An investment of $2.1 million, , will fund transformative work examining history, human behaviour, digital technologies and critical infrastructure to better understand and improve well-being, equity and resilience across Canada.

The CRC program bolster research excellence and advances the development of knowledge that benefits society, the economy and the environment.

"Canada Research Chairs drive new knowledge that strengthens Canada鈥檚 global competitiveness and addresses real-world challenges," says Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. "Across 91亚色, this research reflects a commitment to tackling complex issues 鈥� from advancing Indigenous knowledge and addressing addiction, to shaping the future of AI and strengthening critical infrastructure 鈥� in ways that deliver tangible benefits for communities in Canada and beyond."

Alan Corbiere 鈥� Canada Research Chair in Indigenous History of North America (Tier 2, renewal)
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

An assistant professor in 91亚色鈥檚 Department of History, Corbiere鈥檚 research focuses on Anishinaabe language, oral traditions and material culture.

Corbiere uses approaches such as the study of treaty negotiations and wampum belts to challenge and reshape historical narratives while supporting the revitalization of Indigenous knowledge and culture.

Matthew Keough 鈥� Canada Research Chair in Addiction Vulnerability (Tier 2)
Faculty of Health

Keough is an associate professor in 91亚色鈥檚 Department of Psychology, a clinical psychologist and a senior scientist with Homewood Research Institute. He studies the causes of addictive behaviours and develops evidence鈥慴ased treatments with a focus on heavy drinking, cannabis use, concurrent disorders and digital interventions for young adults.

Keough also received $100,000 through the Canada Foundation for Innovation鈥檚 which supports research infrastructure projects through its partnership with the CRC program.

Jennifer Pybus 鈥� Canada Research Chair in Data, Empowerment and Artificial Intelligence (Tier 2, renewal)
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

Associate professor in the Department of Politics and director of the Centre for Public AI, Pybus studies how social media, mobile platforms and AI use personal data.

Her focus is on strengthening data literacy, supporting informed public debate and examining issues of digital sovereignty and data governance in Canada.

Pirathayini Srikantha 鈥� Canada Research Chair in Reliable and Secure Power Grid Systems (Tier 2, renewal)

Srikantha, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, develops AI鈥慸riven and transactive energy solutions.

The aim of her research is to improve the reliability, security and resilience of electrical power grids and support the design of trustworthy energy systems.

The post Four 91亚色 U scholars among new, renewed Canada Research Chairs appeared first on YFile.

Established with a $200 million gift in 2019, the McCall MacBain Scholarships are Canada鈥檚 largest leadership-based scholarships for master鈥檚 and professional studies students.

More than 700 Canadian students applied for the opportunity this year with the top 150 selected for first-round interviews. Interviews for the resulting 91 finalists took place in Montreal in March.

鈥淚 received the news during a call and in that moment, it felt like everything I had worked toward over the years had led to this,鈥� says Timotewos of being one of 20 recipients. 鈥淚t was overwhelming in the best way, filled with deep gratitude. It inspired me to keep pushing forward and continue giving back.鈥�

The scholarship covers tuition, a living stipend and relocation as well as mentorship, coaching and leadership program activities.

Timotewos, a student at the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, will graduate this spring with an honours bachelor of arts in global political studies as well as a certificate in public administration and law.

Inspired by his experiences growing up in Ethiopia and Yemen, Timotewos founded and leads three non-profit initiatives that mentor young men, provide essential resources to youth in need and share community-driven stories. He also serves on the TELUS Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area Community Board, where he reviews grant applications for charities.

In addition, Timotewos sits on the Global Youth Impact Council representing young Canadian voices. He also serves as a 91亚色 president ambassador and student senator, is a mentor to fellow students and is a past recipient of 91亚色鈥檚 Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award.

鈥淭his recognition means everything to me and it makes me feel seen,鈥� he says. 鈥淲here I come from, education at this level can feel out of reach but someone chose to invest in my journey and believe in it. It doesn鈥檛 just open doors that wouldn鈥檛 otherwise be open; it also gives me the opportunity to grow. More importantly, it will enable me to keep giving back and create opportunities for others.鈥�

Recipients were chosen based on exceptional character, community engagement, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, academic strength and intellectual curiosity.

Timotewos will be pursuing a master of management in analytics at McGill University, where he will study management, finance and economics to understand how institutions and markets shape real-world outcomes.

