Indigenous

Convocation 2024

Convocation Hall

The first-ever Indigenous beaded stole was introduced to the 91�Թ�’s convocation ceremonies last week.

Created by artist Katie Longboat, the stole is worn by the Eagle Feather Bearer, who leads the chancellor’s procession into Convocation Hall, and symbolizes the university’s enduring partnership with Indigenous Peoples.

In a video released today, Longboat explains that the design is inspired by the campuses’ natural surroundings and includes elements such oak leaves, acorns, pine needles, a blue poppy flower, a trillium flower and a beaver.

“Another element in the beadwork is the waterways,” said Longboat, who is originally from Six Nations of the Grand River.

“If you look closely, there are what look like streams flowing from the top to the bottom of the work and that represents the waterways in Toronto that are connected to the area.”

A lifelong advocate for Indigenous Peoples, Wilton Littlechild receives 91�Թ� honorary degree

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 20:04:17 +0000

A lifelong advocate for Indigenous Peoples, Wilton Littlechild receives 91�Թ� honorary degree Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 06/06/2024 - 16:04

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(photo by Steve Frost)

Scott Anderson

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Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Convocation 2024

Faculty of Information

Honorary Degree

Truth and Reconciliation

As a youth, Wilton Littlechild, like so many Indigenous children, was removed from his home and sent to a nearby residential school. Since then, he has devoted much of his life to helping others overcome the legacy of this experience and promoting respect and justice for Indigenous Peoples in Canada and around the world.

Today, in recognition of his inspirational and transformative advocacy for Indigenous rights and human rights, Littlechild will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the 91�Թ�.

Born in Hobbema, Alta. (now Maskwacis) in 1944, Littlechild was initially raised by his grandparents in the Ermineskin Cree Nation and taught the traditional ways of the Cree people. At the age of six, he was taken from his family and placed at a nearby residential school; he later attended others. In an interview with Cultural Survival, he recalled the physical abuse he experienced at the schools and the trauma of being separated from family.

“Your family bond, if not broken, is really stretched to the limit,” he said.

At school, he wasn’t allowed to speak his own language or practise his own culture. “They were outlawed completely,” he said. Nor was he permitted to see his siblings, even though they attended the same school.

To escape this grim reality, he started jogging – several kilometres around the school compound – every night. “I didn’t know why I was doing it and often times I’d break down and cry, but after I finished the run, I would feel better,” he said at an event last year at 91�Թ�’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education. “Sport became my escape and my salvation … it gave me an opportunity to go to university and play, to compete and travel the world.”

(photo by Steve Frost)

Littlechild came to believe so strongly in the power of sport for personal advancement that he founded and coached the first all-Indigenous junior hockey team in Alberta, and helped establish the North American Indigenous Games and, later, the World Indigenous Games. “Finding that balance between looking after your physical health and your mental health, and being proud of who you are culturally, provides a wholesome foundation for life,” he said.

Littlechild excelled at hockey, swimming and baseball. At the University of Alberta, he swam competitively and played on the hockey team, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1967. He went on to get a master’s in the subject and then enrolled at law school, becoming the first status Indian from Alberta ever to earn a degree in law in 1976.

After graduating, Littlechild established a law practice on Ermineskin reserve and in 1977 was invited to be part of the Indigenous delegation that contributed to the writing of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

That experience marked the beginning of a lifetime of advocacy for Indigenous rights in Canada and around the world. In 1981, he appeared before British courts to make a case against patriating the Canadian constitution until it included guarantees of Indigenous rights.

He decided to run for federal office, and in 1988 was elected as a Progressive Conservative in the riding of Wetaskiwin, Alta, becoming the first MP ever to hold Treaty Indian status. Years later, in Saskatchewan, he chaired a commission to investigate and make recommendations about the treatment of First Nations and Métis people by that province’s police and justice system. Its final report, issued in 2004, made more than 100 recommendations to address systemic racism against Indigenous people.

Not long after, Littlechild was named a commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Its final report, released in 2015, argued that the residential school program had resulted in cultural genocide. It made 94 Calls to Action. At the time, he told Cultural Survival that he saw the role as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute to building a better Canada – one that is inclusive of everyone.”

In the Cree language, “reconciliation” is called Miyowahkotowin, which translates as “having good relations.” Sometimes, Littlechild said in the same interview, that means letting go of a bad experience and practising forgiveness. “There needs to be the truth, an apology, forgiveness and a sense of justice. Then we can talk about true reconciliation.”

For his advocacy for Indigenous rights and the advancement of Indigenous peoples, Littlechild has received numerous awards. He was made a member of the Order of Canada in 1998 and was promoted to companion in 2023. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and an Indspire Award for law and justice. In 2018, he was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Congratulations Class of 2024! 91�Թ� prepares for spring convocation

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 27 May 2024 19:32:48 +0000

Congratulations Class of 2024! 91�Թ� prepares for spring convocation rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 05/27/2024 - 15:32

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Some 16,000 students are set to graduate during 34 ceremonies in June

The 91�Թ�’s three campuses are abuzz as graduating students prepare to turn the page on a transformative period of their lives and celebrate their accomplishments at this year’s spring convocation ceremonies.

