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westernnews.ca
PM 41195534
March 26, 2015 / Vol. 51 No. 11
FLIP for
the future
Along for
the ride
Western Libraries casting a wide
net to develop strategic plan
Novel power source
for bird research may
take flight soon
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
THE MAKEOVER IS just beginning for Western Libraries.
When Catherine Steeves took up the post of vice provost and
chief librarian last fall, she knew a strategic-planning process was
on the horizon.
“My vision is to position Western Libraries as a catalyst for success in research and higher education, and the (strategic) plan will
answer ‘The How,’” she said. “What does that look like? Where do
we need to invest to get there? What more can we be doing, and
how do we achieve that?”
Launched in 2010, the library system’s current strategic plan
expired this year. And the timing, Steeves said, couldn’t be better.
Last January, Western rolled out its latest strategic plan, Achieving Excellence on the World Stage. At its core, the plan charts a
four-year course based on four strategic priorities that will drive
the university’s academic planning and activity during this period:
• Raising Our Expectations: Create a world-class research and
scholarship culture;
• Leading in Learning: Provide Canada’s best education for
tomorrow’s global leaders;
• Reaching Beyond Campus: Engage alumni, community, institutional and international partners; and
• Taking Charge of Our Destiny: Generate and invest new
resources in support of excellence.
“We need to answer the call that’s in the university’s new strategic plan. If we’re going to do our best to support research excellence and student success, we need everybody, together, deciding
on the future direction,” she added.
Earlier this term, Steeves announced the launch of FLIP: Future
Library In Progress, a process to shape the strategic plan.
A steering committee was formed, representing the diverse
story // pages 8-9
FLIP FOR THE FUTURE // CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
MELANIE MILLS // SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
ILLUSTRATION BY FRANK NEUFELD
Western’s newspaper of record since 1972
As part of FLIP: Future Library In Progress, a process to
shape the Western Libraries strategic plan, flip charts were
positioned in libraries asking students to provide input and
answer the question of the day, such as, “What can the
library do to inspire you?”
2
Western News
| March 26, 2015
upload your photos
Coming Events
MARCH 26-APRIL 1
#
26 // THURSDAY
28 // SATURDAY
PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
COLLOQUIUM
Emily Rauscher, University of Michigan, The Increasing Complexity of
Exoplanet Atmosphers.
1:30 p.m. P&A 100.
10TH ANNUAL LIFESTYLE
CHOICES & HEALTH SYMPOSIUM
Lineup includes experts and current
topics on exercise, brain health, power training, diabetes, yoga for jocks
and more. Visit exercisenutritionsymposium.com for registration.
9 a.m.-5 p.m. HSB 40.
CENTRE FOR RESEARCH ON
MIGRATION AND ETHNIC
RELATIONS
Tasneem Jamal, The Globe and Mail,
Saturday Night magazine and National Post journalist and author, Where
The Air is Sweet.
4 p.m. UCC 315.
THE HISPANIC CINECLUB
La brujas de Zugarramurdi (Witching
and Bitching). Spanish with English
subtitles.
6:30 p.m. SEB 220.
DON WRIGHT
FACULTY OF MUSIC
I am Malala – Hope, Peace and Light
for the children. St. Cecilia Singers
with guest choir St. Peter’s Cathedral
Children’s Choir.
7 p.m. St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica.
DON WRIGHT
FACULTY OF MUSIC
Jazz ensemble.
8 p.m. Paul Davenport Theatre.
27 // FRIDAY
ST. PETER’S SEMINARY
Every Kind of Book Sale. Browse
through theology, philosophy, religious studies, mysteries and long-lost
vinyl LPs, while enjoying free coffee.
Runs March 27 and 28.
1-5 p.m. St. Peter’s Seminary 102.
ANATOMY AND CELL
BIOLOGY’S SEMINAR
Lucy Osborne, Institute of Medical
Science, University of Toronto, Copy
number variation at 7q11.23: finding
the line of symmetry.
12:30 p.m. MSB 282.
PSYCHOLOGY COLLOQUIUM
Elizabeth Page-Gould, University of
Toronto, Deconstructing intergroup
contact and prejudice in everyday life.
3 p.m. UCC 41.
DON WRIGHT
FACULTY OF MUSIC
Sketches and Scenes complete their
season with a visually inspired program of music portraying imagines
and impressions set in unique soundscapes.
8 p.m. Paul Davenport Theatre.
IVEY RESEARCH SERIES
Brian Denton, University of Michigan,
Biomarker-Based Screening Strategies for Early Detection of Prostate
Cancer.
1 p.m. IVEY 2125.
DON WRIGHT
FACULTY OF MUSIC
Songs of Struggle and Strength. Les
Choristes’ final concert of the season,
featuring music of contemporary Canadian and American composers.
8 p.m. von Kuster Hall.
29 // SUNDAY
MCINTOSH GALLERY
Author Madeline Lennon’s Shelly
Niro: Seeing Through Memory is the
latest volume in the Canadian Artists
Monograph Series.
2 p.m. IGSB Atrium.
30 // MONDAY
ARABIC CONVERSATION GROUP
4:30 p.m. UC 203.
@westernuniversity
DON WRIGHT
FACULTY OF MUSIC
Early Music Studio.
7 p.m. von Kuster Hall.
THE CHINESE PROGRAM AT
HURON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
12:30 Huron University College
A18.
PHYSIOLOGY AND
PHARMACOLOGY SEMINAR
Denise Figlewicz, Schulich School of
Medicine & Dentistry.
4 p.m. MSB 282.
DON WRIGHT
FACULTY OF MUSIC
Electronic Music Composition 1.
12:30 p.m. Paul Davenport Theatre.
31 // TUESDAY
SENIOR ALUMNI PROGRAM
Susan Ferley, artistic director, The
Grand Theatre, A Grand Time.
9:30 a.m. UCC, McKellar Room.
GERMAN CONVERSATION
GROUP
1:30 p.m. UC 207.
1 // WEDNESDAY
TOASTMASTER’S CAMPUS
COMMUNICATORS
Build your confidence in public speaking.
9119.toastmastersclubs.org/.
Contact Donna Moore, dmoore@
uwo.ca or 85159.
12 p.m. UCC 147B.
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
tag with #westernu
519-204-4647
Retirement Planning:
ARE YOU ON THE RIGHT PATH?
According to a recent Fidelity report, 71% of pre-retirees
and retirees who work with an advisor have the retirement
they want versus 53% who don’t seek guidance.
Contact me to obtain a copy of this exclusive report. I’m here to help.
Jeffrey Dallner, CFA, Investment Advisor
519 660-3725 • [email protected]
www.cibcwg.com/jeffrey-dallner
CIBC Wood Gundy is a division of CIBC World Markets Inc., a subsidiary of CIBC and a Member
of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of
Canada. If you are currently a CIBC Wood Gundy client, please contact your Investment Advisor.
ITALIAN CONVERSATION GROUP
2:30 UC 117.
THE DEPARTMENT OF MODERN
LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
La Tertulia. Email [email protected].
4:30 p.m. UC 205.
flickr.com/groups/western/
THE 2015 HBK TALK
Featuring comedian and TV Personality Rick Mercer. For tickets visit: events.
westernu.ca/events/usc/2015-04/rickmercer.html.
7 p.m. Mustang Lounge, UCC.
