Now in its 14th year, the award honours Robert J. Tiffin, who served as 91亚色鈥檚 vice-president, students, for nine years. University community members nominate individuals who demonstrate leadership and make valuable contributions to 91亚色.   

This year鈥檚 recipients represent a wide range of disciplines and leadership pathways, says Yvette Munro, vice-provost, students. 

鈥淭he depth and breadth of leadership shown by our students is remarkable and we continue to see the meaningful ways they contribute to 91亚色," says Munro. 鈥淲hether they are supporting students across the University, within their Faculty or in groups built around shared interests or lived experiences, their leadership helps strengthen the 91亚色 community.鈥� 

Recipients of the award play a vital role in shaping the 91亚色 student experience and enhancing the character of 91亚色, says Tiffin. 鈥淭hey have led, not because they were asked, but because they cared enough to step forward. Through their contributions they have nurtured a 91亚色 tradition of a university that embraces new ideas and innovative thinking.鈥� 

The winners were celebrated on May 6 at 91亚色鈥檚 Keele Campus. 

2026 Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award recipients

Devonte Ellis, bachelor of education

Ellis has made extensive contributions to 91亚色's Music department and the Faculty of Education. He has been a festival coordinator, president of the Music Education Students鈥� Association and previous Chair of music's leadership council. He is also the founder and director of the Lions drumline and marching band. Additionally, Ellis has worked in student governance across the University in multiple positions and says one of his most impactful achievements has been as president of the Faculty of Education Students鈥� Association.

Isabella Gouveia, bachelor of arts (specialized honours) in history and concurrent education

Gouveia has been actively involved in student engagement at 91亚色. She began as an Orientation Week lead captain for Founders College, followed by the Orientation director of partnerships and integration. In this role, she built relationships with various departments and staff and supported transitioning students across the University. Her orientation involvement also led her to serve as president of Founders College Student Council for two years.

Anaum Fatima Iqbal, bachelor of education

Iqbal has been a long-standing active participant of Calumet College and is now president of Calumet College Council. She actively spearheads new initiatives for the council, including converting one of the college鈥檚 spaces into a multi-faith prayer space and tacking food insecurity by providing free monthly breakfasts to college members. Iqbal has also been the vice-president of athletics and a student success mentor lead for the college.

Dipanpreet Kaur, bachelor of arts (honours) in English and professional writing

Kaur has been involved across campus since her first year, with involvement across the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) and 91亚色鈥檚 international community. She is the president of the International Student Association of 91亚色, a council member of the Dean鈥檚 Circle of Student Scholars and was the marketing director for Peace by PEACE. Kaur says her most meaningful contribution has been supporting international students as they adjusted to university life, which inspired her to step into larger leadership roles.

Rubaljeet Kaur, bachelor of commerce (specialized honours) in accounting

Kaur is dedicated to creating spaces at 91亚色 where others can feel seen and have their voices heard. She is the founder and president of the Asian Women in Commerce Association, a community of more than 30 members that addresses representation gaps in business leadership, and hosts the Women in Law Association podcast. Kaur also holds leadership roles with the Social Work Students鈥� Association, LA&PS, 91亚色 International and 91亚色's Asian Youth Network.

Jaryeon Lee, master of science in kinesiology and health science

Lee鈥檚 passion for health sciences is apparent through her leadership in the field. As president of the Kinesiology and Health Sciences Graduate Student Association, Lee expanded outreach, strengthened the academic and professional community within the department and launched a new mentor-mentee program. She was also a graduate student representative on the Academic Council of Kinesiology and Health Science and is currently a representative for the Kinesiology and Health Science Curriculum Exercise meetings.

Nikan Movahedi, bachelor of science (specialized honours) in kinesiology and health science

Movahedi has led numerous initiatives at 91亚色 focused on health research and education. He is a coordinator for the largest health-oriented conference dedicated to undergraduate researchers in Canada and established the 91亚色 Blood Initiative, 91亚色鈥檚 first structured transportation system to local donation centres. Additionally, Movahedi is a student health ambassador and a student representative for the and has been both a volunteer research assistant and mentor.

Simone Elizabeth Pimenta, bachelor of business administration (honours) specialization in marketing and strategic management

Inspired after attending Orientation Week in her first year, Pimenta decided to serve as an Orientation Week executive the following year, followed by Orientation Week Chair for the Schulich School of Business. Pimenta has been heavily involved with the as the current president of the Undergraduate Business Society, as a former mentor for Schulich Women in Leadership and as a senior advisor for the Schulich Business Law Association.

