The Governor General's Academic Medals are the highest honour given to outstanding Canadian post-secondary scholars. This year鈥檚 awardees represent the University鈥檚 dedication to supporting students in achieving academic success.

Chimira Nicole Andres

While at 91亚色, Andres pursued her PhD in earth and space science and engineering at the . Her research explored the ice-rich landscapes across Earth and Mars, and work that led to the first detection of a terraced glacier on Mars.

Andres has contributed to major international space initiatives, serving the European Space Agency as lead on missions using a colour and stereo surface imaging system (CaSSIS), a high-resolution camera used to capture detailed images of Mars鈥� surface. She has also contributed as a scientist on Canadian Space Agency lunar rover projects.

Beyond her research, she has been active in mentorship and outreach, supporting youth education and space science initiatives across the world.

Andres chose 91亚色 for its leadership in earth and space science as well as its campus community, which she credits with supporting her through her studies.

鈥淩eceiving the Governor General鈥檚 Gold Medal is truly a great privilege and honour,鈥� says Andres. 鈥淭his is very meaningful and a full-circle moment for me.鈥�

Andres says the Inuktitut word 釔娽敧釔冡搻釗囜憰 (Ajuinnata) 鈥� which translates to 鈥減ersevere鈥� 鈥� that is inscribed on the medal resonates deeply with her academic journey.

鈥淚t feels very humbling for my ongoing research to be recognized, and it has motivated me to continue doing the work that I am most passionate about,鈥� she says.

Andres is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Victoria, working with Indigenous community partners in Nunavut. Looking ahead, she hopes to contribute to future Canadian Earth Observation missions while remaining active in mentorship, outreach and science communication.

Nicolas Cheng

After completing his undergraduate degree in kinesiology at 91亚色, Cheng is now among this year鈥檚 Faculty of Health graduate students earning a MSc in the program. His graduate research focused on exercise science and nutrition. Building on a long-standing interest in sport and training, he worked with Associate Professor Andrea Josse examining how different post-exercise nutrition strategies can influence substances in the blood that indicate how bones are building up or breaking down.

His path into research began during his undergraduate studies, when he collaborated with Professor Tara Haas, sparking an interest in exploring questions related to optimizing health exercise performance.

Cheng chose to remain at 91亚色 for his graduate studies because of the University鈥檚 supportive environment and community. He credits the close-knit kinesiology program, along with mentorship from faculty and peers, for fostering both his academic growth and personal development. He is especially grateful to Josse and his lab mates for their guidance and collaboration throughout his studies.

鈥淏eing selected for the Governor General鈥檚 Gold Medal is truly an honour,鈥� says Cheng, noting the recognition holds special meaning given the challenges and self-doubt he faced during his academic journey.

鈥淭his award feels like an affirmation to continue pursuing higher education and research,鈥� he says.

Cheng will continue his studies at 91亚色 this fall as a PhD student, expanding on his master鈥檚 research. He aims to pursue a career in academia, where he hopes to become a professor and lead a research program focused on exercise, nutrition and musculoskeletal health.

Joel Landon Prowting

Graduating with a PhD from the Faculty of Health, Prowting鈥檚 research examined the effects of dairy consumption on human physiology, particularly in response to exercise and diet. His academic journey culminated in his doctoral work exploring how dairy intake influences bone metabolism, inflammation and overall health.

Prowting says he chose 91亚色 to work with Josse, who also collaborated with fellow Governor General's Gold Medal recipient Cheng. Josse鈥檚 research aligned with Prowting interests while offering opportunities to expand his expertise.

Prowting highlights the collaborative environment within the School of Kinesiology and Health Science as a key part of his experience, allowing him to work closely with peers. He also had opportunity to access specialized methods, including muscle biopsy analysis, through collaboration with Professor Chris Perry, director of 91亚色鈥檚 Muscle Health Research Centre. He also credits the strong sense of community among lab members and colleagues for making his time at 91亚色 especially rewarding.