Attending McGill, he says, fulfils a longtime dream and he hopes to use its strong network to advance his learning and turn economic insight into responsible leadership and social impact. 91亚色, he adds, has been part of that journey.

鈥淢y experience at 91亚色 has shaped me both intellectually and personally. Through the many leadership roles I鈥檝e been entrusted with, as well as the community work and rigorous academic study, I鈥檝e learned how to think critically, lead with intention and serve others with purpose,鈥� he says.

Additionally, 91亚色 students Ann Kwarteng and Neh Shah were both selected for a $5,000 Regional Award from McCall MacBain.

鈥淭hese scholarships go beyond financial support,鈥� says Marcy McCall MacBain, chair of the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e about investing in the leadership potential of individuals who dare to pursue unconventional paths and care deeply about improving the lives of others.鈥�

Applications will open in June 2026 for the 2027 cohort. Learn more about McCall MacBain Scholarships .

The post 91亚色 student earns top Canadian leadership scholarship appeared first on YFile.

DAAD, the German Academic Exchange Service, is the world's largest funding organization for international academic exchange. Through its Research Grants program, it provides funding to support doctoral students and post-doctoral research at a German university.

For Barakov, a political science PhD candidate with a master鈥檚 degree from 91亚色, the funding will help enhance his dissertation via archival research and interviews with local residents. His thesis compares urban outcomes across 35 years of state socialism and 35 years of capitalism in the cities of Berlin, Germany and Sofia, Bulgaria. He will be hosted at Humboldt University in Berlin, working in coordination with the Georg Simmel Center for Metropolitan Studies. Following his time in Germany, he will do similar research in Sofia.

鈥淚 plan on visiting a variety of different archives specifically with the aim of understanding East German approaches to urban planning, as well as conducting interviews with local residents,鈥� says Barakov.

Muci, also a political science PhD candidate, will be based at the Center for Post-Kantian Philosophy at the University of Potsdam for the first half of his time abroad, before relocating to the University of M眉nster. He will further his research on Marx and Marxism in Berlin by examining original sources related to the philosopher's doctoral dissertation at the University of Berlin from 1837-41, including letters from editors of a journal with which Marx collaborated.  

鈥淚'm looking at the origins of this conception of the world in the only philosophical work by Karl Marx 鈥� his dissertation with which he graduated at the University of Jena in 1841,鈥� explains Muci, whose work is supervised by 91亚色 Professor Marcello Musto. 鈥淚'm interested in broadening the genesis and I need the archives to do that.鈥�

HajiHosseinKhani is a computer science graduate student with a master鈥檚 from 91亚色, which she earned following an undergraduate degree in her home country of Iran. She will be joining the Institute for Data Science, Cloud Computing and IT Security (IDACUS) at Furtwangen University for a project that will focus on developing a comprehensive decentralized finance dataset. The project will then develop a self-defending AI architecture that will resist adversarial attacks, with stress-testing of the model to follow.

鈥淭he goal of this project is that we want to design a secure transformer-based AI model to detect and mitigate the malicious activities in the decentralized finance sector,鈥� says HajiHosseinKhani.

She notes this collaboration follows another that she participated in with the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Her supervisor, Professor Arash Habibi Lashkari, was also a DAAD scholar for his postdoc and helped HajiHosseinKhani design a collaboration with Professor Christopher Reich that saw her start at 91亚色鈥檚 Behaviour-Centric Cybersecurity Center (BCCC), and finish the final seven months at IDACUS.

Political science Professor Heather MacRae is a DAAD ambassador at 91亚色. She is also Barakov鈥檚 supervisor and a past DAAD scholar who did graduate fieldwork at the University of Freiburg. She is thrilled to have had so many successful applications from 91亚色 students.

鈥淭his is amazing. To my knowledge, after 15-plus years in my role, it鈥檚 the best record we鈥檝e had,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t really speaks to the way that 91亚色 International has been promoting the opportunity and working with people in our community. It helps put 91亚色 back on the radar for German scholarly communities as well.鈥�

MacRae notes the DAAD network is very active in Canada and provides opportunities for future funding.

Muci, who has spent time in Germany doing a joint degree with the University of Bologna in Italy and the University of Bielefeld, is looking forward to knowledge exchange with the research group.

Barakov says the DAAD funding has provided the means to advance his dissertation research.

鈥淭he longstanding tradition of academic exchange between Germany and Canada more broadly has very much played a foundational role in securing the possibility to actually go to Berlin in person, conduct work there and engage with their research community,鈥� he says.

