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News and Updates from the Faculty of Social Science

Future Governor of the Bank of Canada
May 07, 2020
Tiff Macklem (Western Economics Ph.D. 1989) has been named the new Bank of Canada Governor by Finance, continuing the tradition of Western alumni in leadership roles at the central bank.

Pandemic making economic future uncertain
April 17, 2020
With reports of six million people applying for Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), Economics professor Audra Bowlus estimates the unemployment rate in April could approach 30 per cent. That number surpasses even the highest unemployment rate recorded during the Great Depression.

Allies and Obstacles examines how allies may be part of the problem
April 16, 2020
A new book, co-authored by Pamela Block, Professor in the Department of Anthropology, examines how allies can be part of the problem in the realm of disability activism. Allies and Obstacles looks at the history of parent activism, comparing approaches of parents in different impairment groups.

No universal stress response to COVID-19
April 14, 2020
As the world responds to the COVID-19, many people are feeling more stress than they normally would. How deeply this affects them and how they respond to this stress will depend on many factors says Elizabeth Hayden, professor in the Department of Psychology.

Pandemic offers pause, not end, to globalization
April 14, 2020
Mark Cleveland, Associate Professor in DAN Management, says Covid-19 pandemic is not likely to stop the process of globalization.

Erin Heerey named as a Western University Faculty Scholar for 2020
April 09, 2020
Heerey, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, has an international reputation for her research determining how people use social cues in decision-making contexts.

Julie Schermer named as a Western University Faculty Scholar for 2020.
April 09, 2020
Schermer, professor in the DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies, researches personality psychology, specializing in broadening the understanding of individual differences at the observed, genetic and environmental levels.

Faculty collects PPE for London Health Sciences
April 08, 2020
As health care services respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increased need for personal protective equipment. Ed Eastaugh, Lab Manager in the Department of Anthropology saw an opportunity to help with the efforts. Eastaugh put out a call for any extra PPE from labs and offices, and the faculty responded.

Yoshida focuses on Creating Dialogues between the Community and the Academic
April 02, 2020
Yoko Yoshida is joining the Department of Sociology as an Associate Professor. Her research focuses on immigration and immigrant integration, race and ethnic relations, as well as social inequality. She has also worked on issues of health inequality.

Ramos translates Social Science to Help Communities
April 02, 2020
Howard Ramos is joining Department of Sociology as professor and Department Chair. A common thread through Ramos’ research is a focus on social justice and translating social science to help communities and facilitate public engagement of pressing issues.

Jason Gilliland receives Children’s Health Foundation CHRI Scientist of the Year Award
March 13, 2020
Jason Gilliland, professor in the Department of Geography, has received the Children’s Health Foundation CHRI Scientist of the Year Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize the Scientist or Associate Scientist of the CHRI (Children’s Health Research Institute) who has made a significant contribution to the field of children’s health research from 2017-2019.

Students, classes team up for climate change action
February 27, 2020
Beth Hundey, an eLearning and Curriculum Specialist with the Centre for Teaching and Learning, and Political Science professor Radoslav Dimitrov combined their classes as ‘diplomats’ and ‘scientists’ to confront the challenges of global climate change.

Self-policing not working in Canadian sport
February 25, 2020
Sport Canada’s new suite of Safe Sport for All policies should be seen as a positive step towards addressing public concerns about harassment, abuse and discrimination in sport. Yet, recent signs suggest the system is failing its victims say Janice Forsyth and Taylor McKee

Sexual orientation plays part in pay gap
February 24, 2020
A recent study by Western Sociology professor Sean Waite showed that lesbian, gay and bisexual community members continue to find themselves on the lower end of the pay scale compared to their heterosexual men counterparts.

Canada cannot dust off gender roles in home
February 20, 2020
Canadian couples still divide most household chores along traditional lines – even though women and men, overall, share more home duties more than ever, a new Statistics Canada study of opposite-sex couples shows.

Divorce data revealing – and still murky
February 13, 2020
Sociology professor Rachel Margolis’ research around divorce shows that more Canadian couples are staying married – but garnering such important information has become much harder since Statistics Canada stopped collecting vital statistics on divorce in 2008.

DAN Management Distinguished Lecture in Consumer Behavior, “Global Consumer Culture: Evolution and Impact on Business.”
February 11, 2020
What it means to be a global brand has changed, and how people see themselves in relation to global brands has also changed, said Atilla Yaprak, Professor of Marketing and International Business, in the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University

Getting at underlying factors of eating disorders
February 10, 2020
Western Psychology professor Lindsay Bodell, director of the the Psychobiology of Eating And Related Disorders lab, is focusing her research on identifying the biological and psychological causes that lead to eating disorder behaviours.

New book eyes rethink of transitional justice
February 05, 2020
Political Science professor Joanna Quinn has co-edited the recently released Transitional Justice in Comparative Perspective: Preconditions for Success, a book “underpinned by an inherent sense of optimism,” as one reviewer put it, that goes beyond simply identifying obstacles to transitional justice but additionally offers ideas on how those obstacles might be overcome.

Mosaic X-rays reveal Peruvian mummy mysteries
February 04, 2020
Western researchers, including two undergraduate students, have become pivotal players in developing a mobile X-ray protocol that could transform how mummies are examined in the field. Anthropology professor Andrew Nelson and his team have pioneered a process to digitize and stitch together X-ray images so that they can non-destructively ‘view’ Peruvian mummy bundles in their entirety. The process will enable other anthropologists to conduct valuable work without damaging the objects.

Celebrating "Womxn in Leadership"
February 03, 2020
“Empowered Womxn Empower Womxn”; this statement served as inspiration for members of the Social Science Students Council as they organized the first ever “Womxn in Leadership” breakfast. The event brought together nearly 100 female-identifying students and faculty in the Faculty of Social Science to celebrate women in leadership roles.

Moving the needle on active transportation
February 03, 2020
With the support of a $1-million grant, the Human Environments Analysis Laboratory (HEAL) will investigate the effectiveness of methods to change people’s attitudes and promote more active and sustainable models of transportation to and from school.

Policing partnership puts big data on patrol
January 16, 2020
Sociology PhD student Jacek Koziarski is working with Barrie Police Service to provide evidence-based research to help police become more effective in addressing specific crimes in the community. Koziarski is a graduate student of Sociology professor Laura Huey, Director of the Canadian Society of Evidence-Based Policing.

Haiti ‘still in crisis’ 10 years after earthquake
January 13, 2020
“Everyone I know in Haiti says it’s the worst it’s ever been. The earthquake isn’t even a touchpoint now for them of how bad it’s been,” said Anthropology professor Greg Beckett, author of There Is No More Haiti: Between Life and Death in Port-au-Prince.

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 Millman

Honouring 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 Excellence

The 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 Lectures

Health 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 Championships

Increased 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 Institute

Tracey 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 participation

Juan Carlos Hatchondo joins Department of Economics
February 11, 2019
Juan Carlos Hatchondo researches international finance and sovereign debt

Meet 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.

