As part of its ongoing commitment to adapt library spaces to evolving student needs, earlier this year YUL called on students to participate in a survey to better understand how the community uses its locations. “One of the things we learned was that our students use all the libraries for different things,” says Joseph Hafner, dean of YUL.

Beyond being a place to study, York’s libraries serve as hubs for job interviews, online courses, virtual meetings with professors, communication with experiential education supervisors and more. Despite that diversity of use, one request came through consistently. “Students wanted more quiet places to concentrate,” says Hafner.

To address that, Hafner considered study pods. Increasingly popular in libraries, he says, they are small, semi-private spaces designed for both individual and group work. Made with glass panels or walls, often combined with metal or wood framing, pods are typically soundproof and equipped with seating, desks and power outlets. Unlike open tables or limited bookable rooms, they offer reliable access to the kind of focused environment library users said they need most. Hafner became passionate about bringing them to York.

Around the same time, YURA was searching for a project to champion with similar enthusiasm.

Made up of retired faculty and staff, YURA fosters community by offering social and educational programs and advocating for retirees’ interests. It also pursues fundraising projects that keep members connected to the University while continuing to support students.

“Many of us have spent our whole careers at York,” says Diane Woody, co-president of YURA. “The University had such an impact on us, and we feel it did its best to look after us and our needs, that we feel motivated to give back so that the needs of future students are met.”

Most recently, YURA completed a three-year fundraising effort that raised $35,000 to alleviate student food insecurity on York’s campuses. This spring, YURA co-chairs Debbie Hansen and Sheila Forshaw were tasked with finding a new initiative to support. They connected with the Division of Advancement to learn more about University priorities and were introduced to Hafner, who presented several YUL initiatives that could benefit from funding.

For YURA, one stood out.

“We really liked the study pods,” says Forshaw, noting that because it was important for YURA to raise funds for something with clear impact, the pods were a strong fit. YURA members were drawn to how the pods would provide quiet, multi-use spaces that addressed a clear need. They also felt the pods could serve as a long-term expression of YURA’s legacy and commitment to the University community.

“We want to continue to support York,” says Hansen.

YURA’s goal over the next three years is to raise $30,000 annually to fund six study pods. The association has already raised enough to fund one, and plans to continue fundraising through initiatives like the upcoming YURA Challenge 5 km Walk on Campus taking place on Oct. 7. The annual walk brings together retirees, staff, students and community members to contribute to initiatives that enhance the University.

When the study pods are funded and installed, YUL will implement a booking system – which will include time limits – to ensure equitable access for all students. Hafner says the team will monitor and solicit feedback about pod use, ensuring students’ needs continue to be met in a way that strengthens York’s long-term academic environment.

YUL plans to recognize YURA’s contributions with a potential ribbon-cutting ceremony and plaques on the pods noting their support. For YURA, the plaques are a visible reminder that retirees remain invested in York. “I hope people would say to themselves, ‘It’s interesting that retirees want to maintain a connection to the University and continue to support it,’” says Woody. “We would hope they see us as an ongoing part of the community.”

Those interested in participating in the YURA walk and/or donating can find information here.

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Koenig earned her PhD in social psychology from the University of Michigan in 1962. She joined �첥��Ƶ as an assistant professor in 1965, when the institution was based at the Glendon Campus and the Keele Campus was just opening. In 1967, she was promoted to associate professor, marking the beginning of a distinguished career.

Throughout her time at York, Koenig held numerous key positions, including Chair of the undergraduate studies program from 1968-71, associate dean of the Faculty of Arts from 1973-76, and Chair of the Department of Psychology from 1987-90. In each of these roles, she prioritized the needs and concerns of undergraduate students, earning a reputation for her sensitivity and responsiveness to their academic journeys.

Known for her innovative teaching methods, Koenig was instrumental in developing interdisciplinary courses that integrated the humanities with psychology. Her approach to education fostered critical thinking and encouraged students to explore the intersections of various fields, particularly in health psychology. Her dedication to enhancing the curriculum at York was recognized through multiple awards acknowledging her commitment to excellence in teaching.

In 1972, she significantly contributed to student support by helping to establish the Advising Centre for the Faculty of Arts, which aimed to provide guidance and resources to students as they navigated their academic paths.

Koenig’s commitment to excellence in undergraduate education continues to be honoured through the Koenig Psychology Undergraduate Award, established in her name. This award recognises exceptional third-year students in the psychology honours program who maintain a high academic standard and are continuing their studies.

