May 29, 2026
Frank and Janice Lochan (Photo source: Megan Morris/Schulich Medicine & Dentistry)
A $4.1-million donation will establish the Frank and Janice Lochan Chair in Neuroimaging for Brain Health to improve treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s.
Jason Oliver, Western’s chief technology officer (Photo source: Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
Western is one of seven Canadian institutions hosting shared digital research infrastructure through the Distributed Storage and Compute Grid, a new pilot project designed to strengthen AI research capacity and support secure, connected data systems for researchers and innovators.
Also covered by: Academica’s Top Ten
Track and field athletes competing during the Special Olympics Ontario Provincial School Championships (Photo source: Colleen MacDonald/Western Communications)
Western hosted the 2026 Special Olympics Ontario Provincial School Championships on May 26 and 27, welcoming more than 1,000 athletes and educators to campus for two days of competition and celebration.
A customer using a payment terminal (Photo source: Blake Wisz/Unsplash)
Two consumer behaviour experts from the DAN department of management and organizational studies explain why Canadian tipping practices now feel uncomfortable for many people, based on their research into customer reactions.
The Impact Project
Explore how the Western community is collectively contributing to meaningful change in the world, today.
Lauren Sano (Photo source: Steven Anderson/Western Communications)
Lauren Sano: How to advance equity in the stem cell pool.
Coming Up
June 3 (12:10 to 12:50 p.m.)
Pilates
Take part in a lunchtime Pilates class with Living Well @ Western, focused on building strength, flexibility and postural stability through simple, low-impact exercises. Arts and Humanities Building, Room 2B15. Register online.
June 4 (5 to 7 p.m.)
Summer graduate art exhibitions: Opening reception
Explore two master of fine art thesis exhibitions at McIntosh Gallery: Refracted Realities by Natasha Beaudoin and Distant Sun by Eric Allan Cameron. Both artists will be in attendance, with remarks at 5:30 p.m. All are welcome.
Working at Western
Hume Cronyn Memorial Observatory (Photo source: Iulia Costache/Faculty of Health Sciences)
WIDE Survey
Take five minutes to complete the Western Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (WIDE) Survey. Your confidential feedback will help inform university policies and decision-making across campus. Complete the survey today.
Weather siren testing
Live testing of Western’s emergency weather siren will take place June 3 at noon. Unless otherwise notified, this is only a test. No action is required. Testing occurs the first Wednesday of every month.
Photo of the Week
Western Advancement staff members donated clothing, household items and other essentials to the Free Store on May 27, supporting circularity and reducing waste through reuse and sharing. (L to R) Carter Madorin, Tasha Blanco and Ashley Shaw. (Photo source: Chris Kindratsky/Western Communications)
Western in the News
In addition to the news above, your colleagues have been featured in the following media outlets.
Laura Misener (Photo source: Western Communications)
The Washington Post
Studying sports and disability, he laid the groundwork for the Special Olympics
Kinesiology professor and director Laura Misener, who holds the Dr. Frank J. Hayden Endowed Research Chair in Sport and Social Impact, reflects on the life of Special Olympics founder, Western alum and past faculty member Frank Hayden, BA’55, LLD’11, who passed May 16 at the age of 96.
The New York Times
A fiery visitor from space photo-bombs an erupting volcano
Physics and astronomy professor Peter Brown provides insight about what can be gleaned from video footage of a space object passing over a volcano in the Philippines during an active eruption.
CBC Science
NASA reveals first plans for a Moon base
As NASA unveiled plans this week for a base on the lunar surface, Earth sciences professor Gordon Osinski explains what it might mean for Canada’s space program.