Tariq Salim, bachelor of electrical engineering

Salim has been very involved in the throughout his degree. He has served as a WeekZer0 leader and vice-chair, where he executed programming and created an inclusive environment for new students to feel comfortable and confident. Salim has been an electrical engineering program representative within Lassonde, advocating for student concerns, and is currently the Lassonde representative for Bethune College Council.

Cheyenne Schmidt-Harlick, bachelor of arts (honours), double major in psychology and Indigenous studies

Schmidt-Harlick has made a lasting impact on Indigenous student support and representation across the University. During her time as president of the Indigenous Students Association at 91亚色 and as a student success mentor for Indigenous Student Services, she created welcoming spaces through advocacy, programming and relationship building. Additionally, Schmidt-Harlick held roles as a marketing coordinator for the Undergraduate Psychology Students Association and as a student health ambassador.

Amy Yeung, bachelor of science in kinesiology and health science

Yeung, a kung-fu practitioner for more than 16 years, revived and rebuilt the Martial Arts Club at 91亚色, which now has more than 75 members. Through the club, Yeung shares cultural traditions, community building and provides an accessible space for physical activity. Inclusivity is at the forefront of Yeung鈥檚 leadership practices within the Martial Arts Club, where the needs of women, 2SLGBTQIA+, BIPOC and differently abled members are continuously advocated for.

Niemat Yusuf, bachelor of arts (specialized honours) in psychology

As president of Black Students in Psychology, Yusuf successfully restructured the organization and scaled the executive team from six members to 24. She also expanded cross-campus partnerships and launched a peer mentorship initiative to support upper-year Black psychology students. Yusuf has volunteered in peer advocacy and mentorship roles for the Centre for Sexual Violence, Response, Support & Education, the Black Student Mentorship Program and the Undergraduate Psychology Student Association.

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The scholarship is awarded to students who demonstrate excellence in interdisciplinary education and research in the field of maternal and child health.

The 2026 recipients are undergraduate students Sobi Mohan, Sana Ebadi, Aaliyah Daruwala and Sarah Belvedere; and graduate students Estreya Cohen, Paul De Luca, Haleh Hashemi, Anh Nguyen, Gillian Shoychet and Vanessa Tassone.

For Ebadi, a direct-entry nursing student at 91亚色鈥檚 School of Nursing, the award marks an important milestone in a journey defined by advocacy, scholarship and a commitment to health equity.

The third-year student鈥檚 academic interests are closely tied to her lived experience. 鈥淕rowing up in a refugee family from Afghanistan, I witnessed first-hand the barriers that many refugee and immigrant women face when trying to navigate unfamiliar health care systems,鈥� she says, highlighting language barriers, financial hardship and limited awareness of available services.

In addition to her studies, Ebadi has taken on a range of roles that demonstrate commitment to community service and student advocacy. She serves as outreach director for the Nursing Students鈥� Association of 91亚色, where she works to strengthen student engagement and connect nursing students with professional development opportunities.

As one of 91亚色鈥檚 student health ambassadors, Ebadi speaks to prospective and incoming students during University events by sharing her academic experiences and offering tips on available supports and resources.

She is also a marketing executive with the 91亚色 Blood Initiative, contributing to campaigns to raise awareness about blood donation and insecurity, and volunteers with the South Asian Autism Awareness Centre.

鈥淭he Lillian Meighen Wright Scholarship is especially meaningful because it aligns closely with my academic interests and future goals,鈥� she says, 鈥淚t reinforces my desire to contribute to more equitable systems of care for women and families who face barriers to accessing health services.鈥�

The award adds to a growing list of achievements in Ebadi鈥檚 academic career. Most recently, her maternal health research was accepted for presentation at Sigma鈥檚 37th International Nursing Research Congress in Toronto, where she will share her work with nursing scholars and experts from around the world.

"Recognition through the Lillian Meighen Wright Scholarship speaks to the promise of these students as scholars and emerging leaders," says Nazilla Khanlou, professor and Women鈥檚 Health Research Chair in Mental Health at 91亚色 and academic leader of the scholars program. "Through their research, leadership and commitment to advancing equity in health care, they exemplify the kind of compassionate and socially responsive practice the University strives to foster."

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The initiative is part of the 鈥檚 fourth-year course Sport and International Development (KINE 4310) that engages students in community-driven projects with local and global organizations.

