Over the last 15 years, York University’s Elia Scholars program has served as a critical engine for doctoral research that addresses society’s complex challenges.
Recipients of the Elia scholarship drive innovation for a resilient future shaped by curiosity, creativity and community.
One of the University’s most prestigious awards, the program provides multi-year funding to support first-year doctoral students poised to make transformative contributions – from advancing fire safety and sustainable cities to addressing health inequities and environmental threats.
Established by the family of the late Mariano A. Elia, the scholarship – valued at a minimum of $35,000 per year for four years – eases financial pressures on outstanding doctoral candidates, creating space for research, collaboration and discovery.
“Mariano believed in the transformative power of education and the importance of honouring diverse experiences,” says Alice MacLachlan, vice-provost and dean of graduate studies. "The Elia Scholars program carries forward that vision by empowering doctoral students to pursue research that will create positive change.”
Since its inception in 2008, the program has supported more than 45 doctoral students across disciplines. Their work reflects both the legacy of Elia and the promise of York’s next generation of thinkers.
This year’s scholars exemplify the program’s impact.
- Kathryn Chin (civil engineering) studies fire safety in hybrid timber-and-steel structures, addressing gaps in current building codes. “The support of this award allows me to focus fully on my research without the financial pressures many graduate students face,” says Chin. “I can dedicate more energy to conducting experiments, analyzing data and learning.”
- Raquel Mendes (environmental studies) examines ecological relationships in urban environments, exploring human and non-human agency and how belonging and community can be strengthened in digital-age societies. “The contribution of this research will be the development of practical understandings around community building and maintenance which fosters subjective diversity and conscientiousness within one’s daily life context,” says Mendes.
- Eija Stephenson (theatre studies) uses research-creation and performance ethnography to study how urban development and decay shape human movement and daily life. “Coming from an underprivileged background, and as the first person in my family to earn a university degree, this recognition of my creative and scholarly work means the world to me,” Stephenson says.
- Joan Ong (global health) investigates how social trust develops across cultures and contexts and its potential to reduce health inequalities. “One of the themes of my research is the origins and development of social trust over time and across contexts and cultures because social trust, as an intangible resource, represents a vital opportunity to relieve health inequalities produced by resource scarcity,” notes Ong.
- Cole Webber (environmental studies) examines how rental housing evictions in Toronto impact tenants’ working conditions, integrating housing and labor research. “I come to my PhD studies as a mature student with over a decade of experience working in the non-profit sector around issues of urban poverty,” says Webber. “My experience motivates me to produce research of the highest quality and receiving the Elia Scholarship will make that possible.”
- Jessie Krahn (cinema and media studies) explores authorship and audience expectations within social media, asking how psychological dynamics shape creative choices. “If a YouTuber is anxious about how their audience will respond to them, are there ways that this psychological phenomenon is rendered aesthetic in the editing, scripting, set design, etc. of the video?” Krahn says.
- Taylor Cosby (chemistry) combines community engagement and lab research while advancing toward her degree, benefiting from professional development opportunities. “With the support of this award,” says Cosby, “I have had several opportunities to develop my professional portfolio and have made advances towards the completion of my degree.”
- Luke Kuplowsky (cinema and media studies) returned to academia after a decade, enjoying the challenge of writing and reading, and embracing research and resources with enthusiasm. “It has been a very rewarding and exciting year,” says Kuplowsky, “and I greatly appreciate the generosity of the Elia Scholars program for allowing me to embrace it so fully.”
- Maraym Adarmanabadi (biology) investigates microplastic biofilms as a potential source of antibiotic resistance in Canadian wastewater, combining metagenomics, chemical analyses and imaging. This field has yet to be comprehensively studied. “I aim to generate new insights into how environmental pollutants interact to drive antimicrobial resistance,” says Adarmanabadi.
- Sana Akram (cinema and media studies) reimagines the hallmarks of the Dastan storytelling and performance tradition from South Asia through immersive, technology-driven performance experiences. “Being able to advance research on this and facilitate its ongoing revival into the 21st century by introducing it to a new generation of audiences through emergent technologies is a highly meaningful endeavor for me,” says Akram.
Recipients were recognized by faculty, donors, student and guests during a special event that included members of the Elia family: Paul Elia (BA ’72), Mariano’s son, president of the family foundation and York alumni; Valerie Elia, Mariano’s daughter and vice-president of the family foundation; Rochelle Zorzi, Mariano’s granddaughter and niece of Valerie and Paul.
The scholarship is facilitated by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
With files from Anesa Albert