Episoder
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In this week's episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Mark Ambrogio interview Pilar Rodriguez Mata, a PhD Student in Digital Humanities and Hispanic Studies. Pilar is studying Spanish-language tweets written from 2009 to 2022. Rooted in the humanities, Pilar studies the digital form, utilizing coding – to study the more than 3.5 million tweets she collected, with a focus on learning what enormous amounts of data can tell us about feminism in the Spanish-speaking world.Chrishma and Mark talk with Pilar about what brought her to Western, her journey learning computational tools for her research, and how therapeutic music and reading can be for graduate students.
UWO Cultureplex Lab: https://cultureplex.caPilar's linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pilarrodriguezmata?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_androidRecorded on Tuesday, June 16, 2026Produced by Kuljeet ChohanTheme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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Doing science is never about a single approach. Join hosts Bruno Mesquita and Rafaela Platkin as they chat with guest Camdyn Holmes, a MSc student in Biochemistry whose research compares two different approaches in examining what makes us human. Most people know that our DNA is an important part of who we are, but not all genes are active everywhere in our body. How do scientists study and measure the different ways our genes express throughout our cells?
Recorded on Friday, June 9, 2026
Produced by Milan Mammen and Zoe KallenekosTheme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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Hosts Garth Casbourn and Milan Mammen are joined this week by psychology student and member of the Psychobiology of Eating and Related Disorders (PEAR) Lab, Taylor Nicole Breddy. Taylor is in the first year of her Master of Clinical Psychology, though she already has multiple years under her belt as a member of Western’s research community. We learn first about her current focus on individual approaches to exercise and how these might relate to mental health issues. The conversation then expands to Taylor’s other, wide-ranging research interests, and the links between psychology and other fields like neuroscience and forensics. To learn more about the PEAR Lab and their research, visit: pearlabuwo.wixsite.com/mysiteInstagram handles:@uwopearlab@taylorenicoleeRecorded on Friday, June 5, 2026Produced by Victor LauTheme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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In this week's episode, hosts Ryan Baxter and Mark Ambrogio interview Jasmine Proctor, a PhD candidate in Media Studies, in Western's Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS). Jasmine ("Jazz") is interested in how queer K-pop fan communities negotiate gender and sexuality through transcultural networked fan labour across digital platforms. Ryan and Mark ask Jazz about the emergence of K-pop and the interesting phenomenon of K-pop's mass appeal to a North American audience. More broadly, they discuss fandom, popular music, and popular culture. Jasmine also discusses the PhD program in Media Studies and helpful ways of de-stressing, including running, listening to music (of course), and reading.For further information on Jasmine's research: Jasmine Proctor Profile Jasmine's doctoral supervisor is Dr. Norma Coates, cross-listed between FIMS and Western's Faculty of Music.Recorded on Tuesday, May 26, 2026Produced by Mark Ambrogio, with help from Ryan BaxterTheme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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GradCast heads to the Western Research Forum! Get a glimpse into Western's largest multidisciplinary graduate research conference as hosts Chrishma Perera, Victor Lau, Maris Schneider, Milan Mammen, and Anthony Cruz conduct short interviews with the graduate student presenters. This year's conference featured over 100 different presentations from across Western's 11 faculties. See below for timestamps.
Funding for the 40th Annual Western Research Forum was provided by Western's Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) and the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS). The venue and technical support were graciously provided by Western Libraries.
Recorded on March 6, 2026.Produced by Anthony Cruz.Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).
Timestamps:01:00 - Joey Butler02:26 - Reshika Rohan04:20 - Seth MacKenzie05:50 - Kelly Wang09:36 - Alessandra Walsh11:26 - Abdul Moiz Noqui12:28 - Alejandra Varela13:24 - Aditi Satsangi14:42 - Robyn Lewis16:08 - Rameeza Rashed17:06 - Emma Tassinari18:40 - Mark Kwok19:59 - Sara Varón Echeverri21:11 - Sohini Chatterjee24:01 - Haiyi Yan
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This week, hosts Anthony Cruz and Mark Ambrogio are joined by Marc Lalonde, the longtime manager of The Grad Club and recent recipient of the Western Award of Excellence. For over 20 years, Marc has played a central role in shaping The Grad Club as a community space for graduate students, faculty, and staff. In this episode, Marc discusses his journey from Canadore College to Lake Louise, the West Coast, and finally to London. Listen to learn about Marc’s career, how The Grad Club has evolved over the past two decades, and maybe even a few teasers about what’s coming to The Grad Club this summer.
