Shelley Romoff / en The Scarborough transit debate: Let's move forward, says UTSC's Bruce Kidd /news/scarborough-transit-debate <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">The Scarborough transit debate: Let's move forward, says UTSC's Bruce Kidd</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>lavende4</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-07-11T16:02:54-04:00" title="Monday, July 11, 2016 - 16:02" class="datetime">Mon, 07/11/2016 - 16:02</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Scarborough community, business and academic leaders have written to Toronto city council with their concerns over transit (Photo by Alex Consiglio/Getty)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/romi-levine" hreflang="en">Romi Levine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/shelley-romoff" hreflang="en">Shelley Romoff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Shelley Romoff and Romi Levine</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/toronto" hreflang="en">Toronto</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/transit" hreflang="en">Transit</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/subways" hreflang="en">subways</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/scarborough" hreflang="en">Scarborough</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/bruce-kidd" hreflang="en">Bruce Kidd</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The subject of transit and transit planning in Toronto generates considerable interest and debate. Tomorrow Toronto City Council is voting on Mayor John Tory’s Executive Committee proposal to develop Toronto’s transit plan until 2031, a plan includes heavy rail, LRT stops and subway.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Shelley Romoff</strong> spoke to U of T Vice President and U of T Scarborough Principal <strong>Bruce Kidd</strong> about the proposal and about steps taken by community leaders to address the issue.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Five public sector leaders in Scarborough have gotten together and taken the step of writing an open letter to the Mayor and City councillors about transit.&nbsp;What prompted this?</strong></p> <p>It’s simple. Almost one in every five Torontonians <span style="line-height: 20.8px;">–&nbsp;</span>24 per cent of the population, over 625,000 people - lives in Scarborough. Yet transit in this area of the city is woefully inadequate, and Scarborough has been repeatedly overlooked when it comes to transit investment. This has negatively impacted development – scaring developers off of some projects and even spoiling the chance others could even be considered. Residents are frustrated. As leaders of the four of the largest public institutions in the east end of Toronto&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">–&nbsp;</span>institutions that serve over a half million people, Robert Biron (The Scarborough Hospital), Ann Buller (Centennial College), Andrée Robichaud (Rouge Valley Health System), and I, as well as Margaret Middleton (Scarborough Business Association) who represents the business community, agree that we have an obligation to speak up. As we say in our&nbsp;letter, the challenge faced by residents, businesses and institutions in this part of the city is urgent.</p> <p><strong>What does Scarborough need when it comes to mass transit and pubic transit?</strong></p> <p>First, we need to all understand that the debate <span style="line-height: 20.8px;">–&nbsp;</span>which has been going on for much longer than just the last few years <span style="line-height: 20.8px;">–&nbsp;</span>is divisive as well as time-consuming.&nbsp; There have been several different plans presented over the past decade. While each has merit, the un-ending discussion is affecting Scarborough’s, and Toronto’s, future.</p> <p>We need comprehensive transit planning for the future. We need predictability, and results. We need to bring back confidence to planners, developers and to taxpayers.</p> <p>Connecting Scarborough Town Centre to the subway makes good sense. This will create an express line to help people move to and from the downtown core to what is already an important multi-regional transit hub.&nbsp;</p> <p>Exending the Eglinton LRT much farther east makes good sense, too. This will enormously benefit those who live in Scarborough and move around the area, and ultimately, reduce vehicular traffic.</p> <p><strong>What outcome will, in your view, present a way forward?</strong></p> <p>There is a cost to lost opportunity as well as a cost to implementing plans – it’s just hard or harder to measure. We can’t afford to keep stalling. Even though financial requirements for comprehensive transit plans may exceed what we can afford today, we still need innovative, creative planning or the future that can be implemented over a period of time.</p> <p>Let’s approve and allocate funds for a comprehensive approach to transit planning for Scarborough, one that includes completing the Transit Project Assessment Process for the subway and the LRT networks.</p> <p>Let’s move forward. These plans will finally allow both the public and the private sectors to have assurance about how Scarborough will develop, thrive and contribute to a better, modern Toronto.</p> <hr> <p>Kidd also spoke to U of T News reporter <strong>Romi Levine</strong>. She asked him how UTSC and its students are affected in particular:</p> <p><strong>How will transit expansion benefit the student population at UTSC?