October 13, 2023
President Alan Shepard welcomes Kelly Meighen (Photo source: Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
Esteemed philanthropist and decorated volunteer Kelly Meighen was installed as Western’s 24th Chancellor in a special ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 11. In preparing for her new role, Meighen looked at where she can focus her attention to benefit the university community.
(Clockwise from top left) Jamelie Hassan, Sarah Polley, Hanny Hassan, Robert Steadward and Paul Sabourin (Image source: Rob Potter)
Academy Award-winning writer, filmmaker and actor Sarah Polley is among the five eminent individuals being conferred honorary degrees for their contributions to diverse fields and to the community during next week’s autumn convocation ceremonies.
Marisa Modeski (Photo source: Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
Western’s new registrar, Marisa Modeski, shares her vision for the university and her approach to recruitment and building "exceptional experiences" for students.
Rebecca Koshy (Photo source: Jacob Arts/Western Engineering)
Fourth-year chemical and biochemical engineering student Rebecca Koshy has pioneered an innovative solution to the plastic pollution problem by developing biodegradable bioplastics from forest and food waste, as part of the Undergraduate Summer Research Internship program.
(From left) Chris Smeenk and Sarah Gallagher (Photo source: Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
Philosophy professor Chris Smeenk and physics and astronomy professor Sarah Gallagher, plus three alumni, contribute to the first standard resource for the philosophy of astrophysics, highlighting the pioneering work done at Western in this emerging field.
Jim Weese (Photo source: Jim Weese)
The birth of health sciences professor Jim Weese’s first grandchild was the inspiration for his new book, The Grandpa Rules, which imparts his wisdom on how to lead a happy and healthy life to readers of all ages.
Working at Western
(Photo source: Jessica Cordes/Western Sustainability)
Take part in the annual Sustainability Pulse survey
Share your views and help set the direction Western takes with sustainability initiatives. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes and participants will have the opportunity to be entered in a draw for one of three $100 gift cards to The Book Store.
Western Staff and Leader Fall Learning Day
Join us on Nov. 2 for the Staff and Leader Fall Learning Day. Hear from two amazing speakers, enjoy refreshments and network with your colleagues. Learn more and register today.
Campus eateries
There are more than 20 eateries across campus that offer delicious meals and snacks. Visit Campus Eateries to see a list of what’s open.
Subscribe to Working at Western weekly email
Interested in Western's latest full-time job opportunities? Subscribe to a weekly update on the latest staff positions.
Photo of the Week
Students in residence celebrated Thanksgiving with roasted turkey, smoked salmon, corn pie, candied yams and more. (Photo source: @westernuhousing)
Coming Up
(Photo source: Getty Images)
October 16 (12 to 12:20 p.m.)
Mindful Moments
Relax, recharge, refocus with weekly drop-in mindfulness practices live on Zoom. Join us as we lead a different mindfulness practice for approximately 15-20 minutes every Monday beginning at noon.
October 17 (11:30 a.m.to 2:30 p.m.)
Inaugural fall Pride parade
Join your colleagues for Western’s inaugural fall Pride parade. The parade route will take you around campus and conclude on Concrete Beach with music, dancing, drag performances and refreshments.
October 20 (12:30 to 1:20 p.m.)
Fridays Concert Series
The Fridays @ 12:30 Concert Series presents Trombone from the Americas with Denis Jiron, trombone, and Kyung Kim, pianist, performing music from Canada, U.S., Costa Rica and Argentina joined by Aaron Hodgson, trumpet, and William Kim, percussion. No registration or tickets required. This event is also available via livestream. Music Building, von Kuster Hall.
Western in the News
Adrian Owen (Photo source: Western Communications)
The Telegraph
Patients in vegetative state ‘could still be conscious’ when life support switched off
Psychology and Schulich Medicine & Dentistry professor Adrian Owen discusses his research that found 20 to 25 per cent of patients in a vegetative state still have consciousness and cognitive function.
The Guardian
At least 1,000 birds died from colliding with one Chicago building in one day
After nearly 1,000 birds died following collisions with a single building in Chicago last week, biology PhD candidate Brendon Samuels says investments in retrofits and making windows more bird-friendly can help to mitigate this in the future.
BBC
South Africa's Kruger National Park study: Animals fear human voices more than lions
New research from biology professor Liana Zanette shows animals fear the sound of human voices more than a lion’s roar, which suggests the animals have learnt that contact with humans is extremely dangerous.
CBC
New mission to metal-rich asteroid Psyche has scientists 'psyched'
NASA’s Psyche mission will explore and bring back samples from a metal-rich asteroid. Earth sciences professor Gordon Osinski says this may be a step toward eventually mining space objects for resources.
Commentary
Colourized scanning electron micrograph of a cell (red) infected with the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (blue) (Image source: NIAID Integrated Research Facility/Wikimedia Commons)
Schulich Medicine & Dentistry professor Dr. Sameer Elsayed answers questions about COVID-19, new variants and vaccines in this article republished from The Conversation.
