Sarah Flicker, professor and 91亚色 Research Chair in Community-Based Participatory Research in the , is the principal investigator on the project, titled "Theatre Making Impact (TMI): Scaling-Up a Youth-Led HIV Prevention Play Across Ontario." Shira Taylor, adjunct professor at 91亚色 and director of TMI, is co-applicant and the program's founder. The OHTN funding will support the next phase of the program's expansion across Ontario, extending its reach into urban centres and northern Indigenous communities where HIV rates remain disproportionately high.

TMI 鈥� formerly known as SExT, or Sex Education by Theatre 鈥� is a trauma-informed, culturally responsive not-for-profit that uses peer education and theatre, alongside music, dance, rap and poetry, to engage youth in open conversations about sexual health, HIV prevention, mental health and healthy relationships.

Taylor founded the program in 2014 in Toronto's Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park neighbourhoods as part of her doctoral thesis, and later expanded it through a postdoctoral fellowship at 91亚色 in collaboration with Flicker. To date, it has reached more than 12,000 young people across Canada, with a focus on communities most affected by HIV 鈥� including newcomer, Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.

"I really wanted to build an evidence-based program that put the youth voice centre stage on these topics," says Taylor.

What sets TMI apart is how it delivers that education. Instead of pamphlets or classroom lectures, the program uses peer-led performance, humour and storytelling to model difficult conversations and build skills in a lower-stakes environment 鈥� one that engages young people both intellectually and emotionally.

鈥淟ack of awareness usually isn鈥檛 the reason people don鈥檛 use condoms," says Taylor. "There's a peer pressure element, there's an emotional element. Theatre is uniquely positioned to take into account our full humanity."

The program also benefits from an intergenerational model that, over the last decade, has deepened. Many of the original cast members who joined as high schoolers 鈥� initially, Taylor jokes, for the free pizza 鈥� have stayed on and trained as trauma-informed peer mentors. They now co-facilitate the program alongside a new generation of youth from the same community, sharing similar cultural backgrounds and immigration experiences.

The evidence from a recent Toronto District School Board (TDSB) tour, co-led by Taylor and Flicker and supported by a LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health Catalyst Grant at 91亚色, underscores the approach's impact. Across eight performances at five TDSB high schools, 61 per cent of student audience members reported improved sexual health knowledge, 49 per cent felt more confident managing their own sexual health and 46 per cent reported greater awareness of where to access HIV and STI testing.

Mental health outcomes were also significant: 49 per cent reported improved mental health knowledge, 44 per cent indicated feeling more comfortable seeking help and 41 per cent reported using new coping strategies.

While the student audience feedback provides crucial insights, the program鈥檚 impact extends beyond statistics. During a tour to an Indigenous community in Saskatchewan, a youth performer's rap about navigating her identity and her family's cultural expectations moved a young audience member to share a poem she had written but never shown anyone.

"She had it stuffed in the back of her locker," Taylor recalls. "She'd been too scared to share it publicly. And we all gathered around as this young Indigenous girl read us this poem. I still remember the words."

With OHTN support, the project will reach youth beyond Toronto by bringing performances to urban centres and northern and Indigenous communities across Ontario over the coming year.

Taylor and Flicker are thrilled that the award allows the program to continue to reach young people across the province.

"It's really validating how much impact arts-based approaches can have in this sector," says Taylor, "and how important it is to empower community-based, culturally responsive, trauma-informed programs around these topics, which has been historically lacking in sex education."

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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The funding, awarded through SSHRC鈥檚 Indigenous Capacity and Leadership in Research Connection Grants program, supports Indigenous-led research and partnerships that strengthen community-based research capacity and advance projects aligned with priorities identified by First Nations, Inuit and M茅tis communities.

The grant was awarded to Jakubchik-Paloheimo as a co-applicant with the Mushkegowuk Council, which represents and serves Omushkego Cree communities in Northern Ontario. It supported a first-of-its-kind workshop held earlier this year, bringing together James Bay Cree Nations from Ontario and Quebec alongside researchers, scientists, management bodies and government representatives to share expertise, ideas and concerns about the southern Hudson Bay polar bear subpopulation.

