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D E P T . O F P H Y S I C A L A N DE N V I R O N M E N T A L S C I E N C E
D I G E S T
A N N AG A L A N G
E D I T O R S :
D R .S H A D I D A L I L I
A Y e a r i nQ u a r a n t i n e :R e f l e c t i o n s o n t h eC O V I D - 1 9 P a n d e m i cp . 0 4
D P E S F e a t u r e sp . 0 9
G S A S E v e n t s p . 1 2
U n d e r g r a d u a t e p . 1 7
Phot o : NA S A J o h n so n , CC BY - NC 2 . 0
“I (we) wish to acknowledge this land on
which the University of Toronto operates. Forthousands of years it has been the traditional
land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, andmost recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit
River. Today, this meeting place is still thehome to many Indigenous people from acrossTurtle Island and we are grateful to have the
opportunity to work on this land.”
- University of Toronto, LandAcknowledgement
P h o t o : C h a i C h e n
A Y E A R IN QUA RA NT INE :RE FLE CT IONS ON T HE COVID-1 9PA NDE MIC
DPE S FE A T URE S
F a c u l t y : I n n o v a t i v e T e a c h i n g :
GS A S E VE NT S
P o d c a s t :
UNDE RGRA DUA T E
Infected 139.93 millionDeaths 3.00 million
Worldwideas of April 16, 2021
Infected 364,353Deaths 7,698
Ontarioas of April 17, 2021
V A C C I N A T I O N
A s o f A p r i l 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 , O n t a r i o h a s e x t e n d e d t h e s t a t e o f e m e r g e n c y a n ds t a y - a t - h o m e o r d e r u n t i l a t l e a s t M a y 2 0 t h , a s n e w C O V I D c a s e sc o n t i n u e t o r e a c h r e c o r d h i g h s ( D a v i d s o n , 2 0 2 1 ) . E x p e r t s f e a r t h a t at h i r d w a v e i s w e l l u n d e r w a y w i t h t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n s o f t h e v a r i a n t sf r o m t h e U K a n d S o u t h A m e r i c a , t h a t a r e m o r e c o n t a g i o u s a n d p o s e ah i g h e r r i s k o f d e a t h . A c c o r d i n g t o t h e O n t a r i o C O V I D - 1 9 s c i e n c ea d v i s o r y t a b l e , i n f e c t i o n s b y t h e n e w v a r i a n t s o f c o n c e r n m e a n s a6 0 % i n c r e a s e d r i s k o f d e a t h ( P e l l e y , 2 0 2 1 ) . C o m b a t i n g t h i s w i l ld e p e n d o n i m p l e m e n t i n g s t r o n g p u b l i c h e a l t h m e a s u r e s a n d i n c r e a s e dv a c c i n a t i o n r a t e s ( D a v i d s o n , 2 0 2 1 ) .
F E A T U R E A R T I C L E
A Y E A R I NQ U A R A N T I N E :
W O R L D W I D E C A N A D A O N T A R I O
F U L L Y V A C C I N A T E D1 9 4 . 8 1 M I L L I O N
( 2 . 5 0 % P O P U L A T I O N )
F U L L Y V A C C I N A T E D8 8 4 , 0 0 0
( 2 . 3 4 % P O P U L A T I O N )
F U L L Y V A C C I N A T E D 3 4 4 , 2 4 4
( 2 . 3 6 % P O P U L A T I O N )
A S O F A P R I L 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 A S O F A P R I L 1 6 , 2 0 2 1 A S O F A P R I L 1 7 , 2 0 2 1
R E F L E C T I O N S O N T H E C O V I D - 1 9 P A N D E M I C
O V E R V I E W
W R I T T E N B Y Y A O Y A N H U A N G
S o u r c e s :1.COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Ontario. (n.d.) Government of Ontario. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://covid-19.ontario.ca/index.html2. COVID-19 vaccines for Ontario. (n.d.) Government of Ontario. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccines-ontario3. Davidson, S. (2021, April 17). Ontario extends stay-at-home order, restricts interprovincial travel as province loses battle against COVID-19. CTV News Toronto. Retrieved April 17, from https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-extends-stay-at-home-order-restricts-interprovincial-travel-as-province-loses-battle-against-covid-19-1.53900164. Pelley, L. (2021, March 26). 60% higher risk of death from coronavirus variants, Ontario analysis finds: sources. CBC News. Retrieved March 28, 2021, from, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid-variants-death-analysis-ontario-1.59642965. Ritchie, H., Ortiz-Ospina, E., Beltekian, D., Mathieu, E., Hasell, J., Macdonald, B., Giattino, C., Appel, C., Roser, M. (2021). Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations. Our World in Data. Retrieved April 17, 2021 from https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations
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5 1
5 5 2
Non-replicating mRNA vaccines are furtherdistinguished by their delivery method: direct in vivoinjection, like the current COVID-19 vaccines (PublicHealth Ontario), and ex vivo loading of dendritic cells,which are being pursued for cell-mediated immunityagainst cancer and as a therapeutic vaccine for HIV-1(Pardi et al., 2018)
mRNA vaccines work by having mRNA enter and deliverinstructions to the cells in our body to produce thespike antigen of interest from the virus (see Figure 1;Public Health Ontario). This antigen is displayed on thesurface of the cell and triggers an immune response,production of antibodies, and a cytotoxic T lymphocyte(CTL) response (Public Health Ontario).
