NEWSWIRE

Marsden says farewell
as Shoukri takes over
To sustained applause, Lorna R. Marsden said farewell to the York community, even as she introduced incoming President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri as “an amazing person.” In a well-attended gathering open to all in the Scott Library’s second-floor atrium, Marsden said it had been a “huge privilege” to spend the last 10 years leading York, and stressed that “nothing happens from just one person.” Everything that had been achieved, she said, “was done by the work of all of you.”

Psychology student becomes York's 200,000th graduate
Kaley Roosen, an undergraduate student in York’s Faculty of Health, became the University’s 200,000th graduate during the Faculty’s convocation ceremony. Roosen received a bachelor of science with specialized honours summa cum laude.

Honorary degree recipients inspire with remarks
York celebrated the contributions of educators, politicians, artists, public servants, and business and community leaders, June 11-6, as it conferred 11 honorary degrees during spring convocation ceremonies. Each had an inspiring message for graduates.

Application numbers remain strong as average grades rise
Again this year, York University received the second-highest number of applications in the province from Ontario high-school students and will meet its enrolment targets for 2007-2008, according to figures released June 5 by the Ontario Universities Application Centre.

He's hot on the trail of the ivory-billed woodpecker
Chris Saker, a master's student in York's Faculty of Environmental Studies, is hot on the trail of an environmental mystery. A passionate advocate of biodiversity, Saker's research involves tracking the ivory-billed woodpecker, thought to be extinct for the last 50 years.

York coach picked to lead Team Canada U-22 women
York Lions women’s hockey coach Dan Church has been named head coach of Canada’s national women’s under-22 team for 2007-2008. Church will finalize his roster at Canlan Ice Sports on York's Keele campus, site of a selection camp from Aug. 10 to 19.

Fall season schedule announced for women’s basketball team
The York Lions women’s basketball team will begin defending its Ontario University Athletics title on Saturday, Nov. 3, against the Laurentian Voyageurs at the Tait McKenzie Centre. The 2007-2008 schedule, unveiled June 13, sees the Lions playing five of their first seven games at home.

Basketball alumnus returns to help player-students
For York basketball alumnus Tim Rider, playing sport and achieving success go hand-in-hand. His own experience of struggling to pay for his education motivated Rider to help York students to engage in sport while obtaining their education.

Students and donors encourage others to give back
York University's Office of the Vice-President Students recently hosted a Red & White Thank You celebration at the Bennett Centre for Student Services. The event offered award-winning students and members of the York community an opportunity to meet and thank York donors who help fund various scholarships, bursaries and student services across the University.

McEvoy will coach football Lions for 2007 season
York University Sport & Recreation announced that Andy McEvoy has been named interim head coach of the York Lions football program. McEvoy replaces Tom Gretes, who coached the Lions for 10 years.

Biology student wins coveted Gates scholarship
Andrew Tanentzap didn’t tell anybody – not even his parents – that he had applied for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship until he knew for sure he had it. The 23-year-old biology graduate student told friends and family he’d applied to the University of Cambridge in England but when Cambridge accepted him in March, he kept it a secret.

Chantel Dunn is memoralized with bench dedication
Family, friends and members of the York University community gathered on the Harry Arthurs Common beside the reflecting pond on Friday, June 1, as a commemorative bench was dedicated in the name of Chantel Dunn, a Faculty of Arts student who was murdered 18 months ago.

York graduate film student wins award at Cannes
In the days leading up to the screening of California Dreamin’ at the Cannes festival in France, scriptwriter Tudor Voican spent a few restless nights worrying about how the movie would be received. “Cannes audiences, if they don’t like a film, don’t simply walk out; they booed Sofia Coppola’s movie last year,” says the York screenwriting graduate student. Voican needn’t have stressed.

Birding contest winner guessed it right in Costa Rica
Laura Taman, a project coordinator at York’s Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, is the winner of the Las Nubes Bird-a-Thon contest. The bird-a-thon was conducted this spring during the York University Faculty of Environmental Studies field course in ecology in Costa Rica. 

Osgoode students provide legal service in the Philippines
Osgoode Hall Law School students Chad Aboud, Shane D’Souza, Sarah Robicheau and Grace Wang, who are working this summer in the Philippines as part of a law school initiative known as the International Legal Partnership (ILP), hosted a forum on June 1 to assist the province of the Guimaras Island in the aftermath of the Philippines’ worst oil spill.

Internship offers international business law experience
Globalization is creating a vast array of new opportunities for Canadian business abroad and for foreign companies in Canada. Consequently, there is also a great need for Canadian lawyers with international business expertise. Osgoode Hall Law School has recognized this growing trend and responded with a variety of initiatives, including a $15,000-four month international business law internship program.

York surpasses goal to help students in need
York University has exceeded its goal for the Ontario Trust for Student Support which means more students will have access to financial aid thanks to key assistance from York supporters. York was eligible for almost $4.3 million in matching funds last year. 

York acquires Mariposa Folk Festival archives
York's Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections is the new, permanent home to the archives of the Mariposa Folk Festival – one of the longest running and most important music festivals in Canadian history.

Fashion and discounts highlight this summer's Rogers Cup
The players of the Sony Ericsson Women’s Tennis Association Tour are coming to Toronto and they're packing some style. From Aug. 11 to 19, the Rogers Cup Presented by American Express will showcase the top players and some of the hippest styles and most heart-pounding matches.

Luminato showcases plays designed by York theatre prof
Luminato turned out to be a showcase for set and costume designs by Shawn Kerwin, Chair of York’s Theatre Department. Toronto’s inaugural arts festival, held June 1-10, included three plays with a Kerwin connection.

Carpool Zone ride-matching site improves service for York
Smart Commute - North Toronto, Vaughan and York University are launching Carpool Zone – a new carpool ride-matching system that replaces the Carpool.ca Web site previously available to York University.

Professor's thesis wins the Vincent Lemieux Prize
Ellen Gutterman, the newest faculty member of the Political Science Department at York’s Glendon College, says she's overwhelmed after winning this year's Vincent Lemieux Prize for the best PhD thesis submitted at a Canadian university within the past two years.

New Chair for York's School of Kinesiology & Health Science
The School of Kinesiology & Health Science has announced the appointment of Dr. Ira Jacobs to the position of Chair, effective July 1.

York earns another corporate knighthood
The MBA program at York's Schulich School of Business ranks number one in Canada in the field of corporate social responsibility, according to the results of a national survey, according to Corporate Knights magazine.

York researchers and students receive $8.9 million in grants
The Natural Science & Engineering Research Council of Canada has awarded $8.9 million in funding for health, science and engineering research at York University. The grants and scholarships will support 149 faculty, graduate and postdoctoral projects.

Saving our urban backyard
Middle class homeowners in affluent areas are not typically typecast as staunch environmental activists. Yet that's what happened in 2000, when news stories reported that the residents of Richmond Hill, Ont., were engaged in heated rallies to save the Oak Ridges Moraine.

York Fine Arts people step into the spotlight
They are performing, writing books, directing plays, competing in music competitions and getting involved in a myriad of other creative activities. Read on to find out who’s doing what these days from York's Faculty of Fine Arts.