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Home » Faculty of Education News Bulletin - September

Faculty of Education News Bulletin - September

Tuesday, September 29th, 2026

FEATURED | TOP STORIES | PROGRAM OFFICE UPDATES | IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | AWARDS & RECOGNITION | NEW PUBLICATIONS | IN THE MEDIA | ALUMNI | RESOURCES FOR FACULTY | FROM THE YORK COMMUNITY | EVENTS

FEATURED

York appoints Beth Herbel-Eisenmann dean of Faculty of Education - The Office of the President is pleased to inform the York community that Beth Herbel-Eisenmann has been appointed dean of the Faculty of Education effective Jan. 1, 2027, following a national and international search process. Read announcement

New year, new goals, endless possibilities - Hear what our incoming BEd and BA Educational students are most excited about this academic year! Play video

TOP STORIES

Celebrating Impact: Five Years of Progress and Possibility - Marking the conclusion of Dean Robert Savage’s term, the Dean’s Impact Report (2021–2026) celebrates the people, initiatives, and achievements that have advanced the Faculty of Education’s mission and impact. View Report

Appointment of interim dean, Faculty of Education – Dr. Sarah Barrett assumed the role of interim dean, Faculty of Education on Sept. 1, 2026. Read more

Interim Dean’s Message: Welcome to the 2026-2027 academic year – Read interim dean Sarah Barrett’s message to the York Education community for the 2026-2027 academic year. Read message

New Faces in the Faculty – A warm welcome to our new colleagues!

  • Faculty members: Salsabel Almanssori, Kara Dymond, Jesse Staats - Learn more
  • Secondees: Kyle Herbert, Ryan Kennedy, Megan Ramsay
  • Course Directors: Freeda Bukhari Khan, Christine Corso, Mandy Frake, Amy Goldsweig, Gina Marrello, John Vitale, Maxine Wood
  • Staff: Rakiba Amin (Dean’s Office), Karlene Mason (Student Services Office)
  • Work/Study students: Dino Giaouris (Experiential Education Office), Elaina Gonsalves (Experiential Education Office), Courtney Kates (Experiential Education Office), Isabel Misquitta-Yip (Experiential Education Office), Aryan Puri (Student Services Office), Rachel Wilson (Marketing-Communications) 

Royal Society of Canada honours York scholars - Gillian Parekh, associate professor has been elected to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), one of the country's highest honours for scholarly, artistic and scientific achievement. Read more

Anonymous donor funds York student awards in education, art, health - A gift from an anonymous local donor will defray the cost of university for first-year students in each of the Faculty of Education, the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD), and the Department of Psychology within the Faculty of Health. Read more

Faculty of Education Researchers Among Those Driving York’s $9.3M SSHRC-Funded Research Portfolio - Faculty of Education researchers are among the York University scholars contributing to more than $9.3 million in SSHRC Insight Grant funding awarded to York-led research projects. Read more

Study led by York U tracks decade-long rise in high school absenteeism - As Ontario moves to make attendance and participation part of high school students' final marks, York University research offers context for what rising absenteeism may signal and why there may be no simple fix. Read more

Watch our new ED Global video to learn more about how the Faculty’s Consulting Service offers a range of opportunities for educational organizations globally to thrive–maximizing positive change, impact and results. Watch video

As AI enters classrooms, York researchers examine disability representation - With generative AI becoming more common in classrooms, four York University disability-in-education scholars explored whether ChatGPT-generated stories about children with disabilities contained bias. Read more

York UNESCO Chair shapes future of sustainability in higher education - A global consensus outlining how universities can help address some of the world's most pressing challenges has emerged from an initiative led by York University's UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability. Read more

Assistant professor Kara Dymond did a talk as a part of the Autism Ontario Webinar signature series titled “Back to School with Confidence: Supporting Autistic Students Through Transitions”. Listen here

The latest episode of assistant professor Kara Dymond’s biweekly podcast series Autistic Tidbits & Tangents featured Kalyce Carter, a disability justice and accessibility advocate and artist. The title of the episode was Inclusion, Intersectionality, & Imagining. Watch here

