The Murray G. Ross Award, established in honour of the University’s first president, is awarded annually to a graduating student in recognition of academic excellence and outstanding contributions to undergraduate student life.

“I feel honoured to have received such a prestigious award. It represents years of hard work and dedication,” says Llaguno.

Her path to this recognition began four years ago, when she moved to Canada from Ecuador with the aim of becoming a physicist and gaining experience in the field.

When she was accepted to 91��ɫ, Llaguno received the 91��ɫ Science Scholars Award (YSSA) for her scholarly achievements in high school. The award included a guaranteed summer research position, providing an early opportunity to conduct paid, hands-on work following her first year.

Through that opportunity, she joined the experimental atomic, molecular and optical physics group led by Professor Anantharaman Kumarakrishnan from the Department of Physics and Astronomy. It proved to be formative, she says, noting “It was there that I discovered my passion for experimental physics."

Over the next four years, Llaguno continued to build on that interest through applied work experiences – supported in part by the Earle Nestmann Undergraduate Research Award (ENURA) in her second year and a Research at 91��ɫ (RAY) position in her third – focused on designing and refining laser-based systems used to study the behaviour of atoms.

With guidance from Kumarakrishnan’s group, she presented her work at several physics conferences and co-authored published papers, reflecting the level of achievement she reached during her undergraduate studies.

During her time at 91��ɫ, Llaguno also sought out opportunities to be involved in her academic community and engage in outreach. In her second year, she became a Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) leader, a role she held for two years, supporting first-year physics students.

The experience helped her discover a growing interest in teaching, and her students later nominated her for the Bethune College Academic Leadership and Community Building Scholarship.

She took on other roles across the University, serving on a Tenure and Promotion Committee and working as a science student ambassador, campus tour guide and laboratory tour guide. She also contributed to efforts to strengthen teaching and learning in the classroom, helping revise the PHYS 2020 (Electricity and Magnetism) curriculum for engineering students after the course had shown lower performance compared to its physics-major counterpart.

“These experiences were motivated by my desire to give back to my community and share my enthusiasm for physics with prospective students,” says Llaguno.

That combination of academic work and community contribution has now been recognized through the Murray G. Ross Award.

“This award is also a reminder that my passion has not gone unnoticed,” says Llaguno.

Reflecting on the award, Llaguno credits the significant role her parents played in her journey. “I am deeply grateful to my parents, who have always supported me, prioritized my education and taught me the value of learning,” she says. She also expresses gratitude to her professors, her department and her research group, as well as the scholarships, bursaries and awards she received from 91��ɫ that enabled her to continue her studies as an international student.

Llaguno has already begun the next stage of her studies, joining Kumarakrishnan’s group as a master’s student immediately after completing her bachelor degree. She plans to build on the projects she began as an undergraduate while also mentoring incoming students. But, her ambitions extend beyond her master’s studies. “My long-term goal is to remain in academia and ultimately pursue a career as a faculty member, combining research with teaching and mentorship,” she says.

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

Chimira Nicole Andres

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

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

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

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

“Receiving the Governor General’s Gold Medal is truly a great privilege and honour,” says Andres. “This is very meaningful and a full-circle moment for me.”

Andres says the Inuktitut word ᐊᔪᐃᓐᓇᑕ (Ajuinnata) – which translates to “persevere” – that is inscribed on the medal resonates deeply with her academic journey.

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

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

Nicolas Cheng

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

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

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

“Being selected for the Governor General’s Gold Medal is truly an honour,” says Cheng, noting the recognition holds special meaning given the challenges and self-doubt he faced during his academic journey.

“This award feels like an affirmation to continue pursuing higher education and research,” he says.

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

Joel Landon Prowting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Governor General awards are the country’s highest academic honour for Canadian post-secondary scholars. This year's recipients represent the University's dedication to empowering students to achieve academic excellence across disciplines.

Faisal Ahmed Alakoozi

Alakoozi graduates with an honours bachelor of arts in political science. His academic work in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) explored the intersections of law, policy and social justice. A focus on migration and refugee governance, as well as critical political economy was especially meaningful to him.

“As the child of Afghan refugees, my academic work has been shaped by both personal experience and intellectual curiosity,” says Alakoozi.