</strong></p> <p>It’ll be huge. It’ll significantly reduce travelling time to and from the campus, freeing up time for further study, engagement in student clubs, engagement in student co-curricular activities such as sports and culture, engagement in undergraduate research.</p> <p>The leaders of the SCSU (Scarborough Campus Students’ Union) over and over again have stood with us shoulder to shoulder on transit.</p> <p><strong>In what ways can the campus grow with better transit?</strong></p> <p>There’s the vision of growth for our campus – we have a campus master plan that looks ahead over the next 20-30 years to build out the precinct of UTSC to fill in the campus between the traditional campus south of Ellesmere and the new buildings on the north of Ellesmere.</p> <p>We see adding a cultural centre, residences, further academic buildings… we planned for the LRT within that master plan, but we’ve been very reluctant to go ahead with that building until the site for the LRT is finalized. So this will enable us to move ahead with that master plan.</p> <p><strong>Will better transit strengthen ties between UTSC and the Scarborough community?</strong></p> <p>There are physical transit barriers to easy accessibility. This is a car campus for the most part – we are on the east side of Highland Creek. There are impoverished priority areas on the west side of Highland Creek. For some of them, even though on a bike it would be 15 minutes, by public transportation it would be 45 minutes because you’d have to take three different rides. It’s horrible. This would make the campus and the cultural, athletic, intellectual resources here much more accessible to the eastern part of Scarborough on the other side of Highland Creek.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Will better transit links to UTSC create better connectivity between U of T campuses?</strong></p> <p>Oh come on, for sure! One of the barriers to bringing people out here, one of the barriers to moving students downtown is inadequate transportation. The SCSU lobbies every day and every week for strengthened transit links to downtown… so this will make that a lot easier, a lot more convenient. It will enable students on both St. George and UTSC to make better use of the richness of both campuses.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Read more about&nbsp;<a href="http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/aboutus/blog/2016/07/07/inner-suburb-outer-circle">Principal Bruce Kidd’s perspective on transit for Scarborough</a>&nbsp;in Intervals: the Principal’s blog.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 11 Jul 2016 20:02:54 +0000 lavende4 14638 at 'Roid rage and Arctic ground squirrels /news/roid-rage-and-arctic-ground-squirrels <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">'Roid rage and Arctic ground squirrels</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2014-11-06T03:24:02-05:00" title="Thursday, November 6, 2014 - 03:24" class="datetime">Thu, 11/06/2014 - 03:24</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Arctic squirrel (photo by Dr. Tim Karels)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/shelley-romoff" hreflang="en">Shelley Romoff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Shelley Romoff</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/more-news" hreflang="en">More News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">How rodents bulk up for winter without going nuts</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p> When Arctic ground squirrels need to bulk up for winter, they get a boost from an enormous spike in the levels of steroids in their blood.</p> <p> So why doesn't it lead to 'roid rage?</p> <p> In humans, anabolic steroids are known to build muscle but also produce negative side effects such as aggressive behaviour and compromised immune systems. Yet Arctic ground squirrels have found a way to pump up with steroids without the risks, ؿζSM researchers say.</p> <p> A new study, published this week&nbsp;in <em>Biology Letters</em>, by Professor <strong>Rudy Boonstra</strong> of the ؿζSM Scarborough with ؿζSM Mississauga Professor <strong>Douglas Ashley Monks</strong> and Research Technician <strong>Kaiguo Mo</strong>, shows the answer lies in the squirrels' androgen receptors.&nbsp;</p> <p> Most hibernators only add layers of fat in preparation for winter but Arctic ground squirrels hibernate in frozen ground at subzero temperatures, so they need to burn muscle mass as well as fat to get through the harsh winter and supply key tissues in the brain and heart with the glucose they need. &nbsp;</p> <p> A previous study had shown that, in the weeks before hibernation, Arctic squirrels were able to increase their muscle mass by 30 per cent&nbsp;thanks to a massive spike in their anabolic steroid levels. In this new study, researchers compared Arctic squirrels to Columbian ground squirrels found in Alberta and discovered the Arctic squirrels were able to bulk up safely because they had four times as many androgen receptors in their muscles than the Columbian ground squirrels. &nbsp;</p> <p> “They have more steroid receptors within their muscle cells, and fewer in other types of cells, like immune cells, that could be negatively affected by the steroids,” said Boonstra. “The Arctic ground squirrel has evolved this trait to make muscle to cope with hibernating in a deep freeze.”&nbsp;</p> <p> This ensures that, unlike humans, Arctic squirrels can receive&nbsp;the benefits of high anabolic steroid levels without the costs.</p> <p> This research was supported by grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. <a href="http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/10/11/20140734.short">The research is available online </a>and will be published in the upcoming edition of Biology Letters.