More than 13,000 graduating students will cross the stage inside Convocation Hall on the St. George campus and receive their degrees during 34 ceremonies held between June 3 and 21. They will be cheered on by their fellow graduands, families and friends.

This spring’s graduating students represent 123 countries, including Canada, and range in age from 17 to 70. In all, more than 21,500 students will graduate from 91�Թ� this year, including some 16,000 this spring.

“Many members of the Class of 2024 began their post-secondary studies during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world was turned upside down,” said 91�Թ� President Meric Gertler. “And each of this year’s graduands persevered and succeeded despite that extraordinary challenge.

“The qualities they demonstrated will serve them well in their chosen fields and in their efforts to help build a more just and sustainable world.

“On behalf of the entire 91�Թ�, I thank them for their contributions, and I congratulate them on their achievements.”

This year’s spring convocation schedule gets underway on June 3 with ceremonies for Honours Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Arts students from 91�Թ� Mississauga and culminates with University College’s commerce and science graduands on June 21. Each ceremony will be livestreamed at 91�Թ�’s Convocation Hub. And viewers in mainland China can watch the broadcasts on MyMedia two to three days after the original ceremony date.

Graduating students and their guests – up to two family members or friends per student – who attend one of the ceremonies at Convocation Hall will take part in a number of rich convocation traditions. They include inspirational convocation speakers; colourful hoods and flowing gowns; a bedel carrying 91�Թ�’s gold-plated mace; a 51-bell carillon ringing out from atop Soldiers’ Tower; and the chancellor’s procession led by an Eagle Feather Bearer carrying a ceremonial Eagle Feather that was first introduced to 91�Թ�’s convocation ceremonies in spring 2022.

This year’s spring ceremonies will also feature the inaugural appearance of the Eagle Feather Bearer’s Stole, which, like the Eagle Feather and Eagle Feather Bearer, symbolizes the university’s deep respect for Indigenous Peoples and cultural traditions. Designed by Katie Longboat, a Mohawk and Cree artist originally from Six Nations of the Grand River, the stole is inspired by nature around campus with beadwork depicting Toronto’s waterways and 91�Թ� symbols such as the beaver.

Ten luminaries will receive honorary degrees at this year’s spring ceremonies.

As the ceremonies draw closer, 91�Թ� staff are hard at work preparing Convocation Hall and meticulously checking students’ names against printed parchments that are placed into envelopes. Meanwhile, dozens of convocation readers – who comprise current and retired faculty as well as staff – spend hours preparing to read graduands’ names.

Come their big day, graduating students can collect their regalia at the Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship (a TCard or government-issued photo ID is required) before assembling for the procession to Convocation Hall. They will be presented on stage by degree in alphabetical order.

The recessional concludes on Galbraith Road, where new graduates can reunite with their guests.

Further information on how to best participate in the long-standing tradition of convocation at 91�Թ� can be found in an FAQ at the Convocation Hub, including a reminder that graduating students and their guests are only permitted to bring small clutch/handbags inside Convocation Hall, while all other personal effects must be placed in transparent plastic bags.

Diploma frames, Class of 2024 merchandise and other apparel and gifts can be purchased at the 91�Թ� Bookstore, which is located a short distance from Convocation Hall and will have extended hours during the convocation season.

Chancellor Rose Patten, who confers all degrees as chair of convocation, commended the members of the graduating class on their many achievements.

“I would like to congratulate each and every member of the Class of 2024 for reaching this important milestone,” said Patten, who will participate in her final 91�Թ� convocation ceremony this spring as her second term as chancellor draws to a close. “Our graduating students are a source of immense pride for the entire 91�Թ� community. They embody our mission to foster intellectual excellence, creativity and compassion to help build a better world.

“We look forward to seeing what you go on to accomplish in your lives and careers to come.”

91�Թ� astronomers and Kâpapâmahchakwêw – Wandering Spirit School collaborate on science programming for Indigenous students

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 14 May 2024 18:23:37 +0000

91�Թ� astronomers and Kâpapâmahchakwêw – Wandering Spirit School collaborate on science programming for Indigenous students

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 05/14/2024 - 14:23

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Students, teachers and caregivers from Kâpapâmahchakwêw – Wandering Spirit School gather with 91�Թ� astronomers to watch the April 8 total solar eclipse at Chiefswood Park on Six Nations of the Grand River (photo by Suresh Sivanandam)

Michael Pereira

Topic

Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics

Indigenous Initiatives

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Truth and Reconciliation

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The groundwork is currently being laid for a coding club and mentoring programs, among other initiatives

A group of astronomers from the 91�Թ� and students, teachers and caregivers from Toronto’s Kâpapâmahchakwêw – Wandering Spirit School recently shared a once-in-a-lifetime experience: witnessing a total solar eclipse.

