Advancing Ryerson’s participation in public policy debate and engagement

Ryerson is tapping policy leaders from across the university to help identify best practices for amplifying Ryerson’s engagement in public policy debates that will help improve the lives of Canadians.  

The recently formed Public Policy Task Force is examining how the university can better support individual researchers and affiliated centres, such as the National Institute on Ageing (opens in new window)  and the Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (external link, opens in new window) , in contributing to public policy and increasing the impact of their work. 

“So many individual faculty members and centres are doing extraordinary work and are having an incredible impact, but overall I think Ryerson’s contribution to public policy and shaping the public policy conversation could be even greater,” said Matthew Mendelsohn, task force co-lead and a public policy expert. Professor Mendelsohn is currently a visiting professor and special advisor to Ryerson’s president and the vice-president, research and innovation. 

While the task force is now in its initial discovery phase, professor Mendelsohn said potential outcomes include creating networks, additional supports or new initiatives and pursuing new or enhanced community and government partnerships. The task force will address topics such as inclusivity, scaling the university’s policy capacities, how to translate research in ways that are most relevant for the public and governments and more. 

 “I think we have collections of people and organizations and institutions that are bringing creativity to solving big problems and to improving lives,” said professor Mendelsohn. “The question is whether there is an opportunity now for the university to do more to support this work.”

Task force members have already met with government officials to discuss how university research can contribute to real-world policy making. “At this point in time, all levels of government are looking for solutions and answers to important challenges and questions, including evidence-supported policies,” said Steven N. Liss, Ryerson’s vice-president, research and innovation. “The Public Policy Task Force will play an important part in amplifying Ryerson’s contributions to the debate and discourse that will help shape the future of policy in Canada.” 

The task force will continue meeting through the winter and spring before making its final recommendations to the Vice-President, Research and Innovation. There will be an opportunity for the Ryerson community to offer input to the task force in winter 2021. 

Co-leads:

• Naomi Adelson, Associate Vice-President, Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (OVPRI)
• Matthew Mendelsohn, Visiting Professor and Special Advisor to the President and Vice-Chancellor, Special Advisor to OVPRI

Members: 

• Opeyemi Akanbi, Assistant Professor, Professional Communication, Faculty of Communication and Design
• Karim Bardeesy, Co-founder and Executive Director, Ryerson Leadership Lab
• Cherise Burda, Executive Director, City Building Ryerson
• Wendy Cukier, Founder and Academic Director, Diversity Institute
• Frank D’Onofrio, Distinguished Public Servant in Residence, Politics and Public Administration, Faculty of Arts 
• Rachel DiSaia, Strategic Initiatives and Policy Advisor, Yeates School of Graduate Studies
• Johannes Dyring, Assistant Vice-President, Business Development and Strategic Initiatives, OVPRI
• Jennifer Grass, Assistant Vice-President, University Relations
• Murtaza Haider, Associate Professor, Real Estate Management, Ted Rogers School of Management
• Christian Hui, Graduate Student, Policy Studies, Faculty of Arts
• Carolyn Johns, Professor, Politics and Public Administration, Faculty of Arts
• Avner Levin, Professor, Law and Business, Faculty of Law and Ted Rogers School of Management
• Songnian Li, Professor, Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science
• Catherine Middleton, Professor, Information Technology Management, Ted Rogers School of Management 
• Sean Mullin, Executive Director, Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Melanie Panitch, Executive Director, Office of Social Innovation
• Gabriel Resch, Postdoctoral Researcher, Synaesthetic Media Lab
• Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair, Faculty of Arts
• Samir Sinha, Director of Health Policy Research, National Institute on Ageing
• Roxana Süehring, Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Biology, Faculty of Science
• Pamela Sugiman, Dean, Faculty of Arts
• Anna Triandafyllidou, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration
• Ronald Vogel, Graduate Program Director, Politics and Public Administration, Faculty of Arts
• Josephine Pui-Hing Wong, Professor, Nursing, Faculty of Community Services

Related links: 

Public Policy Task Force (opens in new window) 

Matthew Mendelsohn to join Ryerson as a visiting professor (opens in new window)