DON WRIGHT
FACULTY OF MUSIC
Thames Scholars. A 16-voice vocal ensemble performs gems for the Renaissance and Baroque eras.
12:30 p.m. von Kuster Hall.
DON WRIGHT
FACULTY OF MUSIC
Symphony Orchestra. Runs April 1
and 2.
8 p.m. von Kuster Hall.
Have an event?
Let us know.
E-mail: [email protected]
Western News
| March 26, 2015
3
Student Life
Student rides ‘groundswell’ to
volunteer opportunity abroad
SANDEEPACHETAN.COM // SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
The Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, is not only a central religious place of the Sikhs, but also a symbol of human brotherhood and equality. The city is one of several stops for Sarah
Emon, a fourth-year Psychology and Women’s Studies student, as part of her Operation Groundswell journey to India.
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
VOLUNTEERING ABROAD HAD
been Sarah Emon’s plan since she
started her studies at Western. But
it took a ‘groundswell’ to make that
plan a reality.
“I was never satisfied with any of
the volunteer programs. A lot of them
are designed by Western countries,
and they go in with their own agendas and their own idea of what the
issues in a particular country are,”
said the fourth-year Psychology and
Women’s Studies student. “They can
end up causing more harm than doing
good.”
Then, she came across Operation
Groundswell, on Facebook, last fall.
Founded in 2007, the Toronto-based
non-profit offers alternative travel
opportunities for youth with the goal
of generating social, environmental
and political awareness.
“Part of their mandate,” Emon said,
“is working with grassroots operations
in the countries they visit.”
In May, Emon heads to India for six
weeks with Operation Groundswell’s
Gender and Religion program. There,
she and about a dozen teammates will
work in-situ with women’s organizations and non-profits.
“The focus of the program is
to teach us about women’s issues
in India, in the context of the country’s religions and cultures,” Emon
explained. “In the Women’s Studies
program, they stress the idea of taking
off your Western goggles and looking
at issues faced by different women,
in different parts of the world, and
learning from those women. I’m really
excited and interested in experiencing this first-hand.”
Over the course of her stay, Emon
will work in communities in northern India, stopping in Delhi, Amritsar
and Dharamshala, among others. Her
team will work with local women in
community and temple kitchens, with
Tibetan refugees and the Tibetan
Women’s Association. They will work
with women in rural farming and learn
about environmental degradation,
agriculture and other local issues that
impact women in rural Indian communities.
“More than anything, I’m excited to
interact with the women and see the
ADELA TALBOT // WESTERN NEWS
Sarah Emon, a fourth-year
Psychology and Women’s Studies
student, is heading to India
for six weeks with Operation
Groundswell,
a
non-profit
that offers alternative travel
opportunities for youth. Once
there, she will work with a handful
of local organizations, learning of
issues affecting India’s women.
JOIN THE GROUNDSWELL
To learn more about Sarah Emon’s
Operation Groundswell effort, visit
fundraising.operationgroundswell.com/
sarahemon.
issues they face, and the strategies
they’re using to implement change in
their own countries,” Emon said.
She’s going into the trip with no
expectations, just an opportunity to
learn.
Given the opportunity to fundraise
her way to India, alongside a require-
ment of fundraising a minimum of
$750 to contribute to a community of
her choice when there, Emon opted
to pay for the trip out of pocket, focusing on garnering a collection to contribute.
“Everyone on the team has been
asked to fundraise, and we decide
how it will be distributed – 80 per cent
of what we raise goes to the local
programs and 12 per cent will go to an
environmental company that will offset the carbon footprint we will create
by going there,” she explained. “Only
8 per cent is going to administrative
fees.”
4
Western News
| March 26, 2015
Editor’s Letter
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
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[email protected],
519 661-2111 Ext. 85469
EDITOR
Jason Winders
[email protected],
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
[email protected],
519 661-2111 Ext. 85463
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[email protected],
519 661-2111 Ext. 85464
PROD U C TION DESIGNER
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[email protected],
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
[email protected],
[email protected]
519 661-2111 Ext. 82045
O F F C A M P U S A D V E RT I S I N G
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[email protected],
519 434-9990
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“Our objective is to report events
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We hope you will read it and
contribute to it.”
– L.T. Moore,
University Relations
and Information director,
Nov. 16, 1972
FOLLOW
@ We s t e r n E d i t o r
Parental voices worthy of adding
into the postsecondary debate
JASON WINDERS
Western News Editor
I
am an admitted mamma’s boy
from way back. So, I have always
given a bit more sway to my parents’ thoughts and feelings than
I probably needed to over the years.
A rebel, I am not.
However, if the results of a recent
survey are to be believed, perhaps
universities and colleges would be
wise to heed some parental advice –
at least every now and then.
In many ways, parents are silent
partners within the postsecondary
education landscape. Our talk usually centres around students, faculty
and staff, alumni, friends and donors,
even politicians and corporate partners. But rarely do parents enter the
equation.
Oh sure, institutions will throw a
Parents’ Day here and there, maybe a
politician will toss them a partisan bone
from the campaign trail every once in a
while. We’ll offer them a big ‘thank you’
at Convocation. But as a rule, parents
are absent from the public discussions
and debates surrounding postsecondary education. So, when is the last time
The Agenda with Steve Paikin hosted
someone representing the parental
voice on his panel?
And that’s too bad.
You see, in many ways, parents are
postsecondary education’s largest
stakeholder.
From the start, university life is a
joint venture for many of today’s students. More than 60 per cent of North
American college and university students said they made the decision
on what school to attend in consultation with their parents. (One study
showed 15 per cent of parents made
the decision for their child without
any consultation.) When it comes to
international students, that number
was even higher.
Once on campus, ties still bind.
In the last Survey of Graduating Students, parents represented the largest
source of financial assistance to Western students. More than 48 per cent
of students counted on their parents
to get them through school – nearly
double the number who counted on
repayable loans.
For students, that is good news.
Parental financial assistance contributed heavily to the fact nearly a third
of Western students graduate debt
free.
We bill university students as burgeoning adults. And that’s true. But
for most students, when it comes to
picking up the tab for their education,
the tether to home remains taut.
So, who can blame parents for
wanting decision-makers to understand their concerns?
If you believe media reports, parents are only worried about the financial costs of higher education. And
while they are, that concern ranked
well behind some others that don’t
get as much publicity, according to a
recent survey.
For parents, when asked to rank
issues on a scale of 1 to 10, the most
important desires in a university or
college were a safe environment (7.4
out of 10), acquisition of real-world
marketable skills (7.3/10), institution
is a good fit (7.2/10), a first-rate academic experience (7/10) and then
affordability (6.3/10). That’s an interesting blueprint for postsecondary
success in the eyes of parents.
However, after inquiring about
those desires, the survey then asked
parents with kids in university/college
how well their child’s institution delivered. There were “some significant
gaps between what parents wanted
and what they think they got.” Acquisition of real-world marketable skills
dropped to 4.4 out of 10, a first-rate
academic experience to 5.1/10 and
affordability to 4.3/10.
That’s more than a gap in expectations – that’s a chasm.
Then there are the issues universities often wrap themselves in that
don’t resonate outside the walls. Only
28 per cent of parents thought it was
very important their child be exposed
to racial and cultural diversity, only
22.5 per cent to economic diversity
and only 15 per cent to political diversity. Even fewer parents were concerned about university rankings (less
than 15 per cent).
