(Please note that the best time to reach experts is during the week of December 17 to 21, 2012 or after January 7, 2013)

Story idea: Is it the end of the world? With the Mayan calendar coming to an end on Dec. 21 and a possible collision of an asteroid with the Earth, fear of the world coming to an end is building.
York U Expert: Senior Lecturer Paul Delaney, Dept. Of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science and Engineering

Story idea: Polar ice sheets are melting rapidly, thanks to global warming. Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are now melting three times faster than they did in the 1990s.
York U Expert: Professor Christian Haas, Dept. of Earth & Space Science and Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering

Story idea: For more than a decade, January 27 has been recognized as Family Literacy Day.  Will modern and evolving digital technology help to improve literacy? A new app created by a York U professor and her design team is helping kids to read.
York U Expert: Professor Jennifer Jenson, Faculty of Education

York University is helping to shape the global thinkers and thinking that will define tomorrow. York U’s unwavering commitment to excellence reflects a rich diversity of perspectives and a strong sense of social responsibility that sets us apart. A York U degree empowers graduates to thrive in the world and achieve their life goals through a rigorous academic foundation balanced by real-world experiential education. As a globally recognized research centre, York U is fully engaged in the critical discussions that lead to innovative solutions to the most pressing local and global social challenges. York U’s 11 faculties and 28 research centres are thinking bigger, broader and more globally, partnering with 288 leading universities worldwide. York U's community is strong − 55,000 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and more than 250,000 alumni.

Media Contact:
Gloria Suhasini, York University Media Relations, 416 736 2100 ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca