Dr. Trevor Hart, director of the HIV Prevention Lab at Ryerson University, says that his early findings from a four-year study indicate that men who are afraid of being judged in social situations are more likely to engage in unprotected sex with other males. Even more alarming, he found that the higher the level of social anxiety, the greater the chances of HIV-positive men taking part in unsafe sex.

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Kim Chow-Morris wants to open people's minds. That's partly why the music professor created the Ryerson Music Series: Interdisciplinary Perspectives - to explore the multiplicity of views on music. The other reason is her lifelong love of music.

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Ryerson continues its strong showing in TVO's Best Lecturer Competition with 25 professors nominated by students and alumni for the 2010 title.

Congratulations to the following Faculty of Arts 2010 TVO Best Lecturer award nominees:

o Paul Chafe - Department of English
o David Ciavatta - Department of Philosophy
o David Copeland - Department of English
o Olivier Courteaux - Department of History
o Patrice Dutil - Department of Politics and Public Administration
o Jean Golden - Department of Sociology
o Karim Ismaili - Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
o Eric Kam - Department of Economics
o Peter Kiatipis - Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
o Sohail Rashid - Department of Psychology

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It’s the age-old psychological conundrum: nature versus nurture. Are children more, less or equally affected by their genetics and the environment in which they grow up? Professor of Psychology Leslie Atkinson is working to advance one aspect of this often-perplexing question.

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Canada often has been portrayed by the American media and by U.S. politicians as a weak link in the battle against terrorism. But the truth is something different – and far more compelling – as revealed by Olivier Courteaux in his new book, The War on Terror: The Canadian Dilemma, published by Hispanic Economics.

 

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Three Ryerson researchers have been honoured as winners of prestigious Early Researcher Awards (ERA) by John Milloy, Ontario's Minister of Research and Innovation.

The awards will enable Colleen Carney and Ben Dyson from the Department of Psychology and Victor Yang from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to expand their research teams by involving undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral fellows who represent the next wave of talented young researchers.

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yerson Department of History Chair, Carl Benn, publishes a new book on the unusual story of Mohawks from Canada who served in the Sudan War of 1884−85

Carl Benn’s new book, Mohawks on the Nile, just released by Dundurn Press in Toronto, explores the fascinating story of sixty aboriginal men who left their occupations in the Ottawa River timber industry to participate in a military expedition on the Nile River in 1884–85.

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Aging seniors have a longer memory than previously thought, finds a new study led by Ryerson University psychologist Dr. Lixia Yang.

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Associate Professor Jane Sprott of Ryerson University’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology and the study’s lead author, teamed up with Professor Anthony Doob, University of Toronto, to survey Canadians’ perceptions of urban neighbourhoods with social problems. The study, which measured public dissatisfaction with the police and the courts, was published in the July issue of the journal Crime & Delinquency.

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Dr. Morton Beiser has been appointed Professor of Distinction in the Department of Psychology at Ryerson University. One of Canada's most eminent psychiatrists, and most recently a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, Dr. Beiser holds a long and distinguished record of international accomplishments in the areas of mental health, culture and immigration, ethnicity and public health policy.

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The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) recently elected Ryerson University Professor Irene Gammel as a Fellow, the highest academic honour awarded to Canada's scholars and scientists. RSC is Canada's oldest and most prestigious scholarly organization.

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Diana Marina Cooper, Bachelor of Arts (Politics and Governance). An honours student with a decorated list of achievements both in academia and in the professional world, Cooper is a Ryerson Gold Medalist who currently works as a research assistant with the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange, an organization that provides free HIV information, services and support to people living with HIV.

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Dr. Stephen Want, Assistant Professor in Ryerson University's Department of Psychology looked at the impact of television programs on young women's body image using the sitcom Friends. He found that watching this program had a significantly adverse effect on the participants' satisfaction with their own appearance.

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Frank Russo stands at the intersection of music, mind and technology.

An assistant professor in Ryerson’s Department of Psychology, Russo describes himself as a cognitive scientist, lifelong musician and armchair engineer. The Director of the SMART (Science of Music, Auditory Research and Technology) lab, he is interested in how humans perceive and respond emotionally to music and non-verbal sound.

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Older drivers tend to be less cautious behind the wheel when roadways are slightly more illuminated, according to a study by Ryerson University researchers.

