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Student finds success in the kitchen and beyond with @CollegeCookin | story // page 12
Western community to drive into carpool program
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
IMAGINE HAVING YOUR own
reserved parking space in a lot of your
choice on campus.
It’s yours – that is, if you choose
to carpool with a campus colleague
or two, on your way to work. The
reserved parking space is just one
incentive offered through a new carpool program at Western, aiming to
support environmentally and economically feasible means of transportation.
While Western did previously offer
a carpool program for staff, faculty
and students, it wasn’t widely used,
said Beverley Ayeni, Western’s sustainability manager.
“The old program was limited, and
just didn’t work logistically for everyone. Our new program is much more
robust. We took to looking into the
London community to see what other
great programs were going on, and
we catered this new program to meet
the needs of the Western community,” she said.
“We have a better understanding
of our staff, faculty and students and
there are some great benefits available now.”
The three key incentives offered to
members of the Western community
through the new carpool program are:
• A reserved parking space, chosen by a carpool group, in a lot
accessible with a current pass and
transponder;
• A guaranteed ride home, offered
to registered carpool members in
the event of an emergency, including a limited refund for taxi fare;
and
• Four complimentary parking
vouchers, per term, offered to
each registered carpool member
as a one-day parking pass.
Here’s how it works:
As you prepare to renew your parking permit for the following term,
consider forming a carpool. To get
the benefits of the new program, you
must be carpooling with other members of the Western community, Ayeni
noted.
To register, first sign up as a carpooler with the City of London via
uwo.regionalrideshare.ca. Western
doesn’t have its own carpool database, so this is the best way to find
someone else heading to Western.
You are also able to pick a colleague
of your own, though you still need to
register with the city, Ayeni added.
The program is open to staff, faculty
and students at Western.
Carpool groups must include two
or more members. Interested groups
JUMP IN THE ’POOL
need to then schedule an appointment with Parking & Visitor Services
by either visiting the office in person
(Support Services Building 4150) or
emailing parking@uwo.ca.
Once the carpool group is formed,
only one transponder will be used
for that group. So, if there are three
people in the group, two will have to
return their transponders. But, that
means the cost of the transponder is
split three ways.
CARPOOL // CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
To learn more about or sign up for Western’s new carpool program, visit the Parking & Visitor
Services website, uwo.ca/parking.
Western’s newspaper of record since 1972
ILLUSTRATION BY FRANK NEUFELD
May 21, 2015 / Vol. 51 No. 17
PM 41195534
2
Western News
| May 21, 2015
upload your photos
Coming Events
MAY 21-JUNE 3
22 // FRIDAY
MCINTOSH GALLERY
Janice Gurney: All the Spaces. Curated by Julian Haladyn. mcintoshgallery.
ca. Runs until June 27.
Opening reception at 5 p.m.
THE DEPARTMENT OF MODERN
LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
La Tertulia. Anyone wishing to speak
Spanish and meet people from different Spanish-speaking countries is welcome. Email tertulia@uwo.ca.
4:30 p.m. StvH 3101.
DR. MAUD L. MENTEN
MEMORIAL SPRING SYMPOSIUM
Stefan Knapp, University of Oxford,
Oxford, UK. Selective Targeting of
Epigenetic Effector Domains of the
Bromodomain Family in Cancer. Contact david.litchfield@schulich.uwo.ca
for details.
9 a.m.-1 p.m. DSB 1002.
BIOMEDICAL IMAGING
RESEARCH CENTRE AND
ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE
AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY
SEMINAR
Brian Rutt, Stanford University School
of Medicine, Stanford, Calif. Ultra
High Field MRI at Stanford.
5:30 p.m. LHSC-UH, Auditorium A.
26 // TUESDAY
28 // THURSDAY
CAMPUS GARDEN TOURS
A lunch-hour tour of our award-winning campus grounds given by horticultural experts from Western’s Facilities Management team. Open to all
faculty, staff and students looking to
learn more about what makes Western Canada’s most beautiful campus.
Contact livingwell@uwo.ca.
12:05-12:50 p.m. SSB lobby.
FACULTY OF EDUCATION’S
RESEARCH OFFICE
Icy Lee, The Chinese University of
Hong Kong. Feedback in L2 writing:
Issues, challenges and future directions. RSVP to tbeynen@uwo.ca.
3 p.m. FEB 1139.
ONCOLOGY GRAND ROUNDS
Todd Stevens, London Regional Cancer Program. The expanding role of
MRI in Radiotherapy.
12-1 p.m. 790 Commissioners Rd.
E., Rooms A3-924A/B.
CAMPUS GARDEN TOURS
A lunch-hour tour of our award-win-
27 // WEDNESDAY
TOASTMASTER’S CAMPUS
COMMUNICATORS
Build your confidence in public speaking. Visit 9119.toastmastersclubs.org/.
Contact Donna Moore at dmoore@
uwo.ca or 85159.
12-1 p.m. UCC 147B.
2 // TUESDAY
tag with #westernu
ning campus grounds given by horticultural experts from Western’s Facilities Management team. Open to all
faculty, staff and students looking to
learn more about what makes Western Canada’s most beautiful campus.
Contact livingwell@uwo.ca.
12:05-12:50 p.m. SSB lobby.
3 // WEDNESDAY
VISITING SPEAKER IN
CHEMISTRY
Jesse Greener, Université Laval, Québec. Multimodal, In Situ Characterization of Flow-templated Biofilms: New
Opportunities for Development of
Natural Catalytic Materials. Visit uwo.
ca/chem/about_us/seminars/index.
htm.
1:30 p.m. CB Room 9.
SCHULICH DRUG THERAPY DAY
For more info and to register visit:
uwoclinpharm.ca/.
Lamplighter Inn, 591 Wellington
Rd.
TOASTMASTER’S CAMPUS
COMMUNICATORS
Build your confidence in public speaking. Visit 9119.toastmastersclubs.org/.
Contact Donna Moore at dmoore@
uwo.ca or 85159.
12-1 p.m. UCC 147B.
THE DEPARTMENT OF MODERN
LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
La Tertulia. Anyone wishing to speak
Spanish and meet people from different Spanish-speaking countries is welcome. Email tertulia@uwo.ca.
4:30 p.m. StvH 3101.
@westernuniversity
Have an event?
Let us know.
E-mail: comingevents@uwo.ca
Fusion Sushi,
and now
featuring
fresh
Osysters &
Izakaya Bar.
Visit our newly renovated
second level that offers
Japanese night life in
Downtown London.
See our 1/2 price coupon in
the Western Student Guide.
T. JOHN BRANTON
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER
Your investment portfolios are only
one component of your financial plan
John is a fourth generation Londoner, Western
graduate, active alumni and has provided trusted
wealth management services to Western faculty
and staff since 1984.
For a personal consultation to discuss the
benefits of independent financial advice, call
519-204-4647
607 Richmond Street
(at Central) dine in & take out
519.642.2558
Announcement from the
Office of the Vice-Provost
(Academic Planning,
Policy and Faculty)
INTERDISCIPLINARY
INITIATIVES
PROGRAM ROUND 5
CALL FOR
PROPOSALS
flickr.com/groups/western/
THE DEPARTMENT OF MODERN
LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
La Tertulia. Anyone wishing to speak
Spanish and meet people from different Spanish-speaking countries is welcome. Email tertulia@uwo.ca.
4:30 p.m. StvH 3101.
www.gibbonsparkmontessori.com
#
For information or a
personal tour, call
519- 660-8731 or email:
gibbonsparkmontessori
@hotmail.com
Gibbons Park
Montessori School
• Unique Parkland Location
• Toddler and Preschool
• Elementary
• Daily French Classes
• Extended hrs
• SUMMER CAMP
In the recently approved 2015-16 University budget
a fund of $4 million is established in support of
the Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program, to be
expended over the 2015-16 through 2018-19
four-year budget planning period. Up to $1 million
will be allocated in 2015-16.
The Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program
provides up to three years of seed funding for
projects that support graduate education,
undergraduate education, and research, and
involve interdisciplinary collaborations that cross
Department, School or Faculty boundaries.
Proposals for projects may be submitted
by faculty members via the Deans of the
Departments, Schools or Faculties that would
host the project. Details of the program,
deadlines and forms for submission of proposals,
and a summary of the adjudication criteria and
procedure can be found at:
uwo.ca/facultyrelations/idi/interdisciplinary_
development_initiatives.html
Western News
| May 21, 2015
3
On Campus
Chakma to Senate: Listening
tour to continue into fall
B Y PA U L M AY N E
WESTERN PRESIDENT AMIT
Chakma said his initial meetings with
groups and individuals, part of his
listening tour to engage the campus community, have been filled with
“tone and substance” and he remains
“very optimistic” about the ability
to resolve the challenges facing the
university.
“I feel energized because of the
level of engagement – not necessarily because of the concrete ideas we
have been able to come up with, but
with the level of engagement, which
is very, very rewarding to me personally,” Chakma told university Senate
members May 8.
“When I announced the 100-day
plan, the intent was to focus my attention on the next several months. The
feedback I got was that it (timetable)
would not be sufficient. I accept that.
So, this consultation process will continue well into the fall and beyond. In
fact, some of it should be ongoing.”
At the end of the initial 100-day
period, Chakma will report back to
Senate in July with ideas related to
how to move forward, and, hopefully,
offer concrete action items that need
to be dealt with quickly. The president
also said a review of senior salaries will
be undertaken as soon as the Goudge
Review is complete.
On April 1, Western’s Board of Governors announced an “independent
and impartial review of the university’s
presidential compensation practices,”
led by Stephen T. Goudge, former
Justice of the Court of Appeal of
Ontario. Chakma said the review is
anticipated to take at least 90 days.
“Once we launch that, I will advise
(Senate) and the results will be made
public,” he said.
Alison Hearn, University of Western
Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA)
president, said a review of senior salaries is a positive step, but one which
may be better served externally.
“Trust takes time to rebuild. I think
an independent review would be
more likely to garner the support of
the majority of, at least, UWOFA’s
members, rather than an internal
review,” she told Senate. “Not to say
that an internal review can’t happen.”
During his Listening Tour, Chakma
also heard requests for a stronger
presence from Senate members and
its committees.
“What this consultation process
revealed is, we have not used our Senate committees as effectively as we
could have,” he said. “We clearly do
lots of good work, but perhaps there
are other opportunities for us to make
broader use of those committees. I
would like our Senate committees to
engage in a dialogue as to what more
might be done.”
Chakma offered a few suggestions
to get the conversation started.
“Take the budget issue. Hindsight
is always 20/20, as you reflect on what
it is we have done well and what it
is we have not done well,” he said.
“Maybe what we do is keep SCUP
(Senate Committee on University
Planning) in the loop, and bring the
budget development process to its
attention, on a more frequent basis.
There are opportunities for engagement with SCUP and I hope that will
be a positive step we can take.
“We can’t change budget models
overnight, but it doesn’t mean we
can’t improve what we do along the
way.”
Chakma added there are opportunities to engage the university
research board more broadly in various activities and, on the academic
side, work on the challenges in supporting more interdisciplinary initiatives.
“We are impressed with the various initiatives underway at Western.
The list is very impressive, but there is
a desire to do more. One can always
do better,” he said. “These are areas
where collective reflection and decision-making are required to remove
some of these barriers that exist at faculty levels or at administrative levels.”
Other topics discussed included
Senate make-up, in particular the
over-representation of administration.
“I believe in Senate, possibly more
than I believe in the union,” Hearn
said. “The Senate is the governing
body of the academic mission of
this university and its needs to be
enlivened and lively, and have lively
debates, and one of the major concerns I’ve heard from members is it
tends to, in its makeup, over represent
administration, associate deans and
deans. It’s felt too many of those are
placed in a conflict between their
administrative obligations and, possibly, their obligations to their col-
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS FILE PHOTO
Western President Amit Chakma plans to report back to university Senate in July with ideas related to how
to move forward as a united institution, and offer concrete action items that need to be dealt with quickly.
leagues and to the faculty at large.”
Chakma said while some on campus want immediate results, he cautions any substantive changes will take
a collective effort and won’t be instant.
