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The official podcast of the Society of Graduate Students at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. We aim to showcase the innovative research that graduate students are conducting at Western University and appeal to various audiences including those within and beyond the academic community.
Episodes
Tuesday Mar 02, 2021
Tuesday Mar 02, 2021
In this episode, Rosemary Giles gives us an overview of all she knows about Western Counties Veterans Lodge, a rehab facility in London, ON that used to house soldiers recovering from World War 2. As an MA in History student, Rosemary enthusiastically explains to hosts Francesco Colosimo and Ariel Frame about the past functions and environment at this facility which she has determined to date and hopes to uncover in the future.
To find out more from Rosemary, follow her on Instagram @rosemary_giles
Full video available on YouTube
Recorded on Feb 23, 2021
Produced by Ariel Frame
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot
Monday Feb 22, 2021
Monday Feb 22, 2021
Contaminants in food sources can cause serious problems for wildlife physiology, especially for birds who feed of marine life and aquatic insects that are exposed to high levels of methylmercury (MeHg). On top of contaminants, birds experience food stress from many environmental factors such as predators, food shortage, unpredictable weather, and interaction with humans. Now, what happens when birds consume MeHg contaminants while experiencing food stress? Does this contaminant worsen the physiology of birds when under food stress or does it somehow counteract the effect? Biology PhD student Claire Bottini talks about her research on this topic with hosts Gavin Tolometti and Laura Munoz. Claire tells the hosts how she studies the effects that food stress and MeHg exposure have on the song sparrow species Melospiza melodia, and how she plans to continue her experiments through the pandemic.
To learn more about Claire's research, check out her twitter account @ClaireBottini
Recorded on Feb 16, 2021
Produced by Laura Munoz Baena
“Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot”
Saturday Feb 20, 2021
Saturday Feb 20, 2021
For Black History Month, on our show we had Western University's Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) Racial and Inclusivity Commissioner (Denise Kamyuka) and the Pride Commissioner (Shannon Carnahan) to chat about an important documentary recently screened at a SOGS Advocacy event: The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson. Denise and Shannon discussed the remarkable life of Marsha as the leading gay rights advocate especially in the Stonewall uprising in 1969. Hosts Elizabeth Mohler and Yousuf Hasan asked questions about Marsha's impact, mysterious death, and why Johnson chose "Marsha P. Johnson" as her drag queen name.
Hear more about SOGS Advocacy on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SOGS.Advocacy and check out their upcoming online event on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2021 AT 11 AM EST – 12:30 PM EST Anti-Racism and EDI in Higher Education with Dr. Kaniki https://www.facebook.com/events/535326700761000/
Denise Kamyuka is available by email at racial.equity@sogs.ca and Shannon-Thomas Carnahan is available by email at pride@sogs.ca or on the SOGS Discord https://discord.gg/A7hMX34
Full Video Available on YouTube
Recorded on Feb 15, 2021
Produced by Ariel Frame
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot
Thursday Feb 18, 2021
Thursday Feb 18, 2021
Sample return on Mars, an ancient lake, oceans beneath the surface of icy moons. These are among the topics talked about in this episode!
In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Rhy Paterson talk with PhD student Leah Sacks in the Department of Earth Sciences and the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration. Leah recently defended her M.Sc where she studied how material ejected from impact events on Mars are deposited on the surface. Now, she starts her PhD research studying the icy moons in our outer solar system! As a bonus! We talk about the Mars Perseverance rover mission, the newest NASA rover to land on the surface of Mars and collect samples that will be returned to Earth by another mission in the future.