鈥淚鈥檓 very grateful to be recognized for this award, and proud of myself for maintaining a high level of quality despite the challenges I faced while writing my thesis,鈥� says Prowting. Some challenges were more unique than others, he notes. Completing his thesis coincided with a significant personal milestone: the birth of his daughter.

鈥淚 was writing my dissertation from midnight to 5 a.m. while she slept on my chest. It was hard but reminds me that I have the resilience to get things done.鈥�

Prowting is currently a postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University, where he is studying the effects of resistance training and protein intake. Looking toward his future goals, he remains open to both academic and non-academic career paths, building on the skills and connections developed during his time at 91亚色.

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Building on past participation and renewed community engagement, 91亚色 invites faculty, staff, instructors, students and alumni to join a dedicated 91亚色 Pride group walking in the parade. Participation is open to those who wish to take part in a shared, visible expression of support and inclusion alongside colleagues and peers from across the University.

The 91亚色 Pride group will walk together in 91亚色-branded t-shirts and will have the opportunity to contribute to a long-running show of support for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and communities.

Space is limited to 100 participants. Register to participate through

Pride Month at 91亚色 recognizes the contributions of these communities while underscoring the ongoing work to address systemic barriers and build a more inclusive and equitable environment. Visit 91亚色鈥檚 Pride Month website for more.

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At the 91亚色 Psychology Clinic, however, researchers and graduate students are working from a different premise: that understanding a child means understanding the family around them.

Heather Prime, a clinical psychologist and associate professor in the , is leading that effort with a team of graduate students.

At the clinic 鈥� a mental health care facility for families in the community and training centre for 91亚色鈥檚 emerging clinical psychologists 鈥� graduate students study family mental health while also engaging directly with clients. As part of their clinical training, the students deliver services and conduct supervised assessments with families.

PhD candidate Gillian Shoychet鈥檚 doctoral dissertation sits at the centre of this work: she is studying how to implement family assessments in a university clinic, using feedback from families to refine the model.

Their work, alongside researcher Maya Koven, is outlined in an published in JAMA Pediatrics which argues that family systems assessments remain underused in the care of older children and youth.

"The family system 鈥� all family members and the interactions between them 鈥� influences a child's development and mental health," says Shoychet. "Children's mental health does not exist in isolation."

The approach centres on the Lausanne Trilogue Play Paradigm, a structured assessment that originated in Lausanne, Switzerland. During the assessment, families complete tasks while clinicians film the sessions. In a follow-up meeting, clips are played back to the family and observations are discussed collaboratively.

"We don't say 鈥榟ere's what we learned, and here's what you need to do,鈥�" says Prime. "We say, 鈥榟ere's what we saw 鈥� how does that make sense to you?鈥�"

A key focus of this approach is the co-parenting relationship: the parenting team and how both caregivers work together to support their child. The team鈥檚 research states that this dimension is rarely examined in standard child mental health care, where assessments typically involve only one caregiver.

"We're interested in all those relationships that are co-occurring," says Shoychet. "Without observing all those different pieces, it's hard to get a full sense of the child in a holistic manner."

The assessment spans four sessions and concludes with a tip sheet compiled by the clinical team and a follow-up check-in. For some families, that is enough. For others, it becomes a roadmap 鈥� pointing toward individual therapy for the child, parental support or longer-term family therapy.

"It's really a broader systemic map of what services families might be able to access," says Prime.

Building that map required significant groundwork by Shoychet. With support from Koven and the graduate student team, Shoychet worked to merge two existing clinical manuals into a single program guide designed for the 91亚色 Psychology Clinic and its clinical, research and training teams.

"It takes a lot of time, a lot of attention to detail, a lot of patience,鈥� says Shoychet of that project. 鈥淎s a graduate student, I'm not just getting training to do this program 鈥� I'm supporting the implementation of it in my clinic, which is a very unique experience."

Graduate students are trained through a deliberate scaffolding approach. They begin by observing how Prime leads a case, then they work alongside her as co-therapists. Eventually, they take the lead themselves. Between sessions, the team gathers for group consultations 鈥� typically joined by collaborator Diane Philipp, a child psychiatrist at The Garry Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health at SickKids who was instrumental in bringing this training model to Canada.