Parents were concerned about two
issues, in particular - enforcement of a
sexual assault code (82 per cent) and
college understanding of the financial
pressures on middle-class families (76
per cent).
The good news is, these expressed
concerns of parents mirror many of
the efforts already being undertaken
on postsecondary campuses – including this one.
But there remains a disconnect
in the overall conversation. Parental
voices need to be louder.
And you don’t need to be a mamma’s boy like me to see there is value
in what they are saying.
MUSTANG MEMORIES
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE
JOHN P. METRAS MUSEUM
In his five years at Western, Mort Golden
won five consecutive intercollegiate boxing titles, without a single defeat, causing
one writer to refer to that period as the
“Golden Era.”
A Brooklyn native and medical student,
Golden arrived at Western in 1935 and
won the 145-pound intermediate title as
a freshman. By 1938, there weren’t many
people in the Canadian university boxing
world who didn’t know his reputation, and
therefore, not a single soul dared to challenge him for the 165-pound title.
When the same thing happened in 193940, he decided to try his luck in the heavyweight class. In the first round, a 165-pound
Golden needed only two minutes and 57
seconds to score a knockout on his 215pound opponent. He would take even less
time in his final bout, scoring a knockout
in just 63 seconds to take the heavyweight
title.
Boxing was discontinued at Western after
the 1949-50 season.
Visit John P. Metras Museum on Instagram and Twitter for more photos.
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
| March 26, 2015
5
Letters to the Editor
PHOTO BY ART WRIT // SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
// HPV awareness efforts
need to be widespread
Health and Rehabilitation Sciences graduate
student Eric Davis’ study is incredibly revealing
and a great tool to investigate the misconceptions commonly attributed to HPV, specifically
its role in cancer generation (“Research exposes
major gaps in HPV vaccine knowledge,” Western
News, March 19). However, the fact students
displayed such little knowledge about the virus
concerns me greatly. This was surprising to learn,
considering the age group most susceptible to
HPV represents the predominant demographic
of this university.
Davis’ intention to distribute the results of
his study through various media platforms is
definitely a step in the right direction. Many
students, like myself, are receptive to information presented in a dismantled, easily digestible
fashion. The key to success in cultivating interest
in the subject is to avoid scientific jargon and
ensure data is readily accessible to students.
It is incredibly important for awareness efforts
not only to target women, but men as well.
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, both men and women between
ages 13-26 are recommended for Gardasil vaccination. Males are also susceptible to contracting the virus, which may lead to severe forms of
cancer. Therefore, in order to ensure reduced
prevalence of HPV, information must be equally
available to both men and women.
SARAH METEKE
FOURTH-YEAR SCIENCE STUDENT
HONOURS SPECIALIZATION IN BIOLOGY
// Documentary a rally cry
for the extraordinary
Ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
The problem is not lack of capability, but lack
of belief in what we can accomplish. Passion
and self-belief have driven people to greatness. The researchers in Su Rynard’s new film,
SongbirdSOS, share that burning desire. (“AFAR
researchers bring songbird plight to CBC,” uwo.
ca, March 16).
The current mentality of ‘not my problem’ will
bring us no closer to fixing the issues plaguing
the planet.
It’s not that the problems aren’t there; we just
may not see them. We are focused on personal
fears – theft, health and things that can cause us
pain. We are missing the big picture.
I know it is tough to leave the comfortable
bubble of our own existence, but tough does
not mean impossible.
It only takes unbridled passion to act on a
larger scale. Throughout history, individuals have
looked beyond themselves and to the future of
humanity. If these people can complete greatness in small numbers, I cannot imagine the possibilities as this group grows. This large group
action will be what is required for the problems
of the future. We may be ordinary, but we must
do the extraordinary.
LUCA MARESCOTTI
FOURTH-YEAR BIOLOGY STUDENT
// Public distrust is greater
than just science
I completely agree the communication
between scientists and the public is extremely
important in relaying information (“Finding ways
to rekindle faith in science,” Western News,
March 5). However, the reason for this lack of
trust is a bit misplaced. Rather than the public
not trusting scientists, they don’t trust the government.
Western News editor Jason Winders mentioned there is a portion of the public that does
not trust vaccines. One American study found it
was the citizens’ lack of trust in their government
to deal with the crisis that was the main driver in
their anti-vaccination view. Also, allowing celebrities to openly defend their anti-vaccine beliefs
is a huge factor contributing to this viewpoint,
especially since many people idolize celebrities
and put them on a pedestal. One study claiming a link between autism and vaccines is more
memorable to the general public than any number of papers published that disproves it.
Genetically Modified Objects (GMO) were
also mentioned in the article, however, the distrust for GMO’s are a bit more complicated – an
general ignorance of bioinformatics and organic
agriculture combined with the benefits of GMO’s
not being readily visible to the general public.
It is understandable for the public to disagree
with the theory of evolution as it goes against
creationism, which many believe as part of their
religious practices. In spite of the empirical support standing behind evolution, there are still
people who will choose to not believe it.
I completely agree the dialogue regarding
science in Canada needs to be greatly improved.
There’s a fourth-year Science course, Political
Biology 4243, which discusses issues just like
these between policy-makers, scientists and the
public. Hopefully, future governments realize the
importance of the trust between the public and
policy-makers, and make the appropriate steps
to fix this broken relationship.
ALEXANDRA BOZANIS
FOURTH-YEAR SCIENCE STUDENT
// Bridge gaps in HPV
knowledge at younger age
Ideally, many university students would have
gratuitous sex with no emotional or physical
ramifications.
HPV can be easily prevented by vaccination –
ignorance cannot be. (“Research exposes major
gaps in HPV vaccine knowledge,” Western
News, March 19.) It is not entirely surprising that
in the community most affected by this virus,
misinformation runs equally rampant.
Take a look at the Ontario Ministry of Health
website on HPV - it’s all photos of girls and young
women, and the brief write-up says nothing of
men (who are, realistically, approximately 50 per
cent responsible for the transmission of HPV).
Admittedly, the Food and Drug Administration only approved the leading vaccine, Gardasil,
in 2006, so most students were never indoctrinated into this form of sexual health. But as our
province takes big steps to extend seemingly all
aspects of sexual education at the elementary
school level, it stands to reason this crucial facet
be included.
Even now, far fewer girls are vaccinated
against HPV than against meningitis. The
Ontario government needs to ramp up its cam-
paigns at elementary schools. Then, by the time
students reach postsecondary, we won’t have
these staggering – and potentially lethal – gaps
in knowledge.
The reality is, sex has consequences, and we
should consider ourselves lucky there exists a
vaccine capable of mitigating/preventing many
of them.
SASHA MADHAVJI
HONS. SPEC. BIOLOGY CANDIDATE
// Burden for HPV awareness
falls on scientific community
I have to admit I’m not surprised by Eric Davis’
findings. (“Research exposes major gaps in HPV
vaccine knowledge,” Western News, March 19.)
Like other Western students, I am aware of HPV.
However, I’m embarrassed to confess I, too, do
not know much about HPV-related cancers.
Unfortunately, this gap in HPV knowledge
among students is not new. Even in 1999, only
37 per cent of surveyed American university students knew of HPV, despite its high prevalence
among their peers.
So, why haven’t things improved?
As Davis mentioned, a lack of proper awareness is likely to blame. While a lot of HPV-related
literature exists, often this information isn’t
effectively disseminated into the public sphere.
