News and Updates
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Faculty of Social Science
Social Science Centre
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Western University
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E. social-science@uwo.ca
2019
Investigating the patterns of language learning
December 18, 2019
Funded by a NSERC grant, Laura Batterink will research the neural mechanisms underlying statistical learning, and which mechanisms are engaged at different stages of the language learning process.Andersen reflects on success of shift in Social Science as he moves to new position
December 18, 2019
“It is remarkable this worked,” said Andersen, as he looks back at his tenure as the Dean of the Faculty of Social Science. As of January 1, 2020, Andersen ends his term, and will be taking a position as Associate Dean, Faculty Development, at the Ivey Business School.Understanding our changing abilities to learn
December 16, 2019
As we age, our ability to learn new things changes. Paul Minda, Professor in the Department of Psychology and a core member of the Brain and Mind Institute, wants to understand the fundamental cognitive mechanisms that underlie these changes.Millman scholarship to honour a legacy of service
December 03, 2019
Alumni and faculty in the Department of History coming together to honour the memory of Brock MillmanHonouring exemplary contributions to geography
November 25, 2019
On Thursday November 21st, Dan Shrubsole, Professor in the Department of Geography, was awarded the prestigious honour of becoming a Fellow of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS)Spence Lecture to discuss role of body farms in forensics
November 11, 2019
On November 15, Shari Forbes will present the 2019/20 Spence Lecture in the Department of Anthropology, entitled “What happens AFTER death?: Taphonomy of human decomposition and the role of ‘body farms.’”Jerry White earns Atlohsa Peace Award
November 05, 2019
Sociology professor emeritus Jerry White was named one of seven individuals to be presented with an Atlohsa Peace Award for their social contributions in the spirit of truth and reconciliation in the areas of media, arts, education and advocacy.Considering the Social Construction of Risks and Hazards
November 04, 2019
Not acts of God, but acts of people; not natural disasters, but disasters as they involve intersections of natural systems and human systems. That is how Susan Cutter suggests society should view floods, forest fires and other natural events that destroys homes and buildings, and displace people.DAN Management alumna receives global recognition for research into attitudes toward globalization
November 04, 2019
Georgia McCutcheon, a graduate from the DAN Management Consumer Behaviour program was the Regional Winner in the field of Business for North America, for the Global Undergraduate Awards.Social Science staff celebrate their commitment to continued education
October 22, 2019
This fall, five staff from the Faculty of Social Science will be among the graduates celebrating their Convocation. The graduands completed degrees while balancing work, family and social commitments, and are examples of hard work and a dedication to education, in diverse fields.Young Adult Cohabitation: Redefining Relationships
October 17, 2019
Wendy Manning will deliver the Balakrishnan Distinguished Lecture in Population Dynamics and Inequality at Western University, entitled “Young Adult Cohabitation: Redefining Relationships.”Rebecca Northcott honoured with Western Award of Excellence
October 11, 2019
Rebecca Northcott, Undergraduate Program Advisor in the Department of History is a recipient of a 2019 Western Award of Excellence.Angela Lucaci honoured with Western Award of Excellence
October 11, 2019
Angela Lucaci, Undergraduate Assistant and Program Advisor in the Department of Geography is a recipient of a 2019 Western Award of ExcellenceThe Lucky Bench
October 01, 2019
A Western professor has been honoured with the naming of a bench in Jasper National Park that provides a view of Angel Glacier and Mount Edith Cavell, where he has carried out research for over 50 years.Re-evaluating the innovation impact of public-to-private buyouts
September 30, 2019
Conventional wisdom in the business world states that private equity investors risk institutional investor capital to add value to business, and bring innovation in the economy. Douglas Cumming thinks this conventional wisdom should be re-evaluated, particularly in the case of private equity public-to-private buyout transitions where a public company is delisted from a stock exchange.Understanding Abusive Supervision through Attachment Bonds
