Faculty of Education News Bulletin

Top Stories

The Faculty’s issue of Innovatus titled “Innovation is at the heart of teaching, learning in Faculty of Education” is now available - Innovatus, a special issue of Yfile, explores how York University community members are expanding experiential learning, enhancing the student experience, internationalizing curriculum and inspiring innovation in technology-enhanced learning. Launched in February 2017, Innovatus is produced out of the Office of the Vice-Provost Teaching & Learning in partnership with Communications & Public Affairs. Read issue

Professor Emeritus Don Dippo honoured with Order of Canada appointment -  Recognized as one of the country’s highest honours, the Order of Canada acknowledges outstanding individuals whose contributions, achievements, and impact have brought meaningful change to communities across the country. Read more

Exploring Emotional and Social Change: Honoring Distinguished Research Professor Deborah Britzman at the Psychosocial Transformations Conference - On November 7^th and 8^th, scholars, clinicians, educators, and graduate students gathered for Psychosocial Transformations: The school, the clinic, and the archive, an event that showcased questions and debates in psychoanalysis and the field of psychosocial studies, while honouring the contributions of Distinguished Research Professor Deborah Britzman to these conversations. Read more

Season three of Associate Professor Vidya Shah’s The UnLeading Project is now available with 5 new episodes featuring Education faculty and graduate students. This season’s episodes are:

• Technologies of Leadership with assistant professor sava saheli singh and seconded faculty member and graduate student Andrew McConnell
• Leading Against Neoliberalism and Privatization with professor Sue Winton
• Leading for Linguisitic Justice and Language Revitalization with assistant professors Gail Prasad, Kiera Brant-Birioukov; Sonia Martin (PhD candidate); and Marika Kunnas (FofED alum)
• Hospicing Leadership with Myrtle Sodhi (PhD candidate)
• Abolitionist Leadership with Aurra Startup (PhD student)

The Project has also launched reflection guides for podcasts in seasons 1 and 2 that support further reflection and action for listeners. A special thanks to Myrtle Sodhi (PhD Candidate) for her work on these guides. In addition, thanks to Aurra Startup (PhD student) and Adam Riley (Web Designer & Developer) for their tremendous work on the UnLeading website

Associate Professor Qiang Zha co-organized a workshop on the theme “Higher Education in a Changing World” at the University of Hong Kong this past November – As a result of this event, Zha has secured a book contract with Routledge under the title "The New Geopolitics of Higher Education: China and the World"

Associate Professor Roopa Desai Trilokekar will be one of the speakers at the kick-off of the 2025 Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (CSSHE) Webinar Series – The first session features an outstanding group of speakers discussing Reframing International Higher Education in Canada. – Learn more and register

Professor Emeritus Celia Haig-Brown returns to Haig-Brown Heritage House for four community sessions about using art and conversation -  Four community sessions will invite the public to join a dialogue using art and conversation. Each session will offer a chance for speakers and audience members to examine what it means “To be in good relation.” Learn more

Social Inclusion crucial to economic opportunity for all, says honorary degree recipient – For Faculty of Education honorary degree recipient Mark Beckles, social justice refers to ensuring opportunities for all by improving conditions that erode social cohesion and prevent economic inclusion. This means addressing myriad social issues such as access to healthcare and education; poverty and inequality; racial equality; and gun violence. Read more

Passings: Gary Bunch – As a leading champion on inclusive education, Gary spent his career as a teacher, author, administrator at the Ontario Schools for the Deaf, and a York University professor. Read obituary in the Toronto Star

Academic Programs Office

Upcoming visit by Norwegian students - In partnership with York University’s Faculty of Education, students from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Department of Teacher Education will be joining us in February. NTNU students will participate in school placements and professional development. Nancy Bell will be coordinating the program–supporting the students’ experiences, and learning

Research Office

Assistant Professor Cristina Delgado Vintimilla has launched a new website for her Social Sciences adn Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)-New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) project “Ecological Devastation in Extractive Zones: Resistance, Recuperation and Regeneration” - In this project, alongside children and their communities, Delgado Vintimilla and her team created a network of communities that are resisting Canadian mining corporations in Andean Ecuador.  Through public pedagogy they activated a variety of aesthetical-pedagogical processes to speculate on the possibilities of living differently. By creating everyday practices that unashamedly weaved unconventional (often discarded) ways of being, knowing and doing, they engaged with the present holding multiple histories to create futures worth living. 
Visit website

Congratulations to our colleagues who received SSHRC research grants

• Assistant Professor Natalia Balyasnikova - SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant
  Project title: Community-based creative writing: Towards strengths-based educational approaches for adults with emerging literacy competencies
• Professor Kate Tilleczek - SSHRC Connection Grant
  Project title: Conference for Youth and Planetary Wellbeing

Upcoming Funding Opportunities:

• Canada Foundation of Innovation: John R. Evans Leaders Fund: February 15; June 15; October 15
• SSHRC Insight Development Grants: February 3
• SSHRC Connection Grants: February 3
• 2025-26 York-Massey Fellowships: February 7
• SSHRC Partnership Grant 2025-2026 Competition (Stage 1): February 10
• Spencer Foundation Research Grants on Education – Large: February 11
• SSHRC Research on Research Joint Initiative: February 20
• Partnership Engage Grants: March 17
• SSHRC Impact Awards: April 1
• SSHRC Destination Horizon Europe:  May 22; September 22
• 2026 Dorothy Killam Research Fellowships: May 22
• CSSE Support for Short-term Scholarly Events funding support:  July 15^th of each year
• Horizon Europe Program: Varies by project 
• Canadian Heritage: Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program (MARP): 18 weeks before the proposed event start date
• Humboldt Research Fellowship: Rolling
• Mitacs Globalink Research Award: Rolling

Please see the following link for information on postdoctoral researchers applying for external funding to be held at York: https://www.yorku.ca/gradstudies/postdoctoral-fellows/applying-for-external-funding/.