“One thing I’ve learned, in spite of
your good intentions and good will,
it is dangerous for you to come too
quickly to a conclusion on anything,”
he said. “The key message is it is a
work in progress.”
“Trust takes time to
rebuild. I think an
independent review
would be more likely
to garner the support
of the majority of,
at least, UWOFA’s
members, rather than
an internal review.”
- Alison Hearn
710 Adelaide Street N., just south of Oxford St.
4
Western News
| May 21, 2015
Letters to the Editor
// Proposing a solution to
suffering from ‘other’
Western News (ISSNO3168654), a publication of Western University’s Department
of Communications and
Public Affairs, is published
every Thursday throughout
the school year and operates
under a reduced schedule
during December, May, June,
July and August.
An award-winning weekly
newspaper and electronic
news service, Western News
serves as the university’s
newspaper of record. The
publication traces its roots
to The University of Western
Ontario Newsletter, a onepage leaflet-style publication
which debuted on Sept. 23,
1965. The first issue of the
Western News, under founding editor Alan Johnston, was
published on Nov. 16, 1972
replacing the UWO Times
and Western Times. Today,
Western News continues to
provide timely news, information and a forum for discussion of postsecondary issues
in the campus and broader
community.
WE STERN NEWS
WesternNews.ca
Westminster Hall, Suite 360
Western University
London, ON N6A 3K7
Telephone 519 661-2045
Fax 519 661-3921
PUBLISHER
Helen Connell
hconnell@uwo.ca,
519 661-2111 Ext. 85469
EDITOR
Jason Winders
jwinder2@uwo.ca,
519 661-2111 Ext. 85465
R E P O RT E R / P H O T O G R A P H E R
Paul Mayne
pmayne@uwo.ca,
519 661-2111 Ext. 85463
R E P O RT E R / P H O T O G R A P H E R
Adela Talbot
adela.talbot@uwo.ca,
519 661-2111 Ext. 85464
PROD U C TION DESIGNER
Frank Neufeld
fneufeld@uwo.ca,
519 661-2111 Ext. 89334
A D V E RT I S I N G C O O R D I NAT O R ,
O N - C A M P U S A D V E RT I S I N G
Denise Jones
denise@uwo.ca,
advertise@uwo.ca
519 661-2111 Ext. 82045
O F F C A M P U S A D V E RT I S I N G
Chris Amyot, Campus Ad
chris@campusad.ca,
519 434-9990
P O S TA L R E C O V E RY
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States, $85 Other
POST OFFICE
Please do not forward.
Return to Western News,
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“Our objective is to report events
as objectively as possible, without
bias or editorial comment.
We hope you will read it and
contribute to it.”
– L.T. Moore,
University Relations
and Information director,
Nov. 16, 1972
I would like to add my congratulations to Western News for the stance
adopted in reporting the recent
controversy – it was well balanced
(“Reporting has lived up to ‘delicate
challenge,’” Western News, May 7).
Since the tradition of publishing
letters somewhat critical of administrative practices at Western seems to
be in good health, I would like to raise
an issue concerning our interpretation
of Ontario’s Privacy Act.
As a course coordinator, I receive
web-based requests to acknowledge
students’ academic accommodations for class attendance, exams, etc.
These have already been granted by
academic counselors and my task is
merely to indicate I understand this.
The categories which I am permitted
to know are the student has been
granted accommodation for “religious, medical or other” reasons.
When so informed, my task is to
click a button indicating that “OK, I
understand” or “I have concerns.”
One is then left with the Kafkaesque
decision to “understand” that a student is suffering from “other.”
Recently, I received this exact
communication and decided to not
“understand” and I pursued a telephone enquiry expressing my concern
since the logic is entirely opaque. I
was handed up the telephone hierarchy until someone, finally, agreed to
inform me the matter was one of compassion and I was, of course, immediately satisfied with the rationale for the
accommodation.
How much better then if the three
choices might be “religious, medical
or compassionate” and leave “other”
by the wayside where it belongs.
In the spirit of complete privacy,
and having suffered from “other” for
many years, I ask that this be published over my nom-de-plume.
MICHAEL COOK
PROFESSOR EMERITUS
PHYSIOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY
// Some more big
ideas on Big Ideas
I wish to broaden the philosophical
landscape sketched by the authors in
the Big Ideas special issue (Western
News, May 7).
Probably the most important thing
to understand about philosophy is
its remarkably unique character as a
discipline because of its absence of
‘common ground’ – which actually
defines the fields of science and the
humanities. Since philosophy deals
in foundations, the very roots of all
human ideas, philosophy must be perspective; there is nothing that all philosophers need to commonly accept
to ‘do philosophy,’ even the idea of
truth itself.
For instance, the opening article
(“Better we understand science, better we understand ourselves,” Western News, May 7) makes a ‘common
ground’ claim when the author says
the world is “not a human creation.”
Many subjectivists disagree, especially
those who borrow from Immanuel
Kant’s epistemology.
For example, most people believe
that human beings hold bias in how
they perceive the world, including
that we see the world through human
faculties (our eyes, for one), and organize perception data via human consciousness. While many philosophers
wrestle with Kant’s dictum of whether
we can know anything ‘in itself,’ the
more pertinent question is whether
this matters, whether this ‘human perception’ of the world limits us in any
way. Since we know about the bias,
can we not account for this bias? Success or failure in this can be determined by how predictive we can be in
our actions in reality – can we consistently build successful bridges, or will
we reach a limit and become victims
of an unknowable, malevolent force?
Some of the articles (“Placing
a proper value on parenting” and
“Engaging in debate over future food
systems,” Western News, May 7) fail to
account for their political roots.
For instance, Parenting does not
ask whether procreation or children
should be political footballs, but
assumes this political stance as ‘common ground.’ The more essential
question is the nature of our rights: If
they are granted by the government,
then we all are subjects to the state.
The alternative is a natural rights view,
where individuals are sovereign at
birth, and when forming together,
grant a government certain duties.
In the latter political framework,
the question addressed in Food systems is not an issue, because human
beings are not assumed to be political
pawns. The issues in food are similarly sourced, not in a metaphysical
sense of just ‘how food is,’ but rather
are contingent on already present
political regulations governing food.
Therefore, we cannot hope to understand political issues unless we delve
closer to the roots of the operating
political framework. Indeed, it may
even lead us to ask whether social
issues are not simply the product of
the very political system we assume;
philosophy must delve deeper and
reveal these assumptions and refrain
from the stasis on thought imposed
by our ‘common grounding.’
Another article (“Tiny, happy people faring well, Western News, May 7)
asks whether a concept of happiness
(or faring well) can be attributed to
children in response to Aristotle who
took the contrary view. However, the
position given to Aristotle is unfair
and not his own. Aristotle believed
children could not ‘flourish’ because
they could not be willingly virtuous nor
moral actors, both requirements of an
Aristotelian wellbeing. Aristotle was
not speaking of the biological issue
of being healthy or feeling well, he
was speaking ethically, more generally, in terms of a person’s satisfaction
with their being. Medicine already
provides what the author is seeking
in terms of a child’s health or psychological contentment implicit in being
“satisfied with one’s life,” but how
would such an introspective question
be answerable by a child? What one
needs is mindful awareness of experiences in action and the agency and
knowledge of alternative reactions to
answer it?
For the article on mental illness
(“Knowing yourself – and your mental
state – in new ways, Western News,
May 7), I only wish to echo its main
thesis: Our conceptual frameworks
matter, always and forever true. To
determine mental illness requires an
organization of proper and improper
behavior, but even more importantly,
how this is determined. For instance,
a subjectivist conceptual framework
would make ‘society’ an arbiter of
behaviour, attributing deviations from
a ‘code of living’ as mental illness (or
sin as has been historically ubiquitous). An objectivist framework would
ground mental illness in the individual’s success in perceiving and thus
surviving in what is commonly experienced in reality, physical and social.
Is mental health merely a medical
phenomenon, or does it also include
proportioned agency and thus morality (choice)?
ANDREW D. COLGAN
PHD CANDIDATE, EDUCATION
MED, BED, BSC
// Presidential presence
could answer many
questions
It’s been a few weeks since the
‘double-payment’ controversy.
Those standing by President
Chakma, and those clamoring for his
resignation, have made their positions well-known. Professors have
expressed their opinions; alumni have
weighed in. However, one of Chakma’s main constituents has remained
relatively silent – students, on the
whole, have been relatively mute.
Some grad students have
expressed their opinions on the pay
inequity issue since many grad students are left to live on minimal TA
money, whereas the president made
nearly a million dollars in 2014. But
what about undergrads?
As this whole episode unfolded, the
timing could not have been worse for
student engagement. Most students
had more important things to deal with
such as final essays, studying for important final exams and completing projects, than coming to conclusions about
an issue that, frankly, isn’t proximate to
the ‘here and now’ for most students.
My general sense of the student
stance on this issue was one of shoulder shrugging. Yeah, it’s a university
issue, but, really, what can students
do to change this situation anyways?
See, President Chakma is not a regular presence on campus. He’s admitted as much. My only encounter with
the president was when he provided
introductory remarks to my Convocation ceremony. Other than that, for the
ordinary student, the president is out
of sight and out of mind.
So, while some might think a lack of
student engagement with an issue of
such magnitude may be sad, I would
turn that sentiment around. It’s sad
the president has such a meager presence on campus that issues regarding
his pay seem inaccessible to the ordinary student.
I know I had opinions about the
president’s pay, but when you feel like
the issue is from another world, the
question of how to engage with the
issue becomes a daunting one.
It has disheartened me that students seemed disinterested, disengaged and, generally, ambivalent to
the president’s double dip. Yet, students are the life-blood of this university. Always has been. Always will be.
As students, all we ask are transparency and responsible decisions
from the leaders at Western. In this
situation, smart people green-lit this
contract and a very irresponsible decision. This type of a contractual option
was not going to be well-received. At
the least, the president could have
pre-empted the university population
about this option in his contract, and
stated the reasons why he was going
to exercise this option.
So, with four more years on his contract, will the next few years resemble
an awkward spousal relationship in
which neither spouse really likes each
other anymore but are ‘staying in it
for the kids’? Or, will things change
and the president will engage more
in internal issues.
In the aftermath of this whole episode, the president has organized
town halls – what else will the president do to ensure that he engages
student’s at the institution that
employs him? How will the ordinary
student’s experience be changed by
the president taking a more active role
in the internal affairs?
President Chakma, the ball is in
your court.
JOHN PETRELLA
JD CANDIDATE, WESTERN LAW
BA’13, MA’14
Opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of or receive endorsement from Western News or Western University.
Western News
| May 21, 2015
5
Commentary
Taking learning outside the classroom
Editor’s note: This story first appeared
in spring 2015 edition of Reflections,
The Teaching Support Centre newsletter. It is reprinted here with permission of the author.
WHEN YOU THINK about the
most important learning experiences
of your life, where did they take place?
Were they in a traditional classroom
setting? Did they happen when you
were sitting in a library pouring over a
journal article?
My guess is your most pivotal
learning occurred outside the walls of
the classroom, and even outside the
academy, while you were interacting
with your peers, your professors and
the community in which you lived.
I invite you to imagine a classroom
without walls. Imagine a curriculum
that allows you to respond to the
emerging needs and trends of our
society. Imagine inviting experts outside the Western Gates to bridge
academic theory with practice. Imagine designing a course where students
are able to simultaneously obtain
knowledge, build transferable skills
and develop a keen sense of civic
engagement.
This is community engaged learning (CEL), and The Student Success
Centre at Western is ready to assist
faculty members, as well as faculties,
departments and units, in integrating
this innovative approach into their current teaching activities.
Through community engaged
learning experiences at Western, students in a Psychology course have
helped addictions recovery organizations manage a strategy for wait lists.
Students in a Health Studies course
created a community-based program
that allowed those living with Alzheimer’s (and related dementias) to access
music as a direct link to memory. Students in a Political Science course
created a seed library to allow Londoners free access to seeds to begin
their own home gardens. Students in
a Biology course worked on a restoration plan for lands that had ecological
complications due to human interventions. Students in a French Studies
course worked in community centres
in Rwanda teaching sexual health to
adolescents.