As polar bears face mounting pressures from climate change, contributing to more frequent interactions with humans, efforts are underway to respond. However, Jakubchik-Paloheimo points to a long-standing gap in how those efforts are shaped. 鈥淧olar bears are recognized as having significant cultural and economic importance for Northern Indigenous Peoples in Canada, but the inclusion of Cree knowledge systems has been overlooked in polar bear management,鈥� she says.

The workshop, supported retroactively by the SSHRC grant, feeds into a larger ongoing effort to address that gap through research tied to her postdoctoral work at 91亚色, supervised by Associate Professor Gregory Thiemann in the , and Joseph Northrup, an adjunct professor at Trent University and research scientist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

The project is guided by the Cree principle of Wahkohtowin, often understood as the interconnected relationships between people, animals and the environment, which brings Indigenous and scientific perspectives together in support of protection grounded in lived experience and long-standing relationships with the land. In addition to the Mushkegowuk Council, the larger consortium that contributes to the project includes: Eeyou Marine Region Wildlife Board, Cree Trappers Association, Cree Nation Government, McGill University, University of Alberta, University of Manitoba, Polar Bears International, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

鈥淭hrough this partnership, the research seeks to integrate Indigenous and Western scientific knowledge to advance human-wildlife coexistence and, ultimately, to develop conservation strategies for polar bears that are both locally relevant and ethically sound,鈥� she says.

The SSHRC-supported workshop created space for participants to exchange insights across jurisdictions and systems. Six Omushkego Cree communities 鈥� Fort Severn, Peawanuck, Attawapiskat, Moose Factory, Kashechewan and Fort Albany 鈥� took part, sharing local perspectives on polar bear behaviour and the changing conditions in the region. Organized in collaboration with Angela Coxon, director of the Eeyou Marin Region Wildlife Board and聽a wildlife biologist specializing in species at risk management, the discussions also helped researchers and decision-makers better understand how Cree knowledge can inform land and wildlife management, climate change adaptation strategies and approaches to reducing conflict with polar bears.

For Jakubchik-Paloheimo, the workshop built on nearly a decade of collaboration with Indigenous leaders and organizations in Canada and Latin America, but also her ongoing postdoctoral research at 91亚色. In part also because the Mushkegowuk Council Knowledge and Reserach Manager is Vicki Sahanatien, an adjunct professor at 91亚色 who works closely with Jakubchik-Paloheimo and lending her years of experience leading marine and terrestrial conservation programs.

鈥淚t was an amazing opportunity to get to know people from both sides of the bay and to get a broader picture of how climate change is affecting polar bear behaviour, as well as the history of Wabusk [polar bears] in the region,鈥� she says.

At the same time, the workshop advanced the broader goals of the project by bringing together scientists and community members to share expertise and better understand how Cree knowledge can inform decisions around land and wildlife management, climate change adaptation and approaches to reducing conflict with polar bears.

Jakubchik-Paloheimo says she sees this as an important step in ongoing, community-led efforts to ensure Indigenous knowledge is more fully included in shaping conservation decisions and supporting coexistence in the region.

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The program highlights contributions that position 91亚色 as an instutition for research excellence and transformative innovations. 

Research contributed by more than 60 faculty members reflect the breadth of the University's research strengths, spanning sustainability, law, AI, chemistry and the social sciences.

"I am exceedingly proud to be part of an institution that contains the kind of excellence we are celebrating," says Lisa Philipps, interim president and vice-chancellor. "91亚色 is an institution that offers educational experiences to our students that are informed by this deep research, scholarly and creative excellence; and a place where we also make it part of our mission to reach outside the metaphorical walls of the University to share and collaborate with communities, industry, policy-makers, the media and the wider public."

The recipients demonstrate the purposeful research that is fundamental to real-world change, says Amir Asif, vice-president, research and innovation

The annual awards program serves as an opportunity to recognize the excellence, creativity and ingenuity of 91亚色' research community.