"Even if the student isn't the primary clinician, students on the team can come watch, provide feedback and learn," says Shoychet. "It's a really beautiful learning opportunity."

Families are also active participants in shaping the program. Surveys provide meaningful feedback on time commitment, session satisfaction and whether families felt their clinician was supportive.

"We're not just evaluating outcomes," says Shoychet. "We're really trying to understand how the program works in this specific setting and what we need to change to meet the needs of the communities we serve."

"I actually get to see the value that this has for families and be part of changing it to make it more valuable," she adds. "That was one of my aspirations for coming into grad school."

Both Prime and Shoychet share the same vision for the program: to serve those in need while creating meaningful learning experiences for grad students.

Success would mean sustainable program, says Prime, characterized by ongoing training opportunities for graduate students to serve a continuous intake of families.

"We put so much heart and soul into this project," adds Shoychet. "I'm hopeful that people will know more about it."

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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And, that pressure is not limited to global and limited-time events. Across concerns, festivals and sports, getting through the venue gate has become a costly and frustrating experience for fans as tickets vanish instantly only to reappear at inflated prices.

Recent examples illustrate the scale of the problem. When Coldplay performed in Toronto in July 2025, fans watched seats disappear on Ticketmaster while waiting in online queues, only to reappear on resale sites for up to $1,600. During the Blue Jays鈥� World Series run later that year, game tickets surged from roughly $400 to $2,000 within hours.

The trend has proven significant enough that earlier this year the Ontario government stepped into the fight over soaring ticket prices.

鈥淲e鈥檙e putting ticket scalpers on notice: your days of ripping people off are done,鈥� Premier Doug Ford posted on social media, announcing the proposal of new consumer protections that would make it illegal to resell tickets above face value. The Putting Fans First Act, he proposed, would apply to any platform handling ticket sales 鈥� Ticketmaster, StubHub and SeatGeek, for instance 鈥� ending what he called the 鈥渄igital wild west.鈥�

For fans, the message resonated with feelings of being exploited 鈥� and not just by the resale market driving up the price of admission.

Pollstar reports that average ticket prices for the top 100 global concert tours rose from $96.17 in 2019 to $132.62 in 2025 鈥� an increase of nearly 38 per cent, compared to average inflation in Canada of about 21 per cent over the same period.

91亚色 scholars say that outrage over ticket prices touches something deeper 鈥� a marketplace built to capitalize on scarcity, not serve audiences. Their research on cultural economics and digital labour shows the real bottlenecks sit with the ticketing system itself, where platform algorithms feed the frenzy they claim to fix.

While policymakers continue to debate how to respond, there is no clear consensus on how to rein in costs without disrupting the system that funds live events.

Scalpers are part of the equation, but they are not the whole story. Large promotors, ticketing platforms, artists and even fans all play a role in sustaining the current model.

So what caused the market to move in this direction?

Markus Giesler, a professor of marketing at 91亚色鈥檚 and former music producer who studies how markets shape human behaviour, points to a shift in how the industry makes money.

Prior to the death of the CD and birth of streaming services like Spotify, concerts were largely viewed as a way to promote and support record sales. As streaming platforms reshaped the economics of music 鈥� where artists went from earning tangible revenues from CD sales to making a fraction of a penny per stream 鈥� touring and selling 鈥渕erch鈥� became the primary source of income for many artists.

Giesler says this shift in economics, paired with a growing popularity over the last decade of 鈥渟caled-up, social media-mediated, massive concert spectacles,鈥� also explains the rising cost of live entertainment.

鈥淭he industry noticed large festivals and live music events could be priced differently and be designed at a much larger scale,鈥� he says, noting the bigger the event, the higher the cost, which translates to more dollars in the pockets of artists.

His observation is backed by data from the American Economic Liberties Project, which shows touring rose from 82 per cent of artists鈥� income in 2010 to roughly 95 per cent in 2022.

