OISE

Liwei Liao didn’t put much thought into his outfit when he viewed his virtual convocation ceremony at ��ϲ�� at the height of the pandemic – but next week, he will be getting dressed up.

With an honours bachelor of science degree from ��ϲ�� Scarborough, Liao is one of more than 7,700 grads expected to cross the stage at Convocation Hall as a part of a series of in-person celebrations for the classes of 2020 and 2021.

He says he’s looking forward to a signature ��ϲ�� moment.

“It's going to be very special for me and probably one of the best days of my life,” Liao says. “I’ll be thinking about the respect I have for my home campus. This is the place that paved the way to where I am now.”

Alumni and their 24,000 guests will attend 28 special in-person graduation celebrations over 13 days. Cohorts are organized by campus and degree. Two celebrations were already held on Nov. 12 for Rotman School of Management and Rotman Commerce graduates.

Mariana Saraiva

“This graduation celebration was a special milestone for me,” says Mariana Saraiva, who earned an executive MBA degree in 2020. “It was my first experience in Canada graduating, so I am grateful to have been present and have my moment on stage with all my peers and fellow graduates.

“For me, it was extraordinary to return to campus and celebrate what we achieved in person.”

The celebrations include decades-old ��ϲ�� traditions as well as a new role introduced to ��ϲ�� convocations this spring – the Eagle Feather Bearer, a sign of the university’s profound respect for Indigenous communities and cultures.

“These in-person celebrations are part two of the initial, virtual convocation ceremonies held at the height of the pandemic,” says Bryn MacPherson, assistant vice-president in ��ϲ��’s Office of the President and chief of protocol. “This is the culmination of a multi-year effort to ensure our graduates have as many as possible of the experiences they would have enjoyed during their in-person Convocation ceremonies.”

Institutional leaders, deans and principals from the three campuses will deliver remarks. Each recent grad will then hear their name called and take the short but significant walk across Convocation Hall’s stage.

Ikran Jama, who graduated from the Faculty of Arts & Science last year and is now studying at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, says her thoughts will be with the people cheering her on in the audience.

“I’ll be thinking of my parents and the struggles they went through to give me an education and a fighting chance,” Jama says. “To finally see their daughter cross that stage is a big moment for the people I love and care about.”

Jama says she is flying back to Toronto to attend the celebration and is looking forward to visiting family and reconnecting with classmates she hasn’t seen in years, as well as those she only managed to connect with virtually.

“We haven’t seen each other in so long and people have gone across the world,” Jama says. “I'm so excited to come back and speak with them about what they're doing.”

13 days of celebrations – a huge undertaking

Behind the scenes, staff faced an array of logistical challenges when organizing the events – not the least of which was contacting graduates who might not have opened their ��ϲ�� email in years.

Organizers are taking steps to give alumni from the classes of 2020 and 2021 every chance to attend. Since the initial deadline, more than 350 names have been gathered and added to convocation lists. Organizers said registration of latecomers would continue until the start of the ceremonies – and a limited supply of extra academic gowns will be available on site for those who missed the deadline to order ahead.

Those late entries present another logistical hurdle. Graduates had the ability to provide information about the pronunciation of their name in advance so that this would be captured in the recordings. To accommodate late additions, names will be on different types of cards and delivered live.

Yet, despite the challenges, organizers say they are committed to making these celebrations as special as possible.

“We recognize that the pandemic made reaching this academic achievement more challenging,” says Silvia Rosatone, director of the Office of Convocation. “In partnership with our Faculty and College partners, we are all committed to providing our graduates with the opportunity to celebrate this important milestone.”

Members of the Rotman Commerce Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 celebrate at Convocation Hall (photo by Tam Nguyen)

Inspired by her father’s message, Jacque/line Lavallee earns doctorate at age 79: CTV

mattimar — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 16:17:03 +0000

Inspired by her father’s message, Jacque/line Lavallee earns doctorate at age 79: CTV

mattimar Tue, 11/15/2022 - 11:17

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Jacque/line Lavallee, pictured here when she served as an Eagle Feather Bearer during spring convocation, graduated this fall with a doctorate in education from OISE (photo by Lisa Sakulensky)

Topic

It has been a lifelong dream of Jacque/line Lavallee to receive a doctorate in education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the ��ϲ��, reports CTV National News.

The 79-year-old great-grandmother, who is Indigenous, told the news outlet that her father was her inspiration for continuing her education.

“I only knew him for a short time when I was a kid, but he always stated, ‘When you get big, when you become a woman, you need to pursue the educational field,’” said Lavallee, who is an Elder-in-residence at OISE.

Lavallee’s doctoral research focused on the importance of Anishinaabe traditional knowledge in higher education. She centered it around her own story of education and her experiences as a residential school survivor.

“The rest of the world doesn't understand what traditional knowledge is,” she said. “It's oral. It's always spoken. It's not written down on some paper. If you want to learn something, you have to go look at look for it.”