Awards

President鈥檚 Emerging Research Leadership Award (PERLA)
Christopher Caputo, associate professor in the Faculty of Science, received this award for his contributions to sustainable chemistry and materials science. His research advances the use of Earth鈥慳bundant elements as alternatives to rare and precious metals, addressing key environmental and sustainability challenges while influencing catalytic and materials science.

A Tier II Canada Research Chair and recipient of the John Charles Polanyi Prize in Chemistry, Caputo has secured more than $4 million in research funding. His work has resulted in 21 patents and strong industry engagement, demonstrating the translation of discovery into application.  

The President鈥檚 Emerging Research Leadership Award was also awarded to Emily Kidd White, associate professor at , for her pioneering scholarship at the intersection of law, emotion and constitutional theory. Her work applies the philosophy of emotion to legal analysis, examining the gap between formal legal reasoning and the lived realities of legal practice, particularly in international law. 

Her research has shaped scholarly conversations across disciplines and established her as a thinker of global influence, strengthening 91亚色鈥檚 research profile and academic mission. 

President鈥檚 Research Excellence Award
Presented to Jimmy Huang, professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, this award recognizes his contributions to information retrieval, data mining, AI and natural language processing. A Tier 1 91亚色 Research Chair and founding director of the Information Retrieval and Knowledge Management Research Lab, Huang has played a leading role in shaping the future of AI research, including some of the earliest systematic evaluations of large language models.

Huang has secured more than $7 million in external research funding and his work has influenced practice across industry and health care. His mentorship record includes supervising 16 postdoctoral fellows, 23 doctoral students and 32 master鈥檚 students, many of whom have gone on to academic careers.  

President鈥檚 Research Impact Award
Kerry Kawakami, professor in the , received this award聽for the influence and reach of her scholarship on unconscious bias. Her research has reshaped how systemic inequality is understood across academic,聽legal聽and institutional contexts, extending well beyond the聽post-secondary聽sector.

Kawakami鈥檚 work has informed legal practice and judicial decision鈥憁aking, including professional development programs for the Law Society of Ontario, expert testimony and keynote addresses. Her research has been cited in multiple U.S. Supreme Court decisions, demonstrating its impact on public understanding, policy and the pursuit of justice. 

The awards ceremony also highlighted faculty in other categories. 

Book Awards, Literary and Artistic Achievements
Six honourees received this award for their books, creative works and exhibitions that received national or international recognition from peers and leading cultural institutions. 

Major Grants
Recognition for researchers leading significant, externally funded research initiatives that advance knowledge and address complex societal challenges was awarded to seven honourees. 

Other Learned Societies, Fellowships and Awards
91亚色 awarded 12 honourees with this award for their leadership and contributions that have been recognized through election to learned societies, prestigious medals, professional fellowships and national or international honours. 

Outstanding Early Career Awards
Four honourees earned this award to recognize the notable achievements of 91亚色鈥檚 early-career researchers whose work shows strong promise and leadership within their fields. 

Significant Knowledge Mobilization &Impact Awards
For knowledge mobilization and impact outside of academia, 14 honourees were recognized with this award. 

91亚色 Research Chairs, Canada Research Chairs and Distinguished Research Professors
Fifteen honourees were celebrated for these appointments that support research excellence and scholarly leadership at the highest level in their respective fields. 

Royal Society of Canada & Governor General Awards
Two honourees earned this distinction, recognizing faculty who have made remarkable contributions in their research pursuits related to science, humanities and the arts. 

View the slide deck below to see a full list of recipients. 

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Tracking Earth鈥檚 ecological limits over more than six decades, the latest figures shared by the University鈥檚 Ecological Footprint Initiative show human activity now requires the equivalent of 1.7 Earths each year to sustain current levels of consumption.

Eric Miller is director of 91亚色鈥檚 Ecological Footprint Initiative 鈥� a multidisciplinary group of scholars, students and organizations working to advance understanding of the world鈥檚 ecological footprint and biocapacity. He warns that data reflects a 70 per cent overshoot of the planet鈥檚 renewable capacity. 

The figures, released on Earth Day, include what researchers describe as the most comprehensive open-access dataset to date that measures human impact on the planet. Produced in partnership with the University of Iceland, the ecological footprint dataset spans 1961- 2025 and measures the land and sea area needed to produce food, fibres and resources people use, and to absorb associated waste, including carbon emissions.