Nominate a colleague for the:

• Faculty of Education Graduate Teaching Award - Preliminary nominations should be sent to the Recording Secretary of the Committee on Faculty Research, Awards, and Grants (dkeren@edu.yorku.ca) by February 24 with full nominations due by April 7
• Faculty of Education Dean's Research Emerging and Established Impact Award - Nomination packages for the two streams are due March 17
• Honorific Professorships Deadline - March 7

Stay Tuned! - Upcoming research and mentoring events in Winter-Spring 2025 

• Planning, implementing and sustaining large-scale long-term research programs - March 2025 (online)  
• Towards mutual and reciprocal research teams and partnerships in Canada and beyond -  April 2025 (online)

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Office

OCT Reaccreditation - The Ontario College of Teachers has reaccredited the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Program. The accreditation period is for five years until January 10, 2030

Winter Term - Students returned to classes on January 6 and, in addition to their core courses, are now enrolled in the enhanced courses that focus on specialized areas such as itinerant teaching, bilingual education, and classroom amplification

Admissions for 2025-2026 - Applications opened December 15 and will close on March 21. Following this, application files will be reviewed and short-listed applicants interviewed. The goal is to send acceptance letters by the first week of May

Upcoming Webinars - The DHH program will be hosting two webinars on The Science of Reading: Application to Deaf Learners on February 6 and 27 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. The presenters are Connie Mayer (Professor in the DHH program), Beverly Trezek (Associate Professor) and Tashia F. Morgridge (Distinguished Chair in Reading, University of Wisconsin-Madison). Registration details will be available soon on the DHH website

Other Upcoming - During the month of February DHH students will be spending a day working on campus with some intermediate-level deaf learners. This is part of an on-going partnership with the Toronto District School Board's DHH team

Graduate Programs Office

‘Office Hour’ in the Grad Lounge - The 2024-2025 incoming Doctoral cohort are hosting an 'Office Hour' in the grad lounge (Winters Room 113) at 4:00 p.m., most Tuesdays. All are welcome! Contact James (jamesth@yorku.ca) for more details

New Publications

Professor Sue Winton and doctoral student Sonia Martin co-edited a 2025 special issue of Our Schools/ Our Selves, Whose Schools? Tracking Privatization in Public Education . The issue features contributions by members of the Public Education Exchange (PEX) including Gillian Parekh (Associate Professor, Faculty of Education), Joanne Penhale (BEd student), and York alumni Nancy Bell and Paulie McDermid

Associate Professor Qiang Zha has the following articles in the book International Dimensions and Trends in Higher Education in Troubled Times. Insights from Key Global Publications 2018-2023 in International Higher Education

• Does International Publishing Still Matter for China's Social Sciences Scholars
• China's Academic Profession Hit by "Involution"

Associate Professor Qiang Zha has an article titled China Shifts Gears in New Effort to Foster Universities in International Higher Education

Assistant Professor Rachel Silver and her co-authors have an article titled Counternarratives of COVID-19: Girls’ Stories of Disrupted Schooling in Malawi in Anthropology & Education Quarterly 

Assistant Professor Natalia Balyasnikova has an article titled Discursive Construction of Age in Older Immigrants’ Narrations of Language Learning in ELAD-SILDA, Studies in Linguistics and Discourse Analysis

Assistant Professor Natalia Balyasnikova has co-authored the following publications with colleagues:

• Collaborative creative inquiry: an arts-informed approach to transdisciplinary research in The Qualitative Report
• Immigrant seniors’ multiliteracies at a crossroads: pandemic, infodemic, and digital competencies in the International Journal of Lifelong Education

Assistant Professor Cristina Delgado Vintimilla has co-authored a book titled Vitalizing Vocabulary Doing Pedagogy and Language in Early Childhood Education

In The Media

Her mother was struggling with dementia. Then she had an idea that transformed her–and other isolated seniors in the GTA Assistant Professor Natalia Balyasnikova was quoted in the Toronto Star December 26

Island educator surprised and thrilled by Order of Canada induction Professor Emeritus Don Dippo was quoted in Victoria News December 22

News from the York community

York University marks Black History Month - York University reaffirms its commitment to Black inclusion and taking action against systemic discrimination. Explore events happening at York's campuses this Feburary that amplify the voices of Black community members. Learn more

Call for nominations: President’s University-Wide Teaching Awards - Nominate an educator at York University who has significantly enhanced the quality of learning for York students. Read more to find out who this award recognizes

Nominate student leaders for Tiffin Award - York community members are encouraged to submit nominations for the Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award, honouring students whose leadership has contributed to the growth, development and vitality of the University. Learn more

New storage limits for Microsoft 365 - Effective Monday, March 31, Microsoft is implementing a storage limit for Microsoft 365 across OneDrive, SharePoint and Exchange email for all educational institutions, including York University. This means that faculty, staff and students will have limits on the amount of space available for storing files and information. Learn more

Discover York Academics – Join York’s CV tool for faculty to showcase their academic work online. Learn more

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