Outside of York, Koenig had a wide range of interests including being a devoted Toronto Blue Jays fan, an avid traveler and reader, and enjoyed gardening. She frequently attended cultural events like the opera and symphony.

A memorial gathering is scheduled for June 22 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Kane-Jerrett Funeral Homes, located at 6191 Yonge St. in Toronto. In lieu of flowers, donations in Koenig’s memory can be made to the at �첥��Ƶ.

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“Food security is an issue that an increasing number of our students face," says Yvette Munro, vice-provost students, "and the generous support form YURA is very much appreciated.” 

YURA’s five-kilometre walk was held in conjunction with the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon's Charity Challenge, which offers registrants the option to complete their run or walk virtually. YURA believes holding this event on one of �첥��Ƶ's campuses helps to raise awareness about food insecurity among students and YURA’s efforts to help. 

YURA’s fundraising mission this year was to assist the York Federation of Students' Food Support Centre and the student food bank at the Glendon Campus, as well as the University's . 

“Being able to contribute to alleviate food insecurity on our York campuses is very meaningful," says Sheila Forshaw, captain of this year’s Charity Challenge team. "In the last two years, we have raised more than $36,000. I am thankful to the fundraising team and everyone who donated for their incredible support and dedication. I think we truly make a difference.”

According to YURA co-presidents Diane Woody and Steve Dranitsaris, retired �첥��Ƶ employees contribute to the life of the University in a variety of ways. For example, YURA sponsors three graduate student awards and five undergraduate awards each year, and also provides funding for the outreach work of the �첥��Ƶ-TD Community Engagement Centre. Many emeritus faculty remain involved in collaborative research, publication, teaching, graduate student supervision and thesis committees. York retirees often participate in the University’s public events, are regular donors and serve as ambassadors of the University in the broader community.

Online donations in support of YURA’s fundraiser for student food support can still be made – until Oct. 20 –&�Բ�����;������ .

With files from Steve Dranitsaris

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YURA has once again decided to walk in support of food insecurity – notably, the YFS Student Food Bank, the Glendon Food Bank, as well as the open fridge and grocery card programs.

The upcoming fundraising walk is being held in conjunction with the Toronto Waterfront Marathon Charity Challenge, which offers the option of a “virtual” Charity Challenge allowing registrants to walk the five kilometres on their own or with others. 

The Oct. 1 walk will take place at 1 p.m., starting at the Lorna Marsden Honour Court (north of the Seymour Schulich Building, east of the �첥��Ƶ subway station), the location of the YURA office, and taking participants through the scenic parts of campus. All members of the University community are welcome to join the walk, which will take approximately one hour, to show their support for this important cause. Anyone wishing to participate is welcome to do either all or part of the walk, depending on their time availability and/or endurance.  

So far this year, YURA’s Charity Challenge team has raised more than $12,000 in sponsor donations from friends, family members, former York colleagues and co-workers. YURA welcomes further contributions from faculty, staff and others who are concerned about student food insecurity at the University. To sponsor the YURA team or any of its members, .

The YURA team consists of five members registered officially as fundraisers, plus a larger contingent of �첥��Ƶ retirees who are supporting this cause. Those who wish to join the team should contact the YURA office at yura@yorku.ca or by phone at 416-736-2100 ext. 70664.  

This is the sixth year that YURA is taking part in the Charity Challenge. From 2019 through 2022, YURA’s participation raised sufficient funds to endow in perpetuity three graduate student awards given annually at �첥��Ƶ. Last year, a total of $20,000 was raised in support of the YFS Food Support Centre.

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Earlier this year, the YURA executive committee voted unanimously to assist the YFS Food Support Centre.

The fundraising walk on Oct. 3 will take place at 1 p.m., starting at the Lorna Marsden Honour Court (north of the Schulich School of Business building, east of the �첥��Ƶ subway station), the new location of the YURA office. The route through the Keele Campus was developed with Recreation York, and all members of the University community – faculty, staff and students – are welcome to participate in all or part of the approximately one-hour walk, to show their support for this important cause.

To date, YURA’s Charity Challenge team has already raised more than $18,000 in sponsor donations from friends, family, and former York colleagues and co-workers. YURA welcomes further contributions from faculty, staff and others who are also concerned about student food insecurity at the University. To sponsor the YURA team or any of its members, tax-deductible online donations can be made here: .

For further assistance, contact the YURA office at yura@yorku.ca or call 416-736-2100 ext. 70664. 