Led by Associate Professor Lyndsay Hayhurst as part of a community-service learning (CSL) initiative, 45 undergraduate students partnered with seven organizations 鈥� Jays Care Foundation, Commonwealth Sport Canada, Free to Run, Skateistan, Prezdential Basketball, Canadian Women & Sport and the International Platform on Sport and Development 鈥� to effect real-world change.

Working in small groups, students contributed approximately 25 hours over the term to support partner-identified priorities related to: gender equity; monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning; newcomer inclusion and belonging; climate justice; and youth development.

Each group developed a structured work plan, maintained regular communication with their partner organization and completed a midterm progress report and final report outlining their research, analysis and recommendations.

A core focus of the course was knowledge mobilization, with students producing accessible, action-oriented resources designed to be used in practice by organizations. These outputs included monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) toolkits, policy briefs, infographics, coaching resources and digital content strategies.

The course concluded with a final in-class conference where students presented their knowledge mobilization outputs to partner organizations followed by discussion and feedback from partners and peers.

Partner organizations said the presentations offered practical relevance, clarity and creativity of the presentations, noting that several recommendations would be adopted to inform ongoing programming, evaluation and policy development.

The work, Hayhurst notes, highlights how students are engaging with contemporary challenges shaping sport and development practice.

One project, for example, worked on a policy brief on trans and non-binary inclusion for Canadian Women & Sport just as the International Olympic Committee released new guidance on trans athletes participating in women鈥檚 sport.

鈥淭he real-time policy shift that is widely interpreted as excluding trans athletes from women鈥檚 sports brought urgency to the group鈥檚 presentation and sparked conversations about how community sport organizations in Canada can respond with more inclusive, equity-focused approaches,鈥� says Hayhurst.

The Jays Care student group worked on researching how youth-facing barriers to sport participation 鈥� and the efforts to address them 鈥� shape access, retention and experiences in community baseball. The project maintained a specific gender analysis, with attention to girls鈥� participation in the broader community-based landscape. Working with Jays Care, students presented an infographic exploring how equity, access, safe spaces, inclusive environments and meaningful participation translate (or fail to translate) into tangible outcomes for girls in baseball across Canada.

Alexandra Blanchard, director of strategy at Jays Care Foundation and 91亚色 alum, says working聽with the students was positive experience, noting they聽were enthusiastic, curious and a pleasure to engage with.

鈥淚t's energizing to connect with the next generation of students who are passionate about the field and I'd jump at the chance to do it again,鈥� says Blanchard. 鈥淯niversity partnerships like this are a wonderful way to bridge research and community practice, and we'd recommend the experience to any community organization looking to do the same.鈥�

In addition to applied research experience, the CSL model supports skill development in research, communication, teamwork and problem-solving.

鈥淭his course has run for the last 10 years with the goal of moving beyond traditional learning by engaging students in collaborative, community-driven projects,鈥� says Hayhurst. 鈥淪tudents are not only developing critical insights into sport, development and social justice, but importantly, they are also creating tangible knowledge mobilization outputs that will be taken up in practice by community partners.鈥�

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In 2023, a Canadian-wide review of undergraduate nursing programs found that of all 2SLGBTQIA+ topics, gender-affirming care was the least included in the curriculum. Haghiri-Vijehan, assistant professor in the Faculty of Health, was not surprised given her own experience as an educator.

鈥淭he literature shows that 2SLGBTQIA+ communities are not feeling safe and health care spaces are not affirming of their needs,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e need to include this as part of our education.鈥�

As she considered how to incorporate more affirming care practices into her Community Health Nursing course, Haghiri鈥慥ijeh turned to an asynchronous learning tool called the Sexual Orientation Gender Identity Virtual Simulation (SOGI VS). The open鈥慳ccess platform offers five鈥� to eight鈥慼our modules featuring common patient scenarios, using interactive simulations to help learners identify appropriate, affirming approaches to care.

Haghiri-Vijeh integrated the tool into her course, but went a step further when she learned about 91亚色鈥檚 GNL initiative. The opportunity sparked a new idea: what if this simulation could become the foundation of a shared international assignment? It seemed like a powerful way to bring students in two countries into conversation, help them build intercultural competence and test whether a reflective, virtual global partnership could support that growth. Just as importantly, she hoped the project might serve as a practical model for other nursing programs.

To bring the collaboration to life, the GNL team at 91亚色 connected Haghiri鈥慥ijeh with Alice Wong, a nursing lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU).

