GradCast

553 | Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Beyond Borders: Reality, Resilience, and Research in Canadian Health Care

In honour of International Nurses' Day (on Tuesday, May 12), hosts Chrisma Perera and Mark Ambrogio interview Mehtab Jaffer, a PhD candidate in Nursing here at Western University.  While many topics of study are divided between practitioners and researchers, Mehtab is uniquely positioned as both, as she is a registered nurse here in Ontario studying the place of Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) in Ontario hospitals.

In their conversation, Mehtab speaks to her use of in-depth interviews with both IENs and key informants in Ontario hospitals. They discuss Mehtab's research into the lived experiences of IENs, as they navigate their journey into the Canadian healthcare system, touching upon topics such as the influence of organizational culture and identity orientation, capturing the professional, cultural, social, emotional, and psychological aspects that define and shape IENs' journeys.

 

Mehtab's Social Media

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mehtab.jaffer/

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/mehtab-jaffer

Instagram @mehtab.jaffer

 

Other links from the episode

Western University Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing PhD

Society Of Internationally Educated Nurses (SIENNA) 

Registered Nurses of Ontario (RNAO)

International Nursing Interest Group (INIG) 

Trent University (Alumni IENs) 

Aga Khan University School of Nursing, (AKU-SONAM)- Karachi, Pakistan 

 

Recorded on Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Produced by Ella Siciliano
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

#BookCast 10 | Special Topics in Calamity Physics

BookCast is an ongoing series where we delve into novels set in an academic context.  For the 10th edition of BookCast, Garth Casbourn, Milan Mamman, and Mark Ambrogio discuss the 2006 novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics, by Marisha Pessl.

Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a darkly hilarious coming-of-age tale and a richly plotted suspense story, told with dazzling intelligence and wit.  This novel won the inaugural John Sargent, Sr. First Novel Prize in 2006.

In their discussion, Garth, Milan and Mark share their analysis of the novel, combined with some first-hand experience of academic life.



Recorded on Friday, February 27, 2026
Produced by Mark Ambrogio
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

552 | Understanding the Abstract & Each Other: How Mentalizing Shapes the Way we Think

In this week's episode, PhD student Hannah Corenblum joins hosts Rafaela Platkin and Spencer Schmitz to talk about her research on abstract mental state concepts. Hannah is interested in understanding the individual differences in mentalizing abilities and how these relate to people's capacities to process cognitive concepts. Mentalizing is the ability to understand one's own and others' mental states. Hannah hopes her clinical research will help improve how mentalization is measured, with the goal of identifying impairments and developing ways to better target and treat them across a wide range of clinical populations.

Recorded on Tuesday, April 26, 2026
Produced by Evelyn MacKay-Barr
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

Art or Science #1| Music

How do artistic and scientific ways of thinking meet, overlap, and challenge each other?

In this special Arts & Sciences mini-series episode of GradCast, hosts Ryan Baxter and Riya Sidhu are joined by Rebekka Lagace Cusiac, a PhD student in Psychology studying music and numerical cognition, and Seyed Mohammad Tonkaboni, a DMA student in music composition whose work engages with Persian literature and Iranian musical traditions.

Together, they explore how different disciplines approach the study of music, and how creative and analytical perspectives can inform one another.

 

Recorded on August 12th, 2025
Produced by Bruno Mesquita
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

551 | Navigating Falls After Stroke: Research Shaped by Community Voices

PhD candidate Catherine George joins hosts Milan Mammen and Mark Ambrogio to discuss her research on falls and their risk factors among stroke survivors aged 30–65 living in the community. Guided by supervisors Joy MacDermid and Janelle Unger, Catherine uses a community-based participatory action research approach to center the voices of individuals with lived experience of stroke. Listen to this episode to find out more! 

 

To learn more about Catherine, explore the links below:

 

Catherine’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-george-262168221

 

Dr Joy MacDermid, HULC Clinical Research Lab: https://www.sjhc.london.on.ca/research/hulc/meet-the-team

 

Dr Janelle Unger, RED Neuro Lab: https://junger61.wixsite.com/redneuro

Recorded on Tuesday, April 21st, 2026

Produced by Victor Lau

Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

550 | Where are you From? How Placed-Based Identity Affects Political Behaviour

Political science PhD candidate Katie McCoy returns to the podcast this week. She chats with hosts Scott Walters and Garth Casbourn about the new directions her research has taken over the past 18 months. She explains how the focus of her dissertation has broadened from the urban/rural divide to place-based identity. We get a sneak peek at some hot-off-the-presses analyses of how the places people grow up and live in shape their perceptions of economic reality, as well as shaping their political behaviours like voting.

Katie has also become a graduate fellow of Western's Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also want to listen to Katie's previous time on the podcast.

Recorded on Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Produced by Evelyn MacKay-Barr
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

Thinking with the Earth 4: Where and Why People Move

This is the fourth and final episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries, 2026. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Ryan Baxter speak with Haorui Zhou, a second-year Master's student in Geography and Environment. 

Haorui shared key insights from his research on mobility patterns in Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area, highlighting trends and challenges in urban transportation. He also reflected on his personal experience as an international student at Western, offering a unique perspective on adapting to a new academic and cultural environment. Connecting his research to broader themes of sustainability, Haorui emphasized the importance of individual responsibility in reducing environmental impact and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Recorded on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026
Produced by Chrishma Perera
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

549 | Caring About Caring

PhD student Kailey Cutillo joins hosts Maris Schneider and Mark Ambrogio to talk about her work in Theory and Criticism. Kailey is interested in better understanding the politics of care, particularly within institutions such as universities. The "politics of care" is a framework that examines the social, ecological, and physical welfare of individuals' opportunities within systems, but also considers how these systems seek to profit from the motives of care. She critiques current systemic practices and uses Indigenous Critical Theory and Feminist Theory to conceptualize how we, as a society, can care better.

Kailey also discusses her role as the Peer Advisor for Academic Matters for the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS).

One of the texts foundational to Kailey's research is The Care Manifesto.



Recorded on Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Produced by Mark Ambrogio, with help with Maris Schneider
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

547 | Thinking with the Earth 3: Rooted in Community

This is the third episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Ryan Baxter interview Javier Ponce de Leon Eyl, a PhD student in Hispanic Studies. Javier also serves as the Sustainability coordinator for the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) sustainability committee and shared a lot of insights into how the Western student community can engage in sustainability activities on campus.

Recorded on Tuesday, March 24th, 2026
Produced by Chrishma Perera
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

 

546 | Thinking with the Earth 2: The Water We Don’t See

This is the second episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Spencer Schmitz speak with Dharma Raj Dhakal, a second-year PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering. 

Dharma shares insights from his research on how landfills can contaminate groundwater, the water we rely on but rarely see. Beyond his research, Dharma also reflects on his journey as an international student in Canada and invites listeners to take part in Earth Day activities on April 22.

Recorded on Tuesday, March 17th, 2026
Produced by Kuljeet Chohan
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)