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 BrainsCAN Communications
December 14, 2018
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 Future

In 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 Network

Working 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, 2018

In 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 waste

Sociology 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 factors

A 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 city

Diana 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 sciences

Esses paper among most downloaded in 2017
June 01, 2018
Journal article on improving public attitudes and facilitating refugee resettlement downloaded more than 6,000 times

Building 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.

Department of Geography named Esri Canada Centre of Higher Education Excellence
December 15, 2017
The Department of Geography recently signed on to become the 11th Esri Canada Centre of Higher Education Excellence (ECCE).

DAN Management study-abroad opportunity “a new model for Western”
December 15, 2017
For seventeen students in the DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies, the Winter 2018 term will be an experience unlike any other.

A strategic partnership to consider the future of manufacturing
December 15, 2017
The Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing, a new provincially-funded organization, has set-up shop in the Social Science Centre, with the goal that the collaboration goes beyond just being neighbours.

DAN Management receives transformative $5-million gift
December 11, 2017
The Faculty of Social Science has received a $5-million gift from Aubrey Dan, funds that will help re-shape and expand the DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies.

Understanding our place in the world, through community engagement
December 06, 2017
Anthropology students partnered with the South London Neighbourhood Resource Centre to get first-hand experience working with refugees, through a new community engagement initiative.

David Calnitsky joins the Department of Sociology
November 27, 2017
David Calnitsky will join the Department of Sociology in January 2018. His recent research focuses of the “Mincome” experiment conducted in Dauphin, Manitoba in the 1970s.

Joanna Quinn selected President-Elect of College of New Scholars
November 22, 2017
Western University Political Science professor's two-year term as President of The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada will begin in November 2018.

Gender and the gym
November 21, 2017
Are there typically masculine or feminine activities in a gym? Is weight-training only for men? And cardio only for women? Or is it more complex? Stephanie Coen, a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Geography, examined how activities and spaces within gyms become gendered.

Walk a mile in my klompen
November 07, 2017
They are an iconic item, a distinctly Dutch shoe, but wearing wooden clogs, or ‘klompen’ may have also resulted in a distinct pattern of damage to Dutch farmers.

Recreating the 16th-century, with 21st-century technology
November 03, 2017
While prospective students are visiting Western University on Fall Preview Day, they will also have the opportunity to transport themselves to a 16th-century longhouse, through the use of 21st-century technology.

Labatt virtual exhibit highlights work of public history students
October 24, 2017
Students in the Department of History played a major role in a new project highlighting the 170-year history of one of London’s biggest companies.

Aging population leading to divergent health and social outcomes, Margolis finds
October 20, 2017
Across Canada and the United States, people are living longer, and their social networks and activities have a major impact on their quality of life.

Honouring excellence within the Faculty of Social Science
October 17, 2017
Two of our staff members, Debra Merrifield and Lori Johnson, were recognized by the University, with the 2017 Western Awards of Excellence, the highest honour for staff member achievement.

Occupational and Income Mobility in the USA, 1994-2016: Demography Counters Inequality
October 03, 2017
On November 2, Michael Hout, Professor of Sociology at New York University, will discuss the changes in social mobility, as part of the Balakrishnan Distinguished Lecture in Population Dynamics and Inequality at Western University.

Study unlocks why public appeals may fall flat with some would-be donors
September 28, 2017
Bonnie Simpson, Professor in DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies, was lead author into study of why some people are — and aren’t — motivated by public appeals

Faculty of Social Science awarded more than $3-million in NSERC and SSHRC grants
September 22, 2017
The Faculty of Social Science has been awarded eight SSHRC Insight grants totaling more than $1.4 million, and six NSERC Discovery grants, totaling more than $1.6 million.

Understanding how the brain makes sense of it all
September 22, 2017
Ryan Stevenson, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, received both a NSERC grant and a SSHRC Insight grant to investigate questions related to sensory integration.

Goodman Lectures to examine popular history and national consciousness
September 18, 2017
As Canada celebrates it sesquicentennial, the Department of History is hosting a lecture series focused on how people understand and interact with Canadian history.

Politics, Philosophy, and Economics coming to Western University
September 14, 2017
The Department of Economics is collaborating with Political Science and Philosophy to offer a new limited enrolment program, one with roots at Oxford University.

Laura Huey named among emerging generation of scholarly, scientific and artistic leadership in Canada.
September 13, 2017
Huey, Professor in the Department of Sociology, has been named a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists

In Memorium - Mary Anne De Kergommeaux
September 13, 2017
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing away of Mary Anne De Kergommeaux, who taught Finance and Management Accounting at Western for more than forty years.

Celebrating 100 years of considering the past
September 13, 2017
2017 marks Canada’s 150th anniversary. It also marks a Century of History at Western.

Bruno Salcedo joins the Department of Economics
August 17, 2017
Salcedo joins as an Affiliated Researcher, and will be named an Assistant Professor in January 2018, researching econometrics, industrial/organizational economics, and game theory.

Roy Allen joins Department of Economics
August 17, 2017
Allen recently completed his PhD at the University of California, San Diego, with a specialization in Econometrics.

In Memoriam – Professor Emeritus Bob Young
August 17, 2017
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing away of Dr. Bob Young. Young developed a reputation for being an excellent teacher and an authority on a broad number of aspects of political science.

Western Social Science moves up 57 spots on QS World Rankings to 91
July 27, 2017
The reputation of Social Science at Western University is on an upward move. According to the 2017 QS University Rankings, it is now ranked 91 in the world, and is number four in Canada.

Janice Forsyth named Director of the First Nations Studies program
July 24, 2017
Forsyth researches the history of Indigenous physical culture, and how it can be used to understand the history of Indigenous-settler relations in Canada. Her current research is a SSHRC-funded project on physical culture in the Indian Residential School system.

World’s largest sleep study launches from Western’s Brain and Mind Institute via Western Media Relations
July 10, 2017
Renowned Western University neuroscientist Adrian Owen has launched the world’s largest sleep-and-cognition study to help researchers learn the effects on our brains of sleep and sleep deprivation.

Study suggests why seniors are less able to filter ‘cocktail-party’ noise
July 10, 2017
Older people have difficulty attuning themselves to conversation in a noisy room because their brains have a tougher time tracking speech rhythms and patterns, suggests a new study led by a Western University researcher.

Alex Benson is joining the Department of Psychology at Western University as Assistant Professor.
July 03, 2017
Benson’s research focuses on group dynamics, including how groups shape the experiences of individuals, and how individuals can shape group processes.

Undergraduate Geography provides unique research opportunities
July 03, 2017
Coming to Western as a Geography student, Destiny Allen-Green let her academic curiosity guide her.

Moving research to action to improve health of children
June 23, 2017
The Children's Health and the Environment Workshop & Symposium is bringing together researchers and policy makers from across North America to help move "research to action."

Grahn and Lomber named Fellows of the APS
June 23, 2017
Jessica Grahn and Stephen Lomber, Professors in the Department of Psychology at Western University, have been named Fellows of the Association for Psychological Science.