What do these activities have to do
with higher education? They may very
well be the key to student engagement.
How do students respond to community engaged learning?
One student said it allowed her to
“apply and understand course concepts in a practical way that I would
have only been able to see in one
dimension in a classroom setting.”
Another student described the community engaged learning course as
“new and refreshing.” Another valued
the opportunity to “gain knowledge
SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
BY ANNE-MARIE E. FISCHER
and experience in the exact area I wish
to work in the future.”
These are the experiential learning
opportunities our students will remember and build upon as they pursue
further studies or future career paths.
The concept of experiential learning hinges on the idea that learning
is not an outcome, but rather a process. David Kolb, one of the originating theorists of experiential learning, suggests ideas are not fixed, and
are formed and re-formed through
a cycle of experience, reflection and
integration. When we look at learning through an experiential lens, we
recognize that experience has the
power to make us call into question,
reconsider or even dispose of ideas
or sets of knowledge that we learned
in more traditional ways. Concepts are
derived from, and continuously modified by, experience.
In this sense, experiential learning
involves seeing the world as a “testing
ground” for academic theories that
will allow students to assess first-hand
whether a particular idea holds up in
society.
Contained in Western’s Strategic
Plan is a strong emphasis on experiential learning and reaching beyond
the campus. Community engaged
learning is one way we are able to
help move this strategic mission forward, while enhancing the student
and faculty experience. Faculty members from all disciplines, who value
community engagement and experiential learning, are able to strengthen
ties between the community and the
university, while mobilizing the vast
amount of knowledge that exists in
each.
Faculty members who teach with
community engaged learning report a
high degree of engagement with their
students, and say they often learn as
much from the students’ experiences
as the students do from the course
content they deliver. Once they have
had an opportunity to use community
engaged learning, they often look for
more ways to use this pedagogy in
other courses. They recognize community engaged learning is not an
easy endeavour, but with administrative support, delivery of these kinds of
learning experiences is possible and
quite effective.
Since 2009, The Student Success
Centre has partnered with more than
30 faculty members from a variety of
disciplines to design effective com-
munity engaged learning courses. We
have worked with almost 200 community organizations who share our passion for helping to educate our future
leaders and value the meaningful contributions students make towards the
mission of their organization. More
than 2,500 students have benefitted
from this innovative form of teaching
and learning.
Our support includes helping faculty to design course syllabi with CEL
in mind, identifying community partnerships and projects, facilitating inclass reflections and assisting in the
assessment of student learning and
community outcomes. Regardless of
discipline, we are able to provide customized support for the development
of a new course, or the enhancement
of existing courses.
You are invited to meet with the
Experiential Learning Team in The
Student Success Centre to explore
community engaged learning in your
own teaching practice. Together, we
can transform learning, contribute
to our community, and provide students with meaningful opportunities
to ground their learning in real-world
experience.
Anne-Marie E. Fischer is the community engaged learning coordinator
for The Student Success Centre.
“The concept of
experiential learning
hinges on the idea
that learning is not an
outcome, but rather a
process."
MAKE A CONNECTION
Contact the Experiential Learning Team in The Student Success Centre at cel@uwo.ca for
more information on incorporating community engaged learning into your work.
COMMENTARY POLICY
• Western News applies a commentary label to any article
written in an author’s voice expressing an opinion.
• Western News accepts opinion pieces on research,
conference topics, student life and/or international
experiences from faculty and staff. Limit is 600 words.
• Western News accepts ‘In memoriam’ pieces about
recently deceased members of the Western community
penned by other members of the Western community.
• Western News accepts opinion pieces on current events
that showcase research or academic expertise of the
author.
• Western News accepts letters to the editor. Limit is 250
words maximum, and accepted only from members of
the Western community – faculty, staff, students and
alumni. Writers may only submit once a semester.
• As an academic institution, Western News encourages
lively debate, but reserves the right to edit, ask for
rewrite or reject any submission, and will outright reject
those based on personal attacks or covering subjects
too removed from the university community.
• Western News will offer rebuttal space on any topic,
and may actively pursue a counterpoint to arguments
the editor feels would benefit from a dissenting opinion
published simultaneously.
• All submissions become property of Western News for
print and online use in perpetuity.
6
Western News
| May 21, 2015
Research
#gradlifewesternu Sleep apnea
Graduate & Postdoc
Studies Students
Connect with each other & Western
by tagging #gradlifewesternu on
Twitter & Instagram
cutting lives short,
researcher argues
B Y PA U L M AY N E
PHYSIOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY professor John Ciriello’s
research shows pregnant women suffering from sleep apnea may actually
be putting their unborn children at risk
for metabolic diseases as adults.
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which
breathing repeatedly stops during
rest, thus depriving the body of oxygen.
“Normal oxygen levels are around
98 per cent. But that drops down to
90, or even 88, during a period of
time for those with sleep apnea,” Ciriello said. “That’s what people don’t
seem to understand – those who have
sleep apnea, on record, lose about 10
years of their lives because it leads
to metabolic disorders, such as high
blood pressure. That’s what kills you
in the end.”
Clinicians must ‘wake up’ and
understand that sleep apnea should
be considered one of the components
in the metabolic syndrome, Ciriello
argued. These clusters of conditions
(including increased blood pressure,
a high blood sugar level, excess body
fat around the waist and abnormal
cholesterol levels) increase the risk of
heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
For his study, Ciriello observed
female rats and their offspring. The
team exposed female rats to intermittent bouts of no oxygen as soon as
they became pregnant. The researchers observed the offspring of those
rats had higher levels of proteins that
encourage the liver to release, and
not store, glucose. This suggested
reoccurring oxygen deprivation – as
the type that occurs in sleep apnea
– during pregnancy can cause longterm changes in the offspring’s liver
function.
“One of the things we’ve been
looking at is, what happens over
these longer periods of time,” Ciriello
said. “What we have shown is they
(offspring) become leptin resistant.
That is a fat hormone that signals the
brain and says ‘I have had enough
and don’t eat anymore.’ Over time,
the signal doesn’t work anymore, so
the leptin doesn’t trigger the brain to
say ‘stop.’”
The research team has followed
the effects into adulthood, noting at
12 weeks old the offspring of mothers exposed to chronic intermittent
hypoxia were hyperglycemic (excessive amount of glucose) and hyperinsulinemic (excess levels of insulin).
“These adult offspring have a
decreased sensitivity to insulin, but
have not developed a complete resistance to its signalling effects at this
age,” Ciriello said. “This further supports our suggestion that adult offspring of mothers exposed to chronic
intermittent hypoxia during gestation
are at a higher risk for developing
some aspects of the metabolic syndrome, including Type 2 diabetes.”
He added, “That was totally unexpected. It was a eureka moment.
We did not expect these changes
to occur. We thought there might
be a slight change at birth, and that
things would work themselves out.
But that was not the case, because
we followed them into adulthood and
they’re in bad shape.”
Individuals with severe sleep apnea
can experience numerous bouts of
oxygen deprivation throughout the
night, each one a duration of up to
30-40 seconds without breathing.
“Just think of holding your breath
for about 30 to 40 seconds, say 100
times,” he said, noting in cases such
as this a person would require a CPAP
(continuous positive airway pressure)
device. “The problem with that is the
compliance, where we’ll see in three
to six months, the person stops using
it. Because you are forcing air in them,
people feel they are getting bloated,
or their partner doesn’t like the noise.”
In mild cases, people can attempt
sleep on their sides or use a mouth
guard to bring out the jaw line in an
attempt to maintain the airway.
Ciriello will look further into the
effects of sleep apnea, but hopes his
initial findings spark awareness of the
consequences it can have on children
as they grow.
“Whenever I talk to physicians,
or those who deliver babies, I say
‘Do you ever ask the female if she’s
ever suffered from sleep apnea?’ The
answer is ‘no.’ It never appears on
a form,” he said. “There are a lot
of things we are exposed to in the
media and we simply tend to blame
the most obvious things. Maybe we
should be looking at ourselves more
closely. We’ve blamed McDonalds all
our lives for all the problems we have.
Maybe it’s not; maybe it’s as simple as
mom not breathing properly during
pregnancy.”
“That’s what people
don’t seem to
understand – those
who have sleep apnea,
on record, lose about
10 years of their lives
because it leads to
metabolic disorders,
such as high blood
pressure. That’s what
kills you in the end.”
- John Ciriello
Western News
| May 21, 2015
7
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
Physiology and Pharmacology professor John Ciriello’s research shows pregnant women suffering from sleep apnea may actually be putting their unborn children at risk for metabolic
diseases as adults.
NOTICE TO JOIN THE ACADEMIC PROCESSION
305 CONVOCATION - SPRING 2015
th
Are you retired or retiring soon?
Find out all your options.
Spring Convocation takes place Tuesday, June 9 to Friday, June 12 and
Monday, June 15 to Wednesday, June 17 with ceremonies at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Contact Robert (Rob) Michaud, PFP,
Financial Planner today.
Members of Faculty, Senate, the Board of Governors and Emeritus/a Professors/
Archivists/Librarians are invited to take part in the Academic Procession. Full
information on joining the academic procession (including order of ceremony,
honorary degree recipients, assembly and regalia) may be found on the
Senate Website:
uwo.ca/univsec/senate/convocation/index.html
519-494-5017
robert.michaud@rbc.com
Fully mobile and flexible hours
to meet your needs.
‘Serving London & area with
sound financial planning.’
Royal Mutual Fund Inc.
The Department of Physics and Astronomy
invites the campus community to the
2015 Elizabeth Laird Memorial Lecture
Dr. Olga Popova
Institute for Dynamics of Geospheres
Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow
“The Chelyabinsk
Meteoroid Entry and
Airburst Damage”
Public Lecture / All are Welcome
4:30 p.m., Wed., 27th May 2015
Physics and Astronomy Bldg, Room 106
Reception to follow in PAB atrium
8
Western News
| May 21, 2015
Research
Kidney transplant survival could
benefit from unexpected source
B Y PA U L M AY N E
A COLOURLESS, ODOURLESS
and toxic gas to humans may hold a
rather counter-intuitive key to extending the lives of kidney transplant recipients, Western researchers say.
Kidney disease strikes 2.6 million
Canadians, with an average of 16
people per day experiencing kidney
failure of some sort. Despite improvements in immunosuppressive therapy,
the long-term survival of kidney transplant patients has not increased dramatically over the past decade.
“More than 95 per cent of kidney
transplants are successful through the
first year. But overall survival over time
hasn’t changed too much,” said Patrick Luke, a Surgery professor in the
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. “I tell people, for a deceased
donor kidney, it would be between
11-15 years as an average. We’d like
to see this become 20 or 25 years.”
Luke, along with research associate
Rabindra Bhattacharjee and others
at the Matthew Mailing Centre for
Translational Transplant Studies, are
pioneering a unique treatment using
carbon monoxide-releasing molecules (CORM) in an attempt to meet
that aggressive target.
The researchers are part of a $10
million Canadian National Transplant
Research Program project, the first
in the world to unite the solid organ
transplant, bone marrow transplant
and donation/critical care research
communities together. More than 100
researchers and 86 collaborators at
13 centres and universities in nine
provinces are coming together over
six nationwide research projects to
improve clinical outcomes for transplant recipients.
Luke and Bhattacharjee also have
a Physicians’ Services Incorporated
Foundation grant ($169,000) to assist
their research.
Normally, when you breathe carbon
monoxide, the gas enters the lungs
and binds to the hemoglobin in the
red blood cells. As the level of carbon
monoxide increases, the amount of
oxygen the blood carries to the body’s
cells decreases, leading to oxygen
starvation.
However, in a lab setting, treating
kidneys with a synthesized form of carbon monoxide, CORM, has improved
kidney transplant function and survival
when added directly to the kidney
storage solution prior to transplantation. At the time of the transplant,
CORM is no longer present – thanks
to its short half life – which means no
danger to the patient.
Kidney transplant patient survival is
mostly dependent upon the damage
that occurs during kidney removal
from the donor and prolonged preservation in a cold solution, Bhattacharjee said.
