice-president of CASS Professor Wu Yin; Wright and Gregory Chin.

, chair of the Department of Anthropology, agreed saying, “There are so many areas where we could work together.”

Chin, Dewitt and Lumsden, along with Bernie Frolic, director of the Asian Business & Management Program; Susan Henders, director of the 91��ɫ Centre for Asian Research; Faculty of Education Professor Qiang Zha; Haideh Moghissi, associate dean, external relations, for the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies; and Professor , chair of the Department of Political Science, discussed some of their research interests with delegates from CASS to get a better understanding of their mutual goals.

The Chinese delegation from CASS included: Professor Wu Yin, vice-president; Professor Zhang Changdong, deputy director general in the General Office; Professor Wang Zheng, deputy director general of the Bureau of Scientific Research Management; Professor Hu Guocheng, research fellow in the Institute of American Studies; Professor Zhang Youyun, deputy director general of the Bureau of International Cooperation; and Li Bin, program officer in the Bureau of International Cooperation.

As Wright pointed out, the collaborative nature of the agreement will also be beneficial when it comes to securing funding from granting agencies, as the agencies are always looking for international partnerships. “And CASS is a very prestigious partner.” In addition, the partnership will also facilitate faculty exchanges.

“I hope the agreement will result in further concrete results and research collaborative projects,” says Wright. "It was agreed that the next step would be a meeting at CASS in Beijing during Dean trip next month when a task force of Martin Singer, Bernie Frolic and myself would convene with researchers from CASS to discuss the strategic direction."

Following the signing, the CASS delegates had a tour of the campus and lunch with 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri.

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

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