September 26, 2019
Jennifer Robertson has investigated whether the roots of abusive supervision may lie in supervisors’ perceptions of themselves, others and relationships that are developed during infancy.Recognizing a year of incubating new ideas with NEST
September 24, 2019
In September 2018, the Network for Economic and Social Trends (NEST) launched as a dynamic opportunity to incubate new ideas in social science research and policy. In the year since, NEST has hosted a very successful speaker series, issued calls for graduate and post-doctoral fellowships, developed a new Master’s program, and laid the groundwork for exciting cross-disciplinary research.Economics alumnus named as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada
September 20, 2019
Toni Gravelle joins three other Western alumni in leadership positions in country’s central bank.Janice Forsyth named to College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists
September 18, 2019
Janice Forsyth has been named a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Her research focuses on the way sports have been used as tools for colonization and how Indigenous people have used those same activities for cultural regeneration and survival.The Politics of Nakedness & the Dilemma of British Morality
September 16, 2019
Nakedness is a natural state. We are born naked, many creation stories start with naked humans, and yet, nakedness is treated as obscene and something that must be protected against. Philippa Levine will explore the societal approach to nakedness in the 2019 Joanne Goodman LecturesHealth of multiracial children is more than just black and white
September 16, 2019
Over the past five decades, North American countries have seen the unprecedented rise in numbers of interracial unions and mixed-race individuals. Kate Choi, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, has investigated how this demographic change will affect racial inequality.Lefty, righty brains count on same area for numbers
August 29, 2019
Celia Goffin, a Western PhD student in Developmental Psychology, found the brains of left-handed and right-handed people process numbers in the same way.HEAL recognized for community impact
August 29, 2019
The HEAL Lab in Western’s Department of Geography has been named as a finalist for the Pillar Nonprofit Network's Community Innovation Award. The award recognizes people and groups in London and area that invest in positive community impact.First Nations Studies Program officially renamed to Indigenous Studies program
July 30, 2019
Change to Indigenous Studies intended to be reflective of a more inclusive understanding of Indigenous issues in Canada and abroad, and reflects the inclusion of all Indigenous people - Inuit, Métis, First Nation, urban, non-status.Social Science faculty receive nearly $4-million in SSHRC funds
July 22, 2019
Researchers in the Faculty of Social Science have received nearly $4-million in grant funding from the Social Science Humanities Research Council, from 11 grants.Building partnerships to strengthen Canadian democracy
July 22, 2019
Decreasing voter turnout, increased cynicism and threats from outside sources are beginning to undermine the strength of Canadian democracy. A new project, funded by a SSHRC Partnership Grant valued at $2,500,000, aims to take on this challenge.Are happy relationships discovered or built?
July 22, 2019
Samantha Joel, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology has received a 5-year SSHRC grant, valued at $228,442, to investigate “Are happy romantic relationships discovered or built? The role of early investment regulation in shaping relationship quality.”For Nelson, the mummy is a microcosm of a society
July 22, 2019
Andrew Nelson, Professor in the Department of Anthropology, has received a 3-year, $253,435 grant to examine mummy bundles to determine the impact of the takeover on the peoples of the central coast of Peru.Luginaah investigates a traditional response to our modern problems
July 22, 2019
Can a traditional farming practice help farmers mitigate the challenges created by climate change? Isaac Luginaah, Professor in the Department of Geography, has received a 4-year, $175,265 SSHRC grant to understand how seed security and social connections may help farmers in Malawi deal with the effects of climate change.Hayden receives SSHRC funding to investigate impact of youth stress
July 22, 2019
Stressful life events are a robust predictor of negative mental health outcomes, particularly depression. Elizabeth Hayden, professor in the Department of Psychology, wants to know why some youth develop greater vulnerability to stressors than others.Wolfgang Lehmann on education and the working class