Bonded like sisters, ��ϲ�� grads lean on each other as they explore their Indigenous roots

mattimar — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 17:45:30 +0000

Bonded like sisters, ��ϲ�� grads lean on each other as they explore their Indigenous roots

mattimar Wed, 06/01/2022 - 13:45

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Temerty Faculty of Medicine grad Kristine Keon, left, and OISE grad Angelique Belcourt, right, say they looked to each other for support, inspiration and connection to their Indigenous roots (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Mariam Matti

Topic

City & Culture

Convocation 2022

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Graduate Stories

Hospital for Sick Children

Indigenous

OISE

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Angelique Belcourt never expected to attend university – let alone graduate with a master’s degree from the ��ϲ��’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Originally from the Georgian Bay Métis community, Belcourt was raised by a single mother in low-income housing in Toronto and says her academic career has been built on a sturdy foundation of support from close friends, colleagues and fellow Indigenous students.

Now, she wants to pay it forward by one day opening an Indigenous culture camp, with focus on land-based education, in her home community or elsewhere – as long as it will help make Indigenous history and knowledge more accessible.

Angelique Belcourt with her Menoncle (great-uncle) Fernand Belcourt, who she credits as a vital influence on her life (photo by Brianna Fisher/Brianna Pam Photography)

“Every Indigenous person deserves to know how rich their history is, how rich their knowledge is,” Belcourt says. “I feel blessed that I’ve had opportunities in my life to have people teach me about the different ways in which I can live, but I’m mindful that not everyone has that experience.

“I want to make that accessible to Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people because our knowledge is everyone’s knowledge.”

Belcourt traces her own journey in higher education back to Grade 12, when she changed high schools. She credits her former history and law teachers for spotting her potential – and then helping her navigate a maze of university and financial aid applications.

Then, during a two-day orientation program at the University of Guelph for Indigenous students in 2014, Belcourt met Kristine Keon, a member of Nipissing First Nation who also has Algonquin ancestors. The pair formed an immediate bond and now describe themselves as “sisters” who lean on each other for support, inspiration and connection to their Indigenous roots.

While the two went their separate ways after leaving Guelph – Belcourt moved to Switzerland for a short time – they reconnected several years later at an event hosted by ��ϲ��’s Indigenous Education Network. Unbeknownst to each other, each had decided to pursue graduate work at ��ϲ��, with Belcourt pursuing a master’s degree part time at OISE while Keon had enrolled in the medical biophysics master’s program at the Temerty of Faculty of Medicine.

They quickly picked up where they left off.

Kristine Keon wants to address the underrepresentation of Indigenous people in the medical field (photo by John Paillé)

“We're not blood-related, but that's my sister,” says Belcourt, who now works for the Ontario Ministry of Education as a policy and programs adviser in the Indigenous Education Office. “We've gone through a large chapter of our lives together, not once but twice.

“I think that’s a special gift the Creator has given us.”

She adds that Keon continues to play an important role in her life.

“I would call my friendship with Kristine a beacon – she’s a beacon of hope, of kindness,” says Belcourt. “We both have similar backgrounds; we care a lot about our community and we try to give back as much as possible.”

Keon, for her part, agrees that their friendship is one that’s built on mutual support.

“I remember feeling very stressed one day in my undergrad and she came over to visit and we just did some drumming – and we did a smudge ceremony,” she says. “It was one of the happiest days of exam season for me.”

At ��ϲ��, both women not only reconnected with each other but also solidified their connection to their roots.

Keon says she feels lucky growing up with a sense of her identity given that so many Indigenous people in Canada didn’t have that opportunity because they lost family members to the residential school system. She adds that she often feels overwhelmed when she thinks about the stark contrast between her comfortable upbringing in York Region and the experience of her grandmother, who hid deep in the Quebec forests with family members to avoid being taken by authorities to a residential school.

“We didn’t have the opportunity to learn our traditional language because my grandmother never learned it,” she says. “Her parents were worried she’d get in trouble for speaking our language.”

Keon, who works as a research assistant at the lab of ��ϲ�� Professor John Rubinstein at the Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, plans to attend medical school at ��ϲ�� in the fall. She hopes to one day become a doctor so she can help address underrepresentation of Indigenous people in the medical field and provide a safe space for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the health-care system.

Kristine Keon, left, and Angelique Belcourt, right, share a laugh outside of First Nations House following the Indigenous Graduation ceremony earlier this year (photo by Johnny Guatto)

She is already thinking about how to use her research background to implement policy changes that could break down barriers and make health care more accessible for First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. That could include finding ways to merge traditional Indigenous medicine with a Western approach.

“I don’t know if we’re going to be able to bring in traditional medicines during brain surgery, but if there’s something that makes the patient feel better – if we all do a smudging ceremony beforehand or, if that’s not possible, being able to find alternatives in a way that doesn’t take away from culture – I think that’s ultimately what I hope to do.

“I hope that ultimately for all my patients, Indigenous or not, I can do things in a good way that makes people feel safe.”

Rubinstein, a professor of biochemistry and medical biophysics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and a senior scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children, is looking forward to watching Keon’s medical career unfold.

“Kristine is an amazing human being,” Rubinstein says. “She brings boundless energy and positivity to everything she does. I know she is destined for great things.”

As for Belcourt, she says her time at OISE taught her that lived experience and education began on the land.

“I can’t thank the Indigenous professors at OISE enough,” she says. “They translated their lived Indigenous experiences to create to their own unique educational space in the academy.”

While she says she came close to quitting her master’s studies more than once, she credits her professors and mentors at OISE for keeping her going. “They showed me that I deserved to be here,” she says.

