January 7, 2022
King Amenhotep I death mask. (Image courtesy of Sahar Saleem)
The secrets of King Amenhotep I have been revealed after paleoradiologist Sahar Saleem, whose training at Western inspired her career in paleoradiology, virtually unwrapped and reconstructed his life with 3D, computerized tomography images.
(Stock photo by Pixabay)
First-year nursing student Elliot Hegel has co-created a new website, Rapid Report Ontario, for Ontarians to input results of their COVID-19 rapid tests in a bid to fill in gaps in understanding the latest surge in cases.
Chil-Yong Kang (Western Communications file photo)
A Western team’s novel approach to developing a COVID-19 vaccine shows promise in inducing a robust immune response, early data shows. Led by Chil-Yong Kang, professor in the department of microbiology and immunology and a team at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, the findings were recently published in PLOS Pathogens.
(Source: Office of the Governor General of Canada)
Eight Western alumni are among 135 new appointments to the Order of Canada announced on Dec. 29, 2021 by Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada. The Order of Canada recognizes individuals whose work has contributed to shaping society, igniting imaginations and uniting communities.
(Photo by Tim Samuel via Pexels)
Supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada, Western researchers will lead the way in developing the first free, evidence-based, Canada-wide mobile app to help survivors of domestic violence find a path to safety and health.
David Vine, founder of Stem2Stern, and a student work to build wooden skiff. (Submitted photo)
Building stronger, symbiotic connections between Western and the community is a key theme in the university’s strategic plan, Towards Western at 150. In a series of short videos, students and their community partners tell the importance and benefits of experiential and community-engaged learning, and how they are working for good in the world.
Working at Western
Colin Couchman (Western News file photo)
Western’s first chief data officer named
Colin Couchman has been named Western’s first chief data officer, effective Jan. 1. The chief data officer will play a central role in developing Western’s administrative data strategy and will lead a team of data analysts to deliver transformational insights that help drive Western’s planning and operational priorities. Couchman recently held the role of director of cyber security and business services at Western.
Science-writing workshop
The Conversation Canada is hosting a virtual science-writing workshop for Western scholars. Supported by a science communications grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, participants will learn how to build a pitch, develop ideas and structure stories about their research for publication in
The Conversation and will receive feedback from peers and editors. The virtual training will take place Jan. 20 and 21, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. via Zoom. Space is limited, please RSVP to cyi8@uwo.ca.
Senate and Board of Governors elections - Call for nominations Nominations will open Tuesday, Jan. 11, for membership on Western’s Senate and Board of Governors. Nominations will close at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 25 for faculty and administrative staff constituencies.
Jan. 6 COVID-19 Update
Further to the Jan. 3 update, Western shared an update regarding important information on changes to the daily self-assessment and absence notification tools, new masking requirements, and vaccination and testing.
Photo of the Week
The Western community is mourning the loss of beloved former professor, athletics director and Mustangs football coach Darwin Semotiuk who passed away on Jan. 4 surrounded by family. Here Semotiuk (centre) is celebrating the Mustang’s Vanier Cup win in 1977. (London Free Press file photo)
Coming Up
(Image from London Public Library)
Jan. 12 to 13
Indigenous Voices: Knowledge Sharing
On Jan. 12, former Western professor Eli Baxter will share teachings and stories based on his early life, his experiences as a residential school survivor, and the importance of language as a fluent Ojibway speaker. On Jan. 13, Indigenous Studies and geography professor Lewis Williams will discuss her new book Indigenous intergenerational resilience: confronting cultural and ecological crisis, based on her own experiences, empirical research and community development practice over 20 years. Presented by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives in partnership with London Public Library.
Thursday, Jan.
20 (12:30 p.m.)
Landscapes of injustice: Reflections from a public history of Japanese Canadian dispossession
The Department of History's research seminar series presents Jordan Stanger-Ross, University of Victoria professor and provost's engaged scholar. He is the author of Landscapes of injustice: A new perspective on the internment and dispossession of Japanese Canadians.
Thursday, Jan. 20 (7 p.m.)
Challenging what's newsworthy: Reporting on Indigenous communities in a post-COVID world
A virtual presentation by Kyle Edwards, journalist and Wallace Stegnar Fellow at Stanford University, on how journalists can change the way they report on Indigenous issues and communities, challenge their own perceptions of strengths and weaknesses, and create a more accurate narrative post-pandemic. Presented by the Faculty of Information & Media Studies as part of the Clissold Lectures to commemorate the life and work of Edward Clissold, one of London's most important editors and journalists.
Western in the News
The uncovered flight primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope in a vertical position at NASA Goddard. (Photo by NASA/Francis Reddy, Syneren Technologies)
The Globe and Mail
What the Webb hopes to catch
The James Webb telescope provides a chance to see aspects of Space that no one has seen before. “Everything we receive in the first year or two will be new discoveries, in a sense, because we just didn’t have the technology to do these types of observations before,” said Western Space’s Els Peeters who is co-leading a team that will be among the first to test Webb’s abilities.
BBC
Is finding a 'new normal' in the workplace impossible?
It’s hard to know exactly what to expect from work in 2022, especially with recent pandemic developments. While we can’t predict the future, Ivey professor Kanina Blanchard says public health interests will continue to dominate agendas in 2022.
TVO - The Agenda
Battling COVID-19 frustration and burnout
Psychology professor David Dozois discusses caution fatigue and coping mechanisms as Ontarians began another year with a new variant fuelling the province's COVID-19 surge.
CBC News
From tree maintenance to simple hardware store upgrades, here's what you can do to prepare for climate change
As extreme weather becomes increasingly common, Glenn McGillivray, managing director of Western’s Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, says municipalities are being called on to make their infrastructure more resilient.
Commentary
(Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom via Pexels)
BrainsCAN postdoctoral fellow Cassandra J. Lowe explains how regular physical activity improves the brain and cognitive processes to make it easier for people to regulate or limit junk food consumption.
