No. 509 - November 1, 2023

  • Coming Events:

    - FIMSWrites - Fall Edition
    - Inter/Trans/Multidisciplinarity - Why all the buzz?
    - Conversations on Access: Featuring Jonathan Sterne and Ashton Forrest
    - Pride Library Tour and Talk with Dr. James Miller
    - Emma Donoghue and Chris Roulston: In Conversation
    - Advocating for Creativity: Patricia Bovey on Arts Activism & Cultural Policy
    - Community-based Experiential Learning in Canadian Universities
    - Unlocking the Power of ORCID iD: Empowering Researchers and Enhancing Scholarly Impact
    - Save the Date: Femcel Forums: Exploring Gender Identity & Radicalization on Reddit
    - Save the Date: Making #Charlottesville: Media from Civil Rights to Unite the Right
    - Save the Date: Defining and classifying the Broadway Musical in an Age of AI

  • Important Dates:

    - Monday, October 30 - Friday, November 3, 2023 - Fall Reading Week
    - Monday, October 30 - Friday, November 3, 2023 - MLIS Research Week
    - Thursday, November 2, 2023 - Staff and Leader Fall Learning Day (NCB 101, 8:30 AM-12:15 PM)
    - Friday, November 3, 2023 - Community Engaged Learning and Well-Being Workshop
    - Friday, November 10, 2023 - Meeting of the Senate (A&HB 1R40, 1:30 PM)

  • News & Announcements:

    - The Conversation Canada: How to Write an Op-Ed
    - Nominations open for the Spirit of Librarianship and Fantastic FIMS awards

    Publications & Presentations:

    - Jacquie Burkell
    - Alissa Centivany
    - Lyndsay Foisey
    - Maggie Giles (BA'11, MTP)
    - Nataleah Hunter-Young
    - Talia Méndez
    - Anabel Quan-Haase
    - Joanna Redden
    - Ben Robinson (MLIS'18)
    - Sananda Sahoo
    - Luke Stark

  • In the Media:

    - Billie Anderson
    - Alissa Centivany
    - Jeremy Copeland
    - Maggie Giles (BA'11, MTP)
    - Amanda Grzyb
    - Sam Trosow

  • Additional Activities of Note:

    - Wrinkle Radio Podcast: Nicole Dalmer (PhD'18, LIS)
    - (Dis)Trust and AI: Perspectives from Across Disciplines and Sectors

  • News from the FIMS Graduate Library:

    - The FIMS Graduate Library Presents...
    - Grad Library Hours - November and December

  • News from Western Libraries:

    - GIS Days 2023

  • Next Issue:


Coming Events


FIMSWrites - Fall Edition
Every Wednesday
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Check your Western email for the Zoom link (or contact Pam McKenzie) or drop in to FNB 4070.
Do you expect to have assignment, story, article, report, thesis, and/or book writing deadlines coming up in the Fall 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.

Inter/Trans/Multidisciplinarity - Why all the buzz?
Monday, November 6, 2023
12:00 p.m. - 1:20 p.m.
Attend in person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Register for Zoom link
Presented by Professor Jacquelyn Burkell, Associate Vice-President (Research) at Western University.
Everywhere you turn in the research environment, the talk is about working across disciplinary divisions. Some of the talk is ‘meta’: Debates rage about the difference between inter-trans-multidisciplinary approaches (sorry, not here!). Some highlights concerns raised by this new focus: Sole scholars and basic researchers worry that this new focus undermines the value of their endeavours (absolutely not!); early career researchers are concerned that a focus on teamwork will undermine their careers (proceed with some caution); those seeking funding for their research suspect that inter/trans/multidisciplinary projects are where the money is going (not wrong). Read more.

Conversations on Access: Featuring Jonathan Sterne and Ashton Forrest
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Zoom Webinar
All are welcome to attend this event. Join us for a conversation about impairment theory and disability activism featuring Dr. Jonathan Sterne and Ashton Forrest. Dr. Sterne is the James McGill Professor of Culture and Technology at McGill University. He recently published Diminished Faculties: A Political Phenomenology of Impairment (2022), which explores impairment as a means to engage a larger conversation about disability, power, and technology (continue reading).

Pride Library Tour and Talk with Dr. James Miller
Thursday, November 9, 2023
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
DB Weldon Library, The Pride Library
Hosted by the FIMS Graduate Library Presents... A tour of the newly revitalized and recently re-opened Pride Library will be held for members of the FIMS community on Thursday, November 9. Dr. James Miller, the Pride Library's founding Director, will provide a walking tour of the facility along with a history of the collection and orientation to the Library's resources and services (read more).