Follow The Grad Club on Instagram: @uwogradclub
The Grad ClubThe Grad ClubWestern NewsKeri FergusonWestern Award of Excellence recipients support campus community –...Seven individuals and one interdisciplinary team are recipients of the 2025 Western Award of Excellence, a top honour for Western University employees.Recorded on Tuesday, May 19th, 2026
Produced by Anika Bushra
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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This week, PhD candidate (Nursing) Azmat Jehan shines a light on older adults and their experiences in long-term care. How are they supported by family, or by other care partners? How do cultural practices intersect with the healthcare system to make individuals feel more heard, cared for, and respected? What are some of the potential barriers that remain, hindering the realization of what's been termed culturally safe care?
Join Kelly Wang and Victor Lau as they learn more about Azmat’s journey in interviewing and hearing stories from this age-friendly community. Discover a bit more about how communication can make a difference - both within, and outside of the time spent with individuals making up an important part of our community.
You can find Azmat on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/azmat-jehan-928399309
Recorded on Tuesday, May 12th, 2026
Produced by Garth Casbourn
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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In honour of International Nurses' Day (on Tuesday, May 12), hosts Chrisma Perera and Mark Ambrogio interview Mehtab Jaffer, a PhD candidate in Nursing here at Western University. While many topics of study are divided between practitioners and researchers, Mehtab is uniquely positioned as both, as she is a registered nurse here in Ontario studying the place of Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) in Ontario hospitals.
In their conversation, Mehtab speaks to her use of in-depth interviews with both IENs and key informants in Ontario hospitals. They discuss Mehtab's research into the lived experiences of IENs, as they navigate their journey into the Canadian healthcare system, touching upon topics such as the influence of organizational culture and identity orientation, capturing the professional, cultural, social, emotional, and psychological aspects that define and shape IENs' journeys.
Mehtab's Social Media
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mehtab.jaffer/
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/mehtab-jaffer
Instagram @mehtab.jaffer
Other links from the episode
Western University Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing PhD
Society Of Internationally Educated Nurses (SIENNA)
Registered Nurses of Ontario (RNAO)
International Nursing Interest Group (INIG)
Trent University (Alumni IENs)
Aga Khan University School of Nursing, (AKU-SONAM)- Karachi, Pakistan
Recorded on Tuesday, May 5, 2026Produced by Ella SicilianoTheme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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BookCast is an ongoing series where we delve into novels set in an academic context. For the 10th edition of BookCast, Garth Casbourn, Milan Mamman, and Mark Ambrogio discuss the 2006 novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics, by Marisha Pessl.
Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a darkly hilarious coming-of-age tale and a richly plotted suspense story, told with dazzling intelligence and wit. This novel won the inaugural John Sargent, Sr. First Novel Prize in 2006.In their discussion, Garth, Milan and Mark share their analysis of the novel, combined with some first-hand experience of academic life.Recorded on Friday, February 27, 2026Produced by Mark AmbrogioTheme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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In this week's episode, PhD student Hannah Corenblum joins hosts Rafaela Platkin and Spencer Schmitz to talk about her research on abstract mental state concepts. Hannah is interested in understanding the individual differences in mentalizing abilities and how these relate to people's capacities to process cognitive concepts. Mentalizing is the ability to understand one's own and others' mental states. Hannah hopes her clinical research will help improve how mentalization is measured, with the goal of identifying impairments and developing ways to better target and treat them across a wide range of clinical populations.
Recorded on Tuesday, April 26, 2026Produced by Evelyn MacKay-BarrTheme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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PhD candidate Catherine George joins hosts Milan Mammen and Mark Ambrogio to discuss her research on falls and their risk factors among stroke survivors aged 30–65 living in the community. Guided by supervisors Joy MacDermid and Janelle Unger, Catherine uses a community-based participatory action research approach to center the voices of individuals with lived experience of stroke. Listen to this episode to find out more!
To learn more about Catherine, explore the links below:
Catherine’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-george-262168221
Dr Joy MacDermid, HULC Clinical Research Lab: https://www.sjhc.london.on.ca/research/hulc/meet-the-team
Dr Janelle Unger, RED Neuro Lab: https://junger61.wixsite.com/redneuro
Recorded on Tuesday, April 21st, 2026
Produced by Victor Lau
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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How do artistic and scientific ways of thinking meet, overlap, and challenge each other?
In this special Arts & Sciences mini-series episode of GradCast, hosts Ryan Baxter and Riya Sidhu are joined by Rebekka Lagace Cusiac, a PhD student in Psychology studying music and numerical cognition, and Seyed Mohammad Tonkaboni, a DMA student in music composition whose work engages with Persian literature and Iranian musical traditions.