“Lack of blood supply during the
entire transplantation processes
deprives the kidney from getting oxygen, which provokes inflammation
in this organ,” he said. “In small animal models, we have shown CORM
improves kidney function and survival
when given to the kidney donor or
when added directly to the kidney
storage solution.”
CORM acts as an anti-inflammatory.
It dilates the blood vessels and prevents the death of cells. Luke believes
this could also lead to the reduction
of toxic immunosuppressive drug use
required for transplant patients.
“The point of all these studies is
to set up the immune system so that
when we do the transplants, we are
going to condition these kidneys in a
way that the immune system doesn’t
attack it (kidney) and take years off it at
the outset,” Luke said. He noted more
than 4,500 Canadians are waiting for
an organ transplant. As less than 50
per cent of those people will receive
an organ, three die each day while
waiting for an organ.
For Bhattacharjee – who called
working with Luke “wonderful ground
to grow my plant” – he sees no issues
to keep this idea from the bedside in
the near future. Western is currently
approving its human ethics protocol.
“The good thing with CORM and
kidney preservation is we are not
directly treating the patient, but the
kidneys after donation,” he said. “If
CORM works positively in kidney preservation, it would work equally for
other organs, too.”
At the one-year mark of transplantation, if a biopsy was done, you could
expect to see 40 to 60 per cent showing interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy, or abnormalities in the kidney’s
function, Luke added.
“With this early treatment, we are
trying to set up for success 10, 15,
20 years down the road, so we don’t
have to re-transplant. If we are able to
condition them with something like
carbon monoxide, and prevent the
immune system from being revved up,
and reduce inflammation, I think that
is exciting.”
Working on this for almost a
decade, Luke has looked at this at the
cellular level, in small animals, large
animals and now has grant proposals written to bring his research to
humans.
“I don’t want to cure any mice,”
Luke said, noting success in humans
could come as soon as five years.
“The ultimate goal is to create the
best situation for patients. If I could do
one thing in my lifetime that changes
the practice of medicine, if I can say
we’ve done this, that every one getting a kidney transplant will use this
method, that’s so exciting.”
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
Department of Surgery research associate Rabindra
Bhattacharjee, front, and professor Patrick Luke are part
of team working toward extending the life of kidney
transplants through the use of carbon monoxide-releasing
molecules.
SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
After 14 hours, in cold solution, the kidney on the right
produced 1.5 litres of urine over six hours, compared to the
untreated kidney on the left, which produced just 400 ml.
Western News
| May 21, 2015
9
Student Life
Student-engineered ‘smart implant’
may save money, relieve pain
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
IT’S PAINFUL, INCONVENIENT
and costly. But if detected early,
implant loosening – the slight movement of a newly replaced hip – can
be dealt with, without the need for a
major follow-up surgery, according to
a group of Western students.
Roughly half a million patients
undergo a hip replacement surgery
each year in North America. Of those
patients, about 5 per cent – or 25,000
– will experience implant loosening
and require a follow-up hip surgery
because of resultant bone weakening.
“The implant becomes loose, and
sometimes, there’s not always symptoms associated with this. It’s called
‘aseptic loosening,’ which happens
without an infection so you don’t know
(it’s moved) until it’s too late, until it
starts wearing down the bone,” said
Jolien Van Gaalen, an Engineering
student studying mechatronic systems.
“The patient goes in, and maybe
is experiencing pain at this point. The
patient would have to get a scan that
is not widely available and at that
point you can already have permanent
SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
Engineering students, from left, Hilary Luo, Mofeed Sawan, Peter
Nielsen and Jolien Van Gaalen invented a sensor that can detect implant
loosening following hip replacement surgery. Their implant design took
the top prize in the Western Engineering Competition earlier this year
and the group placed third in a provincial conference.
damage to the bone,” she continued.
Currently, there are only four places
in Canada equipped to do the type of
scan that could detect implant loosening – a shift that occurs on a scale of
micrometers. The scan isn’t just widely
unavailable – it’s also incredibly costly.
But Van Gaalen, along with three
other Engineering students, has
helped design a potential solution,
engineering a smart implant that
could detect loosening early on. The
smart implant can wirelessly transfer
data to a medical centre, requiring
a visit to a local doctor and only a
minimally invasive procedure to fix
the problem.
Van Gaalen worked on the project
with Hilary Luo, Mofeed Sawan and
Peter Nielsen, while Robarts Research
Institute researcher David Holdsworth
supervised.
Their implant design took top prize
in the Western Engineering Competition earlier this year and the group
placed third in a provincial conference.
“This method can detect early on
when there is loosening, so patients
can do a minor revisional surgery. The
patient doesn’t need to have to leave
their home because the data can be
transferred to a cloud and the doctor
can look at that,” Van Gaalen said.
“We wanted to do something with
sensorized implants because that’s
something that’s big, and coming up
in the future. We had a lot of 3D-printing technology we could use to our
advantage at Robarts,” Nielsen said.
“We were thinking maybe we could
try and make (detecting the implant
loosening) cheaper with something
more along the lines of embedded
technology. We were talking with
orthopedic researchers and we realized nobody had been able to properly create a mechanism of detecting
micro loosening,” Sawan added.
“We thought there was a huge
amount of potential. People said it
was impossible – everyone told us
we were wasting our time, and we
were, until we came up with a solution
nobody had thought of before.”
Sawan and Nielsen noted their idea
is pending a patent and, therefore,
cannot discuss the particulars of how
the smart hip implant works, although
they did say it involves vibration sensors.
“The real challenge with it is the
loosening of an implant is on a scale
of micrometers – less than a 20th of a
millimeter. We’ve currently tested at
10 times that scale. We’re still working
on refining that system, but right now,
what we’ve shown is that our system
has the potential to work with those
small loosenings,” Nielsen explained.
“It’s not something we can put into
a person tomorrow, but it has shown
promising potential to succeed.”
Look for
the Spring
issue on news
stands today!
10
Western News
| May 21, 2015
All hands on deck for ‘explosive’ exercise
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
Campus emergency responders gathered for Harmony 10, Western’s annual emergency exercise, in response to a simulated explosion at Western’s North Substation last Thursday
morning. Campus responders involved in the exercise included Campus Community Police Service; Student Emergency Response Team (SERT); Fire Safety and Emergency Management;
HazMat Team; Emergency Response Team (ERT); and Emergency Operations Control Group (EOCG). In addition to testing on-site readiness, the exercise included tests of the university’s
communication tools, including mass email, homepage, as well as emergency-related messaging on social media and the main telephone switchboard.
CARPOOL // CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Between parking passes and gas
expenses, it’s much less expensive for
group members to park on campus,
Ayeni explained.
What’s more, given the success of
the program, there could be more
parking spaces available across campus. Carpooling could easily reduce
traffic congestion, she continued.
“This is a great way to take part
in the climate change challenge,”
Ayeni said. “But you also save money,
conserve energy and reduce traffic
congestion, as well. Ideally, we would
like to see people signing up for this,
and seeing it as a value and a great
way to help our environment.”
While carpool groups are required
to sign up for a minimum duration of
one term at a time, the parking office
will consider dissolving a group due
to extenuating circumstances, should
they come up, Ayeni added.
Western News
On Campus
‘Tis the
season
BY JASON WINDERS
NOW THAT WE (mostly) have the kids
out of the house for a few weeks, let’s get a
little work done around here. Construction
season is already in full swing on campus,
with a number of capital and infrastructure
improvements on the slate for summer.
A trio of large capital projects is already
underway, including the new Music building, scheduled for mid-summer completion
with move-in prior to new academic term;
Delaware Hall, scheduled to be completed
by the new academic term; and the Faculty of
Information and Media Studies (FIMS)/Nursing building, scheduled to open in early 2017.
Beyond those high-profile projects, Summer 2015 will feature a variety of infrastructure
enhancements across the campus, including:
Westminster Parking Lot
Duration: Three weeks in mid-to-late summer.
Features: A new lot is being added to the
south of Westminster Hall. The roughly 90
new spaces will be designed for grey permit
holders.
South Valley Parking Lot
Duration: Three weeks in second half of
summer.
Features: New spaces are being added,
extending the South Valley Lot along Huron
Drive. South Valley is quickly becoming one
of the more popular lots on campus, growing
last year and again adding another 150 new
grey permit spaces this year.
Westminster Pedestrian Bridge
Duration: 12 weeks in second half of summer.
Features: The modernization of the pedestrian bridge will feature an accessible ramp,
meeting Western’s commitment to create a
barrier-free institution. A temporary bridge
will be installed adjacent to the current structure, mitigating interruption to pedestrian
passage.
Elgin Drive Resurfacing
Duration: Three weeks in June and July.
Service Interruption: Rotating lane closures
are expected throughout the project.
Features: The busy bus and University Community centre (UCC) delivery route faces
heavy, unforgiving loads. The worn roadway
will get a fresh coat of asphalt.
Sanitary Sewer / Pump Station Installation
Duration: May 1-Aug. 31
Service Interruptions: Complete closure of
Huron Drive at Philip Aziz Avenue (through
June30). Parking lots will be accessible via
detours.
Features: Greater demands are being put
on infrastructure in the South Valley precinct
of campus, including the new FIMS/Nursing
building, requiring sanitary sewer upgrades.
The project will prepare the site for future
development.
Perth Drive Pedestrian Crossing
Duration: 12 weeks beginning in August.
Features: The crossing will include traffic
lights, similar to the crossing farther South
on Perth Drive. The new infrastructure will
create a more visible and accessible crossing
from Chemistry Parking Lot to main campus.
Updates for all projects will be available at
uwo.ca/fm throughout the summer.
| May 21, 2015
11
12
Western News
Student Life
| May 21, 2015
Taste of success
Student finds success in the kitchen and beyond with @CollegeCookin
ADELA TALBOT // WESTERN NEWS
Sociology student Danielle Hausberg started an Instagram account to share photos of healthy meals she had made. Today, @CollegeCookin has more than half a million followers and
Hausberg has published an e-book cookbook featuring her recipes.
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
AT FIRST, DANIELLE Hausberg was just taking photos of her meals to show family members
she was cooking on her own and making healthy
choices.
A friend’s suggestion to post her meals on
Instagram followed, and before she knew it, the
Sociology student had thousands of followers
on her account, @CollegeCookin. Today, that
number exceeds half a million.
“I’ve always been a naturally healthy eater. I
wanted to be able to eat what I liked at school,
and that’s why I decided to cook,” said Hausberg, who is in her last year of a Sociology
degree.
“I like food, and I like eating good food.
So, eating out wasn’t the best option for me,
because it’s harder to find healthy options at
restaurants – restaurants didn’t appeal to me as
much as my own food. So, I thought, I might as
well cook.”
Peruse through her account and you’ll see
bright, colourful and artfully arranged photos of
salads, soups, seafood dishes, breakfast foods
and much more. Below each post Hausberg
shares the ingredients used in the meal. Each
is an example of a realistic, affordable, easyto-make and relatively quick meal and snack
options any student could replicate.
“A lot of my ideas come from my mom and
things she’s made – she’s a big cook,” Hausberg said, adding she visits food websites and
watches The Food Network regularly for inspiration.
In just two short months – after starting @
CollegeCookin in November 2013 – Hausberg
had garnered more than 10,000 followers. From
there, her audience grew quickly, she said. When
the number of followers reached 100,000, Hausberg decided to give back by publishing an
e-cookbook featuring all of her recipes.
The e-book is available on her website, at
college-cookin.com, or from Amazon’s Kindle
store for $5.
All her efforts are to promote healthy eating,
Hausberg noted, to show students like herself
it is possible to eat healthy while studying away
from home. It’s not as hard as one might think,
she said, to cook for oneself and eat healthy on
a tight budget.
“I think I spend on track with your average
student. I go grocery shopping just as much
as all my friends. When you’re buying healthy
ingredients it can cost more money, but to me,
it’s worth it because I could be going out for all
these meals and spending way more,” Hausberg
went on.
“I don’t over spend. I buy what I need, always.