The dataset was developed through an innovative sustainability training program at the International Ecological Footprint Learning Lab, a multi-partner research initiative that brings together faculty and graduate students from 91亚色 and the University of Iceland. The program trains students to work with large environmental datasets while advancing research into ecological footprint and biocapacity. 

Along with Miller, 91亚色-based co-authors include master of environmental studies (MES) alums Kiona Lo and Neha Basnet as well as MES students Bumika Srikanthalingam, Beatrice Foley and Anna Hao Long. Co-authors from the University of Iceland include Johanna Louise Van Berkum, Petra Toneva, Marina Ermina and Clara Klinkenberg. 

Anchor funding for this work was provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) through a $2.5-million Talent-Stream Partnership Grant.

While the data suggest the rapid rise in global ecological pressure seen in recent decades may be slowing, there is still no clear evidence of a sustained decline.

鈥淔or the world to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, humanity must reduce its total ecological footprint by at least 59 per cent over the next 25 years,鈥� says Miller, who teaches in the . 鈥淭his metric goes beyond carbon 鈥� it reflects a broader scale of human demand on nature.鈥�

Looking closer to home, researchers note that Canada is rich in natural resources compared with other countries. Although Canadians only make up about 0.5 per cent of the global population, the country holds about four per cent of the planet鈥檚 biocapacity 鈥� the ability of Earth鈥檚 ecosystems to renew resources such as wood, food and clean water. 

Despite this advantage, Canada ranks eighth globally for per-capita consumption. In 2025, each Canadian used an average of 6.6 global hectares, roughly four times what would be sustainable at a planetary scale, and about double the per-person footprint of countries such as China or the U.K., notes Lo. Only the U.S. recorded a higher level.

鈥淐anada has a biocapacity advantage, but it is under pressure because of our large ecological footprint,鈥� says Lo. 鈥淐anada鈥檚 footprint is limiting opportunities for people elsewhere in the world to live well.鈥� 

Trade is also central to Canada鈥檚 ecological impact. In 2025, Canada drew on 3.1 per cent of the planet鈥檚 renewable capacity to produce and export resource-intensive food and forest products. Each dollar of Canadian exports required roughly twice the natural resources of each dollar of imports. 

About 60 per cent of Canada鈥檚 domestic ecological footprint was tied to goods produced for consumption in other countries. Globally, more than 30 per cent of what the world produced in 2025 was traded internationally 鈥� more than double the share recorded in 1961. 

鈥淐anadians consume a lot, but the footprint associated with what we produce and export is even larger,鈥� says Miller. 鈥淯nlike countries whose ecological footprints are driven mainly by imports, Canada is a net exporter and ranks 10th globally on that basis.鈥� 

He adds the national datasets can be used to examine biocapacity and ecological footprint at regional and municipal levels, and the initiative is expanding access to local data to support decision-making. 

鈥淲e are working to create more local, open-access data that leaders and policymakers can use,鈥� says Peri Dworatzek, partnership coordinator at the International Ecological Footprint Learning Lab. 鈥淭he goal is to empower countries, cities and individuals to better understand their impacts and identify where to go next.鈥� 

The initiative has launched the first open-access ecological footprint dataset for all Ontario municipalities. 

The ecological footprint and biocapacity framework is widely used by governments and organizations worldwide, including World Wildlife Fund, which has incorporated the metrics into public tools and awareness campaigns. 

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Thienpont teaches , a first-year course focused on Earth鈥檚 weather systems and the drivers of past and current climatic change. Through the course's learning lab activities, students conduct climate modelling to assess how human influence may contribute to different climate scenarios 鈥� and how those scenarios could impact biodiversity.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 critical to understand the nuances of how the planet is going to change in the not-too-distant future as a result of anthropogenic activities, so I try to expose them to what is under the hood of computer models,鈥� says Thienpont, noting each course iteration operates about five lab sections for a total of about 200 students.