The term “unprecedented” has been used to describemuch about the COVID-19 pandemic and this is true of thevaccines that have been developed as well. This is the firsttime in history where a new vaccine has been developed inless that four years and the first time that mRNA vaccineshave been approved for any disease (Komaroff, 2020).Previously, they were restricted by their instability, highinnate immunogenicity, and inefficient in vivo delivery ofmRNA, but recent technological advancements have beenable to overcome these issues (Pardi et al., 2018).
Messenger RNA (mRNA) based therapies were first reportedin 1990 when reporter gene mRNAs (genes that whenintroduced into target cells produce a protein receptor orenzyme) were injected into mice and protein productionwas detected (Pardi et al., 2018).
m R N A V a c c i n e s
Before COVID-19, mRNA based cancer vaccines had beentested in multiple clinical trials and studies haddemonstrated the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines for theEbola virus, Zika virus, and influenza virus (Pardi et al.,2018).
There are currently two major types of RNA vaccines: non-replicating mRNA and virally derived, self-amplifying RNA(Pardi et al., 2018). The latter contains not only the code ofthe viral antigen, but also the viral replication machinery toallow for intracellular RNA amplification (Pardi et al., 2018).
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The activation of T cells (cell-mediated) immuneresponse helps ensure long-term protection against thevirus (Public Health Ontario).
mRNA vaccines hold many advantages to bothtraditional innoculation methods and other therapeuticapproaches currently being pursued like DNA vaccinesand viral vector-based vaccines. mRNA vaccines arenon-infectious and have no risk of insertionalmutagenesis, which is creating mutations in DNA byinsertion of base pairs (Pardi et al., 2018).
F i g u r e 1 : H o w m R N A V a c c i n e s W o r kS o u r c e : h t t p s : / / w w w . o l i g o t h e r a p e u t i c s . o r g / f a c t s - a b o u t - m r n a - v a c c i n e s - a n d - t h e - d e c a d e s - o f - r e s e a r c h - t h a t - w e n t - i n t o - c r e a t i n g - t h e m /
They can also be degraded by normal cellular processes,further increasing its safety, and its in vivo half-liferegulated by delivery methods and other modifications(Pardi et al., 2018). Unlike viral vector vaccines, there is noissue of pre-existing immunity that will cause the body toproduce neutralizing antibodies that reduce the vaccineefficacy (Ura, Okuda, & Shimada, 2014).
The Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2) was one ofthe first vaccines to be developed and approved for usagein Canada and has a 94-95% effectiveness as compared tothe AstraZeneca viral vector-based vaccine with 62%efficacy (see Table 1). Production of mRNA is also rapidand simple and easily scalable by Good ManufacturingPractices (GMP) production (Pardi et al., 2018).
As mentioned, the development of mRNA vaccines forcommercial usage required the advancement of severaltechnologies. Naked mRNA is degraded by extracellularRNases and does not enter cells efficiently. A variety oftransfection reagents have been developed to facilitatecellular uptake and increase stability as well as optimizingthe 5’ and 3’ untranslated regions and poly(A) tail of themRNA strand (Pardi et al., 2018).
Vial formulations are still being developed to increasestability, as most products require very lowtemperatures, anywhere from -25° C to -70 °C, and donot have a long shelf life. Viral vector-based, DNA-based,and protein-based therapeutic approaches are currentlybeing explored in the field as well.
It might be too soon to say that mRNA vaccinetechnology is the way of the future, but the current largescale trial run in the COVID-19 pandemic has shown it tobe a promising therapeutic tool. Viral vector-based, DNA-based, and protein-based therapeutic approaches arecurrently being explored in the field as well. From apublic health perspective, despite the differences inefficacy, all vaccinations go towards reaching herdimmunity, reducing the burden on our healthcaresystem, and will be an important milestone inconquering the COVID-19 pandemic.