Unfortunately, as we saw with the recent anti-vaccination debacle, we instead see misinformed
individuals fostering a fear of vaccinations by
spreading false information.
If we wish individuals become properly
informed about HPV, and take necessary steps
to protect their health, I do believe the scientific
community has a responsibility to make information more accessible to the public. In that
regard, I commend students like Davis who are
motivated to educate the public and spread
HPV-related information using avenues like the
media.
Through continued efforts of this kind, I
believe we could improve the current state of
HPV awareness.
MELISSA GOVINDARAJU
BIOLOGY IV
6
Western News
| March 26, 2015
‘Sock it to me’
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
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.
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SU T E R N N E G A
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With an initial goal of 1,500 pairs of socks, Brescia University College’s student branch of the Canadian Association of Food Professionals (CAFP) is looking at donating more than
2,200 pairs – and growing – to the Unity Project in London. The footwear will benefit those living in local community shelters. Branch members Laura Godts, left, community director,
Amanda Hunt, president-elect, and Larissa Valentine, president, said donations will be accepted through the end of the month at a drop-off box in the St. James Building or through
[email protected].
Western News
| March 26, 2015
7
Research
Study may offer direction
for cerebral palsy treatment
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
PhD candidate Kathryn Manning, left, under the supervision of Ravi Menon, director of Western’s Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, explores functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI) as an effective tool to predict which children with cerebral palsy would benefit most from constraint therapy.
B Y PA U L M AY N E
A NEW WESTERN-led study may lead to
more guided treatment for young cerebral palsy
patients, potentially increasing effectiveness in
treatment and reducing frustration for thousands
of sufferers.
For some children with cerebral palsy, constraint therapy is seen as an effective way to
regain movement in a spastic limb. However,
the therapy, which involves physically restraining
their dominant limb in order to improve the weak
limb, can be a particularly frustrating experience
with little or positive outcome.
Western researchers have now shown functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) could
be an effective tool to predict which patients will
benefit from the therapy, and which are likely
not to. The study was recently published in the
Journal of Child Neurology.
“Right now, we don’t really have a good
tool to decide whether these kids are going
to respond well to constraint therapy,” said
Ravi Menon, a professor at Western’s Schulich
School of Medicine & Dentistry and director of
Western’s Centre for Functional and Metabolic
Mapping. “Fifty per cent seem to respond very
well, 50 per cent don’t – and 100 per cent get
frustrated with it. You’d like to understand what
goes on in the brain when you do this.
“We need a biomarker that will tell us who
might be a good candidate for constraint therapy, and who might be better off doing something else.”
Cerebral palsy affects muscle tone, movement
and motor skills, and is caused by brain damage
that occurs before or during a child’s birth, or
during the first 3-5 years of life.
There currently isn’t a good marker for determining who would benefit from constraintinduced movement therapy – it can’t be based
on the child’s age or the lesion size in the brain.
In response to that need, PhD candidate Kathryn
Manning, the study’s lead author, aimed to identify any neuroimaging predictors that showed
identifiable improvements following the therapy.
She gathered data on seven children with
hemiplegic cerebral palsy, and injury affecting
one side of the body. While it was a small group
of subjects, Manning said it offered some intriguing results.
“It was a little surprising. The subjects who
had the most compromised networks actually
tended to improve the most. It didn’t seem to
be correlated with the size of the lesion, which
was interesting,” she said, adding the children
showed strong changes in the neuropathways of
the brain. “Looking at these networks, we were
able to see what it looked like at baseline, and
again after the therapy.
“We began to see the neurological basis
of the clinical improvement. It was a strong
change.”
Menon added, should this initial study lead
to a larger multi-centered trial, fMRI could
become a useful clinical tool when determining
if constraint therapy is an appropriate treatment
option for individuals with hemiplegic cerebral
palsy.
“If it turns out to be viable on a larger scale, it’s
a very simple, very benign type of experiment to
do, to both understand how things change and,
ultimately, predict who would benefit from the
therapy,” Menon said.
“It was a little surprising. The
subjects who had the most
compromised networks
actually tended to improve
the most. It didn’t seem to be
correlated with the size of the
lesion, which was interesting.”
- Kathryn Manning
8
Western News
| March 26, 2015
Research
Novel power source
for bird research
may take flight soon
“This has been one of
the major limitations on
telemetry studies – the
short lifespan of the
tags. Anything you can
do to stretch out the
lifespan is a good thing.
If you could continuously
recharge that battery,
you could estimate
survival rates of birds
– you could essentially
follow them from birth
to death.”
- Chris Guglielmo
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B Y PA U L M AY N E
THE BEATING OF a bird’s wings
may soon be the all the power
Western Biology professor Chris
Guglielmo needs to generate limitless data on his feathered friends.
Battery life has always been a
limiting factor for wildlife tracking devices when studying the
physiology of endurance flight and
stopover refuelling of migratory
birds. But with advancements in
microelectronic components and
vibrational energy harvesting, the
possibility of these remote sensor
units being powered solely from
the motion of the birds themselves
is taking flight.
“The vast majority of work, especially for small birds, is just with a
battery. The limitation with this is
battery life and weight, depending
on the size of the bird,” said Guglielmo, noting the rule of thumb is
the tag attached to the bird should
weigh no more than 3 per cent of its
body weight. “The electronics are
very light, and the chip has become
so small now. But it’s still the battery
life that comes into play.”
The tags are programmable by
the manufacturer on how often they
send a radio pulse, or coded signal,
to the researchers. But the more
detection required for a specific
research study, perhaps sending
out every few seconds, the shorter
the battery life.
“With a 12-second pulse rate,
the battery will last around 30-40
days, which is pretty good for the
migration work we do,” Guglielmo
said. “With larger birds, say 30 to
50 grams, you could use a 1-gram
tag on them, and it could have a
battery that lasts six months to even
a year. But even those batteries
will die.”
Researchers have turned to small
solar panels to help recharge the
battery. However, for many forestdwelling birds, the panels never
received sufficient light to recharge
the battery as required. Sometimes the bird will even preen their
feather over top the solar panel,
defeating the purpose.
Working with researchers at Cornell University, Guglielmo helped
show the excess energy available
from birds, and even bats, could be
harvested without adversely affecting their overall effort.
“If we can get around the solar
panel idea, and use the vibrational energy of the bird, or bat,
to recharge the device, it’s a great
idea,” Guglielmo said. “These animals are moving all the time. When
we’re studying them in flight, there
is a regular movement – the frequency of the wings beat at, let’s
say, 12-16 times per second. So,
the piezoelectric device has to be
tuned to match this frequency in
order to optimize the energy.”
With the help of Western’s
Advanced Facility for Avian
Research (AFAR), acceleration measurements were taken on two bird
species to understand variations in
flapping frequency during steady
flight. Researchers then calculated
birds were capable of powering
the type of microelectronic circuits
used in bio-logging devices.
While this study only determines the feasibility of harvesting wing-fuelled energy, prototypes are coming soon. With an
array of telemetry towers already
spread across the country to assist
researchers in collecting data from
migratory birds, these latest findings will keep the data flowing for
longer periods of time.
“This has been one of the major
limitations on telemetry studies
– the short lifespan of the tags.
