April 22, 2022
(Photo source: Brendon Samuels)
A campus-wide, year-long crowdsourcing initiative, spearheaded by Western’s biology department, encourages the campus community to submit pictures and observations of wildlife they might encounter on campus to build a biodiversity inventory.
Veronica Reitmeier is a teaching assistant in the joint Indigenous studies and geography and environment field course focused on 'reciprocity and relationships' with the land. (Photo source: Facilities Management)
A combined fourth-year Indigenous studies and third-year geography and environment class offers students an opportunity to learn about land healing and land responsibility through a new five-year, land-use agreement.
Tiny plastic pellets of various colours, shapes, sizes and origins, found along the Great Lakes shoreline. (Photo source: Patricia Corcoran)
As a leading expert on microplastics pollution research, Earth sciences professor Patricia Corcoran has influenced disparate worlds of science and art with her discovery and depictions of human-caused pollution.
(Photo source: testalize.me/Pexels)
Western’s biomedical innovation team is one of the change-making projects awarded grants as part of a unique $20-million strategic priorities fund to support key areas of the university’s strategic plan.
Bipasha Baruah (Photo source: Western Communications)
Gender, sexuality and women’s studies professor Bipasha Baruah has been named the new Strategic Focus Western Research Chair. Her research aims to understand how to ensure a global, low-carbon economy will be more gender-equitable and socially just than its fossil-fuel based predecessor.
(Photo source: Miguel Preciado)
A bright fireball was observed by a dozen all-sky cameras of Western's Southern Ontario Meteor Network on Sunday. Analysis suggests meteor fragments are likely to have made it to the ground near the eastern shore of Lake Simcoe.
Working at Western
Eli Baxter (Photo source: Office of Indigenous Initiative)
Join the Indigenous Learning Circle
Western’s Indigenous Learning Circle Biindigen is back! Pick up a copy of the spring 2022 book, Aki-Wayn-zih: A Person as Worthy as the Earth by Eli Baxter at Western Libraries and register for the May 5 faculty and staff Learning Circle.
Mother's Day brunch boxes from Great Hall Catering
Celebrate a special mom in your life with a Mother’s Day brunch box — ready to be enjoyed at home. From waffles to baked honey ham or roasted lamb, and beyond, these ready-to-heat boxes serve a party of four. Available for pickup at Somerville House on May 6. Place your order by May 2 at 12 p.m.
Registration open for Campus Recreation summer memberships
Western Campus Recreation is excited to welcome back Western staff, faculty, alumni and external community members. Starting May 1, staff and faculty can purchase a Campus Recreation Summer membership at the WSRC desk for $125 (taxes included) with towel service available for $50 (taxes included). Intramural Sports is now offering outdoor programs and online registration is open to all until May 10.
Pension workshops and planning tools
Learn and share your views on responsible investing in an interactive panel discussion, dive into diversification in a live webinar, and get answers to questions that are important to you. Personal consultations with Sun Life education representatives are also available. All events are virtual and require registration.
Support students impacted by war and conflict
Western students are feeling the impact of the intensifying war in Ukraine. The university is reaching out to the campus community to ask for support of the Student Crisis Relief Fund, to help students now and in the future who are facing financial hardships including the ability to afford food, housing, tuition and mental health care support due to natural disasters, political unrest and war.
COVID-19 vaccination policy and masking requirements
Western will be continuing its vaccination policy for the spring and summer academic terms and it will be reviewed by Sept. 1. Masks will continue to be required indoors for the spring academic term (May and June). A decision about masking for the summer term will be communicated by mid-June.
Photo of the Week
The search is on for the mystery origami artist, who has been leaving paper trails around Taylor and the Music library. Do you have information that can lead to the identity of this creative culprit? (Photo source: Western Libraries)
Coming Up
Composite of DaMaris B. Hill and bell hooks. (Photo source: Faculty of Arts and Humanities)
Wednesday, Apr. 27 (12 p.m.)
Bone Black Wise Woman
This year’s department of gender, sexuality and women's studies conference is a celebration of the life and works of author, scholar and activist bell hooks, featuring a keynote address by DaMaris B. Hill, University of Kentucky professor. Presented by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
Wednesday, Apr. 27 (12 p.m.)
Innovation Ambassadors monthly speakers series
This month’s event on translation and commercialization of a revolutionary concussion diagnosis innovation features Dr. Douglas Fraser and Peter George, CEO of NeuroLytixs Inc.
Thursday, Apr. 28 (2 p.m)
Disinformation on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic
Panel discussion featuring Ahmed Al-Rawi, Simon Fraser University professor and the director of the Disinformation Project; Lauren Pelley, BA’10, MA'11, CBC News reporter; Alfred Hermida, UBC professor and co-founder of The Conversation Canada; and Craig Silverman, journalist, author and ProPublica reporter.
Friday, Apr. 29 (8:30 p.m.)
Astronomy night with Cronyn Observatory
Gaze at the stars like they did a century ago. Visit the Spriet Family Visitor Centre at Fanshawe Pioneer Village for displays and presentations about the night sky and astronomy in the 19th and early 20th century.
Western in the News
Madeline Bassnett (Photo source: Western Communications)
The Telegraph (UK)
Frozen birds and flooded towns: How Britain grappled with climate change 500 years ago
English and writing studies professor Madeline Bassnett and GIS specialist Liz Sutherland are part of a Western research team looking to pinpoint extreme weather events during the ‘little ice age,’ a period between the 1500s and 1700s in England.
Financial Times (UK)
Baby bust: economic stimulus helps births rebound from pandemic
Kate Choi, sociology professor and director of the Centre for Research on Social Inequality, provides insight on why there was a short-term decline in birth rates during the pandemic.
NRC Handelsblad (Netherlands)
President Putin will be indicted within a year
Law professor Valerie Oosterveld shares her thoughts on whether perpetrators of the atrocities in Ukraine will be persecuted for war crimes or crimes against humanity.
Forbes
Bright fireball likely littered lakeside region with meteorites
Physics and astronomy post-doctoral associate Denis Vida provides insights on the meteor near Lake Simcoe captured on Western’s network of all-sky cameras on April 17.
Commentary
(Photo source: Wikimedia Commons)
Health sciences PhD student Monika Szpunar, and Trish Tucker, health sciences professor and director of the Child Health and Physical Activity Lab, share the lab's findings on an increased shift to unstructured physical activity for parents and children as a result of the pandemic.