Emma Donoghue and Chris Roulston: In Conversation
Thursday, November 9, 2023
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Museum London
421 Ridout Street North
This event featuring Emma Donoghue and Chris Roulston is a collaborative venture between the Creative Arts & Production (CAP) program and the Words Festival. Following the conversation there will be a reception to mark the official launch of the CAP program. Read more.

Advocating for Creativity: Patricia Bovey on Arts Activism & Cultural Policy
Friday, November 10, 2023
10:00 a.m.
FNB 4130
Everyone is welcome to attend. Free admission. How can we better advocate for artists in Canada? What role can cultural policy play in securing artists’ material conditions and advancing their interests? And, how can we build broader coalitions to support arts and culture initiatives? Join us for a presentation and discussion considering these pressing questions. Featuring author, museum professional, and former Senator Patricia Bovey, this event will focus on strategies for arts activism, address the current cultural policy landscape in Canada, and identify pressing areas for future policy advocacy (continue reading).

Community-based Experiential Learning in Canadian Universities
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
12:00 p.m. – 1:20 p.m.
Attend in person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Register for Zoom link
Presented by: Hailey Rockandel, Mackenna Spraggon, Amala Poli, Giada Ferrucci, Darryl Pieber, Sandra Smeltzer
Community engaged learning (CEL) is a praxis-oriented pedagogy for which students engage in projects developed collaboratively with community partners for mutually beneficial outcomes. This presentation provides a meta-level overview of key trends pertaining to CEL in Canadian higher education. Our discussion draws on an in-depth study of publicly available information from 80 universities to gain insight into how they define, describe, and facilitate CEL-oriented activities (read more).

Unlocking the Power of ORCID iD: Empowering Researchers and Enhancing Scholarly Impact
Thursday, November 16, 2023
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Register on Zoom
Presented by Joanne Paterson, Research and Scholarly Communication Librarian, Western Libraries.
ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier (an ORCID iD) that you own and control, and that distinguishes you from every other researcher. In this presentation, researchers will learn the important role of ORCID iD in modern academia. We'll explore how ORCID iD simplifies research identity management and once set up, streamlines adding professional information — affiliations, grants, publications, peer review, and more — to your profile. Researchers will learn how to create and maintain their ORCID profile, and delve into practical applications, including how to export BibTeX citations to use in the Canadian Common CV, or adding a trusted administrator (like a RA). Join us to harness the full potential of ORCID iD to simplify the management of your research outputs.

Save the Date: Femcel Forums: Exploring Gender Identity & Radicalization on Reddit
Thursday, November 16, 2023
4:30 p.m.
Attend in person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Zoom link TBA
Presented by Brittany Melton, PhD candidate in Media Studies
Abstract: This presentation will delve into my dissertation research which explores how "female celibate" groups (femcels) on Reddit discuss societal norms, gender identity, and sexuality. I focus on two main areas: how femcels use Reddit for gender discourse, and the strategies r/FemaleDatingStrategy moderators use to regulate gender expression and potentially radicalize members. Key research questions include: Why do FDS users choose Reddit for gender discussions? How does Reddit's structure empower gender identity expression? How might Reddit's features enable radicalization by moderators? And, how does shared identity promote counterpublic formation on Reddit (continue reading)?

Save the Date: Making #Charlottesville: Media from Civil Rights to Unite the Right
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Attend in person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Register on Zoom
Presented by Professor Aniko Bodroghkozy, University of Virginia.
Abstract: This talk is based on my recent book about the world-wide media event that happened in my town of Charlottesville, Virginia in the summer of 2017. The alt-right’s Unite the Right rally put the resurgence of aggressive, empowered white supremacy and far-right extremism in the Trump era on display, along with the antiracist and antifascist movement in opposition to it. I examine the meanings and significance of this seminal moment in recent U.S. history by putting it into dialogue and comparison with key media events of the civil rights era, particularly the 1963 Birmingham and 1965 Selma campaigns (read more).

Save the Date: Defining and classifying the Broadway Musical in an Age of AI
Thursday, November 23, 2023
4:30 p.m.
Attend in person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Zoom link TBA
Presented by Professor Grant Campbell. This presentation is dedicated to the memory of our former colleague and scholar of the Broadway musical, Jonathan Burston.
Abstract: The rise of artificial intelligence is forcing us to re-examine relationships that enable algorithms to find, select, filter and combine information in a meaningful way. This presentation will explore two separate examples of problematic relationships that occur within the genre of the Broadway musical. The Book of Mormon is a Broadway musical that engages humorously with a Mormon sacred text of the same name. A Texas production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton rewrote significant portions of the book and lyrics to contain Christian instruction. The presentation will compare these two different cases of textual appropriation to explore possible definitions of variation, adaptation and appropriation that we can use to critique the textual relations that will inevitably confront us through the AI process. 