Anything you can do to stretch
out the lifespan is a good thing,”
Guglielmo said. “If you could continuously recharge that battery, you
could estimate survival rates of
birds – you could essentially follow
them from birth to death.”
For larger birds, satellite transmitters can collect years of data.
That wealth of information has
been denied to those who study
smaller birds – at least for now. “If
we can get to the point where they
would last longer, for years, then
we’d really be in business,” Guglielmo said.
While a device may be a few
years from taking flight, Guglielmo
calls the theory behind the potential device sound. He expects future
testing to be done at AFAR.
“When they do have the next
generation ready, they will be coming back up and putting them on
birds and flying them in our wind
tunnel to see how much energy you
can get out of a small bird,” he said.
“There has been so much development in the last 10 years in telemetry devices. We’re doing things
we’ve never done before.”
Western News
| March 26, 2015
9
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
Biology professor Chris Guglielmo said birds, such as this yellow-rumped warbler, could soon be powering their own bio-logging devices through vibrational energy harvesting – energy
captured simply through the act of flying.
READ WESTERN NEWS
PLACE AN AD TODAY
Call 519.661.2045
or email [email protected]
10
Western News
| March 26, 2015
Alumni
Alumna, a rising star in cancer
research, nabs elite fellowship
B Y E M I LY L E I G H T O N
AMID THE HALLOWED and
fabled walls of one of the world’s oldest universities, Vasiliki Economopoulos, BEng’08, PhD’13, is revelling in
a life-changing milestone. A current
postdoctoral fellow at Oxford University, she is a recent recipient of the
distinguished Marie Curie Fellowship
from the European Commission.
This is an impressive feat at the
beginning of the young scientist’s
research career. The award is worth
more than $240,000 over two years,
and will greatly impact her research
output, as well as her professional
prospects.
“This award will leap me ahead by
years,” said Economopoulos, a former student at the Schulich School of
Medicine & Dentistry. “It’s an incredible opportunity.”
Economopoulos’ research focuses
on secondary cancer tumours in the
brain, known as brain metastases. She
specifically explores the metastases
that develop from an initial breast cancer diagnosis and tries to understand
the basic biology behind them.
Currently, brain metastases are
one of the most difficult aspects of
advanced cancers to treat. “Someone
who develops a secondary tumour in
the brain isn’t going to survive very
long,” Economopoulos said. “At this
stage, palliative care is usually introduced to ease symptoms.”
With the Marie Curie Fellowship
funding, Economopoulos will investigate the significance of macrophages
– scavenger cells recruited to sites of
injury and cancerous tumours. She
hopes to establish the role these macrophages play in metastasis development, and if they contribute to tumour
detectability.
SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
A current postdoctoral fellow at Oxford University, Vasiliki Economopoulos, BEng’08, PhD’13, has been
awarded the distinguished Marie Curie Fellowship from the European Commission. The award contributes
more than $240,000 over two years toward her research on secondary cancer tumours in the brain, known
as brain metastases.
The goal is to create imaging biomarkers that can be used to evaluate
cancer cells and treatment in patients.
There is also a possibility this research
will determine targets for drug therapy, affecting how the brain supports
cancer tumours.
“I’m really just trying to sort out
what’s happening and why,” Economopoulos said.
One of the first students with
the Molecular Imaging Program at
Western’s Robarts Research Institute,
Economopoulos completed her doctoral training under her supervisor,
Medical Biophysics professor Paula
51
44
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07-Fred Negus_Ad_PENSION_v9.indd 1
2015-01-27 3:33 PM
Foster.
“It is very rewarding to see the training Vasiliki received in advanced cellular imaging techniques at Robarts has
led her to this very high level of success as a postdoctoral fellow,” Foster
said. “This fellowship has the potential
to catapult her into an independent
research career.”
The theme of imaging also has a
presence in Economopoulos’ personal life. Outside the lab, she dabbles in photography.
“I love the artistry in taking photographs,” she said. “I find it’s a good
way to release from the structure of
the lab and take a break from highlevel scientific thinking.”
To fuel her creative passion, she
joined the Oxford University photography society. “Basically, we take
photos and then go to the pub,” she
said with a laugh.
After more than a year at Oxford,
Economopoulos feels well-adapted
to life in the United Kingdom. The
‘American food’ aisle of her local
Tesco, a British grocery store chain,
still offers the Canadian a source of
cultural amusement. But unfortunately, it does not carry poutine, the
Canadian culinary dish Economopoulos says she misses most.
And if all goes according to plan,
this rising star may not taste the arteryclogging goodness of made-in-Canada poutine for some time. Her aspiration of setting up her own laboratory
means she’ll most likely be crossing a
few international borders – a career
path she embraces.
“I feel that all doors are open,” she
said. “My next home could be anywhere in the world.”
Ultimately, her motivation in pursuing this career is the very research she
applies herself to daily.
“I want to get to the point where
cancer isn’t a death sentence,” she
said. “My hope is I can contribute to
turning the disease into something
manageable, something that won’t
take away a person’s life so quickly.”
Western News
In the Community
Taking a fresh look
at social housing
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
IT’S ALL ABOUT the ‘big picture’
for a pair of Western researchers helping rethink social housing in London.
Take the Regent Park neighbourhood in
Toronto, said
Geography
professor
Michael Buzzelli, who
teaches in
W e s t e r n ’s
Urban DevelBUZZELLI
opment program.
By leveraging private capital, Canada’s oldest and largest social housing
project is undergoing a major revitalization toward a more mixed-income
population alongside varied land use.
This well-known Toronto neighbourhood is just one of many urban renewals the London & Middlesex Housing
Corporation
(LMHC) is
examining
as a means
of bolstering
social housing in London,
“We built
OUDSHOORN
a lot of
social public housing in the 1950s and 1960s,
and for a whole host of reasons, that
housing is getting to a stage now
where it requires a significant injection of resources for maintenance
and upkeep,” said Buzzelli, who was
named to the LMHC Board of Directors in December. “LMHC is not in
a position to inject capital for new
developments; the focus will be to
redevelop stock we already hold.
“But the board is also at a time
where there’s an opportunity to reintegrate those communities with the
wider fabric of London. That requires
some strategic thinking around planning and urban development.”
With four new members on the
board this year, LMHC is moving away
from day-to-day operational tasks and
hoping to adopt a strategic mandate
to address systemic issues affecting
social housing, Buzzelli explained.
“We want to get the board to think
about how reintegration happens,”
he said.
LMHC is the biggest social housing
provider in the region.
The corporation provides subsidized public housing for London
and Middlesex, with more than 3,200
housing units providing homes for
more than 5,000 people in London,
Strathroy, Dorchester, Newbury,
Parkhill and Glencoe.
A large portion of LMHC housing
goes to individuals who are exiting
homelessness – moving out of a shelter into stable housing, which can
contribute to their health, said Nursing professor Abe Oudshoorn.
Oudshoorn chairs London’s Home-
less Coalition and, like Buzzelli, was
recently appointed to LMHC’s Board
of Directors.
“I’m very interested in how the
housing we provide can fit within all
of the other services in London around
homelessness,” he continued. “How
can we enhance availability of social
housing and look to long-term opportunities to redevelop older housing
stock into quality neighborhoods that
have good and healthy social outcomes for the residents?”
The board is looking to connect
with other social agencies within London, as well as with youth, homeless
and at-risk communities, he added.