York helps to create UNESCO tool for sustainability education - York University’s UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability (ESD) has contributed to the development of a new UNESCO guidance tool that helps educational institutions turn sustainability commitments into action. Read more

As a part of Digital Learning Week, course director Karen Armstrong presented a paper titled “AI and the algorithmic reconfiguration of family literacy: facts, frictions and frontiers in the household” at UNESCO in Paris

Faculty of Education Winters College

PrOGRAM OFFICE UPDATES

Student Services Office

Orientation week welcomes incoming BEd and BA students - The school year started off strong with the Bachelor of Education and BA Educational Studies orientation week! With presentations from Interim Dean Sarah Barrett, faculty and staff, the Faculty of Education Students’ Association (FESA), and more, students were welcomed to their new journey as future educators

Research Office

Upcoming Events

Building and Sustaining Research Relationships with School Boards
Thursday, November 5, 2026 | 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. | online via Zoom | REGISTER

Interested in conducting research with schools/boards but unsure where to start or what they might expect of you? Your search is over! Come meet our expert researchers representing four Ontario school boards. They will discuss important aspects of building university/public education research relationships and strategies on how to sustain them. Learn more and register

Feedback on SSHRC - Do you have any specific feedback or pressing matters you would like relayed to SSHRC? If so, please let us know via email or over zoom. Please express your interest to Roopa at roopat@edu.yorku.ca and she will follow up. This is a request that has come from Dr. Christopher Perry’s Office, AVP Research and Innovation. They expect to attend a SSHRC meeting in November

Upcoming Internal Calls:

  • The Minor Research and Development Grant (MRG) Call for Proposals is now open! Because the proposal deadline falls on a weekend (Sunday, November 15, 2026), applications will be accepted the next business day, Monday, November 16, 2026
  • Graduate Teaching Award: Preliminary nominations due February 24, 2027; Final nomination packages due April 7, 2027
  • Dean’s Research Impact Award: March 22, 2027

Selected Research Funding Opportunities:

October 2026

November 2026

December 2026

Selected Awards:

October 2026

November 2026

December 2026

Graduate Program Office

Mud play helps children connect with nature - Learn about a project led by PhD student Ayesha Menezes who is helping children engage in nature, learning and community through hands-on experiences. Read more

PhD student James Thomas has a new article titled Transphobic Fears and Callous Desires: An Account of Polarised Rhetoric Against Gender Affirming Education in Australian Feminist Studies

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program

Resource Spotlight: Young Adults Agenda for Change - With support from two SSHRC grants, Professor Connie Mayer has been collaborating with the Cochlear Implant International Community of Action (CIICA) to develop resources that support global advocacy for the needs of individuals with cochlear implants. This month’s featured resource is the Young Adults Agenda for Change, which includes the video “Hear Our Voices.” Developed by young adults with cochlear implants, the resource highlights their experiences, priorities, and recommendations for creating more inclusive opportunities and supports. Learn more and access the resource

Welcome to our new and returning students! - This year the DHH program welcomes 47 new and returning students from all regions of Ontario and several provinces throughout Canada. Classes began on August 24 with a full week of DEST 3770 Deaf Studies—Introduction for all incoming students. Returning students began classes on September 8, and many have already begun preparing for their October practicum observation days

Professional Learning Office

Faculty Callout - Empower your students with the Math Resource Hub! Are your students looking for extra support in their preparations for the MPT?

Coming Soon!