S o u r c e s :Health Canada (2021). AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine: What you should know. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/covid19-industry/drugs-vaccines-treatments/vaccines/astrazeneca.htmlHealth Canada (2021). Janssen COVID-19 vaccine: What you should know https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/covid19-industry/drugs-vaccines-treatments/vaccines/janssen.htmlKomaroff, A. (2020, December 10) Why are mRNA vaccines so exciting? Harvard Health Letter.https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-are-mrna-vaccines-so-exciting-2020121021599Ministry of Health (2021). Information Sheet: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccineshttps://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/coronavirus/docs/vaccine/COVID-19_information_sheet_pfizer-biontech.pdfPardi, N., Hogan, M.J., Porter, F.W., & Weissman, D. (2018). mRNA vaccines - a new era in vaccinology. Nat Rev Drug Discov17(4), 261–279. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd.2017.243Public Health Ontario. (2021). COVID-19 Vaccines: mRNA vaccines. Toronto, ON: Queen's Printer for Ontario.https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/ncov/vaccines/2020/12/covid-19-mrna-vaccines.pdf?la=enUra, T., Okuda, K., & Shimada, M. (2014). Developments in Viral Vector-Based Vaccines. Vaccines, 2(3), 624–641.https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines2030624
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V A C C I N E T Y P E A P P R O V E D D O S E S E F F E C T I V E N E S S
P f i z e r - B i o N T e c h m R N A D e c e m b e r 9 , 2 0 2 0
D e c e m b e r 2 3 , 2 0 2 0
F e b r u a r y 2 6 , 2 0 2 0
M a r c h 5 , 2 0 2 1
M o d e r n a
A s t r o Z e n e c a
J a n s s e n ( J o h n s o n &
J o h n s o n )
m R N A
V i r a l v e c t o r - b a s e d
V i r a l v e c t o r - b a s e d
2
2
2
1
9 4 - 9 5 %
9 4 - 9 5 %
6 2 %
6 6 %
1
1
2
3
T a b l e 1 : A p p r o v e d v a c c i n e s b y H e a l t h C a n a d a a s o f M a r c h 2 8 , 2 0 2 1
1 M i n i s t r y o f H e a l t h ( 2 0 2 1 ) . I n f o r m a t i o n S h e e t : P f i z e r - B i o N T e c h a n d M o d e r n a C O V I D - 1 9 V a c c i n e s 2 H e a l t h C a n a d a ( 2 0 2 1 ) . A s t r a Z e n e c a C O V I D - 1 9 v a c c i n e : W h a t y o u s h o u l d k n o w . 3 H e a l t h C a n a d a ( 2 0 2 1 ) . J a n s s e n C O V I D - 1 9 v a c c i n e : W h a t y o u s h o u l d k n o w
C O V I D - 1 9 , C L I M A T E A N DE N V I R O N M E N TPictures of clear city skylines around the world floatedaround on the internet as borders closed and quarantinepolicies were enacted during the beginning of thepandemic last March. There was hope that the pandemicwould have a positive impact on reducing atmosphericpollution and CO2 emissions. While the emergencylockdowns have improved ambient air quality in manycountries like China, Korea, and the United States (Mori etal., 2020), the latter did not hold true. Daily global CO2emissions decreased by 17% in early April 2020 comparedwith the mean 2019 levels (Le Quéré et al., 2020), and fellby 6.4% or 2.3 billion tonnes in 2020 (Tollefson, 2021), butthese decreases are only temporary, with some estimatingan even higher rebound in emissions once lockdowns areover (Le Quéré et al., 2020). In addition, recent modelingby Gettelman et al. (2021) indicates that warming due toaerosol changes during COVID-19 were greater than thecooling effects of reduced CO2, ozone, and contrail,though the impact on global surface temperature is small(+0.03 K peak). Energy consumption patterns have onlyshifted, not reduced, as the current economic, transportand energy systems remain in place.
The effect on air pollution was much more significant.During the February lockdowns in China, aerosol opticaldepth was reduced (Diamond & Wood, 2020 as cited inGettelman et al., 2021), but other regions experiencedmore pollution (Gettelman et al., 2021). There was areduction in pollutants like NOx and PM, but in somelocations this has accompanied increases in ground-levelozone (Le et al., 2020 as cited in Mori et al., 2020).
Beyond just emissions, the COVID-19 pandemic has alsoresulted in an increase in medical waste from theincreasing usage of disposable masks, gloves and othermedical devices (Mori et al., 2020). This is especially aconcern in developing countries where waste treatmentsystems are vulnerable, and in facilities that lack systemsfor medical waste management, such as nursing homes orsmaller hospitals (“Institute for Global”, 2020).
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The focus should be on the aftermath, a post-crisis“Green Recovery” which calls for an environmentallysustainable recovery from the economic crisis caused byCOVID-19 that tackles climate change and otherenvironmental priorities (Mori et al., 2020). There areconcerns that the pandemic would cause a set-back inclimate action, as governments and industry may delayGreen New Deal programmes and weaken vehicleemission standards and other emissions reductionstrategies (Le Quéré et al., 2020).
Some, like the European Union and China, haveconfirmed they will commit to their carbon neutralitygoals (Mori et al., 2020). The Institute for GlobalEnvironmental Strategies has outlined three broadcategories for green recovery: large-scale investment inrenewable energy and greening of land transportation,imposing environmental conditions on bailouts ofindustries, and redesign of current systems and lifestylechanges, like teleworking, promotion of decentralizedsociety and introduction of a circular economy (Mori etal., 2020).
Source: https://www.ikeuchi.eu/news/air-pollution-what-will-happen-after-the-lock-downs-from-the-coronavirus/
How the world responds post-crisis will be critical totackling not only climate change, but also to buildresilience for pandemics like COVID-19 that areincreasingly likely to occur in the future (World EconomicForum, 2019; Smith et al., 2014). The virus is believed tohave originated from a wet market in Wuhan, China andresearch suggests that human exploitation of wildlife,habitat fragmentation and land use changes may lead tofuture increased frequency of animal to human virusspillover (“Institute for Global”, 2020).
