No. 479 - January 26, 2022

  • Coming Events:

    - Big Data at the Margins: Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Futures
    - mediations: Storytelling and the Phenomenology of Displacement 
    - Mapping Canadian Government Uses of AI for Social Services

  • Important Dates:

    - Thursday, February 3, 2022 - Meeting of the Board of Governors (10:00 am)
    - Tuesday, February 8, 2022 - Senate Elections - Polls open for Faculty and Staff (8:00 am)
    - Tuesday, February 8, 2022 - Board Elections - Polls open for Faculty (8:00 am)

  • Awards & Accomplishments:

    - Sarah Smith

  • Publications & Presentations:

    - David Guignion
    - Atle Mikkola Kjøsen
    - Pam McKenzie
    - James Steinhoff (PhD'20, Media Studies)

  • In the Media:

    - Erika Casupanan (BA'11)
    - Kyle Edwards
    - Tanaz Javan
    - Sarah Prince (BA'13)

  • Additional Activities of Note:

    - Lucia Cedeira Serantes in the LIS Pedagogy Chat

  • News from the FIMS Graduate Library:

    - Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
    - Virtual Service Desk
    - Workshop: Zotero - Thursday January 27, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
    - Check out our website for helpful videos created for FIMS grad students
    - #1Lib1Ref

  • Next Issue:


Coming Events


Big Data at the Margins: Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Futures
Thursday, January 27, 2022
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Zoom (by registration)
Featuring Jonathan Dewar, Sofia Locklear, and Jason Lewis; moderated by Joanna Redden
All are welcome to attend. Register here.
Abstract: How do Indigenous peoples claim sovereignty over their data and information, and work to transform the very means, methods and values through which “data” is defined and disseminated? How can the exercise of Indigenous data sovereignty and broader computational empowerment enhance and inspire Indigenous identities, representations and futures? Why should settler scholars, organizations, and individuals support Indigenous data sovereignty? How can “data” be Indigenized? (continue reading).

Grad students, scholars, and community members, are also invited to sign up for a workshop with the panelists the next day (Friday, January 28, 2022) from 12:00 - 2 pm at this link: https://westernuniversity.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_m_GzrjUjTjeiuz4VWIFZNA.

mediations: Storytelling and the Phenomenology of Displacement 
Thursday, February 3, 2022
4:30 pm
Zoom
Talk presented byMedia Studies PhD candidate Akram Kangouri, followed by a Q&A period. If you would like to attend this event, email fimsmediations@gmail.com to request the Zoom link.
Abstract: The study explores the experience of displacement through storytelling. As a constructed phenomenon, displacement can alter people's sense of self and their perceptions of the world. The key question of the study is: What does it feel like to be displaced? As a theoretical framework, this dissertation explores existential phenomenology and "being" in terms of these four themes: the phenomenology of displacement, storytelling, place/space, and evocative objects (continue reading).

Mapping Canadian Government Uses of AI for Social Services
Wednesday, February 9, 2022
12:00 - 1:00 pm
Zoom (by registration)
Presented by Assistant Professor Joanna Redden and Media Studies PhD candidate Sananda Sahoo as part of the FIMS Seminar Series.
All are welcome to attend. Contact Karen Kueneman for the Zoom link at kueneman@uwo.ca.
Abstract: This presentation details our efforts to produce a registry of government uses of AI and Automated Decision Systems (ADS) in Canada. We present early findings, discuss our counter-mapping methodology, put forward ideas for how to make our findings publicly accessible and suggest steps to advance more civic participation in this area. The central premises of the project are: a) that registries of government uses of AI and ADS systems are necessary to enable more public debate about where and how these systems should be used in public services, b) that more meaningful debate will help broaden discussion of the impact and complexity of these systems and c) provide a chance to avoid the harms and economic and social costs seen in places where AI and ADS systems have been implemented too hastily (continue reading).


Important Dates


- Thursday, February 3, 2022 - Meeting of the Board of Governors (10:00 am)
- Tuesday, February 8, 2022 - Senate Elections - Polls open for Faculty and Staff (8:00 am)
- Tuesday, February 8, 2022 - Board Elections - Polls open for Faculty (8:00 am)


Awards & Accomplishments


Assistant Professor Sarah Smith has joined the Faculty as the Canada Research Chair in Art, Culture and Global Relations (Tier 2). The announcement was detailed in the Western News article, "Scholar, curator named Canada Research Chair" published on January 12, 2022.