While funding will always be a challenge, the more difficult hurdle is getting past the perception that providing housing alone is enough.
“There are other supports needed
to get people to their success, rather
than just providing a key, four walls
and a roof. We need to integrate
housing with other movements that
support their aspirations, provide
training,” Buzzelli said.
“It’s a long road. There will be challenges. These are real people, living
in real homes. They have some needs.
But they also have qualities we haven’t
always appreciated, that they themselves understand and appreciate,
and they will want to contribute. It’s
up to us to cultivate those, to leverage them and see what we can make
of them.”
FLIP FOR THE FUTURE // CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
voices, needs and opinions of some 165 library staff.
Consultations, focus groups and surveys were completed
this month, asking Western students, staff and faculty
members for input on what campus libraries need to do,
and what they can do to help facilitate studying, research
and teaching.
The response has been great, with 4,000 responses from
undergraduate students alone, Steeves noted.
Library staff has been engaged in a ‘book club’ of their
own, piggy-backing onto Western Reads and reading articles and newsletters related to issues facing libraries today.
Flip charts were displayed in libraries, asking students to
write down an answer to, “What
can the library do to inspire you?”
Steeves has, likewise, spoken
with representatives from the
London Public Library, Fanshawe
College and other community
partners, looking at ways services
intersect and ways they could be
enhanced.
“People are excited about this;
STEEVES
I can’t wait to se how it goes,”
Steeves said.
Melanie Mills, FLIP project manager and research and
instructional services librarian, said the inclusive planning
process is great.
“This is very much a marked departure for Western
Libraries,” she said. “(The strategic planning process) was
always something the library executive took on, and the
wider staff wasn’t very much involved in information-gathering and in drafting the thing. Many of us are very excited
about this change and about having a role in the future of
our organization and having a say in what that looks like.”
So far, student responses have asked for facility enhancements and some creature comforts (more study space,
more outlets). Staff and faculty have asked for help measuring research impact and teaching outcomes, among other
suggestions.
It’s all about defining the role of the academic library and
what role it can play in the future success of the university,
Steeves explained.
“You need to work together to develop your vision and
set your directions,” Steeves said.
March has been a month for gathering information. April
will focus on analysis.
Steeves hopes to launch the new strategic plan in early
May.
“Our campus is changing. Expectations about how not
only information and resources are delivered, but what we
do with space, are being discussed. There isn’t going to
be one solution that meets everyone’s needs and expectations, so it’s doing our best to find the balance in that,”
Mills added.
“But this is also about what can academic libraries bring
to this campus. What are our future roles? What are our
possibilities? Everyone’s voice needs to come through.”
HAVE YOUR SAY
One final FLIP: Future Library In Progress focus group is scheduled
for faculty, graduate students and campus partners at 9:30 a.m.
Thursday, April 9 in The D.B. Weldon Library’s Teaching Support
Centre, Room 120. Register at [email protected] by April 6.
| March 26, 2015
11
12
Western News
| March 26, 2015
Read
Western helps fill
author’s research Void
ALL OVER
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
TIMOTHY JOHNSTON DOES the
legwork needed to deliver an authentic story.
The London-based
high school teacher,
who graduated from
Western in 1994 with a
degree in Geography,
publishes his latest
book, The Void, on
March 30. The book,
published electronically by Carina Press,
is the final installment
in Johnston’s Tanner
Sequence trilogy. Set
in outer space, in the
year 2043, it blends
mystery, thriller and
science fiction genres.
“They’re murdermysteries, inspired
by Agatha Christie,”
Johnston said of the trilogy. “They’re
those classic murder mysteries – confined location, claustrophobic, hostile
environment, if you leave you die.
There’s one killer, one investigator,
the body count increases as the book
progresses. There are storms, power
outages.”
The trilogy has one investigator,
Kyle Tanner, a military investigator in
a futuristic world where civilization
is under military dictatorship. He’s
a ‘good guy,’ trying to help families
of murder victims, feeling the friction between society, and the military
that’s suppressing human rights.
“In The Void mystery, he’s not a
doctor and he’s got this body, he’s
trapped on a spaceship, and everyone around him is saying it’s a natural
death. The victim is a woman in her
30s and it’s not normal for a woman
in her 30s to just drop dead with
no signs of illness,” Johnston said.
“He’s struck with this dilemma; he’s
stranded, has no medical help and
he can’t communicate
with anyone outside.
He has to figure out
what killed her, or he’s
going to die. So, he
keeps going back to
this body, doing post
mortems again and
again.”
This is what
brought Johnston
back to Western, specifically to the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
In need of some
help and guidance,
he contacted Kem
Rogers, chair of the
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology,
asking for some lessons in anatomy.
Rogers connected him with Marjorie
Johnson, who teaches in the department.
“I reached out and said, ‘I’ve got
this story, the investigator has a dead
body and can’t figure out the cause
of death. Do you think you might be
willing to help out with anatomy?’
They opened their arms to me, said
they have an open policy with the
community, and gave me a guided
tour of the human body, basically,”
Johnston said.
“Marjorie brought me in and it was
a surreal experience,” he said of walking into a room full of zipped cadavers
for an anatomy lesson.
“I hit them with a dilemma and they
hit me with one thing after another. It
was just a remarkable experience,”
Johnston went on, adding he also met
ADELA TALBOT // WESTERN NEWS
In need of some help and guidance on his latest book, author Timothy Johnston, BA’94 (Geography), reached
out to the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, asking for help in his research. “They opened their arms
to me, said they have an open policy with the community, and gave me a guided tour of the human body,
basically,” Johnston said.
with a forensic pathologist at University Hospital, Dr. Elena Tugaleva.
“It’s essential to do this, for accuracy. I wanted people to read this
book, and think, ‘This guy did his
research.’”
Johnston’s Tanner Sequence trilogy
is meant to read like a contemporary
thriller, just set in a different time and
in a unique location. You could read
each book as a standalone, or read
them together. There are no super-
natural or exceptionally strange elements, Johnston said.
“I wanted to hit mainstream readers. I didn’t want to alienate them with
aliens – it’s just a different time and
place. The first (book) is on a station
around the sun, the second on a station on a moon of Jupiter – the opposite extreme – and this one is in deep
space, stranded on a spaceship – no
aliens, no weird concepts,” he said.
“The reason I did that is a lot of
people in science fiction are looking at aliens and what’s dangerous in
space, but I think, the most dangerous
life form we know is us. When we go
out there, eventually, we’re going to
be taking all these things with us –
hostility, rage, anger jealousy, greed,
ambition. All these crimes will follow
us. Why spend so much time looking
at aliens being hostile when we’re
the ones who are the most dangerous?”
Reviews
B Y K A N E FA U C H E R
Health Literacy in Canada:
A Primer for Students
By Lorie Donelle, Laurie Hoffman-Goetz
and Rukhsana Ahmed
Health literacy should not be underestimated with regards to
its importance to sustaining and improving the overall health of a
population. In fact, the authors assert literacy is not only a determining factor in public health, but plays a significant role in social
justice, and enhancing prosperity.
During a time when health-care costs continue to rise with an
aging population in a climate of
reduced funding, and the further
integration of information technology both in raising awareness
and personal health data collection, health literacy emerges as a
vital public policy issue.
The authors detail a compelling case for the connection
between poor health literacy and
compromised public health. As
ever more media disseminate
health information, not everyone has prospered equally in
navigating or understanding this
information effectively.