She cites, in particular, the role of Lindsay DuPré, a former Indigenous education liaison at OISE. DuPré, who now works at the University of Victoria, says she feels fortunate to have earned Belcourt’s trust and have served as her sounding board as she explored complex research topics during her master’s degree. “I am excited to see how her ideas and community work will continue to evolve post-graduation,” DuPré says.

Belcourt’s academic journey – which ultimately included several awards and scholarships – was also given a lift by the youth-based Indigenous research work that she did in OISE’s Critical Indigenous Health and Social Action Lab under Jeffrey Ansloos, assistant professor in the department of applied psychology and human development.

“I was going through the hardest time of my life when I took his course and he just accepted me with grace and open arms,” says Belcourt. “He showed me that Indigenous spirituality could be part of my journey.”

Belcourt ended up asking Ansloos if he would supervise her master’s research project, which explored how Métis youth form identities as Indigenous people and was focused on youth from the Georgian Bay Métis community of Penetanguishene, Ont.

“We need to support Indigenous young people in making their dreams became a reality in the present and in our futures,” Belcourt says.

As for her own future, Belcourt is considering pursuing a PhD.

“I know that after my time at OISE, the sky is the limit,” she says. “I feel well equipped that in any room I walk into, I know there are people out there who will support me 100 per cent.”

“I firmly believe in communities of care.”

OISE student makes more than 1,000 masks for people in need: 'I felt the need to act'

lanthierj — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 20:29:52 +0000

OISE student makes more than 1,000 masks for people in need: 'I felt the need to act'

lanthierj Thu, 07/16/2020 - 16:29

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“I felt the need to act and help,,” says Fernanda Yanchapaxi, a doctoral student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (photo courtesy Fernanda Yanchapaxi Travez)

Topic

When Fernanda Yanchapaxi’s grandmother in Ecuador died early in the pandemic, she was unable to travel home to grieve with her family.

A doctoral student at the ��ϲ��'s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), she had difficulty reaching relatives, and wasn’t able to connect with friends in Toronto due to the lockdown.

Yanchapaxi felt the need to do something, so she started making non-medical masks – initially for friends and family, but then for others. She has now sewn more than 1,000 of them, donating them to Sistering, a local women’s multi-service agency for women, and St. Joseph’s Hospital, as well as to grocery store workers, nurses, and friends who are immunocompromised.

“I felt the need to act and help here [in Toronto],” she says.

Yanchapaxi’s six-year-old daughter assisted by folding and packing the masks and keeping a list of requests for donations.

“It helps her practise her writing and math, and she learns what it means to be a community member,” Yanchapaxi says.

She also sewed masks for two of her daughter’s friends, both pre-teens, who used their business platform, Leeloodles, to sell the masks and donate the proceeds to three Black and Indigenous organizations.

Yanchapaxi, who is researching ways to protect Indigenous knowledge for future generations, says she felt a sense of duty to take action.

“I’m a graduate student, with a student income, but I know that I am healthy, and that I have a home and food, and that I am in a more privileged position than other people here,” she said. “I did what I was able to do using my skills and limited resources.”

As COVID-19 cases increase among Indigenous communities in Ecuador and elsewhere, Yanchapaxi says it’s crucial to keep in mind that Indigenous peoples have been enduring loss and pandemics for generations.

“This might be the first time my generation has lived through a pandemic, but it is not the first time that our [Indigenous] communities have had to protect themselves while being underfunded, underserved, or left out from governmental actions,” she said. “As an Indigenous person, I feel I have an obligation to the people who live in the same land as me.

“If there are people in need, I should do what I can do to help.”

Activist, hip-hop artist, educator: ��ϲ�� grad Marcus Singleton shares his journey

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 16:28:51 +0000

Activist, hip-hop artist, educator: ��ϲ�� grad Marcus Singleton shares his journey Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 06/01/2020 - 12:28

Topic

For Marcus Singleton, graduating with a master’s degree in social justice education from the ��ϲ��’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) is just the latest step in his evolution as an activist, artist and educator.

Next up: OISE’s doctoral program in fall of 2020. After that: Bringing new ideas and approaches into schools.

“We have to teach the whole child,” says Singleton, who was chosen by OISE to be one of the student ambassadors representing divisions in the virtual convocation ceremony that airs June 2, 2020.

“You're not just teaching the mind but you're teaching the whole being.”

Helping students find their own voice is crucial, according to Singleton, who is an accomplished hip hop artist from Chicago’s South Side neighbourhood. He followed in the footsteps of his activist mother, who prized education and pursued multiple degrees even as she raised him in a community he describes as “tight-knit” but plagued by violence.

Inspired by educators in the U.S. and encouraged by ��ϲ�� Assistant Professor Rosalind Hampton, Singleton now wants to pay it forward by working with high school students “so that they could have the same spark, so they could take the baton further than I did.”

Convocation, Remembrance Day and Hart House’s centennial celebrations: Check out these November events

noreen.rasbach — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Convocation, Remembrance Day and Hart House’s centennial celebrations: Check out these November events

noreen.rasbach Fri, 11/01/2019 - 00:00

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(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Tom Yun

Topic

City & Culture

Convocation 2019

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

Hart House

Innis

Innis College

John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture

OISE

Remembrance Day

Rotman School of Management

Sexual & Gender Diversity Office

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

The temperatures may be dropping, but the number of events at the ��ϲ��’s three campuses remains high as we enter the final stretch of 2019.