The April 8 gathering, which took place in Chiefswood Park on Six Nations of the Grand River, saw the astronomers bring telescopes with solar filters that allowed viewers to observe sunspots and watch as the moon slowly eclipsed the sun. The event also served as a forum for young learners and community members to share traditional knowledge and ask plenty of questions.

It was one of many engagements planned as part of a partnership between 91�Թ�’s Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics and the Kâpapâmahchakwêw – Wandering Spirit School, which was founded in 1977 and gives students from kindergarten to Grade 12 the opportunity to learn about Anishinaabe cultural traditions.

Totality at Chiefswood Park (photo by Kara Manovich)

In the future, there are also plans for a coding club, mentoring and tutoring programs, and training for teachers.

“Kâpapâmahchakwêw – Wandering Spirit School is grateful for the growing partnership with Dunlap because it provides an opportunity to practise reciprocity in knowledge sharing,” said Elise Twyford, the school’s principal. “The students and community learned about – and experienced – astrophysics and astronomy, and also had the opportunity to build their skills in sharing traditional knowledge and world views.

“I appreciate the care and thoughtfulness of the Dunlap and 91�Թ� team in collaborating with Kâpapâmahchakwêw students as partners in learning.”

The roots of the partnership stretch back to 2022 when Emma Stromberg, Indigenous partnership adviser at the Faculty of Arts & Science, and Associate Professor Susan Hill, director of the Centre for Indigenous Studies, approached Dunlap with an opportunity to work with teachers and students from Kâpapâmahchakwêw.

A close-up photo of the moon totally eclipsing the sun on April 8 above Chiefswood Park (photo by Suresh Sivanandam)

“We wanted to see if we could match up the needs and interests of the school to resources at 91�Թ�, to build something that can be sustained,” Stromberg says. “Consistent with 91�Թ�’s commitments to reconciliation, it is incumbent on all of us to think of ways to redress, in small and big ways, the impacts of settler colonialism and push resources into the community wherever possible.”

Some 20 members of the Dunlap community have since volunteered to help, with many of them recently participating in a workshop with John Croutch from the Office of Indigenous Initiatives to learn about the continued impacts of settler colonialism and what it means to be an ally to Indigenous Peoples.

The 91�Թ� astronomers said the opportunity to share a total solar eclipse was a memorable moment for everyone involved.

“You could hear lots of kids screaming in excitement and people gasping in awe at seeing totality,” said Associate Professor Suresh Sivanandam, interim director of the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics in the Faculty of Arts & Science. “When I walked out of there, I thought, ‘These are the moments in my job where I feel completely fulfilled because I helped other people experience the joy of astronomy.’”

Students recreate the total solar eclipse with paint and pastels on black paper (photo by Emma Stromberg)

Professor Roberto Abraham, chair of the faculty’s David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics, said he was the same age as some of the students when he first saw a total solar eclipse.

“It was magic,” he said. “Once you see a total solar eclipse, you won’t be the same person afterwards.”

Earlier this year, Sivanandam and Abraham visited the school to meet students, teachers and staff and hear about how astronomers at 91�Թ� can best support them.

For Twyford, the relationship with 91�Թ� immerses Kâpapâmahchakwêw students in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics in ways that wouldn’t be possible in the classroom.

“I know that many students now see the wonder and possibility of these sciences and are even more motivated to continue their learning,” Twyford said. “It also helps to complement the traditional and cultural.”

Domes near Highland Creek Valley offer a space to link Indigenous knowledge, community and entrepreneurship

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:05:35 +0000

Domes near Highland Creek Valley offer a space to link Indigenous knowledge, community and entrepreneurship

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 04/25/2024 - 16:05

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(From left) Lindy Kinoshameg, Jillian Sutherland and Leslie McCue from the dance group Odawa Wiingushk performed at an opening ceremony for the Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Garden Project (all photos by Junyoung Moon)

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The domes, located at 91�Թ� Scarborough, are being constructed as part of the Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Garden Project

Four 24-foot domes resembling giant golf balls have been erected beside the tennis courts in the Highland Creek Valley at the 91�Թ� Scarborough – high-tech greenhouses equipped with solar panels, irrigation systems and geothermal tubes that run deep underground.

The domes were constructed as part of the Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Garden Project, an initiative that aims to offer a hands-on complement to the Indigenous Entrepreneurship Workshops, which begin this September and are designed to help students and community members connect Indigenous knowledge, community and entrepreneurship.

The workshops were co-created – and will be taught – by Jonathon Araujo Redbird, a business leader from Saugeen First Nation who runs Redbird Circle Inc., a company specializing in entrepreneurship training based on Indigenous knowledges and values. They’re being offered in partnership with 91�Թ� Scarborough’s The BRIDGE and 91�Թ� Mississauga’s ICUBE accelerators.

“We want Indigenous youth to come here and make it their second home and learn about the land, how to grow produce from the land and how we can learn entrepreneurship through that process,” says Redbird, who co-founded Redbird Circle with Christina Tachtampa.

