New gifts

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, new gifts to the Faculty of Community Services are creating remarkable opportunities for teaching, research and student experience. Read on for a summary of new gifts from May through August, 2019.

FDC Foundation Nursing Simulation Fund

The FDC Foundation has made a generous commitment of $1,030,000 to establish the FDC Foundation Nursing Simulation Fund. This transformational gift will directly and immediately support improvements to clinical simulation learning, through the purchase of high fidelity simulation mannequins, and over the next four years, through live actor and gaming simulations in the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing.

As home to the largest undergraduate nursing program, Ryerson graduates the greatest number of Registered Nurses in Canada. The foundation’s investment in simulated learning will make a marked improvement in the quality of education for nurses and lead to better patient outcomes in Ontario, Canada and beyond.

Tanis Doe Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Gender, Disability and Social Justice 

Thanks to a generous gift of $500,000 from the P. and L. Odette Foundation, a first-of-its-kind fellowship has been established to explore the intersection between gender and disability.

The Tanis Doe Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Gender, Disability and Social Justice was spearheaded by Fran Odette, an inaugural and longstanding member of Ryerson’s Disability Studies Advisory Council, and former president of the Canadian Disability Studies Association.

Centre for Urban Research and Land Development 

Several organizations have made generous commitments to support the Centre for Urban Research and Land Development (CUR). CUR is a multi-disciplinary research centre which brings economic insight and real estate market understanding to urban policy discussions within the greater Golden Horseshoe; raises awareness of the regional scope of many urban issues; and educates students and urban policy makers on the importance of economic and market understanding.

• Empire Communities has renewed their support with a commitment of $100,000
• TACC/Fieldgate/Paradise have continued The Upper Unionville Group’s support with a commitment of $100,000
• The Tandem Group has made a commitment of $100,000
• Greenland Group (Canada) has made a gift of $10,000

Durst Family Awards for Indigenous Students in the Faculty of Community Services

The Durst Family Awards for Indigenous Students in the Faculty of Community Services  were established with a $25,000 gift from Ryerson alumnus Larry Durst, Chemical Technology ‘67, who was moved to create opportunities for Indigenous students, particularly those pursuing degrees and professions with potential to positively impact Indigenous communities. The award, open to undergraduate Indigenous students in disability studies, child and youth care, early childhood studies, social work, and urban and regional planning, is valued at $10,000, thanks to a match through the university’s President’s Awards to Champion Excellence (PACE) initiative.

Lisa Ann Magerman Memorial Award

Marilyn and Harry Magerman have generously donated $25,000 to establish the Lisa Ann Magerman Memorial Award, in loving memory of their daughter, Lisa Ann Magerman, BScN ’00.

Having battled health issues since her youth, Lisa was inspired to enter the nursing profession after experiencing firsthand the tremendous impact nurses had in her healthcare journey. As a student she was recognized for high academic performance, combined with an ability to provide exceptional patient-centred care – a quality noted by a professor as stemming from her experience “on the other side of the bed.”

In her memory, this award seeks to recognize and support nursing students who demonstrate the same commitment to the nursing profession and delivering patient-centred care as Lisa did. The award will be first offered to students in the 2021-2022 academic year.

Mary Ann Grunt Award for Perseverance

Ryerson alumnus Christian Grunt, Business Management '16, has made a gift of $5,000 to create the Mary Ann Grunt Award for Perseverance at the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing to honour his mother and long-time Registered Nurse, Mary Ann Grunt. This award, open to undergraduate nursing students from a single parent/sole caregiver household or who are themselves a single parent/sole caregiver, recognizes the personal sacrifice of nurses in the delivery of compassion and care and the added challenges of students from these circumstances.