Here’s some of what's taking place this month:

Nov. 1

Celebrate Diwali on campus with ��ϲ��’s Hindu Student Council. A pooja (prayer ritual) followed by a casual social will be held at the Multi-Faith Centre to mark the Hindu festival of lights.

Kick off November with ��ϲ�� Scarborough’s drama society at their fall open mic night. Talented students and faculty will be acting, singing, dancing, performing comedy and more. There will be snacks and refreshments.

Come to the ��ϲ�� Scarborough Library Makerspace for a zine workshop with the Scarborough Studies Collective and explore the stories of Scarborough though a creative lens. Workshops will take place on Nov. 1 and 8.

Nov. 4

Convocation ceremonies are taking place this week at Convocation Hall. Visit our Convocation 2019 hub for more information and stories.

The Fields Institute is organizing its 2019 Fields Medal Symposium at the Isabel Bader Theatre. Brazilian mathematician and 2014 Fields medallist Artur Avila will deliver the public lecture. Admission is free and open to the public.

��ϲ�� Scarborough’s artist talk series continues at the Doris McCarthy Gallery. Filipino-Canadian artist Patrick Cruz will be speaking about his work, which tackles issues of decolonization and globalization.

Nov. 6

The ��ϲ�� Scarborough cricket club is hosting an India vs. Pakistan match at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. The game will also be livestreamed.

Nov. 7

Visitors explore the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is opening its doors for its biannual open house. The library is the largest publicly accessible collection of rare books in Canada, with materials from as far back as the 16^th century.

See the opening of New Circadia, an installation at a new, 7,500-square-foot gallery in the lower level of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. The exhibition runs until April 20.

��ϲ��’s Sexual & Gender Diversity Office is marking its 20^th anniversary at Hart House. The event will feature a panel discussion on LGBTQ+ communities, moderated by Lance McCready, associate professor of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, followed by a reception.

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is taking place from Nov. 7 to 15, showcasing films by filmmakers from Asia and the Asian diaspora around the world. Films will be screened at various locations throughout the city, including ��ϲ��'s Isabel Bader Theatre and Innis Town Hall.

Former Liberal Party leader and writer Michael Ignatieff, the rector and president of Central European University in Budapest, will be speaking at the Munk School of Global Afffairs & Public Policy about populism and liberal democratic institutions. The event, which is sold out, will be livestreamed.

Nov. 8

The ancient Greek tragedy, The Oresteia, is being performed by Theatre Erindale at ��ϲ�� Mississauga on Nov. 8 to 10 and 15 to 17. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Nov. 11

An orchestra plays during a Remembrance Day ceremony at ��ϲ�� Scarborough (photo by Ken Jones)

It’s Remembrance Day and the ��ϲ�� community will pause to reflect on the sacrifices that Canada’s veterans have made.

A service of remembrance will be held at Soldiers’ Tower on the St. George campus, followed by a reception at Hart House.
At ��ϲ�� Mississauga, a ceremony will be held inside the Innovation Complex.
There will also be a ceremony at the Meeting Place at ��ϲ�� Scarborough that will feature the ��ϲ�� Scarborough concert band, concert choir and string orchestra.

Nov. 12

As part of Hart House’s 100^th anniversary, artist team Rebecca Belmore and Osvaldo Yero will be unveiling their public sculpture entitled waabidiziiyan doopwining at the Hart House Great Hall. The name means to see oneself at the table and the sculpture seeks to honour the past from an Indigenous perspective and to imagine the future. The work will be unveiled at the 100^th anniversary gala on Nov. 12 and the artists will host a discussion about their work on Nov. 13.

Nov. 13

Wendy Schmidt, the president of the Schmidt Family Foundation and the co-founder of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, will be delivering a keynote on issues relating to the ocean health as well as how scientific breakthroughs are helping restore our marine resources. Registration is free and the talk is taking place at the Health Sciences Building.

Explore the history of rap at Hip Hip 101 Café. Salman Rana, also known as YLook, will be leading a conversation on the role of faith in hip hop. The talk is taking place at ��ϲ�� Mississauga’s Maanjiwe Nendamowinan Building and is presented by Hart House and the Centre for Student Engagement and Inter-Faith.

Nov. 14

Acclaimed poet, author and documentarian Dionne Brand will be delivering the 2019 Harold Innis Lecture at Innis College. Her talk, “To look again: Fragments, history, fiction,” will be followed by a discussion moderated by Marieme Lo, ��ϲ�� associate professor and African studies program director.

Nov. 15

Catch the opening night of Hart House Theatre’s production of Portia’s Julius Caesar, which offers a feminist perspective of the classic Shakespearian tragedy. The play runs from Nov. 15 to 30. Tickets are $28 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for students.

Nov. 17

Hart House is pulling out all the stops for its centennial year. A concert series is being held throughout the school year to celebrate its 100^th anniversary. The Hart House Singers will be performing on Nov. 17, followed by the Hart House Chorus on Nov. 24 and the Hart House Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo on Nov. 25.