Dean Robert Andersen awarded Outstanding Contribution Award by the Canadian Sociological Association
June 22, 2017
Robert Andersen, Dean of the Faculty of Social Science and Professor of Sociology, Political Science, Statistics and Actuarial Science recognized for outstanding scholarly contributions.

DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies renamed in honour of Aubrey Dan
June 22, 2017
The Department of Management and Organizational Studies in Western University’s Faculty of Social Science is now officially known as the DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies.

A time of celebration for Jason and Lori George
June 15, 2017
For Jason George and Lori Kim George, graduating with their Honors Specialization in First Nations Studies is not only a personal success, but is part of their mission to be examples to their family and their communities.

Alcantara wins American Political Science Association book award
June 15, 2017
Negotiating the Deal by Christopher Alcantara, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, has been awarded the American Political Science Association's S.M. Lipset Best Book Award for 2017.

Economist, academic and entrepreneur, David Greenaway, presented with honorary degree
June 15, 2017
In recognition of his accomplished career as an economist, academic and entrepreneur, David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, received an honorary Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LLD), at the Tuesday morning session of Western’s 309th Convocation. During the ceremony, he spoke to graduates from the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the Faculty of Social Science.

"There is no weight in carrying a language around"
June 07, 2017
For more than 25 years, David Kanatawakhon has worked to increase knowledge of the Mohawk language, teaching courses at Western University and Brock University.

Building gender equality in post-conflict Liberia
June 05, 2017
Erica Lawson, Associate Professor in the Department of Women's Studies and Feminist Research has received a SSHRC grant to research Peace Huts, Gender Equality, and Women’s Post-Conflict Aspirations in Liberia.

Digital project to bring cultural artifacts back to Inuvialuit
June 05, 2017
Lisa Hodgetts, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology, has received a SSHRC grant to support Co-creating Inuvialuit Digital Archaeology and Heritage.

Jeff Hopkins receives CAG Award for Excellence in Teaching Geography
June 05, 2017
The Canadian Association of Geographer’s has recognized Associate Professor Jeff Hopkins for his contribution to teaching in the field of Geography.

CTV News Interviews HEAL's van der Werf on Household Food Waste
May 30, 2017
HEALab PhD Candidate Paul van der Werf is leading the London Household Food Waste Survey.

Gordon McBean honoured for work in meteorology and climatology
May 23, 2017
McBean, professor emeritus with the Department of Geography, has received the the sixty-second IMO Prize from the World Meteorological Organization.

Money Man: Stephen Williamson is the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair in Central Banking
May 16, 2017
The Faculty of Social Science and the Department of Economics at Western University are proud to welcome Stephen Williamson as the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair in Central Banking. Williamson is an expert in monetary policy, and most recently held the position of Vice President in the Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Lisa Hodgetts is the 2017 recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
May 15, 2017
Lisa Hodgetts, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology, incorporates innovative experiential learning into her courses, including working to bring ‘the field’ into the classroom.

Data can aid ‘broken’ child-protection system
May 15, 2017
Political Science PhD student Jane Kovarikova’s recent report urges Ontario to take a deeper look at how at it cares for Crown Wards and the resulting outcome of youth who age-out of the system.

Chris Ellis recognized for outstanding contribution to archaeology
May 15, 2017
Chris Ellis’ career in archaeology could be defined by his meticulous detail and attention paid to the many Ontario sites he has worked on over the past 40 years. Ellis, a Professor in the Department of Anthropology, was awarded the Smith-Wintemberg Award for his contribution to the field of archaeology.

After tough times, pre-teens’ brains are wired for rewards
May 04, 2017
Adversity leads pre-teens to be more impulsive by making their brains more sensitive to rewards, a new Western University study by J. Bruce Morton and Niki H. Kamkar has found.

Sean Waite joins the Department of Sociology
May 04, 2017
Sean Waite is joining the Department of Sociology at Western University as Assistant Professor. Waite’s research focuses on labour market stratification and wage inequality, with a particular focus on gender and sexual orientation.

Learning about leaders with the Mayors Project
April 20, 2017
Kate Graham, a PhD student in the Department of Political Science and an employee with the City of London, toured Canada to study the role of mayors, and better understand the role in Canada’s unique context.

Study shows link between food insecurity and poor mental health
April 11, 2017
In a recent research study published in the journal of Social Science & Medicine, Health Geography PhD candidate Kilian Atuoye, highlights elevated mental distress in heads of households where food insecurity is moderate to high.

Western History welcomes high school students with History: It's About Time!
April 07, 2017
On May 17, the History Department will welcome high school students from across the London area to expand their idea of what it means to study history, showcasing history as an interactive and engaging field of study.

Recognizing 40 years of engaged education
April 06, 2017
For more than 40 years, Anton Allahar has tried to challenge others. The professor of Sociology at Western University has challenged his students to think outside their comfort zone, and be engaged.

Language Training and Immigrants' Success in Canada
April 05, 2017
How does language training impact the success rate of immigrants? George Orlov, a PhD student in Economics, investigated this question and is presenting his findings as part of the university-wide Three Minute Thesis competition.

The Sting of Rejection: Why Depressed Individuals Suffer More
April 05, 2017
Katerina Rnic, a PhD student in Clinical Psychology, is researching how depression-prone people respond to social rejection. Rnic is presenting her findings as part of the university-wide Three Minute Thesis competition.

Why we should all be tweeting about birds
April 05, 2017
Pavlina Faltynek is a graduate student in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, researching the responsiveness and resiliency of birds in response to social stressors. She is presenting her findings as part of the university-wide Three Minute Thesis competition.

Three Social Science professors named as Faculty Scholars
March 29, 2017
Three Professors in the Faculty of Social Science have been named as 2017 Faculty Scholars: Mark Cleveland, Associate Professor in Management and Organizational Studies, Laura Huey, Associate Professor in Sociology, and Robert MacDougall, Associate Professor in History.

Anthropology professors recognized for efforts in collaboration
March 23, 2017
Andrew Walsh and Ian Colquhoun, Associate Professor in Anthropology, have offered a unique exchange and learning opportunity for students. Their efforts were recently recognized with the inaugural Vice-Provost (Academic Programs) Award for Excellence in Collaborative Teaching.

Revealing the Six Secrets of Social Behavior
March 21, 2017
Erin Heerey, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology studies face-to-face behavior and interactions. Heerey will be speaking at the London Public Library as part of The Science of Being Human 2017 Lecture Series.

Bringing Big Data to Political Science
March 20, 2017
Dave Armstrong has joined the Department of Political Science. His research focuses on methodology, statistics, and quantitative analysis in political science.

"If I don’t find it interesting, I don’t know how students will find it interesting"
March 16, 2017
Political Science professor Dan Bousfield is the 2017 recipient of the Marilyn Robinson Award for Excellence in Teaching at Western.

Postdoc fellow tuning in to rhythmic patterns in brain, music
March 09, 2017
Western postdoctoral fellow Molly Henry,part of Jessica Grahn’s Music and Neuroscience Lab at the Brain and Mind Institute, was recognized with the Association for Psychological Science Rising Star Award.