Air pollution is also a major factor that increases the riskfor serious illness and premature death from COVID-19,due to the higher proportion of residents suffering fromrespiratory illnesses (Mori et al., 2020). While the crisis isnot over yet, the planning for the future must begin now.The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) hasstated that “prevention of future outbreaks requiresproperly addressing threats to ecosystems and wildlife,including habitat loss, illegal trade, pollution and climatechange” (Mori et al., 2020). Health, climate, and economyare interconnected spheres that must be addressed on theroad to recovery by the global community.
“Why are you not taking care of yourself?” and "Why areyou not practising precautionary measures AND you knowthat you are not?"
These are the questions Professor Gerald C. Cupchik,Professor of Psychology at UTSC is asking, regardingthose “at risk” students identified in the survey “Takingthe Pulse of the UTSC Student Community During theCOVID-19 Pandemic”. The anonymous survey (n=859),prepared with the assistance of Elizabeth Kiosses,Registered Nurse from the Health & Wellness Center, wassent out during September 2020 by the Office of theRegistrar, looking at the connection between emotionalcontrol, which regulates anxiety and health threatsposed by the pandemic, and danger control, which isreflected by engaging in appropriate precautionarymeasures. The survey consisted of subsurveys to establishemotional state, risk and feelings about COVID-19, andresilience and engagement in 10 Precautionary HealthActions, which included physical distancing (staying 2meters apart), maintaining hobbies, healthy sleeping andeating habits. Through regression analysis, they wereable to determine which qualities best predictedstudents engaging in precautionary activity. What theyfound was that “at risk” students (those in poor currenthealth or high health risk, those having difficultiesfocusing on everyday tasks and/or work due to anxietyand financial concerns) are in a negative emotional stateand don’t practice precautionary activity, and do soKNOWINGLY! There was a gender gap as well, withstudents identifying as female more likely to engage inprecautionary measures.
The issue here is not that they’re unaware. “They’re notpractising precautionary measures, and they know theyare not,” Cupchik says, “They're in a bubble... a mentalstate [...]. Resilience goes hand in hand with youremotional state [and] people in a negative emotionstate.... their stores are burnt out."
R E S I L I E N C E A N DE M O T I O N A L S T A T E - U T S C
S T U D E N T S D U R I N G T H EC O V I D - 1 9 P A N D E M I C
S o u r c e s :Gettelman, A., Lamboll, R., Bardeen, C., Forster, P., & Watson‐Parris, D. (2021). Climate Impacts of COVID‐19 InducedEmission Changes. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(3). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091805Institute for Global Environmental Strategies. (2020). Implications of COVID-19 for the Environment and Sustainability.(Rep.). doi:10.2307/resrep24951Le Quéré, C., Jackson, R. B., Jones, M. W., Smith, A. J., Abernethy, S., Andrew, R. M., . . . Peters, G. P. (2020). Temporaryreduction in daily global CO2 emissions during the COVID-19 forced confinement. Nat. Clim. Chang. 10(7), 647–653.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0797-xMori, H., Zusman, E., Kojima, S., Waters, N. A., Mader, A., Onogawa, K., Kawazu, E., Janardhanan, N., Hengesbaugh, M.,Otsuka, T., Takahashi, Y. (2021). Implications of COVID-19 for the Environment and Sustainability (Version 2): Perspectivesfrom the Triple R (Response, Recovery, Redesign) Framework. (2020). Institute for Global Environmental Strategies.Tollefson, J. (2021). COVID curbed carbon emissions in 2020 — but not by much. Nature, 589(7842), 343-343. https://doi-org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/10.1038/d41586-021-00090-3UNEP, “Working with the environment to protect people: UNEP’s Covid-19 Response”, 14 May 2020. https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/working-environment-protect-people-covid19-responseWorld Economic Forum, and Harvard Global Health Institute. (2019, January). “Outbreak Readiness and Business Impact:Protecting Lives and Livelihoods across the Global Economy”. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEFHGHI_Outbreak_Readiness_Business_Impact.pdf
Smith, K. F., Goldberg, M., Rosenthal, S., Carlson, L., Chen, J., Chen, C., & Ramachandran, S. (2014). Global rise in humaninfectious disease outbreaks. Journal of The Royal Society Interface, 11(101), 20140950.https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2014.0950
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These students usually lack physical and emotionalsupport at home; their current state is often exacerbatedby the demands at home and the breakdown of thephysical and mental barriers that separate work/schoolfrom home/private life. Their negative emotional stateshows a bleak view of the future and ability to overcomechallenges. Unreliable news from social media platformsrather than official channels may further feed into thisnegative echo chamber, though instead of channellinganger at the government or university, it is internalized asa helplessness or “it is what it is” mindset. So while thesestudents are aware they are not practising precautionaryactivity, it may not be their top priority or they lack theenergy and emotional control to do anything otherwise. Professor Cupchik stresses the importance of faculty andstaff at UTSC to be understanding and open at this time."Right now, I think it’s important for people not to feelalone...they're others like me...not doing precautionarymeasures. If you can admit the emotions to yourself, if youcan admit you have stress...you can come out of thebubble," he says, while also speaking about makinglectures not an added stress, but a time when they can getaway from it. At the current state, with Ontario reporting a record-breaking 4,736 cases on a single day as of April 15th, theCOVID crisis does not appear to be ending anytime soon.Students will require support to get through this on-goingphysical and mental health crisis. Elizabeth Kiosses, M.Nand R.N from the Health & Wellness Center also has somewords to share:
"It’s important we continue to work together to createopportunities for students who are not coping, who arestuck in this bubble, and to reach out. Let’s use ournetworks through classes and programming to validatethey are not alone, provide hope as a community that wewill overcome the pandemic and invite students to seek outsupport."