Nov. 18

As part of the Faculty of Arts & Science’s 2019 Wiegand Memorial Foundation Lecture, Cornell University professor and ��ϲ�� alumnus Andrew Hicks will take you on a journey through the sounds of the cosmos, from the “hushed woosh of gravitational waves” to the big bang. The free lecture is taking place at 6 p.m. at the Campbell Conference Facility.

Nov. 19

With populism on the rise, Stephen Lewis will be delivering a keynote at Hart House to talk about global engagement in the age of Trump. Lewis has been a UN diplomat and the leader of the Ontario NDP. He’ll also be joined by CBC Radio’s Shelagh Rogers and journalist and activist Michele Landsberg. Admission is $10 and free for students with a TCard.

Nov. 20

Woodworth College is holding the annual Saul Goldstein Memorial Lecture. Anna Shternshis, a professor and director at ��ϲ��’s Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies, will discuss how the Holocaust was documented through music.

Winter Market returns to ��ϲ�� Scarborough. Local vendors will gather at the Meeting Place in front of the Science Wing and will be selling fresh produce and artisanal crafts.

Nov. 21

This Is War is a play that follows four Canadian soldiers who struggle to deal with the psychological toll from their service in Afghanistan. The play opens at ��ϲ�� Mississauga’s Theatre Erindale on Nov. 21 and runs until the 24^th and again from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1.

Nov. 22

(photo by Drew Lesiuczok)

A ceremony will be held for the official opening of ��ϲ�� Mississauga’s newest building, Maanjiwe Nendamowinan, which houses many humanities and social science departments. The building bears an Anishinaabemowin name that means “gathering of minds.”

Nov. 27

What’s fair in the age of #MeToo? Globe and Mail investigative journalist Robyn Doolittle will be at the Rotman School of Management talking about her new book, Had it Coming, which looks into the culture shifts that have come as a result of #MeToo.

Nov. 28

Is the future of meat plant-based? ��ϲ��’s Lisa Kramer will be delivering a talk om Brampton on the marketplace for meat alternatives as well as the groundbreaking technology being used to develop these products.

Meet three ��ϲ�� scholars who are advancing research and care in adolescent and young adult mental health

noreen.rasbach — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 17:35:01 +0000

Meet three ��ϲ�� scholars who are advancing research and care in adolescent and young adult mental health

noreen.rasbach Wed, 01/30/2019 - 12:35

Cutline

Assistant Professor Chloe Hamza is working on a project that seeks to understand the unique stressors faced by first-year post-secondary students and how these stressors impact coping behaviours

Topic

Research & Innovation

Undergraduate Students

Researchers at the ��ϲ��’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education are playing a leading role in addressing the unique mental health challenges that young people face in today’s world.

From shedding light on how parents and schools can better support young adults to exploring how social media platforms can support the well-being of Indigenous youth, here are some of the ways OISE experts are making an impact.

Jeffrey Ansloos: Leveraging social media to improve Indigenous mental health and well-being

For some, Twitter is a platform used for entertainment. For others, it can be a vital resource for supporting mental health.

Understanding how social media and communications platforms can help to enhance and promote the well-being of Indigenous Peoples is the focus of a new research project, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and led by Jeffrey Ansloos in partnership with Twitter.

“We’re looking at how Indigenous Peoples are currently engaging in online spaces to do things that are good for their community and for themselves,” he says. “We want to know how we can leverage social media platforms to help Indigenous Peoples to connect to culture, community and relationships to the land.”

For many Indigenous communities, social media offers an important means of connection that’s essential to well-being.

Indigenous people have formed networks on Twitter around Indigenous language revitalization. Through other hashtag-constituted communities, Indigenous Peoples are reconnecting to traditional artistic practices, such as beadwork.

Activities like these that foster connection and a sense of community are vital for promoting Indigenous mental health and well-being, says Ansloos.

“When people engage in this sort of networked activity – sharing patterns and talking about how they source traditional products and resources – these connections support vibrant formations of cultural identity and provide a community for many to reflect on their own healing journeys,” he says. “These practices help people to heal from experiences of racism and cultural alienation, as well as restore their sense of connection to identity – things that have come to really impact Indigenous Peoples’ perception of their mental health.”

With this in mind, Ansloos is looking at how social media platforms can be leveraged to better support the ways in which Indigenous people are currently using them, and how they can be improved so that they can more broadly support mental health needs and the promotion of life.

“In the case of Twitter, we’ve learned that many Indigenous hashtag networks and communities using the platform for language learning are frequently targeted by individuals or groups seeking to spread hateful messages or racist content,” he says. “Now, we can better design practices and make policy recommendations that help to address and mitigate the risks of this content, support the repurposing of this space for connecting Indigenous people across the world to our home communities, and help us to connect to language, identity and culture.”

Ansloos’s passion for mental health is closely tied to his desire to improve the lives of the next generation of Indigenous youth.

“I think it’s important that we act more to make life for Indigenous youth more livable and joyous,” he says. “A deep love for my community and deep concern about the future are two anchoring points for why I do what I do.”

Jeffrey Ansloos is an assistant professor of Indigenous mental health and social policy. He is a member of Fisher River Cree Nation (Ochekwi-Sipi; Treaty 5), and is of mixed Nehiyaw (Cree) and English heritage.