You have to prioritize what’s important – a girl
might spend money on getting her nails done,
but I would do that less so I could go grocery
shopping more. It’s all about budgeting.”
More and more, Hausberg is finding herself
working with various brands and food companies. Last year, she teamed up with Disney to
promote the Helen Mirren culinary movie, The
Hundred Foot Journey, in which a restaurant
owner hires chefs based on their ability to make
an omlette. Hausberg got to make her own
omlette and even attended a private screening
of the movie at Universal Studios.
@CollegeCookin has also expanded its social
media platforms to Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. And while this side project may be time
consuming for someone who is still a full-time
student, Hausberg intends on letting it run its
own course.
“I’m not giving this up any time soon. It’s a
part-time, sometimes full-time, job for me. We’ll
see where it goes. I could never imagine I would
be here right now. It’s growing in its own direction,” she said.
Western News
@CBRUCK
| May 21, 2015
@ALEXANDRAGORSKA
Snapshots in time
Western celebrates two years on Instagram
@WESTERNMUSTANGS
@MADELEINE.PHILIP
MARK MILLER
EARLYBIRD OR MAYFAIR? Lo-Fi or Inkwell? No
single Instagram filter can
cover Western’s glamour.
On May 16, Western celebrated the second anniversary of its Instagram account,
@westernuniversity, the second largest Canadian university account that currently
boasts more than 12,000 followers and 800 ’grams.
“We work hard to bring
our entire community into
what we share,” said Melissa
Cheater, digital content manager for the university. “Western’s Instagram account has
always been a favourite platform of ours and it brings us
closer to our community than
other social networks. Our
Instagram followers are more
active than our followers on
other networks – it really feels
like a community.”
Western’s Instagram
account has been a community favourite with an active
follower base constantly
sharing and contributing
images.
In celebrating the
account’s anniversary, Western’s Instagram will branch
out by starting to follow
interesting alumni Instagram
accounts, including:
• Cameron Bailey, BA’07,
artistic director for the
Toronto International
Film Festival, @
cameronpbailey;
• Paul Wells, BA’89, author
and Maclean’s magazine
journalist, @inklesspw;
• Sarah Richardson, BA’93,
designer and HGTV host,
@sarahrichardsondesign;
• Stephan Moccio,
BMus’94, songwriter,
@stephanmoccio; and
• Vava Angwenyi, BSc’03,
founder Vava Coffee Ltd.,
@vavacoffeekenya.
With the new additions,
alumni and campus community photographers will fuse
the many hues and shades of
Western, said Cheater.
Presented here today are
Western’s Top 10 Most Liked
images, as of the anniversary.
- Gordon So
@LENNONTHEHEDGEHOG
@JACQUELYNLAU
@TRUEASIANBALLER
@KBUMELIS
13
14
Western News
| May 21, 2015
Research
Education professor keeping
lessons of Fukushima alive
JASON WINDERS // WESTERN NEWS
Education professor Kathryn Hibbert recently travelled to Japan to work in collaboration with hospitals,
governments and physician educators to ensure lessons learned at Fukushima find a way into future classrooms.
BY CORY HABERMEHL
ON MARCH 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake
struck off the northeast coast of Japan. The quake
unleashed a tsunami that slammed into the country, disabling infrastructure and destroying everything in its path.
Just days later, Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power
plant experienced the worst nuclear meltdown since
Chernobyl.
First-responders rushed directly into the heart of the
Fukushima disaster. And while each had specialized training, they later identified changes in their education that
could have enabled them to be even more effective during
the disaster response.
To ensure the next generation of emergency responders
is better equipped to handle future catastrophes, Education professor Kathryn Hibbert recently travelled to Japan
to work in collaboration with hospitals, governments and
physician educators to make certain lessons learned at
Fukushima find a way into future classrooms.
Specializing in curriculum development, Hibbert is crossappointed between Education and Western’s Department
of Medical Imaging, where she is a researcher at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry’s Centre for Education,
Research and Innovation.
She – literally – wrote the book on radiology education.
Because of this expertise, and her unique appointments,
she has been working with the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA), the body that oversees all nuclear activities
worldwide, for the past eight years.
When Japanese nuclear officials and their colleagues at
the IAEA were keen to document what they learned during
the management of the Fukushima crisis, and incorporate
it into a revised curriculum for first-responders, they called
Hibbert.
“There was a lot of concern about not losing the lessons
they’d learned. But these were scientists with no real experience documenting those type of learnings in a meaningful way, or integrating them into educational curriculum,”
Hibbert said. “That became my task.”
Officials sent Hibbert data from interviews they had conducted with first-responders so she could use the information in her curriculum.
“My goal was to keep the stories alive,” Hibbert said. “I
conducted a narrative analysis of the interviews done by
the nuclear radiation specialists, and rewrote them into nar-
rative stories, which are far more memorable and a terrific
tool from which to learn.”
Hibbert’s stories focus on the emergency responders’
first-person accounts, and pay particular attention to specific things the individuals highlighted as missing in their
previous education and training. In conjunction with the
stories, she created a series of resources and activities as
part of a fulsome curriculum, and in December, travelled
to Japan to work with officials and medical professionals to
help them integrate her work into their existing materials.
One of the first things realized during disaster was
a huge communication problem existed among firstresponders, who had never been required to explain their
specialized knowledge to the general public.
“Physicians were trained to talk to patients, but this was
different,” Hibbert said. “They found themselves talking
about radiation safety levels to frightened mothers, the
elderly, kindergarten teachers who wanted to know if their
kids could play at recess – it was something totally foreign
to them.”
Amid growing anxiety, the public began turning on
front-line experts.
“All this public anger and fear was directed at the
responders – at these extremely courageous people who
were doing their absolute best,” Hibbert said. “It was
extremely taxing on them.”
She realized mental health was as big an issue as the
radiation response itself. As such, she not only developed
a curriculum that focuses on improved communications,
but also has a significant mental health component as well.
With her work well underway, but far from complete,
Hibbert will return to Japan in late June, where she plans
to follow up on the curriculum implementation and how it
might be further expanded, including into the digital realm.
Hibbert is looking forward to connecting in person once
again with the Japanese educators and medical professionals with whom she has been working. Their resolve to
carry on and learn from what took place at Fukushima has
been truly inspiring, she said.
“You would never find more committed people anywhere – they recognize they have learned some important
lessons, which is why they are so adamant that what they
learned not be lost,” she said. “I am incredibly humbled to
have been asked to help with this endeavor and never in
my life have I felt so honoured.”
Western News
| May 21, 2015
15
On Campus
Staffer carries the weight of the Worlds
ADELA TALBOT // WESTERN NEWS
During her time at Western, powerlifter Robyn Ripley became immersed in the local lifting and fitness culture. That led to her recently finishing second in her weight class at the Canadian
Powerlifting Union National Championships. Today, she is preparing to take on the world at the International Powerlifting Federation World Championships.
BY GORDON SO
POWERLIFTER ROBYN RIPLEY
dreams about more than simply winning something to gather dust on a
shelf.
“When people ask me about this
‘big dream,’ they expect me to talk
about the hardware I am bringing
home – that is really a side dream,”
said Ripley, recent interim Campus
Recreation Services fitness and wellness coordinator, and currently a
coach at the Western Student Recreation Center (WSRC).
Instead, she dreams of changing
the perceptions of strong women in
sport and, in turn, society.
Ripley stands 5-foot-3-inches and
weighs 52 kg (114 pounds). But don’t
let small stature belie her explosive
power as a powerlifter.
First, let’s distinguish powerlifting
and weightlifting. In weightlifting, also
known as Olympic weightlifting, athletes throw weight over their heads,
via clean and jerk or clean and press.
The powerful movements demand
speed and flexibility. In powerlifting,
HELP WITH THE HEAVY LIFTING
athletes bench, deadlift and squat
the weight. It is more of a raw strength
sport.
While an empty bar, which weighs
about 20 kg (44 pounds), may pose a
challenge to some, Ripley benches
80 kg (176 pounds), deadlifts 165 kg
(364 pounds) and squats 124 kg (275
pounds). However, those are only
modest numbers.
During her time at Western, Ripley
became immersed in the local lifting
and fitness culture. That led to her
recently finishing second in her weight
class at the Canadian Powerlifting
Union (CPU) National Championships
in St. Catharines. The 28-year-old
hoisted more than 340 kg over the
three events.
Ranking sixth overall among 100
women at the competition, she qualified for the International Powerlifting Federation’s Classics Powerlifting
World Championships, where the
world’s finest powerlifters will converge on Salo, Finland, to compete in June.
Ripley will be the first London
woman to walk on that world stage.
For more information about Robyn Ripley and how to sponsor her journey to the International
Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Championships, contact her at rripley9@gmail.com.
“The ‘big dream’ is, I can change
the way other women think about
sport. I want women to do sports
that challenge the social norm,” she
said. “Every time I grab the groceries,
people ask, ‘Can I help you with that?’
And it is great to be able to say, ‘I can
do it myself.’
“It shouldn’t matter whether you’re
male or female. It shouldn’t matter if
you’re big or small. Anyone could do
it,” Ripley said.
When not competing, Ripley
coaches. Last summer, she met a
Western student who
thought
she was not strong enough to compete in powerlifting. Ripley then
told her, “It’s not about being strong
enough. It’s about making that step.
Competing is about having a good
time and doing your best. Maybe you
will exceed your expectations.”
Since powerlifting is not
yet an official Olympic
sport, Ripley receives
no funding for going
to the championships.
Because of that, she
started a fundraiser in
London to finance
her trip to Finland. The goal
is to reach
$4,000 in donations to offset the costs
for the Team Canada jersey, hotel,
training and food.
Ripley has been told how she has
changed the way other athletes see
powerlifting and how she has inspired
them to lift heavier things. She is
glad her story is able to connect everyone in the weightlifting community.
“The fitness scene in
London is awesome,” she
said. “Everyone cares
about even ‘little’ people like me.”
16
Western News
Honours
| May 21, 2015
A few minutes to
change the world
B Y J A S O N W I N D E R S A N D A D E L A TA L B O T
Western postdoctoral scholars put their research
on the clock during a 3 Minute Research
(3MR) Competition, hosted as part of the 2015
Postdoctoral Research Forum May 7 in the Great
Hall, Somerville House.
The competition is a research communication
exercise where postdoctoral scholars had three
minutes or less to present their work and its impact
to a diverse group of audience members. Cash
prizes were given to assist winners in attending
conferences to promote their research and further
their career network.
at Western (PAW), the competition was part of the
2015 Postdoctoral Research Forum, where more
than 80 postdoctoral scholars took part in a daylong agenda, covering a wide range of topics.
The forum concluded with the granting of a
number of awards, including Daniel Ansari,
Psychology professor and Brain and Mind Institute,
named Supervisor of the Year; Helen Kerr,
Occupational Therapy’s administrative assistant,
with Administrative Excellence; and Aydin Behnad,
Electrical and Computer Engineering, named
Postdoctoral Scholar of the Year.
Hosted by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral
Studies (SGPS) and the Postdoctoral Association
LAUREN SOLOMON, FIRST PLACE
Microbiology and Immunology
Shooting the Messenger: Targeting Transcription
in Cancer
ADELA TALBOT // WESTERN NEWS
Solomon’s research focuses on leukemia and lymphoma, both blood cancers caused by genetic mutations
that alter the program of gene expression in developing
blood cells through many different types of mechanisms.
Spi-B is a protein located in the nucleus of developing
blood cells that can turn genes ‘on’ or ‘off.’ Spi-B levels
are often reduced in a type of blood cancer called B cell
acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In contrast, Spi-B levels
are often increased in a type of blood cancer called B cell
lymphoma.
Solomon’s research has two major goals. First, she aims
to understand how Spi-B levels are affected by the type of
mutations that occurs in leukemia and lymphoma. Second,
she wants to understand how altered levels of Spi-B contribute to causing leukemia and lymphoma. The long-term
goal of this work is to identify molecular-targeted therapies
for B cell leukemia and lymphoma.