At 91��ɫ, Alakoozi found an environment that encouraged critical thinking and intellectual growth. He credits the support of professors and teaching assistants for challenging him to deepen his analysis, while opportunities for research engagement helped him grow as both a student and a thinker.

“Receiving the Governor General’s Medal is incredibly meaningful to me,” says Alakoozi. “It represents not just academic achievement, but a much longer and more difficult journey defined by persistence, discipline and overcoming significant physical and mental barriers.”

He adds that the recognition offers a moment of reflection and a source of motivation to continue pursuing questions of justice, inequality and belonging with even greater commitment.

This fall, he will begin a master's degree in criminology and social justice at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he plans to continue his research on migration, borders and governance.

Joshua Max Levine

Levine graduates with a degree in statistics, after pursuing his interest in how mathematics is applied to real-world applications. During his studies in the Faculty of Science, he explored differential privacy, an approach that allows researchers to draw insights from data while safeguarding personal information.

He did so, in part, through an Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Award, allowing him to conduct research under the guidance of Assistant Professor Kelly Ramsay.

While Levine was first drawn to the University for its proximity to home and strong student support, he found a wide range of opportunities for academic and professional growth. He was actively involved in the Actuarial Student Association, serving as director of education, and credits his mentors, including Ramsay and Professor Ed Furman, for encouraging him to challenge himself and expand his ambitions.

“It is an immense honour to be awarded the Governor General’s Silver Medal,” says Levine. “I see it as a reminder of what I can achieve with many years of hard work and commitment.”

Levine recently joined Canada Life Reinsurance as an actuarial analyst and is working toward becoming a fully credentialed actuary. Looking ahead, he is eager to continue his learning journey and gain experience across a variety of teams and projects within the actuarial profession.

Vanessa Otello

Otello completed her undergraduate studies in LA&PS, combining coursework in sociology and business with a bachelor of education. As an aspiring educator, she developed an interest in the role of technology and AI in student learning and its impact on educational environments.

Throughout her time at 91��ɫ, Otello found a supportive and engaging community. She credits her professors for inspiring her to continue her studies and pushing her to reach her full potential.

“I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people who supported me throughout my academic journey and inspired me to continue my education,” Otello says.

In addition to academics at 91��ɫ, she was a work-study student for four years, where she connected with peers and contributed to enhancing the student experience. She also received several academic scholarships recognizing her dedication to her studies and involvement in the 91��ɫ community.

“Receiving this award is an honour and a representation of years of dedication, hard work, growth and the connections I’ve built along the way,” says Otello.

This fall, she will begin a master’s of education at the University of Toronto, specializing in higher education. Looking toward the future, she hopes to build a career empowering students in post-secondary settings and remains committed to continued academic exploration.

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

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

Space is limited to 100 participants. Register to participate through

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"We don't say ‘here's what we learned, and here's what you need to do,’" says Prime. "We say, ‘here's what we saw – how does that make sense to you?’"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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Espinosa, a member of the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Health and the Connected Minds program, is among researchers working to better understand dogs as a global species within the fields of comparative psychology and canine science. Her work examines how animals think and behave, and how those processes shape their relationships with people in different environments.

Across scientific fields, researchers aim to draw conclusions that are consistent in different populations and contexts. That requires studying a wide and representative range of subjects. In canine science, however, that breadth is often limited, Espinosa says.

Most studies on dog behaviour and cognition tend to focus on companion canines in affluent regions of the Global North, whose lives are shaped by specific cultural and economic contexts. That leaves out a large portion of the world’s dog population – especially free-living canines and those in the Global South – as well as the many different ways humans and their pets interact across cultures and environments.

That narrow focus also shapes how studies are built. In many cases, participants are recruited through university communities or social media, which can skew toward people with the time, resources and interest to take part. Those same factors can influence the kinds of dogs being studied, favouring well‑trained, highly socialized pets while excluding others.

“With research drawing mostly from similar types of dogs and guardians, it becomes harder to know whether the results reflect the species as a whole or just a specific subset,” says Espinosa.