Let’s promote our student groups, such as clubs anddepartmental student associations, who have donetremendous work this year, to provide opportunities forstudent connection. Let’s encourage all staff, facultyand students to educate themselves by taking mentalhealth training, such as Identify, Assist, Refer andaddress the stigma associated with asking for help. As asupportive community, we can do our part to reach outto our students and connect them to resources wherethey can feel empowered to make positive decisions intheir lives during these times of crisis.
The DPES editorial team would like to thank ProfessorCupchik for taking the time to speak to us about thisproject. You can find more about Professor Cupchik andhis work here:https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/people/cupchik/ and a recording on E-symposium on Disasters andLiterature at: https://youtu.be/CtcCiDJMmUU
R E S O U R C E S I F Y O U O R S O M E O N E Y O U K N O W N E E D S
S U P P O R T :
F O R S T U D E N T S
H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s C e n t r e – f o r s a m e d a ya p p o i n t m e n t s c a l l 4 1 6 - 2 8 7 - 7 0 6 5 o r h e a l t h -
s e r v i c e s @ u t s c . u t o r o n t o . c a
M y S S P A p p – 2 4 h o u r s / 7 d a y s / w e e kc o u n s e l l i n g f o r a l l U o f T s t u d e n t s t h r o u g h
p h o n e o r c h a tm e n t a l h e a l t h . u t o r o n t o . c a – t r i - c a m p u ss t u d e n t m e n t a l h e a l t h r e s o u r c e w e b s i t e
F O R N E W C A N A D I A N S
W e l l n e s s T o g e t h e r C a n a d a – n e w m e n t a lh e a l t h p o r t a l p r o v i d e s f r e e c o u n s e l l i n g ,
t o o l k i t s a n d r e s o u r c e s f o r a l l C a n a d i a n s .
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About me and my career journey I started my university education dead-set on going to med school(as many of my currents do!) but after taking second year inorganicchemistry and making a bunch of amazing compounds in the labwith really neat looking glassware, I was hooked. I finished myundergraduate with a major in chemistry at U of T St. Georgecampus and went right into my Masters and Ph.D with ProfessorBob Morris at U of T St. George. Bob was a great mentor for me, andmy fellow graduate students were a pleasure to work with. Myresearch focused on the asymmetric hydrogenation of polarmultiple bonds with iron, ruthenium, and osmium-based catalysts. Iwas able to TA many of the same courses that I took as anundergrad, which was a really nice experience.
I finished my Ph.D in 2009 and went on to post-doc two years withProfessor Ulrich Fekl at UTM. Professor Fekl was going on sabbaticaland I was able to fill in for his third-year inorganic chemistry course– my first taste of lecturing at the university level.
From there, I knew I was going to be an educator and so I decided Ineeded to go and do more school! I finished my B. Ed. at OISE U of Tin 2012 and then decided to try my hand teaching high school inAylesbury, a small town just outside of London, U.K. After one yearand many great experiences (it is really easy to get to mainlandEurope from London), I decided to focus on post-secondaryeducation. I returned to Toronto in 2013 and started teaching as asessional instructor at George Brown College and Seneca College. Itaught many diverse subjects including math for culinary students,accounting, and of course chemistry.
In 2017, my dream job came up at UTSC and now I am here as full-time faculty!
What is the most rewardingpart of your job?I love sharing chemistry with studentseither in lecture or lab. It is a greatfeeling both discussing problems andtheories in lecture and havingdiscussions with curious students andseeing students isolate their finalproducts or prepare samples for NMR.
What is something interestingthe department doesn't knowabout you? I stared collecting comic books since Iwas in grade 6 (and I still do…)
What is your biggestaccomplishment?My biggest milestone was being hired toteach at UTSC. I’m a U of T “lifer” (I didmy undergrad, grad school, teacher’scollege and post doc spread out over allthree campuses!).
What are the topics you enjoy teaching? The topics I enjoy teaching are those that I can teach while telling astory at the same time. For me, chemical bonding and the modernstructure of the atom have a rich history full of interesting peoplewith interesting stories. As well, atomic structure and bonding arevery relevant to an undergraduate understanding of chemistry, so Ithink this is my favourite topic to teach.
