York University Professor Leah F. Vosko, of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, is being recognized for excellence in research by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). She is the recipient of the SSHRC’s prestigious Impact Award (Insight Category). The award was announced on Sept. 4.
“York is delighted that Professor Vosko, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in the Political Economy of Gender & Work at York University, has been awarded the SSHRC Impact Award,” said Interim Vice-President Research & Innovation Rui Wang. “She is Canada’s foremost expert on the complex national and global problem of precarious employment. Her leadership in this area has affected policy changes that have led to key societal benefits.”
“Professor Vosko’s achievement is a source of great pride for the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies,” said Interim Dean JJ McMurtry. “Her research on precarious employment has expanded our understanding of the labour market in Canada, and we are thrilled to see her work is getting the recognition it deserves.”
Vosko,a full professor in the Department of Politics, is an internationally renowned social scientist. Having overseen numerous path-breaking research projects, her contributions to scholarly knowledge, networks and learning tools have made lasting impacts within academe and on public policy and make her most deserving of this award.
She has written numerous books, articles, book chapters and technical reports, as well as edited many scholarly volumes. She has been recognized with election to the Royal Society of Canada, a Fulbright Fellowship, the Charles Taylor Prize for Excellence in Policy Research, Tier 1 and 2 Canada Research Chair appointments and a Premier’s Research Excellence Award.
Vosko’s contributions to understanding the profound challenges of labour market insecurity cannot be overstated. She has made significant scholarly advancements by devising a now widely applied, nuanced conceptualization of precarious employment and creating novel approaches to its measurement and alleviation. Her insights demand that we re-examine how we understand and confer labour market membership, and her leadership of robust collaborations has resulted in concrete policy changes that have improved working life in Canada.
The annual Impact Awards recognize the highest achievements of outstanding researchers and research partners in the social sciences and humanities. Vosko is York University’s first faculty member to receive SSHRC’s prestigious Impact Award in the Insight Category.
(text and image from Y-File)