The process behind that has now been published in a paper in . Wong is a co-author along with 91亚色 colleague Karen A. Campbell and 91亚色 master鈥檚 student Camille Alcalde.

In the paper, the team outlines how they shaped the shared assignment. Early on, Haghiri鈥慥ijeh and Wong came together to learn about each other鈥檚 institutions, consult with their universities鈥� GNL offices, test the simulation tool and work together to design their co鈥憈eaching approach.

They aligned the assignment timelines across their courses while keeping the activities asynchronous to accommodate the 12鈥慼our time difference. Students were required to complete the SOGI VS modules on their own and write a three鈥憄age reflection connecting the experience to their specific placements or practicums. They also submitted an aesthetic piece of their choosing 鈥� a song, image, drawing or other creative representation 鈥� to capture how the coursework resonated with them.

From there, the students were paired across the two countries. 91亚色 and HKBU partners exchanged reflections and offered constructive feedback. Guiding questions encouraged students to explore similarities and differences between their placements, and to reflect on at least one social determinant of health and one UN Sustainable Development Goal. Then students were asked to write a second reflection capturing what they had learned from the dialogue.

As the exchanges unfolded, both faculty and students began to see the impact of the work. Assignments and class discussions showed students learning about approaches to 2SLGBTQIA+ care in another country, but also about the social and institutional contexts shaping those approaches. Faculty gathered informal feedback through conversations and the student assignments, and identified increased awareness around issues such as cis-normativity, power dynamics in health care organizations and the importance of inclusive policies and representation in clinical settings.

When the project concluded, its success prompted Haghiri鈥慥ijeh to write about it with the hope of inspiring similar efforts across the field. A second paper is already under consideration with another major journal, this time exploring the data more closely to identify implications for nursing education. Three students are also developing autoethnographies based on their participation, and several alumni have presented their work at international conferences.

Haghiri鈥慥ijeh continues to advance her work through a recent to learn about migrant 2SLGBTQIA+ students鈥� sense of belonging and well-being.

For Haghiri鈥慥ijeh, student involvement has been among the most meaningful outcomes.

鈥淲here possible, we engage students in the writing and co鈥慶reation of knowledge,鈥� she says. 鈥淎sking them if they would like to be involved builds capacity for them, as well.鈥�

She is eager to continue the initiative, including with partners beyond nursing. Conversations are already underway with U.S.-based colleagues in psychology and social work.

鈥淚'm a big believer that if you're doing anything that might be innovative or helpful for others, you have to share it,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou have to mobilize your knowledge.鈥�

With files from Suzanne Bowness

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For real-world action to result from academic inquiry, researchers must be able to actively share and apply their findings.

This is the focus of 91亚色鈥檚 Knowledge Mobilization Unit (KMb Unit): to help scholars build relationships with community organizations, government and other non-academic partners. It supports efforts to share research in ways that are more accessible and usable beyond the University, ensuring 91亚色鈥檚 work reaches the right audiences.

For Michael Johnny, manager of KMb Unit, that work begins with communicating a simple idea.

鈥淢y definition of knowledge mobilization is that it helps take the best of what we know and makes it useful for people in our communities,鈥� he says.

Located in the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, the unit provides services and resources for collaborative projects, helps broker partnerships and offers training and strategy support for researchers, students and non-academic collaborators.

Johnny says it plays an important role because academic research does not always reach audiences in the right way.

鈥淚f everybody accessed information through academic journal articles, then we really wouldn鈥檛 need a service unit like this at 91亚色,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 safe to say that different audiences like to access information in different ways.鈥�

That means helping researchers build relationships at the front-end of the research cycle, and offering assistance in translating findings into plain language. There is also a multitude of tools and resources that can help implement research into practice.

Among the unit鈥檚 core areas of work is partnership-building. Johnny says the office regularly engages with organizations such as 91亚色 Region, the City of Toronto and United Way Greater Toronto to better understand the kinds of questions and broader thematic issues that matter to them. KMb Unit then works to connect those needs with relevant 91亚色 expertise.

That collaborative work also shows up in how researchers plan grant applications, with the unit supporting scholars who require a knowledge mobilization strategy for federal funding applications.

鈥淨uite often what they are looking for is help and support around developing that strategy,鈥� Johnny says.

The impact of the unit鈥檚 work can be seen in the long-term research partnerships it has facilitated. Johnny points to the work of Jennifer Connolly as an example 鈥� a psychology professor in 91亚色鈥檚 .