F A C U L T Y H I G H L I G H TD R . M A R C O Z I M M E R - D E I U L I I SAssistant Professor, Teaching StreamDept of Physical and Environmental Sciences
What led you on this career path? My inorganic lab coordinator and TA were big influences on my choiceof going into chemistry and ultimately teaching chemistry. They madethe material really interesting and the hands-on experiences in thelab making colourful inorganic compounds hooked me!
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What are the challenges of yourcurrent position?There are many challenges to my position. Maybethe biggest one for me that I didn’t expect washow many different things a faculty member atUTSC is involved in beyond just teaching. Thereare workshops to attend, committees toparticipate in, community outreach events toorganize, conferences to join, grants to apply for,and last but not least, working with students oneducational research and teaching materials.Balancing my time between teaching and all ofthese other amazing opportunities is still a bigchallenge for me (the outlook calendar is myfriend 😊)
Any Recent Accomplishments?I am very proud to be a part of the writing teamfor our first-year textbook/resource package. Wewere awarded a CTL grant to work with atechnical illustrator to develop figures and theyare looking awesome. Here is one of myfavourites on redox chemistry and chemicalbonding.
Where do you hope to be career-wisein 10 years?Working at UTSC has really taught me the value ofcollaboration and learning from others. I wouldvery much like to try teaching at anotheruniversity during a sabbatical.
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With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, instructors inpractical courses such as Chemistry have beenfocusing on enhancing student experience throughremote, virtual learning. When asked about thepandemic and its impacts on teaching, ProfessorMarco Zimmer-De Iuliis has tried to keep manyaspects of his course the same, as much as possible.This meant synchronous delivery for lectures toensure first-year students are on track and not cramming for exams. He spoke about the difficultieswith transitioning testing online, particularly theamount of time to transfer questions onto theQuercus platform. Additionally, the timezonedifferences for students abroad and absences havebeen difficult to accommodate. Despite the currentsituation, Dr. Marco Zimmer-De Iuliis hasapproached his teaching with the intent for studentsto engage and develop their research skills throughthis innovative and dynamic idea: the three-phaseresearch assignment.
At UTSC, Professor Marco Zimmer-De Iuliis and agroup of first year chemistry professorsimplemented the three-phase research assignmentas a way to incorporate more writing in the first-yearchemistry curriculum. Delivery of this assignmentcame about through conversations with thepsychology department's Dr. Steve Joordens and hisestablished platform, PeerScholar. Throughadditional help from the UTSC Centre of Teachingand Learning (CTL), they were able to accumulateresources such as self-study modules for students.
T H E T H R E E P H A S E S :
P h a s e 1 : D r a f t i n g t h e R e s e a r c hA s s i g n m e n t
P h a s e 2 : P e e r - R e v i e w
P h a s e 3 : F i n a l D r a f t &S u b m i s s i o n
I N N O V A T I V E T E A C H I N G H I G H L I G H TT H E T H R E E - P H A S E R E S E A R C H A S S I G N M E N TD r . M a r c o Z i m m e r - D e I u l i i s
S u m m a r y
F i r s t - y e a r c h e m i s t r y s t u d e n t s a r e g i v e n t h e a b i l i t y t o d e v e l o p t h e i rr e s e a r c h s k i l l s t h r o u g h a t h r e e - p h a s e r e s e a r c h a s s i g n m e n t . U t i l i z i n gt h e P e e r S c h o l a r p r o g r a m , s t u d e n t s e x p e r i e n c e w r i t i n g a r e s e a r c hp a p e r , w h i l e r e c e i v i n g a n d g i v i n g f e e d b a c k f r o m t h e i r p e e r s . T h i si n n o v a t i v e t e a c h i n g i d e a a l l o w s f o r a d y n a m i c a n d e n g a g i n gc l a s s r o o m , t h a t g a r n e r s s k i l l s e s s e n t i a l f o r u n d e r g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t s .
These include how-to videos on proper ACScitation, giving constructive feedback, and writing ascientific paper. The bulk of the assignment isconducted on PeerScholar, where students cansubmit their work and provide feedback for theirpeers.
Students begin the first phase of the assignment bydrafting their research assignment on their topic ofchoice. There are a hundred different topics relatedto concepts of first-year chemistry to choose from. They are encouraged to use resources created byCTL, Web of Science and SciFinder, to composetheir assignment. This allows students to advancetheir writing style and develop their research skills.As students fresh from high-school, this isfundamental to their toolkit as they advance intotheir upper years. Once students, have written theirdraft, they submit it on the PeerScholar site tobegin the second phase of this assignment.
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In the second phase, students are given one to twoarticles written by their peers to provide feedback on.This phase allows for students to learn and establishcritical and constructive thinking through assessingtheir peers' work. Using the module resources, theylearn to offer proper descriptive feedback throughexamples of previous students' comments. Usingthese tools, students are able to assess and formulateconstructive feedback on their peers' work on thePeerScholar platform. They are able to rate thesubmissions title, body, conclusion, ACS citationstyle, and the organization of the ideas in theassignment. In this phase, students will understandhow scientific work is evaluated, and that articlesrequire peer-review and feedback before they arepublished.
