In Memoriam: Carole Farber

A snow covered roseJanuary 31, 2022

The FIMS community is greatly saddened to learn of the death of Professor Emerita Carole Farber this past weekend in London, Ontario. Carole was a founding member of the Faculty of Information and Media Studies and her influence on curriculum, research, and interdisciplinary scholarship within FIMS remains strong to this day. She was held in the highest esteem by her colleagues and students, and her contributions to the scholarly life of the faculty were greatly missed after she retired from Western in 2015.

Carole began her Western career in the Department of Anthropology prior to serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Part-Time and Continuing Education in the early 1990s. In 1996/1997, she played a pivotal role in bringing Part-Time and Continuing Education together with the Graduate School of Journalism and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science to form the Faculty of Information and Media Studies.

Carole went on in FIMS to teach an array of MIT courses covering subjects like online cultures and communities, cyberfeminism, and computer-mediated communication. She was able to draw on her rich background in anthropology, women’s studies and feminist theory to offer unique and nuanced perspectives on media studies. Working with students was at the core of her academic practice. She supervised or co-supervised 16 Master of Arts and PhD students in Media Studies, and she worked directly with numerous undergraduate students on independent studies and research projects. She also crossed disciplines to supervise a number of MLIS students engaged in independent research. Carole’s dedication to her students was a hallmark of her career at Western.

As per her own request, no service will be held. In remembrance, please consider a donation to The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, to be used for the highest priority needs as determined by the Board of Directors; The Canadian Cancer Society, to be used for the highest priority needs as determined by the Board of Directors; The Alzheimers Society, to be used for the highest priority needs as determined by the Board of Directors; Western University, to be used to support Graduate Student Overseas Research; Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; or the Mennonite Central Committee.

If you would like to leave a note in a guest book for Carole's family, visit the London Free Press obituary page.