Dr. Jamila Aman, Executive Director of the Black Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton, sign the MOU.

Appointments

York U’s Board of Governors appoints Kathleen Taylor as Chancellor

Kathleen Taylor began her three-year term as York’s 14^th Chancellor on January 1, 2023. An accomplished York alumna and business executive, Chancellor Taylor holds a Master of Business Administration from Schulich School of Business and a Juris Doctor (JD) from Osgoode Hall Law School. She was the first woman to chair the board of a major Canadian bank and is the first woman to serve as York Chancellor. 

York U appoints Mike Layton as inaugural Chief Sustainability Officer

Mike Layton joined York University in March 2023 as its first Chief Sustainability Officer. The former Toronto City Councillor is a York alumnus and holds a Master of Environmental Studies. Layton will lead York’s Office of Sustainability, play a key role in the development of the University’s new Sustainability Strategy, and drive new initiatives through the University’s Sustainability Innovation Fund. The Chief Sustainability Officer advances York’s contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

York U appoints Alice Pitt as Interim VP Equity, People, and Culture

Alice Pitt, a long-serving York community member, was appointed interim vice president equity, people and culture on April 1 for a term ending on December 31, 2023. Pitt first joined York in 1995 in the Faculty of Education where she became dean, and then served as vice-provost academic from 2012 to 2020. Equity, People and Culture is a recently formed division at York and includes Human Resources, Labour Relations including Employee Relations and York University’s Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion. 

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Funding Annoucements

York U awarded $1.65M NSERC grant to develop future pharmaceutical technology

In April 2023, a York research team led by Distinguished Research Professor Sergey Krylov received $1.65 million from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) grant funds the Technology-Enhance Pharmaceutical Discovery (TEPD) program, which will mentor and train graduate students to become highly qualified personnel and enhance Canada’s global competitiveness by fueling innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. Students will graduate with industrial and academic research expertise, ready to be leaders in Canadian pharmaceutical research and development.

New professorship in Modern Spanish History funded with $1M donation

A $1 million donation announced in March 2023 from the Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund establishes an endowed professorship that supports scholarship, research and teaching in Modern Spanish History. Officially named the Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Professorship in Modern Spanish History, the professorship helps York continue its long-standing scholarship and instruction on the role the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion played in the Spanish civil war. The new faculty position is scheduled to be in place by mid-2024.

Markham Campus receives $5M from York alumnus

In February 2023, the building’s frame for York’s Markham Campus was completed with a “topping-off” ceremony and the announcement of a $5 million donation for capital construction costs from Metropia, a real estate development company founded by York alumnus Howard Sokolowski. In honour of Sokolowski’s generous gift, the first and second floors of the new building will be named the Metropia Student Success Centre. Markham Campus will offer academic programs and conduct research related to technology and entrepreneurship. The campus is slated to open in spring 2024.

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Research partnerships

York U named academic lead for UN’s new global Water Academy

York University, in partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), announced the launch of the Water Academy at the UN Water Conference in March 2023. The Water Academy will bring together several academic institutions and business executives from the five largest beverage companies in the world and advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As an education platform, the academy will deliver innovative training on pressing water-related issues, develop scientifically based water solutions to inform water policies and programmes, and forge skills, knowledge, and awareness for sustainable water management.

York U partners with Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce to support economic growth for Black-owned businesses and social enterprises 

In March 2023, York University signed a memorandum of understanding with the Canadian Black Chamber of Conference to boost economic opportunities for Black-owned businesses and social enterprises. The MOU commits both organizations to share knowledge and best practices with one another to help break down barriers and creates a pathway for CBCC members to fast-track applications in York’s first-of-its-kind Social Procurement Vendor Portal. The portal supports York’s commitment to community economic development, vendor diversity, and the innovative drive to change how the University buys goods and services. York was the first university in Ontario to open its procurement process to non-third party certified diverse vendors and social enterprises. 

York U signs five-year MOU with Town of Newmarket to create positive change

In September 2022, York University signed a memorandum of understanding with the Town of Newmarket, located a half hour drive away from Keele campus. The MOU is a five-year agreement that formalizes the partnership and focuses on three main areas: exploring new opportunities for the Town of Newmarket to host or develop programming, experiential learning opportunities for York students in the town of Newmarket, and research collaborations and community education opportunities between both parties.