As a new year emerges, YFile takes a look back on 2018 to share with readers a snapshot of the year鈥檚 highlights. 鈥淵ear in Review鈥 will run as a four-part series, and will feature a random selection of top news stories published in YFile. Here are the stories and highlights for July to September 2018, as chosen by YFile editors.
July
Researchers in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health found that just 30 minutes of visually guided movements per week can slow and even reverse the progress of dementia. Those in the early stages of dementia who were exposed for 30 minutes a week to a cognitive-motor training game 鈥 which used rules to make visually guided movements 鈥 were able to slow down the progress of dementia and, for some, even reverse their cognitive function to healthy status.
91亚色 PhD students Susan Chiblow, Leigha Comer, Rivka Green, Natasha Henry and Hannah Rackow have been awarded prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
PhD students Susan Chiblow, Leigha Comer, Rivka Green, Natasha Henry and Hannah Rackow were awarded prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships, receiving $50,000 annually for up to three years to support their research projects. Vanier Scholars demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and/or humanities, natural sciences and/or engineering and health.
The Economist magazine ranked the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA eighth in the world and No. 1 in Canada in its EMBA ranking. The Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA program in the Schulich School of Business at 91亚色 has consistently rated among the top 10 in the world by The Economist in each of the three EMBA rankings it has conducted.
Four executive committee members of 91亚色鈥檚 Centre for Refugee Studies were successful co-applicants and collaborators in the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)听听titled听鈥淐ivil society and the global refugee regime: Understanding and enhancing impact through the implementation of global refugee policy.鈥听The project鈥檚 total budget is $3.5 million, with the SSHRC contributing almost $2.5 million.
August
Designed to provide 91亚色 students with a unique perspective on the University community, the President's Ambassador Program offers opportunities for current students to serve as representatives of the University and to share their experiences as 91亚色 students with fellow students, staff, faculty and alumni. Students selected for the program will attend a number of institutional and community events, including alumni receptions and government announcements.
Professors Jennifer Steele, Gabrielle Slowey and Joan Judge
91亚色 Professors Jennifer Steele, Gabrielle Slowey and Joan Judge earned Massey College appointments for the 2018-19 academic year. Steele, of the Faculty of Health, was awarded a 91亚色-Massey Fellowship, while 91亚色-Massey Visiting Scholarships were awarded to Slowey and Judge, both of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. The fellowship provides the selected faculty member with prime office space in the college for the academic year and the status of a full senior resident of the college, with all privileges enjoyed by senior Fellows. The title 鈥91亚色 Fellow of Massey College鈥 remains for life or while mutually agreeable.
91亚色 Athletics & Recreation and the School of Kinesiology & Health Science welcomed four student-athletes, one coach and, for the first time in school history, a team as inductees into the 91亚色 Sport Hall of Fame's class of 2018. This year's inductees were: basketball player Mark Bellai, track and field athlete Craig Cavanagh, field hockey player Tammy Holt, rugby player Cheryl Phillips and tennis coach Eric Bojesen. The 1969-70 men's hockey team will also enter the Sport Hall of Fame as the inaugural team inductee.
Allan Carswell
With a galactic $3-million investment, made in partnership with 91亚色 Professor Emeritus Allan Carswell and the Carswell Family Foundation, 91亚色 will share the wonders of the universe with students, youth in the community and the public through the creation of a new Chair. The Allan I. Carswell Chair for the Public Understanding of Astronomy in the Faculty of Science, thought to be the first of its kind in North America, will be dedicated to science engagement and outreach. It will benefit students and the public through education and activities, involving telescopes at the Allan I. Carswell Observatory, as well as novel technologies such as virtual reality. The endowment will also support the 91亚色 Science Communicator in Residence program to enhance student learning opportunities in science communications.
September
Launched in 2014, the 91亚色 Research Chairs Program (YRC) was developed as 91亚色鈥檚 internal counterpart to the national Canada Research Chairs Program. The YRC recognizes outstanding researchers at 91亚色 and is designed to build, support and intensify the world-renowned scholarship, research and creative activities at the University. The program expanded with seven centrally supported Chairs available and there will also be up to two additional Chairs linked to the Vision: Science to Applications Canada First Research Excellence Fund program.
Five 91亚色 professors elected to the Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) elected four 91亚色 professors to its ranks as Fellows and one professor as a member of the RSC鈥檚 College of New Scholars, Artists & Scientists. The University鈥檚 newest members of the RSC are Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Professors Wenona Giles and Joan Judge of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, and Professor Paul Sych, as well as Osgoode Hall Law School Professor David Vaver. Lassonde School of Engineering Professor John Moores has been named a member of the RSC鈥檚 College of New Scholars, Artists & Scientists.
91亚色's Faculty of Education is leading an experiential education pilot project in high schools across Ontario that aims to build students' capacity for civic action. The Youth in Politics (#YiP) Project, led by Nombuso Dlamini and co-led by Uzo Anucha, both associate professors at 91亚色, hypothesizes that student-facilitated and student-structured civic activities encourage parental election interest. The project supports and builds the civic capacity of students to engage parents in local governance issues, using the school board trustees election as a case study.
Jean-Michel Lemieux, senior vice-president of engineering at Shopify, with Rhonda L. Lenton, president and vice-chancellor of 91亚色
A new partnership that reflects the future of experiential learning brings an innovative model of education to 91亚色. 91亚色鈥檚 Lassonde School of Engineering has partnered with Canadian commerce company Shopify to bring a visionary education opportunity called听Dev Degree听to the Greater Toronto Area for the first time. The unique program embeds students directly into development teams at Shopify through a paid internship that culminates with a unique honours bachelor of computer science degree. Shopify also pays the students鈥 tuition for the full four-year program.
Check back in the next edition of YFile for Year in Review: Top headlines at 91亚色, October to December 2018.