To forecast how global warming will manifest by 2100, Thienpont鈥檚 students use the same sophisticated computer modelling as climate scientists, which draws on the laws of physics (conservation of mass, energy, momentum), fluid dynamics and chemistry and considers variables such as temperature, wind and humidity.

Using five CO₂ emissions scenarios from the United Nations鈥� Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, students examine outcomes for each scenario, ranging from aggressive emissions cuts to high fossil fuel use. This data is used to analyze resulting risks, such as heatwaves, sea-level rise and species extinction.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a good way of taking things that are fairly theoretical and putting them into a real-world perspective,鈥� Thienpont says. 鈥淪tudents see just how variable the climate really is 鈥� if we can manage our emission activities to the point where we鈥檙e getting closer to more conservative scenarios, then the outcomes are much less drastic.鈥�

In another lab assignment, Thienpont asks students to consider how climate change might impact them directly by examining how a warming planet may affect one of the world鈥檚 most popular agricultural products: arabica coffee.

The bean grows best in a cool, stable tropical climate at a moderate to high altitude and needs plenty of rain and light shade. Global warming is causing dry spells and irregular rainfall, which diminishes the yield and quality of Arabica crops. Farmers must keep planting further upslope 鈥� but mountains only go so high.

Thienpont鈥檚 students map how the land suitable for growing the beans could shift under diverse climate scenarios in countries such as Brazil, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Honduras and Nicaragua.

鈥淭hey learn how some of these countries, where coffee is one of their main domestic exports, have quite small land areas for cultivation, and that land size is expected to keep shrinking 鈥� in some cases significantly,鈥� Thienpont says. 鈥淚t demonstrates that the impacts of climate change are global. Everyone who enjoys a cup of coffee in the morning may feel this outcome.鈥�

Thienpont says a nuanced understanding of climate change processes, outcomes and human influence helps prepare students for a range of science-related careers.

鈥淭he goal is to give them information that they鈥檒l be able to use, whether they go on to do further scientific exploration or work in environmental policy or city planning,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey have a foundational understanding of the broad-scale environmental processes that impact us.鈥�

With files from Sharon Aschaiek

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The annual Canada鈥檚 Greenest Employers list recognizes organizations across Canada that demonstrate a strong culture of environmental awareness, embedding sustainability efforts throughout their institutional DNA.

For 14 consecutive years, adjudicators have selected 91亚色 for its successful and proactive leadership in reducing environmental impact across teaching, research and campus operations.

鈥�91亚色 is proud to be recognized once again as one of Canada鈥檚 Greenest Employers,鈥� says Narin Kishinchandani, vice-president, finance and administration. 鈥淭his continued designation reflects the work taking place across the University and our deep institutional focus on climate action initiatives.鈥�

The reasons 91亚色 was again named one of Canada鈥檚 Greenest Employers this year were: campus projects that have been supported by the鈥疭ustainability Innovation Fund to advance climate action; the Faculty of Science鈥檚 ongoing development of a Sustainable Labs certification program that will ensure eco-friendly practices amongst lab teams; and reduction of infrastructure footprints through solar air heating, green roofs, solar panels, rainwater collection and more.

Adjudicators also highlighted the鈥�Office of Sustainability鈥痑nd Human Resources鈥� sustainability orientation module for employees, the鈥�檚 sustainable campus walking tours and the University鈥檚 support of the鈥�Sustainability Champions Network, a peer mentoring program that fosters environmental action on campus.

These initiatives are part of a broader suite of institutional efforts. Among them is the ongoing commitment to the鈥�Sustainability Strategy 2030: Positive Change: Connecting People, Planet and Purpose鈥�which includes a focus on reducing direct and indirect emissions by 45 per cent by 2030. That work has supported 91亚色鈥檚 accelerated goal of鈥�achieving net-zero emissions by 2040鈥�� a full decade ahead of its original target.

Across its campuses, 91亚色 also continues to lead in environmental responsibility through efforts such as the upcoming annual鈥�痑苍诲鈥�.

The University鈥檚 inclusion on Canada鈥檚 Greenest Employers adds to a growing list of accolades for 91亚色.