Espinosa has observed this kind of variability in her own work. In studies examining how dogs respond to human pointing gestures, she and her collaborators found that results can differ depending on where the they are studied and the conditions they are raised in. For example, canines in Toronto respond differently to pointing gestures than those studied in Vancouver and Nebraska.

Findings like these, she says, highlight how much remains unknown and point questions that may be overlooked if results were broadly representative.

“Once we understand that there are these gaps in how we do our science – and even our individual ability to address them – we can start collectively working on ways forward,” she says.

In an article published in , Espinosa offers an analysis of current canine research and proposes a shift in approach to improve the relevance of the field. Through large‑scale collaborative studies, researchers from multiple sites and countries can better capture the diversity of dog ecology and dog-human relationships using shared methods and larger, more diverse samples.

“The main goal is to propose how we could make science more representative and equitable, both in the type of dogs that are studied and the people who do the research,” she says.

One example is the ManyDogs Project, founded by Espinosa in 2018, which brings together collaborators from different locations and populations to study canine behaviour across contexts. By combining data and comparing results across sites, researchers can test findings across diverse groups.

In practice, this could lead to better inform human-animal relationships, animal welfare and ecological interactions. It could also offer a clearer picture of how dogs adapt across environments, including when they move between them.

Espinosa points to the growing practice of bringing canines from other regions, such as the street of Mexico, into Canadian communities as one example. Understanding how dogs from different backgrounds behave, she says, can support more effective training when they struggle to adjust to new environments.

Espinosa stresses that what she calls “big team science” is not intended to replace the work done by individual groups, but rather to complement those efforts and broaden understanding and research practices through international collaboration, diverse viewpoints and scientific traditions and ways of knowing.

“Understanding that what we know is just a drop in the ocean and only applicable to a small subset of very particular dogs can help us appreciate the value that diverse perspectives can add to the conversation,” Espinosa says.

By widening its lens, canine research has the potential to produce more reliable findings while deepening peoples’ connection with one of its oldest and most widespread companions. “Ultimately, the goal is improving dog well-being and supporting healthy dog-human relationships,” says Espinosa.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Several projects were recognized with awards for their potential impact:

Lassonde Capstone Day Awards

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

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

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

C4 Spring Capstone Awards

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

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

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

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

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

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

People’s Choice Award
Nrup Patel – 91��ɫPulse: 91��ɫ’s Verified Student Community Platform

See more moments from the day in the .

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

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

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In recent years, accessibility and inclusion have gained growing attention across education, technology, design and policy. That shift has brought renewed focus to inclusive design, an approach that asks how courses are taught, technologies are built, research is conducted and systems are organized to account for a wide range of human needs.

For Desai, an associate professor at the (AMPD), the challenge is that inclusive design is often treated an issue to address later, rather than key factor that guides decisions from the beginning.

“From my perspective, accessibility and inclusivity are often used as aspirational terms but not always treated as obligations that must shape design, teaching, research, policy and implementation from the beginning,” she says.

Desai is working to create that shift through her teaching, research and a newly co-authored book to advance an approach that treats accessibility and inclusion as baseline responsibilities in any work that affects people.

A member of AMPD's Department of Design, she leads courses that examine how people interact with systems, environments and emerging technologies including AI, mixed reality and physical computing.

She asks students to consider who is included, who might be left out and how those decisions inform designs, and applies this approach directly in the classroom.

Rather than treating accessibility as an afterthought, she approaches courses as systems that can either create or reduce barriers. Her classes offer multiple ways for students to complete assignments and demonstrate learning, whether through speaking, making, sketching, prototyping or reflective documentation.

This approach, she says, allows barriers to be anticipated and addressed early, rather than treated only after a student encounters them.

“A student may not have a formal diagnosis, may not disclose a disability, or may be experiencing barriers that are temporary, technological or cultural,” Desai says.

Beyond the classroom, this perspective extends into Desai's research. Her work focuses on developing technologies and systems that support a range of needs, particularly among older adults, people living with dementia, people with disabilities and communities that are underserved by conventional approaches.

Using participatory and co-design methods with those communities, she aims to understand how everyday practices, relationships and environments can enhance designing interventions. Those insights shape technologies that respond to people’s needs, rather than forcing users to fit to systems not designed around their needs.