Publications & Presentations


Media Studies PhD candidate David Guignion published the article "'Birtherism,' Trump and anti-Black racism: Conspiracy theorists use evidence to maintain the status quo" in The Conversation Canada on January 16, 2022. The article was republished in National Post and Western News.

Assistant Professor Atle Mikkola Kjøsen and James Steinhoff (PhD'20, Media Studies) co-edited a special issue of New Proposals, "Marxist Transhumanism or Transhumanist Marxism?" published on January 6, 2022.

Professor and Associate Dean, Graduate & Postdoctoral Pam McKenzie published the following article:
McKenzie, P.J. (2021). Keeping Track of Family: Family Practices and Information Practices. Library Trends 70(2), 78-104. doi:10.1353/lib.2021.0016.


In the Media


MIT graduate Erika Casupanan (BA'11) was interviewed by fellow MIT grad Sarah Prince (BA'13) on her Survivor 41 win. In her interview on Prince's website Hot on the Street, Casupanan mentions how the MIT program at Western University helped her on the TV show. Quotes from the interview were also featured in the heavy. article, "Erika Casupanan Teases Big Plans After Her 'Survivor' Win."

Kyle Edwards, presenter of this year's Clissold Lecture, was interviewed on CBC Afternoon Drive about media coverage of Indigenous issues on January 20, 2022. Edwards' full Clissold Lecture, "Challenging What's Newsworthy: Reporting on Indigenous Communities in a Post-COVID World" is now available to watch on YouTube. 

Health Information Science PhD candidate Tanaz Javan was interviewed about the benefits of meditation for the Western News article, "Cultivating mindfulness, compassion through meditation" published on January 19, 2022.


Additional Activities of Note


Lucia Cedeira Serantes in the LIS Pedagogy Chat
Part-time Instructor Lucia Cedeira Serantes will be participating in the LIS Pedagogies Chat with Amy Patte (Simmons College Faculty) on the topic of Critical Approaches to Youth Services. The event is on January 28 at 2:00 pm. Registration and schedule can be found here: https://www.lispedagogychat.org/schedule-registration


News from the FIMS Graduate Library


Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Beginning Monday, January 28th we will be open 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Monday to Friday.
These hours of operation provide access to the library after morning classes and before afternoon classes.
Health and safety guidelines will be in place including decreased capacity with single occupancy tables throughout the library. If you require materials outside of these times, please contact us (fimslib@uwo.ca) to make arrangements.

Virtual Service Desk
Join us Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays anytime from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm at our Virtual Service Desk. Popular topics include getting access to paywalled news articles, how to find materials for a paper and reaching out about course readings not working on OWL. Really, ask us anything. Find the zoom link in your @uwo inbox.

Workshop: Zotero - Thursday January 27, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Feeling overwhelmed by citation management? Want to keep track of your PDFs? Now is the time to get it all under control and learn how to manage your citations. Join Sara Clarke for an introduction to the basics of how to use Zotero to easily create reference lists and organize your research. There's still time to register for tomorrow's event.
Email fimslib@uwo.ca to register. A Zoom link will be sent to you before the event.

Check out our website for helpful videos created for FIMS grad students
For example: Watch our video about Western Libraries and Omni to learn about how to find materials, request a book for pick up or for digitization. If you still have questions about using this or any other powerful databases, stop by the library or email fimslib@uwo.ca.

#1Lib1Ref
There is still time to participate in our last two events, where we will identify articles missing citations and add those citations to Wikipedia in real time! Learn about Wikipedia, become an editor, improve access to information for learners the world over and be entered to win one of 5 $50 Hospitality gift cards.

No experience necessary and training will be provided. Register for one or more sessions at the links below or email fimslib@uwo.ca. An email with connection details will be sent to you after registration.

- January 26, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. Zoom registration link: https://westernuniversity.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0rdemhrD4uEtKHRirheY0lb9AMrsc-Tbw1

- February 1, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. Zoom registration link: https://westernuniversity.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcrc-6uqTkpHdeyKbQSJ1taOoII5IdwUyeM


Next Issue


The Grad Bulletin is your source for news, announcements, and events pertaining to FIMS graduate programs. Submissions from the FIMS community are always welcome and may be sent via e-mail to fims-communications@uwo.ca.

The next issue of the Grad Bulletin will be published on Wednesday, February 9. The deadline for submissions is noon on Tuesday, January 8, 2022.