News and Updates
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Faculty of Social Science
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E. social-science@uwo.ca
2018
DAN Management ‘gave confidence to go forward and not feel restricted in business’
December 18, 2018
Keshav Gupta let his passion guide his education, and it has allowed him to find business success well outside his field of study.In Memoriam: Rajulton Fernando
December 17, 2018
The Faculty of Social Science mourns the passing of Rajulton Fernando, professor emeritus from the Department of Sociology.Q&A with Marc Joanisse: Understanding Reading Disorders in Children via
December 14, 2018BrainsCAN Communications
On October 22, Professor Marc Joanisse from the Department of Psychology at Western spoke at the London Central Library on the topic of reading development and reading disorders in children. His work in this area, supported by BrainsCAN, focuses on language acquisition, language processing, computational models and how language is represented in the brain. In this Q&A, Dr. Joanisse discusses the underlying problems of reading disorders and how they are identified in children.Labour unions benefit all workers, new research shows
December 13, 2018
Across the US and Canada, the share of workers belonging to a labour union has dropped dramatically, and this has resulted in significant loss of wages for non-unionized workers, according to new research.Calculating the costs of movie piracy
December 11, 2018
Movie piracy may be siphoning less money from the box office than some analysts suggest, a paper by a Western PhD student says.New centre considers the challenges of the modern city
December 07, 2018
On November 23, 2018, Western’s Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance hosted its first official event: a public roundtable on The Intentional City: Shaping London’s Urban FutureIn Memoriam: Brock Millman
December 05, 2018
The Faculty of Social Science mourns the passing of Brock Millman, professor of History.Encouraging smart appetite in youth
November 21, 2018
How do you change how youth think about food and health? Jason Gilliland thinks the answer may be in the palm of our hands.Isaac Luginaah named as a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences
November 20, 2018
The AAS recognizes individuals who have excelled in their fields of expertise, and who have contributed to developing their fields in Africa.A new network aims to connect and support Indigenous scholars
November 16, 2018
Maclean's magazine spoke with Vanessa Ambtman-Smith and Chantelle Richmond about their involvement in the Indigenous Mentorship NetworkWorking paper examines employment, marriage prospects and financial security
November 05, 2018
The marriage gap between white and black women in the US is growing, and this may have long-lasting impacts.What does Conservation Look Like in the Anthropocene?
October 30, 2018
Does human activity always lead to less bio-diversity? Not necessarily, says Paul Robbins, Director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison. On November 12, Robbins will present the Western University Department of Geography Distinguished Lecture, entitled “What does Conservation Look Like in the Anthropocene: Coffee, Frogs, and Workers in the Indian Aravalli.”Aubrey Dan receives honorary degree
October 26, 2018
Alumni, donor, and now honorary degree holder. On October 26, 2018 Aubrey Dan received a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LLD) from Western University, as part of the Fall 2018 Convocation ceremonies.Public History students have new opportunity to know history
October 23, 2018
Through support from a historical services firm, MA students in the Public History will be eligible for the Know History Scholarship, which includes an annual internship of $20,000.The Wide World of Cheating
October 03, 2018
“Cheating,” said Richard Pound, “is endemic in almost every area of life.” And Pound has a lot of experience dealing with cheating.Where does the gender revolution stand?