Western News
| May 21, 2015
17
NINA WEISHAUPT, SECOND PLACE
Anatomy and Cell Biology
The Quest to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease: A
Molecular Imaging Approach
ADELA TALBOT // WESTERN NEWS
If you have a stroke, you are more than twice as likely
to develop dementia later on. Weishaupt’s research aims
to find out why cardiovascular conditions, such as stroke,
make the brain more vulnerable to dementia. To study this,
her lab induces stroke in transgenic rats that will develop
signs of Alzheimer’s disease months after the stroke. This
provides a window to study what cellular changes occur
during the progression from stroke to an Alzheimer’s-like
brain state. The research focuses on the cell membrane,
which contains different lipids (fats). Among those lipids,
the gangliosides are most interesting, because changes
in ganglioside expression go hand in hand with changes
in cellular vulnerability to stressors. The only downside is,
gangliosides are hard to measure with traditional histological methods.
This is why Weishaupt’s lab is using a new molecular
imaging approach, shining a laser beam on a tiny spot of
a rat brain section, which makes molecules detach from
the section and fly down a vacuum tube in a mass spectrometer. The instrument then creates a mass spectrum, in
which different gangliosides are represented as individual
peaks, with peak height showing how much of that ganglioside was in that tissue spot. If software treats laser spot
as a pixel, researchers can observe changes in ganglioside
expression within anatomical context in an entire brain
section. The hope is this approach will bring us one step
further towards preventing, or at least slowing down the
progression from stroke to dementia.
TOBIAS MORAT, THIRD PLACE
Kinesiology
With increasing age, individuals experience a number of
physiological, biochemical, psychological and sociological
changes, and, as a consequence, problems in movements
of everyday life occur (such as climbing stairs, rising from
a chair, walking, and activities of daily living like hygienic
activities and managing housework). This can lead to
decreased mobility.
Morat’s research focuses on the mobility of older adults
and creating both a new test to assess mobility and a comprehensive systematic training program with three relevant
components (resistance and balance exercises combined
with movements and surfaces of everyday life) within each
training session, to positively influence the mobility and
muscular strength of older adults.
ADELA TALBOT // WESTERN NEWS
To Fall or Not To Fall: Finding the Right Training
Program for Older Adults
18
Western News
| May 21, 2015
Academics
Determined learners never done studying
BY DONNA MOORE
FIFTEEN LEARNERS FROM a variety of educational institutions and agencies received Adult
Learner Awards from the London Council for
Adult Education earlier this month. Two Western
students were among these award recipients.
A third Western student received the SAGE
(Students Aged Gracefully through Experience)
Student of the Year Award.
•••
Priya Khalsa was unable to finish high school
due to mental health issues. She was living with
severe anxiety, depression, addiction issues,
a personality disorder, an eating disorder and
spent several years in and out of long-term care
facilities.
But during her pregnancy at the age of 21, she
decided to finish high school and work toward
recovery, simultaneously. She applied to Western
the following year.
Returning to school has changed Khalsa’s life.
In 2010, she and her 13-month-old son moved
to London, which became their first permanent home. They had
never been to London
before and didn’t have
any friends or family in
the city.
As a single parent in
a full-time degree program, it was challenging balancing academic
commitments with
KHALSA
child-care responsibilities. Khalsa worked hard to achieve a 90 per cent
average in her second and third years.
This June, she graduates with an honors specialization degree in Health Sciences and a minor
in Psychology.
Khalsa has been accepted to her first choice,
the University of Toronto’s Law School for September. She applied to both medical and law
schools as she has an equal interest in both
areas. Khalsa never thought she would be able
to accomplish her academic goals until she came
to Western.
She has been an active part of the community since arriving in London and has been a
dedicated volunteer at Regional Mental Health
London for the last three years. It has been an
especially meaningful experience as a result of
her personal history with mental illness. She is
also a facilitator for the Leadership Education
Program and received the Leadership Educator
of the Year award last year for her passion and
commitment toward the program.
Khalsa worked with Youth Opportunities
Unlimited through Alternative Spring Break,
London, in 2013, and taught English with Outreach 360 through ASB Dominican Republic in
2014. She served as an English conversation
circle leader through the International and
Exchange Student Centre.
She completed an Independent Study
through her faculty (Health Sciences) and elected
to focus her thesis on the feasibility of creating
an online mental health support and treatment
program for postsecondary students in Canada.
Upon completion, Khalsa was offered a job as
a research assistant helping to implement an
online course for new incoming students.
Bimadoshka (Annya) Pucan, an Anishnaabe
woman from Saugeen First Nation, Turtle Clan,
became an active and contributing member of
the local Indigenous community both on and
off campus. She is a key player in advocacy
for Indigenous student and women’s voices as
part of both the Idle No More and Missing and
Murdered Aboriginal Women in Canada movements.
During her years at Western, she has developed herself both academically and personally.
Pucan returned to school later on in life, and
has worked hard to earn high academic standings, while simultaneously raising a family. As a
single mother of three boys (ages 15, 9 and 7),
she dedicated herself whole-heartily to being a
positive role model to her children both on the
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powwow trails as a jingle dress dancer, and in
academia as a dedicated student.
Pucan successfully completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology and First Nations Studies in 2013, and, more recently, completed the
new Masters’ in Public Health (MPH) program.
She will not stop here, though.
Today, you will find her engrossed in literature
and anthropological
archives in the Western Libraries stacks,
researching, as part
of her upcoming PhD
thesis, restoration and
repatriation of cultural
artefacts belonging to
her home community.
In addition to her
PUCAN
studies and familial
responsibilities, Pucan has been an Indigenous
Services staff member as the Food and Medicine Garden coordinator. In this role, she has
demonstrated strong leadership, innovative
thinking and a deep commitment to integrating
Indigenous Knowledge into student services and
programs. In a short time, Pucan coordinated
a series of Indigenous planting and harvesting
workshops, a tincture making workshop and a
tobacco seed exchange.
Pucan also went above and beyond her coordinating duties to complete a project planning
framework including a logic model with short
and long term recommendations to improve
future garden initiatives.
Jill Dombroski received the SAGE Student of
the Year Award at the annual Excellence in Leadership Awards, presented by the The Student
Success Centre last month. SAGE, a society for
mature students, embodies both the wisdom of
experience that mature students bring to Western and the flavour their contribution adds to the
academic experience of all.
Dombroski will graduate in June with a double
honours in Thanatology and Women’s Studies. This fall, she starts her MA in Education at
Western. Her research will focus on the ways
physicians deal with patient death.
She has already received much interest in her
work from the medical community. Dombroski
has received a student undergrad award from
the Bereavement of Ontario Network, and now
sits as a member at large on its board. Also, she
recently attended the Conference of the Association for Death Education and Counselling
in San Antonio, Texas, where she received the
Undergraduate Student Paper Award.
In addition to being a positive role model to
other mature students through her academic
work, Dombroski initiated several SAGE events
this year.
“When I took my first university class at Brescia (University College)
as a part-time student
in 2007, I saw Ghandi’s
words posted in their
library: ‘Be the change
you wish to see in the
world,’” Dombroski
said. “I stared at this
mantra and wondered
how I could ever conDOMBROSKI
tribute on this scale.”
In 2011, at age 40, after being accepted as a
full-time student, her change began.
“Each professor, administrator, care-taker,
coffee maker, parking attendant, friends and,
especially, my family, helped piece together
my foundation,” Dombroski continued. “I can
best describe my university education as a brick
house. These individuals each contributed one
brick of support – either emotionally or financially – to help build my education. I realized it
did not have to be about changes for the entire
world – it was about the changes in myself that
make the world better for my children and my
family. I can be the change I wish to see.”
Dombroski is making a difference for her two
sons, Pompeyo and Pablo, who attended the
awards ceremony with their mom.
HISTORY HAS NOT been kind to
the physicians of the U.S. Civil War.
With a toll of more than 750,000
deaths between 1861-65, the Civil
War’s casualties far outnumber those
of
any
other war
the United
States has
taken part
in. And with
roughly two
thirds of the
war’s deaths
being a
DEVINE
result of disease, it’s no surprise historians have
traditionally regarded the Civil War as
a medical disaster.
But Shauna Devine is among the
first to look at medicine during the
Civil War period through a more contextual – and, as such, forgiving – lens.
“I thought it might be counter-intuitive to suggest the war was, in fact,
a stimulus to more superior scientific
standards in medicine. When I read
the books, all of the existing literature
in the field said doctors inadvertently
spread disease, and patients died,
and it was a medical disaster,” said
Devine, a visiting research fellow at
the Schulich School of Medicine &
Dentistry, who also teaches in the
Department of History at Western.
Her most recent book, Learning
From the Wounded: The Civil War
and the Rise of American Medical
Science, argues Union Army physicians, despite challenges and lack of
preparedness, tackled the war head
on, learning new methods of practice
and experimentation which
would leave an impact on
modern medicine.
“My book is a new interpretation of Civil War medicine. It asks, ‘In what ways did
the actual practice and study
of medicine develop through
the war, and in what ways do
we see this in the medical
marketplace after the war?’
Nobody has asked that question before, or looked at the
war in that way,” Devine continued.
Learning from the
Wounded was named a
Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2015 and a
recipient of the Tom Watson
Brown book award, one of
the highest honours in the
field of Civil War history.
To understand how the
conditions of war led to more
scientific standards and to
the rise of modern medicine,
Devine noted historiographical context is key.
America’s worst conflict
ended 150 years ago last
month, when Confederate
Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered the
Army of Northern Virginia to Union
commander Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox on April 9, 1865. Today, many
scholars consider the conflict the central event in American history when it
comes to defining that nation.
“The standards for doctors and
medicine at the time were very low.
There were no licensing laws. But the
top medical physicians at the time in
America served in the Civil War. Just
prior to the war, the elite physicians went to Paris to study
medicine because there were
very few hospitals (in America),” Devine explained.
“Not a lot of them went
– just under 1,000 – but
they came home and wrote
about reforming American
medicine along more scientific guidelines – they talked
about the need for cadaver
bodies, licensing, hospitals,
equipment. At this time, a
hospital could have consisted of an attic with a bed.
There were too few of them
to make any kind of difference on a national basis. But
I was interested in this. There
were pushes for reform,” she
continued.
Germ theory emerged
soon after the war. As it was
disseminated, American physicians headed to Germany
to study with leaders in the
field, she added. Around the
same time, the American
Medical Association had a
meeting in Philadelphia putting forward specific ideas for
ok
su
pp
le m e
nt to W e
st e
rn
N
reforming medicine, suggesting some
of the emerging practices become
standard. The organization also asked
for more training and dissection of
bodies as ways to improve treatment.
“What I noticed in the historiography was, all the same physicians
who went to Paris and then went to
Germany were being written about.
They all served in the war. This was
a national emergency and many talk
about the opportunity to do work on
domestic soil they were previously
only able to do abroad,” Devine said.
“Nobody had asked the question,
to what extent did the conditions
of war lead to more scientific standards or the rise of modern medicine? It’s easy to look at the bad – a
lot of soldiers died. But if you look at
other things – what happened, did
new hospitals develop, did physicians
change some things as a result of what
they were seeing, did they see new
diseases, did they start using more
technical equipment to manage disease environment – it’s not so bad,”
she added.
“It might not have resulted in cures
for disease, but you see much better
approaches to the study of medicine
develop. I think the story previously
had been too focused on the number
of soldiers that died, but not enough
on the process of change that began
to occur. I think my book is the first
one to make that statement.”
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Chancellor
The Chancellor is the honorary and symbolic head of the University. The incumbent will reflect
the leadership and global aspirations of Western and, in addition to official convocation and
degree-granting functions, will serve as a principal ambassador of the University, playing a
significant role in supporting and promoting Western’s distinctive global role as a leader in
education and research.
The University’s Board of Governors and Senate have established an Electoral Board to select
Western’s next Chancellor who will carry on our tradition of strong leadership. We seek a highly
regarded individual with a strong commitment to education and students, and dedicated to
advancing Western’s profile and interests in the wider community, especially among our alumni.
The term of office is four years (non-renewable). The official duties of the Chancellor include
presiding at convocation ceremonies during two weeks in mid-June and two days in mid-October
each year to admit candidates to degrees, diplomas, and certificates. The Chancellor is an ex
officio, voting member of the Board of Governors and the Senate, and of certain committees of
both bodies.
