Lassonde 2024-25 Impact Report: A year of progress & possibility

The Lassonde School of Engineering has launched its 2024-25 Impact Report, an interactive microsite highlighting key achievements and progress from September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2025. Featuring nearly 100 stories, the report showcases the breadth and depth of Lassonde’s impact over the past academic year.

Now in its fourth year, the Impact Report demonstrates how Lassonde is advancing the priorities of its 2021–2026 Strategic Academic Plan through research, academics, and community initiatives. The microsite is organized around four themes: Leading in Creating Solutions for a Just and Sustainable World; Empowering Our People with Perspectives, Tools, and Knowledge; Building Success through Partnerships; and Creating Opportunities and a Welcoming Community.

“The power of engineering and science is measured by the impact it creates, and this year, that impact could be felt across classrooms, research labs, industry workplaces and communities,” said Jane Goodyer, Dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering. “Through collaboration and a commitment to innovation that serves society, we’re strengthening opportunities and accelerating meaningful change.”

That impact spans critical areas including health care, climate resilience, ethical AI, mobility and the built environment. More than 40 Lassonde researchers are contributing to Connected Minds, a $318.4-million national initiative focused on responsible, human-centred technologies — advancing breakthroughs from AI-enabled neurological care to healthy aging and Indigenous language revitalization.

The year also brought increased global recognition for research excellence. In the 2025 ShanghaiRanking, York University ranked #1 in Canada and #32 globally for Aerospace Engineering, reflecting the strength of Lassonde’s research leadership across nanosatellites, planetary science, robotics and space situational awareness — supported by Canada’s only Space Engineering program.

That momentum extended to Artificial Intelligence, with York University newly ranked in AI in ShanghaiRanking 2025, reflecting the emergence of a recognized and growing AI research cluster.

Innovation in education continued with the launch of the Mechatronics Engineering program, a new four-year degree co-developed with industry, which welcomed its first cohort in September 2025. Designed for a world transformed by AI, the program integrates mechanical, electrical, software, computer and space engineering with computer science, embedding leadership development, experiential learning and mandatory work-integrated learning throughout the curriculum.

Lassonde’s Digital Technologies BASc — Canada’s first fully work-integrated degree — continues to demonstrate how deep employer collaboration can expand access and strengthen career pathways. Students earn while they learn in four-year, full-time roles, applying academic learning directly to real industry projects. Early results point to a scalable model for Ontario and Canada that reduces financial barriers, accelerates professional growth and builds a more diverse talent pipeline for the ICT economy.

Alongside this work, k2i academy continues to expand access to STEM long before students arrive at university. Programs like Bringing STEM to Life provide students from equity-deserving communities with paid research experience, high-school course credit and a sense of belonging in STEM spaces where they have historically been underrepresented.

“As you explore this report, I hope you feel inspired by the stories of people creating change,” said Goodyer. “These are examples of what’s possible when we work together toward a more just, sustainable future.”

Readers are invited to explore the microsite to see how Lassonde’s students, faculty, staff and partners are driving progress — and shaping what engineering and science can achieve, together.