No. 556 - September 30, 2026

  • Coming Events:

    - Reimagining Classification: Indigenous Literature at the Wampum Learning Lodge
    - FIMS TA Pizza & Pedagogy Returns
    - FIMS Faculty Pastries & Pedagogy
    - Save the Date: UX Practitioner Experiences and Perceptions of GenAI in the Field

  • Important Dates:

    - Wednesday, September 30, 2026 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
    - Monday, October 12, 2026 - Thanksgiving (no classes, FIMS offices closed)
    - Monday, October 12 - Friday, October 16, 2026 - Fall Reading Week

  • News & Announcements:

    - New Telenovela Archives exhibit on view at Weldon Library
    - Understanding the Impact of AI on Research at Western
    - Visit the 3D Western Makerspace

  • Awards & Accomplishments:

    - Ashley Audrain (BA'08, MIT)
    - Michelle-Lynn Vandyke Balderston

  • Publications & Presentations:

    - Hillary Anderson
    - Juan Andrés Bello
    - Tiara Sukhan

  • In the Media:

    - Lexi Alarie
    - Hillary Anderson
    - Kaylah Christie
    - Brittany Melton
    - Tiara Sukhan
    - Luke Stark

  • Additional Activities of Note:

    - Sally Kewayosh
    - Brittany Melton

  • News from the FIMS Grad Library:

    - FGL Hours, Closures in October
    - FGL Research Talks
    - Make of the Month
    - OLA and FOPL Visit
    - Upcoming Research Skills Workshops

  • Next Issue:


Coming Events

Reimagining Classification: Indigenous Literature at the Wampum Learning Lodge
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Attend in person: FNB 3020 (FIMS Graduate Library)
Attend online: Zoom link (no registration required)
About: MLIS student Lexi Alarie, with the supervision of Erin Bourgard, explored how an Indigenous-centered classification system, drawing on the Brian Deer Classification, could better represent Indigenous relationships, teachings, and ways of knowing within the Wampum Learning Lodge collection. In recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, this project considers how colonial systems of knowledge organization can affect the visibility and discoverability of Indigenous knowledge in academic spaces (read more).

FIMS TA Pizza & Pedagogy Returns
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Check your Western email
About: The first session will cover some of the basics for new TAs as well as returning TAs. All levels of TA experience are welcome so that we can crowdsource people's experiences for incoming teaching assistants - all while enjoying pizza. This session will count towards the FIMS TA Professionalization Program. Please RSVP if you plan to attend so that the pizza order will be accurate. RSVP by Friday, September 25.

FIMS Faculty Pastries & Pedagogy
Thursday, October 1, 2026
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
FNB 4th floor lunchroom
About: Back by popular demand! Who doesn't like caffeine - or talking about teaching? Last year, this series of casual, drop-in morning sessions designed to get us talking about teaching went so well that we're doing it again! These informal gatherings will take place monthly on different days throughout the term to accommodate a variety of schedules. We hope to see you there (read more).

Save the Date: UX Practitioner Experiences and Perceptions of GenAI in the Field
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
FNB 4070
About: Presented by HIS PhD student Elyssa Chung as part of the Starling Centre Brown Bag Series. For more Starling events, visit the sign-up sheet.


Important Dates

- Wednesday, September 30, 2026 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- Monday, October 12, 2026 - Thanksgiving (no classes, FIMS offices closed)
- Monday, October 12 - Friday, October 16, 2026 - Fall Reading Week


News & Announcements

New Telenovela Archives exhibit on view at Weldon Library
An extension of the The Telenovela Archives, coordinated by Assistant Professor Juan Andrés Bello, is now on display at Weldon Library. The new display follows the same structure of Serialized Fiction Before the Revolution, an exhibit originally curated at the University of Miami.

Understanding the Impact of AI on Research at Western
Western Research is conducting a university-wide survey to understand the impact of AI on research across disciplines. This survey is intended for everyone conducting and supporting research at Western: faculty members, librarians & archivists, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and all research staff. Your knowledge, experience and input is extremely important. Please take a few minutes and share your perspectives about the impact of AI on the research you conduct or support. Go to the survey.

Visit the 3D Western Makerspace
3D Western, a student-run makerspace partnered with Morrissette Entrepreneurship, gives students (undergraduate and graduate) free access to 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC water-jet cutting, woodworking, and electronics, with materials covered. Their mission is a barrier-free, hands-on space where students from any faculty can learn, build and turn ideas into real things. For more information about 3D Western, visit their website.


Awards & Accomplishments

Bestselling author Ashley Audrain (BA'08, MIT), was included in the New York Times' best thriller books of the 21st century for her debut novel The Push, published in 2021.

Michelle-Lynn Vandyke Balderston, recent MACS graduate, was named a Global Winner in the Global Communication category for this years Global Undergraduate Awards for their paper titled "Memory Politics in the Netherlands' Anti-Apartheid Movement: A Comparative Case Study". This achievement places Michelle-Lynn's work among the strongest undergraduate submissions received internationally by the Global Undergraduate Awards in 2026. Michelle-Lynn was supervised by Assistant Professor Basil Chiasson and will be invited to Dublin, Ireland, in November to accept her award at the 2026 Global Undergraduate Awards Summit.