All members of the University community and friends of the University are invited to submit
nominations for Chancellor by writing to the Electoral Board for Chancellor, c/o University
Secretariat, Rm. 4101, Stevenson Hall, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B8
(or fax to 519-661-3588 or e-mail ibirrell@uwo.ca).
To be eligible, a nominee must be a Canadian citizen, but may not be a member of the governing
body, faculty, staff or student body of any degree-granting institution.
Nominations should be submitted by June 19, 2015 and accompanied by biographical
information about the nominee. Nominators are advised that the nominating process is
confidential and candidates should not be informed that they are being nominated.
Information about the role of Chancellor and about
the Electoral Board can be found at uwo.ca/univsec/
or by contacting the University Secretary, Irene Birrell
(ibirrell@uwo.ca; 519-661-2111 x82056).
s.
ALL OVER
bo
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
19
Read
A
Historian redeems Civil War medical science
| May 21, 2015
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Western News
20
Western News
| May 21, 2015
Research
Study: Mother’s education, family
stability at heart of child’s success
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
RESEARCH FROM TWO Western professors
is challenging the longstanding myth that a
child’s success in life depends on his or her family
structure. Instead, Western Sociology professor
William Avison and Brescia University College
professor Jamie Seabrook are pointing toward a
mother’s education as the key indicator.
Their paper, Family Structure and Children’s
Socioeconomic Attainment: A Canadian Sample, published in the Canadian Review of Sociology, stems from a London, Ont.-based study
spanning nearly two decades. The researchers
followed more than 1,000 families in both singleand two-parent households.
“What we’ve learned is that not all children who
grow up in single-parent families are necessarily
going to be affected adversely,” Avison said.
In following the large cohort of local families, the study found children of single mothers
were just as likely to achieve educational and
economic success as children from two-parent
families – provided the mom was educated.
“Single-parent families are always challenged
in terms of income, simply because there’s only
one bread winner – usually the mom. The key
issue is, these moms were not different from married mothers in terms of their educational attainment. That makes a difference in how their children develop,” Avison said. “The kids might be
income deprived to some extent, but the nature
of the environment and household was similar.”
“Much of what we claim to know about singleparent families and the impact on children is
actually driven by studies that focus on families
where moms are both income disadvantaged
and educationally deficient,” he continued.
The study used three measures of success and
found the following to be true:
• In terms of a child’s education, family structure had no effect. Provided equal education of their mothers, children were on
equal educational footing and just as likely
to graduate from college or university;
• In terms of occupation, children from stable
single-mom households had better jobs
than children from stable two-parent families; and
• In terms of income, family structure had no
impact whatsoever.
There’s a key finding worth noting among
those points, said Seabrook, who conducts
research within Brescia’s Division of Food and
Nutritional Sciences. The stability of the child’s
household is an important factor in determining
a child’s future success.
“Usually, single parents all get lumped
together in research. You’re either a two-parent
family or a one-parent family,” Seabrook said.
“The problem is, there’s so much heterogeneity in single-parent families. The parent could
be single, but stable, rather than a single mom
who has many partners over the course of a kid’s
childhood. That’s an apples-to-oranges comparison. If they all get lumped together in the same
group, it might sometimes appear kids from
single parent families don’t do well.”
Seabrook continued, “If these single-stable
moms had equivalent levels of education, or
higher levels of education, to the moms of two
parent families, the kids from single-parent
families actually did a lot better. There’s actually
something about the stable, single mom family
– and we could argue resiliency, the relationship
between the mom and the child – that really had
an effect on how these kids did over time.”
In other words, a family’s stability is far more
important than its structure.
A lot of data looking at children’s success as
it relates to familial structure comes from the
United States, Seabrook added. Different factors
apply to families in Canada. American families
are more likely to contend with school quality,
neighbourhood disadvantages, race and ethnicity, alongside familial structure.
“This kind of thing hadn’t been done in Canada before – following these kids this long
over time,” he said, and because of this study,
another finding emerged.
“Literature shows, from the United States,
kids from single-parent families are more likely
to separate or divorce – that’s a fair argument.
What we found was for those kids who had mar-
ried, 12 per cent of the children raised in stable,
two-parent families had separated or divorced,
but the kids from stable, single-mom families,
only 3 per cent had separated or divorced. Again
there’s the stability factor,” Seabrook continued.
Avison noted study findings can apply to
children in middle-sized cities in Canada, and we
must keep in mind today some women who have
children choose not to marry.
“What we found with this cohort of families
might not hold for all families. But the take home
message is we ought not assume growing up in
a single-parent family is always going to result
in occupational and educational challenges for
kids,” he added.
“Much of what we claim to
know about single-parent
families and the impact on
children is actually driven
by studies that focus on
families where moms are both
income disadvantaged and
educationally deficient.”
- William Avison
Western News
| May 21, 2015
21
In The Community
‘Tinkering club’ lets inquisitive spirits fly
SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
B Y PA U L M AY N E
PLANETARY SCIENCE PHD candidate Marianne Mader has studied
some of the oldest rocks on Earth in
Greenland, explored impact craters
across the globe and, most recently,
collected meteorites in Antarctica.
Now, she looks to empower similar inquisitive spirits to explore their
interests.
Founded by Mader and her husband, Andy Forest, STEAMLabs are
opening a non-profit ‘makerspace’
dedicated to kids and adults who want
a place where imagination comes
out to play.
The goal is
to provide a
place to give
kids access
to the technologies,
materials
and skills that
they couldn’t
MADER
get on their
own, and teach them they are capable
of anything.
“It’s interest driven. So, kids will
come with an idea for a project, and
they may not know how to complete
it. But the key is, in order to make it
happen, they need to figure out the
skills that are required,” Mader said.
“And, because it’s their own project,
they want to learn those skills.”
The idea for STEAMLabs – that
stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) – grew
out of a garage, where the pair began
a ‘Tinkering Club’ for their own kids
and their friends, giving them opportunities to learn about high tech.
They made boats and sunk them
full of kids in Lake Ontario.
They hacked Nerf guns to make
them motion-activated.
Soon, the kids started teaching
themselves. Through online resources
and experimentation, they were learning to make all kinds of things on their
own.
“It’s amazing,” Mader said. “When
we run events, for example a robot balloon popping battle, the day started
off simple, but by the end, the creations were just amazing and they were
building off each other’s project ideas.”
Now, thanks to a partnership with
Toronto’s Centre for Social Innovations, STEAMLabs will be located in
a new location at 192 Spadina Ave.
Renovations are currently underway,
in time for summer camps to begin
in late June.
A Kickstarter campaign raised
more than $22,000 to fund equipment
for the new space.
With the new space, Mader and
Forest hope to open up the world
of creativity to adults and more seasoned makers, entrepreneurs and
artists looking to work with serious
tools such as 3D printers, laser cutting,
woodworking, electronics, sewing,
crafts and more.
“The unique thing with STEAMLabs is while there are already others
spaces for adults, very rarely are there
ones for all ages,” said Mader, whose
job title is STEAMLabs idea wrangler.
“We’re casting the net pretty wide –
after school, camps, just for adults,
beginners. We want to be a community makerspace, and be more accessible to the general public, as well as
the seasoned professional.”
Mader added additional programs
are being planned for September,
including bringing high-tech education to schools throughout Ontario.
They’ve created the Internet of Things
Teaching Kit, an open source teaching
kit that makes it possible for teachers
with no knowledge of code to teach
their students basic programming.
They are currently in talks with the
Toronto District School Board to roll
these workshops out to classrooms
across the Greater Toronto Area.
“It’s always a bit hectic for us, but
Andy and I love to make things happen,” Mader said. “We wouldn’t be
doing it if we weren’t having fun.”
22
Western News
| May 21, 2015
// CLASSIFIED
// ACADEME
PhD Lectures
For Rent
Mahboubeh Hadadpour, Chemistry, Exploring the Chemistry of
η 5-Cyclopentadienyl-Cobalt-η 4Cyclobutadiene Containing Polymers;
Synthesis, Properties, and Self-Assembly, 9 a.m. May 21, ChB 115.
2 bedroom/1 bath condo for rent
at 695 Richmond St. Ninth-floor views.
Amenities include: one parking space,
in-suite laundry, indoor salt water pool,
24-hour security and concierge. New
paint and carpet throughout. Available
May 1. $1,250/month. Please call or text
Gavin at 226-268-6661.
Aimee Lee Houde, Biology, Restoration of Native Biodiversity in Altered
Environments: Reintroduction of Atlantic
salmon into Lake Ontario, 10 a.m. May
25, B&GS 0153.
Michael Rogelstad, Mathematics,
Combinatorial Techniques in the Galois
Theory of p-Extensions, 1:30 p.m. May
25, MC 107.
Jenna Butler, Computer Science,
Using Cellular Automata and Lattice
Boltzmann Methods to Model Cancer
Growth: Analysis of Combination Treatment Outcomes, 9:30 a.m. May 25, MC
320.
Malaya Nanda, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Catalytic conversion of
glycerol to value added chemical products, 1 p.m. May 25, TEB 434.
Ryan Guterman, Chemistry, Exploring
the chemistry of phosphorus for photopolymer applications, 9 a.m. May 25,
ChB 115.
Shahram Amirnia, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Biosorption Processes for Removal of Toxic Metals from
Wastewaters, 1 p.m. May 26, SEB 3102.
Lisa Pelot, Philosophy, Empiricism
in Early Modern Philosophy of Mind:
Hobbes, Locke, & Hume, 3 p.m. May
26, StvH 3101.
Bahman Daee, Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Application of Polyurethane Products in Acceleration Construction of Innovative Noise Barrier, 10
a.m. May 27, SEB 2094.
Shahab Meshkibaf, Microbiology and
Immunology, Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor: Its role in gut-homing
macrophage generation and colitis, and
production by probiotics, 2 p.m. May 28,
IGAB 1N75.
Appointments
Donald G. Welsh appointed as the
Cecil and Linda Rorabeck Chair in
Molecular Neuroscience and Vascular
Biology, Schulich School of Medicine &
Dentistry, five-year term effective April 1.
Bright and cosy, furnished sabbatical
home for faculty or staff, North West
London, 2 bedrooms + office, 10-minute drive to Western University, close
to schools, bus route, available end of
August, $1300 + utilities, 519-204-2044.
// STUDENT BULLETIN
Student Central In-Person Hours
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
and Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday.
Spring Convocation
(June 9-12, 15-17)
Graduates and guests, please check convocation.uwo.ca for Convocation details.
Tickets for the June Convocation will be
available online at the end of May.
seven days of this date. Second-term
half courses in Intersession begin.
June 2: Last day to add a second-term
half course in Intersession.
June 4: Last day to drop a second-term
half course in Intersession without academic penalty.
June 5: Master of Business Administration Convocation.
June 9-12, 15-17: Spring Convocation.
// CAREERS
A central website displays advertisements for all vacant academic positions. The following positions are among
those advertised at uwo.ca/facultyrelations/faculty/academic_positions.html
Please review, or contact the faculty,
school or department directly.
Full-Time Academic Appointments
Schulich School of Medicine
& Dentistry – Department of
Paediatrics
Inviting applications for a full-time, clinical academic position as paediatric neurologist with a strong interest and formal
training in paediatric epilepsy. Applications will be accepted until June 5.
Schulich School of Medicine &
Dentistry - Department of Psychiatry
Inviting applications for two full-time
clinical academic faculty positions as
psychiatrists within the Treatment and
Rehabilitation Program at Parkwood
Institute Mental Health Care, part of
St. Joseph’s Health Care London. Academic rank and contract status will be
determined by experience and qualifications at the time of appointment.
Applications will be accepted until position is filled. Review of applications will
begin on June 15.
Faculty of Health Sciences - Arthur
Labatt Family School of Nursing
Seeks two academics to join a leading
edge School of Nursing with a 95-year
history of academic and research excellence. The School of Nursing is one of
six schools in a progressive Faculty of
Health Sciences (uwo.ca/fhs/) and offers
academic programs in Nursing at undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels. A
new state-of-the art building is currently
under construction and scheduled for
completion in January 2017.