If you would like to learn more about Leah's work on Mars and Icy Moons you can check out her website, Leah Sacks - Planetary Geologist (leahinspace.com) or follow her on Twitter @LithicLeah
Full video available on YouTube
Recorded on Feb 9, 2021
Produced by Gavin Tolometti
“Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot”
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
With the growth and increased use of nuclear energy in Canada, more research is being conducted to understand how nuclear waste should be stored safely and in permanent storage facilities. Hosts Elizabeth Mohler and Gavin Tolometti learn about nuclear waste storage from the Department of Chemistry PhD student Lindsay Grandy. Lindsay's research looks at the underlying processes of copper corrosion when it's exposed to ionizing radiation to be sure we understand how the copper layer will behave in this environment.
If you would like to learn more about Canada's permanent plan to store nuclear waste and Lindsay's lab research you can visit the NWMO and RAMPS website, or you can follow Lindsay on Twitter @drlinds
Full video available on YouTube
Recorded on Feb 9, 2021
Produced by Gavin Tolometti
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot
Tuesday Feb 09, 2021
Tuesday Feb 09, 2021
Liam Brown, Masters student in Biology, gives us a tour through the history of antibiotic resistance. Liam tells Elizabeth Mohler and Ariel Frame about his research conducted at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research facility in London studying this topic and how the make up of fertilizer can impact antibiotic resistance in agricultural soil. For more about Liam's research, check Liam's ResearchGate or email him at lbrow55@uwo.ca
Recorded on Feb 2, 2021
Produced by Ariel Frame
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot
Wednesday Feb 03, 2021
Wednesday Feb 03, 2021
For Western's 7th Annual Indigenous Awareness Week (IAW), GradCast hosted two Indigenous Graduate Students to chat about their research. IAW celebrates Indigenous presence and builds community between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. GradCast's IAW Special Episode has two parts:
Part 1: Reconciliation – in progress?
Riley Corbin (MA French Candidate) discusses how he wants to use the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s, TRC, 94 calls to action to explore whether or not these calls had any effect on Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Part 2: The Role of Housing in Enhancing Access to Post Secondary Education for Indigenous Learners
Victoria Bomberry (MA Geography Candidate) chats about her research on enhancing understandings of the unique housing needs of Indigenous learners at Canadian post-secondary institutions. Victoria’s research contributes to ongoing work to improve access to post-secondary education for Indigenous Peoples as well as efforts to address rising unaffordability of housing in Canadian urban centres.
Full video available on YouTube
Recorded on Jan 23, 2021
Produced by Gavin Tolometti
“Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot”
Tuesday Feb 02, 2021
Tuesday Feb 02, 2021
Raj Mann is a PhD student in the Neuroscience Program. She has worked diligently for years to perfect a difficult method of measuring the electrophysiology of individual neurons from the brains of rats. Raj tells Elizabeth Mohler and Ariel Frame how she has applied this method to a model of Autism and discovered how their neurons differ.
To find out about Raj's work, check out her supervisor's lab website theschmidlab.com
Recorded on Jan 26, 2021
Produced by Ariel Frame
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot
Saturday Jan 30, 2021
Saturday Jan 30, 2021
Asad Lone has nearly completed his PhD in biology. He tells Ariel Frame and Laura Munoz about the cell biology research he has done on the impact of p66Shc on cell metabolism and susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease brain pathology. Asad also discusses his interest in the ketogenic diet and post-PhD plans.
To read about Asad's work, you can find him on ResearchGate
Recorded January 19, 2020
Produced by Laura Munoz Baena
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot
Wednesday Jan 27, 2021
Wednesday Jan 27, 2021
In the series' third episode, hosts Liam Clifford and Rhys Paterson speak to Earth Sciences Master's student Richa Agarwal about her time as a Western student. Originally from Pune, India, Richa endears her home by comparing its sights and sounds to those she has experienced in Canada. From Nova Scotia to Niagara Falls, her journey touches upon the highlights of her experiences and how nicely it complements the Western student body.
If you would like to learn more about Richa's experience in Canada and her work, you can follow her on Instagram @doctorvworp19
Full video available on YouTube
Recorded on Jan 17, 2021
Produced by Gavin Tolometti
“Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot”