Yorkville University

Guest Blog | Jahvon Hanson’s Personal Reflections on Black History Month

As Director Equity, Diversity & Inclusion for Yorkville University and Toronto Film School, it is my pleasure to share my reflections on Black History Month and my family. My maternal great-grandmother’s name was Imogene, a descendant of sharecroppers, but to my family she was Mama. Pictured here in 1963, Mama was fashionable, always wearing the most …


What Can You Do with a Master of Education Degree (M.Ed.)?

Taegan MacLean

A Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree is more than an academic credential; it’s a gateway to high-level professional opportunities in the growing educational sector.  With graduate-level learning in leadership, pedagogy, andragogy, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and curriculum development, those with a Master of Education degree are equipped to take on leadership roles both inside and …



What is the difference between a professional doctorate and a Ph.D.?

Taegan MacLean

While many often use the terms ‘doctorate’ and ‘Ph.D.’ interchangeably, there is a distinct difference between the two. In the simplest terms, a Ph.D. (Doctorate of Philosophy) is one specific type of doctorate. All doctorate degrees require extensive schooling, represent elite expertise in a given field, and are administered by universities as the highest level …


Frontline Mental Health Professionals Consider Financial Stress to be the No. 1 Concern Facing Canadians Seeking Mental Health Support: Poll

TORONTO, ON, January 11, 2024 – The people on the front line of mental health care across Canada are deeply concerned about the effects of financial stress on the health of Canadians, according to an early-January opinion poll carried out by Yorkville University’s Department of Behavioral Sciences. The poll asked 1,800 members of Yorkville’s Master of Arts in …


January Showcase | Amazing YU Faculty, Alumni & Student Accomplishments

At Yorkville University, we’re proud of the accomplishments of all our faculty, students and alumni, both inside and outside of the classroom – be it winning awards, presenting at prestigious conferences, or publishing books. Here are some of the good news stories about Yorkville University’s talented community that we’d like to showcase this month: BBA …


BCA Student Geo LaForme to be Published in Upcoming Horror Anthology, ‘Demons & Deathdrops’

Bachelor of Creative Arts student Geo LaForme recently had his short story, Digestion, selected for publication in the upcoming horror anthology, Demons and Death Drops. Soon to be published by Little Ghosts Books – a queer-owned horror bookstore and publisher based in Toronto – Digestion follows the story of a trans male musician and the desperate struggle with vocal dysphoria that leads him to swallow …


BID Student Dhvani Savaliya Wins ARIDO’s Gary Hewson Memorial Scholarship

Bachelor of Interior Design student Dhvani Savaliya was recently named one of nine recipients of the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO)’s 2023 Gary Hewson Scholarship.  The scholarship, which was created in memory of an individual who touched the lives of many in Ontario’s interior design community, is presented each fall to one student from each ARIDO-recognized interior design …


YU’s Senior eLearning Specialist Aimee Trafton Publishes Two Books in 2023

Yorkville University’s Aimee Trafton published two books in 2023 – a young adult novella entitled The Misfit Crew, and Grief Journeys: A Prose and Poetry Chapbook, a personal account of grief and loss.  Published in February by The Shortish Project, The Misfit Crew is Trafton’s first YA project focusing on teenage mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and grief. “I wanted to write …


MACP Profs Dr. Alyssa Weiss & Dr. Rosina Mete on Presenting at ACES and ACC Conferences and Upcoming Publication

Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP) professors Dr. Alyssa Weiss and Dr. Rosina Mete enjoyed a busy fall – presenting at two international conferences and readying their latest chapter on online counsellor education for publication.  In October, the pair presented at the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Conference in Denver, Colorado. Their 50-minute ACES roundtable, entitled Integrating sensitivity and awareness …


BCA Student Jax Guillen’s Short Film ‘Ivory Tulle’ to Screen at 2023 CineFAM Film Festival

Bachelor of Creative Arts student Jax Guillen’s short film, Ivory Tulle, was recently selected for the CineFAM Annual Film Festival. The annual festival, which takes place this year from Dec. 8-10 at Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox, is a three-day celebration of bold, original film stories by Canadian women and non-binary creators of colour. Guillen said that, as an emerging filmmaker, seeing …


MED Alumnus Ashley Bodnar Receives Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence

Class of 2022 Master of Education in Educational Leadership graduate Ashley Bodnar was recently awarded the Prime Ministers Teaching Excellence Award, Certificate of Achievement.  The BC-based educator, who, until recently, taught Grades 6 and 7 at John Henderson Elementary School in Vancouver, was singled out for the award as a result of her commitment to supporting her students through collaborative learning.  “Ashley …


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