Western University study says wind energy plans should generate more equitable benefits to neighbours
March 02, 2017
The more a community is involved in wind energy planning – including getting direct benefits from nearby turbines – the more likely it is that a development will have local support, says newly published research from Western University.

Study: Narcissism and desire to belong leading to deception on social media
March 02, 2017
High levels of narcissism and a weaker sense of peer belonging is leading millions of young adults to take part in deceptive like-seeking avenues on Instagram, a recent Western study revealed.

"When people learn their language, they have a better sense of identity"
February 22, 2017
For Frazer Sundown, learning the Oneida language and performing traditional powwow music has helped define his identity – and his plans for the future.

Western University Anthropology professor and forensic sculptor work to reject Scottish King Robert’s leprosy label
February 16, 2017
A Western University bio-archaeologist and a Western-trained forensic sculptor have laid to rest a pernicious 700-year-old rumour: Scottish warrior-king Robert the Bruce did not have leprosy.

Economics Professor leaves lasting legacy
February 15, 2017
Former Western University Economics Professor John Knight, who passed away in January 2016, invested $5.25 million in London Health Sciences Centre’s research with a gift from his estate

New Anthropology hires add to bioarchaeology strength
February 13, 2017
Andrea Waters-Rist will join as an Associate Professor. Jay Stock will initially join as an Adjunct Research Professor

Bank of Canada presents inflation update at Western University
February 09, 2017
Speaking at Western like “speaking on home turf” said Lawrence Schembri, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada

Public History students contribute to unique Canada 150 project
February 08, 2017
Students from Western’s MA Public History Program have contributed to A Driving Force: Women of the London, Ontario, Visual Arts Community 1867-2017, a unique Canada 150 project

Shauna Sexsmith changed the  world by changing herself via Alumni Gazette
February 07, 2017
Shauna Sexsmith, BA’08 (Philosophy and Political Science), heads International Project Development for the World Education Foundation.

History alumna Palvetzian has her finger on the pulse of the GTA via Alumni Gazette
February 07, 2017
Sevaun Palvetzian, earned her BA and MA in History, and is now CEO of CivicAction working to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).

Alumnus’ musical set for Broadway stage via Western News
February 07, 2017
Political Science alumnus Michael Rubinoff is heading the Broadway production of "Come From Away"

Book by Geography professor named as Outstanding Academic Title
January 20, 2017
The International Atlas of Mars Exploration Volume 2, by Phil Stooke has been included on the Association of College & Research Libraries annual list of Outstanding Academic Titles.

Student organized conference to help "Find Your Way"
January 20, 2017
Billed as “a lecture series on the psychology of everyday life,” graduate students in Clinical Psychology will deliver 12 lectures over four days at the Central Library, as part of “Finding Your Way.”

New Reading Room a Signature Space for Social Science Students
January 13, 2017
The Faculty of Social Science and the Social Science Students’ Council have come together to provide students in the Social Science Centre with a new, quiet modern space to study and collaborate.

Rachel Calogero joins Department of Psychology
January 12, 2017
Rachel Calogero has joined the Western University Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. Calogero researches the objectification of women and other relevant gender-related issues.

Anna Zajacova joins Department of Sociology
January 12, 2017
Anna Zajacova has joined the Department of Sociology at Western University as Associate Professor. Her primary research area is social determinants of health; she focuses on education and health among adults in the United States.

Jamie Voogt new Chair of Department of Geography
January 10, 2017
Many incoming undergraduate students are not familiar with Geography, and this represents a challenge for Western University’s Department of Geography, as well as a chance for renewal and rebranding, said incoming Department Chair, Jamie Voogt.

Margolis receives €160,000 grant to look at impact of aging populations
December 21, 2016
Rachel Margolis, an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Western University, is part of a team of researchers from five countries studying “Care, Retirement and Wellbeing of Older People across Different Welfare Regimes.”

Intensive new MOS program gives graduates leg up
December 19, 2016
Following a successful first year, the Graduate Diploma in Accounting, offered by the Department of Management and Organizational Studies, is aiming to double enrollment.

Western professor wants you to share your WorkStory
December 18, 2016
WorkStory is a website where young workers tell the story of their career and their path in the professional world.

Perverse pricing, variable voting and criminal conspiracies
December 18, 2016
Al Slivinski, Professor in the Department of Economics, will explore these themes in a mini-lecture delivered during Fall Preview Day.

When is a name more than just a name?
December 08, 2016
Karen Pennesi, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology, is researching how names impact our understanding of ourselves and others.

History Professor helps tell the story of Dr. Oronhyatekha
December 05, 2016
Michelle Hamilton, Associate Professor in the Department of History, worked with First Nations researcher, writer and educator Keith Jamieson to publish Dr. Oronhyatekha: Security, Justice and Equality.

Segregation and the Perpetuation of Poverty
December 02, 2016
Douglas Massey, Professor of Sociology at Princeton University, spoke about segregation and the impact is has on poverty, health and economic well being of people and communities

Examining the impact of student loans on student success
December 02, 2016
Lance Lochner, Professor in the Department of Economics, has been named as the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Human Capital and Inequality.

Filling a gap in bird research
November 28, 2016
It looks like an old-fashion television antenna, but a new device installed on the roof of the Social Science Centre will fill a gap in a continent-wide network used to track bird behavior and movement.

Social Science students step up to solve the world’s challenges
November 27, 2016
Robert Celik, a student in the Department of Geography, was a member of the first place team, along with Linta Mustafa and Anisha Khanna, students in the Faculty of Health Sciences. The team looked at addressing the sustainability of contemporary agricultural food systems.

Creating a signature space for Social Science students
November 17, 2016
A new space, the Social Science Student Reading Room, will open in January, providing the faculty’s large student population a modern, dedicated and quiet space to call their own.

Dyczok investigates media, memory and disinformation
November 14, 2016
Marta Dyczok, an Associate Professor cross-appointed in History and Political Science, is concerned with how people get their information and how this contributes to the development of memories.

Mummies, money and medieval beads: high tech scanning in archaeology
November 09, 2016
Andrew Nelson, Professor in the Department of Anthropology, will explore these themes in a mini-lecture delivered during Fall Preview Day.

True Histories: Zombies, Vampires and the End of Days
November 09, 2016
Jonathan Vance, Professor in the Department of History, will explore these themes in a mini-lecture delivered during Fall Preview Day.

Anthropology students combines creative arts and studies to inspire
November 08, 2016
Aaron Bengall is an entrepreneur, an artist, an author and is dedicated to educating and uniting Type I diabetes communities in London. He does all this while also completing a Master’s degree in Anthropology.

Chantelle Richmond featured in Maclean's Magazine
November 03, 2016
Professor in the Department of Geography featured in Maclean's Magazine for her research in the field of health geography, in particular the connection with Indigenous peoples.

Department of Economics recognizes 50th anniversary
November 02, 2016
On October 28, and 29, the Department of Economics recognized its 50th Anniversary with a conference and speaker series featuring alumni and former faculty.

Western University approves Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance
October 25, 2016
The Centre will bring together faculty and researchers who conduct local and urban research with a focus on policy implications.