However, as touring revenues increased, so did the complexity of how tickets are priced; artists, agents, event promotors, venues and ticketing companies all take a share. Promotors compete for tours based on projected sales, while players like Live Nation 鈥� the largest concert promoter worldwide that not only promotes shows, but also operates venues and owns Ticketmaster 鈥� can capture revenue at multiples stages of the transaction.

What this means in practice is that the same company can book the show, control the venue and manage ticket sales. Regulators in Canada and the U.S. are now scrutinizing that concentration of power, arguing it may limit competition and continue to drive up costs.

Within this system, ticket prices are set by the artist and their management team. Ticketing platforms sell those tickets on the venue鈥檚 behalf and add service fees. A 2019 Competition Bureau review found that, in Canada, those fees exceeded 20 per cent and, in some cases, reached 65 per cent of the original price.

Additional pricing tools have further influenced the market, including Ticketmaster鈥檚 鈥渄ynamic pricing鈥� model introduced in 2022. This tool 鈥� framed as a way to deter scalpers 鈥� adjusts prices in real time based on demand, and is widely used for large scale tours.

91亚色 economist Matthew Brzozowski, an associate professor at the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, says limiting resale markets does not eliminate financial risk 鈥� it shifts it.

The risk has to land somewhere, he says, noting if it cannot be absorbed through resale, it may show up as higher base prices, additional fees or premium tiers.

Those premiums increasingly are seen at the checkout as priority access, VIP packages and add-ons that resemble insurance.

Despite higher costs, demand remains strong. Researchers say the for many fans, live events can be tied to identity and belonging, making price sensitivity less predictable.

鈥淒esirability is the be-all-end-all,鈥� Giesler says. 鈥淲e have to get tickets... life is short. Everybody wants to go and everybody wants to be able to talk about it and post about it.鈥�

That dynamic helps explain why costs continue to soar. Even when fans recognize prices as excessive, the draw of shared cultural moments keeps them in the queue.

That kind of momentum is hard to break, even if dynamic pricing is outlawed or companies like Live Nation are taken to task.

鈥淎 fan鈥檚 identity has always been about devotion,鈥� Giesler says.

And increasingly, showing that devotion means paying the price.

With files from Andrew Seale鈥�

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In 2018, OHIP+ was launched to provide public drug coverage for youth, helping overcome financial barriers to prescription medications for those under 25.

For Antony Chum, an associate professor in 91亚色鈥檚  who studies how public policy shapes health outcomes, it also created what he describes as a "natural experiment" 鈥� an opportunity to track differences before and after free drug coverage was introduced. He examined this "experiment" alongside postdoctoral researchers Peiya Cao and Yihong Bai, as well as PhD student Kristine Ienciu.

鈥淲e wanted to see if removing financial barriers and providing free prescriptions to those under 25 actually translated to a reduction in acute, life-threatening mental health crises,鈥� says Chum, who is also a Canada Research Chair in Population Health Data Science, adding the team focused on emergency department visits of suicide-related behaviours.

The study, published in , draws on linked census and health care data to analyze emergency department visits between 2016 and 2020 that document suicide and self-harm behaviours among Ontarians aged 19 to 24.

The researchers tracked monthly rates of these visits before and after OHIP+ was introduced, using statistical models to isolate the policy鈥檚 impact from underlying trends. They compared outcomes between lower- and higher-income individuals to assess who was most affected, and applied matching techniques and additional tests to ensure the results were robust.

At the conclusion, Chum says he and his team were surprised by the results, which showed that after OHIP+ was introduced, there was a significant and immediate drop in emergency department visits related to suicide and self-harm 鈥� a change that was faster and larger than expected.

Looking more closely at the results, the researchers also found notable reductions among young people considered high risk, including those with a history of mental health diagnoses or prior suicide-related behaviours. The effect was also more pronounced among lower-income youth, who are more likely to face cost barriers to medication, and among young women, who tend to use mental health services at higher rates and may be more likely to benefit from improved access to treatment.

The findings suggested OHIP+ had its strongest influence on those who needed it most, says Chum.