The YURA team consists of eight members registered officially as fundraisers and a larger contingent of York retirees who wish to support this cause. 

This is the fifth year that YURA is taking part in the Charity Challenge. In previous years, YURA’s participation helped raise sufficient funds to endow in perpetuity three graduate student awards given annually at �첥��Ƶ.

The upcoming YURA fundraising walk is being held in conjunction with the Toronto Waterfront Marathon Charity Challenge, which offers the option of a “virtual” Charity Challenge, allowing registrants to do the five kilometres on their own or with others.

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A number of YURA members will take part in the 5 km walk in October and are seeking sponsor donations from former colleagues, co-workers, family and friends to help achieve the $115,000 needed to endow the three awards that YURA provides each year to deserving graduate students.  To date, more than $90,000 has been raised with $60,000 of the funds being generated by participants in the Charity Challenge walk/run in the last three years.

York community members are invited support this worthy cause by sponsoring the YURA team or any of its members with an online donation at .

Tax deductible receipts will be issued by the University for sponsor donations.

YURA is committed to help make getting an education possible for deserving students who struggle financially.  Many of the award recipients are changemakers who go on to accomplish great things.  For more information about the YURA sponsored awards given annually, visit: /yura/events-and-programs/awards-bursaries-and-donations/.

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Paul Wilkinson, University Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, passed away on Dec. 19, 2021 at Sunnybrook Hospital ending a three-week stay following emergency surgery. He was predeceased by his wife Dorothy, and is survived by his two children, Christopher and Melanie, and four grandchildren.

Paul graduated in 1970 with an Honours BA magna cum laude in Geography from �첥��Ƶ. He then went on to graduate in 1971 with his MA, and in 1974 with his PhD, both in Geography from the University of Toronto.

He was appointed as a lecturer in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York in 1973 while he was completing his PhD. In 1974, he was promoted to assistant professor, in 1977 promoted to associate professor and in 1990 to professor. In 2014, he was recognized with the title of University Professor Emeritus. Paul retired in 2014 but remained an active participant in University affairs and in his research and professional work until his death.

Throughout his more than 47-year association with �첥��Ƶ, Paul compiled an outstanding record in teaching and graduate supervision, in research and professional activities, and in service to the University. His contributions were exceptional in all areas. In addition to his appointment in the Faculty of Environmental Studies and more recently in the new Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, Paul was also an active member of the graduate program in geography. At various times in his career he held visiting appointments at universities in California, France, Kenya and Indonesia.

Paul was an exceptional teacher and graduate-level supervisor. He supervised nine environmental studies PhD dissertations and more than 90 masters theses, major papers or major projects. He also supervised a number of masters students in geography and served as a member of numerous supervisory and examination committees across several programs at York and at other universities. He was always in demand as a graduate supervisor. Paul taught a wide range of courses in the environmental studies graduate program and as well in the undergraduate program after it was established in 1992.

In research and professional activities, Paul was an extremely successful and recognized scholar in his field. His work was broadly based, but focused on resource and environmental management, recreation and tourism planning and management, and protected area management. He was the author, co-author or editor of more than 160 works, including 22 books or monographs, 37 book chapters, 35 papers in refereed journals, 16 papers in refereed conference proceedings and more than 50 other scholarly and professional reports. His CV also documents more than 85 conference papers between 1972 and 2019.

Paul held a large number of individual research and travel grants over the years. Much of his work was as a member of research and project teams or in partnership with his students.  Most recently he was working as part of the Canadian Parks Collective for Innovation and Leadership with a focus on Canadian parks and protected areas. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, Paul was an active participant in the Faculty’s major CIDA-funded international partnership projects in Kenya and Indonesia. In the 1980s, Paul also worked with several colleagues on a number of CIDA-funded projects in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Building on his research Paul took on significant roles outside of York in professional organizations and government initiatives. From 1990 until 2007, he served on the board of directors of the Canadian Association for Leisure Studies and served as the vice-president and then president of that association from 1998 until 2001. From 1998 until 2000, he was appointed by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage as a member of the panel on the ecological integrity of Canada’s national parks. This appointment included the opportunity for Paul to visit all of Canada’s national parks. In 2013 he was appointed a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas, a branch of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

In addition to Paul’s dedication to his teaching, students, research and professional activities, he compiled an exceptional record of service contributions within York. In environmental studies, he served as assistant dean in the late 1970s and as associate dean for nine years. At various times he served on all the major committees in the Faculty in various director and coordinator roles, and as the graduate program director and undergraduate program director. He had a major role in developing the successful proposals for the doctoral and undergraduate programs in environmental studies, both of which received Senate approval in the early 1990s.