Donation from Professor Emeritus creates Sociology speaker series
October 24, 2016
A generous donation provided by Professor Emeritus T.R. Balakrishnan and Lois F. Leatham will establish a speaker series bringing in well-known researchers in Sociology.

The men who made the ‘Golden Era’; Western to honour David Laidler and Michael Parkin
October 24, 2016
For the Department of Economics, the 1980s has been called the “Golden Era”. On Friday, October 28 two of the faculty members who played a prominent role in creating that era, David Laidler and Michael Parkin, will receive honorary degrees, as part of Western University’s 308th Convocation.

Internship a great learning and working experience for 4th year Urban Development student
October 23, 2016
Dianne Ramos is a 4th-year student in the Urban Development program. She completed an internship with Jones Lang LaSalle, a leading financial and professional services firm specializing in commercial real estate services and investment management.

Economics student inspired to impact world through One Young World Summit
October 23, 2016
Michelle Ampadu is a fourth-year student in the Honors Economics program. Committed to making the world a better place, Ampadu attended the One Young World Summit in Ottawa

Goodale's findings published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences via Media Relations
October 19, 2016
An international team of neuroscientists has shown that a person’s ability to see fine visual detail can be sharpened by simply staring for a few seconds at a rapidly flickering display.

Melaine Stone receives a 2016 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship via Western News
October 17, 2016
PhD candidate in the Department of Women’s Studies and Feminist Research recently named among 166 recipients of the 2016 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.

Ryan Stevenson joins Department of Psychology
October 12, 2016
Stevenson’s research is in developmental psychology with a focus on how the brain combines sensory information from multiple senses to perceive it as one unified signal. He applies this specifically to people with different developmental delays, in particular children with autism.

The first issue of the Social Newsletter is out via The Faculty of Social Science
October 10, 2016
The Social is the new newsletter for the Faculty of Social Science. Our goal is to keep you up to date on some of the biggest developments in the Faculty of Social Science. We plan to produce two issues a year, one in the fall and one in the winter.

Officer-turned-researcher explores police culture via
October 06, 2016
It’s not enough to diversify police forces, stresses Lesley Bikos, a Sociology PhD student at Western. The culture within the forces themselves must change if working conditions are to improve for officers – particularly for women and visible minority officers.

Economics Professor Emeritus receives Order of Canada for contribution to free trade debate
October 04, 2016
Ron Wonnacott was just a professor in a small economics department, but his research would trigger a debate that would change the Canadian economy.

Craig Boydell named to the Alumni Sports Hall of Fame in the “Builder” category
October 03, 2016
During his 40 year career at Western Craig Boydell has been a leader in the classroom and on the basketball court, developing courses and programs in Social Science, and as a Varsity basketball coach

Drought study sounds another ‘wake-up call’ via Western News
September 28, 2016
An unprecedented exploration of historical climate data strongly indicates increasing levels of greenhouse gases have the potential to lock California into drought conditions for centuries to come, according to research by Katrina Moser and partners.

Social Science Undergraduates well represented in University Affairs awards
September 22, 2016
Western Social Science was well represented in the 2016 Undergraduate Awards, with three papers recognized as regional winners.

Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan speaks at Faculty of Social Science
September 15, 2016
The Faculty of Social Science welcomed the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science to announce the reinstatement of the Full-time University and College Academic Staff System (FT-UCASS) survey.

Abelson shines a light on Canadian Think Tanks
September 14, 2016
Why do ideas developed by think tanks gain more traction than those that come from universities? That is one of the questions that Don Abelson, considers in his new book, Northern Lights: Exploring Canada’s Think Tank Landscape

2015 Faculty of Social Science Research Highlight Report via The Faculty of Social Science
September 07, 2016
The Faculty of Social Science has released the 2015 Research Highlight Report, reflecting the wide-ranging research achievements of the Faculty.

Sandra Kagango, winner of National Bank Women in Financial Markets Scholarship
September 06, 2016
Sandra Kagango is an incoming student in Western University’s Master of Financial Economics (MFE) program. She was recently selected for the prestigious National Bank Women in Financial Markets Scholarship.

Craig Logan, winner of The Montreal Exchange Canadian Derivatives Exchange Scholarship
September 06, 2016
Craig Logan is a student in the Master of Financial Economics (MFE) program, with plans to graduate in December 2016. He received The Montreal Exchange Canadian Derivatives Exchange Scholarship. The scholarship is a $10,000 research grant for a master’s student pursing research on derivatives.

Strength in numbers – Department of Sociology celebrates 50 years as leader in demography
September 05, 2016
The Department of Sociology at Western developed around demography and quantitative analysis, a strength it carries to this day. During the 2016/17 academic year, the Department of Sociology is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

A tradition of excellence, a future of success – Western Economics celebrates its 50th anniversary
September 05, 2016
The Department of Economics is celebrating its 50th anniversary during the 2016/17 academic year. During those 50 years, the Department has had a strong international reputation of academic excellence, a path it continues on to this day.

Reuber planted the seeds of success for Economics and Sociology
September 05, 2016
The Departments of Economics and Sociology are each celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. The separate development of these departments owe much to the focus and work of Grant Reuber.

Donation from the estate of Professor Ken Hilborn creates awards for history students
September 01, 2016
Professor Kenneth Hilborn bequeathed an estate gift of $1,000,000 to Western University, of which $750,000 was directed to the Department of History to establish awards for undergraduate and graduate students.

Department of Psychology strengthens Social Psychology focus
August 29, 2016
The Department of Psychology at Western University is bringing together professors to strengthen the areas of psychology focused on human social behaviour.

MOS announces new research clusters
August 29, 2016
The Department of Management and Organizational Studies has organized its faculty into two new research clusters to build on their award winning research and provide guidance for further growth.

Helping refugees find the information they need
August 25, 2016
Victoria Esses, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Western University, and three co-investigators have received a SSHRC-Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) grant to research refugee information needs and how refugees receive and use information.

Understanding the toll of war on children
August 24, 2016
Mazel El-Baba is bringing together his passion for social justice, and his study of neuroscience, to better both and better his community.

Western doctoral student makes mummified mice to better understand ancient diseases
August 18, 2016
Jennifer Willoughby, a doctoral student in bioarchaeology at Western University studies cancer in mummified remains. To help her better identify what a mummified tumor looks like, Willoughby created her own mummies.

Community partnership works to revitalize an endangered language
August 11, 2016
Students in the Anthropology course, Language Revitalization in Practice, partnered with the Oneida Language and Cultural Centre to support the Centre’s work in encouraging use of the Oneida language.

Pier 21 partnership puts Public History program on the national stage
July 25, 2016
Through the 2015-2016 academic year, students from the MA in Public History program worked with the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 to tell stories of US immigration to Canada.

Visiting students help improve cross-cultural understanding
July 25, 2016
What is the value of cultural exchange? That was one of the questions addressed by a group of Anthropology students, working with visiting students from the University of Antsiranana in Madagascar.

