Gradcast

In this special episode in honour of Asexual Awareness Week, hosts Laura Muñoz-Baena and Ana Moyer chat with PhD Philosophy student Katrina Zmavc, in partnership with SOGS Graduate Peer Support (GPS). Join us in discussing the spectrum of possibilities surrounding asexuality, which is often categorized as a lack of sexual attraction.    If you would like to continue this discussion in a safe space, check out our collaboration with GPS’s Shared Experiences event on November 4th, 2021 at 7:00PM. You can find more information here and register for the event here.   Recorded on October 14, 2021. Produced by Laura Munoz Baena. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Join hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Yimin Chen as they chat with PhD grad and MLIS candidate, Brooke Brassard. Our conversation follows Brooke's slightly unorthodox (pun intended) journey from a PhD in religious studies to life after graduation, to her return to grad school. She shares about her experience and life advice about doing field work, navigating the post-grad experience, and what life is like beyond the degree. To find out more from Brooke, follow her on Twitter @BrookeBrassard or listen to her on the So What? podcast Recorded on Oct 12, 2021 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Ariel Frame and Elizabeth Mohler speak with Brendan Charles about his research on Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) investigating how these animals behave and how they can be used to study the biology of the brain. In particular, Brendan discusses work from his recently completed MSc and ongoing PhD work that touches on 9 neurons in the fly brain which govern female aggressive behaviour and characterization of tRNA mistranslation in flies.  To learn more about this kind of fly research, check out Dr. Amanda Moehring's Twitter @FlyBehaviour and website.   Recorded on Oct 6, 2021 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

In this episode, Francesco Colosimo and Rhys Paterson sit down with Alexis Pascual, PhD student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department, as he updates us on his research with machine learning and AI in space applications. Alexis explains how he uses linear algebra and statistics on images to teach extraterrestrial vehicles to pick out interesting features on a martian surface. This episode is full of questions to be answered such as: the probability of the MARS rover becoming a self-sufficient machine, what the Mars yard is like and who is better: Canadian Space Agency or NASA? To hear more from Alexis, head over to his website https://alexispascual.github.io  You can listen to his previous episode here.   Recorded on September 28th, 2021. Produced by Hira Nadeem. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Ever see a link on your phone that you just HAVE to click? As it turns out, so do mice! Join hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Laura Muñoz Baena as they chat with aspiring neuroscientist Esmin Unaran and learn about how learning itself can change the structure of your brain. Esmin explains how she uses myelin concentration of mouse brains to study how much they learn using touch-screen operant chambers. Might want to grab yourself a strawberry milkshake before you click "play" on this episode! To learn more about Erin's research, find her on her Twitter as @esminunaran Recorded on September 21st, 2021. Produced by Laura Munoz Baena. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

In this episode, hosts Laura Muñoz-Baena and Ana Moyer chat with Anahí González, a PhD student in Art and Visual Culture. As a Mexican photographer based in Canada, Anahí is interested in how migrant labour is portrayed in Canadian media and explores alternative visual narratives that might contribute to a different view of migration in North America.  To learn more about Anahí, visit her photography website or follow her in Instagram   Recorded on September 14th, 2021. Produced by Laura Munoz Baena. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

In this episode, Katrina Zmavc (PhD Philosophy Student) discusses her research on depression and how it really is an umbrella term for many related disorders. She also chats with hosts (Yousuf Hasan and Ana Moyer) about her involvement with the Society of Graduate Students as a member of the Graduate Peer Support Committee. Her aim is to find strategies to de-stigmatize mental illness and spread awareness about mental health in our community. You can view more about Katrina's research at Rotman Institute of Philosophy and the TCN Lab websites Recorded on Sept 9, 2021 Produced by Yousuf Hasan, Edited by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

This episode contains discussions of mental health, grad school, the COVID-19 pandemic, and discusses suicide and suicide prevention. If you or someone you know needs help, there are resources available to help you. If you are a graduate student, SOGS.ca/support-resources provides a list of mental health services located on and off campus. Alternatively, the description box contains resources discussed in the episode. Listener discretion is advised.  In this special episode hosted by GradCast, Francesco Colosimo and Elizabeth Mohler talk with Katrina Zmavc, a PhD student in Philosophy about World Suicide Prevention Day. Imposter syndrome, the COVID-19 pandemic, “publish or perish” mentality, outdated terminology, suicidal ideations and general mental health struggles are discussed from the grad school perspective.   If you would like to continue this discussion in a safe space, check out our collaboration with GPS’s Shared Experiences event on Friday, September 16 at 7pm.     Resources discussed in the epi

As fervent calls for racial equity have justifiably proliferated within the United States in recent years, it raises the issue of familiarizing oneself with the historical and systemic nature of American racism. One such way to do this is analyzing the literature of the era for greater context, which is the approach English PhD student David Mitterauer is taking. And as hosts Liam Clifford and Elizabeth Mohler learn, David's juxtaposition of 18th and 19th century. Black thought and white supremacist texts demonstrates the abhorrence of racial discrimination within the then-fledging nation. The ensuing conversation highlights the need to understand the deep roots of racism in the U.S. in the hopes that this understanding can promote a better future for all. To find out more from David, follow him on Twitter @DMitterauer Recorded on Aug 31, 2021 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

In the second episode of our newest series, There Is No Planet B - Rose Giles and Brendon Samuels talk with Courtney Neidig, a second year Masters student in Education and Curriculum studies. She tells us the story of starting out as an ECE in British Columbia, the dissatisfaction in teaching practices when it comes to the environment, and ultimately how she found herself at Western as the head of the Society of Graduate Students’s Sustainability Committee.  If you would like to get in touch with Courtney, you can email her at cneidig@uwo.ca and check out @sogs.sustainability on Instagram  If you have question about sustainability on campus or would like to reach out, email sustainability.coordinator@sogs.ca  Recorded on July 12, 2021 Produced by Rhys Paterson  Theme song provided by https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/bathtime-funk License code: B7LBQYKLY9EDAFQ3