Through partnerships the unit helped facilitate in 91亚色 Region, Connolly鈥檚 work took on a new direction, guiding graduate student research and overseeing collaborative projects while conducting research on gender-based violence.

Connolly works in partnership with 91亚色 Regional Police and 91亚色 Region鈥檚 Children鈥檚 Aid Society studying the prevention of sex trafficking. She uses her findings to develop tools and approaches for early intervention, such as the 91亚色 Simcoe Sex Trafficking Screener.

鈥淚t completely changed the trajectory of her engaged scholarship,鈥� Johnny says.

He also highlights the unit鈥檚 work with Community Music Schools of Toronto, originally based in Regent Park. After the organization approached the KMb Unit with a broad set of research questions, the unit helped coordinate an advisory group of 91亚色 academics to respond.

According to Johnny, the resulting connections helped secure a $2-million endowment for the Helen Carswell Chair in Community Engaged Research in the Arts at 91亚色 U, which creates meaningful opportunities for 91亚色 students and faculty to work on projects shaped by community-identified needs.

KMb Unit鈥檚 training has expanded over time, including the introduction of MobilizeU, a non-credit course in knowledge mobilization. Johnny describes the offering as a 鈥渃ornerstone service鈥� that helps equip 91亚色 researchers, students and community partners with tools and skills to maximize the impact of their work.

The success of MobilizeU, says Johnny, is due to the work of Senior Knowledge Mobilization Specialist Krista Jensen, who envisioned the program in 2017 and launched it in 2019.

The unit has also extended its reach through Research Impact Canada, a national network that grew out of early collaboration between 91亚色 and the University of Victoria. Now made up of 46 members in Canada and the U.K., the network serves as a community of practice for knowledge mobilization, with 91亚色 set to host its Canadian Knowledge Mobilization Forum in July.

For Johnny, one of the biggest challenges goes back to general understanding of what knowledge mobilization is, and why it鈥檚 important.

鈥淔or a lot of people, there is an understanding that knowledge mobilization is simply a dissemination or communications-based exercise around research,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 not wrong. It鈥檚 just often incomplete.鈥�

Applying research to real-world challenges, strengthening community partnerships and increasing research visibility are all key benefits of sharing the work of 91亚色 academics.

Johnny notes that since it began operating in 2006, the unit has assisted in more than 1,600 unique interactions with faculty members, 2,000 non-academic partners and 2,500 students.

For Johnny, those numbers reflect the success of the KMb Unit and speak to the University鈥檚 a broader goal: helping research move into the world in ways that are collaborative, responsive and useful.

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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The five鈥憏ear project will examine how nurse practitioners and registered nurses can deliver low鈥慴arrier, community鈥慸riven services for groups that experience gaps in access to health care.

The project is led by Mia Biondi at 91亚色鈥檚 School of Nursing, , with co-principal applicants Karen Campbell (91亚色), Molly Bannerman (Women and HIV/AIDS Initiative), Grace Chiutsi (AIDS Committee of Toronto) and Guillaume Fontaine (McGill University). The team also includes co-investigators from 91亚色 and partner institutions, including School of Nursing Faculty Roya Haghiri-Vijeh, Catriona Buick, Ramesh Venkatesa Perumal; and School of Nursing graduate students Tamara Barnett and Michelle Hermans. The team received guidance from external partners, including service provider and community advisory boards, with members such as聽Elene Lam,聽from the School of Social Work.

The research builds on Phase I funding of $100,000 awarded in 2024 through CIHR鈥檚 Community-Based Research program and responds to a documented rise in HIV infections among women in Canada. The award funds projects grounded in lived experience and community partnership.

Biondi says cis and trans women, in particular, experience systemic and social inequities that limit access to HIV information, counselling, prevention and treatment. These inequities are intensified for women who are racialized, use drugs, have migrated, are criminalized, participate in sex work or identify as 2SLGBTQIA+.

The inform the direction of the project, the team held focus groups in spring and summer of 2025 with women affected by HIV and those who may benefit from prevention medication; service organizations and their leadership; nurse practitioners and registered nurses; and policy鈥憁akers. Guided by its advisory boards, the team gathered input on facilitators and barriers to care, as well as supports for women鈥慶entred models and what training and collaboration are needed.

Participants also helped identify priorities that will inform the project鈥檚 next steps.