MOS Professor won the 2016 Hans B. Thorelli award for research on marketing
July 07, 2016
Mark Cleveland won the Hans B. Thorelli award for research on marketing in globalized societies, looking at what factors - ethnic, demographic or psychographic - affect the way people make decisions.

Asteroid named after Western's first Geography professor, Edward Pleva
June 30, 2016
The International Astronomical Union accepted a submission by Robert and Peter Jedicke to rename asteroid number 21367 Edwardpleva, in honour of the long-serving Western University professor.

Anders Holm joins Department of Sociology
June 29, 2016
Anders Holm has joined Western's Department of Sociology, specializing in quantitative methodology, and contributing to the methodological development of quantitative sociology.

Study uses GPS to determine how exposure to junk food outlets influences youth
June 28, 2016
Jason Gilliand, professor in the Department of Geography and Director of the Human Environments Analysis Laboratory (HEAL), used GPS technology to determine when children passed near a junk food outlet, and whether they made a buy, or had food purchased for them.

Social Science mourns the passing of Allan Urho Paivio
June 24, 2016
The Faculty of Social Science mourns the passing of Allan Urho Paivio, emeritus professor of psychology.

Faculty of Social Science thanks friend and supporter Cecilia Yau
June 23, 2016
Cecilia Yau has been an ongoing supporter of the Faculty, and in particular, the Department of Geography.

MOS professors receive Emerald Citations of Excellence
June 17, 2016
Jennifer Robertson and Bonnie Simpson, professors in the Department of Management and Organizational Studies received Emerald Citations of Excellence for 2016.

Michael Haan discusses economic and social situation facing Millennials
May 30, 2016
Michael Haan, Professor in the Department of Sociology and Canada Research Chair in Migration and Ethnic Relations was part of a panel on The Agenda on TVO, "Measuring Generation Millennial."

$2-million gift puts Western at the forefront of Central Banking Teaching and Research
May 30, 2016
The Faculty of Social Science has received a $2-million donation to establish the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair in Central Banking in the Department of Economics.

Archaeology field school teaches students the art of not digging
May 26, 2016
You could call it a non-field school. This spring, students in Anthropology 3396A - Site Management and Service are taking a different approach to standard archaeology, learning how not to dig up a site.

Kevin Lynch, former top public servant, receives honorary doctorate
May 25, 2016
Kevin Lynch, a Canadian economist, served as Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Canada’s most senior civil servant, and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. He can now add Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LLD) to his list of accomplishments, as he received an honorary doctorate as part of the 307th Western University Convocation ceremony.

World-renowned political scientist Janice Stein presented with honorary doctorate
May 25, 2016
Janice Stein, a world-renowned political scientist and international relations expert, is the Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management in the Department of Political Science and was the founding Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto received an honorary doctorate from the Western University as part of the Social Science convocation in June 2016.

Internationally renowned Social Science alumni receives honorary doctorate
May 25, 2016
Yue-Man Yeung completed his MA at Western University in 1966. He continued his studies and received his PhD from the University of Chicago in 1972. Yeung was recently recognized for his achievements, with an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, at Western University's Hong Kong convocation ceremony.

Robert MacDougall wins international award for latest book
May 25, 2016
Professor Robert MacDougall received the 2016 Albert B. Corey Prize for his latest book The People's Network: The Political Economy of the Telephone in the Gilded Age.

Western Professor Jason Gilliland Speaks at Parliament Hill
May 19, 2016
Western Geography Professor and Human Environments Analysis Lab (HEAL) Director Jason Gilliland was at Parliament Hill speaking on "Pediatric Research and Child Health in Canada".

Opening the mind with the Brain and Mind Institute
May 06, 2016
Adrian Owen, Professor in the Department of Psychology, is conducting research using fMRI technology to communicate with people thought to be in “vegetative states”.

Student art projects on display at Museum of Ontario Archaeology
April 22, 2016
Students in their first year of the First Nations Studies program at Western are showcasing what they learned, with an art display at the Museum of Ontario Archaeology.

Western University’s Sustainable Archeology project contributes to AGO exhibit
April 22, 2016
A member of the Faculty of Social Science has contributed to an international investigation into the construction of miniature art, led by the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Alcantara wins Petro-Canada Young Innovator Western award to study political myths and assumptions in Canada
April 21, 2016
Christopher Alcantara is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science. He recently received the Petro-Canada Young Innovator Western award.

Faculty of Social Science awarded more than 15 SSHRC & NSERC grants.
April 15, 2016
The Faculty of Social Science has been awarded nine SSHRC Insight grants totaling more than $1.6 million and eight NSERC Discovery grants, totaling more than $370,000.

Grahn and Richmond named as 2016 Faculty Scholars
April 15, 2016
Congratulations to Jessica Grahn, Department of Psychology and Chantelle Richmond, Department of Geography, two of the recipients of this year’s Faculty Scholar awards.

First winners of the Social Science Dean’s Excellence Award for Teaching
April 15, 2016
We are pleased to announce the inaugural winners of the Social Science Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching: Andrew Sancton, Jeff Hopkins, and David Sherry.

Listen to your heart – it may tell you something about memory via Media Relations
April 06, 2016
Researchers with Brain and Mind and Department of Psychology focus on one of the most striking visceral signals in the human body, namely heartbeats.

Family continues son's legacy via Western News
April 01, 2016
Memorial reception celebrates the life of undergraduate student, Imran Jaffer. A new undergraduate scholarship and internship program established by his family in the hopes to keep his spirit alive.

Award for Excellence in Teaching via Western News
March 10, 2016
Congratulations to Ann Bigelow from Management and Organizational Studies, and Wendy Pearson from Women's Studies and Feminist Research for being awarded the Edward G. Pleva Award for Excellence in Teaching. This award was named in 1987 after Edward Gustav Pleva, Western’s first Geography teacher in 1938 and head of the department from 1948-68.

Research shines light into darker side of gaming industry via Western News
March 09, 2016
DAN Management professor, Johanna Weststar studies the working conditions of video game developers. Her exposé told of seven-day, 80-hour work weeks, uncompensated overtime and a management mantra of ‘put-up, shut-up or leave.'

Gender Gap in the Global Renewable Energy Workforce via Huffington Post
March 09, 2016
Professor Bipasha Baruah's (WSFR) article indicates how few women are working in the energy sector, and how the "underrepresentation of women in this sector is part of a bigger problem of the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. There is an obvious economic benefit for women who choose to pursue these paths."

Pollution travels to high mountain lakes via Media Relations
February 10, 2016
Western researchers discover how nitrates can travel hundreds of kilometres through the air, affecting biodiversity and reducing water quality, while having particular ramifications for the health of mountain ecosystems and for populations living in nearby lowlands.

Syrian Families are Greeted by Trudeau via The New York Times
December 14, 2015
New York Times publishes story on Prime Minister Trudeau greeting the first Syrian families. Professor Victoria Esses quoted “Some people say it’s kind of like the Canada we remember,” and how Canadians are welcoming and generous.

