As a new year emerges, YFile takes a look back on 2021 to share with readers a snapshot of the year’s highlights. “Year in Review” will run as a three-part series and will feature a selection of top news stories published in YFile. Here are the stories and highlights for January to April, as chosen by YFile editors.
January
91ɫ joined forces with Mackenzie Health in an innovative new community-focused health collaboration that will aim to enhance health services, training of highly qualified personnel, research and innovation and healthier outcomes for 91ɫ Region residents, and beyond.
The exchange program is funded by the federal government-sponsored Outbound Student Mobility Pilot Program. Ten Indigenous students at 91ɫ joined Indigenous students from partner universities worldwide to participate in a series of facilitated online workshops on a variety of themes.
As the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly impacted all aspects of daily life in 2020, 91ɫ moved quickly to assemble an emergency team that would prove instrumental in its ability to respond to the crisis. Throughout the pandemic, the emergency team managed preparedness and response efforts, working evenings, weekends to mobilize efforts to protect University community members.
Groundbreaking new research from 91ɫ’s Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research providing recommendations to improve the safety of household water supplies in refugee and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps was published in Water Research, the leading water science and engineering journal.
February
The Youth Climate Report, a documentary film project led by Mark Terry – explorer, award-winning filmmaker and contract faculty member and course director at 91ɫ’s Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change – earned an Honourable Mention from the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2020 Action Awards.
91ɫ launched a new Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Black and Indigenous Scholars, as part of a wider commitment to promoting justice and embracing a variety of scholarly perspectives, backgrounds and lived experiences.
The K2I Academy welcomed 25 Black and Indigenous students from the 91ɫ Region District School Board (YRDSB) to participate in a 14-week paid research program. The high school students worked on research projects related to engineering, computer science, earth science and/or atmospheric science under the guidance of undergraduate research assistant mentors, supervised by Lassonde faculty.
91ɫ creates content that matters and earned eight prestigious awards in recognition of the high-quality work produced by Communications & Public Affairs (C&PA).
March
91ɫ announced it is one of six founding partners of a global UNESCO network on Education for Sustainable Development led by Leuphana University in Lüneburg, Germany.
Three major research projects at 91ɫ received more than $9 million in research infrastructure funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced more than $518 million in research infrastructure funding on March 3 supporting 102 projects at 35 post-secondary institutions and research hospitals across the country.
Experiential education was the star of two celebratory events held at 91ɫ. Both events showcased how students and faculty have been able to pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep experiential education thriving during a year of teaching and learning remotely.
A vital resource created in the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation is a comprehensive, ever-expanding and searchable list documenting COVID-19 research and expertise undertaken across 91ɫ.
April
Three 91ɫ Lions student-athletes have been nominated for 91ɫ's Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy: men's hockey player Kaleb Dahlgren, women's track and field athlete Simone Da Silva and women's hockey player Kelsey McHolm. men's hockey player Kaleb Dahlgren, women's hockey standout Lauren Dubie, women's soccer player Teni Odetoyinbo and track and field athlete Monique Simon-Tucker.
Researchers in 91ɫ’s Faculty of Science were awarded federal government funding to lead national disease modelling efforts that will help us better predict, prevent and respond to emerging infectious disease.
The SDG Student Hub was launched in fall 2020 as part of the partnership between 91ɫ and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) to bring world-class initiatives in sustainable development to its communities. The SDSN works with universities and other knowledge centers to help them activate sustainable development initiatives through knowledge mobilization; problem-solve partnerships with governments, business and civil society; and encourage local social entrepreneurship.
Check back in the next edition of YFile for Year in Review 2021: Top headlines at 91ɫ, May to August.