No. 501 - April 5, 2023

  • Coming Events:

    - FIMSWrites - Winter Edition
    - "Necropolitics Illustrated: the Covid-19 pandemic and the photojournalistic images related to Brazil's Bolsonaro"
    - "The Role of Influencers on Instagram and Twitter during the 2022/2023 Women's Rights Protests in Iran: Preliminary Findings"
    - The Partnership Education Series
    - "Local or Global? The Future of Diaspora and Immigration Museums"

  • Important Dates:

    - Friday, April 7, 2023 - Good Friday holiday (FIMS offices closed, no classes)
    - Monday, April 10, 2023 - Last day of classes for undergraduate students
    - Thursday, April 13 - Sunday, April 30, 2023 - Undergraduate Exam Period
    - Friday, April 14, 2023 - Last day of classes for FIMS graduate programs
    - Thursday, April 27, 2023 - Board of Governor's Meeting (10 AM, WIRB)

  • Awards & Accomplishments:

    - Vicky Chung
    - Stephen Coulstring
    - Viet Ho

  • Publications & Presentations:

    - Jack Kausch
    - Michael Nyby
    - Victoria L. Rubin

  • In the Media:

    - Alissa Centivany
    - Victoria L. Rubin
    - Luke Stark

  • News from the FIMS Graduate Library:

    - FIMS Grad Library Hours (April)
    - Professional Headshots in April (Complimentary, Drop-In)
    - Make of the Month | Welcome to Spring

  • Next Issue:


Coming Events


FIMSWrites - Winter Edition
Every Wednesday
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Check your Western email for the link (or contact Pam McKenzie)
Do you expect to have assignment, story, article, report, thesis, and/or book writing deadlines coming up in the Winter term? Does having other people writing around you help keep you on-task? Then join us for FIMSWrites, an informal initiative to provide some solidarity in the sometimes-solitary writing process. What it is: a group of people sitting silently together working on their individual writing projects for 25-minute Pomodoro sessions, with short breaks between and a longer mid-morning coffee, snack, and socializing break. What it's not: a writing tutorial or workshop. Open to FIMS faculty and grad students who have writing to work on.

"Necropolitics Illustrated: the Covid-19 pandemic and the photojournalistic images related to Brazil's Bolsonaro"
Thursday, April 6, 2023
4:30 p.m.
Attend in person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Zoom link
Presented by Andrew Melo, PhD in Media Studies student.
Abstract: This paper explores Achile Mbembe's concept of necropolitics, from Foucault's biopolitics and the issues of sovereignty and control over life and death. Necropolitics is then applied to analyze how the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was portrayed in his response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The country is the second in the world in the number of deaths due to the novel coronavirus, only behind the United States, where former President Donald Trump adopted similar responses (continue reading).

"The Role of Influencers on Instagram and Twitter during the 2022/2023 Women's Rights Protests in Iran: Preliminary Findings"
Thursday, April 20, 2023
4:30 p.m.
Attend in person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Zoom link
Presented by Jinman Zhang and Zahra Falahatpisheh (Media Studies PhD students), Professor Molly-Gloria Patel (Okanagan College), and Professor Anabel Quan-Haase.
Abstract: In September 2022, after the death of Masha Amini, who allegedly violated Iran’s strict rules regarding women covering their hair by not wearing a headscarf properly, protests escalated and erupted in Iran where citizens, particularly women, demanded more freedom and justice. As seen with other viral movements like #MeToo, the features and affordances of social media helped to encourage and foster digital activism and create global awareness around the violation of women’s rights. In this research, we use Iran as a case study to explore the use of Twitter and Instagram by Iranian influencers in disseminating protest-related information to their followers (continue reading). 

The Partnership Education Series
Monday, May 8, 2023
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Online event/Register now
The Partnership presents the Spring 2023 education series, with a focus on new researchers. It aims to equip attendees with an introduction to research best practices, provide insights and resources to collect and communicate research findings, and offer approaches to translate research skills into library programming and project work. Assistant Professor Yimin Chen will present a session titled "Breaking Down and Building Up: An Introduction to Research Design" at 2:00 p.m.