Once students receive their reviewed submission,they will then begin re-writing their final draft. Basedon their peers' comments, they will edit their workbefore submitting their final article for TAs to mark.
2,200 first-year students in the span of two semestershave been able to participate in this researchassignment. The feedback has been positive and hasgreatly aided in the development of various skills forfirst-year chemistry students.
The DPES editorial team would like to congratulateProfessor Marco Zimmer-De Iuliis and his colleaguesfor developing an amazing project and thank him fortaking the time to speak to us.
C H E C K O U T T H E H I G H L I G H T V I D E O O NY O U T U B E !H T T P S : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W A T C H ?V = D 3 X S I Z Y S Y G 4
S T U D E N T S ' F E E D B A C K
“This writing assignment was very beneficial forlearning how writing in a scientific manner should
be done.”
Fall 2020 CHMA10 student
“This was a fun experience and PeerScholar madeit a much more relaxed activity for me.”
Fall 2020 CHMA10 student
“The assignment really helped me improve mywriting skills! I'd like to see this again next
semester.”
Winter 2020 CHMA10 student
I N N O V A T I V E T E A C H I N G H I G H L I G H TT H E T H R E E - P H A S E R E S E A R C H A S S I G N M E N TD r . M a r c o Z i m m e r - D e I u l i i s
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G S A S E V E N T S14
T H E S C I E N C E O F R E S I L I E N C E
M E T H O D S Y O U C A N U S E T OI M P R O V E T H I S S K I L L ( E . G . B R E A T H I N G E X E R C I S E S )
T H E D A I L Y P R A C T I C E O FR E S I L I E N C E
Resilience is our ability to navigate adversity, to learn from challenges,and to bounce back stronger. While working in science is extremelyexciting and rewarding, it also comes with high levels of stress,uncertainty, and frustration. Thus, to thrive in science you mustdevelop and build your resilience and remain resilient!No matter whether a person is resilient or not, we can become resilientor boost our resilience every day. We can learn to be resilient!
During this workshop, Maria will show you the science behindresilience, and the methods you can use to improve and exercise thisimportant skill. Through sharing her testimony and what she haslearned during these years about resilience, this workshop can help youuncover the meaning of being resilient in science. Come and learn howthe daily practice of this skill will help you improve your workproductivity and protect your mental health.We hope to see you there
My name is Maria Cecilia Gimenez; I am an internationalpostdoctoral fellow researcher at UTSC. I started research andteaching very early during my undergraduate studies, and sincethen, I have been devoted to investigating the cell biology ofviral infections, and teaching students about viruses. As muchas I enjoy and love working in science, I often also feel heavilyoverwhelmed by some inherent aspects of this profession. As ascientist in development, I have tried so hard to bust myresilience, mainly by studying the science behind resilience andby practicing how to improve and sustain it. Without a doubt,building resilience has benefited me in many aspects of myprofessional and personal life, not only by increasing my workproductivity, but also by improving my mental health andwellbeing.
My name is Serene Moussaoui and I'm a new graduate studentin Dr. Terebiznik's lab. One thing that has helped me reach thispoint of my journey is learning to manage my stress. In my high-school physical education class, I was exposed to restorativeyoga and mindfulness. Restorative yoga and mindfulnesssignificantly decreased my anxiety levels in high-school and thisexperience prompted me to learn more about it. I began byleading restorative yoga sessions for young teenage girls andeventually led mindfulness and breathing exercises for adults atmy workplace. To this day, I practice mindfulness and this hashelped me manage these stressful times with the globalpandemic. I am so excited to share this experience with you.
R E S I L I E N C E : A V I T A L S O F TS K I L L F O R S C I E N T I S T S
G S A S E V E N T S
A C O F F E E B R E A K W O R K S H O P L E D B Y M A R I A C E C I L I A G I M E N E Z , P H D A N D S E R E N E M O U S S A O U I
GRADUATE S TUDENT ASSOC IA T ION AT SCARBOROUGH
A B O U T T H E S P E A K E R S
T H U R S D A Y A P R I L 2 9 T H , 2 0 2 11 2 : 0 0 P M - 1 : 3 0 P M h t t p s : / / u t o r o n t o . z o o m . u s / j / 8
6 7 6 7 9 0 8 7 1 0 # s u c c e s s
J O I N U S O N Z O O M !R E G I S T E R H E R E !h t t p s : / / d o c s . g o o g l e . c o m / . . ./ 1 F A I p Q L S c S a g 0 y s U H 0 y k . . . /v i e w f o r m
C O M E L E A R N A B O U T :
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Karen received her BSc. in Applied Mathematics andMechanical Engineering from Queen’s University in 2002,and her Master’s in Environmental Science andEngineering from Caltech in 2004. After a short stint inenvironmental consulting, she completed her PhD inAtmospheric Physics with Paul Kushner at the Universityof Toronto (St. George) in 2011. Karen’s research focuseson climate and atmospheric variability and change in themid-latitude and polar regions. She is currently anAssistant Professor (Teaching Stream) and the Director ofthe Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation ProfessionalMasters of Environmental Science program at theUniversity of Toronto-Scarborough.