October 03, 2018
Relying on US data from the last 50 years, Paula England will investigate what the trends are in the gender gap in pay, women’s employment, and segregation in employment fields.Inter-disciplinary researchers work to decolonize hockey
October 02, 2018
Hockey; for many people, hockey is a defining aspect of Canadian culture. But what is being represented by that idea, and who is not represented in the standard vision and idea of Canadian hockey?NEST opens doors to incubate new ideas in social science research and policy
October 01, 2018
On September 28, the Faculty of Social Science celebrated the opening of the Network for Economic and Social Trends (NEST), the umbrella organization for all six Western Research Centres in the Faculty of Social Science.Bringing wrongful convictions out of the shadows
September 24, 2018
Every year, thousands of Canadians are affected by wrongful conviction, blamed and punished for a crime that they did not commit, and in some cases, which did not even happen.Linda Brock honoured with Award of Excellence
September 18, 2018
Brock, Director of Administration for the Faculty of Social Science is described by colleagues as the “heart and soul of the dean’s office.”States of Fear: How the Quest for Security has Eroded Democracy
September 17, 2018
How does fear impact the health of a democracy? Can the belief in a common good exist and thrive when a population is focused on fear? These are some of the questions to be examined through this year’s Joanne Goodman Lecture series in the Department of History.William Turkel named to College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists
September 12, 2018
Turkel is internationally recognized for his innovative work in digital history, using machine learning, text mining and computational techniques.Study questions role of lead in Franklin Expedition deaths
August 28, 2018
A team of investigators from across Canada, including Andrew Nelson, Professor in the Department of Anthropology, have raised serious doubt about the popular belief that lead poisoning played a role in the death of members of the famed Franklin Expedition.Donald Abelson named as Director, Mulroney Institute of Government at St. Francis Xavier University
August 23, 2018
A specialist in Canadian-American relations, U.S. politics and U.S. foreign policy, Abelson has been with Western for the past 25 years, and severed as professor and chair, Department of Political Science, Director of the Centre for American Studies and Director of the Canada-US Institute.Research details education’s role in independence fight
August 14, 2018
For nearly 15 years, Anthropology professor Randa Farah has tracked the Sahrawi people of the Western Sahara, often living among them for months at a time to better understand their lives and struggle for independence.In Memoriam: Rick Burjaw
August 10, 2018
Rick Burjaw, former instructor in the DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies, passed away on August 7, 2018In Memoriam: Roger Hatton King
August 08, 2018
Roger Hatton King, Emeritus Professor and former Chair of the Department of Geography, passed away in Penicuik, Scotland on August 5th, 2018 at the age of 76.Western economist MacGee joins Bank of Canada
August 02, 2018
Western economist Jim MacGee has been appointed the Bank of Canada’s new Managing Director of Economic and Financial Research for a two-year term, beginning Jan. 2, 2019.Research looking for love in all the right data
July 30, 2018
Psychology professor Lorne Campbell’s work about human connections comes at a time when loneliness and aloneness, a lack of meaningful relationship with others, is on the rise in Canada.Joint project targets Indigenous water crisis
July 20, 2018
Political Science professor Chris Alcantara, together with a team of researchers from Guelph University, recently received grant funding to study collaborative relationships between First Nations and municipalities in Ontario towards the goal of creating water-sharing agreements.New evidence leads to an evolving understanding of human origins
July 20, 2018
In human evolution studies, it had long been accepted that modern humans evolved from a single region and population in Africa. Jay Stock, Professor of in the Department of Anthropology is part of a group challenging that idea.Toward a new understanding of Indigenous Health
July 16, 2018
“Academics can’t just do research on Indigenous communities; they have to do research with Indigenous communities.” For Chantelle Richmond and Diana Lewis, it is time for Indigenous health research to fundamentally change.In Memoriam – Grant Reuber
July 10, 2018
Grant Reuber, former Professor and the first Dean of the Faculty of Social Science at Western University, passed away on July 7, 2018. He was in his 91st year.Value and Pitfalls of Clique Membership in Adolescence
July 06, 2018
Psychology professor Lynne Zarbatany has watched hundreds of hours of video of children interacting on playgrounds, giving new insight into bullying and the development of cliques.DAN Management courses plant seeds of success for food delivery business
July 03, 2018
Alysaa Co and Divyansh Ojha recently completed their 2nd year in the Consumer Behaviour module of DAN Management, while also launching their business, Food Fund, a food delivery service focused on reducing food wasteSociology professor and student trace the lasting impact of experiences
June 21, 2018
Andrea Willson, and her PhD student Loanna Heidinger, study the long-term effects of early life disadvantages and whether improvements through someone’s life would change the impact of the earlier factorsA new option to study education options
June 21, 2018
Nirav Mehta, Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics, is interested in studying the effectiveness of different approaches to education, but ran into difficulty with the standard approach to studying the topic.Kasey Stanton joining Department of Psychology
June 21, 2018
Stanton researches potential negative effects of positive moods, specifically looking at excessive levels of positive moods.Scott Connors joining DAN Management
June 18, 2018
Connors researches in the areas of branding, self-identity and implicit cognition, exploring “both the light and dark sides of consumers’ interactions with brands"School tackles ‘big job’ of Indigenous health
June 13, 2018
Vanessa Ambtman-Smith, a Western graduate student in Geography, plans to explore an in-hospital medicine lodge on her way to join other scholars at the inaugural Indigenous Mentorship Network Summer School.A warm welcome from the Western community
June 12, 2018
Wareeth Hilalih and Wazeera Khaddour and their two children are settling into their new home, thanks to the support of the Western University Community, the culmination in of a two-year process to help bring the Syrian refugee family to Canada.Unique patient offers insights into the brain’s quest to see
June 11, 2018