鈥淒rawing from these findings, we have outlined a five鈥憏ear plan that includes further consultation, co鈥慸esign of care models, pilot implementation and evaluation in communities where it is most needed,鈥� explains Biondi. 鈥淭he goal is to strengthen access to HIV prevention and treatment by supporting women-led, women-centred, nurse-facilitated, low-threshold models that can be delivered in community settings."

The proposal聽will work to develop a聽scalable,聽sustainable provincial implementation plan, where women in the community are leading the initiatives, she notes.

The project, says Biondi, is rooted in strong community-led integrated knowledge translation聽as well as justice, equity, diversity, decolonizing and inclusion plans. It also outlines聽training and capacity-building for聽women in the community, nurse practitioners and registered nurses, HIV聽sector service providers and graduate聽students.聽聽

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For 91亚色 student Sadia Tasnim, that moment came while completing her second co-op work term at Food Banks Mississauga as a data administrator. During a shift, Tasnim encountered a client asking for menstrual products. The food bank, however, didn鈥檛 have any available.

鈥淚 felt terrible that I could not help her in that moment,鈥� says Tasnim, an international student from Bangladesh who struggled with the idea of women who do not have access to essential products.

Tasnim knew her expertise in data science could help the organization respond to this need. Through her studies at the Faculty of Science, she has become adept at gathering, interpreting and presenting data 鈥� including using statistical methods, computational skills and data analysis techniques 鈥� and wants to apply that knowledge to create positive change.

鈥淎t 91亚色, I鈥檝e learned a variety of unconventional ways to extract and organize data,鈥� says Tasnim, a fourth-year student. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to me to use this skill for a meaningful purpose.鈥�

During her Fall 2025 placement at Food Banks Mississauga, Tasnim worked on the agency relations team, helping to coordinate organizations that distribute food and essential items to roughly half a million visitors per year. When she was asked to analyze the organization鈥檚 historical data on female clients between the ages of 18 to 55 in response to the gap in feminine hygiene products available, she was thrilled.

She drafted a report of her findings, which was shared with Food Banks Canada 鈥� the parent organization that provides supplies to community sites. Tasnim says it was rewarding to see her data analysis shared with decision makers and help make a meaningful impact.

鈥淭hat is what pushed me to take on this project 鈥� making sure this need gets met,鈥� says Tasnim.

Addressing real-world challenges has long been a priority for Tasnim. As a teen, she co-founded her own environmental non-profit to plant trees in her home city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, to improve its air quality. She also volunteered for a social enterprise that delivers clean drinking water to underserved rural communities.

Thinking about her future, Tasnim is considering career roles in social finance 鈥� an investing approach that centres societal and environmental impact.

鈥淚 believe we have to use our talents for humanitarian causes,鈥� Tasnim says. 鈥淒ata can help drive smart decision-making in these important matters.鈥�

For Daisy Dang, a fourth-year environmental studies student, housing access is the issue that drives her commitment to work for change. She is completing a full-time paid co-op placement at the Toronto Region Real Estate Board (TRREB), a non-profit organization serving 70,000 realtors in the Greater Toronto Area.

In her role as a policy analyst in TRREB鈥檚 government relations unit, she contributed to the organization鈥檚 2026 Market Outlook and Year in Review event. As part of that work, she conducted extensive research on the efficacy of the current private and rental housing supply in the city. She also gathered data on trends and metrics related to housing affordability, residential zoning practices and homelessness.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a need for a greater variety of the right types of housing and more density,鈥� Dang says. 鈥淲e should be building more up than outwards and building more units with two and three bedrooms.鈥�

As a student at 91亚色鈥檚 in the Cities, Regions, Planning (CRP) program, Dang is well-positioned to understand and address Toronto鈥檚 diverse urban planning challenges. This interdisciplinary program teaches sustainable, inclusive practices to manage growth, adapt infrastructure, welcome newcomers and mitigate environmental impacts. She has critically examined urban planning through courses exploring sustainable design, regional governance, migration patterns and political ecology.

Dang is also applying her growing knowledge at TRREB in other ways. A core part of her job involves researching housing-related programs offered by the municipal, provincial and federal governments to include as resources on the organization鈥檚 website. Her research also helps shape TRREB鈥檚 advocacy responses in its interactions with government representatives.

Through her combined co-op and academic experiences, Dang has a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics driving urbanization in Toronto and is particularly interested in its impacts on residents who live at the margins of society.

After completing her degree in 2027, she hopes to support municipal government decision-making in addressing housing issues affecting the unhoused and low-income citizens.