Faculty members and students interested in learning more about the DAAD programs and funding available to support research and study in Germany can contact goglobal@yorku.ca.

With files from Suzanne Bowness

The post Three PhD students pursue funded research in Germany appeared first on YFile.

Peniston, an associate professor in the School of Nursing, is the fourth faculty member to hold the fellowship since it was introduced in 2023. Her project, titled 鈥淕lobal Citizenship: Experiential, Decolonial and Transformative Teaching and Learning for a Healthy and Just World,鈥� aims to prepare students to graduate as both skilled health professionals and ethically engaged global citizens.

"We want students to graduate with ethical responsibility and global awareness of what's happening in the world, because there are real-world issues that will impact their profession," says Peniston.

The project unfolds across three interconnected objectives.

The first is professional development for faculty: equipping educators across the Faculty of Health with the tools and frameworks to weave international citizenship themes into their existing courses. The second is Faculty-wide curriculum transformation, co-developing a pan-Faculty general education course and classroom modular teaching resources centred on global citizenship, health equity and sustainability. The third is preparing students to be globally minded by developing their critical thinking, ethical reasoning and ability to work across perspectives, so they graduate seeing themselves as agents of change who feel capable of addressing real-world health challenges.

The most tangible deliverable is a digital global citizenship badge that students can add to their CV or LinkedIn profile, signalling they have engaged meaningfully with health equity, sustainability and social justice during their time at 91亚色.

鈥淚 want every student graduating from the Faculty of Health to leave not only with expertise in their discipline, but also as a global scholar equipped to engage with the world," says Peniston.

Earning the digital badge will require completing specific elective courses related to global citizenship, including the proposed interdisciplinary pan-University course, participating in a capstone project through 91亚色's Cross Campus Capstone Classroom (C4) and engaging with 91亚色 International's learning partnerships.

Together, these elements are designed to create experiential and digitally connected learning opportunities that reach beyond the classroom.

Peniston also plans to develop a health-focused teaching toolkit to support faculty in incorporating the UN Sustainable Development Goals into their classrooms, building on work she completed through a previous Academic Innovation Fund grant.

Running through all three objectives is a commitment to decolonial teaching practices by centring a broader range of voices, perspectives and ways of knowing in health education.

The decolonial focus is grounded in practical classroom application rather than abstract theory. Peniston points to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action as one framework, and describes integrating Indigenous scholarship, diverse global perspectives and non-biomedical voices into what students read and hear.

"It's bringing in diverse perspectives and materials for students to engage with, inviting Indigenous scholars and other historically underrepresented voices, creating space to listen to those voices that haven't been heard and must be heard," she says.

Peniston will measure success at three levels: changes in student thinking about their professional roles and global responsibilities; increases in the number of faculty incorporating global citizenship modules into their teaching; and the Faculty of Health's ability to demonstrate leadership in socially accountable health education.

"What I find most exciting is the opportunity to work across all the schools in the Faculty of Health to co-create something together," she says. "It's about more than one course or one program; it's about building a shared approach to teaching that connects disciplines and prepares students for the world they're entering after graduation."

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

The post 91亚色 nursing professor leads global approach to health education appeared first on YFile.

IoT devices are everyday objects that connect to the internet so they can send, receive and act on data. They range from home thermostats and baby monitors to traffic sensors, medical equipment and industrial controls. Many operate quietly in the background and are rarely updated or closely monitored, making them especially attractive targets for cybercriminals.

鈥淎s devices proliferate globally, so do the botnets that exploit them,鈥� says Arash Habibi Lashkari, a professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and Canada Research Chair in Behaviour鈥慍entric Cybersecurity (BCCC). Botnets are networks of compromised devices that have been quietly taken over by attackers and can be coordinated to carry out cyberattacks, often without the device owner鈥檚 knowledge.

While cybersecurity tools already exist to protect IoT systems, Lashkari says many struggle to keep pace with today鈥檚 threat landscape. Designed for specific networks or environments, these tools are often not suited to the scale or complexity of a borderless digital world, where malicious activity moves easily across regions and frequently reuse similar behaviours in different contexts.