“It means not simply recruiting people with disabilities or older adults as participants, but considering how they shape the research itself,” she says.

Desai extends these ideas in a new co-authored book, , with colleagues whose research extends across accessibility, Deaf studies, education and technology. The book examines how inclusive design can be applied across teaching, research, business, policy and implementation.

The book responds to a common gap, she says: many people agree inclusion matters but lack guidance on how to apply it in practice, from running inclusive meetings to designing accessible research. In response, it presents examples for embedding equitability in different contexts, as compliance or usability requirements, but also as part of how systems are shaped.

“Phrases such as ‘designing for accessibility’ can sometimes make accessibility sound like a specialized domain or a project-specific choice,” Desai says. “They should be understood as baseline responsibilities in any work that affects people.”

This perspective also reshapes how inclusive design is often evaluated. Accessibility is frequently framed in terms of compliance, usability testing or accommodation. These are important steps, she notes, but limited ones.

“Accessibility and inclusion should not depend on whether a particular designer, instructor, researcher or organization chooses to prioritize them,” she says.

Compliance can show whether something meets a standard, and usability testing can show whether people can complete a task. But inclusive design, she argues, requires deeper consideration of who is included, who may be excluded and how systems enable participation.

This challenge is increasingly visible in the technologies Desai studies. Systems powered by AI, extended reality and other data-driven tools can reproduce exclusion when built on narrow assumptions or datasets. At the same time, they can support communication, memory, engagement and participation when designed with accessibility and lived experience from the start.

The issue, she says, is not whether these technologies are inclusive or harmful, but how they are designed, with whom, for what purpose and under what forms of accountability.

For Desai, the question of accountability extends beyond individual projects. “One unresolved issue is how inclusive design can be made mandatory without becoming reduced to minimum compliance. How do we create systems where accessibility is not optional, but also not treated as a checklist?”

Across her teaching, research and collaborations, Desai is working to put that shift into practice, shaping how designers think, how technologies are built and how institutions approach accessibility and inclusion.

“For me, the most important shift is from thinking about inclusion as adaptation to thinking about it as responsibility,” Desai says. “Inclusive design is not only about making things usable for more people. It's about recognizing diverse bodies, minds, experiences, cultures and ways of participating as central from the start.”

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In a new video series titled Renaissance, two Black Canadians – one from the world of academia, the other from the arts, culture or community leadership sectors – sit down for an unscripted conversation about Black life in Canada.

The participants have no idea who they are about to meet.

The four-part video project is produced through a partnership between 91��ɫ’s Glendon College and SHIFTER, a Canadian media platform focused on Black culture, entertainment and community storytelling.

For Glendon, the project brings together alumni engagement, public storytelling and the campus's broader community engagement work. It marks the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance – the early 20th-century movement where Black intellectualism and Black culture converged – and uses the anniversary to explore Black cultural visibility in Canada today.

The partnership grew from an alumni connection: Kevin Bourne, SHIFTER's director and producer, is a Glendon graduate. After Glendon's communications team took notice of his work in journalism and entertainment, Bourne reconnected with the campus and collaborated on a 2023 written profile series spotlighting Black members of the Glendon community – students, professors, staff and alumni.

Renaissance grew from there.

"We always kind of had the idea that this will be the beginning of not just one collaboration but multiple collaborations," says Bourne.

For Glendon, Pascal Arseneau, executive director of strategic communications and community engagement, says the project reflects a word students often use to describe the campus: community.

"Glendon is special because of its capacity to create spaces for dialogue," he says. "People come from a variety of perspectives and places and manage to quickly form alliances, work on what brings them together, get involved in different causes, tackle challenges and seek out solutions together."

Arseneau says Glendon approached the project to connect several of its communities at once: current students, faculty, staff, alumni and wider audiences. By pairing Glendon-connected participants with community figures from outside the University, the series extends critical conversations into a broader public setting.

That emphasis on bringing together different perspectives also shaped the format of Renaissance. Glendon provided funding, studio space at the Glendon Theatre and a list of community members to participate. SHIFTER handled production and brought its own network of artists, creatives and community leaders. The pairings were intentional, but participants were not told in advance who they would meet – even on set. The two were kept apart until the cameras were rolling.