鈥淚 think a city works when you put people first,鈥� Dang says.

With files from Sharon Aschaiek

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International Women鈥檚 Day affords us the opportunity to celebrate the many strides made towards gender equity and inclusion. However, it is also an occasion for us to recognize the ongoing local and global forces that continue to challenge progress for cis and trans women and girls in all areas of social life.

On March 8, let鈥檚 honour and appreciate the social, cultural economic and political contributions and achievements of girls and women, while also paying attention to the intersectional barriers that remain in the way of full inclusivity. The continued prevalence of misogyny/misogynoir, gender-based discrimination and violence, and the clawing back of health care, education and voting rights and freedoms for girls and women in some countries around the world, confirm that the work to advance and actualize gender equity is not only far from done, it must be intensified.

91亚色 has long recognized the importance of gender equity. Examples abound of the ways in which students, staff, faculty members, alumni and retirees contribute to disrupting and undoing gender inequity 鈥� such as research excellence at the Centre for Feminist Research, new partnerships with global networks, cutting-edge and interdisciplinary courses and academic programs focused on women and gender, programming for women-identified students, supports for women entrepreneurs and so much more.

I want to highlight just a few of the remarkable achievements by community members from the past year, and hope you will take time to engage with their stories.

• The selection of Professor Emerita and Distinguished Research Professor, Pat Armstrong, to join the Sectoral Table on the Care Economy, advising the federal government on how to better support both paid and unpaid care providers.
• The work of staff and alumni Talisha Ramsaroop and Krystle Skeete to empower youth in community and on campus.
• The naming of Pina D鈥橝gostino, associate vice-president research, to Chair of the Ontario Centre of Innovation board of directors.
• The inspiration of alumna Lilly Singh, who was awarded an honorary degree.
• The scholarship through co-creation and cultural storytelling of Stephanie Fearon, 91亚色鈥檚 inaugural assistant professor of Black thriving and education.
• The work and initiatives to build stronger pathways for women to succeed in computer science and engineering by the Women in Computer Science and Engineering group.

I invite you to celebrate International Women鈥檚 Day in a way that makes sense to you and that marks the many achievements of women and girls around the world. And, I encourage community members to learn more about the barriers to gender equality that remain.

Together, we can ensure that everyone has the chance to flourish and contribute to a more equitable and prosperous future.

Thank you. Merci. Miigwech.

Parissa Safai
Interim Vice-President Equity, People & Culture

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The annual Canada鈥檚 Best Diversity Employers list is part of the Canada鈥檚 Top 100 Employers project and evaluates workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs. 

During the review process, adjudicators measured how well 91亚色 embeds DEDI commitments into its long-term planning, governance and community engagement. Initiatives ranging from 91亚色's programs for underrepresented communities to its strategic approach were considered against those of other post-secondary institutions.

91亚色 was cited again as a Best Diversity Employer聽for initiatives such as the development of its聽, its inclusion-oriented recruitment processes and the customized education sessions provided by the Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion.

鈥淲e鈥檙e incredibly honoured to be recognized as one of Canada鈥檚 Best Diversity Employers for the third year in a row. 91亚色鈥檚 commitment to equity, decolonization and social justice has long guided who we are and how we move forward,鈥� says Parissa Safai, interim vice-president of the Division of Equity, People & Culture. 鈥淥ur diversity and how we draw on that as a response for innovation for doing things differently, for creating real positive change in the community, is precisely what makes 91亚色 different and special.鈥�

The distinction reflects the University鈥檚 ongoing efforts as a progressive institution dedicated to a culture of equity and social justice.  

The University embeds these commitments across its campuses by advancing the DEDI strategy alongside the Framework and Action Plan on Black Inclusion and the Indigenous Framework. These principles are also core to 91亚色鈥檚 well-being and sustainability strategies.

The 2026 Best Diversity Employers announcement follows other recent recognitions of 91亚色鈥檚 leadership in advancing equity. In the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which evaluate how universities contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 91亚色 placed second across Canada in SDG 5 鈥� Gender equality and SDG 10 鈥� Reduced inequalities.

In 2025, 91亚色 was named the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) Hub Chair for Sustainable Development Goal 10 鈥� Reducing Inequality for a three-year term, recognizing its efforts to address systemic inequality and exclusion across the University鈥檚 operations, teaching, research and outreach.