Last year, 91亚色 was designated a鈥�Living Campus by the World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada) for the second year in a row. The designation recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate leadership in engaging their communities in conservation action and education.

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025 placed 91亚色 second in Canada for its contributions to Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production. 91亚色 was also recognized in the鈥� among the top academic institutions in the world for its impact with environmental leadership, education and research.

Nicole Arsenault, program director in the Office of Sustainability, says 91亚色鈥檚 continued recognition reflects a collective effort across the University.

鈥淪tudents, faculty, instructors and staff all play a critical role in advancing 91亚色鈥檚 sustainability goals,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hrough their engagement in teaching, research and campus operations, they help strengthen the University鈥檚 impact and support long-term progress on new and existing initiatives aimed at accelerating climate action.鈥�

As 91亚色 continues to advance its sustainability priorities through both new and ongoing programs, the University remains focused on building a more sustainable institution. That work spans infrastructure, academic leadership and community partnerships, with a shared goal of strengthening impact across its campuses, local communities and beyond.

鈥�Building a more sustainable institution 鈥� across our buildings, research, teaching and community partnerships 鈥� strengthens 91亚色鈥檚 leadership and delivers lasting benefits locally, nationally and globally,鈥� says Kishinchandani.

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91亚色 will play an integral role in a national initiative supporting long-term energy and climate decision-making.

The (EMH) is designed to strengthen Canada鈥檚 analytical capacity around energy systems transitions.

Mark Winfield, a professor at 91亚色鈥檚 (EUC), will help guide Canada鈥檚 future in energy as one of five academics serving on the hub鈥檚 executive committee.

The investment of nearly $5 million was awarded to a consortium of 91亚色, the University of Calgary, Carleton University, the University of Victoria and 脡cole Polytechnique to establish a national energy modelling network to support evidence-based decision-making around the sustainable decarbonization of Canada鈥檚 energy systems.

Funding is provided through the Natural Resources Canada鈥檚 Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program. Additional funding for EMH is provided through the Trottier and Ivey Foundations.

Working together over the next four years, academics and industry experts will improve access to energy models, data and analytical tools so governments and stakeholders can better understand the implications of different pathways to decarbonization and energy sustainability.

鈥淭he Energy Modelling Hub serves as an independent enabler and capacity builder in Canada,鈥� says Winfield, who also co-chairs EUC鈥檚 Sustainable Energy Initiative. 鈥淚ts work focuses on connecting researchers and decision-makers, supporting open-source tools, improving access to data and providing opportunities for training and knowledge sharing.鈥�

Long-term planning, he says, will look at how to decarbonize energy systems while ensuring affordability and advancing sustainability.

EMH鈥檚 current work includes exploring the potential roles of connections between provincial electricity grids.

Contributing as 91亚色鈥檚 representative on the EMH executive committee, Winfield will help guide the strategic direction of the hub. Drawing on his extensive research on climate change, energy sustainability, and environment and energy law and policy, he will be part of a national effort to 鈥渁dvance the transition in the direction of sustainable energy systems.鈥�

In 2023, Winfield co-edited Sustainable Energy Transitions in Canada (UBC Press) exploring the technical, economic, political and policy dimensions of decarbonization and energy transitions. Winfield鈥檚 work with EMH builds on his participation research networks around energy storage, smart grids, distributed energy resources and community energy planning, He is currently co-editing Carbon Federalism: Canadian Climate Governance in a Disrupted World for the University of Toronto Press.

The December 2025 funding announcement builds on previous $5 million federal support for EMH and strengthen Canada鈥檚 momentum towards net-zero and decarbonizing its energy systems.

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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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The research, led by Roger Keil at 91亚色鈥檚 , shows how community-driven networks are vital in helping municipal governments make better decisions and protect essential services during times of instability.

鈥淏oth studies show that even in times of crisis, local democratic action creates real opportunities for change,鈥� says Keil, who is a Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus and an associate member of the City Institute.

