New gifts

The Emilio Deo Memorial Award for Studio Excellence was established by Angela, Mario, and Francesco Deo in loving memory of their son and brother, Emilio Franco Deo (external link, opens in new window) , Urban and Regional Planning ‘13, who passed away in June 2020. The award recognizes the achievement of undergraduate students in studio work, a setting where Emilio himself truly shone as a Planning student. Through the generosity of family and friends and with an additional contribution from the dean, over $50,000 was raised to endow the award and ensure that Emilio’s memory will live on at the program and school so near and dear to him. The first award will be granted in the Fall 2021 term, recognizing the work of a studio group completed in the 2020-2021 academic year.

Photo: The Deo Family (left to right): Mario, Francesco, Angela, and Emilio

Andy and Val Pringle have made an additional donation to the Ryerson Urban Farm Living Lab. After the Living Lab was established through their generosity in 2018, this new gift will support initiatives to engage community members in the selecting, growing and harvesting of culturally significant crops on the rooftop farm.

The Rolander Foundation has made a gift of $15,000 US to support a collaboration between the Together Design Lab (TDL) (external link, opens in new window)  and Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) youth to create the design and implementation process for two isolation units, needed for the community to adhere to public health guidance and fight the spread of COVID-19. Led by Shelagh McCartney, associate professor in the School of Urban and Regional Planning, TDL seeks to address the growing housing crisis in northern Indigenous communities by working with community members to develop solutions tailored to the specific cultural, climatic, and geographic considerations of the NAN territory.

Photo: Sherry Prenevost

The partners and midwives of The Hamilton Midwives (external link, opens in new window)  are seeking to increase representation and support the success of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and Persons of Colour) midwives. The Hamilton Midwives Bursary for Indigenous Students (external link)  will provide support to a student in any year of the Midwifery Education Program who self-identifies as Indigenous and demonstrates financial need. The Hamilton Midwives have pledged to donate $1,500 per year for three years. This year, their fundraising efforts exceeded their expectations and raised $2,650, which was divided between two students. The Hamilton Midwives also provided financial support to internationally educated and trained BIPOC midwives who are pursuing studies with Ryerson’s International Midwifery Pre-registration Program (IMPP) to become certified for practice in Canada. Through The Hamilton Midwives International BIPOC Midwifery Awards, they were able to support two students with an award of $2,000 each.

Photo: Students in the Midwifery Education Program