Perhaps one of the more eye-
opening chapters in this textbook would be on how health literacy
functions as a social determinant of health, and how factors such
as poverty and low literacy have a strong correlation with deleterious health impacts such as increased depression, diabetes rates
and premature mortality. This is further exacerbated by a lack
of provision in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that would
explicitly specify health as a human right.
The authors also provide concrete examples of how cultural
and linguistic barriers have been overcome in part by the use
of plain language and simple imagery, but that challenges still
remain in understanding what may be the most effective policy
in improving health literacy among a culturally and ethnically
heterogeneous society.
This book proves to be of value to students, practitioners and
policy-enthusiasts alike, with respect to health-care issues. It is replete
with a glossary of terms and the writing is concise while avoiding
jargon, thus making it extremely accessible to a wide readership.
Lorie Donelle is a Health Sciences professor at Western.
The Anglo-Saxon Psalter
By M.J. Toswell
Psalters are among the largest groups of text bequeathed to
bibliographic history in the Anglo-Saxon world, and also unsurprisingly the most multi-purpose of texts. Beyond functioning as
the laity’s book for private prayer and devotion, it also served the
purpose of instructing oblates in
polishing their Latin and understanding of Christian doctrine,
as a spiritual reference guide on
how to live the good life.
Toswell performs an admirable job in relaying these liturgical
works not only played a significant role in the cultural conditions of the Anglo-Saxon world,
but they also could be aesthetically marvelous cultural artifacts
of their own that would come
to reflect the cultural values of
that world.
Anglo-Saxon England’s spiritual framework is, as Toswell
demonstrates, not a simple,
monolithic structure. There can be no better example of the complexity and overlapping values and perspectives than the humble
psalter as emblematic of this cultural and spiritual heterogeneity.
Apart from a fastidious tracing of the many roles occupied by
psalters in this period, Toswell provides us with several mysteries
and peculiarities while taking into account the production, uses,
forms and broader context of psalters and the psalterata who
inscribed them.
M.J. Toswell is a professor in English and Writing Studies at
Western.
Western News
| March 26, 2015
13
It don’t mean a thing if you ain’t got that spring
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
While the calendar may read spring, the chilly temperatures just can’t seem to let go, causing this robin, along the banks of the Thames River, to question when the warm sunshine will
be here to stay. While the area will see the sun over the next couple of weeks, it will be a bit longer before the temperatures rise, with the extended forecast calling for below normal
temperatures into the first couple weeks of April.
14
Western News
| March 26, 2015
Learn West Coast swing dancing
// ACADEME
PhD Lectures
Timothy Compeau, History, Dishonoured Americans: Loyalist Manhood and
Political Death in Revolutionary America,
10: 30 a.m. March 27, SSC 9420.
Robert Andre Séguin, Health and
Rehabilitation Sciences, Factors associated with success in PARE testing
among RCMP officers, 12 p.m. March
30, EC 1576.
Nazia Bano, Education, Toward epistemic empowerment of indigenous
youth, 10 a.m. March 31, FEB 1166.
Trinh Nguyen, Biology, Reproductive
Success and Sexual Selection in Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae), 11:30 a.m. March 31, B&GS
0165.
// CLASSIFIED
West Coast swing is danced to a wide
variety of music. No partner or dance
experience needed for classes; all
ages welcome. Student discount available. See westcoastswinglondon.ca for
details.
// STUDENT BULLETIN
Student Central In-Person Hours
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
and Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday.
Follow Student Central on Twitter for
updates @westernuReg.
Apply to Graduate
The online application for the Spring
2015 Convocation is open until April 30
through your Student Center. Tickets for
the Spring Convocation will be released
starting at the end of May. convocation.
uwo.ca.
Intent to Register
For Rent
Executive House - 4 bedroom, 3.5
bathroom, 2 garage fully furnished
house for rent in the beautiful Westmount area. Close to all amenities,
buses, parks, Victoria Hospital and
Western. $1,850/month plus all utilities.
Call Lisa at 226-235-1662.
Elegant furnished downtown apartment, adult building overlooking Harris
Park, 2 bed, 2 bath, A/C, parking, suitable for faculty or staff. Available for
long-term starting May 1. Inquire by
email to [email protected].
House Sitting
Experienced house sitter with skills
available throughout the spring, summer, and fall months 2015. References
available. Please phone or text 519-4761044 for more information.
For students who plan to return for
the 2015-16 Fall/Winter term, you must
complete your Intent to Register by
March 31 on student.uwo.ca.
distinctivelyWESTERN Photo Contest
If you are a Western student or employee, send us your photographs that capture the best of Western and you will
be eligible to win cash prizes. Contest
closes March 31. More details at publications.uwo.ca/photo_contest.
April 2015 Exam Schedule
The final April exam schedule is available. Visit registrar.uwo.ca/examinations
for information.
For more information, please visit us on
the web at studentservices.uwo.ca and
follow us on Twitter @Western_WSS.
Undergraduate Sessional Dates
710 Adelaide Street N., just south of Oxford St.
March 31: Last day to receive admission applications from current Western
CHRIST THE KING
UNIVERSITY PARISH
invites you to join us for the
Easter Triduum
April 2-5, 2015
Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Easter Sunday
Sunday, April 5 at 10:30 AM
‘The Chapel’ at
Revera’s Windermere on the Mount
1486 Richmond Street
London, Ontario
The Office of Campus Ministry
www.kings.uwo.ca/campus-ministry
519.963.1477
Royal Mutual Fund Inc.
Visit us today at:
654 Wonderland Rd N.
(at Oxford) London ON
The Writing Support Centre offers many
presentations for undergraduate and
graduate students, including a dropin centre in Weldon Library (next to
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THE SYMBOL OF QUALITY
Western News
| March 26, 2015
15
Campus Digest
Visiting scholar reconnecting
cities and an aging population
was recognized for its Make It Our Business
campaign, which provides education to
workplaces about recognizing and responding to domestic violence.
BY JASON WINDERS
DON’T BLAME STEFANIE Kuhn for sweating
the small stuff.
“I’m artsy and I love detail. I notice all the
little details – all of them,” said Kuhn, a visiting graduate research scholar in the Faculty of
Health Sciences. “In architecture, you get to be
a bit of a jack-of-all-trades as it encompasses so
many disciplines. You study the history of everything, but you also work with people, so there’s
psychology, and you work with landscapes, so
there’s geography.
“It’s a good discipline to be in if you’re artsy,
but like everything else as well.”
In November, Kuhn embarked on a five-month
research stint at Western to examine London’s
Cherryhill Village Mall on Oxford Street, as it
relates to urban design for an aging population,
and perhaps apply those findings to her research
at Cambridge University.
Working on her MPhil in Architecture and
Urban Design, Kuhn focuses on elderly wellbeing and the city, exploring how urban planners
can design future city cores to become accommodating to and, in turn, more attractive to, an
aging population.
Her specific project at Cambridge examines
Blackpool, England, a seaside city of 142,000
people. Despite an ongoing renewal effort, the
dense metro area struggles with a low-income
population and high crime rates. How can a city
like that, Kuhn asks in her research, re-attract its
aging population?
“I started looking at what characteristics of
the environment are stopping elderly people
from coming into the city,” she said. “I look at
well-being of elderly people, and active acting in
regard to well-being. That breaks down into all
sorts of categories. I focus on those categories
that can stop people – those barriers or enablers,
as I call them – from coming into the city.