Stu received his BSc. in Environmental Science from theUniversity of Toronto (St. George) in 2012, and thenstudied under Professors Marc Cadotte and MarneyIsaac at the University of Toronto-Scarborough towardsthe completion of his PhD in 2017. His graduate workfocused on the ecology and management of invasiveplant species in Ontario, and he has publishedextensively on a variety of conservation and ecologysubjects. He is currently an Assistant Professor(Teaching Stream) in the Professional Masters ofEnvironmental Science at the University of TorontoScarborough where he teaches Conservation Policy,Professional Scientific Literacy and Topics in AppliedBiodiversity.
There is so much science and action happening that's shedding light on not only our current impact onthe planet, but also the things that we can do to find a new path forward. Part of that story is aboutfollowing the science, but the other part is about the people that are doing the science and the actionthat will spur transformative change. Join hosts Stu Livingstone and Karen Smith as they put aspotlight on the people that are studying and thinking about environmental change. Subscribe to learnabout our place in the environments that are emerging around us.
E M E R G I N G E N V I R O N M E N T SK A R E N S M I T H S T U L I V I N G S T O N E
C h e c k o u t h t t p s : / / w w w . e m e r g i n g e n v i r o n m e n t s . c o m /f o r e p i s o d e s a n d m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n
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WWWW EEEE AAAA RRRR EEEE HHHH IIII RRRR IIII NNNN GGGG !!!!
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I M P R O V E T H E S T U D E N T E X P E R I E N C E F O R S T U D E N T S I N T H EE N V I R O N M E N T A L A N D P H Y S I C A L S C I E N C E S F A C U L T Y F O R T H E 2 0 2 1 -
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D e a d l i n e : A p r i l 3 0 t h a t 1 1 : 5 9 p m
A p p l i c a t i o n s a r e a v a i l a b l e i n o u r w e b s i t e : m y e p s a . c aC o n t a c t u s f o r a n y q u e s t i o n s
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A v a i l a b l e P o s i t i o n s :
V I C EP R E S I D E N T
D I R E C T O R O F M A R K E T I N G ( 3 )
G R A P H I C D E S I G NS O C I A L M E D I A
W E B M A S T E R
D I R E C T O R O FF U N D I N G
A N DP A R T N E R S H I P
E V E N T SD I R E C T O R
( 2 )
O U T R E A C HD I R E C T O R
C H E M I S T R YA I D
D I R E C T O R
D e a d l i n e : A p r i l 2 6 t h a t 1 1 : 5 9 p m
F o r d e t a i l s o n t h e p o s i t i o n s , p l e a s e s e e s h o r t u r l . a t / i k r L 6
T o a p p l y , c o m p l e t e t h e f o l l o w i n g G o o g l e F o r ma n d a n e - m a i l w i t h y o u r a t t a c h e d r e s u m e s e n t
t o u t s c . c h e m . s o c i e t y @ g m a i l . c o m w i t h " P o s i t i o nT i t l e – Y o u r N a m e " a s t h e s u b j e c t l i n e .
F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , s e e o u r F a c e b o o k p a g e :
h t t p s : / / w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / C S U f o r U
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D P E S P R O G R A M S S U M M A R Y
C H E M I S T R Y
Chemistry SpecialistChemistry MajorBiochemistry MajorBiological Chemistry SpecialistEnvironmental Chemistry Specialist
E N V I R O N M E N T A L S C I E N C E
Environmental Biology SpecialistEnvironmental Geoscience SpecialistEnvironmental Physics SpecialistEnvironmental Science MajorEnvironmental Science MinorNatural Sciences and EnvironmentalManagement Minor
E N V I R O N M E N T A L S T U D I E S
Environmental Studies Major
P H Y S I C S A N D A S T R O P H Y S I C S
Physics and Astrophysics Specialist
Physics and Astrophysics Major
Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Specialist
Physical Sciences Major
C O - O P
Chemistry Specialist - CoopChemistry Major - CoopBiochemistry Major - CoopBiological Chemistry Specialist – CoopEnvironmental Chemistry Specialist –CoopEnvironmental Biology Specialist-CoopEnvironmental Geoscience Specialist-CoopEnvironmental Physics Specialist- CoopEnvironmental Science Major-Coop
C O M B I N E D D E G R E E P R O G R A M S
HONOURS BACHELOR OF SCIENCE / MASTER OF ENGINEERING
HONOURS BACHELOR OF SCIENCE / MASTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
HONOURS BACHELOR OF SCIENCE OR HONOURS BACHELOR OF ARTS / MASTEROF TEACHING
TOTAL PROGRAMS: 16
COOP PROGRAMS: 9 COMBINED DEGREE PROGRAMS: 3
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A N N AG A L A N G
E D I T O R S :
D R . S H A D I D A L I L I
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