January 21, 2022
Roberta Bondar (Photo by Don Dixon)
Thirty years ago, on Jan. 22, 1992, alumna Dr. Roberta Bondar, MSc’71, DSc’95, became the world’s first neurologist and Canada’s first female astronaut in space. In conversation with Western News, she recalls the “watershed moment” of seeing a brain specimen for the first time as a Master’s student at Western in 1969.
Thames Hall (Western Communications file photo)
Western Health and Wellness has moved to the newly renovated Thames Hall, consolidating all services under one roof to help students thrive personally, socially and academically.
(Western Communications file photo)
Western has met the gold standard in international sustainability ratings, for the third consecutive time, for its work in improving sustainability on campus, in the community and in global research with impact.
(Image from Pixabay)
Tanaz Javan, BA’11, MSc’15, health information science PhD candidate and wellness instructor, is helping employees and students focus on their emotional and spiritual well-being through guided meditation.
(Photo from Pixabay)
A new report from Western’s Financial Wellness Lab provides some important information and tools to help Canadians improve their financial fitness, and offers pathways to move from being financially stressed to financially comfortable.
Bayfield Hall (Photo courtesy of Housing and Ancillary Services)
Western is converting the south wing of Bayfield Hall from an upper-year student apartment into a first-year residence beginning September 2022 to fulfill its first-year residence guarantee. The entire building is expected to be fully operational as a first-year residence by May 31, 2024.
Working at Western
(Image from Western Communications)
Alert WesternU emergency notification test
A test of the Alert WesternU system will take place on Jan. 26 at 12:30 p.m. Western's emergency mass notification system is used to notify the campus community in the event of imminent danger, campus evacuation or closure, weather emergencies, or university status updates due to weather. To ensure you are immediately notified in the event of a real emergency, please visit alert.westernu.ca to customize your notification to include a text message.
Spamtrap migrating to Office 365 EOP
Western Technology Services will soon be migrating to Office 365 EOP (Exchange Online Protection) as Western’s dedicated anti-spam solution, and decommissioning Spamtrap in the weeks following the migration. Office 365 EOP is Microsoft’s email filtering tool that scans and flags spam, phishing, malware, and other unwanted emails. This filtering applies to every inbound email to your Western account.
Photo of the Week
Facilities Management snow operation is a 24/7 service. Email/online snow-related hazard reports are processed during regular business hours. To report hazards outside of those hours, please call 519-661-3304. (Photo by Marc Vanden Heuvel, Facilities Management)
Coming Up
Angie Quick, tell it to me like i have been bad all my life 2021. Oil on canvas. (Courtesy of the artist)
Jan. 13 to Feb. 19
The moonlight made me do it
McIntosh Gallery presents a solo exhibition by London-based artist Angie Quick, which was inspired by the gift of a deck of Moon Cards. Quick discovered that the cards’ intended purpose became the catalyst for an investigation into human culpability.
Thursday, Jan. 27 (1 p.m.)
Celebrating entrepreneurial families with Richard Sifton
Richard Sifton, president and CEO of Sifton Properties Limited, will be joined by David Simpson, director of the Ivey Business Families Initiative, for a fireside chat on transitions and good governance, effective leadership and innovation through generations. This virtual session is part of the Annual Winter Classic Series hosted by the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship.
Tuesday, Feb. 1 (12 p.m.)
In conversation with Alex Kopacz
Angela Schneider, director of the International Centre for Olympic Studies and 1984 Olympic silver medalist, will be joined by alumnus Alex Kopacz, BESc’13, BSc’19, 2018 Olympic gold medalist, to discuss the trials and tribulations of being an Olympian and his efforts to prepare athletes for this year's Winter Games. Presented by Western Alumni.
Tuesday, Feb. 1 (7 p.m.)
Active Voice Presents: Ruby Singh
The first installment of the 2022 Active Voice Series hosted by Ivan Coyote, Western's Alice Munro Chair in Creativity, will feature interdisciplinary artist Ruby Singh. Presented by Words Festival and the Public Humanities at Western.
Western in the News
(Photo by Ken Whytock from Unsplash)
Toronto Star
How did Monday’s massive snowstorm measure up in the history books? You might be surprised
Exactly where Monday’s winter storm in Toronto will rank in the history books depends on where you’re measuring. But, history professor Alan MacEachern said it was pretty unusual for snow to fall on most parts of the province with such vengeance simultaneously.
CBC Radio’s The Sunday Magazine
The rising ethical stakes of a prolonged pandemic (3:22)
Bioethicist Maxwell Smith explores the ethical considerations of mandatory vaccination policies as the pandemic continues to wear on.
TVO
Why one Ontario town moved to a four-day workweek
Zorra Township implemented a pilot project to move toward a four-day workweek earlier in the pandemic. Joe Lyons, director of Western’s local-government program, conducted a survey of worker attitudes before and after the change.
CBC London Morning
How music can lift spirits during the pandemic
Musicology PhD student Ala Krivov explains how music can help maintain the well-being of children and families and lift people’s spirits during the pandemic.
Commentary
(Photo by Belova59 from Pixabay)
Yuning Wang, PhD'20, shares how establishing research autonomy during her transition from master's to PhD, led to a more rewarding academic experience.