Prof. Dimitrov attends Paris climate change conference via Media Relations
December 11, 2015
Professor Radoslav Dimitrov (Political Science) attends COP21 as a European Union delegate, representing the Republic of Bulgaria. He has been a government delegate since 2009, and reports that this year it has been an "unnerving experience." Dimitrov specializes in global environmental politics, international climate change negotiations, and UN diplomacy.

Morneau, Philpott named to Trudeau cabinet via Western News
November 05, 2015
Western alumni William Morneau, BA’96 (Political Science), and Jane Philpott, MD’84, were named today among 31 members of the new Liberal cabinet of recently elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau tapped Morneau as Finance Minister and Philpott as Health Minister at swearing-in ceremonies held today at Rideau Hall.

Mobile phones answer call for relief help via Western News
November 04, 2015
The use of mobile phones could play a major role in dealing with Papua New Guinea's current drought, says Professor Dan Jorgensen, Anthropology. For us they are a luxury item, but for them, they make a huge difference with transportation networks, identifying priority areas, organizing relief efforts, etc.

Congratulations to staff on Award of Excellence via Western News
October 19, 2015
Social Science has three recipients receiving the Western Awards of Excellence - Erin Huner (Office of the Dean), Dianne McCormack (Psychology), and Karen Vankerkoerle (Geography).

Boas considered 'Father of American Anthropology' via Western News
October 09, 2015
Professor Regna Darnell with an international multidisciplinary team have been researching personal and professional papers of Franz Boas, a distinguished public intellectual, to revive his legacy and explore new meanings.

Worldwide Undergraduate Award Competition via Western News
September 29, 2015
Congratulations to the undergraduate students recently among the international winners of The Undergraduate Awards, a worldwide competition recognizing top undergraduate work.

Refugee Sponsorship Fund via Social Science
September 24, 2015
Social Science is working in partnership with the London Cross Cultural Learner Centre to raise funds for a G5 Private Sponsorship Application for a Syrian refugee family.

Royal Society of Canada Announcement via Western News
September 23, 2015
Congratulations to the newest members of the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Recipients from Social Science are Bipasha Baruah (WSFR), Joanna Quinn (Political Science), and Chantelle Richmond (Geography).

Happy parenthood can determine family size via Western News
August 10, 2015
A survey conducted by Rachel Margolis (Sociology) and Mikko Myrskyla identifies how the happiness of parenthood determines their choice of having more children.

Western's African Experience Abroad via Western Blog
July 08, 2015
Africa Institute experiences Uganda while establishing Western's new Master's in Management of Applied Science - Global Health Systems in Africa. Check out the blog and read about dinner with Jane Goodall.

Undergrad strikes gold with new theory via Western News
June 19, 2015
Second-year Geography student, Maia Somers, presented at the Association of American Geographers in Chicago, more commonly attended by master’s students, researchers and professors. She spoke on a new theory for gold deposition.

Study: Cooking up smell-o-vision technology not a good idea via Western News
June 19, 2015
Fourth-year Psychology student, Nakita Wong, presented her research at the 45th Annual Ontario Psychology Undergraduate Thesis Conference in May. Her study shows how congruent odours did not enhance engagement or emotional arousal compared to a no-odour control.

Family structure affects a child's success via Western News
June 03, 2015
Researchers Professor Avison (Sociology) and Professor Seabrook (Brescia) are challenging the longstanding myth that a child’s success in life depends on his or her family structure, and a mother’s education as the key indicator.

Mind Games via CBC News
May 11, 2015
CBC's Marketplace partnered with Dr. Adrian Owen (neuroscientist, Brian and Mind Institution) on how effective brain training games are. "I don't think there's anything to say that you can train your brain to be cognitively better in the way that we know that we can train our bodies to be physically better," Dr. Owen tells co-host of Marketplace.

Hellmuth Prize for Achievement in Research via Western News
April 22, 2015
Congratulations to Professor Robert Young (Political Science) for being awarded this year's Hellmuth Prize. Professor Young will deliver his Hellmuth Prize Lecture, Nurturing Research, Wednesday, April 22 at 3:00pm in Arts & Humanities Building, room 1R40. A reception will follow.

Mapping the causes of obesity via Canadian Geographic
April 09, 2015
Jason Gilliland and the HEAL team have been conducting studies on obesity in Southwestern Ontario by identifying the causes geographically and socioeconomic links to healthy eating and activity.

Faculty Scholars via Western News
March 27, 2015
Congratulations to this year's Faculty Scholars recipients: Kim Clark (Anthropology), Timothy Conley (Economics), and Paul Gribble (Psychology).

Prof. Stooke parts with his 'egg'-ceptional artwork via Western News
March 13, 2015
He never expected the U.S. Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., to come calling for one of his whimsical creations – a 38-year-old egg painted as one of the moons of Mars.

Dr. Ted Hewitt appointed President of SSHRC via Western News
February 13, 2015
Former Sociology professor and associate dean of Social Science Ted Hewitt has been appointed President of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Congratulations Dr. Hewitt!

Grand Opening of the HEAL via Geography website
February 10, 2015
The Human Environments Analysis Laboratory was officially opened on February 9th. The lab examines social and physical environments from the scale of entire regions down to the level of individual buildings or open spaces and their inhabitants.

Echolocation assists blind people via Ottawa Citizen
February 03, 2015
Researchers from the Psychology Department in the Brain and Mind Institute confirm how a blind person uses a sixth sense called echolocation to detect distances between themselves and objects.

New dean appointed via Western News
January 13, 2015
Robert (Bob) Andersen has been appointed as dean of Social Science starting July 1, 2015. Andersen, BA’91 (Political Science), Dpl’92 (Sociology), MA’94 (Sociology), arrives from the University of Toronto where he is currently a Distinguished Professor of Social Science and chair of the Department of Sociology (St. George Campus).

First of its kind database via Western News
January 09, 2015
Claire Halstead, a PhD student in History compiles a comprehensive database of British child evacuees during the Second World War using historical information of medical records, addresses, and letters.

Western News celebrates 2014 Newsmakers via Western News
December 22, 2014
Western News presents its 5th annual Newsmakers issue, a celebration of the campus spirit. Each Newsmaker contributed to campus conversations – both important ones and entertaining ones. See which Social Science newsmakers make the list!

A Red Poppy via Public Radio Ukraine
November 11, 2014
Professor Marta Dyczok's article for Public Radio Ukraine reminds us of the meaning of Remembrance Day as well as what is currently happening in Ukraine.

History Scholars reflect on Berlin Wall via Western News
November 05, 2014
November 9th marks the 25th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Professors Dyczok, Nathans, and Priestman reflect on that moment's meaning.

Mummy becomes much more alive via CBC News
October 30, 2014
3,000 year old mummy, formerly known as Justine, was actually known as Nefret-Mut and worked as a "chantress" or singer-musician. Using CT scans and closely inspecting photographs of the painted coffin, researchers Andrew Nelson (Anthropology) and Gayle Gibson (ROM) have revealed new information about her.

Community Based Research in First Nations Studies via NIN.DA.WAAB.JIG NEWS
October 10, 2014
Field-course led by Professors Rick Fehr and Micha Pazner exposes students to complex social and environmental histories and situations. The learning objectives of the field-course are designed to introduce students to the historic and contemporary realities experienced by Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples on Walpole Island.