The Mathematics Proficiency Test (MPT) Resource Hub is open for free to York U BEd Year 2 students! Developed by Professional Learning, this self-directed resource hub:

  • Allows candidates to access and navigate resources based on their individual needs
    • Provides curated learning resources that correlate with math concepts and math pedagogy
    • Allows candidates to assess their knowledge and understanding and create a personal learning pathway
    • Provides up-to-date information about the test as released by MoE/OCT/EQAO

Please have your students contact raiseyouraq@edu.yorku.ca for more information

We’ve Moved! Th Office of Professional Learning is now located at 121 Winters College

PL Fact: York U is accredited to offer almost 100 different AQ courses

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Y2 LEGACY: Inspiring the next generation of Black leaders - The Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora partnered with the York Region District School Board for their Y2 course “LEGACY: Black Leadership, Innovation, and Management”. Over the summer, high school students were equipped with business and leadership skills through a culturally-responsive, Black-centred approach

On May 30, 2026, the Public Education Exchange (PEX) hosted Conversations about Education Privatization: Drawing (from) Experience, bringing together researchers, educators, students, and advocates from across Canada. Held at the University of Manitoba, the event featured a World Café session where participants shared perspectives and experiences related to education privatization, as well as presentations from emerging scholars representing Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Alberta. For a full event recap and additional details, click here

Christopher Bratty urges education graduands to embrace success, adversity - Christopher Bratty, a prominent business leader and philanthropist, urged graduands to embrace success and adversity as he accepted an honorary doctor of laws degree during a York University Spring Convocation ceremony on June 12. Read more

PhD student brings Indigenous food to Ontario hospital menus - When Rick Powless learned that Health Sciences North in Sudbury launched its first Indigenous hospital menu, he felt a shift happen. The third-year doctoral student is a Red Seal-certified Indigenous chef, an Ontario College of Teachers-certified educator and a member of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Oneida Nation of the Thames, Bear Clan. Read more

Exploring Equity Through Hair and Science – Students in the EDPJ 2000 Science & Technology in Primary Junior class participated in Visions of Science’s “Equity in STEM Instruction in Ontario Classrooms” workshop with an additional “Hair & Hustle” module, learning how Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy can be woven into daily STEM lessons and align with the Ontario curriculum. Read more

First-year BEd student leads printmaking field trip at York - In this reflection, first-year BEd student Bennett De Medeiros shares their experience leading their practicum class through an engaging and creative introduction to print media. Read more

Assistant professor Kara Dymond presented a paper at the Castle conference this past August titled “Resistance through reflexivity: Iterative re-envisionings of teacher education”

On September 17, UNESCO launched three new guidance tools for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) - York University UNESCO Co-Chairs Charles Hopkins and Katrin Kohl co-authored the guidance on whole-institution approaches with colleagues from the International Association of Universities. The tools translate international research and action research into practical support for educators and institutions. Learn more and access the tools

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Professor Carl James awarded 2026 Daniel G. Hill Human Rights Awards – Congratulations to professor Carl James on being awarded the 2026 Daniel G. Hill Human Rights Award in the Lifetime Achievement category from the Ontario Human Rights Commission. James was acknowledged for his significant contributions over a lifetime to advance human rights in Ontario and will be formally recognized at a ceremony at Queen’s Park on October 29

York recognizes excellence in teaching at spring convocation - Congratulations to course director Wahid Khan and teaching assistant Prilly Bicknell-Hersco on being recognized with the President’s University-wide Teaching Award at spring convocation. Read more

Canadian Sociology Book Award Honourable Mention - The Story of a Generation: Life Course Pathways of the Class of '73 co-authored by Paul Axelrod (professor emeritus), Carl James (professor), Paul Anisef (professor emeritus) and others received an honourable mention by The Canadian Sociological Association

Emily Tjimos Award for Service Excellence – Congratulations to Anderson Coward (Communications and Marketing Specialist) on being the recipient of the 2026 Emily Tjimos Award for Service Excellence. The peer-driven award recognizes a staff member in the Faculty who demonstrates exemplary customer service and support to students, faculty and staff at the highest level

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Interim dean Sarah Barrett’s new book, After the Before Time: Teachers’ Experiences of Pandemic Pedagogy, draws on interviews with fifty primary and secondary school teachers, during the first few months of school closures during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The book moves beyond questions of technology and technique to explore the relationships teachers have with government, school boards, colleagues, parents, students, and the self

Professor and Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora at York University, Carl E. James, has published Seeing Ourselves: Exploring Race, Ethnicity, and Culture, 5th Edition which offers a multi-perspective analysis of what ethnic diversity means in Canada

