NEWSWIRE

York students work to assist
hurricane-ravaged Nicaragua

Professor Deborah Barndt and graduate students Maggie Hutcheson and Lisa Campbell of York’s Faculty of Environmental Studies, along with Professor Alberto Guevara and visual arts student Monica Gutierrez from the York's Faculty of Fine Arts, organized a post-hurricane benefit to help BilwiVision and autonomous media of the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. Hurricane Felix struck the region near the border with Honduras on Sept. 4, devastating communities and damaging basic infrastructure.

York alumni's World AIDS Day film premieres Saturday
The world premiere of Positive Voices: Leading Together, a compelling AIDS documentary shot, directed and edited by a team of York University film alumni, and co-produced with the Ontario HIV Treatment Network, will take place on Saturday, Dec. 1 to mark World AIDS Day.

Women’s hockey takes the spotlight in final games
The women's hockey Lions will take centre stage on the final weekend of Ontario University Athletics regular-season play in 2007. With most of York’s teams on the road this weekend, the women’s Lions will have the campus to themselves for games against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks and the Waterloo Warriors.

Editor breathes new life into literary journal Existere
A revitalized Existere, the journal of arts and literature published by Vanier College, rolled off the presses in September – a month earlier than planned. Edward Fenner, the student-run journal’s new editor, and tudent volunteers had worked together all summer to pull together an issue packed with the best fiction, non-fiction, poetry and art.

York English professor wins Polanyi Prize
The notion of tragedy and the work of an ancient Greek philosopher are of special interest to Professor Darren Gobert. His research received some special recognition when the government of Ontario announced that he was one of five recipients of the prestigious John Charles Polanyi Prize for 2007 in literature.

Winters College celebrates its 40th anniversary
Forty years, 11 masters and more than 10,000 graduates later, Winters is celebrating 40 years of academic, artistic and community excellence at a gala celebration on Saturday, Dec. 1, from noon to 7pm at the college.

Musician Jane Bunnett to present Lise Waxer Memorial Lecture
Internationally acclaimed saxophonist and recording artist Jane Bunnett is the featured presenter for the 2007 Lise Waxer Memorial Lecture. A Juno Award-winner and two-time Grammy nominee, Bunnett, studied in York’s Music Department, and has built her career at the crossroads between Cuban music and jazz.

LOAN Zone gets high marks in student survey
Eighty-eight per cent of students surveyed using York's new LOAN Zone were satisfied with how well staff responded to their needs. The LOAN Zone, opened by Student Financial Services during fall registation, was designed to address issues of long wait times and line ups.

Five leaders honoured at the 2007 Bryden Alumni Awards
More than 200 alumni, faculty, staff, and friends gathered on the Trading Floor at the Design Exchange to celebrate the leadership and achievements of five York graduates at the Bryden Alumni Awards. The gala featured a performance by jazz singer and York faculty member Rita Di Ghent and some unexpected storytelling by CBC broadcaster and master of ceremonies Barbara Budd.

York's mature and part-time students find their voice
There used to be a certain stigma in being described as a mature or part-time student but not anymore. Building on its long history of offering courses and meeting the needs of mature and part-time students, York has opened a new centre specifically geared to the unique needs of mature and part-time students.

Schulich lecture looks at the world of fashion and profit
Just what is driving the unprecedented fascination with the world of fashion? Sociology Professor Elizabeth Wissinger of New York's Borough of Manhattan Community College, will adress the question Nov. 30 in a lecture titled "Models, Images, and Affect: A Discussion of Fashion Modelling as a Form of Affective Production".

Social Science holds its annual student awards ceremony
The achievements of York's social scienice students were celebrated at an awards ceremony. In total 28 students from the interdisciplinary programs in the Division of Social Science were celebrated when 30 awards were made.

Reception celebrates fine arts students and faculty
Members of York's Faculty of Fine Arts gathered to celebrate the outstanding achievements of students and teachers. The reception also celebrated the more than 200 fine arts students who received awards in 2006-2007 as well as those receiving entrance scholarships for the 2007-2008.

York students can study math & stats in Italy
The International Dual Degree Program in Mathematics & Statistics between York and Italy's University of L'Aquila is looking for students who want to complete the third year of their degree in the heart of the mountainous region of the Abruzzi in Italy.

Schiff Lecture looks at climate change in the Arctic
The 17th annual Harold I. Schiff Lecture on Nov. 27 will look at the accelerated pace of climate change in the Arctic and what that will mean for the future of the region and international politics. Paul Shepson, chemistry professor at York and director of the Purdue Climate Change Research Center in Indiana, is the speaker.

People with memory loss are still sensitive to others, study shows
People with a devastating brain injury that has wiped out many of their personal memories may still be able to understand other people’s feelings and intentions, according to a York psychology professor. The study was published in the Nov. 23 issue of Science.

Creating new strategies for Ontario businesses
What are the best ways to help Ontario businesses grow and successfully compete on the world stage? It’s a question that Douglas Cumming, professor of finance at the Schulich School of Business, plans to address through his appointment to York University’s inaugural Ontario Research Chair in Economics & Cross Cultural Studies.

Award-winning author discusses
Trudeau's international success
What was Pierre Trudeau’s understanding of the world before he became prime minister? That is what award-winning author and former MP John English delved into for the annual Avie Bennett Historica Chair lecture, at York. English discussed Trudeau's international reputation, his successes and the path he took in becoming a prominent figure in international affairs.

PhD graduate in education wins an award for her dissertation
She’s an artist, writer, teacher and a recent York University PhD graduate in education. Now Kathleen Vaughan can add co-winner of the 2007 Doctoral Dissertation Award to her list of achievements. Her thesis is an exploration of finding home wherever you are in the world, based in part on her own experience in Toronto.

New award supports Asian studies
Members of the York community launched the Vivienne Poy Asian Research Award, administered through the York Centre for Asian Research. Starting in the fall of 2008, a student enrolled in the Graduate Diploma Program in Asian Studies will receive $1,500 to assist in fulfilling the 12-week fieldwork requirement for the program.

Book launch celebrates York prof's works on Victorian science
York humanities Professor Bernard Lightman, a prolific editor and writer on 19th-century science and scientists, will celebrate the publication of not one, but two books this week. One is about popularizers of science, the other is about science in the marketplace.

Is hydrogen the way of the future?
Learn how driving to work or even using your cell phone could be a much greener experience in the future when York’s Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability hosts a lecture on hydrogen and fuel cell technology by Rymal Smith, manager of Hydrogen Village.