Jody Culham and her team are unlocking new understanding into the plasticity of the human brain, and how visual pathways can adapt even to catastrophic injury.‘Hear, Here’ dials up history around city
June 05, 2018
Hear, Here will collect stories of London’s past and deliver them in bite-size audio clips associated with historical and cultural sites around the cityDiana Lewis joining Department of Geography, will teach in First Nations Studies program
June 05, 2018
Lewis researches resource development, and the impacts of resource development on the health of Indigenous peoples, using a methodology that combines both Indigenous and western-based sciencesEsses paper among most downloaded in 2017
June 01, 2018
Journal article on improving public attitudes and facilitating refugee resettlement downloaded more than 6,000 timesBuilding a more flexible model for firm productivity
May 31, 2018
It was 11 years in the making, challenged long-held assumptions in the study of economics and has resulted in interest from governments and agencies around the world.Samantha Joel joining the Department of Psychology
May 31, 2018
Joel’s research focuses on romantic relationships and the decision making processes in relationships.Outreach event introduces the future to history
May 17, 2018
More than 260 high schoolers and their teachers were treated Wednesday, May 16 to an eclectic sampler of some of human history’s unheralded tales and learned why these stories are important.Greg Beckett joining Department of Anthropology
May 17, 2018
Beckett studies crises, disaster and trauma, from the standpoint of moral experience.Funny bone offers serious insight into personality
May 15, 2018
DAN Management professor Julie Aitken Schermer’s research linking psychology and humour has serious implications. “It’s the self-deprecating humour style that I am particularly worried about,” she said."Without passion, teaching is like a body without a soul," - Shahbaz Sheikh
May 09, 2018
Shahbaz Sheikh, Associate Professor of Finance in the DAN Management is the 2018 recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Faculty of Social Science.Laura Batterink joining Department of Psychology
May 09, 2018
Batterink’s research focuses on the neural basis of language processing and language acquisition, and implicit learning and implicit memory.Building relational accountability with Indigenous communities
May 03, 2018
For Chantelle Richmond, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, it is time for Indigenous health research to fundamentally change. Richmond is the newly named Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Health and the Environment.CRC to bring new tools to change social science research
May 03, 2018
Dave Armstrong has been named as Canada Research Chair in Political Methodology, with a focus on how to bring new research tools into social science.Lindsay Bell joining the Department of Anthropology
May 03, 2018
Bell researches the ethics and culture of mining industries and corporate-community relationships around resource development projects.HEAL helps Huron County understand food needs
May 01, 2018
A team led by Geography professor Jason Gilliland and HEAL helped interpret the degree of food insecurity in Huron County, and its reasons.Maya Shatzmiller receives Hellmuth Prize, celebrating elite research
May 01, 2018
History professor Maya Shatzmiller, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada since 2003, is the world’s leading economic historian of the pre-modern Middle East.Sociology student receives Vanier Scholarship to help find Allies on Campus
April 25, 2018
Leona Bruijns, a PhD Student in the Department of Sociology, wants male varsity athletes to be leaders in preventing sexual violence on campus. Bruijns has been named as recipient of the Vanier Scholarship.Sean Hingston joining DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies
April 25, 2018
Hingston researches consumer behaviour, looking at the psychological basis of the aversion to genetically modified foods.Understanding the brain’s hidden superpowers
April 18, 2018
Researchers Blake Butler, PhD, and Stephen Lomber, PhD, are looking at the anatomy underlying sensory enhancements to better understand how the deaf brain transforms and reorganizes itself. Their latest study shows changes in the outputs from auditory regions of the brain are dramatically altered following hearing loss.Lindsay Bodell joining Department of Psychology
April 17, 2018
Bodell’s research is broadly focused on identifying psychological and biological processes that contribute to the development and maintenance of eating disorders.A Noble gift in support of Public History
April 11, 2018
Thanks to a gift from a Western alumna, and a bit of serendipity, students in Western’s Masters in Public History program will have a funded internship opportunity with Canada’s History Society.Patrick Denice joining Department of Sociology
April 10, 2018
Denice’s research focuses on how institutions contribute to inequality across the life-course, particularly investigating how education options impact later opportunities for people.Live crowds find their groove together
April 09, 2018
Neuroscientist Jessica Grahn, a Western Psychology professor in the Brain and Mind Institute, co-led a study that shows the brain waves of concertgoers synchronize at the event, indicating they enjoy music more when it is live and experienced as part of a group.Social Science Faculty receive more than $400,000 in Insight Development Grants
April 02, 2018
Researchers from the Faculty of Social Science have received six Insight Development Grants in the 2017 grant competition, worth more than $400,000.Margolis and Navarro named as 2018 Faculty Scholars
March 27, 2018
Congratulations to Rachel Margolis, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, and Salvador Navarro, Associate Professor in the Department of Economics.Undergraduate Teaching Success
March 27, 2018
Social Science Faculty members have been recognized for the innovative and collaborative approach to teaching.Turning the paper into policy
March 26, 2018
For students, the policy implications of their research may often seem distant. Awish Aslam, PhD student in the Department of Sociology, was one of three people who was recently recognized for the policy potential of their work.Stephen D. Williamson named 2018 recipient of The Bank of Canada's Fellowship Award
March 23, 2018
Stephen D. Williamson, professor in the Department of Economics, has been named a 2018 recipient of The Bank of Canada's Fellowship Award.Michael Dove and Michelle Hamilton receive Award for Excellence in Collaborative Teaching
March 15, 2018
Friends for more than two decades, colleagues for one decade, Michelle Hamilton and Mike Dove have been recognized for their commitment to collaboration.Lisa Hodgetts receives 2018 Edward G. Pleva Award for Excellence in Teaching
March 15, 2018
Lisa Hodgetts, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology has been recognized for excellence in teaching.Assistance to the Poor in the United States: Growing or Falling?