Professor Young Following Scottish Independence Campaign via Western News
October 03, 2014
Robert Young, Political Science, says even though the majority vote was in favour of Scotland remaining part of the United Kingdom, the 45 per cent of the electorate wanting to secede may pose major problems in the near future.

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship recipients via Western Media Release
September 12, 2014
Congratulations to Raechelle Gibson, Sarah Mason, and Katerina Rnic! They have been selected among 166 nationwide recipients based on leadership skills and high standard of scholarly achievement.

BMOS Grad Student presents at Geneva Challenge via Western Media Release
September 12, 2014
Kevin Vuong is hoping to begin to reverse the destructive trend of exploitation and poor treatment of Indonesian female migrant workers. Kevin and his team are finalists who will be presenting at the 2014 Geneva Challenge.

SmartAppetite app via The Londoner
August 15, 2014
Jason Gilliland's team of students and researchers have been collecting data from food producers and restaurants as their part in creating this new app. It provides users with information about nearby local food options based on their preferences and/or dietary restrictions.

Prof. Dyczok reports from scene of Malaysia Airline disaster via Western News
August 01, 2014
Marta Dyczok, who was in the Ukraine at the time of the Malaysian airline disaster shares her experience of how the story unfolded.

Could a tsunami happen on Lake Huron? via London Free Press
July 16, 2014
A question directed to Professor Chris Smart (Geography) during a conference in Grand Bend. Professor Smart presented information from detailed maps of the beds of the Great Lakes.

Name Pronunciation Matters via Western News
July 15, 2014
Linguistic Anthropology professor Karen Pennesi’s recent paper, Reading and Righting the Names at a Convocation Ceremony: Influences of Linguistic Ideologies on Name Usage in an Institutional Interaction, shows how proper pronunciation of names at convocation matters beyond the moment.

Goodale, Owen to lead human consciousness network via Western News
June 27, 2014
After a year-long international competition, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) has selected Western’s Adrian Owen and Melvyn Goodale to lead a new research network focused on the brain, mind and consciousness.

Tweeting Wartime Stories via London Free Press
June 27, 2014
For the next four years, History grad students will be sending out regular tweets about what life was like a century ago during war. Prof. Hamilton says it is not just about battles and people dying, but how war affected Londoners.

Postdoc unravels secrets to implant effectiveness via Western News
June 23, 2014
Dan Stolzberg, a postdoctoral student in Western’s Brain and Mind Institute, wants to better understand how ‘firing neurons’ impact the success of cochlear implants.

Russia Ukraine Gas Situation via CTV News
June 18, 2014
Professor Marta Dyczok speaks about the gas situation between Russia and Ukraine on CTV News. Negotiators failed to reach a deal on prices and unpaid bills.

Faculty Scholars Award
June 17, 2014
Congratulations to Professors Marc Joanisse and Stefan Kohler from Psychology for this year's award!

"What's next for Ukraine's Maidan Protesters?" via The Toronto Star
June 12, 2014
A special article is written by Professor Marta Dyczok in the Toronto Star with regards to the anti-government "Maidan" movement in Kyiv, Ukraine. An interview with one of the remaining protestors indicates that even though the president and mayor have changed, everything else has remained the same.

USC Award of Excellence
June 01, 2014
Congratulations Professor Peter Ferguson for receiving the 2014 University Students' Council Award of Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Professor Ferguson who teaches Political Science is awarded for his attempts to engage and inspire students in the classroom.

Another Economics alumna appointed at Bank of Canada via Bank of Canada
April 11, 2014
Bank of Canada announced Carolyn Wilkins (M.A. 1988) has been appointed Senior Deputy Governor. She succeeds Tiff Macklem, another Western Economics grad. The appointment prompted the Globe and Mail to do a feature article on Professors Emeritus David Laidler and Michael Parkin.

Search Sends China's Military to Unwelcome Waters via WSJ Live
March 25, 2014
Chinese military crews have joined the search in the Southern Indian Ocean for the missing Flight 370. Jessica Trisko Darden of Western University in Canada tells the WSJ's Deborah Kan why some of China’s neighbours may be suspicious of its motives.

Masters of Public History Students research London heritage homes via London Free Press
March 16, 2014
The students have been working with London on researching and documenting about a dozen heritage homes. An exhibition is displayed at Weldon Library until April 30.

Study: Battle of the sexes is for the birds via Western News
February 27, 2014
Research by Mélanie Guigueno, a Biology PhD candidate, and lead author on the study at Western’s Advanced Facility for Avian Research (AFAR), has shown female brown-headed cowbirds perform spatial tasks better than their male counterparts – which is opposite what is typically found in mammals, including humans.

Four Western subjects named among best in nation via Western News
February 26, 2014
Western has made the Canadian Top 5 with these four subjects: Psychology, economics, accounting and finance, and philosophy according to the latest round of QS World University Rankings by Subject.

Saving Madagascar's Lemurs via Western News
February 20, 2014
Professor Ian Colquhoun, Anthropology, is working with primatologists and researchers to devise an action plan to save Madagascar's 101 lemur species.

MFE Official Program Launch via Western News
January 16, 2014
Highstreet Asset Management, a local investment firm and MFE Advisory Board Member, led the launch celebration in announcing a $45,000 scholarship to be awarded in $15,000 increments over three years. President Chakma and Jim MacGee, MFE Co-director, emphasized the valuable role industry partners and alumni will play in providing feedback to ensure the program is up to date and meets changing industry needs.

New study shows how alcohol affects vision via London Free Press
January 16, 2014
In findings published in the journal Perception, Kevin Johnston (Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry) and Brian Timney (Psychology) have shown that alcohol greatly affects the ability to adjust vision for brightness and contrast, which may be increasingly problematic when driving at twilight, as the suns dips below the horizon.

Ansari named as CRC in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning
June 02, 2020
Ansari, a Professor in the Department of Psychology, will hold the chair in the Faculty of Social Science and the Faculty of Education.

Social Science faculty receive funding for research into social and economic impacts of COVID-19
June 02, 2020
In April, Western University launched a new $1 million research fund aimed at helping society survive pandemics. Funding for the first round of projects that will help build resilience and recovery from disease outbreaks, both now and beyond the current COVID-19 pandemic, has been announced.

Economics and Sociology 50th Anniversary Celebrations
June 02, 2020
The Department of Sociology and the Department of Economics are both celebrating 50th anniversaries in 2016/2017

Jennifer Robertson receives Emerald Citations of Excellence Award
June 02, 2020
Jennifer Robertson receives Emerald Citations of Excellence Award for research on the influence of leaders on employees’ environmentally responsible behaviors.

Bonnie Simpson receives Emerald Citation of Excellence award
June 02, 2020
Bonnie Simpson receives Emerald Citation of Excellence award for research into influencing sustainable consumer behaviour

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News and Updates from the Faculty of Social Science

Q&A with Marc Joanisse: Understanding Reading Disorders in Children via BrainsCAN Communications