Together, they explore how different disciplines approach the study of music, and how creative and analytical perspectives can inform one another.
Recorded on August 12th, 2025Produced by Bruno MesquitaTheme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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Political science PhD candidate Katie McCoy returns to the podcast this week. She chats with hosts Scott Walters and Garth Casbourn about the new directions her research has taken over the past 18 months. She explains how the focus of her dissertation has broadened from the urban/rural divide to place-based identity. We get a sneak peek at some hot-off-the-presses analyses of how the places people grow up and live in shape their perceptions of economic reality, as well as shaping their political behaviours like voting.
Katie has also become a graduate fellow of Western's Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance.
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also want to listen to Katie's previous time on the podcast.
Recorded on Tuesday, April 14, 2026Produced by Evelyn MacKay-BarrTheme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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This is the fourth and final episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries, 2026. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Ryan Baxter speak with Haorui Zhou, a second-year Master's student in Geography and Environment.
Haorui shared key insights from his research on mobility patterns in Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area, highlighting trends and challenges in urban transportation. He also reflected on his personal experience as an international student at Western, offering a unique perspective on adapting to a new academic and cultural environment. Connecting his research to broader themes of sustainability, Haorui emphasized the importance of individual responsibility in reducing environmental impact and contributing to a more sustainable future.
Recorded on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026Produced by Chrishma PereraTheme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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PhD student Kailey Cutillo joins hosts Maris Schneider and Mark Ambrogio to talk about her work in Theory and Criticism. Kailey is interested in better understanding the politics of care, particularly within institutions such as universities. The "politics of care" is a framework that examines the social, ecological, and physical welfare of individuals' opportunities within systems, but also considers how these systems seek to profit from the motives of care. She critiques current systemic practices and uses Indigenous Critical Theory and Feminist Theory to conceptualize how we, as a society, can care better.Kailey also discusses her role as the Peer Advisor for Academic Matters for the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS).One of the texts foundational to Kailey's research is The Care Manifesto.Recorded on Tuesday, April 7, 2026Produced by Mark Ambrogio, with help with Maris SchneiderTheme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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This is the third episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Ryan Baxter interview Javier Ponce de Leon Eyl, a PhD student in Hispanic Studies. Javier also serves as the Sustainability coordinator for the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) sustainability committee and shared a lot of insights into how the Western student community can engage in sustainability activities on campus.
Recorded on Tuesday, March 24th, 2026Produced by Chrishma PereraTheme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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This is the second episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Spencer Schmitz speak with Dharma Raj Dhakal, a second-year PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Dharma shares insights from his research on how landfills can contaminate groundwater, the water we rely on but rarely see. Beyond his research, Dharma also reflects on his journey as an international student in Canada and invites listeners to take part in Earth Day activities on April 22.
Recorded on Tuesday, March 17th, 2026Produced by Kuljeet ChohanTheme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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In this week's episode, hosts Bruno Mesquita and Zoe Kallenekos are joined by Samantha Hopkins, a PhD candidate from the department of biology who is investigating the exciting and complex world of carbon fluxes in dryland ecosystems. Outside of her studies, she is also a student athlete for the Team Canada Football team and is one of the top 24 scouted players in Canada. Listen to learn more about carbon flux towers, peak productivity days, and what it's like in the competitive world of national level football.
Samantha Hopkins Instagram: sam.hopkins_
Recorded on Tuesday, March 31, 2026Produced by Anika Bushra and Bruno MesquitaTheme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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In this week’s episode, hosts Maris Schneider and Kelly Wang are talking with Yuhan Zhao, a MA student in the department of Education. Yuhan looks at how adults who learned English as their second language use derivatives when they are writing. For those who need an English refresher, a derivative is a word formed from another word (like actor, which is derived from the word act). Yuhan hopes that her research will help in classrooms where ESL speakers are struggling to learn the complex aspects of English grammar.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuhan-zhao-5225aa367/
Recorded on Tuesday, March 24th, 2026Produced by Milan MammenTheme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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In this week's episode, hosts Anthony Cruz and Rafaela Platkin are joined by Alex Muth, an MSc student in the Psychology department at Western University. Alex shares an in-depth look at his research on the communication systems of two chickadee species, like did you know birds have accents just like humans?!
He also reflects on his experience at the intersection of psychology and biology, explaining how his curiosity about human behaviour leads him to study animals as a way of exploring those questions from a different perspective.
Click on the link to learn about the Centre for Animals on the Move (the research centre that Alex is a part of) and to watch their recent movie titled Making Peace with Canada Geese.
Recorded on Tuesday, March 17th, 2026Produced by Ella SicilianoTheme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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