Dristy Zaman is a PhD student in Biology studying soybeans, a type of legume. In conversation with Yimin Chen and Ariel Frame, Dristy explains how she is investigating asparagine metabolism. Dristy is on the hunt to discover a particular enzyme in this pathway that is currently unknown. What is asparagine? How will she find this enzyme? What will she name it? Find out the answer to these questions, and more, in this episode. Recorded Aug 24, 2021 Full video available on YouTube Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

How does a 1972 hockey tournament between the USSR and Canada lead to the conceptualization of masculinity and the expression of nationalism in Canada? In this episode, host Rose Giles interviews Kaitlyn Carter on her research about how the idealization of the perfect Canadian and the perfect man all ties into a game we all know and love - hockey.  Correction to claim at 4:59 that Canada won the series by only one goal: Russia actually outscored Canada in the series 32-to-31. If you would like to contact Kaitlyn, you can find her on Twitter at @cartkait or email her at kcarte46@uwo.ca Recorded on August 8, 2021 Produced by Rhys Paterson  Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

In the wake of the riots in the United States this past year, History MA Sara Duodu was inspired to dive deeper into historical race relations in the United States. In this episode Rosemary Giles and Liam Clifford talk with Sara about the Red Summer, interracial violence and the framing of race in American newspapers. To reach Sara, you can email her at sduodu@uwo.ca Recorded on August 3, 2021. Produced by Laura Munoz Baena. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Have you wondered about the effects of climate change on salmon migration and spawning? In this episode, hosts Elizabeth Mohler and Ana Moyer sit down with Biology PhD candidate Carlie Muir to hear about her research into the thermal physiology of Atlantic salmon. In recent years, climate change has resulted in heat waves that surpass the temperatures salmon can survive at, causing mass die-offs during their spawning migrations. Learn about the potential for salmon to acclimate to higher temperatures, and at the heart of the matter, the cardiac physiology that might allow salmon to survive in the face of climate change.  To find out more from Carlie, follow her on Twitter @CarlieMuir Video version available on YouTube Recorded on July 27, 2021 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

How do dominant discourses surrounding childhood disability shape rehabilitative practice? That is the core question on the research project of the MSc student Emily Cox. In this episode, hosts Ana Moyer and Laura Munoz find themselves re thinking ideas such as independence, identity and the differences between impairment and disability. Emily's study intend to reveal whether the ways we think about and act on disabilities have an impact on the lives of disabled children.   To reach Emily you can email her at ecox29@uwo.ca Recorded on July 6, 2021. Produced by Laura Munoz Baena. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Ever heard the advice "eat less, move more"? In this episode, hosts Liam Clifford and Amalie Hutchinson sit down with Psychology MSc student Danika Quesnel to hear about her research into dysfunctional exercise, and learn that for some people with eating disorders, "moving more" becomes dangerous. Treatments for dysfunctional exercise are still in their infancy, despite its prevalence and importance, and Danika is at the forefront of the field. Listen in as Danika shares her extensive knowledge of dysfunctional exercise; how it presents, how it is treated, and where to find help if you or a friend is experiencing an eating disorder.    Recorded on July 13, 2021. Produced by Hira Nadeem. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

In a new series created by GradCast, There Is No Planet B - the first of many conversations about the definition of sustainability, and how it impacts not only the environment, but economics and sociology. Hosts Danica Facca and Rose Giles introduce Brendon Samuels, a PhD student in the department of Biology, and the Society of Graduate Student's Sustainability Coordinator.  If you would like to get in touch with Brendon, you can find him on Twitter. Full video on YouTube Recorded on June 23, 2021 Produced by Rhys Paterson  Theme song provided by https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/bathtime-funk License code: B7LBQYKLY9EDAFQ3

Laura Muñoz is a PhD student studying virus evolution. In this episode Laura tells Ariel Frame about her research surrounding virus Overlapping Reading Frames, the impacts of viruses on evolution of life on Earth, and how these are studying using bioinformatics. To learn more about Laura's research, find her on Twitter. Recorded on July 6, 2021. Produced by Laura Munoz Baena. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

In this Episode, we sit down with Ana Moyer, an MA student in Art History. Ana is studying the representation of traditional Inuit tattoos within art. For their MA work, they are specifically writing on two contemporary Inuit artists: Ningiukulu Teevee and Sarah Ayaki Whalen-Lunn, the latter also being a trained tattooist in the skin-stitching tradition. From Ana, we learn the different ways tattooing is taken up in Indigenous culture, and how Indigenous tattoos are different from traditional Western tattoos. To hear more from Ana, you can email them at genderconcerns@sogs.ca or amoyer9@uwo.ca. Full video on Youtube.  Recorded on June 14, 2021. Produced by Hira Nadeem. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Remember those fruit flies that annoy you by incessantly buzzing around? They are an essential part of PhD in Biology candidate Yanira Jimenez Padilla's work. In her time at Western, she has worked with her winged friends by introducing yeast during their growth cycle to observe  any anatomical changes that take place. Why, you ask? Well as hosts Liam Clifford and Elizabeth Mohler learn, it's because these changes can help us understand how microbes (or the lack thereof) can impact the development in a living thing. As a result, the conversation that ensues seeks to familiarize listeners with all sorts of super cool bugs that influence our daily lives.   Full video available on YouTube Recorded on June 29, 2021 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot