No. 510 - November 15, 2023

  • Coming Events:

    - FIMSWrites - Fall Edition
    - Community-based Experiential Learning in Canadian Universities
    - Unlocking the Power of ORCID iD: Empowering Researchers and Enhancing Scholarly Impact
    - Femcel Forums: Exploring Gender Identity & Radicalization on Reddit
    - FIMS PhD Program Information Session
    - Research Ethics Workshop: Conducting Research with or About Human Subjects
    - Making #Charlottesville: Media from Civil Rights to Unite the Right
    - Defining and Classifying the Broadway Musical in an Age of AI
    - Save the Date: LIS 9733 Multilingual Information Access Poster Session

  • Important Dates:

    - Thursday, November 16, 2023 - Meeting of the Board of Governors (10AM, WIRB)
    - Monday, November 20 - Friday, November 24, 2023 - Western International Week

  • Awards & Accomplishments:

    - Heidi Wyma (MLIS'99)

    Publications & Presentations:

    - Danica Facca
    - Giada Ferrucci (with Sarah Smith, Julia Piccolo and René MacDiarmid) 
    - Brianne O'Sullivan
    - Michael Ridley (PhD'23, LIS)
    - Sarah Smith
    - Luke Stark

  • In the Media:

    - Adriana Alas Lopez
    - Tim Blackmore
    - Alissa Centivany
    - Amanda Grzyb
    - Cole Rutman (CAP'26)
    - FIMS Graduate Library and Mary Lou Smoke

  • Additional Activities of Note:

    - Mark Rayner

  • Next Issue:


Coming Events


FIMSWrites - Fall Edition
Every Wednesday
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Check your Western email for the Zoom link (or contact Pam McKenzie) or drop in to FNB 4070.
Do you expect to have assignment, story, article, report, thesis, and/or book writing deadlines coming up in the Fall term? Does having other people writing around you help keep you on-task? Then join us for FIMSWrites, an informal initiative to provide some solidarity in the sometimes-solitary writing process. What it is: a group of people sitting silently together working on their individual writing projects for 25-minute Pomodoro sessions, with short breaks between and a longer mid-morning coffee, snack, and socializing break. What it's not: a writing tutorial or workshop. Open to FIMS faculty and grad students who have writing to work on.

Community-based Experiential Learning in Canadian Universities
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
12:00 p.m. – 1:20 p.m.
Attend in person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Register on Zoom
Presented by: Hailey Rockandel, Mackenna Spraggon, Amala Poli, Giada Ferrucci, Darryl Pieber, Sandra Smeltzer.
Abstract: Community engaged learning (CEL) is a praxis-oriented pedagogy for which students engage in projects developed collaboratively with community partners for mutually beneficial outcomes. This presentation provides a meta-level overview of key trends pertaining to CEL in Canadian higher education. Our discussion draws on an in-depth study of publicly available information from 80 universities to gain insight into how they define, describe, and facilitate CEL-oriented activities (read more).

Unlocking the Power of ORCID iD: Empowering Researchers and Enhancing Scholarly Impact
Thursday, November 16, 2023
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Register on Zoom
Presented by Joanne Paterson, Research and Scholarly Communication Librarian, Western Libraries.
ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier (an ORCID iD) that you own and control, and that distinguishes you from every other researcher. In this presentation, researchers will learn the important role of ORCID iD in modern academia. We'll explore how ORCID iD simplifies research identity management and once set up, streamlines adding professional information — affiliations, grants, publications, peer review, and more — to your profile. Researchers will learn how to create and maintain their ORCID profile, and delve into practical applications, including how to export BibTeX citations to use in the Canadian Common CV, or adding a trusted administrator (like a RA). Join us to harness the full potential of ORCID iD to simplify the management of your research outputs.

Femcel Forums: Exploring Gender Identity & Radicalization on Reddit
Thursday, November 16, 2023
4:30 p.m.
Attend in person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Zoom
Presented by Brittany Melton, PhD candidate in Media Studies
Abstract: This presentation will delve into my dissertation research which explores how "female celibate" groups (femcels) on Reddit discuss societal norms, gender identity, and sexuality. I focus on two main areas: how femcels use Reddit for gender discourse, and the strategies r/FemaleDatingStrategy moderators use to regulate gender expression and potentially radicalize members. Key research questions include: Why do FDS users choose Reddit for gender discussions? How does Reddit's structure empower gender identity expression? How might Reddit's features enable radicalization by moderators? And, how does shared identity promote counterpublic formation on Reddit (continue reading)?