鈥淭hese recognitions energize our ongoing work in decolonizing, equity, diversity and inclusion,鈥� says Safai. 鈥淔urther, they reinforce the importance of the commitments we have made as a university and are a testament to the efforts of our University community members working together to dialogue and work together across difference.鈥�

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Launched following the COVID鈥�19 pandemic through 91亚色鈥檚 Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research Clusters program, the group brought together Black scholars from five Faculties to study structural inequalities that influence how Black communities experience and recover from epidemics.

From the outset, members knew the work would require a differently approach to fulfill a key goal: collaborating and centring the lived experiences and resilience strategies of Black populations.

鈥淲e were clear from the start that we had to depart from traditional means of doing research that tend to be extractive,鈥� says Sylvia Bawa, associate professor of sociology and co鈥憄rincipal investigator. Research in marginalized communities, she explains, often involves collecting data without collaboration or returning findings in accessible ways.

Jeffrey Squire, an instructor in the Department of Social Science and co-principal investigator, notes this top鈥慸own approach is common in academia. 鈥淲e undertake research that affects the lives of a community, but often their input is limited,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e wanted to incorporate those voices.鈥�

Cluster members began by meeting with local organizations, including Toronto鈥檚 Black Creek Community Health Centre, to discuss research opportunities. Rather than arriving with a fixed agenda, researchers outlined their goals transparently and asked, 鈥淲hat would make sense for you as a partner in knowledge creation?鈥� Those discussions led to more in-depth engagement through town halls with the broader communities, ensuring priorities reflected lived concerns.

At a public town hall in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood, residents spoke candidly about challenges 鈥� from vaccine hesitancy to unequal access to care 鈥� and emphasized that inquiry should reflect real, everyday priorities. This reinforced that meaningful research requires listening first and allowing community concerns to shape questions, methods and outcomes.

The cluster extended its approach internationally, connecting with think tanks, advocacy organizations and local health groups across six African countries, including Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda. These partnerships were central to its transnational mandate: to link Black communities in Canada and Africa for knowledge sharing on how epidemics are experienced and managed in different social and health contexts.

Early conversations revealed a common concern that partners valued collaboration on data collection but wanted supporting research. 鈥淢any of those groups talked about the fact that conducting research was important because the data was helpful for them, but they also wanted research that would be helpful for their work 鈥� not necessarily research questions that would be helpful only to us,鈥� Bawa recalls. In response, the cluster created small internal grants for co鈥慸eveloped projects and committed to shared authorship, ensuring collaborators were involved in producing publications and other knowledge outputs.

Three years into its efforts, the initiative has now entered what Bawa describes as its 鈥渞esearch dissemination phase.鈥�

Findings will be published, such as a forthcoming open鈥慳ccess paper co鈥憌ritten with Black women leaders in the Greater Toronto Area about guiding communities through the pandemic. It has also contributed to other research examining how the pandemic intersected with gender鈥慴ased violence in ways relevant to advocacy and intervention.

Impact on the community remains central, and Bawa stresses the importance of providing accessibility through open鈥慳ccess venues and plain-language reporting. Published findings are structured so community partners can provide feedback, engage with findings and see their voices reflected.

Research is also shared through interactive forums to foster dialogue and bring together scholars and community partners to exchange insights and reflect on findings. Last fall, the Community Research Showcase and Gathering at 91亚色鈥檚 Keele Campus featured presentations of funded projects alongside community鈥憀ed reflections, with panels deliberately weighted toward community voices. African collaborators joined via Zoom, while local organizations, including Toronto Public Health and grassroots health groups, participated in person.

During the event, Bawa and Squire observed how meaningful the work 鈥� and the international engagement 鈥� has become. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a real appetite for this kind of work,鈥� Squire says, noting one participant in Africa logged in by generator after losing electricy and another found the session so valuable they stayed up until 2 a.m. local time.

The cluster plans to continue meeting that appetite. Members are translating findings into practical recommendations, organizing an academic-community panel for an upcoming Canadian Association of African Studies conference and planning public showcases focused on Canadian and African contexts to ensure ongoing transnational knowledge exchange.

These efforts of the cluster have real鈥憌orld stakes; since SARS in the early 2000s, major epidemics have emerged every few years, says Squire.

Now, with networks firmly in place across Canada and Africa, lessons learned through the cluster's work can travel faster and reach the contexts where they matter most when health crises emerge. 鈥淭hrough our research, through talking to people, through observing what is going on in communities and overseas, we are able to disseminate information that now will be very useful in addressing responses,鈥� Squire says.

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