Paul also made significant contributions in the governance of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Senate and the University's Board of Governors. Except during his sabbatical leaves, Paul was a member of Senate from 1976 to his retirement. He served on many Senate committees, including multiple terms on both the Senate Executive Committee and on the Senate Academic Policy and Planning Committee. From 1994 to 1996, he served as Senate Vice-Chair and then as Senate Chair. On two occasions, in 1996 and again in 2011, he was elected as the Senate representative to the University's Board of Governors.

Paul was a cheerful colleague and was known for his outstanding sense of humour and his enthusiastic support for good ideas. He was a great team player and an outstanding member of the York community throughout his career. He was a most deserving recipient of his appointment as University Professor Emeritus. He will be missed by his extensive network of former students and colleagues.

As per Paul’s wishes, for those wishing to make a donation in his memory should give to the . This award was established by the Wilkinson Family several years ago and is very dear to their hearts.

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By Elaine Smith

Peter Victor may have stepped down from his academic responsibilities at �첥��Ƶ, but the professor emeritus and former dean of the Faculty of the Environmental Studies (now Environmental and Urban Change, or EUC) is still busy with writing and research. Late November 2021 saw him , (Routledge, 2022), and he regularly publishes with colleague Tim Jackson, director of the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP) at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom.

Homage to an innovator

His new book grows out of the great respect he has for his subject as an innovator in economics. Daly, a professor emeritus at the University of Maryland, is known for establishing ecological economics – Victor’s field of study – as a discipline, although one that had to fight for recognition, because, unlike most other strains of economics, it doesn’t mandate growth. In essence, it is a stream of economic thought that emphasizes the value of natural capital, recognizing the limits of natural resources. Proponents believe that economic prosperity can be gained through improving the quality of life, rather than just pure market growth.

“I knew Daly’s work quite well,” says Victor. “I kept telling my wife that someone should write a biography of Herman Daly, given his influence on economics, and she said, ‘You should do it.’ I have learned over the years that it’s worth listening to her suggestions. I contacted Herman and he agreed, as long as I placed the emphasis on his ideas and debates about economics.”

Before putting pen to paper, Victor spent a week interviewing Daly at his home in Virginia and another 18 months going through the economics literature to review Daly’s work and what others had to say about it. Finally, he spent the spring and summer of 2020 “writing the biography sitting on my front porch.”

“Ecological economists question how economies can keep growing if the world is not,” says Victor. “The uptake of our theories has been disappointingly slow. Challenging economic growth doesn’t make you popular with mainstream economists. Most of the teaching and research in this field is done outside economics departments – at , for example.

“One of the reasons I wrote the Daly biography is to get people engaged with the ideas and a different world view. It’s exciting stuff.”

Much of Victor’s research revolves around economic modelling, which isn’t easily understood by the layperson. However, the Daly biography is different.

“Vibrant, timely and thoroughly accessible, Peter Victor’s elegant new biography charts the life and work of a genuine radical,” notes CUSP’s Jackson in praising the work. “Daly’s steady-state economics marked a turning point in economic thinking with revolutionary implications. From polio survivor to World Bank advisor, Victor paints a sympathetic and long overdue portrait of an extraordinary man with extraordinary ideas.”

Slow growth no disaster

It’s not Victor’s first foray into authoring a book, although it is his first biography. He is also well known for his seminal work in ecological economics, Managing Without Growth: Slow by Design, not Disaster, which he has recently updated for a second edition. It grew out of a series of discussions he had with his former PhD supervisor about economic growth. If endless economic growth is infeasible and, in advanced economies, also undesirable, what are the possibilities for living well without relying on growth?

“You can’t produce unless you take energy and materials from nature and create waste,” says Victor. “If we are going to reduce our impact in physical terms, economies cannot grow without limit despite the fact that growth of the economy is usually measured in terms of money. However, even without growth, inequality can be reduced, high levels of employment can be maintained, and technology can improve, allowing people to work less and live better.  

“I wrote the book because human impacts on the planet have become excessive, and I used a lot of data, so it wasn’t just about abstract ideas. I built a simulation of the Canadian economy so people could explore their own scenarios. I wrote the book because it was interesting. However, I had no idea what would come of the book.”

Serendipitously, it was released just as the 2008 recession struck and, suddenly, Victor was invited to speak about his ideas all over the globe. “Otherwise, it might have been obscure,” he said.