"This finding took us by surprise," says Maureen Reed, a Ryerson psychology professor specializing in vision science and lead author of the study, which was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

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Stress. Panic attacks. Phobias. Obsessive-compulsive behaviour. Six million Canadians cope with some form of anxiety -- from mild to severe -- everyday. The Anti-Anxiety Workbook, a new book co-authored by Ryerson University's Dr. Martin Antony and Dr. Peter Norton, director of the University of Houston Anxiety Disorder Clinic, suggests practical ways to overcome these often debilitating health conditions.

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In Professor Vappu Tyyska's course, Sociology of Everyday Life, 18 students discovered the importance of self-confidence in getting an education. The students worked with 60 Grade 8 students from the inner city Ryerson Community School (which has no direct affiliation with Ryerson University) to help them understand the role of education in achieving their goals. The University students encouraged the youngsters to think outside their immediate environment and instill in them a feeling that they can and may want to pursue higher education.

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This immigration trend poses serious challenges for smaller communities in Ontario, according to Professor John Shields of Ryerson's Department of Politics and Public Administration. He and co-author Magdy ElDakiky wrote the report, Immigration and the Demographic Challenge: A Statistical Survey of the Ontario Region, which was published in the current issue of Policy Matters, a publication by the Ontario Metropolis Centre (CERIS).

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A technical study of an ancient water cistern, directed by Ingrid Hehmeyer of the History Department, has led to a restoration project that will improve in a major way the lives of the citizens of a small mountain town in Yemen.

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Climate change, an economic downturn and social injustice - some may call it a recipe for disaster. Author Judy Rebick, however, believes it presents a unique opportunity to bring about global transformation.

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Ryerson University Psychology Professor Dr. Martin Antony co-authors new book that helps people overcome anxiety and fears.

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A positive force on and off campus, Christopher Wright has a passion for social justice that has helped place him at the top of his class.

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Researcher Patrice Dutil of Ryerson's Department of Politics and Public Administration has released a new book Searching for Leadership: Secretaries to Cabinet in Canada, a collection of scholarly articles written by researchers from across Canada. This book takes a big-picture view of leadership in the Canadian public service with a spotlight on cabinet secretaries.

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The Southeast Asian country of Laos, one of the world’s last-standing Communist nations, often has been overshadowed in the international newsroom by its more dominant neighbours, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Among one of the most bombed countries in the world, one that suffered much during and after the Vietnam War, Laos has struggled economically and politically for decades. In spite of these challenges, a rich and beautiful culture thrives in this nation of over six million people.

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David Fourney, who is hard of hearing, and Ellen Hibbard, who is deaf, sit back and enjoy the music in the Emoti-Chair. Developed by Ryerson University researchers, the Emoti-Chair allows deaf and hard of hearing people to feel the vibrations of music and sound.

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 Do Canadian politicians reflect the diversity of the population? Researcher Myer Siemiatycki explores that question in the book Electing a Diverse Canada: The Representation of Immigrants, Minorities, and Women.

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Researcher Stacey (Tae) Hart of Psychology has more than $1.2 million in total funding from the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the U.S.-based National Institute of Mental Health for a longitudinal study of 100 colorectal cancer patients and their partners and spouses.

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The Psychology and Law Lab research team, led by Dr. Tara Burke, in Ryerson's Department of Psychology explores what happens in the justice system from a social psychological perspective. From left: Kathleen Reynolds, Dr. Burke, Stéphanie Marion and Poonam Raina.

The growth of the Department of Psychology at Ryerson is mind boggling. When the undergraduate Psychology program began in the fall 2006, 3,000 students applied for 125 undergraduate spots. Then in 2007 Canada’s newest MA and PhD program launched with 180 applicants for its 25 coveted spots.

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Jewish Canadian women writers have left an indelible mark on Canadian literature. A new book by Ryerson University Professor Ruth Panofsky examines literary works by widely acclaimed Jewish writers such as Adele Wiseman and lesser-known writers such as Helen Weinzweig and Nora Gold. In her book, At Odds in the World: Essays on Jewish Canadian Women Writers, Dr. Panofsky brings together a series of critical essays that probe what it means to be Jewish, Canadian, and female in a world that is sometimes unaccommodating.

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Two Faculties, Three Departments: researchers Claus Rinner, left, Christopher Gore and Pamela Robinson are working on an interdisciplinary project that examines a new way of engaging citizens in the debate surrounding climate change and environmental planning.

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