The four domes are connected both physically – through an accessible pathway – and thematically

Redbird Circle first partnered with ICUBE in 2021 to offer the Indigenous Entrepreneurship Program. The company then collaborated with the Indigenous Network non-profit to bring the idea of a garden project to life, with the help of a grant from the Canada Community Revitalization Fund.

The series comprises a free, virtual 12-week program modelled on the medicine wheel – an Indigenous symbol of balance between physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

The medicine wheel also inspired the themes for the domes, which are interconnected and will stay at a humid 35 degrees C year-round.

The first dome will be dedicated to growing crops that support wellness, while the second will be used to test ways to rejuvenate soil without using chemicals. The third dome will be used to teach entrepreneurship through crops and to find ways to turn produce into high-yield sources of income for Indigenous people and communities.

Finally, dome four will be devoted to experimenting with agriculture technologies, starting with vertical farming equipment made by 91�Թ� startup Just Vertical.

All four domes will be accessible for people using mobility devices and entirely self-sustaining when construction finishes in the coming months.

Jonathon Araujo Redbird (centre) spoke to community members at the opening ceremony in April

Redbird, who grew up in the Gabriel Dumont housing complex in Scarborough, says he has experienced how difficult it can be for Indigenous people to stay connected to the land on urban reserves. He adds Indigenous people face an added obstacle to building intergenerational wealth in the form of the Indian Act, which he says makes it challenging to borrow money and impossible to trade land with people outside their communities.

“If Indigenous people want to build intergenerational wealth, the only way to do that is to leave our traditional lands and come to the cities,” he says. “And when we do come to the cities, the prices are very high to purchase a home.”

But Redbird says entrepreneurial thinking can play a role in empowering Indigenous people, with agriculture providing one important avenue.

While the workshop series is designed for Indigenous learners, it is open to anyone interested in traditional Indigenous knowledge and entrepreneurship, with community members encouraged to share their thoughts on how they envision the domes’ layouts and uses.

The opening ceremony invited local community members to give their feedback on their visions for the domes

“This is a space that’s very much been created and will continue to be improved upon through that consultative approach and listening to community feedback,” says Arjuna Thaskaran, industry partnerships, innovation and work-integrated learning lead at The BRIDGE. “It’s about having the community take ownership of the space and drive how they want to shape it.”

Various academic departments have expressed interest in collaborating on the program. “There are discussions with several programs about Indigenizing some of the current projects and curriculum, and learning about sustainability through Indigenous approaches to urban agriculture,” says Dave Fenton, assistant director of external relations in 91�Թ� Scarborough’s department of management.

Total solar eclipse is a cosmic marvel to be shared with loved ones – in keeping with Indigenous teachings

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 20:27:49 +0000

Total solar eclipse is a cosmic marvel to be shared with loved ones – in keeping with Indigenous teachings

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 04/05/2024 - 16:27

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Laurie Rousseau-Nepton, an assistant professor in 91�Թ�’s David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics and the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, says she’s planning to experience the eclipse alongside a sea of spectators at Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau (supplied image)

Adina Bresge

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Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics

Eclipse

Space

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"It will probably take 100 years before we get to see another one,” says astrophysicist Laurie Rousseau-Nepton of 91�Թ�’s Dunlap Institute"

91�Թ� astrophysicist Laurie Rousseau-Nepton is brimming with anticipation for her first total solar eclipse.

As eager as she is to witness the celestial spectacle on Monday, Rousseau-Nepton says she’s equally as excited to share in the communal awe of people coming together to marvel at the cosmos.

An assistant professor in the Faculty of Arts & Science’s David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics and Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, Rousseau-Nepton says she’s planning to experience the eclipse alongside a sea of spectators at Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau.

“We’re all going to be there experiencing this – most of us for the first time, and maybe for the only time in our lives,” she says. “It will be so special not only for me, but for everybody that will be there.”

Rousseau-Nepton recently spoke to 91�Թ� News about this rare astronomical alignment, the scientific opportunities it presents and Indigenous knowledge about eclipses.

What makes this eclipse special?

The upcoming eclipse on April 8th is a total solar eclipse that will be visible in the south part of the country close to major city centres. That means a lot of people will be able to see a total solar eclipse, which is extremely rare. It will probably take 100 years before we get to see another one.

We are very lucky on Earth. Our moon is just about the right size and distance to create this beautiful little display. When the moon is positioned between us and the sun, it will block out the light – and for a few minutes, it will be completely dark. We’ll see things that we never see normally: stars during the day, some planets as well, and the sun’s corona.

This eclipse is also happening close to the maximum of the sun cycle. The sun has a magnetic cycle that lasts about 11 years, and the maximum is expected to be in 2025. That means there’s going to be more sunspots, more solar eruption and people who are able to see auroras in the North will get to see some beautiful displays.

If we’re really lucky and there’s a solar eruption at the same time, we’ll be able to see features of the sun beyond the corona. It’s a little bit like winning the lottery. It might not happen, but it is possible.

What are some of the scientific opportunities this eclipse presents?