Published in , the first paper, in collaboration with 91亚色 alum Maryam Lashkari and University of Glasgow鈥檚 Ross Beveridge, offers a new framework for 鈥渃risis urbanism鈥� 鈥� a condition in which climate shocks, housing pressures, public health threats and political volatility overlap and persist. This idea, often referred to as poly- or permacrisis, explains how these problems do not happen in isolation and instead often overlap and continue for long periods of time.

Researchers outline four ways to understand these crises: how they grow over time; how they affect different places and people; how governments share or shift responsibility; and how people decide what defines a crisis.

Instead of responding to individual emergencies, the authors say cities need to shift toward 鈥渞eparative urbanism,鈥� an approach that focuses on long-term solutions, stronger services and more inclusive decision-making.

鈥淥ur research shows that cities benefit when they invest in repairing harm, supporting essential services and giving communities more say in decisions,鈥� notes Keil.

Building on this work, a second study in collaboration with colleagues at 91亚色 and University of Toronto 鈥� was published in looks at how community networks helped protect vital services in response to Ontario's proposal to dissolve Peel Region. It shows that Peel鈥檚 service network is already using this kind of care-focused work and how it helps.

When the provincial government tried to split up Peel Region (which includes Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon), it was challenged by the 鈥� an advocacy coalition representing more than 100 social service groups.

When the plan was announced, these groups shared data, stories and concerns from the community to ensure access to critical services 鈥� especially for racialized and low鈥慽ncome residents who faced the greatest risk of service disruption. The province later stepped back from its proposal, and researchers say this demonstrates the important role community groups play in regional decision-making.

鈥淲hether we look at community groups in Peel responding to sudden funding threats or at the broader idea of 鈥榗risis urbanism,鈥� the message is the same: when people come together, share knowledge and work across sectors, they can repair systems, protect essential services and strengthen how cities are governed,鈥� says Keil.

The researchers remain engaged with community dynamics and are currently involved in a follow-up study on multi-level crisis governance in Canada and the U.K., funded through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada鈥檚 and the UK Research and Innovation-Arts and Humanities Research Council's Knowledge Synthesis program.

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Published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, explores how AMR surveillance systems can better reflect the needs of vulnerable communities and under-resourced countries. 聽

Led by Raphael Aguiar, postdoctoral research fellow at 91亚色鈥檚 Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, the study draws on interviews with global experts from government, academia and international organizations. 

The researchers argues that聽current AMR surveillance systems overlook the social, environmental and political factors that drive resistance.聽

鈥淎ntimicrobial resistance is not just a biomedical issue 鈥� it鈥檚 a social and environmental one,鈥� says Aguiar. 鈥淲e need to understand how power, poverty and urban development influence who gets sick and who gets access to treatment.鈥� 

Using a framework informed by Urban Political Ecology theory, the research team 鈥� including scholars from Montreal, Norway and Switzerland 鈥� show how urbanization, inequality and global development patterns shape risk and response related to AMR. 

The study highlights that AMR disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries, where limited resources and infrastructure make it harder to monitor and address this threat. It also points to ineffcient coordination between sectors 鈥� such as human health, animal health, agriculture and the environment 鈥� as a barrier to effective surveillance. 

The authors advocate for a more inclusive and locally informed One Health approach to AMR. They recommend that future global strategies 鈥� such as the next WHO Global Action Plan on AMR 鈥� prioritize equity, gender responsiveness, community engagement and long-term support for under-represented sectors. 

鈥淭o truly reduce antimicrobial resistance, we need to address deeper issues like unequal access to resources, gaps between rich and poor countries as well as the social and environmental factors that drive resistance,鈥� says Roger Keil, co-author and professor emeritus at 91亚色鈥檚 . 

Focusing only on medical solutions isn鈥檛 enough, adds Arne Ruckert, co-author and director of research at the AMR Policy Accelerator, who states that surveillance systems should be tailored to the realities of different countries. 

The study recommends policymakers and global health leaders embed equity into every stage of AMR surveillance 鈥� from data collection to policy development 鈥� and proposes a roadmap for more inclusive and effective governance. 

鈥淲ithout equity," adds Mary Wiktorowicz, co-author and professor at 91亚色's , "AMR governance will continue to reproduce the same global inequalities that drive resistance in the first place.鈥�

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