鈥淚t shows that public investments in drug coverage pay off in profound ways,鈥� he says, adding the most notable impact may be in prevention of mental health emergencies. 鈥淏etter access to medication may help stabilize symptoms earlier, reducing the likelihood that someone reaches a crisis point requiring emergency care.鈥�

Chum notes the findings require further study to understand the effect of changes to the system. In April 2019, OHIP+ was revised to restrict eligibility to youth without private insurance, shifting the program from universal to more targeted coverage. That change raises important questions about how it may have influenced the results observed here and whether the early gains seen under full coverage were sustained, weakened or reversed.

Nonetheless, he hopes the study clarifies how reducing cost barriers can improve health outcomes, particularly as Canada advances pharmacare legislation, including plans to provide universal, first-dollar coverage for certain contraceptives and diabetes medications.

鈥淲e hope this research provides timely evidence as Canada moves forward with broader national pharmacare reforms,鈥� says Chum. 鈥淲e want policymakers to see that expanding pharmacare is an essential, effective part of Canada鈥檚 youth mental health strategy.鈥�

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More than 480 students developed and tested projects in collaboration with external partners across two distinct programs 鈥� the interdisciplinary Cross-Campus Capstone Classroom (C4) and the 鈥檚 ENG 4000 Capstone course.

While separate cohorts, both groups engaged in projects that advance work ranging from sustainable energy systems and health technologies to responsible uses of AI, with an emphasis on applied research focused on real-world solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The outcomes of this collaborative approach highlight the role of partnership-driven design in accelerating innovation. Students worked directly with organizations to refine project scope, test feasibility and consider pathways to implementation.

Students in both cohorts showcased their work to faculty, partners and peers during two separate Capstone Day events. Lassonde students shared their innovative ideas, spanning disciplines and real-world applications, from developing an autonomous EV charging robot to a system that provides data to satellites about resident space objects or space debris.

鈥淲hat makes Capstone especially powerful at Lassonde is seeing students evolve from early-stage engineering design into confident engineers capable of designing, building, integrating, testing and communicating complex solutions that address meaningful societal and industry challenges,鈥� says Edris Hassan, Lassonde capstone course director and teaching team lead.

Students in the interdisciplinary C4 cohort developed solutions focused on community wellness, decentralized clean energy, ethical supply chains, campus accessibility and more 鈥� projects that underscore meaningful solutions to complex challenges. 鈥淐4 offers students the opportunity to move beyond theory to address real-world challenges 鈥� and the results show how interdisciplinary collaboration can generate solutions with real impact,鈥� says Richard Hornsey, co-academic lead for the C4 program. 鈥淭hese projects demonstrate the value of bringing together different perspectives to create practical, community-focused solutions.鈥�

Several projects were recognized with awards for their potential impact:

Lassonde Capstone Day Awards

Class Favourite (design, creativity, presentation)
Team 1 鈥� LaunchLab
Autonomous Pickleball Launcher
Team: Adam Hallag, Doluwamu Olubiremi, Dominic Igumbor, Leonard Gladzah, Mohammed Abbas Jega, Sarimah Chindah
Supervisor: Kai Zhang

Engineering Capstone Prize (impact on human well-being)
Team 20 鈥� VitalSense
Rewearable Health Monitoring
Team: Ayesha Shahid, Dave Hiralall, Jakub Przystupa, Maria Ahmed, Muhammad Zafar, Ossama Benaini
Supervisor: Peter Lian

Y-Space/SmartTO Mobility Award (innovation in mobility solutions)
Team 29 鈥� Team PE鈬孠E
Drop-in Regenerative Braking for Bicycles
Team: Eugene Park, Hassan Dannyal, Mohammed, Faizaan, Raiyyan Husein, Vincent Hasbun, Yunus Akcor
Supervisor: Thomas Cooper

C4 Spring Capstone Awards

Best Project Award (Quanser) (creativity, inclusion, community impact)
3.0-credit: Team A1 鈥� Seasons of Wellness: Outdoor Programming for Peel Region Youth
Team: Quratulain Alvi, Jessie Enokela, Zarin Hasan, Mihai Puscas, Catalina Tulcan Meza, Gadion Woldemariam
Partners: TRCA; Jack.org