Abby Goldstein: Identifying ways parents can best support the well-being of their live-in young adult child

For the first time in 130 years, more young adults are moving back in with their parents – or never leaving in the first place. In 2016, nearly one-third of Canadians aged 20 to 34 were living with a parent. In the transition to adulthood, many of these young adults are striving to establish their identity as well as career and financial stability. It can be a particularly stressful and difficult period.

Yet, Associate Professor Abby Goldstein believes that parents living with their young adult can play an important role in supporting their child’s mental health and well-being during this time. Finding out how is the focus of her new research, supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Goldstein, who is the Canada Research Chair in the Psychology of Emerging Adulthood, has been collecting data from young adults on their daily interactions with parents to understand how they affect mental health. It turns out these interactions are extremely important.

“We are finding evidence that parents can make a real difference in terms of how they are supporting the day-to-day mental health and well-being of their young adult children,” Goldstein says. “On days when young adults feel listened to or supported by their parents, they are much more likely to report greater well-being on those days than on days where they feel like their parents are criticizing them.”

Goldstein says that down the line she hopes to develop interventions that support parents and young adults in building relationships that facilitate healthy transitions into adulthood.

“I’ve met many parents who are struggling to help their child through this time, and there aren’t many resources out there. I want to provide these parents with practical strategies for fostering healthy communication that meets the developmental needs of their emerging adult child.”

Dr. Abby Goldstein is an associate professor in the department of applied psychology and human development. Her research focuses on risk behaviours in young adulthood, including alcohol use, marijuana use, gambling and dating violence.

Chloe Hamza: Promoting positive long-term mental health outcomes for post-secondary students

Studies have shown that as many as one in four undergraduate students in Canada are experiencing mental health concerns.

The stakes are high. Research shows that three-quarters of lifetime mental disorders first appear between ages 18 to 24, the typical age range of post-secondary students. Left untreated, young adults are at increased risk for academic under-performance and attrition, as well as physical and mental health problems later in life.

“This is a sensitive period of development where mental health trajectories are set or altered in enduring ways,” says Assistant Professor Chloe Hamza. “Prevention, early detection and intervention is critical.”

It’s this desire to improve the long-term mental health and well-being of young adults that drove Hamza, a lifespan developmental psychologist, to dedicate the past decade to studying their mental health.

Right now, she is working on a project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council that seeks to understand the unique stressors faced by first-year post-secondary students and how these stressors impact coping behaviours. Focusing on this demographic is important because for many students, the transition to post-secondary education can be particularly influential on mental health, Hamza says.

“Navigating new roles and responsibilities such as living away from home or managing academic and financial pressures can be very challenging, leading to stress, anxiety, and other overwhelming negative emotions,” Hamza says. "While many cope well, others have more difficulty – turning to harmful coping behaviours like binge drinking, substance use and self-harm.

“If we can understand the processes through which stressors impact coping behaviour, we may be better able to prevent unhealthy coping behaviours and intervene early to promote positive long-term mental health outcomes for post-secondary students.”

Hamza hopes this research project, which began with a survey of first-year undergraduates at the ��ϲ�� last fall, will help schools develop targeted programming to mitigate stressors as well as support students in developing more effective coping behaviours.

Dr. Chloe Hamza is an assistant professor in the department of applied psychology and human development. Her research program focuses on the development of mental health concerns in adolescence and young adulthood, particularly self-injurious behaviours.

High school students tackle global issues at ��ϲ��

ullahnor — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 16:56:54 +0000

High school students tackle global issues at ��ϲ��

ullahnor Mon, 04/16/2018 - 12:56

Cutline

Students from Bayview Glen School, from left to right, William Stanfield, Chantalle Matousek and Yi Li at last week's Global Ideas Institute (photo by Chris Tomalty)

Daviel Lazure Vieira

Topic

Global Lens

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

OISE

Rotman School of Management

Students from more than 25 high schools across the Toronto area came to ��ϲ��'s Munk School of Global Affairs last week for the Global Ideas Institute's final symposium.

A collaboration between Munk, ��ϲ�� Schools, the Rotman School of Management, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and World Vision Canada, the program offers students in grades 11 and 12 an opportunity to engage first-hand with the most pressing challenges of our times and work to find innovative solutions.

This year, students explored solutions to global food insecurity. In previous years, they've tackled other global issues ranging from financial inclusion to birth registration.

Students attend monthly lectures delivered by experts in the field, brainstorm together in facilitated workshops, and are given additional material designed to awaken their creativity – news clippings, academic research papers, personal stories and statistics.

Bayview Glen School students, from left to right, Sangkavi Kuhan, William Stanfield, Yi Li, Chantalle Matousek and Armaan Marwaha (photo by Chris Tomalty)

At the final symposium on Friday, they presented the results of their work to a panel of experts composed of professors, entrepreneurs, and members of non-profit organizations, such as The Shop Community Food Centre or World Vision Canada.

“I came to the Global Ideas Institute thinking this would be a very special experience before stepping into society,” says Yi Li, a student at Bayview Glen School. “We met amazing people who taught us how to shape our ideas so they can actually work in real life.”

Now in its eighth year, the program is guided by an advisory committee made up of faculty and staff from across the Munk School as well as influencers from outside the university.