Important Dates


- Monday, October 30 - Friday, November 3, 2023 - Fall Reading Week
- Monday, October 30 - Friday, November 3, 2023 - MLIS Research Week
- Thursday, November 2, 2023 - Staff and Leader Fall Learning Day (NCB 101, 8:30 AM-12:15 PM)
- Friday, November 10, 2023 - Meeting of the Senate (A&HB 1R40, 1:30 PM)



News & Announcements


The Conversation Canada: How to Write an Op-Ed
November 14, 8-10 AM, Weldon Community Room. Open to faculty members, post docs and PhD candidates. Editor-in-Chief of The Conversation Canada Scott White will lead an interactive, hands-on workshop on how to write an effective opinion editorial (op-ed) for publication in The Conversation or other mainstream media outlets. The Conversation is a daily independent online publication, delivering analysis and explanatory journalism from the research community directly to the public. This is an interactive workshop where participants are encouraged to bring op-ed ideas to work on. To reserve your spot in the workshop please email Media Relations Officer Justin Zadorsky at jzadorsk@uwo.ca.

Nominations open for the Spirit of Librarianship and Fantastic FIMS awards
The deadline to nominate someone is Wednesday, November 15 at midnight. Your nomination should include an explanation as to why you are nominating that individual. You can submit multipe nominations. For full details on criteria and how to make a nomination, check your Western email.


Publications & Presentations

Professor Jacquie Burkell served as moderator at the Rotman Institute's conference (Dis)Trust and AI: Perspectives from Across Disciplines and Sectors, held October 26-28. Professor Burkell moderated a session titled, "What does reliable or 'trustworthy' AI look like?"

Assistant Professor Alissa Centivany participated as a panelist at the Rotman Institute's conference (Dis)Trust and AI: Perspectives from Across Disciplines and Sectors from October 26-28. Professor Centivany appeared in a session titled, "What does reliable or 'trustworthy' AI look like?"

Lyndsay Foisey, HIS PhD candidate, and Professor Anabel Quan-Haase published the following book chapter:

Quan-Haase, A., Foisey, L., McLaughlin, R. (2023). Social Media and Digital Networks. In The Sage Handbook of Social Network Analysis (2e), Editors: John McLevey, John Scott, Peter J. Carrington. SAGE Publications: London.

Professor Quan-Haase was also a speaker at the Rotman Institute's conference (Dis)Trust and AI: Perspectives from Across Disciplines and Sectors from October 26-28, for a session titled, "Should trust in AI be elicited through AI design?"

Maggie Giles (BA'11, MTP) published her second novel titled, Twisted, in September. She was also interviewed by Western about writing with aphantasia (see In the Media below).

Assistant Professor Nataleah Hunter-Young will present a talk titled "Black Study and Critical Practice: On Radical Disappearance and Joining," at the American Studies Association Conference in Montreal on November 2. The talk takes place from 4:00 p.m. - 5:40 p.m. at Le Centre Sheraton, Montreal. Read the abstract online.

Talia Méndez, PhD in Media Studies candidate, was invited to present at the XV International Congress on Humanities in the Digital Age in Nariño, Colombia, on October 6.

Associate Professor Joanna Redden presented a talk titled, "From Data Harms to Data Justice: Why We All Have a Role to Play in Building Better Futures" as part of the Rotman Institute's 2023 Annual Library Lecture Series on October 19. This year's theme is Ethical Issues in Artificial Intelligence.

Professor Redden was also a speaker at the Rotman Institute's conference (Dis)Trust and AI: Perspectives from Across Disciplines and Sectors from October 26-28, presenting during a session titled, "Should we rely on AI assessments of human trustworthiness?"

Ben Robinson (MLIS'18) recently published a book of essays called The Book of Benjamin through Palimpsest Press. From the back cover: "Like an obsessive baby name book with only one entry, The Book of Benjamin establishes links between identity, birth, and grief. Braiding the story of his stillborn sister with the Biblical account of Benjamin to explore how names and their etymologies might shape our self-understanding, Benjamin Robinson resists the individual focus of the memoir, while investigating new forms of masculinity."

Sananda Sahoo, Media Studies PhD candidate, chaired the panel "Emerging Perspectives in South Asian Political Studies" at the 51st Annual Conference on South Asia on October 21, 2023. Sananda also presented a paper titled, "Media Representation as Politics Constructs Subjects in the New India," at the conference on October 21.

Assistant Professor Luke Stark served as a moderator at the Rotman Institute's conference (Dis)Trust and AI: Perspectives from Across Disciplines and Sectors from October 26-28, for a session titled, "Should trust in AI be elicited through AI design?"