July 17, 2019
Wolfgang Lehmann spoke with Maclean's reporter Shannon Proudfoot on how Canadian's view class, and how students from working-class backgrounds carry their class forward through life.Developing organized labour in the game industry
July 16, 2019
Precarious employment, long work hours, digitization of labour, these are some of the challenges facing people working in the video game industry. Johanna Weststar has been studying the working conditions in the video game industry for 10 years.Lifelong Learning an exciting adventure for double degree holder
July 05, 2019
Greg Lee graduated with a dual degree in Economics and Business Administration, During his time as a student, he served two years in the Korean military.Erin Kaufman joining Department of Psychology
July 02, 2019
Kaufman researches the mechanisms underlying borderline personal disorder (BPD), and self-injurious behaviour.Aubrey Dan has been named as a member of the Order of Canada
June 28, 2019
Dan, Western alumnus, who donated $10-million in support of the DAN Management program, receives national honour.Building the future of Indigenous hockey
June 18, 2019
Janice Forsyth, Director of the First Nations Studies program, and four Western students recently traveled to Whitehorse to conduct research at the National Aboriginal Hockey ChampionshipsIncreased tariffs mean increased risks
June 18, 2019
Increased tariffs risk manufacturing jobs, and risk tearing apart the world order that has existed since the Second World War. These are some of the conclusions John Whalley has come to.Award winner's education a long path to new experiences and perspectives
June 07, 2019
Anita Rooke’s completed her undergraduate degree as a part-time student. The 12-year journey to her degree was an interesting path that opened her eyes to new experiences and new perspectives.Our obligations to future generations
June 04, 2019
Elizabeth Finneron-Burns is joining the Department of Political Science as an Assistant Professor, researching obligations to future generations, and how we make decisions related to these concerns.Understanding firm responses
June 04, 2019
Daniel Chaves is joining the Department of Economics as an Assistant Professor, researching industrial organization and applied microeconomics.Focusing on the differences
June 04, 2019
Sergio Ocampo-Diaz is joining the Department of Economics as an Assistant Professor, focusing on macroeconomic theory and heterogeneous agent macroeconomics.Vicki Esses named a Fellow of CIFAR program in Boundaries, Membership and Belonging
May 29, 2019
The Boundaries, Membership and Belonging group brings together social scientists and political and legal theorists to consider why membership matters in a globalizing world.Ambtman-Smith and Vanloffeld named as Trudeau Foundation Scholars
May 27, 2019
Two PhD students in the Department of Geography have been invited to be part of a national leadership and mentorship network.Two decades of visionary leadership
May 10, 2019
Celebrating Mel Goodale’s twenty-year tenure as Director of the Brain and Mind InstituteTracey Adams receives John Porter Tradition of Excellence Book Award.
May 08, 2019
Adam’s book Regulating Professions: The Emergence of Professional Self- Regulation in Four Canadian Provinces was named winner by the Canadian Sociological Association.“It’s hitting everyone where they are.”
May 06, 2019
Pamela Block will be joining the Department of Anthropology as a Professor, researching the history and experiences of disability activists and scholars, with comparative work in the US and Brazil.A great opportunity to advance the Department of Political Science: Lebo
May 06, 2019
Matthew Lebo joining Department of Political Science as Professor and new Department chair.Co-creation increases employee corporate social responsibility for many, but not all, employees
April 29, 2019
Engaging consumers and constituents in design efforts can strengthen connections with an organization. New research featuring Western employees as the study sample provides further insight into this relationship.Local history is only a phone call away.
April 12, 2019
On April 27th, a new portal for recognizing and celebrating local history will officially launch.Green Awards laud sustainability efforts of Political Science professor
April 03, 2019
Radoslav Dimitrov, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science is a recipient of a 2019 Western Green Award.Is technological progress a thing of the past?