</p> <p> (<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/how-arctic-ground-squirrels-use-steroids-to-bulk-up-for-winter-1.2824755">Read the CBC's story</a>,)</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2014-11-05-arctic-squirrel.jpg</div> </div> Thu, 06 Nov 2014 08:24:02 +0000 sgupta 6620 at UTSC celebrates 50 Years /news/utsc-celebrates-50-years <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">UTSC celebrates 50 Years</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2014-10-06T06:33:10-04:00" title="Monday, October 6, 2014 - 06:33" class="datetime">Mon, 10/06/2014 - 06:33</time> </span> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/shelley-romoff" hreflang="en">Shelley Romoff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Shelley Romoff</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p> The 1960s are remembered as an era that rocked the establishment, ushering in enduring cultural change.</p> <p> In 1964 Ontario’s population was booming. Canada’s new immigration regulations revolutionized policy, opening an increasingly wider door. Suburbs rapidly grew to the north and east of downtown Toronto. The Beatles became internationally famous. Marshall McLuhan published his insightful analysis of television’s impact on society, <em>Understanding Media: the extension of man</em>. Defending champions, the Toronto Maple Leafs, won the Stanley Cup at Maple Leaf Gardens.</p> <p> Against this backdrop, the ؿζSM established a campus in the eastern GTA&nbsp;–&nbsp;its first of two new campuses&nbsp;–&nbsp;with 16 faculty members in three divisions: social sciences, humanities and science. The next year 191 full-time students began their training as future leaders and members of the first class of Scarborough College.</p> <p> Today the campus is known as ؿζSM Scarborough.</p> <p> Interim Principal <strong>Bruce Kidd </strong>says the original campus was both an ambitious social exercise and an architectural one. “UTSC has always pioneered new paths for the well-established U of T, Canada’s leading research university,” he notes.&nbsp;“From the beginning, the campus aimed to offer students higher education that is innovative, inclusive and equal to the excellence that is the University’s hallmark.”</p> <p> John Andrews designed Scarborough College’s buildings to forge interaction among disciplines, teachers and students. The internationally-renowned science and humanities wings also included a 6,000 square-foot (560-metre) television studio to develop and transmit closed-circuit lectures, a unique experiment in pedagogy.</p> <p> Today’s UTSC offers a comprehensive range of opportunities for 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 80 countries. &nbsp;It boasts&nbsp;350 faculty, a full array of student services, highly-regarded research centres and 43,000 alumni who have found their place in the worlds of politics, sports, education, entertainment and industry. The campus’s expansive footprint is larger than that of the University’s downtown&nbsp;campus, occupying 300 acres stretching from the Highland Creek Ravine to the new Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, home to UTSC’s department of athletics and recreation.</p> <p> UTSC’s academic program offers 180 undergraduate and graduate programs, from international business to global Asia studies to clinical psychology, including 53 co-operative education programs. More than 200 student clubs and associations guarantee an engaged student experience.</p> <p> Celebrating its 50th anniversary, this is an exciting time to be on campus as UTSC looks to its past even as it ponders its future. Events have reached out to alumni, the local community, and across the University. A celebration of the campus’s official establishment by U of T’s Governing Council happens on October 6th and the program of festivities, symposia, lectures and events continues into the new year, when UTSC hosts nine events for the<a href="http://panam2015.utoronto.ca/"> Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am&nbsp;Games</a>, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors, the technologically-advanced environmental science and chemistry building opens its doors and the university introduces UTSC’s next principal.</p> <p> While much has changed, Kidd says the campus remains true to its roots, still pushing the boundaries of traditional structures, and offering a program that is challenging, current and both locally and globally relevant.</p> <p> “We’re actively engaged with our communities, so the UTSC experience doesn’t stop at our campus borders&nbsp;–&nbsp;it’s a key part of the student experience. Being located in an area with the highest density of diversity in the country adds a level of energy, creativity, culture and engagement that is uniquely UTSC.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2014-10-06-utsc-50-years.jpg</div> </div> Mon, 06 Oct 2014 10:33:10 +0000 sgupta 6533 at David Onley, Ontario's 28th lieutenant-governor, joins U of T /news/david-onley-ontarios-28th-lieutenant-governor-joins-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">David Onley, Ontario's 28th lieutenant-governor, joins U of T</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2014-09-25T05:18:39-04:00" title="Thursday, September 25, 2014 - 05:18" class="datetime">Thu, 09/25/2014 - 05:18</time> </span> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/shelley-romoff" hreflang="en">Shelley Romoff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Shelley Romoff</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utac" hreflang="en">UTAC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pan-am" hreflang="en">Pan Am</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Alumnus to teach, serve as special ambassador for Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p> The Honourable <strong>David Onley</strong> has stepped down as Ontario’s 28th and second longest-serving lieutenant governor and will return to his roots at ؿζSM Scarborough (UTSC).