The top stories of 2017
Photo: Ryerson University hosted its first-ever U Sports Women’s Volleyball National Championship—one of many stories that defined the campus in 2017. Photo by Hung Le.
In a year of global unrest, the Ryerson community looked toward the future. From cutting-edge technology to ideas with global reach to initiatives that fostered knowledge and empathy, Ryerson staff and students imagined a world of growth, opportunity, and compassion. Here are some of the stories that defined Ryerson in 2017.
Hyperloop competition raises innovation to 970 km/h
Imagine a world where the Hyperloop—the high-speed, tube-based transit system designed by Elon Musk—becomes a common mode of transportation. Imagine if Ryerson aerospace engineering students could make the technology even better. At the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition the Ryerson International Hyperloop Team presented its design for a wheel-deployment technology that gained kudos and corporate sponsorships.
An entrepreneurial approach to Egypt’s water crisis
In Egypt, where two out of five households do not have access to clean drinking water, entrepreneurship student Omar El Araby led project Myaah, an Enactus Ryerson initiative that aims to provide safe drinking water and a viable revenue stream. The team distributed a mass-produced ceramic water filter system created by local Egyptian artisans, using easily accessible material, for a sustainable solution to the country’s clean-water crisis.
RTA students partner with Amref Health Africa for an immersive education experience
Seven Ryerson students had a once-in-a-lifetime education experience when they spent two weeks in Kenya on a community engagement project with Amref Health Africa. As part of the RTA International Development course, the students visited two Amref Health projects: the Magadi-based initiative Alternative Rites of Passage (a community-led project to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and promote women’s education), and the Dagoretti Child Development Centre in Nairobi (which supports children through education and art).
Ryerson hosted the 2017 U Sports Women’s Volleyball National Championships
The Mattamy Athletic Centre (which celebrated its fifth anniversary this year) became the first Ryerson venue to host the volleyball championships. The Rams were seeded eighth going into the tournament and ended the season with a loss to Dalhousie University in the second consolation semifinal.
Biomedical Zone fosters student/clinician collaboration
In a dynamic inter-institutional partnership, the Biomedical Zone (external link) brings together Ryerson biomedical engineering students with clinicians at St. Michael’s Hospital. The collaborative venture brings Ryerson’s zone learning ecosystem into the hospital to facilitate innovative startup ideas and transform healthcare. For the first project in the zone’s Co-Development Lab program, students worked with neuroradiologist Dr. Aditya Bharatha on a digital database for the hospital’s neurovascular patients.
Ryerson researchers develop the world’s first pole-top energy storage unit
Researchers from Ryerson’s Centre for Urban Energy have developed the first energy storage unit that can be mounted on top of a utility pole. The first unit was installed 15 feet above Toronto’s Keele and Shepherd area; with the pilot project a success, commercialization is the next step.
Cornel West sounds off at Congress 2017
From May 27 to June 2, Ryerson hosted Congress 2017, Canada’s largest academic gathering. Hosted by the Faculty of Arts, the 86th annual event brought over 10,000 academics, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in the humanities and social sciences to Canada under the theme “From Far and Wide: The Next 150” (tied to Canada’s sesquicentennial). In one of the event’s highlights, superstar philosopher Cornel West delivered a rousing lecture on Trump, Obama, capitalism, neoliberalism, academia, and everything in between.
Masai Ujiri tells graduates about the value of respect
When Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri received an honorary doctorate at the Faculty of Community Services convocation, he took the opportunity to reflect on his path from rural Nigeria to the Air Canada Centre. “In my journey, my education has been meeting people in different places around the world,” he told graduates. “We all love to talk, but sometimes we don’t want to listen. Listen to other people. Listen to what they have to say.”
Journalism students explore Indigenous stories
For many, Canada 150 was a dark reminder of the multitude of Canadian stories that have not been told. Asmaa Malik’s master’s of journalism class helped spotlight the artists, educators, artisans, parents, chefs, and activists of Canada’s Indigenous communities with the multimedia project Indigenous Land, Urban Stories (external link) . The project was an opportunity for Ryerson journalism students—mostly non-Indigenous—to work with communities and issues outside their experiences.
The Ryerson University Lifeline Syria Challenge celebrated its second anniversary. Launched in 2015 as collaborative venture between four Toronto universities to support and resettle displaced Syrians, the initial goal was to support 10 families. Two years later, RULSC has surpassed that goal seven times over, supporting 437 newcomers, raising $5 million, and amassing a network of more than 1,000 volunteers.
University introduces all-gender housing
For the 2017-2018 school year, Ryerson became the first university to introduce all-gender housing in its residences. For the first time, Ryerson’s Housing & Residence Life allowed incoming students to choose all-gender housing or voluntarily indicate a gender identity on their applications—crucially, no longer forcing applicants to choose an identity. “In most people’s lived experience at home, they’re not segregated by gender,” said Ian Crookshank, director of Housing & Residence Life. “Many students don’t care one way or another. I think it’s important that we still offer the opportunity to accommodate someone who might care.”
Co-op grad lands dream job at Google
“A huge part of why I’m here now is due to the co-op program at Ryerson,” said Greg Leaver, who graduated from computer science in 2013 to a dream job as a Google software engineer. “I spent enough time during that 12-month co-op that I grew from being viewed as just an intern to a full employee.” After spending two years working for the company in California, Leaver transferred to the Google Canada headquarters in Kitchener, where he works today.
From the military to the classroom
The Chang School’s Spanning the Gaps program introduced Veterans Transition to Education, a support structure for veterans transitioning from the military to a new career. Co-ordinator Chris Munro, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran, spoke to Ryerson Today about his first-hand knowledge of the challenges of reintegrating into civilian life, and how the discipline of military training can prepare you for school.
Already North America’s top university-based incubator, the DMZ at Ryerson University entered the global stage. The tech hub’s 25,000-square-foot office in southern Manhattan gives emerging entrepreneurs easier access to the world market, and a chance to network with members of New York’s startup community. This year also saw the announcement of the DMZ U.S. Roadshow, a two-week program scheduled for January/February 2018 that will take top startups to a curated selection of clients in New York, Boston, and Silicon Valley.
Professors of history and computer science collaborate on robot archaeology project
What happens when an Egyptologist and a roboticist work together? You get a robot that can explore the dark and sandy depths of an ancient desert town in Egypt. Students from Alexander Ferworn’s master of digital media program worked with history professor Jean Li to design a robot for an archeological dig at el-Hibeh, a 3,000-year-old city in Egypt.