FIMS PhD Programs Information Session
Friday, November 17, 2023
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Attend on Zoom.
Is a PhD in your future? Come to an information session to learn more about the PhD programs offered by FIMS, including the PhD in Media Studies, PhD in Library and Information Science, and PhD in Health Information Science. No registration required.

Research Ethics Workshop: Conducting Research With or About Human Subjects
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Attend in person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Zoom (registration required)
Are you considering a Guided Research Project or starting your thesis research next term? If your research involves collecting data from or about people, attendance at this human research ethics workshop is required before submitting any Guided Research or thesis research proposal for the Winter 2024 term. You can also attend if you're considering a research project in a subsequent term, though the same workshop will be offered in the Winter 2024 and Summer 2024 terms. If you have already received ethics approval for your research/data collection, attendance is not required. Faculty researchers are also welcome to attend. To register, please email Shelley Long at slong@uwo.ca.

Making #Charlottesville: Media from Civil Rights to Unite the Right
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Attend in person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Register on Zoom
Presented by Professor Aniko Bodroghkozy, University of Virginia.
Abstract: This talk is based on my recent book about the world-wide media event that happened in my town of Charlottesville, Virginia in the summer of 2017. The alt-right’s Unite the Right rally put the resurgence of aggressive, empowered white supremacy and far-right extremism in the Trump era on display, along with the antiracist and antifascist movement in opposition to it. I examine the meanings and significance of this seminal moment in recent U.S. history by putting it into dialogue and comparison with key media events of the civil rights era, particularly the 1963 Birmingham and 1965 Selma campaigns (read more).

Defining and classifying the Broadway Musical in an Age of AI
Thursday, November 23, 2023
4:30 p.m.
Attend in person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Zoom
Presented by Professor Grant Campbell. This presentation is dedicated to the memory of our former colleague and scholar of the Broadway musical, Jonathan Burston.
Abstract: The rise of artificial intelligence is forcing us to re-examine relationships that enable algorithms to find, select, filter and combine information in a meaningful way. This presentation will explore two separate examples of problematic relationships that occur within the genre of the Broadway musical. The Book of Mormon is a Broadway musical that engages humorously with a Mormon sacred text of the same name. A Texas production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton rewrote significant portions of the book and lyrics to contain Christian instruction. The presentation will compare these two different cases of textual appropriation to explore possible definitions of variation, adaptation and appropriation that we can use to critique the textual relations that will inevitably confront us through the AI process.

Save the Date: LIS 9733 Multilingual Information Access Poster Session
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
FIMS Grad Library
View work from Associate Professor Victoria Rubin's LIS 9733 - Multingual Information class in this poster session titled, "Crossing Language Boundaries Around the World." Details are currently tentative.


Important Dates

- Thursday, November 16, 2023 - Meeting of the Board of Governors (10AM, WIRB)
- Monday, November 20 - Friday, November 24, 2023 - Western International Week


Awards & Accomplishments


Heidi Wyma, MLIS'99, was named Chatham-Kent's new Chief Librarian in early November. You can read more about the appointment in an articled titled, "Chatham-Kent announces new chief librarian," published in the Chatham Daily News on November 4.


Publications & Presentations


Danica Facca, PhD in HIS candidate, published the following article:

Facca D, Hall J, Hiebert B, Donelle L. Understanding the Tensions of “Good Motherhood” Through Women’s Digital Technology Use: Descriptive Qualitative Study. JMIR Pediatr Parent 2023;6:e48934. doi: 10.2196/48934 PMID: 37878372 PMCID: 10632912

Giada Ferrucci, Media Studies PhD candidate, will present the ArcGIS Map "Global Routes: A Map of Diaspora, Migration, and Mobility-Engaged Museums" on Thursday, November 16, during the GIS Days 2023 event.

This mapping effort is part of a larger qualitative research project addressing the cultural diplomacy of diaspora and migration museums led by Dr. Sarah E. K. Smith. Other members of the mapping project include MIT student Julia Piccolo, Dr. Simge Erdogan O'Connor, and René MacDiarmid (BA,23 MIT). For more information on the project, you can read the report online.

Brianne O'Sullivan, HIS PhD candidate, published the following article:

O'Sullivan B, Zhong A, Yin LL, et al. The future of global health: restructuring governance through inclusive youth leadership. BMJ Glob Health 2023;8:e013653. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013653.

Michael Ridley (PhD'23, LIS) published the following article based on his doctoral research:

Ridley, Michael. “Using Folk Theories of Recommender Systems to Inform Human-Centered Explainable AI (HCXAI).” The Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science 46, no. 2 (2023): 1–19. https://doi.org/10.5206/cjils-rcsib.v46i2.15723.

On November 8, Assistant Professor Sarah Smith presented the lecture "Framing Artists as Workers" at the University of Lethbridge's Art NOW speaker series. Following her talk, Professor Smith also took part in studio visits with students at the University of Lethbridge.

Additionally, on November 19, Professor Smith will give a paper "Cultural Relations on Display: Examining the Potential of Diaspora Diplomacy in North American Museums" at the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS) 26th Biennial Conference, Canada: Near and Far, in Washington D.C. At the same conference on November 18, Professor Smith will also participate in a roundtable titled "The Cultural Relations Approach to Diplomacy: Reports from the North American Cultural Diplomacy Summit Series."

Assistant Professor Luke Stark will be presenting a talk titled, "Conjecture and the right to reasonable inference in AI/ML decision-making," as part of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society's seminar series. Professor Stark will present on Wednesday, November 22 from 3:10 p.m. - 4:40 p.m. Full details. 


In the Media


Adriana Alas Lopez, FIMS postdoc, and Professor Amanda Grzyb were guests on CBC Radio's Fresh Air with Ismaila Alfa for a segment titled, "How a new project is reviving the memories of those killed and buried in mass graves during the brutal civil war in El Salvador," aired on November 11.

CBC News also published an article featuring Professor Grzyb and Adriana Alas Lopez titled, "El Salvador's civil war left unmarked graves countrywide. Ontario researchers are helping find them," on November 10.

Professor Tim Blackmore was a guest on the podcast The Shift with Shane Hewitt, aired on November 3, for an episode titled "How propaganda works and how to spot it." The episode description reads "Propaganda is everywhere, but can we spot it? Tim Blackmore is a professor at Western University, and he studies propaganda. He tells us how propaganda works, how it's changing, and what he thinks is the most dangerous kind of propaganda."

Assistant Professor Alissa Centivany provided insights to CBC's What on Earth, for a segment titled, "Let's talk about all your broken stuff," on November 1. The episode descriptions reads "If it's broke, who fixes it? 'Right to repair' laws say companies should be held responsible for making better products. And - we visit a repair cafe and get some practical advice on how to make your appliances last longer."

CBC's What on Earth also spoke to Professor Centivany about Bill C-244 for audio and a print piece titled, "Looking for a fix: Canadian bill boosts right to repair movement," published on November 9.

Cole Rutman, a second-year CAP student, was featured along with his crew of 25 students in an article titled, "Student film spotlights Ukrainian newcomers, impact of war," published by Western News on November 9. The article discusses the process Cole went through to produce a documentary called Voices looking at how the war in Ukraine impacts innocent citizens and families around the world. The crew was made up of students from Arts & Humanities, Music, Business Management, FIMS, Social Science, and Ivey.

The FIMS Grad Library was included in an article titled, "Library art installations honour missing and murdered Indigenous women and children," published by Western News on November 14. The article discusses the special collections open in libraries across London and Middlesex that feature books covered in Indigenous fabrics, and displayed with the names of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The launch of the micro galleries was subsequently covered by the London Free Press, CTV London, CBC London, and Fanshawe College News. Local Elder and FIMS friend Mary Lou Smoke was interviewed and appears in each story, recalling the murder of her sister over two decades ago.


Additional Activities of Note


Instructor Mark Rayner and podcast co-host Joe Mahoney have been busy booking guests for their podcast Re-Creative. In its second season, Episode Twenty-Nine featured scientist, futurist and award-winning science fiction writer, David Brin chatting about Artificial Intelligence. Episode Thirty is a conversation with Canadian actor, writer, director and producer Saul Rubinek.


Next Issue


The FIMS Bulletin is your source for news, announcements, and events pertaining to FIMS graduate programs. Submissions from the FIMS community are always welcome and may be sent via e-mail to fims-communications@uwo.ca.

The next issue of the FIMS Bulletin will be published on Wednesday, November 29. The deadline to submit content is Tuesday, November 28 at noon.