The deadline for receipt of applications is June 19 for a two-Year full-time,
limited-term position (lecturer or assistant professor) and a one-year full-time,
limited-term position (lecturer or assistant professor).
All positions are subject to budgetary
approval. Applicants should have fluent
written and oral communication skills
in English. All qualified candidates are
encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will
be given priority. Western is committed
to employment equity and welcomes
applications from all qualified women
and men, including visible minorities,
Aboriginal people and persons with
disabilities.
Write a Letter
Western News accepts letters to the
editor. Accepted only from members of
the Western community – faculty, staff,
students and alumni. Writers may only
submit once a semester. As an academic
institution, Western News encourages
lively debate, but reserves the right to
edit, ask for rewrite or reject any submission, and will outright reject those
based on personal attacks or covering
subjects too removed from the university community.
Summer Tuition Fees
If you have registered for summer courses, you can view your Online Statement
of Account via student.uwo.ca.
Student Development Centre (SDC)
The SDC is open 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday to Friday over the summer. Call 519661-3031 or drop-in to the 4th floor of
the Western Student Services Building
to make an appointment.
Undergraduate Sessional Dates
May 21: Last day to drop a full course,
or a six-week half course, a first-term,
first quarter (‘Q’) course, or a full-year
half course in Intersession without academic penalty.
May 29: Last day to drop a full course or
full-year half course in Summer evening
and Spring/Summer Distance Studies
course without academic penalty.
May 31: Hong Kong Convocation.
For more information, please visit us on
the web at studentservices.uwo.ca and
follow us on Twitter @Western_WSS.
June 1: Last day to receive admission applications from new students
for Fall/Winter Term 2015-16 for fulltime studies, provided that the program
requested is open. All supporting documentation must be submitted within
51
44
65
17
07-Fred Negus_Ad_PENSION_v9.indd 1
2015-01-27 3:33 PM
Welcome to your London Home
The 2016 Rhodes Scholarships
Blossom Gate offers you varied floorplans in either our existing lowrise and highrise
buildings OR one of our newer highrise buildings - rent varies accordingly.
Every June, the Rhodes Trust announces the launch of its global competition for the Rhodes Scholarships,
eleven of which are designated for Canadian students. The Scholarship supports postgraduate study at
Oxford University in England, and covers both university fees and a stipend for living expenses. Successful
candidates in the upcoming competition will undertake their programs of choice at Oxford in the fall of 2016.
the convenience of Apartment Living!
lounge, indoor bicycle storage, keyless entry
• 2 appliances
• Individual heating & cooling system
• Coin-less laundry facilities
• Free outdoor parking
• On-site management office
• Direct bus to downtown & Western Campus
• On-site variety store
• 1/2 block to shopping centre
Selection of candidates is made on the basis of extraordinary intellect, outstanding character, the capacity
and instincts for high leadership, demonstrated rigor and commitment to service and extracurricular activity,
with a focus on effecting positive change in the world.
The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies invites interested candidates to contact Paula Menzies
(pmenzies@uwo.ca) for information on how to apply. The School offers strategic support and mentorship to
applicants preparing their Rhodes scholarship portfolios well in advance of the September 15th university
application deadline. Candidates seeking the endorsement of the President must submit a competitive
application by the deadline and then complete a successful interview by members of
Western’s Rhodes Scholarships Selection Committee. The Canadian Rhodes Scholarships
program information is available at www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/canada.
103-625 Kipps Lane (at Adelaide St. N)
519 432-1777
Like us on facebook.com/blossomgate
THE SYMBOL OF QUALITY
Western News
| May 21, 2015
23
Campus Digest
Incubator ‘propels’ entrepreneurs forward
BY GORDON SO
IAN HAASE UNDERSTANDS the burden of
student entrepreneurs.
“I know what students go through trying to
start a business while balancing school and
social life at the same time,” said Haase, Western’s Entrepreneur director. “There wasn’t a lot
of support around for me when I was doing it.”
But times have changed.
Thanks to Propel, Western’s campus business
incubator, student entrepreneurs no longer have
to struggle alone.
Last Thursday, Propel – previously BizInc –
launched the Propel Summer Incubator (PSI)
program via a tradeshow format in which seven
student-run ventures showcased their products
and branding.
Propel is the new entrepreneurship center at
Western which provides resources to aspiring
student entrepreneurs. It does not matter if
students go in with an idea or with a full-blown
company, they receive one-on-one mentoring
and access to the greater entrepreneur scene
across Ontario through the Campus-Linked
Accelerator program.
Propel is able to establish global connections so student entrepreneurs can leverage
international opportunities, as well as a much
wider business horizon. Its partnerships with
institutions like Ivey Business School, Ontario
Network of Entrepreneurs and LEAP Junction
at Fanshawe also grant access to local skills and
resources.
The PSI program takes it to the next level,
Haase said.
“The PSI program allows a practical entrepreneurial experience to happen in a very concentrated, real-world environment over the summer months, which is invaluable as these new
entrepreneurs develop their businesses here in
London,” he said.
The PSI program is a competitive incubator
program that supports student ventures with
seed funding, mentorship and working space.
The 100 teams that applied online had to first
go through a third-party panel that consisted
of entrepreneurs from the community and Ivey
professors. The panel then selected 10 teams to
perform a 10-minute formal pitch.
In the end, only seven teams will call Propel
home for the summer – ShiftVR, Tutor Hero,
Everest, Zonedin, NoR Apparel, Jacked Scholar
and Ezzy Lynn. They receive $7,500 of seed funding, access to WSS 2130, the designated Propel
co-working space, and mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs throughout the summer.
“I think the most unique thing about our
incubator is that they’re not all tech-based. All
seven companies are from completely different
industries: Fashion, sport, virtual reality, social
media, social enterprise and education,” said
Samantha Laliberte, Western Entrepreneur coordinator. “That will add to a lot of cool synergies.
The seven companies can help each other out
in the co-working space even when they’re so
different.”
NEWS AND NOTES
Western is seeking nominations from the
university community as the search begins
for the institution’s 22nd chancellor in its 137year history, the University Secretariat’s office
announced last week. Western’s Board of
Governors and Senate have established an
Electoral Board to select the next chancellor.
The chancellor serves as the honorary and
symbolic head of the university. The term of
office is four years (non-renewable). Official
duties include presiding at Convocation
ceremonies during two weeks in mid-June
and two days in mid-October each year to
admit candidates to degrees, diplomas and
certificates. The chancellor is an ex officio,
voting member of the Board and Senate, as
well as certain committees of both bodies.
ADELA TALBOT // WESTERN NEWS
Western students Oriena Teiba Mensah and Michelle Osei-Bonsu, co-founders of NoR Apparel, speak to a customer interested in their
products at the launch of the Propel Summer Incubator (PSI) program, last week. NoR Apparel, among seven student startups that are
part of the summer program, works to support African communities while bringing African trends and culture to Canada by importing
handmade products.
To be eligible, a nominee must be a Canadian citizen, and may not be a member of
the governing body, faculty, staff or student
body of any degree-granting institution.
All members of the university community
are invited to submit nominations, in writing,
by email to ibirrell@uwo.ca; fax to 519-6613588; or mail to Electoral Board for Chancellor, c/o University Secretariat, Rm. 4101,
Stevenson Hall, Western University, London,
ON N6A 5B8. All nominations must be
accompanied by biographical information
about the nominee.
Deadline is June 19.
The nominating process is confidential and
candidates should not be informed they are
being nominated.
The next chancellor will succeed Joseph
Rotman, who served the university in the
position since 2012. Rotman died on Jan. 27.
John Thompson, Western’s 20th chancellor,
and Amit Chakma, Western president and
vice-chancellor, will fill the chancellor role for
June Convocation ceremonies.
A pair of Western deans, whose terms come
to an end this summer, will be honoured at
separate events over the next few weeks.
A reception for Social Sciences Dean Brian
Timney has been set for 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Friday, June 5 in The Great Hall, Somerville
House. Timney has served as dean since
2002.
Attendees are asked to RSVP to either 519661-3747 or rsvp@uwo.ca by June 1.
Robert (Bob) Andersen, BA’91 (Political Science), Dpl’92 (Sociology), MA’94 (Sociology),
has been appointed to a five-year term as
dean of Social Science, beginning July 1. He
will join Western June 1 and serve in a temporary role as special advisor to the provost.
A reception for Health Sciences Dean Jim
Weese has been set for 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, June 24 in The Great Hall, Somerville
House. Weese has served as dean since
2004.
Attendees are asked to RSVP to either 519661-3747 or rsvp@uwo.ca by June 19.
A search for the next Health Sciences dean
is currently underway.
Western joined British Columbia, Calgary,
Victoria and Windsor as the only five Canadian universities profiled in The Princeton
Review’s Guide to Green Colleges: 2015
Edition.
In this sixth edition of the guide, The Princeton Review profiled 353 schools in the
United States and Canada, that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability
in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.
Visit sustainability.uwo.ca for more details on
Western’s sustainability efforts.
Western further buoyed its leadership in
musculoskeletal health research with the
formation of The Bone and Joint Institute,
university research officials announced this
week.
The institute now builds on a $5-million
investment the university made into the
Western Cluster of Research Excellence
in Musculoskeletal Heath in November
2014. That program will fund more than 70
researchers from several faculties, including
Schulich, Health Sciences, Engineering, Science and Social Science to study conditions
such as arthritis, osteoporosis, trauma and
work-, sport- and exercise-related injuries.
In addition to the institute announcement,
Dr. Shabana Amanda Ali has been named
the first recipient of the Kirkley Postdoc-
toral Fellowship in Musculoskeletal Health
Research and Innovation. Arriving from the
Institute of Medical Science at The University of Toronto, Ali’s research focuses on
improving pain management for those with
osteoarthritis.
Former Western Mustangs Glynn Leyshon
and Jude St. John have been named among
the London Sports Hall of Fame Class of
2015, the London Sports Council announced
today. Six individuals and one team will
be honoured at induction ceremonies in
November.
TORONTO – Western Mustangs players
Daryl Waud, Rory Connop and Preston Huggins are three of the newest members of the
Canadian Football League after they were
all selected in the 2015 CFL Canadian Draft
last week. The three Mustangs become
the 31st, 32nd and 33rd Western players to
be selected in the CFL Draft in the past 15
years.
The University Students’ Council recently
hosted the 7th annual Choose Your Own
Adventure Grade 8 Early Outreach Conference two weeks ago at both Western and
Fanshawe College.
The conference aims to encourage and support low-income, at-risk youth in London to
pursue postsecondary education by way of
lectures from professors, speakers from the
London community, budget management
presentations to students and parents, a
volunteer fair and a coaching session to help
students create individual paths to success.
This year, the conference hosted more than
100 students from nine schools in London
with more than 50 Leadership Developers
from Western.
24
Western News
| May 21, 2015
Future scientific minds converge at Western
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
What do you use to build a windpowered elevator? Tape. Cardboard.
Straws. And a string. Those were
the only materials a Grade 6 student
needed to make an elevator strong
enough to lift a pair of earplugs up 10
centimeters.
At Western, more than 240 Grade 6-8
young scientists recently competed in
the Let’s Talk Science Challenge. Through
a science quiz show and hands-on design
challenge, the students’ knowledge in
science, technology, engineering and
math (STEM) was put to the test.
James Czerkawski, a St. Catherine of
Siena Catholic School Grade 6 student
was cheered on by teammates Cam
Sartor and Ian Jordan, both in Grade
8, as he used wind power to lift a
weighted string.
Let’s Talk Science is a national charitable
youth development organization that
aims to enrich students with science.
The challenge is part of a national
outreach program that ignites students’
passion in STEM.
“The programs we do keep the
students engaged and interested in
science as they move on through their
studies,” said Maggie MacLellan, Let’s
Talk Science communications officer.
“So, they don’t close doors and decide
to disengage with science and math
early on when there might be jobs they
like in the future that they don’t even
know about yet.”
- Gordon So