Gradcast

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Scott Walters are joined by Aloa Alota, a PhD Candidate in Western's Faculty of Information and Media Studies. His research focuses on political journalism in Nigeria following the June 12 Crisis, the annulment of a presidential election that plunged the country into a political turmoil. Listen to learn about the guerilla journalism that ensued while Nigeria worked its way back to Democracy. Recorded on January 7, 2025. Produced by Scott Walters. Edited by Anthony Cruz. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

This week, we engage in the second episode of our collaboration with Inspiring Minds, a campus-wide partnership between Western Research, the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the Writing Support Centre, Western Libraries, Student Experience and Western’s 11 faculties. Inspiring Minds seeks to broaden awareness and impact of graduate student research while enhancing transferrable skills.  Hosts Mark Ambrogio and Ryan Baxter converse with Joeana Cambranis, who is pursuing her PhD in Biomedical Engineering. Joeana's research focuses on developing augmented and virtual reality tools to help surgeons practice and improve procedures related to the treatment of liver cancer. She also shares her thoughts on life as an international graduate student from Yucatán, Mexico, what Western means to her, and discusses her next steps.  Want to know more about Joeana's work? Take a look at her page on the Inspiring Minds website. Recorded on December 10, 2024 Airing at 11am on December 17, 2024 on Western Radio, 9

Hosts Mark Ambrogio and Liam Clifford are re-joined by William Laur, PhD Candidate in the Biology Department. His research focuses on exploring representations of and attitudes towards snakes in online media, through an ethnozoological approach. He was previously in the GradCast studio over the summer (Episode 470). This time around, William completed his written scoping review and qualitative analysis of the snake and bear-specific scientific literature. William chats about human perspectives and attitudes towards snakes and bears, the theological perspectives, how snakes are charismatic and the importance of snake conservation.  Recorded on December 3, 2024 Produced by Maria Khan Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

In our sixth installment of our #BookCast mini-series, we discuss Fifth Business, by Robertson Davies. The novel builds upon childhood events and grows into a personal epic spanning decades of national and world history, centered through the perspective of an older academic looking back over his life. The story begins, and the main characters all originate from, Deptford, a fictional town based on the real community of Thamesville, Ontario.  Join us as your hosts Garth Casbourne, Meghan Voll, Mark Ambrogio, and Scott Walters dive into some of the book's main themes, including spirituality, ageing & changing perspectives, and socioeconomics. The podcast edit features an extended discussion by Mark on the concept of unreliable narrators, and Meghan reveals the next title in our ongoing series. Aired December 5th at 11 AM on Radio Western, 94.9 FM in London, Ontario. Recorded on November 27, 2024 Produced by Scott Walters Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

Hosts kirstyn seanor and Maris Schneider interview our own Bruno Mesquita, a PhD candidate in Neuroscience at Western and a member of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Communication and Hearing Lab. Topics discussed include how experience shapes our perception of auditory stimuli, voice familiarity, and speech intelligibility. For the discerning listener, they even discuss “selective hearing”!   Recorded on November 26, 2024. Produced by Mark Ambrogio. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

In this installment of #TheScoopOnSOGS, host Liam Clifford is joined by Andrew Grgas-Svirac, a PhD Candidate in Western's Department of Civil Engineering who currently serves as the Chair of the Academic Committee at the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS). Listen to this episode to learn about Andrew's research and all of the amazing initiatives led by the Academic Committee, including the 125th Scholarship and the Western Research Forum. The 39th annual Western Research Forum, with the theme Interdisciplinary Research in the Digital Age, will take place on March 14, 2025. Abstract submissions are due on January 6, 2025. We hope to see you there!

Hosts Meghan Voll and Liam Clifford are joined by kirstyn seanor, as she talks about her research on how the design and navigation systems of pornography websites influence users' exposure to content. Along the way we will also discuss how to define pornography, and how access and availability of this content has changed over time. Check out Kirstyn's s research Instagram Here!   Recorded on November 19, 2024. Produced by Bruno Mesquita. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

Here is our first-ever collaboration with Inspiring Minds, a campus-wide partnership between Western Research, the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the Writing Support Centre, Western Libraries, Student Experience and Western’s 11 faculties. Inspiring Minds seeks to broaden awareness and impact of graduate student research while enhancing transferrable skills. GradCast will feature selected students to discuss their research every third Tuesday of the month! Hosts Meghan Voll and Maris Schneider chat with Charmaine Iormetti, who recently completed her Masters of Music (MMus) in Literature and Performance (Voice) degree in the Don Wright Faculty of Music and is currently a Music Instructor at Riverbend Academy and Sound in Motion Studio. Charmaine’s research looks at how the larynx and vocal tract produce and filter vocal qualities so singers can ensure emotionally compelling performances. Charmaine shares her interest in vocal pedagogy, the discipline of understanding the singing instrument and ho

Katie McCoy, a PhD candidate in political science, joins Liam Clifford and Garth Casbourn. She tells us about her research on why people vote how they do, especially in rural communities. She also discusses how MPs from rural areas may differ in behaviour compared to urban MPs. Recorded on November 6, 2024 Produced by Riya Sidhu Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

Host Mark Ambrogio welcomes John Hutchenreuther, a PhD student in the Department of Geography and Environment, to discuss the transformative potential of the "15-minute city" in urban planning. John’s research envisions a shift towards walkable cities, where essential amenities are accessible within a short walk or bike ride, making cars a choice rather than a necessity. He delves into the challenges in cities like London, Ontario, and explains how North American urban development, particularly after World War II, heavily favored car infrastructure. This, he notes, often left residential neighborhoods without local stores and services, compelling residents to drive for daily needs. John also discusses the inefficiencies of car-dominated roads, advocating for safer, more pedestrian-friendly environments that prioritize people over vehicles, ultimately fostering more sustainable and inclusive urban spaces.   Recorded on October 29, 2024 Produced by Mohammad Zeraati Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/