During totality, the moon will block the sunlight completely – you’ll still be able to see the moon, but it’ll look slightly different.

The light that will be visible on the surface of the moon is actually the light that first bounces on the Earth’s atmosphere, then goes back onto the moon and back to us. So that light is ultimately light from the Earth’s atmosphere glow. That’s something we can study by pointing instruments at the moon in that moment to get a glimpse of the Earth’s glow and measure it.

What does Indigenous Knowledge tell us about eclipses?

In the Innu community, we have this hero called Tshakapesh – he is known as the man on the moon. After a long life full of adventures, he ended up on the moon and that’s where he is now, looking at us. In one story, Tshakapesh was hunting and trapping when he felt like something was following him. He wanted to trap it, so he put a snare where the snow had melted on a very defined path. And the next morning, the sun got trapped into it. That story is closely related to a lunar eclipse of the sun, when the moon is slightly farther away from us, so we see a line of light around the sun during totality. That line of light represents the snare that Tshakapesh used to capture the sun. The story also involves animals that release the sun – and during the eclipse, we can see some constellations and stars that represent the spirits of those animals.

Across Canada, in many Indigenous stories the eclipse is often a sign of peace. For the Haudenosaunee, the Great Law of Peace was signed by the Six Nations during a total solar eclipse nearly 1,000 years ago. The eclipse is also related to Grandmother Moon, the Skywoman that came down to Turtle Island. During the eclipse, Grandmother Moon meets with someone from her family, so it’s a special moment that they get to see each other for a few hours before leaving again for a long time. It’s seen as a great time for reunion, peace and spending time with your family.

What are your tips for viewing the eclipse?

First, we want to protect our eyes and the best way to do that is with solar eclipse glasses – and you want to be careful with which ones you buy to make sure they’re certified.

If you want to take photos of eclipse, you might be able to get good images during the moment of totality because the lack of sunlight will create a lot of contrast. But during the partial eclipse, the intense sunlight can cause significant glare that will make it hard to see all the details. A good trick is to put those solar eclipse glasses in front of the lens of your camera, which will dampen the amount of sunlight coming in so you can better capture the eclipse.

As for location, it might be nice to have some elevation because the eclipse generates a shadow that you can see from up high. If you really want to see the total eclipse, I would suggest to be mobile in a car, or any way you can move to another place if a cloud comes by. But ultimately, I would say the most important thing is to experience the eclipse with people you love. So, wherever you are, it’s fine.

Watch a video about Indigenous perspectives on the eclipse

Register for the Dunlap Institute’s eclipse livestream

91�Թ� researcher seeks out new insights on the universe's oldest galaxies

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 19:27:46 +0000

91�Թ� researcher seeks out new insights on the universe's oldest galaxies

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 02/08/2024 - 14:27

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Jacqueline Antwi-Danso, a postdoctoral researcher with the David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics, is studying massive galaxies that formed “when the universe was still just a baby” (supplied image)

Chris Sasaki

Topic

Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Black

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

Space

Statistical Sciences

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"We're trying to understand why these galaxies formed the way they did and how they became so big so quickly"

Jacqueline Antwi-Danso remembers a book from her junior high school library describing how stars are born and how the most massive stars die in gigantic explosions called supernovae.

“The book explained that there were objects out in space that gave off so much energy we could see and study them and make precise observations of their physical properties,” says Antwi-Danso, who credits her parents for nurturing her interest in education and reading while growing up in Ghana. “That just blew my mind.”

Today, Antwi-Danso is an NSERC Banting postdoctoral fellow at the 91�Թ�’s David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics in the Faculty of Arts & Science. Her work focuses on studying massive galaxies that formed “when the universe was still just a baby.”

She is also active in supporting Black, Latinx and Indigenous women who are interested in a career in science.

She recently spoke to 91�Թ�’s Chris Sasaki about her career, research and goals.

Was there an important milestone in your journey to becoming an astronomer?

After high school, my plan was to take a gap year to figure out if I wanted to stay in Ghana and do something in the sciences at the university level or go elsewhere.

That’s when an opportunity came my way. There was a program run by the American Embassy in Accra for Ghanaian high school students interested in studying in the U.S. It provided mentorship for things like how to apply to schools in the U.S., how to write a good college application and how to select courses. They also helped you think about what you wanted to do in your career.

It was a big turning point in my life when I was selected to join the program. That’s how I learned about opportunities outside of Ghana and realized that if I was going to study astronomy, I would have to leave because we don't have astronomy at the collegiate level. And so, I made my decision to study astronomy at Texas Christian University.

Large, relatively nearby galaxies like this one took billions of years to form. Antwi-Danso is trying to determine how large galaxies in the very distant universe formed in a small fraction of that time (photo by ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Jones Acknowledgement: G. Anand, L. Shatz.)

As an astronomer, what questions are you trying to answer?

I study massive galaxies in the very distant universe – some of the very first structures that formed after the Big Bang nearly 14 billion years ago. We're trying to understand why these galaxies formed the way they did and how they became so big so quickly. We’re finding them at increasingly earlier times, as far back as when the universe was just four per cent of its current age.