6.0-credit: Team C19 鈥� Go Green: Decentralizing Electrical Energy in St. James Town
Team: Rajendra Brahmbhatt, Steven Chen, Aahana Dube, Nicolas Madronero Martinez, Nisha Panai, Junting Wang
Partner: Engage

Innovation Award (YSpace) (market readiness, creativity)
3.0-credit: Team C12 鈥� Project Walkway: Weather-Protected Areas for the Hangar District
Team: Mohamed Abdel Rahman, Danielle Burnett, Shuwayne Fyne, Haytham Hassan, Akshar Jadhav, Anthony Pham, Shami-uz Zaman
Partner: Northcrest Developments

6.0-credit: Team B10 鈥� Clicking with Conscience: Digital Tools to Combat Forced Labour in Supply Chains
Team: Dimitri Arjoon, Alannis Hopkinson, Dhruv Kapadia, Tony Mendoza Sanchez, Gabisan Sritharalingam, Daniel Vinitski
Partner: International Justice Mission

Sustainability Award (Honda Canada) (SDG impact)
3.0-credit: Team C11 鈥� Cultivating Continuity: Co-Creation in Parks and Open Spaces at YZD
Team: Harsha Bonthagorla, Sina Heidari, Ben Petlach, Nathan Pillinger, Alessandro Policicchio, Deepanjali Syal, Camilo Vargas Cardenas, Nicolas Vargas Gonzalez
Partner: Northcrest Developments

6.0-credit: Team B15 鈥� UNITY: Understanding Needs and Inclusivity Throughout 91亚色
Team: Prabhjyot Grewal, Abigail Laverick, Mazha Memon, Ariana Ram, Asad Rehman
Partner: Open Architecture Collaborative Canada

People鈥檚 Choice Award
Nrup Patel 鈥� 91亚色Pulse: 91亚色鈥檚 Verified Student Community Platform

See more moments from the day in the .

The Lassonde Capstone team welcomes project proposals for the 2026-27 academic year. Industry partners, community organizations and alumni are encouraged to submit ideas that give the next cohort of engineering graduates a meaningful challenge to solve. Reach out to capstone@yorku.ca to learn more.

C4 is preparing for courses in fall (3.0 credits), winter (3.0 credits), and a full-year fall/winter (6.0 credits). Contact c4class@yorku.ca to explore partnership opportunities.

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When Olsen finished his bachelor of fine arts in 1979 at 91亚色, instead of leaving, he made the University his home.

For 41 years, he worked in the Department of Visual Art and Art History (VAAH) as a technician within the print media area, overseeing the daily operations of a specialized space where AMPD students learn printmaking, the process of transferring inked images from prepared surfaces onto paper using presses and other tools.

Much of the role happens behind the scenes 鈥� including coordinating studio schedules and maintaining equipment and supplies. Because these processes rely on dedicated equipment, materials and controlled working conditions, students depend on an experienced technician to help them develop their skills and complete coursework.

Olsen exemplified these responsibilities, playing an active part in student learning by guiding them and supporting their work in the studio.

鈥淎s technician, teacher and mentor, he supported and encouraged generations of students, creating a cooperative and dynamic environment where they could realize their goals,鈥� says Barbara Balfour, professor emerita, who worked with Olsen for over two decades. He even helped them do so when ideas pushed the limits of conventional approaches or required creative problem-solving in the studio.

鈥淒an always seriously entertained students鈥� unorthodox technical questions, only discouraging them when health and safety considerations prevailed,鈥� she says.

For Daryl Vocat, the current print media technician in VAAH, that was part of who Olsen was, and something that continues to inspire his own approach to the job. 鈥淚 remember Dan as someone who was happy to lend a hand, and as someone who made the studio a welcome and friendly place,鈥� he says.