As a result, security frameworks often rely on AI to sift through vast volumes of data and spot patterns too complex or fast鈥憁oving for humans to catch. This, however, comes with a shortcoming: AI can flag suspicious activity, but without explaining how or why a particular behaviour is considered malicious.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the primary gap of the 鈥榖lack box鈥� nature of AI in cybersecurity,鈥� says Lashkari, referring to systems that can produce answers without making their reasoning visible to humans. 鈥淯nderstanding these gaps is critical, because a detection system that cannot explain why it flagged a behaviour is difficult to trust.鈥�

Lashkari set out to resolve that gap. He and his colleagues aimed to find a way to analyze how botnets operate and build an identification approach to act on that knowledge. In doing so, it can produce results that human analysts can interpret, trust and apply across different networks.

In research now published in Supercomputing, Lashkari and his colleagues built and tested a recognition and profiling system using real鈥憌orld IoT network traffic. Working through BCCC, the team examined how compromised devices communicate across sustained activity, focusing on patterns that could be clearly interpreted.

This allowed the researchers to move beyond individual attacks and focus on broader behavioural patterns, including whether botnets operating in different environments might still act in similar ways.

Lashkari says they expected to see some similarities across botnets, but were still surprised by how consistently those patterns appeared. Even when attacks targeted different technologies or deployments, compromised devices tended to follow the same underlying behaviours, including recognizable bursts of activity. That consistency matters, he explains, because knowing how one botnet operates can help identify and defend against others, even in very different settings.

Lashkari says the real importance of that finding lies in what it enables. 鈥淚t suggests that a breakthrough in understanding a specific botnet profile 鈥� the recurring patterns in how compromised devices communicate and behave 鈥� can be generalized to protect critical infrastructure worldwide,鈥� he says.

That potential is not theoretical. To act on it, Lashkari and his colleagues developed a system that identifies IoT botnets based on behavioural patterns observed across repeated interactions. The system flags suspicious activity while also showing which specific behaviours triggered the alert, giving security teams visibility into why a device was identified as malicious.

While the system itself is presented as a research framework rather than a ready鈥憈o鈥慸eploy product, much of the underlying IoT data and profiling resources developed through the BCCC are publicly available, allowing other researchers to study, test and build on the approach.

Lashkari says this approach is especially important because malicious cyber activity is constantly evolving. As security systems improve, attackers adapt their tactics, often reshaping malicious activity to blend in with normal internet traffic. By focusing on patterns that persist across sustained behaviour, rather than relying on fixed indicators that quickly become outdated, the behaviour鈥慴ased system can help security teams recognize emerging threats even as attackers change how they operate.

鈥淭he hope is that this work will serve as a cornerstone for more transparent, collaborative security frameworks,鈥� Lashkari says. By promoting explainable tools and shared datasets, the team aims to shift industry practice away from simply blocking IP addresses, and toward understanding and anticipating how adversaries behave.

Lashkari says that need is unlikely to fade. As attackers continue to adapt, often operating slowly or subtly to avoid detection, focusing on behavioural patterns across time may become increasingly important. In an internet鈥慶onnected world, he says, effective defence will depend not just on smarter identification, but on tools that help security teams know what they are dealing with.

The post How 91亚色 researchers are strengthening cybersecurity appeared first on YFile.

These honours celebrate academic excellence as well as the leadership, service and initiative that contribute to the school.

Presented to graduating students who have made an outstanding contribution during their time at Osgoode, the 10 juris doctor students selected from dozens of nominations for the 2026 Dean鈥檚 Gold Key Awards have enriched the academic journey and advanced student experience through community building, governance, advocacy and extracurricular leadership.

鈥淥ne of Osgoode鈥檚 greatest strengths is our community. The Dean鈥檚 Gold Key Awards recognize students whose leadership, service and academic excellence have strengthened the Osgoode experience,鈥� says Dean Trevor Farrow. 鈥淭hese graduates have set a standard for what it means to contribute meaningfully to a law school and to the profession. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and the leadership they will carry forward as Osgoode alumni.鈥�

Ebun Akomolafe

Akomolafe has demonstrated exceptional leadership, integrity and a sustained impact on mooting, student governance and peer mentorship. An internationally accomplished mooter, she has earned top oralist honours and helped advance Osgoode teams at the highest levels while also strengthening the institution through structural reform, serving as the inaugural ethics officer of the Osgoode Mooting Society and later redesigning training programs to improve access, fairness and support for junior competitors.

She has been a steady leader in student governance and a deeply committed mentor, providing extensive one-on-one support during recruitment and transitions, often without recognition. She is noted for her principled judgment, even-handed leadership and quiet dedication.