"Local or Global? The Future of Diaspora and Immigration Museums"
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
6:30 p.m.
Attend in person: Aga Khan Museum (77 Wynford Drive, Toronto)
Attend online: Zoom Webinar
Ticket purchase required for in-person attendance.
This event is part of the Global Conversations panel series and is moderated by Sarah E.K. Smith.
Diaspora communities speak to belonging across multiple generations and locations, encompassing a range of experiences from forced migration to skilled immigration. In the last three decades, these communities have been represented by a range of museums. Marking International Museum Day, this panel discussion explores how museums engage diaspora and immigrant communities and represent their stories, speaking to local and global issues and networks (continuing reading).


Important Dates


- Friday, April 7, 2023 - Good Friday holiday (FIMS offices closed, no classes)
- Monday, April 10, 2023 - Last day of classes for undergraduate students
- Thursday, April 13 - Sunday, April 30, 2023 - Undergraduate Exam Period
- Friday, April 14, 2023 - Last day of classes for FIMS graduate programs
- Thursday, April 27, 2023 - Board of Governor's Meeting (10 AM, WIRB)


Awards & Accomplishments

MLIS students Vicky Chung and Viet Ho were named as winners of the Spirit of Librarianship Award for this term and FIMS instructor Stephen Coulstring was named winner of the Fantastic FIMS award. Both awards are given out every term by the MLISSC. Previous winners can be found online.


Publications & Presentations

Jack Kausch, LIS PhD student, authored a novel titled Aretalogy: Lineage of a God, published in January 2023.

Michael Nyby, MLIS student, has been selected to present his research on Materials Challenges in Canadian Libraries at the Atlantic Provinces Library Association Conference between June 6-9. The presentation is titled "The Demography of Censorship: what the Challenges Survey database tells us about library censorship in Canada and it does not (yet)."

Associate Professor Victoria L. Rubin gave an invited talk on March 24 titled "Detection Capabilities with Natural Language Processing & Machine Learning: For Deceptive Content, Satirical Fakes, & Clickbait." The presentation was given at the University of Calgary and was part of the Technological Panel (for Information and Cyber Security) at the CANIS Conference. 


In the Media


Assistant Professor Alissa Centivany was featured in a Western News article titled "This Western professor is fighting for your right to fix your own stuff," published on March 22, 2023.

Professor Centivany was also a guest on CBC London Morning to discuss her work on the "right to repair" movement, her recent testimony to the House of Commons, and the importance of waste reduction. Part 1. Part 2.

Associate Professor Victoria L. Rubin was featured in a Western News article titled "Cutting through the chat about bots: Assessing text-generating AI," published on March 24, 2023.

Assistant Professor Luke Stark was quoted in an article titled "Will ChatGPT Kill the Student Essay? Universities Aren't Ready for the Answer," published in The Walrus on March 24, 2023.

Professor Stark was also a guest on Shaye Ganam on 770 CHQR and 630 CHED to discuss ChatGPT's implications for high school and post-secondary teachers.


News from the FIMS Graduate Library


FIMS Grad Library Hours (April)

Please be advised that our hours shift in April, as follows:

Friday, April 7th (Good Friday), CLOSED
April 14th - May 7th, 2023 (Monday - Friday, 10am-3pm; CLOSED weekends)

Professional Headshots in April (Complimentary, Drop-In)

We are delighted to partner with our colleagues in the Broadcasting Services to offer free, professional headshots to members of the FIMS Graduate community (students, faculty, and staff) over the next two weeks! If you are graduating and looking to update your LinkedIn profile, or have an online profesional dossier you are looking to enhance, come and have your photo taken by the professionals who have the right gear to do the job well. No need to register; just pop-by the Library at the designated times/days, and we'll take care of the rest! You can even choose the backdrop of your preference (e.g., the library's stacks, or a modern background with vertical lighting).

  • Thursday, April 6th (12-1pm)
  • Tuesday, April 11th (12-1pm)
  • Thursday, April 13th (12-1pm)
  • Tuesday, April 18th (12-1pm)

Make of the Month | Welcome Spring!

After months of winter gray, we could all use a pop of colour to brighten our mood and our spaces! This April we’ll be making bright, colourful, spring decorations to welcome the season and for all who celebrate or observe annual rituals or special occasions at this time of year. We'll have templates ready for quick and easy use. You’re also welcome to bring your creativity and make something from scratch. All materials will be provided and FGL staff will be on hand and ready to help as needed.


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 .

This is the final issue of the FIMS Graduate Bulletin for the Winter 2023 term. Over the summer term, issues will be published on May 17, June 14, July 12, and August 9.