“It’s about pushing boundaries and creating the next generation of decision-makers by enabling them to acquire the skills they need to be true global citizens,” explains Kathleen Gnocato, the program director of Global Ideas Institute and a Munk alumna. “We train students to think holistically about complex issues and encourage them to tackle problem-solving differently.”

Choir! Choir! Choir! and an all-night art party: Check out these January events at ��ϲ��

Romi Levine — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 20:07:35 +0000

Choir! Choir! Choir! and an all-night art party: Check out these January events at ��ϲ��

Romi Levine Tue, 01/16/2018 - 15:07

Cutline

Choir! Choir! Choir! comes to ��ϲ�� on Jan. 17 (photo by Rick Harris via Flickr)

Topic

City & Culture

Faculty of Arts & Science

Graduate Students

Hart House

McLuhan Centre for Culture & Technology

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

OISE

Rotman School of Management

��ϲ�� Mississauga

��ϲ�� Scarborough

Undergraduate Students

Chilly January days make it tempting to go into hibernation mode – only leaving the house when it’s absolutely necessary. But with so many fascinating and fun (and indoor!) events taking place at and around the ��ϲ�� campuses this month, there’s plenty worth bundling up for – ranging from a fine dining etiquette lesson in Mississauga to this weekend's Women's March in downtown Toronto. There's even an event for which you don't have to change out of your pyjamas.

Jan. 17
If you were lucky enough to get tickets to this sold-out Choir! Choir! Choir! event, start practising your vocal exercises now. The hugely popular choir group is coming to the Isabel Bader Theatre at ��ϲ��’s downtown Toronto campus as part of UTSU’s Frost Week.

Not in the mood for singing? Tranzac is hosting a Story Collider speaker series, where Toronto scientists are sharing stories about how they became interested in their fields. The event includes a number of ��ϲ�� experts including a planetary geologist and an astronomer.

Jan. 18
Still trying to process 2017? Head to the the Vivian and David Campbell Conference Facility at the Munk School of Global Affairs for the 14th annual Seymour Lipset Memorial Lecture: The Populist Challenge to Liberal Democracy. You’ll hear from William A. Galston, an American political commentator who worked for Clinton administration and was involved in six presidential campaigns.

Jan. 19-20
If you’re a recent grad or are graduating this year from the Faculty of Arts & Science, head to this weekend’s Next Steps Conference at Chestnut Residence. It’s free to attend the two-day event where you’ll hear from Ojibwe broadcaster Jesse Wente and other industry leaders about the amazing things you can do after you graduate.

Monday Night Seminars (photo by Romi Levine)

Jan. 20
Explore the the ways in which religion and human rights intersect in Canada at an engaging event taking place at the Centre for International Experience. The discussion will explore the role of religious communities in addressing social policy issues, touching on Indigenous rights and Islamaphobia.

Jan. 22
On Monday evening, head to ��ϲ��’s tiny coach house – the home of the McLuhan Centre – for a Monday Night Seminar. This week’s event is called Media Labours of Love and brings together leading media experts from ��ϲ��, Cornell and Ryerson for a discussion about how technology and media shape our lives.

Jan. 23
Chizoba Imoka, a PhD candidate in the educational leadership and policy program at OISE, will deliver the 17th Annual Hancock Lecture: Black and Educated? Unveiling The Contradictions and Redesigning The Future at Hart House. She’ll be talking about how we can transform the education system to empower black students to bring about change in their communities.

Jan. 24
Today’s your chance to hear ��ϲ�� Scarborough’s new writer-in-residence Aisha Sasha John. The poet, dancer and choreographer who performed at the Whitney Museum of American Art this past summer will be participating in a lunch time author reading.

If you’re on the Fire and Fury waiting list, you’ll want to attend this event: Author, columnist and former White House speechwriter David Frum will be speaking to Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, and Heather Reisman, CEO of Indigo Books & Music, about his new book Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic at the Rotman School of Management.

Jan. 25
Put on your comfiest pair of PJs and go to Hart House for the Night of Ideas – an all-night event happening in 50 cities around the world, bringing together artists, philosophers, neuroscientists and other fascinating folks for an evening of interactive events centred around the concept of sleep.

Jan. 29
The ��ϲ�� community will come together on the one-year anniversary of the mosque shooting in Quebec to remember the six Muslim men who were killed. More details will be released soon.

In Memoriam: Barry and Honey Sherman

lanthierj — Sat, 16 Dec 2017 04:28:53 +0000

In Memoriam: Barry and Honey Sherman

lanthierj Fri, 12/15/2017 - 23:28

Topic

Our Community

Alumni

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

New College

OISE

The ��ϲ�� community is deeply saddened to learn that Bernard (Barry) Sherman and Honey Sherman – two of our most prominent alumni and visionary supporters – have died.

“Barry and Honey were proud graduates of the ��ϲ��,” says ��ϲ�� president Meric Gertler. “Their far-reaching philanthropy supported Baycrest, Mount Sinai Hospital, the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, the United Way of Greater Toronto, and so many other important institutions and causes. At ��ϲ��, Barry and Honey were incredibly generous supporters of our Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. And Barry was highly engaged as a member of our Entrepreneurship Leadership Council, providing guidance and advice in support of the University’s efforts to build a strong ecosystem for entrepreneurship and innovation. Our thoughts are with their close friends and family during this difficult time.”