This week, hosts Garth Casbourn and kirstyn seanor are joined by Eric Scarfone, a Master of Media in Journalism and Communication (MMJC) student in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies. Eric talks about his transition from undergraduate to graduate studies and delves deeper into what the MMJC program entails. He shares his goals in broadcasting and what is a part of good journalistic storytelling. He also talks about his involvement in student government and at Radio Western, hosting “On the Eric” and newscasts. To keep up to date, follow Eric on Instagram @escarf12 Recorded on October 22, 2024. Produced by Maria Khan Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

For our fifth installment of our book club series, the #BookCast team read Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi.  Join us for a discussion led by Garth Casbourn with co-hosts Meghan Voll, Riya Sidhu, and Scott Walters.  We dive into the complex narrative of Gifty, a young scientist getting her PhD at Stanford, attempting to discover secrets behind addictive behavior. This story is one of grief, hope, childhood trauma, conflicts between faith and science, and racism and immigration in North America. We'll cover many of the books themes and writing devices, its approach at describing science and graduate student life, and talk about the challenges faced by the protagonist both in the lab and her difficult past. ADVISORY: This book has themes of addiction and overdose that are central to the story. In the second part of our conversation, we dive into these topics. Some listeners may wish to either avoid or prepare for this portion of our episode. Airing October 31th at 11 AM on Radio Western. Recorded on October 2

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Ryan Baxter are joined by Lauren Jarman, a Masters of Music Education Candidate in the Don Wright Faculty of Music. Her research is focused on the impact of policy, globalization and neoliberalism and how it affects students with disabilities through a windband pedagogy. Lauren explores how AI and technology enable learning for musicians and how it can improve student and teacher experience. She also talks about her involvement in student government and her own experiences with disability as a student. Recorded on October 15, 2024 Produced by Maria Khan Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot)  

Hosts Anthony Cruz and Meghan Voll are joined by Emiko Muraki, a PhD candidate with the University of Calgary, and a visiting PhD student at Western University. Emiko studies how context and differences between people affect how we learn and use concepts, and understand language. She also studied people with aphantasia, who can't form mental images, and found that they may still engage in sensorimotor simulation during semantic processing, even if they lack conscious, voluntary imagery.     Recorded on October 8, 2024. Produced by Bruno Mesquita. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

Hosts Mark Ambrogio and Meghan Voll are joined by Shengpei (Leslie) Li, a Ph.D. student in Media Studies. Leslie discusses his research on rap music in China and the politics surrounding it. Recorded on October 1, 2024. Produced by Riya Sidhu Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

Hosts Mark Ambrogio and Ryan Baxter are joined by Elisabeth (Libby) Roberts, a Ph.D. candidate in the music cognition specialization at the University of Western Ontario, Don Wright Faculty of Music. Libby discusses her research in music-evoked autobiographical memory and how she combines methods from behavioural sciences, sociology, and music theory. She discusses how social media, a space of interaction, memory, and, importantly, hearing and playing music, influences the way we remember popular music. Check out Libby’s research, composition and performances here! Recorded on September 24, 2024. Produced by Maria Khan Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

In this installment of the three-part #TheScoopOnSOGS miniseries, host Liam Clifford is joined by Jasmine Proctor, a PhD Student in Western's Faculty of Information and Media Studies who currently serves as the Vice-President Advocacy at the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS). Listen to this episode to learn about Jasmine's research, background, and roles at SOGS, as well as what she enjoys about being a student leader. Recorded on September 10, 2024. Produced by Anthony Cruz. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

This week, hosts Maris Schneider and Garth Casbourn are joined by writer, curator and visual culture PhD candidate at the Department of Visual Arts, Ashar Mobeen. Ashar studies ancient and indigenous civilizations and the manifestation of astronomical understanding within their art and architecture. He explores the stories of groups marginalized by Eurocentric ideologies. Ashar chats about his love for the cosmos, working to implement new pedagogical methods in the classroom, sustainable curatorial projects and managing the Ecologies in Practice podcast (launching this Fall)! Here are links to the curatorial projects: In the Heart of the Bronze: A Liu Shiming Experience and of many worlds in this world (featured at Western’s artLAB Gallery!)  Recorded on September 17, 2024. Produced by Maria Khan. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).  

In this installment of the three-part #TheScoopOnSOGS miniseries, host Liam Clifford is joined by Cherin Chung, a PhD Candidate in Western's Department of French who currently serves as the President of the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS). Listen to this episode to learn about Cherin's research, background, and roles at SOGS, as well as what she enjoys about being a student leader. If you would like to learn more or get involved, check out sogs.ca and follow SOGS on Instagram @westernsogs! To get in touch with Cherin, you can contact her by email (president@sogs.ca) or follow her personal Instagram @cherinchung. Recorded on August 27, 2024. Produced by Anthony Cruz. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

This week, hosts Garth Casbourn and Riya Sidhu are joined by Kevin Young, a PhD Candidate in Western's Department of Biology. Kevin researches how the omega-3 fats in the diets of migratory shorebirds help them regulate their body temperature and save energy during their long journeys. Listen to learn about some of the amazing avian research happening at Western!   Recorded on September 10, 2024. Produced by Anthony Cruz. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).