According to York University Professor Robert MacDermid, when campaigns go “negative,” they’re hoping that some truth in their attack will resonate with the public more than the blowback for going negative, reported Metro Aug. 21. “If the mass transit Tory is proposing doesn’t go near under-serviced communities, there is an issue there,” said MacDermid. “But saying ‘segregationist,’ of course, is a tactic to draw comment and draw media attention. It’s so over-the-top.” Read full story.
Stintz bows out of mayoral race, won’t endorse anyone else
As the Toronto mayoral race enters its most important stretch, the field has lost one of its top five contenders, with Karen Stintz dropping out and declining to lend her support to another candidate – saying she’s finished completely with politics, reported the Toronto Star Aug. 21…. York University Chancellor Greg Sorbara, who originally encouraged Ms. Stintz to run, said: “I don’t think there’s any doubt that it’s John who benefits. Their politics are somewhat similar, and their styles are somewhat similar.” Read full story.
The simple rule that keeps income flowing during retirement
Moshe Milevsky, a professor at York University, calculates the chances of financial ruin in his book The Calculus of Retirement Income. He shows that a 65-year-old investor who has a stock portfolio with an expected return of 7 per cent a year runs about a 9.4 per cent chance of running out of money in retirement if he or she sticks to a 4-per-cent withdrawal rule, reported The Globe and Mail Aug. 22. Read full story.
The lawyer who challenged the Harper government and won
At York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Rocco Galati learned that his love of Bob Dylan stood him in good stead: Constitutional law was like poetry, reported The Globe and Mail Aug. 22. “I had a professor at Osgoode, a very bright man, Graham Parker, who I took courses on statutory interpretation from. He said to me, ‘Do you read or write poetry?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I do both.’ He said, ‘I can tell. Reading statutes is as difficult as reading poetry.’” Read full story.
‘Encore jobs’ a new trend in retirement
When Patricia Visser decided to retire after 30 years in publishing and promotions, she had no idea she would be asked for an encore, reported the Toronto Star Aug. 24…. In Visser’s case, “that breather from my career didn’t last long – maybe a year or so – before someone called” to see if she’d be interested in doing research into cancer prevention for York University. That led to doing surveys across the country on a wide range of topics like melanoma and even on the recreational drug use of people in their 60s. Read full story.
Will there be a long goodbye for Leiweke?
Tim Leiweke said Thursday that he will leave his post as chief executive officer for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, but not until June 30, 2015, or until a successor has been found. Management experts have a technical term for what can happen to leaders during that type of long exit strategy, reported the Toronto Star Aug. 22…. “It’s not that [Leiweke] himself is a lame duck. Good governance says the board won’t push major changes,” said Alan Middleton, York University marketing professor and executive director of the Schulich Executive Education Centre. “The whole point of bringing in a new head is that we want that person to design the changes.” Read full story.
Teaching, touring and learning in Africa
“Our most recent trek in May 2014 took us to Tanzania, drawn there by two primary school teachers, my nephew Jamie, a York University faculty of education graduate, and his wife Elif, a Turkish national, specializing in the use of educational technology. They are part of the contemporary brigade of international teachers sharing their expertise and enriching themselves culturally in countless ways,” wrote York University Professor Paul Axelrod, former dean of York’s Faculty of Education, in University Affairs Aug. 20. Read full story.
Tax credits are not the way to boost innovation
“In the 2014 budget, the federal government announced new support of $1.6-billion over five years in additional direct support for innovation, which is indeed welcome,” wrote Andrew Jackson, the former Packer Professor at York University and senior policy adviser to the Broadbent Institute, in The Globe and Mail Aug. 22. “However, seemingly under pressure from existing beneficiaries of the $3.5-billion-ayear SR&ED tax credit and the large consulting industry it supports, the federal government has still done little to date to reform the ineffective tax credit system.” Read full story.
Study shows higher risk of sexual abuse for people with autism
A study from York University in Toronto published in The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found that individuals with autism were significantly more likely to have suffered sexual abuse than neurotypical individuals, reported Autism Daily Newscast Aug. 20. Read full story.
Canadian Mars analogue mission: field report, week one
Last week, a group of approximately 30 students and postdocs from Western University, York University and Queen’s University participated in the first of a two-week Mars analogue mission in concert with the Canadian Space Agency, reported The Planetary Society Aug. 20. Read full story.
Regional teen golf program returning to York
After a successful run as a pilot project this year, the Golf Association of Ontario announced its regional team program will return to York Region in 2015, reported the Markham Economist & Sun Aug. 22…. Kathryn Robinson returns as the team’s strength and condition coach. Robinson currently serves as the York University assistant strength and conditioning specialist. Read full story.
Public meeting to be set for York University student housing bid
The city will schedule a public meeting so the community can learn about a proposal to build new student housing at York University, reported the North York Mirror Aug. 22. A date for the meeting has not yet been set. Read full story.
If a computer can diagnose cancer, will doctors become obsolete?
There’s some evidence that growth is stalling for higher-skill occupations, reported FiveThirtyEight Aug. 22. Both McAffee and Autor pointed to new research by Paul Beaudry, David Green and Ben Sand of the University of British Columbia and York University in Canada that shows that since 2007, these jobs also have experienced stagnant wages. Read full story.
York – Schulich to offer MBA specialization in global retail management
Beginning this fall, the Toronto, Canada-based York University Schulich School of Business will offer a new MBA specialization in global retail management, reported Find MBA Aug. 11. Read full story.