Avery Cameron

Cameron is noted for exceptional leadership and a lasting impact on student mooting and mentorship. As president of the Osgoode Mooting Society, she expanded access to oral advocacy, guiding dozens of students and helped deliver some of the school鈥檚 most successful mooting years, including revitalizing Lerner鈥檚 Cup and sustaining Baby Gale and Cassels Cup when organizers or sponsors withdrew.

She devoted extensive time to coaching, brought senior judges to campus, and led the creation of a more ethical, student-centred mooting culture through new conduct and accountability frameworks. Nominators credit her with leaving Osgoode鈥檚 oral advocacy community stronger, more inclusive and better positioned for future generations.

Allessia Chiappetta

Nominated for sustained leadership and lasting contributions to student life, Chiappetta has served as president and co-president of the Intellectual Property Society of Osgoode and co-president of the Canadian Italian Association of Osgoode. She is noted for expanding leadership opportunities, launching cross-club collaborations and building programming that strengthens professional, academic and cultural engagement across the school.

Chiappetta has also distinguished herself academically and professionally through faculty research assistantships, advanced work in emerging areas of law, acquiring more than 140 hours of clinical service supporting under-resourced innovators, and success in mooting competitions. As an upper-year mentor and orientation leader, she has provided consistent, practical support to junior students.

Brandon Connor

Connor鈥檚 nomination is rooted in values-driven leadership and a broad impact on student life, equity and community care. As co-president of Osgoode OUTLaws, he led major fundraising and programming initiatives, expanded mentorship initiatives and panels supporting queer students navigating the legal profession.

His work as equity officer and Faculty Council Equality Committee member focused on embedding equity into institutional processes, including recruit-focused supports for equity-seeking students and advocacy for stronger student representation. Across clinical work, residence life, mentorship and governance, nominators emphasize that Connor consistently identified gaps in support and took concrete steps to address them.

Michael Conroy

Conroy was nominated for exceptional leadership, service and mentorship across clinical education, governance, scholarship and student life. He is noted for his extraordinary contributions to the CLASP鈥揔PMG Tax Clinic, where he went beyond his role to secure significant relief for low-income clients and continued supporting cases after his formal commitments ended.

As a student leader, Conroy strengthened Osgoode鈥檚 mooting culture and tax law programming, helped sustain major competitions and improved fairness and continuity through institutional reforms. He also made lasting contributions through high-level academic research and publication, while consistently mentoring peers, junior students and incoming cohorts with generosity and care.

Elad Dekel

Dekel was nominated for behind-the-scenes leadership that materially improved student life, systems and access. As co-chair of Orientation Week and treasurer of the Legal and Literary Society, he modernized outdated processes, automated workflows, stabilized finances and introduced cost-saving initiatives, including a new financial management platform and at-cost student printing that saved thousands of dollars.

He also strengthened student programming through leadership roles in the Entertainment and Sports Law Association and extensive clinical and volunteer work, while consistently pursuing essential tasks that kept student life running smoothly.

Gabrielle Gonsalves

Gonsalves is recognized for her transformative contributions to equity and access within the law school community. As treasurer of the Black Law Students鈥� Association, she vastly expanded financial supports, growing the LSAT bursary program from three to 13 awards and establishing an emergency fund for Black-identifying students facing crisis.

She is widely recognized for her intensive, hands-on mentorship, providing academic, recruit and personal support to law and pre-law students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. Across clinical work, student leadership and peer support, nominators emphasize that Gonsalves not only advocates for inclusion, but actively dismantles barriers and equips others to succeed.

Arianna Howse

Quiet leadership and a significant commitment to Indigenous student advocacy has earned Howse this award. From her first year onward, she has played a central role in the Osgoode Indigenous Students鈥� Association (OISA), serving as 1L representative, director of communications, and later co-chair, where she consistently acted as a bridge between cohorts, advanced student concerns and strengthened academic and community supports.

Her leadership contributed to record attendance at OISA events and record fundraising for Orange Shirt Day, while her mentorship of Indigenous students was sustained through co-leading training and transition sessions for incoming students. Her impact has been cumulative and enduring, marked by selfless service, careful mentorship and a measurable improvement in the Indigenous student experience at Osgoode.

Shivaansh Khanna

Khanna is recognized for leadership that enhanced student life, financial stability and community belonging. Through senior roles in student government and Orientation Week, he combined strategic planning with deep care for students, leading major initiatives that improved accessibility, inclusivity and long-term sustainability.