"It's in the place of spontaneity that potential collaboration can happen," says Bourne, adding several participants exchanged numbers after filming and spoke about staying in contact.

Bourne also says the team was conscious of Glendon's bilingual identity throughout. One of the four episodes is in French, a deliberate reflection of Glendon’s francophone community.

The first episode, now available , pairs Excellencia Bambi, a fourth-year psychology student at Glendon, with 4KORNERS, an international DJ and music producer. Their conversation ranges from the influence of Black artistry at the Juno Awards to whether visibility, gathering and institution-building are needed before Canada can be described as being in a Black cultural renaissance.

Anna Mossakowska, a digital strategist in Glendon’s strategic communications and community engagement unit, says the series also gives viewers a chance to see representatives of Glendon in conversation with people whose experiences may differ from their own.

“I’m excited to see our community members connect with people from different backgrounds and perspectives, and to discover not only what makes us different, but also the many things we share,” she says.

The overall goal, says Bourne, is to foster greater understanding of the Black experience in Canada.

"I hope that people who don’t identify as Black can look at it and say, 'Oh, wow, I've learned something,'" says Bourne. "By partnering with an academic institution, we are hoping this is a way of educating people that's outside of the norm of what they would typically think of as education."

The remaining three episodes are expected to be released over the next few months, with specific dates still being finalized. The series will continue to bring together participants from different fields, backgrounds and parts of the Glendon and broader Black Canadian communities.

"I definitely felt a very strong sense of pride to bring my crew into my former school," says Bourne.

For him, the project also represented a chance to bring culture into an educational space. "I think we need to do more of that," he says.

With files from Mzwandile Poncana

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The awards highlight work from across the graduate unit within SHPM that specializes in health policy and equity, as well as health system management and data analytics. This year’s recipients presented their work as part of Health Graduate Research Day, an annual event that brings together students and faculty to share and discuss new research.

“What stands out is how these students are taking on complex, real-world health challenges with both rigour and care,” says Farah Ahmad, program director of the graduate unit in SHPM. “Their work reflects a growing commitment to equity and meaningful impact through research that not only advances knowledge, but also has the potential to shape practice and policy.”

Best Oral Presentation Award
Cecilia Amoakohene, a PhD student, was recognized for her research on race-based data collection in Ontario and its implications for mental health outcomes among Black women and communities.

Examining how policies describe the use of race-based data compared to how it is actually used in practice, her findings showed a persistent gap between how data is collected and framed at the provincial level – as a tool to advance equity – and how it is implemented in practice. Her work highlights how efforts remain uneven and are often limited to planning stages, with little reporting on access to care or outcomes for Black women. The findings point to the need for stronger implementation and accountability to ensure race-based data meaningfully informs more equitable mental health care.

Best Poster Presentation Award
Omar Hassan, a PhD student, received the award for his research on first responders’ perceptions of mental health and whether they feel able to seek support.

Examining the role of workplace culture, institutional policies and broader governance structures, his research explores how these factors shape whether individuals recognized mental health challenges and felt able to seek help. His findings suggest that barriers to care are not only cultural, but structurally embedded within organizational environments, underscoring the need for reform alongside efforts to reduce stigma.

Audience Choice Award
Tarek Abdullah Al-Munim, a master’s student, was honoured for his research on how private hospitals in Bangladesh are responding to ongoing nursing shortages.

To understand how hospitals are navigating these challenges, he conducted semi-structured interviews with directors of medical services and heads of nursing across five large, multi-specialty hospitals in Dhaka. He then analyzed the interviews to identify common patterns in how institutions are managing staffing gaps.

The findings suggest many hospitals are relying on short-term fixes rather than long-term workforce planning, pointing to broader challenges in how resources are managed across the system. The research highlights the need for stronger policies and oversight, from staffing and compensation to training, to help ensure care quality and support more sustainable solutions.

Together, the projects highlight the range of research taking place across the Faculty of Health, with a shared focus on addressing challenges in mental health, health systems and policy. The work underscores how emerging scholars are contributing to more responsive, equitable and sustainable approaches to care.

With files from Mbalu Lumor

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