March 14, 2018
Robert Moffitt is the Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of Economics at Johns Hopkins University. On Thursday, March 22, Moffitt will present the Western University Department of Economics Distinguished Lecture, entitled “Assistance to the Poor in the United States: Growing or Falling?”Award to help build research team in Autism-focused lab
March 12, 2018
Ryan Stevenson, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Brain & Mind Institute, has received an Early Researcher Award from the Government of Ontario.A little bit of Mars, here on Earth
March 06, 2018
Natalie Allen has set her sights on Mars or, at least, a suitable Earth-based stand in. Allen, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Western, is taking part in AMADEE-18, a Mars analogue mission organized by the Austrian Space Forum.Attack ads become a double negative
March 02, 2018
Western Political Science professor Chris Alcantara said going negative in an election has no effect in winning over voters and, in fact, has a negative effect on the attacker’s own campaign.Political Science alumna embraces new ‘Power’ player role
February 22, 2018
Political Science alumna Vassy Kapelos will be taking the helm of the CBC's flagship daily political program, Power & Politics, starting in March.Cross-border love a complex affair
February 16, 2018
Kate Choi is researching how international migration alters marriage choices in both origin and destination countries – pioneering ways of studying the consequences of international migration.In Memoriam – Professor Emeritus Ron Wonnacott
February 01, 2018
Ron Wonnacott, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Economics, passed away on Monday, January 29, 2018. He was in his 88th year.CIHR grant supports research of motor learning by observing
January 31, 2018
Can you learn by watching? Paul Gribble thinks so. He has received a CIHR grant to research sensory motor neuroplasticity and motor learning by observing.New book gets to the heart of the matter
January 30, 2018
The heart is physically and symbolically one of the most important organs in the human body. As such, efforts to repair or replace hearts are celebrated among the highest achievements in modern medicine. Shelley McKellar examined the history of these efforts in two recent works.Prehistoric women more powerful than today’s top female athletes
January 25, 2018
Prehistoric women had stronger arms than even today’s top female athletes, according to the first study to compare their relative bone strength, conducted by Jay Stock and colleagues.Research project is a sound collaboration
January 25, 2018
A new collaboration is bringing together researchers from across Western, with the goal of changing how people hear the world around them.Sabin examines the role of religion in Canadian politics
January 24, 2018
Does religion play a role in Canadian politics? For many, this question may seem out of place in Canadian political discourse. But Jerald Sabin, along with his colleagues found that religion does have an impact on Canadian politics.Helping the EU tell its climate story
January 23, 2018
Radoslav Dimitrov, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, is playing an important role in reworking how the European Union is communicating its climate policies.Geography student provides Indigenous leadership on police board
January 18, 2018
Vanessa Ambtman-Smith knows the grim statistics: Indigenous women are more likely to be victims of violence than any other group in Canada. This is something she hopes to address as the first Indigenous person to sit on London’s Police Services Board.Richmond to lead Ontario hub for community-based Indigenous health training
January 12, 2018
Western University has become the hub of a provincial network of Indigenous health training that is both culturally relevant and scientifically rigorous.Canada’s unemployment rate reached its lowest point in over 40 years
January 08, 2018
Audra Bowlus, Chair of the Department of Economics, spoke with Global News, providing a province-by-province breakdown of Canada’s record-low unemployment rates.Understanding numbers, around the world
January 02, 2018
A new fellowship award will help give Daniel Ansari’s research a global scope. Ansari has been awarded a Jacobs Foundation Advanced Research Fellowship, valued at 400,000 Swiss Franc.