As a Legal and Literary Society representative, and later treasurer, he played a central role in restoring the society鈥檚 finances, eliminating a longstanding deficit through transparent decision-making and difficult but necessary reforms. Across governance, orientation and student programming, nominators describe Khanna as a calm, generous leader who mentors others and someone who takes on complex work without seeking recognition.

Jasmit Mander

Mander has demonstrated exceptional mentorship, principled leadership and a sustained commitment to equity and inclusion. As co-president of the Osgoode Sikh Students Association, he helped build a nationally connected student organization through mentorship programs, career panels, recruitment support and community outreach, while also amplifying student voices through council and strategic planning initiatives.

Through student governance, pro bono work and community leadership, Mander is described as someone who quietly expands access, builds confidence and walks alongside others without seeking recognition, leaving a lasting impact on the Osgoode community.

The post Osgoode celebrates student success with Dean鈥檚 Gold Key Awards appeared first on YFile.

The guide builds on the team鈥檚 2025 study of programming and practices at children鈥檚 museums in Canada and the United States.

Farley says museum educators are navigating increasingly constrained environments when addressing equity, diversity, accessibility and inclusion with young audiences. Often, the idea of 鈥渃hildhood innocence鈥� is cited as a reason to censor or downplay controversial and challenging ideas.

At the same time, Farley says, "children live within the social and political world, and are themselves subjects of and/or witnesses to injustices, violences and inequities."

She adds that the question then becomes "not how to protect them from difficult knowledge, but what it can mean to facilitate meaningful engagements.鈥�

Farley and her colleagues, including 91亚色鈥檚 Gillian Parekh, associate professor of education and doctoral candidate Suad Ahmed, conducted the original study in partnership with the Association of Children鈥檚 Museums (ACM). Their research found that while many children鈥檚 museums focus on exploration, play or self-expression, addressing social and historical issues with young audiences were secondary.

However, they also found that this trend is changing.

鈥淢useum programmers and educators are thinking carefully about how to better address topics that might conventionally be considered difficult for younger audiences,鈥� Farley says. 鈥淲e found a strong desire among educators for resources that can support their efforts to represent difficult knowledge in truthful ways, while also recognizing the unique considerations involved in working with children.鈥�

The new reflection guide is a collection of resources chosen for their currency, relevance and accessibility. Articles, videos, strategies and frameworks provide questions, issues and/or examples of programming and practices that represent controversial, diverse and/or difficult knowledge.

For example, the Canadian Museum of Human Rights offers frameworks and strategies for addressing such topics as 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, war and genocide, systemic racism and wrongful convictions, while the Museum of Toronto suggests resources to help museums become good allies in learning from Canada鈥檚 Indigenous communities.

There are also curricula developed to teach children about topics such as Black history and life, and articles offering guidance about how to broach painful experiences, such as grief and loss, with children in an age-appropriate manner.

Farley hopes the reflection guide will support museum decision-makers, exhibition creators and educators to engage difficult knowledge while also opening possibilities for children to become new people in relation to the legacies they inherit. The content of the guide has been informed by the team鈥檚 research along with the participating children鈥檚 museums.

Farley, who is also a member of the LaMarsh Centre for Child & Youth Resources at 91亚色, says childhood is a theme that runs through all of her research.

The project reflects her broader commitment to research that engages directly with communities, she says, and her drive to understand how scholarly work can support educators traversing complex issues.

鈥淚 began my career doing individual research with child psychoanalysis to foreground a productive tension between emotional conflict and transformation. The psychoanalysis part hasn鈥檛 changed, but I have branched out to work in collaboration with childhood scholars in Canada and the United States, and in this particular project, expanded my scope to include a community partner,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 was excited to see where impact can happen in community, and specifically how the scholarly interests of our research team could serve museum educators in thinking about the significance of their work.鈥�

With files from Elaine Smith

The post 91亚色 research results in guide to support children鈥檚 museum educators appeared first on YFile.

Research led by 91亚色 draws attention to inequities in Canada鈥檚 public health care system affecting immigrant and racialized families raising children on the autism spectrum.

Conducted by a team at 91亚色鈥檚 in partnership with the community organization SMILE Canada-Support Services, the research centres on the voices of family caregivers who are often overlooked in autism research or policy discussions despite facing disproportionate barriers to care.

The study, published in , investigates the lived experiences of caregivers from marginalized communities to understand the social determinants affecting access to care and autism-related services.