In the Media


Billie Anderson, Media Studies PhD candidate, appeared on CBC's Ontario Today on October 27 to discuss the staying power of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and look at themes of acceptance/inclusion and disability justice in the film. The segment was titled "What's your Rocky Horror Picture show story?" 

Assistant Professor Alissa Centivany appeared on CBC Radio's What On Earth with Laura Lynch in a segment titled, "Let's talk about all your broken stuff," that aired on October 27. Professor Centivany was also a guest on CBC Radio Montreal on October 30 to talk about Right to Repair issues.

FIMS instructor Jeremy Copeland provided insight to CBC London on teaching journalism students the importance of providing balanced and accurate coverage when reporting on conflicts in an article titled "As Israel-Hamas war worsens, journalism instructors and students are analyzing their roles," published on October 22.

Copeland also gave an interview to CBC's London Morning with Andrew Brown on October 19 in a segment titled "A professor's approach to reporting the conflict in Gaza".

Maggie Giles (BA'11, MTP) was interviewed by Western News for an article titled "FIMS grad Maggie Giles releases new novel 'Twisted'," published on October 20. Maggie discusses what it's like to write with aphantasia.

Professor Amanda Grzyb was interviewed for an article titled, "Mapping with deep meaning: Preserving memory in El Salvador," published by Western News on October 27. Professor Grzyb is the Principal Investigator for the Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador project.

Associate Professor Sam Trosow was quoted in an article titled, "Court battle over Ontario 'Ag-Gag law' banning undercover farm investigations underway," published on the Global News website on October 30.

Professor Trosow was also interviewed on the same subject by CTV News for an article titled, "Court battle over Ontario's agriculture 'gag' laws kick off in Toronto," published on October 30.


Additional Activities of Note


Nicole Dalmer, PhD'18 (LIS), was a guest on Wrinkle Radio's podcast hosted by Sally Chivers for an episode titled "Information Piles and Palaces." Assistant Professor Dalmer provided advice on where to go to get good information about dementia care.

(Dis)Trust and AI: Perspectives from Across Disciplines and Sectors
Professors Jacquie Burkell and Luke Stark were part of the organizing committee for the Rotman Institute's recent conference titled, "(Dis)Trust and AI: Perspectives from Across Disciplines and Sectors," held at the Ivey Leadership Centre (October 26-28). The event focused on pressing questions under the general theme of (dis)trust and AI and bring together people working in different academic disciplines and sectors of society to collaborate in answering them.


News from the FIMS Graduate Library

The FIMS Grad Library Presents...

Pride Library Tour & Talk, with Dr. James Miller

A tour of the newly revitalized and recently re-opened Pride Library will be held for members of the FIMS community on Thursday, November 9th, from 12-1pm (EST). Dr. James Miller, the Pride Library’s founding Director, will provide a walking tour of the facility along with a history of the collection and orientation to the library’s resources and services. James will also review volunteer opportunities available for MLIS students within the library. Western’s Pride Library is the only academic library dedicated to queer theory and literature in Canada. Students, faculty, and staff are asked to meet at the entrance to the Pride Library, located on the main floor of The D.B. Weldon Library, shortly before 12pm.

FIMS Grad Library Hours, November & December 2023

  • Tuesday – Friday, October 31st – November 3rd, 2023 (10am-2pm)
  • Saturday, November 4th & Sunday, November 5th, 2023 (CLOSED)
  • Monday, November 6th – December 8th, 2023 Fall 2023 Hours Resume
  • Saturday, December 9th & Sunday, December 10th, 2023 (CLOSED)
  • Monday, December 11th – Friday, December 15th, 2023 (10am-2pm)
  • Saturday, December 16th & Sunday, December 17th, 2023 (CLOSED)
  • Monday, December 18th – Friday, December 22nd, 2023 (10am-2pm)
  • Saturday, December 23rd – Sunday, December 31st, 2023 (CLOSED)

News from Western Libraries


Join Western Libraries for GIS Days 2023

Celebrate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Nov. 13 - 16 alongside community leaders at this free, online/in-person event. Presentations will be in the form of 7-minute lightning talks, live digital mapping demonstrations, and tutorials.  

It’s your chance to : 

  • Check out the latest digital mapping technology including drones, VR and an augmented reality sandbox 
  • Discover how to take advantage of mapping technology in your research, education, or for your next job interview  
  • Draw for virtual door prizes  
  • Network and win prizes at the hybrid trivia evening

For more information, view the schedule online.


Next Issue


The FIMS 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 FIMS Bulletin will be published on Wednesday, November 15. The deadline to submit content is Tuesday, November 14 at noon.