The long-term impact of Olsen鈥檚 generosity, patience and technical knowledge was recognized through honours like the AMPD Award of Excellence Staff Recognition Award in 2019 for his career efforts and the annual Dan Olsen Print Media Award, named after him when he retired in 2020.

Olsen鈥檚 impact is recognized in other meaningful ways. David Scott Armstrong, an associate professor who worked with Olsen for 17 years, says when he meets former students who were part of VAAH鈥檚 printmaking community, a frequent question arises. 鈥淭hey ask, with a glimmer of fond recollection in their eye, 鈥業s Dan still there?鈥欌��

He may no longer be, but his influence continues to be felt in the studio and in the work of the many artists he supported over the years.

鈥淒an brought so much to this community over the years, and all who knew him 鈥� students, artists, teachers, colleagues 鈥� are grateful for all that we have learned from him,鈥� says Armstrong. 鈥淔aculty and course offerings came and went, but Dan was there through it all. He was a vital presence and spirit that made 91亚色's printmaking community strong and enduring.鈥�

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As cyber threats targeting higher education continue to increase, 91亚色 is taking steps to strengthen the security standards of its devices. Effective June 22, all University-owned computers must meet a defined security baseline that specifies the minimum set of protections to safeguard University systems, research and data.

For most users, there will be little to no change. Users will be notified ahead of enrolment, which can be completed remotely. Enrolment of faculty member computers is planned to begin in late fall. This change is being implemented in accordance with the new Procedure聽on Use and Security of University-Owned Computing Devices.

Management platforms do not provide access to personal files, research materials, emails, browsing history or user activity. 91亚色 remains committed to protecting academic freedom and the privacy of its community while strengthening institutional cybersecurity. For more information, visit the University-owned device FAQ.

Those with questions or requiring assistance can contact askit@yorku.ca or reach out to Faculty IT units for research-specific concerns.

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A new study by 91亚色 researchers puts a name to that feeling and examines what it means for employee well-being and job satisfaction.

Tsorng-Yeh Lee, associate professor in the School of Nursing, and Gordon Flett, professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology, are co-authors of "," published in the Canadian Journal of Nursing Research. The study examines how employees' sense of mattering, or its absence, relates to psychological well-being and satisfaction at work.

"Mattering is that feeling of being significant to others, that others see you as important," says Flett. "When somebody says they feel seen, heard and appreciated, that reflects their sense that they matter."

The flip side is anti-mattering: feeling invisible, unimportant or irrelevant. The study indicates that anti-mattering is negatively associated with well-being, mattering at work and job satisfaction 鈥� making it one of the study's most robust findings. Feeling unseen at work, the results suggest, has distinct effects, separate from feeling undervalued.

"If participants feel they don't matter, they are less likely to find their work meaningful," says Lee. "If they feel their voice is heard by their boss, they will work harder and do better."

The study also reveals a link between the fear of not mattering and problematic social media use, and an association between the latter and depression.

"When you are engaged with social media at a problematic level, you are exposing yourself to crafted, perfectionistic images of lives [that appear to be] better than yours," says Flett. "People see perfect vacations or perfect children and realize their life isn't like that, making them feel more isolated."

The research was conducted with 60 adults working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants who reported having COVID-19 indicated lower mattering and higher anti-mattering 鈥� suggesting that becoming ill somehow limits employees' feelings of significance.

Flett notes the research is a small-scale pilot study with limited scope. While the findings require further investigation, he notes the results point to meaningful patterns that merit closer examination.

For employers, the study's practical implications are clear. Lee points to the value of recognizing contributions regularly and giving meaningful feedback. As Lee explains, this helps foster a feeling for employees that 鈥淚鈥檓 not just here 鈥� I make a difference.鈥�

When employees feel they matter, they are more likely to be engaged, satisfied and emotionally positive about their work. Flett adds that organizations need to move beyond passive wellness messaging and actively demonstrate that employees matter.

"We shouldn't assume people know they are important," he says. "We need to show them."

