A Message from the Dean

Susan Knabe standing at a podium with a FIMS backdrop

February 2026

Dear Alumni,

Despite the deep-freeze for most of this winter so far, there has been a lot of activity at FIMS, much of it involving our alumni. I was excited to meet so many of you at the now annual FIMS Alumni Reception in Toronto at the AGO on January 29, timed, as always, to coincide with the Ontario Library Association Super Conference.

FIMS faculty colleagues and I met with many MLIS graduates and had delightful conversations, including about the new online MLIS program, which just welcomed its inaugural cohort on January 5. It was also great to see so many MAJ and MMJC graduates (including one BAJ grad from 1976!), as well as MIT, MPI, master's and PhD graduates. It was delightful to have the chance to catch up with folks from those programs and share what is happening at FIMS.

And a lot is happening at FIMS! This year's Clissold lecture was delivered by a FIMS alum, Katie Simpson (MTP 2006), to a rapt audience of 250 people in the McKellar Room and a further 320 online. Many of you will recognize Katie as CBC’s Washington correspondent. The title of her talk, “Covering Trump in a remarkable moment of change,” could not have been timelier, given the events of recent weeks. If you missed her talk, you can find a recording of it on our website.

We are also hosting MAJ alum Angela Murphy as our Asper Fellow this term. Angela is a Foreign Editor at The Globe and Mail. Her tenure as Asper Fellow will include hosting panel discussions on the challenges faced by journalists in reporting on the changing Canada-US relationship and cross-border issues. The panels are scheduled for April 7, 2026 and will be streamed live.

If you are in London or travelling here in the near future, I would like to draw your attention to the ongoing Telenovela Archives, which is on display on the first and second floors of the FIMS and Nursing Building. The exhibition, which launched in November last year, covers the history and importance of the telenovela in Latin America between the 1950s and 1960s, and was brought to Western by FIMS assistant professor Juan Bello. It will be up until the end of April, so stop by if you can.

As well, February 22–28 marks Freedom to Read Week in Canada, and FIMS and the FIMS Graduate Library have joined with Western Libraries to host an important panel discussion on Book Bans and Beyond: Navigating Intellectual Freedom in the Digital Age. Freedom to Read Week has taken on an increased urgency this year and the panelists will discuss the growing political and social challenges to intellectual freedom, research, and public discourse. The event will be held at Weldon Library on February 26, 2026 at 1 pm.

I would also like to share my congratulations to Dr. Alissa Centivany, who was recently promoted to Associate Professor and granted tenure, and to Dr. Joanna Redden and Dr. Sandra Smeltzer, who were both promoted to Full Professor. Congratulations also to Dr. Amanda Grzyb, who was appointed to the Order of Ontario earlier this month for her ongoing work on genocide and social justice, her work with Holocaust survivor Max Eisen, and her ongoing project Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador. Journalist Tracy Moore, another FIMS alum (MA'00, Journalism), was also appointed to the Order of Ontario, so that's a double win for FIMS.

Finally, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that nominations are now open for the FIMS Alumni of Excellence Award. I know that the award committee is looking forward to a bumper crop of nominations as we get this process started for 2026. If you know a FIMS alum who deserves recognition for their outstanding professional achievement, community service, service to the university, or social impact or innovation, don't hesitate to put them forward for consideration. 

Take care,

Susan Knabe
Acting Dean, Faculty of Information and Media Studies