“Blackpool is quite a good case study for
that, really.”
Her work led to a deeper exploration of ‘naturally occurring retirement communities.’
“These are interesting because there is desirability to them, because they are naturally occurring. People want to go to them,” she said. “If we
started to look at why they want to move to these
places, it would give us some insight into how we
could then start to plan some initiatives.”
Exploring that concept led her to a case study
on London’s Cherryhill Village Mall by Health
Studies professor Marita Kloseck, analyzing
what can be learned from the city’s best-known
naturally occurring retirement community. The
two researchers soon connected on a project to
add depth to Kuhn’s studies.
“People love it, obviously. It has attracted
so many people,” Kuhn said. “Cherryhill works
because it has all of these wonderful primary
facilities. And it has adapted to the population’s
needs over time. From an architecture point of
view, it is interesting. I can see why Cherryhill
works.”
At Western, Kuhn works with Kloseck and
Health Studies professor Deborah Fitzsimmons
in the Sam Katz Community Health and Aging
Research Lab. Using Cherryhill as an example,
the researchers are creating a series of papers
outlining a framework for urban planners confronting retrofits, or new developments, and how
to make them attractive and convenience to the
aging population.
“Stefanie, with her architecture and urban
design interest, brings a novel perspective to the
Community Health and Aging Research Unit,”
Kloseck said. “She highlights the importance
The traditional focus of international service
learning is often on the students themselves.
But how do their host communities benefit,
if at all, from these programs?
“Focusing on the students is absolutely
warranted,” Education professor Marianne
Larsen said. “But it’s equally important to
focus on the communities themselves.”
Unfortunately, Larsen continued, that’s
something that doesn’t often happen.
This week, she attempts to address these
issues at a day-long symposium dedicated
to exploring the ways in which university
service learning programs can better involve
host communities and take into account
their needs.
Hosted by Western Education, the seminar, entitled International Service Learning: Engaging Host Communities, will feature interactive case studies, ISL program
researchers and a keynote panel of speakers
from Central America and South Africa who
have previously hosted North American
ISL students. The event takes place from 9
a.m.-5 p.m. Friday at the Faculty of Education.
Register at engagingcommunities.ca.
Applications for Leave for Change 2015 are
open now.
JASON WINDERS // WESTERN NEWS
Stefanie Kuhn, a visiting graduate research scholar working in Western’s Sam Katz
Community Health and Aging Research Lab, looks to apply the lessons learned from
London’s Cherryhill Village Mall to her work on urban planning for an aging population at
Cambridge University’s Department of Architecture.
of environmental design in optimizing ‘aging in
place,’ a priority for health policy-makers nationally and internationally. Her research showcases
the importance of function, and not simply age,
in keeping seniors living independently in the
community.”
NEWS AND NOTES
Western French Studies professor Henri Boyi
and Medicine/Microbiology & Immunology
professor Lakshman Gunaratnam, along
with alumnus Navjeet ‘Bob’ Dhillon, have
been named finalist for the RBC Top 25
Canadian Immigrant Award for 2015. The
annual event, given out by Canadian Immigrant Magazine, in partnership with RBC,
since 2009, is the first Canadian national
award program that recognizes immigrants’
achievements from all walks of life.
The trio was chosen as three of 75 finalists
from more than 630 nominees by a panel of
judges, consisting of Canadian Immigrant
Magazine editorial staff as well as immigrant
and ethnic community leaders.
The Top 25 will be determined through
online voting until May 11. Winners will be
announced in June. Vote at canadianimmigrant.ca/canadas-top-25-immigrants/vote.
Last year, the Immigrant Award winners
included Western President Amit Chakma,
along with Western alumni Farah Mohamed,
MA’96, Alan Diner, BA ’90, and Dr. Surinder
Singh Khurana, DDS’06.
Students in Western’s Master of Arts in
Journalism program have partnered with
CBC Windsor’s Afternoon Drive radio show
(which broadcasts all over southwestern
Ontario) to produce audio documentaries
as part of their coursework. CBC Windsor
is promoting the collaboration on its Facebook page, with photos of the students
along with their stories.
The documentaries – pitched, written and
produced by the students – will air at various
times throughout the semester. Those that
have already aired include:
• Preserved letters by Amy Legate-Wolfe;
• London Escape Rooms by Julian Uzielli;
• Tree farm by Patricia Barret;
• Belegarth Combat by Julian Uzielli;
• Blade Runner by Dane Wanniarachige;
and
• The Pit Falls of Pro Wrestling by Dane
Wanniarachige.
Western’s Centre for Research & Education
on Violence Against Women & Children has
been named among 20 global organizations chosen as finalists for the fourth annual
Avon Communications Awards, which recognize outstanding communications campaigns that are helping end violence against
women. One of four nominees in the Innovative Campaign Award category, the centre
Offered through Western’s Staff International Engagement Committee, Leave for
Change is a corporate volunteerism program that brings the world to Western’s
workplace. The staff member gains experience, exposure to social/development
issues and takes a key role in showing how
we are making a difference internationally.
Leave for Change is open to all Western
full-time staff with at least one-year full-time
service. Staff members transform their vacation into a three- or four-week volunteer
assignment in one of 10 developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The
current intake is for travel before Feb. 28,
2016. Employees must receive prior written
approval from their direct supervisor as well
as the support of the appropriate associated
vice-president or dean.
Application deadline is April 17.
On Saturday, the Take the Lead publicspeaking contest welcomes females in
Grades 11 and 12 to participate in a one-ofa-kind contest at Brescia University College,
which is being hosted for the seventh time
since 2009. This year, finalists were selected
after contestants submitted a pre-recorded,
five-minute video of their speech. And, for
the first time ever, Take the Lead will host six
international contestants.
“We are thrilled to extend our contest from
Ontario, through to Guyana, Barbados,
Bahamas, China and Hong Kong,” said
Marianne Simm, Brescia vice-principal, students. “We look forward to providing a rich
program for the students outside of the day
itself.”
For more information, visit brescia.uwo.ca/
takethelead.
16
Western News
| March 26, 2015
Western Reads: Short stories that are long on conversation
Alumni and community readers came
together again this week to discuss
Open, a collection of short stories by
Canadian author Lisa Moore, as part
of the second of three installments
of the campus book club Western
Reads.
Carolyn Young, BA’82, director of
Continuing Studies, left, joined Trista
Walker, executive director of Alumni
Relations, and others at the lunchhour session in The Book Store at
Western on Monday. Young also
facilitated the evening discussion at
the London Public Library’s Central
Branch, where she was joined by
ccelebrity readers Maggie Wrobel,
BA’06, editor and writer with The
Globe and Mail, and Mark Daley,
BSc’99, PhD’03, a Western professor
and principal investigator at the
Brain and Mind Institute.
Western Reads started as a way
to celebrate Western’s 125th
anniversary in 2003, as a means
to creatively engage alumni and
the local community, encouraging
readership of works by renowned
Canadian authors. It went on a
temporary hiatus in 2009, but
returned this year with a celebration
of Canadian short story writers.
In April, Western Reads will tackle
Dear Life by Alice Munro.
Visit
alumni.westernu.ca/learn/
western-reads/ for upcoming events.
ADELA TALBOT // WESTERN NEWS