For someone whose varied career has seen him successfully as a consultant, an assistant deputy minister, an educational administrator and a professor, perhaps it’s not surprising to find that whatever endeavour Victor undertakes, acclaim and knowledge follow. Especially with the shadow of climate change becoming larger each day, don’t expect him to stop contributing to our understanding of the natural world.

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For the third straight year, the �첥��Ƶ Retirees' Association (YURA) participated in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Charity Challenge to raise funds for graduate student awards at the University. With the help of York’s Advancement Division, YURA applied and was approved as an eligible charity in the program.

For the 2021 Charity Challenge, YURA’s 11 registered participants were given the option of running or walking a minimum of five kilometres on their own (e.g. in their own neighbourhood) as a virtual charity challenge; or participating in one of two five-kilometre walk/run events organized by YURA – one held at Toronto's High Park on Oct. 5 and the other on the Tom Taylor Trail in Newmarket, Ont., on Oct. 13. 

Participants registered for the Charity Challenge through a fundraising page generated by Race Roster, an online app, and then sought sponsorships from former colleagues and co-workers, family and friends. �첥��Ƶ issued charitable tax receipts for sponsor donations. To date, this year’s YURA team has raised $23,700 for the graduate student awards. 

YURA Co-President Ian Greene organized this year’s team entry. Fundraising participants were retirees Charmaine Courtis, Steve Dranitsaris, John Lennox, Fran Wilkinson, Peter Victor, David Dimick, Marla Chodak, Agnes Fraser, Donna Smith and Gwyn Buck, as well as Maggie Quirt, a professor in the Department of Equity Studies in York's Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, who took an enthusiastic interest in this cause.

Until Nov. 1, there is still time for York community members to sponsor the YURA team or one of the individual participants. Tax deductible donations can be made online at .

YURA is committed to help make getting an education possible for deserving students who struggle financially. YURA's goal is to raise enough money for an endowed fund to support in perpetuity the three YURA Graduate Student Awards given annually. To date, almost $90,000 has been raised toward the $115,000 goal for this endowment, with $60,000 of the funds raised generated by participants in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge in the past three years.

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Ian Sowton. Image: Holy Trinity Church, 2003

A message from a friend recently informed me of the death of Ian Sowton (Feb. 23, 1929 to Jan. 23, 2021), after a fall and head injury. It came with a recollection of Ian and Fran housing a student couple with a newborn child when the Sowtons themselves were a young couple with their own children at the University of Alberta in the 1960s. John Unrau, another U. of A. graduate who ended up at York, had his own story of Sowton generosity. (See also the of Holy Trinity Church near the Eaton Centre.) I would attribute Ian's world view to that fact that he was one of those "missionary brats" who spent their early years with their parents in places like China. There were several at York in the early years, including Stephen Endicott.

A graduate of the University of Toronto, Ian taught for a number of years in Edmonton before being hired to Chair the nascent English department at Atkinson College circa 1970. I had enjoyed auditing his course on renaissance poetry at U. of A. and was happy to be his colleague for almost 30 years after I came to York. While publishing a book and articles on Spencer and 16th-century poetics, Ian was particularly active in the life of the College and the University: Chair of his department, director of the Graduate Program in English, master of a college, participant on an endless list of committees and task forces – always ready to help, even after his retirement, when he was on the executive of the Association of Retired Faculty and Librarians of York (ARFL).

Toward the end of his academic career, Ian became interested in feminist writers and literary theory, making them an important part of his courses. One result was that, again post-retirement, he was willing to help prepare a festschrift for an eminent feminist scholar at York: Transacting Memory: Essays in Honour of Barbara Godard (2013).

Always publishing his poetry here and there, over the years, Ian got serious after retirement, bringing out five books: Intricate Armada (2005), Imagining Sisyphus Happy (2006), Affordable Wonders (2011), which includes a number of commemorations of deceased York colleagues, The Stink of Experience (2013), and Waking in Harbour One Day (2020), a collection published a few months before his death. Most of the books were blatantly and proudly self-published and many of the poems were celebrations of the woman he had loved for so many years (in complete defiance, I would point out, of the ancient Courtly Love tradition). But for one of the last poems in Waking in Harbour, I accused him of getting close to the bone. Here is the first stanza of "Song of Passage":

As it rejoins the primal surge

of forever dancing elements

my body shall learn the steps

for meadow grass and flowers

under sun and gracious showers.

Let's leave it there.

Ray Ellenwood

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