That can take many forms, he says, such as involving employees in decision-making, checking in on them as people rather than just as workers, and cultivating what Flett calls the 鈥渓ost art of sending a personal note.鈥�

The U.S. Surgeon General's framework for workplace mental health identifies mattering at work as one of its five core pillars, and Flett suggests organizations should build wellness approaches that include mattering and frame their messages around that construct.

鈥淢attering is about feeling important, being noticed and feeling depended on,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen workers are sent messages such as 'You matter to us' and 'Everybody counts,' they know they are seen, heard and cared about at the organizational level. They won't feel like a number."

Lee鈥檚 research on the topic will continue through a follow-up grant focused on mattering among Asian communities, with the aim of expanding the research to more diverse and conclusive samples.

The pilot study was supported by a seed grant from the Faculty of Health.

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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In a historic first, Canada鈥檚 2026 long-form census asks respondents about their sexual orientation, adding vital demographic evidence to the mandatory survey used to guide public funding and infrastructure planning.

For Nick Mul茅, it is a shift that has been decades in the making.

"Many of us feel this is long overdue," says Mul茅, professor at 91亚色's and Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. "I was one of many people who have been advocating for this, going back to the 1990s."

The question 鈥� which asks respondents to identify as heterosexual; lesbian or gay; bisexual or pansexual; or to write their own answers 鈥� appears on the long-form questionnaire sent to roughly 25 per cent of Canadian households. While Statistics Canada has collected sexual orientation data through smaller specialized surveys before, adding it to the census gives the findings a broader national reach and a different level of public visibility.

"The census is much larger. It goes right across Canada, and it's also mandatory," says Mul茅. "It lends legitimacy to these populations, raising their visibility."

But Mul茅 says visibility alone is not the point, and the more consequential argument is about evidence 鈥� and what its absence has cost.

When community organizations doing frontline work with 2SLGBTQIA+ populations have approached governments and funders to address their clients' needs, they have often been told the same thing: without data, resources cannot flow.

"The government acknowledges they believe you, that it probably is true there is a struggle out there, but asks us to give hard evidence," Mul茅 explains.

That evidence gap is central to Mul茅's research. He is project director of 2SLGBTQ+ Poverty in Canada: Improving Livelihood and Social Wellbeing, a 91亚色-hosted national study examining poverty among 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Early findings from this project's national survey reflect what frontline workers have long reported: these populations face significant and compounding hardships.

Census evidence on sexual orientation could deepen that picture considerably. Mul茅 points to housing, health care, employment, education, income and social services as areas where 2SLGBTQIA+ people face disproportionate challenges due to discrimination, stigma and bias 鈥� barriers that differ meaningfully depending on life stage, from youth to seniors.

"Not everyone experiences those things the same way," he says. "It's important that those links are made between one's social location and the kind of challenges they're facing."

The categories included in the census question, Mul茅 says, are reasonable, and the write-in option is an important safeguard for those whose identity does not fit the options. He acknowledges, however, that open-ended responses create complexity on the research end, as analysts must decide how to group and interpret varied self-descriptions.

More pressing concerns involve privacy, trust and the particular vulnerability of young respondents. Many 2SLGBTQIA+ people have not made their sexual orientation public, and disclosing such information on a government form is considered risky by some.

Those ages 15 and older can fill out the long-form census; however, in most households, an adult who completes the form on behalf of all members. This raises concerns that younger individuals may not be accurately represented if adults are not aware of their sexual orientation.

"Those are some of the conundrums," Mul茅 says. "It's great on the one hand to include it, but Statistics Canada needs to be aware that there is a sensitivity attached to this when it comes to people's comfort level with disclosing this information."

Mul茅 frames the census change within a longer arc. Sexual orientation has long been protected under human rights legislation in every province and territory, and federally, for years. Yet, legal recognition has not brought an end to discrimination.

For Mul茅, having these communities counted in the census 鈥� and having that data inform policy, funding and services 鈥� is part of closing that gap.

"It really elevates the recognition and legitimacy of these groups in Canada," he says. 鈥淏y gathering data specific to the realities of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, governments can get a clearer picture of what these communities are facing and what resources, supports and services are needed to equitably meet those needs.鈥�

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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