Publications & Presentations

Hillary Anderson, LIS PhD candidate, published the following article:

Anderson, H. (2026). Smart watches as assistive technology for Disability: An ethical examination. Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, 15(3), 163-195.

Assistant Professor Juan Andrés Bello was the Archive Producer for The Betrayers, a film written and directed by David Bezmozgis. The film recently had its premiere at TIFF, earlier this month.

Assistant Professor Tiara Sukhan authored an article titled "From Fear Factor to Beast Games: Why watching people suffer for money still makes compelling TV," published in The Conversation on September 27. The article was later republished by Yahoo News.


In the Media

MLIS students Lexi Alarie and Kaylah Christie were featured in an article titled "Recipients of the 2026 Fellowship for Black and Indigenous Students announced," published on the FIMS website on September 25.

Thoughts from LIS PhD candidate Hillary Anderson were included in an article titled "Eric Story highlights disabled veterans in Canadian history," published by the Western Gazette on September 29.

Media Studies PhD candidate Brittany Melton was quoted in three separate articles, including « Tu as besoin de te sentir inférieure à ton homme pour l’aimer ! » : l’étrange discours des coachs en féminité, published in Le Monde on September 5, "The Red Pill is coming for queer dating," published in the Gay Times Magazine on May 13, and "Pink-pilling and why we need to talk about the womanosphere," published the the Independent on April 13.  

Assistant Professor Tiara Sukhan joined The Shaye Ganam Show on 880 CHED in Edmonton and QR Calgary on September 28 to discuss the new reality series Beast Games and why intense competition remains so appealing to viewers.

Assistant Professor Luke Stark is quoted in an article titled "Senate talks measures to address assessment integrity," published in The Western Gazette on September 23. Professor Stark was also quoted in a Globe and Mail article titled, "Doomsday warnings over AI are growing louder. What should we make of them?" published on September 19.


Additional Activities of Note

Media Studies PhD candidate Brittany Melton's name and doctoral research are referenced and cited on Wikipedia's Femosphere page.

Assistant Professor Sally Kewayosh participated in a Q&A about the Walpole Island Youth Film Production Workshop that she coordinated in August. Find out more about the initiative by reading "Young Indigenous storytellers explore new avenues for expression through film," published on the FIMS website.


News from the FIMS Grad Library

FGL Hours, Closures in October
The FIMS Graduate Library will be CLOSED Saturday, October 10th through Monday, October 12th for the Thanksgiving weekend and holiday. During Fall Research Week we will be open 10am-4pm (Tuesday - Friday) and CLOSED Saturday, October 17th, 2026. Our regular hours will resume Monday, October 19th, 2026.

FGL Research Talk | Reimagining Classification
Wednesday, September 30th (11:30am - 12:30pm) or Join via Zoom (https://westernuniversity.zoom.us/j/95492682210)

Lexi Alarie, with the supervision of Erin Bourgard, explored how an Indigenous-centered classification system, drawing on the Brian Deer Classification, could better represent Indigenous relationships, teachings, and ways of knowing within the Wampum Learning Lodge collection. In recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, this project considers how colonial systems of knowledge organization can affect the visibility and discoverability of Indigenous knowledge in academic spaces. It asks how moving toward relational and Indigenous-centered approaches to classification can contribute to the broader work of recognizing Indigenous knowledge and perspectives within university and library settings. N.B. If you are interested in sharing your research at a monthly 'FGL Research Talk', please write to fimslib@uwo.ca (subject line: FGL Research Talk).

Make of the Month | Fortune Tellers!
If tactile crafts and nostalgia appeal to you, you'll want to pop into the FGL this month to fold and decorate your very own paper fortune teller! We'll have a variety of templates on hand to create fortune tellers that reveal mysterious fortunes and eerie predictions! If this isn't quite your vibe, you can create a craft that unveils Halloween-themed aspirational messages. "You can't scare me... I'm a graduate student!"

OLA and FOPL Visit | Library Advocacy Lunch & Learn
Michelle Arbuckle, Executive Director of the Ontario Library Association (OLA) and Dina Stevens, Executive Director of the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL) will be on site in the FGL on Monday, October 19th (12 - 1:30pm) to chat all things library advocacy! Join us to learn and be in conversation with these two stellar FIMS alum as they travel the province during Ontario Public Library Week and Canadian Library Month this October.

Upcoming Research Skills Workshops
Graduate students and researchers who are interested in working with data, learning about qualitative analysis or primary sources, or who would like to explore the subjects of epistemic injustice or the politics of citations in academic research, will want to check out Western Libraries' Research Skills Workshops offerings in the coming weeks. A calendar of workshops and events, as well as registration details are available on Western Libraries' Events page.

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, October 14. Please submit your items by noon on Tuesday, October 13.