This goes against our understanding of the hierarchical formation of large structures – where massive galaxies like our Milky Way galaxy were formed from the merger of galaxies that were formed from stars, which, in turn, formed from clouds of gas and dust.

For our galaxy, it took billions of years to attain its current stellar mass. These distant, massive galaxies had only a fraction of the time to go through this process, so we have no idea how they formed so quickly. So, one of two things is happening: either there's something wrong with our observations or we need to revise our current models. That's the big problem I'm working on and I’m actually looking for a summer undergraduate student to work on this project.

Jacqueline Antwi-Danso speaks to students at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society (supplied image)

You’re working to support Black, Indigenous and Latinx women in science. Can you tell me more about that?

The League of Underrepresented Minoritized Astronomers (LUMA) is a peer mentoring organization for women in astronomy, physics and the planetary sciences that was formed in 2015 by Catherine Espaillat, who is the director of the Institute for Astrophysical Sciences at Boston University. She started LUMA because, as a Dominican American grad student, she felt isolated.

There weren’t many people in her field who looked like her, with whom she shared backgrounds. So, she created LUMA to be a community of people with similar experiences who could provide each other with support. I joined because I also realized there weren't many people in my field who looked like me. There were even fewer African astronomers. And, like Catherine, I wanted a place where we could come together as a community and support each other.

Do have you have plans to do the same type of work here in Canada?

I would like to continue this work, so I've been learning about and trying to understand what the Canadian science landscape looks like. I think the challenge in Canada is similar to the challenge that LUMA faces in the U.S. – there are very few Black, Indigenous or Latinx women in science in either country. So, yes, I would like to do similar work here. I just don't know what that looks like yet.

What about in Ghana?

One thing that I had in mind was trying to create some sort of pipeline for students in Ghana who might be interested in astronomy and might want to study in the U.S. or Canada. There are challenges, of course, but I’m talking to people who have been involved in similar projects and have found solutions to these challenges. For example, it might mean helping by providing mentorship to students who are already interested in physics and to students who are a little further along in their studies. I'm hopeful there are a number of ways to make this work.

How do you feel about receiving the NSERC Banting fellowship?

I’m very grateful and humbled to receive it. For me, it represents an exciting opportunity to work independently on my research, especially at 91�Թ� with all the people in the Dunlap Institute (for Astronomy & Astrophysics), the department of astronomy and astrophysics, CITA (Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics) and the department of statistical sciences. I feel like 91�Թ� is the perfect place for me because I’m combining astronomy with statistics and cosmological simulations to understand these really massive, distant galaxies. I’m having the time of my life, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next few months will bring.

Critical Health and Social Action Lab aims to advance Indigenous health justice

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 18:40:30 +0000

Critical Health and Social Action Lab aims to advance Indigenous health justice

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 02/07/2024 - 13:40

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Founded by Associate Professor Jeffrey Ansloos, the Critical Health and Social Action Lab is engaged in a vast array of research projects that are community-based and directed by the communities themselves (photo by Christopher Katsarov Luna)

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“We engage in social action research that is led, shaped and designed by the priorities of Indigenous community partners”

For Jeffrey Ansloos, advancing Indigenous health justice means placing communities at the forefront of social action research.

A citizen of Fisher River Cree Nation, Ansloos is the founder of the Critical Health and Social Action Lab at the 91�Թ�’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).

The lab comprises more than 30 researchers – from graduate students to community researchers and international collaborators – who are making strides in mental health research and suicide prevention.

“We engage in social action research that is led, shaped and designed by the priorities of Indigenous community partners,” says Ansloos, an associate professor in OISE’s department of applied psychology and human development who is a tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Critical Studies in Indigenous Health and Social Action on Suicide. “Additionally, we approach health issues through a critical lens that considers the impact of the cultural, social, political, economic and environmental determinants of health – and [look] to act on them in ways that build on the strengths of communities.”

The lab’s array of research projects is vast. They range from investigations into the mental health impacts of environmental changes on Indigenous youth to the effects of income transfers and Housing First initiatives on suicide prevention. Researchers also explore cultural and land-based life promotion and wellness initiatives with children, teens, families and elders in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.

All of the projects share a community-driven approach to collaboration, where communities take substantive leadership.

It’s an approach that Ansloos says is critical.

“I believe that research, programs and practices should be directed by the communities themselves,” he says. “They possess the most pertinent, innovative and significant ideas and visions, and have a keen understanding of where the most impactful contributions can be made."

A lab with wings

A workspace designed for collaboration, the lab opened last summer and features a large co-working space that doubles as a community event venue and classroom – and a multimedia studio that is used for podcasting, conducting research and group therapy.

As part of its opening, the lab acquired a collection of mobile technology – including satellite phones, drones and podcast kits – that is available to researchers and partnering Indigenous communities. Ansloos says the equipment was selected to encourage innovative research practices such as art-based and digital storytelling, while emphasizing ease-of-use to promote accessibility.