</p> <p> On&nbsp;October 1, Onley will assume the role of senior lecturer and distinguished visitor, teaching classes in the department of political science and working with students on research projects, using papers from his term in public office. He&nbsp;will also archive his papers while at UTSC, working with staff of the UTSC Library.&nbsp;</p> <p> Onley will also serve the university as special ambassador for the <a href="http://panam2015.utoronto.ca/">Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am&nbsp;Games</a>, contributing to the momentum leading up to the Games at a series of events on both the UTSC and St. George campuses, which will both host Games competitions.</p> <p> “I am honoured to be assuming my new responsibilities at UTSC and am truly looking forward to sharing my experiences as lieutenant-governor in class and on campus,<span style="font-size: 11.8181819915771px; line-height: 18px;">”&nbsp;</span>said Onley. <span style="font-size: 11.8181819915771px; line-height: 18px;">“</span>I’m excited as well to be ambassador for&nbsp;U of T to the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.<span style="font-size: 11.8181819915771px; line-height: 18px;">”</span></p> <p> An alumnus who graduated in&nbsp;1975, Onley received an honorary Doctor of Laws from U of T in 2009. He was student council president at what was then known as Scarborough College.&nbsp;</p> <p> The early 1970s was a time of great student activism, and Onley remembers the administration reaching out to involve students in the decision-making process.&nbsp;That,&nbsp;he says, was enormously impressive. Now Onley will be reaching out to today’s students.</p> <p> “We are delighted to welcome home our distinguished alum,” said&nbsp;Professor&nbsp;<strong>Bruce Kidd</strong>, interim vice-president and principal, UTSC. “We have much to learn from his experience as a journalist and activist, and from his outstanding years in public service.”</p> <p> Professor&nbsp;<strong>Grace Skogstad</strong>, chair of UTSC’s department of political science, echoes the enthusiasm for Onley’s next career step.&nbsp;“Here is a man who followed his passion, carving a niche for himself as one of Canada’s leading experts on NASA’s shuttle program and launching a storied and distinguished career,” Skogstad said,&nbsp;referring to Onley’s best-selling novel about the space program, his role as founding president of the Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Canada and his years as City&nbsp;TV’s science and technology reporter, CP24 news anchor and host of the technology series Home Page. &nbsp;</p> <p> “Our students have much to learn from Mr. Onley and the unique perspective he will offer from his years at Queen’s Park, which have been among the most eventful in recent memory.”</p> <p> “We are so pleased and grateful that David Onley has agreed to take on these new positions,” said&nbsp;Professor&nbsp;<strong>Meric Gertler</strong>, president of U of T. “He is a brilliant communicator who combines a magnificent record in public office with deep knowledge of and commitment to U of T Scarborough.</p> <p> “During his term as lieutenant-governor Mr. Onley represented Ontario at many other world sporting events. He is also a great champion of the parasport movement. We could not ask for a more perfect representative of the university community.”</p> <p> <em>Shelley Romoff is a writer with the ؿζSM Scarborough.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2014-09-25-david-onley.jpg</div> </div> Thu, 25 Sep 2014 09:18:39 +0000 sgupta 6511 at Job seekers: remain calm during tests /news/job-seekers-remain-calm-during-tests <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Job seekers: remain calm during tests</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-11-11T07:57:21-05:00" title="Monday, November 11, 2013 - 07:57" class="datetime">Mon, 11/11/2013 - 07:57</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Standardized tests can be stressful for job applicants (photo by Ken Jones)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/shelley-romoff" hreflang="en">Shelley Romoff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Shelley Romoff</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/more-news" hreflang="en">More News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-school" hreflang="en">Rotman School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Job interviews can be stressful but if a standardized test is&nbsp;involved it's crucial to remain calm – even if you hate taking tests, says a new study published in the <em>Journal of Applied Psychology</em>.</p> <p>Research shows candidates' reactions can affect their performance on the test, said <strong>Julie McCarthy</strong>. The associate professor in the Department of Management at the ؿζSM Scarborough and the Rotman School of Management was part of an international team of researchers working on the study.</p> <p>"The findings are an important consideration both for organizations and for applicants," McCarthy said. "There is clearly value in training programs to help applicants minimize test anxiety and stay motivated."