December 22, 2023
This marks the final Inside Western for 2023. Watch for the first issue of 2024 on Jan. 12.
We wish you a happy, safe and restful holiday!
(Image source: Rob Potter/Western Communications)
From propelling a mini-satellite into space, to appointing Canada’s first university chief AI officer, to launching new sustainability initiatives and welcoming a Canada Excellence Research Chair, the pivotal moments of 2023 will help chart the trajectory for Western’s future.
Taryn Armstrong (Photo source: London Health Sciences Foundation)
A new $8.5 million donation from global hearing implant company MED-EL will help patients like Taryn Armstrong, who is a cochlear implant recipient, by bolstering auditory research and innovation at Western.
Kenny Reilly (Photo source: Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
PhD student Kenny Reilly is studying how people with blindness interacted with the natural world in the 20th century to explore how disability and ableism influence how nature is defined and who can experience it.
(Photo source: Campus Production/Pexels)
Western researchers have created an online hub featuring more than 200 physical activity videos and games for teachers to address the need for physical activity in Ontario’s schools.
(Photo source: Tatiana Syrikova/Pexels)
Philosophy professor Carolyn McLeod and a team of researchers at Western helped drive national change by outlining the importance of equal benefits for adoptive parents and their families that provide permanent homes for children.
Nicole Redvers (Photo source: Mac Lai/Schulich Medicine & Dentistry)
Epidemiology and biostatics professor Nicole Redvers has been appointed to the World Health Organization’s Technical Advisory Group on Embedding Ethics in Health and Climate Change Policy, where she will help deliver a range of tools, materials and evidence-based insights to address this worldwide challenge.
Working at Western
ReconciliACTION Panel at the Wampum Learning Lodge during Truth and Reconciliation Week (Photo source: Office of Indigenous Initiatives)
Updated guidelines: Working with Indigenous community members
Updated Working with Indigenous Community Members guidelines are now available for you to reference and download. Other important resources include Working with Indigenous Students and Land Acknowledgement.
Need support? Check out Western's Employee (and Family) Assistance Program (EAP)
Provided by TELUS Health (formerly LifeWorks), Western’s EAP can help you to optimize your current well-being and support you through the holiday season.
Photo of the Week
Happy holidays from Western. Thank you for making our campus such a special place to learn, live and work. (Image source: Western Communications)
Coming Up
(Photo source: Pexels)
January 8 (6:30 to 7 a.m.)
Virtual rise & shine yoga with Living Well@Western
Ease yourself into the workday with a little self care. This new 30-minute yoga class is available virtually so you can participate from home or campus. Register today.
January 15 (1:30 to 3 p.m.)
Therapy dogs visit Weldon Library
Looking to de-stress? Drop by Weldon Library to visit some furry friends from St. John’s Ambulance Therapy Dogs program.
January 16 (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Western blood donation event
Book your spot today to donate blood to Canadian Blood Services. Held at the Mustang Lounge.
Western in the News
Rachel Margolis (Submitted photo)
Scientific American
Losing a grandparent hurts boys at school
Sociology professor Rachel Margolis explains how the death of grandparents, the significance of which is often downplayed, has a very real impact, for young boys in particular.
The Globe and Mail
Ingredients of my Franco-Ontario history: butter, sugar and my Mémère
How does the food we cook and the way we cook it reflect our values? Philosophy professor Benjamin Hill, who studies the philosophy of food, says there is so much more than ingredients that goes into the food we eat.
University Affairs
Western appoints first-ever chief AI officer
Mark Daley explains how his appointment as Western’s first chief AI officer supports the university’s efforts to adopt a progressive and ethical approach to artificial intelligence across all facets of campus.
Interior Design Magazine
Best of the Year Awards
The revitalization of Weldon Library, designed by architectural firm Perkins & Will, has been named by Interior Design Magazine as one of the Best of the Year for 2023 in the Library Category.
Commentary
(Photo source: Stokkete/Adobe Images)
According to the World Health Organization, social isolation and loneliness is becoming an increasing health concern around the globe. Western News recently spoke with professor Julie Aitken Schermer to discuss the impact, prevalence and possible solutions to loneliness.