“In this way, the lab is not only a beautiful space to work from, but it also feels like something with wings that you can take with you wherever the need arises,” he says.

The lab – which receives support from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, 91�Թ� and the Ontario Ministry of Innovation – is currently working on a project that involves Indigenous youth using drones to view and record the impact of environmental changes on the land from an aerial perspective.

In Cree language and culture, Kisik Aski (the sky world) represents the perspective of ancestors, Ansloos explains, and using video technology in the sky can help young people adopt a broader perspective – like the view from sky world – to make connections between what is changing on the land and the health of their communities.

“It can also engage youth in cultural practices that are aimed at enhancing the health of the land, which is increasingly understood as a protective factor for mental health and suicide prevention.”

“I believe that research, programs, and practices should be directed by the communities themselves,” says Ansloos (photo by Christopher Katsarov Luna)

An innovation incubator

Ansloos’s goal is to establish the lab as an innovation incubator that helps increase the number of Indigenous psychologists, health leaders and educators across the country who can lead high-quality community-based research that draws on a diverse range of methods.

To that end, Ansloos aims to cultivate an environment where students not only contribute to health justice and life promotion research, but also experience those concepts personally.

“The people who do the work that we do have a deep sense of what it means to work for justice in the world, so we want to nourish and support their curiosity, creativity, mental health and wellness, and sense of connection," says Ansloos.

Doctoral researcher Shanna Peltier says Ansloos’s approach is key to Indigenous student success.

“Post-secondary institutions can be really intense and unwelcoming for Indigenous students, so [Ansloos] has always encouraged us to make the lab our own,” says Peltier, who is Anishnaabe from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. “The lab ensures that students have a safe place and a soft place to land when they're at OISE.

“It’s a gathering place for us to be our true selves, and a place of hospitality and warmth.”

The year in pictures: 91�Թ� News looks back at 2023

mattimar — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 14:58:42 +0000

The year in pictures: 91�Թ� News looks back at 2023

mattimar Tue, 12/19/2023 - 09:58

Cutline

Dancer Deanne Hupfield at the inaugural All-Nations Powwow co-hosted by 91�Թ� Mississauga’s Indigenous Centre and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Mariam Matti

Topic

Institutional Strategic Initiatives

Acceleration Consortium

Geoexchange

Joe's Basketball Diaries

UTogether

Artificial Intelligence

Entrepreneurship

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

University Health Network

Undergraduate Students

The 91�Թ� marked many memorable milestones across the three campuses in 2023.

From co-hosting an inaugural All-Nations Powwow to guiding the future of artificial intelligence and advocating for social justice around the world, members of the 91�Թ� community and their partners made an impact well beyond the classroom in 2023.

And photographers at 91�Թ� News and elsewhere at the university were often on hand to capture the action.

Here are just a few of the special moments that shaped 91�Թ� this year:

(photo by David Lee)

The Landmark Project has transformed the historic core of 91�Թ�’s St. George campus around King’s College Circle into a greener, more accessible and pedestrian-friendly space.

Front Campus is also now home to Canada’s largest urban geoexchange system, which will generate renewable energy and store surplus heat in the summer for use in the cold winter months. The system will save the university an estimated 15,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually – a key part of 91�Թ�’s climate-positive plans and among the reasons it was recently named the most sustainable university in the world.

(photo by Lisa Lightbourn)

Following Geoffrey Hinton’s departure from Google, 91�Թ� News travelled to his home in London, England, for an in-depth conversation with the 91�Թ� University Professor Emeritus of computer science about the dangers posed by unchecked advances in AI, the role he and others played in creating the technology and the importance of responsible development.

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Abby-Gayle Isadora Allen celebrated completing the Support, Engage, Experience 91�Թ� Mississauga program this year by dancing beside Juno Award-winning singer Liberty Silver during the graduation ceremony.

The innovative program aims to make university education more accessible to Black youth who are underrepresented at Canada’s post-secondary schools. Students in Grade 11 and 12 earn a university half-credit and two Ontario Secondary School Diploma credits, have a co-op experience and are mentored by a senior 91�Թ� undergraduate student while simultaneously completing their high school semester.

Similar programs operate at 91�Թ� Scarborough and the St. George campus, which introduced SEE 91�Թ�, the inaugural version of this access program, four years ago in collaboration with the Toronto District School Board.

(photo by Luis Mora)

Jaivet Ealom, a 91�Թ� student, author, a member of the persecuted Rohingya minority and refugee advocate, shared his harrowing escape to Canada in 91�Թ� News and 91�Թ� Magazine.

Ealom fled his home country of Myanmar in 2013. Before arriving at 91�Թ�, he had travelled through six countries and three continents seeking asylum – surviving a near-drowning and multiple detentions along the way.

(photo by Johnny Guatto)

91�Թ� hosted the 14^th annual Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) conference in May, which brought together global scholars, artists, Elders and independent professionals working in the field of Indigenous Studies. The event covered themes from food sovereignty to contemporary Indigenous cinema and language revitalization.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Brokoslaw Laschowski, a research scientist at the KITE Research Institute, University Health Network, and assistant professor in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, and his team are developing AI-powered wearable technology for medical applications.