Findings show that fragmented systems, stigma and structural barriers create long-term strain for individuals and families in caregiving roles, highlighting the need for public health policy reform across Canada.

鈥淐aregiving does not happen in isolation,鈥� says Farah Ahmad, professor in the School of Health Policy and Management. 鈥淭his research shows how families are navigating multiple systems at once 鈥� health care, education, immigration and social services 鈥� and how gaps in those systems directly affect family well鈥慴eing.鈥�

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition affecting approximately one in 50 children and youth, aged one to 17 years. While support needs vary, parents and family members often take on complex and ongoing responsibilities soon after diagnosis, including care coordination, advocacy and emotional, and financial assistance, Ahmad notes.

The researchers argue that when caregivers鈥� needs go unmet, the effects extend beyond individual families. Chronic stress, burnout and declining mental health among caregivers can influence service use, employment and long鈥憈erm health outcomes, making caregiving a pressing public health concern rather than a private challenge.

鈥淲hen family caregivers are stretched to the limit, the impact shows up across systems,鈥� says Ahmad. 鈥淗ealth and education policies need to recognize caregivers as central partners in care.鈥�

The study collected data using PhotoVoice, a participatory research method that allowed participants to document their experiences through photographs and personal narratives.

Immigrant and racialized family caregivers took part in four in鈥憄erson sessions that included guided photo鈥憈aking, group reflection and collaborative analysis. 91亚色 researchers worked alongside caregivers to identify key themes and refine the findings, positioning participants as knowledge holders rather than research subjects.

鈥淭his approach aligns with our commitment to community鈥慹ngaged research,鈥� Ahmad says. 鈥淚t allowed caregivers to show, in concrete ways, what gaps look like in daily life.鈥�

The聽PhotoVoice聽study was led by graduate student聽Jesse Sam,聽which聽contributed to his major research paper for his master鈥檚 in health policy and equity. The team also included聽Tareq Khalaf聽(doctoral student in health) and聽础苍箩补苍补听厂补迟丑颈别蝉聽(master's student in critical disability studies).聽

The group identified seven interconnected themes that reflect the complexity of caregiving: family and child needs; physical and emotional burden on caregivers; school support gaps; stigma and discrimination; overall journey with barriers; transitions and uncertainty; and 鈥渢wo sides of a coin:鈥� isolation and strength, loneliness and hope.

School systems were flagged as a major pressure point, requiring caregivers to spend significant time advocating for support. For families facing other obstacles, such as language and systemic, these challenges were compounded.

鈥淲hat stood out was how persistent and layered these barriers were,鈥� says Ahmad. 鈥淔amilies were not dealing with a single obstacle, but a series of interconnected challenges that accumulated over time.鈥�

Participants also described racism and discrimination within health and social service systems, along with financial strain tied to therapy costs, lost work time and administrative burden.

The study calls for policy changes that would improve equity in autism support: coordinated, culturally responsive health and education systems that reduce administrative burden, address stigma and assist families across key transitions.

Those who participated in the PhotoVoice study reported feeling validated and empowered, and expressed interest in sharing the findings with broader audiences.

Ahmad notes that by positioning caregivers鈥� experiences as evidence, the research challenges policymakers and practitioners to rethink how autism care is delivered and who is included in decision鈥憁aking processes.

The post Study reveals autism care barriers for marginalized families appeared first on YFile.

The Mercator Fellowship is a competitive award that supports international research collaborations, allowing scholars to work with leading experts and research centres abroad. For Shivener, the fellowship connects him to an international project at the University of Konstanz: a Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) titled 鈥淪ilence, Noise and Signal in Language.鈥�

Funded by the German Research Foundation, the CRC brings together more than 25 academics across 17 multi-year projects to explore how silence and disruption impact communication in settings such as gaming, social media and institutional life.

The project is organized around three key concepts. 鈥淣oise鈥� refers to anything that interferes with or complicates interactions 鈥� such as ambiguity, misunderstanding or conflicting cues. 鈥淪ilence,鈥� meanwhile, is not just the absence of communication, but can carry meaning depending on context. 鈥淪ignal鈥� refers to the message that emerges through 鈥� and is shaped by 鈥� these conditions.

Shivener鈥檚 path toward this international and interdisciplinary collaboration began in 2025, when he participated in the Ontario Baden-W眉rttemberg Faculty Research Exchange 鈥� a program funded by the Ontario Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. While conducting a pilot study on virtual reality and social deduction gaming at Konstanz, he was invited to review the CRC proposal.