</p> <p>Working with researchers in the United States and Belgium, McCarthy also found that doing well on a job test predicted strong job performance.</p> <p>"Candidates who experience high levels of anxiety, for instance, will have low test performance while those who are motivated by tests will perform better, both on the test and on the job," McCarthy said.</p> <p>The researchers also&nbsp;determined that skepticism about standardized tests or the fairness of the application process&nbsp;did affect candidates' performance on the test itself but did not reliably predict their performance on the&nbsp;job.</p> <p>McCarthy partnered with Chad Van Iddekinge of Florida State University, Filip Lievens of Ghent University, Mei-Chuan Kung of Select International in Pittsburgh, Evan Sinar of Development Dimensions International in Bridgeville Pennsylvania and Michael Campion of Purdue University. The researchers examined data from studies on three continents.</p> <p>The research was partly funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</p> <p><em>Shelley Romoff is a writer with the ؿζSM Scarborough.</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/standardized-test-13-11-11.jpg</div> </div> Mon, 11 Nov 2013 12:57:21 +0000 sgupta 5713 at UTSC welcomes Wheelchair Basketball Canada’s new year-round training academy /news/utsc-welcomes-wheelchair-basketball-canada-new-year-round-training-academy <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">UTSC welcomes Wheelchair Basketball Canada’s new year-round training academy</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2013-04-05T12:30:05-04:00" title="Friday, April 5, 2013 - 12:30" class="datetime">Fri, 04/05/2013 - 12:30</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Canada's elite wheelchair basketball athletes will train at the ؿζSM Scarborough (all photos courtesy Wheelchair Basketball Canada)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/shelley-romoff" hreflang="en">Shelley Romoff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Shelley Romoff</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/local" hreflang="en">Local</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>After winning Gold in London last year, Canada intends to continue its wheelchair basketball domination, opening a revolutionary training academy to recruit and train elite athletes for the men’s and women’s teams at the ؿζSM Scarborough (UTSC).</p> <p>The new academy is financed by Canada’s Own the Podium program, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario. The academy will open this July in UTSC's current athletics activity, and intends to move into the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre when the new facility opens in September 2014.</p> <p>“This innovative training program designed to nurture Canadian talent at home is a great fit with UTSC,” said <strong>Scott McRoberts</strong>, director of athletics and recreation. “We’re thrilled to welcome Wheelchair Basketball Canada to our campus. Our students will gain leadership opportunities through internships, and will be immersed in the team experience.”</p> <p>UTSC has long been heralded as a leader in providing an accessible university campus, with highlights including a&nbsp; <a href="http://ose.utsc.utoronto.ca/ose/ose_new_v/article.php?id=3892&amp;page_issue=201209&amp;cid=3">wheelchair tennis program</a> and serving as a training space for the <a href="http://ose.utsc.utoronto.ca/ose/story.php?id=2833">national wheelchair rugby team</a>. Providing a home to the academy furthers the Department of Athletics and Recreation’s commitment to supporting equitable programming.</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/Wheelchair-Basketball-13_04_04.jpg" style="margin: 3px; width: 400px; float: left; height: 267px;">Wheelchair basketball is considered one of the major sports practiced by athletes with a disability; an estimated 100,000 people play the game, from recreation to club play and as elite team members. There are 82 National Organizations for Wheelchair Basketball around the world and this number grows ever year.&nbsp;</p> <p>Wheelchair basketball sees tremendous competition and interest on the international level, including the Summer Paralympic Games, the Pan American Parapan Games and a Wheelchair Basketball World Championship.</p> <p>The Canadian Men and Women’s teams have combined for six gold, one silver, and one bronze at the last six Paralympic Games. They have also been dominant at World Championships capturing a combined five gold and five bronze medals since 1990. Major competition for both the Men’s and Women’s teams comes from Australia, the United States, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Japan.</p> <p>The new academy means Canadian talent won’t have to relocate to the U.S. or Europe to play in semi-professional leagues: until now, wheelchair basketball athletes have had to go to U.S. colleges with NCAA-approved wheelchair basketball programs, or to Europe, to play in the semi-professional leagues when they want to play at a level beyond their local club.</p> <p>“This is the single most important thing we can do for the sport,” said Wendy Gittens, executive director of Wheelchair Basketball Canada.</p> <p>“UTSC provides an ideal location for us to launch this one of kind initiative. We are excited to join a welcoming and positive atmosphere that is conducive to training some of Canada’s future Paralympic and world champions in wheelchair basketball,” said Gittens.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/Wheelchair-Basketball-Lead-13_04_04.jpg</div> </div> Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:30:05 +0000 sgupta 5264 at