Known as the “bionic professor,” Laschowski is passionate about developing assistive technology such as bionic prosthetic legs and exoskeletons to help individuals with physical disabilities.

In his spare time, he’s helping students from Ukraine flee the Russian invasion and war to come to 91�Թ� to continue their studies.

(photo by Chai Chen)

Charlotte Wargniez graduated from 91�Թ� Scarborough at the age of 17 with a major in environmental geoscience and a minor in applied climatology.

She wrapped up her degree with many impressive accolades – including the Rose Sheinin Award, given to the highest-performing woman student in science across 91�Թ�’s three campuses and an excellence and leadership award from 91�Թ� Scarborough's department of physical and environmental sciences.

(photo by Johnny Guatto)

The Acceleration Consortium at 91�Թ�, an institutional strategic initiative, was awarded a $200-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund to revolutionize the speed and impact of materials discovery – all with a focus on building a sustainable future.

The funding – the largest federal research grant ever awarded to a Canadian university – supports the consortium’s work on “self-driving labs” that combine AI, robotics and advanced computing to discover new materials and molecules at a fraction of the usual time and cost.

With a strong plan of equity, diversity and inclusion guiding project implementation and research design, the initiative will commercialize ethically designed technologies and materials to benefit society and train today’s scientists with the skills they need to advance the emerging field of accelerated materials discovery. It will also allow the consortium to examine critical issues regarding the application of the technology, including from environmental and Indigenous perspectives.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Niloofar Ganji, a PhD student in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, is changing the world in more ways than one.

Ganji not only conducts groundbreaking research on a critical condition affecting premature infants – she is deeply committed to activism for social change in her home country of Iran.

As an executive member of 91�Թ� Students for a Free Iran (UTSFI), she has organized many events at the university in support of the anti-regime movement in Iran. She hopes to use her knowledge and expertise in pediatrics and healthcare to work for the Iranian people one day.

(photo supplied)

When a catastrophic series of earthquakes hit Türkiye and Syria earlier this year, students from the Turkish Students Association (pictured) at 91�Թ� Scarborough rallied together to collect funds and in-kind donations on campus.

They were among the many 91�Թ� community members across the three campuses who pitched in to help raise awareness and funds in the wake of the disaster.

(photo by Nithya Thayaal)

91�Թ� celebrated the graduation of more than 21,000 students from the university’s three campuses in 2023 – including the 91�Թ� Scarborough student pictured above.

Friends and family looked on as many of those graduates crossed the stage inside Convocation Hall during convocation ceremonies held in spring and fall.

(photo by Johnny Guatto)

Peter Ma, an undergraduate math and physics student in the Faculty of Arts & Science, is dedicated to searching for life beyond our planet by drawing on his passion for science – and artificial intelligence in particular.

He became the youngest member of a team of international researchers at the University of California, Berkeley who are searching the stars for extraterrestrial intelligence and was lead author on a paper published earlier this year in the journal Nature Astronomy.

From left to right: William Lou, Joseph Wong, Sam Ibrahim and Aleer Aleer-Leek (photo by Polina Teif)

In the first episode of the second season of the award-winning series Joe’s Basketball Diaries, host Joseph Wong sits down with Will Lou, writer and co-host of the Raptors Show podcast, Sam Ibrahim, a business leader, philanthropist and major supporter of 91�Թ� Scarborough, and Aleer Aleer-Leek, a 91�Թ� student and Varsity Blues basketball player, to talk about community and sports.

In future episodes, Wong, 91�Թ�’s vice-president, international, and a professor in the department of political science and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy in the Faculty of Arts & Science, and guests take the conversation beyond the court as they discuss topics ranging from sustainability to inclusion.

(photo by Johnny Guatto)

Studying at 91�Թ� gave Alicia Corbiere an opportunity to re-engage with her culture when she began learning from Indigenous professors and studying Anishinaabemowin. She also connected with her community by joining First Nations House and the Indigenous Students’ Association.

After graduating with a degree in criminology and Indigenous studies from the Faculty of Arts & Science in the spring, Corbiere went on to study Indigenous law at 91�Թ�’s Faculty of Law.

(photo by Polina Teif)

The leafy, green lettuce that many members of the 91�Թ� community are eating in their salads, sandwiches and hamburgers is not just locally grown – but grown on the St. George campus by a student-led startup in partnership with 91�Թ� Food Services.

Lyrata co-founders Leo Hua (pictured), Carol Lin and Adnan Sharif say they are bringing innovations to the field of sustainability – including 3D-printed soil.

Joe’s Basketball Diaries Season 2, Ep. 2: Sport and Reconciliation

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 15:34:53 +0000

Joe’s Basketball Diaries Season 2, Ep. 2: Sport and Reconciliation Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 12/13/2023 - 10:34

Topic

City & Culture

Joe's Basketball Diaries