March 26, 2019
On April 16, Mokyr, the Robert H. Strotz Professor of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Economics and History, Northwestern University, will deliver the Department of Economics Distinguished Lecture. Drawing on the past experience from technological progress in the last 300 years, Mokyr will shed some like on this debate.Laura Stephenson named as Faculty Scholar
March 19, 2019
Stephenson has been at the forefront in pushing the field on comparative political behaviour and institutions in new and substantial directions. Her research investigates how individuals behave politically in response to the institutional structures in their lives.Shelley McKellar named as Faculty Scholar
March 19, 2019
McKellar is known internationally as one of Canada’s leading experts in the history of medicine and is a specialist in the history of surgery, medical technologies, and the material culture of medicine. She is also a prominent public historian and the co-director of the Medical Artifact Collection at Western University.Godwin Arku named as Faculty Scholar
March 19, 2019
Arku has made exceptional contributions to research, public policy, and student training in the area of Urban and Economic Geography, with a focus on three substantive areas of research: housing, urban development, and economic development.David Sherry named as a Western University Distinguished University Professor
March 19, 2019
Sherry is widely acknowledged as the international research leader in his field. His research, teaching and service activities have helped shape Western’s global reputation as an internationally leader in the fields of neuroscience as well as avian research, and for being an international destination for students.Preparing firms to face the challenges of the future
March 08, 2019
Geoffrey Wood will be the new chair of the DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies. Wood will also be the inaugural holder of the Dancap Private Equity Chair in Change and Innovation.Seeing the meaning of visual signals
March 01, 2019
Marieke Mur has joined the Department of Psychology. Mur researches how the brain extracts meaning from incoming visual signals.Western Social Science ranked 84 in the QS University Rankings, an increase of 64 spots in five years
February 28, 2019
The reputation of Social Science at Western University is once again ranked as one of the top 100 in the world. Social Science at Western is ranked number 84 in the 2019 QS University Rankings, surpassing 64 other institutions since 2015.Porn habits may fuel partner eating disorders
February 25, 2019
Psychology professor Rachel Calogero co-authored a study showing that when a woman is aware her partner is sexually objectifying women through porn use, this could prompt negative outcomes – even if women do not report concern about it.Shifting your consumer behaviour
February 21, 2019
Katherine White has developed a framework of five factors for changing consumer behaviour. On March 8th, White will be delivering a lecture entitled “SHIFT: A Framework for Changing Sustainable Consumer Behaviours for Good” as part of the DAN Management Distinguished Lecture series.Amanda Michaud has joined the Department of Economics
February 11, 2019
Michaud researches labour force participationJuan Carlos Hatchondo joins Department of Economics
February 11, 2019
Juan Carlos Hatchondo researches international finance and sovereign debtMeet your new digital colleague
February 04, 2019
Siri, Alexa and Cortana. Artificial Intelligence is making its way into our homes and smartphones, and is increasingly finding its place in the workforce. A group of researchers from Western’s Department of Psychology has partnered with an AI start-up company to study how companies can most effectively integrate AI into their operations.Understanding the impact of misinformation
January 31, 2019
Mathieu Turgeon has joined the Department of Political Science, as an Associate Professor. His research on political behaviour, studying how citizens form and develop political opinions and process political information."Looking for life" in Haiti, surrounded by crisis
January 31, 2019
“Haiti is dead, there is no more Haiti.” This idea, repeated to Greg Beckett many times while he was in Haiti, is reflective of how Haitians live their lives, while surrounded by crisis.Canada’s first groundhog was a bear
January 30, 2019
Alan MacEachern, Professor in the Department of History, has dug deep into Canadian newspapers from the late 1800s to discover how close we actually came to celebrating ‘Bear Day’ on Feb. 2.Populism in the City
January 21, 2019
What does the success of Ford Nation say about populism? Zack Taylor has researched the growth of populism in Ontario, and the success of Ford Nation, in two recent publications.Understanding the roots of loneliness
January 15, 2019
Julie Aitken Schermer, Professor in the DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies, is concerned with what she sees as a growing level of isolation, especially among her students.Use of parental leave unequal, despite policy objectives
January 11, 2019
New research from Western Sociologists shows that while many governments try to encourage more equal sharing of parental leave not everyone has equal ability to access these benefits or chooses to use them, and policy changes often affect some subgroups more than others.