His involvement was requested due to his ongoing research into how people create and interpret meaning in technologically mediated environments through writing and conversation. He has examined this topic in studies about emotional writing practices, virtual reality and digital games and through books such as Living Digital Media and聽Digital Literacies for Human Connection.

The Konstanz researchers saw a conceptual fit and went a step further than their invitation to review the proposal; they asked him to join the project as a collaborator, if it was funded.

Shivener, who teaches in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, was intrigued. He had observed in interviews how absence of noise can create space for participants to reflect and respond. In virtual or in-person social deduction games, focused on reading and influencing others, he had also seen how players use noise to redirect blame or build trust.

Shivener was also enthusiastic about the chance to work across disciplines and across countries. 鈥淚nternational collaboration is a chance to meld our theories and methods in ways that simply don鈥檛 happen when you鈥檙e working within a single institution or tradition,鈥� he says.

Now that the CRC has been approved and funded, Shivener has been appointed as a fellow through to 2029. He will contribute to the sub-project 鈥淎mbiguous Signals: Exploring Noise and Silence in Gaming.鈥�

鈥淪ilence and noise are powerful means of persuasion. They also function differently depending on the context,鈥� explains Shivener. His work will focus on both analog and digital games as sites for exploring how those elements influence communication.

For example, in the video game Among Us, players take hidden roles on a spaceship. They try to identify who is sabotaging the crew while keeping their own role secret. In this kind of game, players use silence, misleading statements and other cues to influence others and interpret intentions, showing how noise and silence carry meaning and affect interactions. Synchronized video recordings and close observation of people playing will be used in the research inquiry to see how these elements emerge, are interpreted and influence the flow of play.

Insights from his work will feed into the broader goals of the CRC, and help researchers understand how silence, noise and signal operate in other social context 鈥� from online discussions and social media to workplace and institutional communication. In these settings, ambiguity and interpretation similarly affect human interaction.

Therein lies the impact Shivener hopes his work 鈥� and the CRC鈥檚 鈥� may have over the next years on a broader level.

鈥淭he results of studying social deduction games, for example, have relevance to understanding how we speak and write to each other in times of political and interpersonal conflict,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 hope that we can call further attention to the problems and affordances of silence and noise across everyday situations.鈥�

The post Global project taps 91亚色 prof to study how silence, noise shape communication appeared first on YFile.

As part of the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed by 91亚色 and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN), the three acknowledgements are considered a meaningful gift to guide how the University recognizes and honours the caretakers of the lands on which its campuses are located.

鈥淭hese statements reflect the spirit of relationship聽building that guided this work,鈥澛爏ays聽Audrey Rochette, assistant vice-president of聽Indigenous Initiatives.聽鈥淭his gift from the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations centres community voices and the history as they want it reflected. When you hear the phrase 'Nothing about us without us,' this is an example of that."

The new acknowledgements replace previous versions used to open events, meetings and gatherings, as well as those incorporated into written materials, learning environments and University communications. 

The three versions 鈥� also available in French 鈥� include a statement for Keele and Glendon campuses, a second version for Markham Campus, a third statement representing all 91亚色 locations across the Greater Toronto Area. 

91亚色 community members are encouraged to begin using the new statements in all relevant University contexts, including updating email signatures for faculty and staff. 

To help ensure consistent and appropriate use,聽Indigenous Initiatives听补苍诲听迟丑别听Division of Equity, People & Culture聽have developed protocols and supporting materials that outline the purpose of the statements,聽identify聽who should deliver them and offer guidance on their application.

These resources are available on a new webpage that serves as a hub for all land acknowledgement materials. The site provides the full official land acknowledgments, pronunciation examples, usage guidelines, instructions for updating email signatures 鈥� also found on 91亚色's brand webpage 鈥� and additional information to support the community in understanding and incorporating the MCFN-authored wording into daily practice. 

鈥淟and acknowledgements are living documents. By using these new statements with care and intention, our community can now honour the work the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation invested in developing them,鈥� says Parissa Safai, interim vice-president, Equity, People and Culture. 鈥淭hey reflect the partnership at the heart of our renewed MOU and our shared commitment to respectful engagement and stewardship of the territories upon which 91亚色 is situated.鈥�

The post Indigenous-led land acknowledgements gifted to 91亚色 U community appeared first on YFile.