"Research on Black Fatherhood in Canada and the United States: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations" by Hilarius Kofi Kofinti (YorkU PhD 2025), Stephanie Fearon, and Andrea Doucet (BrockU). This literature review examined the methodological and theoretical considerations underlying research on Black fathers in the United States and Canada. Drawing on 38 journal articles published between 2014 and 2024, we highlighted the methodological and theoretical characteristics of studies about Black fathers and explored the extent to which Black communities were involved in the research process

Assistant Professor Stephanie Fearon and Community Research Assistant, Terry-Ann Groves, co-edit the monthly community-based journal A Love Letter to Fellow Dreamers. The journal centres the scholarship, art, and leadership of Black mothers, women, and girls across Canada. This latest issue features written contributions and reflections on rest and wellbeing from Black Canadian scholars and students

Assistant Professor Stephanie Fearon and members of the Black Mamas Writing Group partnered with York Universities Libraries (Patti Ryan and Cora Coady) to create the "Black Mamas Writing Collection." This is a collection of featured materials at York University Libraries on the themes of Black mothering, Black mothers and daughters, creativity and education. The selection was co-curated by York University Librarians and the Black Mamas Writing Group at York University

Identifying the ‘Building Blocks’ of a Transformative Whole-institution Approach to Education for Sustainable Development - The UNESCO publications follow new research by Katrin Kohl, Charles Hopkins, Isabel Toman and Hilligje van’t Land, published by SAGE, explores the key building blocks of whole-institution approaches to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The article provides the research foundation for the new UNESCO guidance on whole-institution approaches launched this September

The Changing Geopolitics of Higher Education: China and the World - Associate Professor Qiang Zha's soon to be published book identifies, compares, and analyzes how China is recalibrating its educational and academic engagement with the rest of the world, while situating the evolution of Chinese higher education within a rapidly changing global order

IN THE MEDIA

School attendance is a relationship issue, Faculty of Education interim dean says. Read press release

Professor and president & CEO of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, Stephen Gaetz, has co-authored an opinion piece published on the Policy Options Canada web site titled “Canada can choose to prevent youth homelessness. The U.K. shows the way”. Read article

University World News Articles - UNESCO Chair in the news - recent interviews by Charles Hopkins/Katrin Kohl with University World News:

Alumni

TVO Announces Lisa Cole as Vice President, Education – A graduate of the Faculty’s Master of Education program, Lisa will lead TVO’s education portfolio at a time when the organization is strengthening its digital learning services and deepening their connection to Ontario’s curriculum. Read announcement

The Faculty of Education Alumni Network is relaunching its mentorship program this year and is currently seeking alumni interested in serving as mentors. There are already 58 mentees registered through FESA who are eager to connect with experienced alumni.

If you know any Faculty of Education alumni who may be interested in this opportunity, please share the following link with them:

http://donate.yorku.ca/site/MessageViewer?em_id=10744.0&dlv_id=0

Thank you for helping support the next generation of education professionals

RESOURCES FOR FACULTY

Transform Your Faculty Profile with Discover York Academics: Create Your Profile Today! - York University has introduced Discover York Academics, an innovative electronic curriculum vitae (CV) tool aimed at highlighting the exceptional work of our faculty. This searchable database allows faculty to showcase and store their research, publications, scholarly and creative works, as well as related teaching and professional activities, all in one centralized profile. Learn more

Email Signatures - For consistency across the Faculty and to support York University’s success in rankings, please click here for instructions on how to update your email signature

FROM THE YORK COMMUNITY

New Land Acknowledgements for York University - The official land acknowledgements for York University campuses have been developed by our treaty partners, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. The statement provided is the official statement that should be used at all York University activities and events. Learn more

Faculty, staff invited to join York University Tribunal - York University is inviting full-time faculty and CPM staff members to contribute their experience and judgment as members of the University Tribunal, which helps safeguard student rights and responsibilities through independent hearings and appeals.  Learn more

EVENTS

No events found

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