Barry Sherman (B.A.Sc. 1964) joined the University’s engineering science program in 1958 at the age of 16. Honey Sherman was a graduate of New College (B.A. 1969) and OISE (B.Ed. 1970), and was recognized with an Arbor Award in 2003 for her volunteerism at ��ϲ��.

In 1974, Sherman launched Apotex, which became Canada’s largest generic drug maker. Today, the company employs more than 10,000 people and produces more than 300 generic pharmaceuticals that are exported to some 115 countries around the globe. Meanwhile, the company’s charitable arm – the Apotex Foundation – has donated more than more $50 million in life-saving medications to populations around the world.

In Toronto, Barry and Honey Sherman’s generosity is legendary. Over the last four decades, they have donated millions of dollars to medical research and health-care facilities, as well as vital community organizations such as the United Jewish Appeal and the United Way.

At the ��ϲ��, the Shermans, together with the Apotex Foundation, gave more than $12 million to medicine and to pharmacy education and research, helping us build cutting-edge facilities and prepare the next generation of innovators in the field.

The Shermans also gave their time generously as volunteers, with Barry serving on ��ϲ��’s Entrepreneurship Leadership Council, and Honey serving on the Boundless Campaign Executive and in many other volunteer capacities.

“I was very saddened to learn about the sudden passing of Barry and Honey Sherman who were visionary philanthropists and important contributors to our faculty,” said Heather Boon, dean of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the ��ϲ��. “My deepest sympathies are with the family at this time.”

Funeral services for Barry and Honey Sherman will take place on Thursday, Dec. 21, at 11 a.m. at the International Centre in Mississauga.

OISE

‘A big moment’: ��ϲ�� alumni who graduated with virtual convocations return for in-person celebrations

13 days of celebrations – a huge undertaking

Inspired by her father’s message, Jacque/line Lavallee earns doctorate at age 79: CTV

Read more at CTV News

Read more about Jacque/line Lavallee

Bonded like sisters, ��ϲ�� grads lean on each other as they explore their Indigenous roots

OISE student makes more than 1,000 masks for people in need: 'I felt the need to act'

Activist, hip-hop artist, educator: ��ϲ�� grad Marcus Singleton shares his journey

Convocation, Remembrance Day and Hart House’s centennial celebrations: Check out these November events

Nov. 1

Nov. 4

Nov. 6

Nov. 7

Nov. 8

Nov. 11

Nov. 12

Nov. 13

Nov. 15

Nov. 17

Nov. 18

Nov. 19

Nov. 20

Nov. 21

Nov. 22

Nov. 27

Nov. 28

Meet three ��ϲ�� scholars who are advancing research and care in adolescent and young adult mental health

Jeffrey Ansloos: Leveraging social media to improve Indigenous mental health and well-being

Abby Goldstein: Identifying ways parents can best support the well-being of their live-in young adult child

Chloe Hamza: Promoting positive long-term mental health outcomes for post-secondary students

High school students tackle global issues at ��ϲ��

Read more about the program

Choir! Choir! Choir! and an all-night art party: Check out these January events at ��ϲ��

In Memoriam: Barry and Honey Sherman

OISE

‘A big moment’: ������ϲ����� alumni who graduated with virtual convocations return for in-person celebrations

13 days of celebrations – a huge undertaking

Inspired by her father’s message, Jacque/line Lavallee earns doctorate at age 79: CTV

Read more at CTV News

Read more about Jacque/line Lavallee

Bonded like sisters, ������ϲ����� grads lean on each other as they explore their Indigenous roots

OISE student makes more than 1,000 masks for people in need: 'I felt the need to act'

Activist, hip-hop artist, educator: ������ϲ����� grad Marcus Singleton shares his journey

Convocation, Remembrance Day and Hart House’s centennial celebrations: Check out these November events

Nov. 1

Nov. 4

Nov. 6

Nov. 7

Nov. 8

Nov. 11

Nov. 12

Nov. 13

Nov. 15

Nov. 17

Nov. 18

Nov. 19

Nov. 20

Nov. 21

Nov. 22

Nov. 27

Nov. 28

Meet three ������ϲ����� scholars who are advancing research and care in adolescent and young adult mental health

Jeffrey Ansloos: Leveraging social media to improve Indigenous mental health and well-being

Abby Goldstein: Identifying ways parents can best support the well-being of their live-in young adult child

Chloe Hamza: Promoting positive long-term mental health outcomes for post-secondary students

High school students tackle global issues at ������ϲ�����

Read more about the program

Choir! Choir! Choir! and an all-night art party: Check out these January events at ������ϲ�����

In Memoriam: Barry and Honey Sherman

‘A big moment’: ��ϲ�� alumni who graduated with virtual convocations return for in-person celebrations

Bonded like sisters, ��ϲ�� grads lean on each other as they explore their Indigenous roots

Activist, hip-hop artist, educator: ��ϲ�� grad Marcus Singleton shares his journey

Meet three ��ϲ�� scholars who are advancing research and care in adolescent and young adult mental health

High school students tackle global issues at ��ϲ��

Choir! Choir! Choir! and an all-night art party: Check out these January events at ��ϲ��