Gradcast

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

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

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  

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”

#GradLife is back with our first episode of 2021! Starting off the year strong, we bring an episode covering a topic that a lot of graduate students ask ourselves and each other probably every other day, "what job can I get with my degree?". We are all taught to focus on specific projects and problems and we never stop to think, "Can I apply my skills in other fields? or Will my specific skill set be a hinderance when applying for jobs?". I am pleased to tell you that no matter how specified your degree is, you have a stronger and broader skill set than you realize! The University of Western Ontario offers a Doctoral Professional Development Program called "Own Your Future" with the aim to provide workshops and seminars for Masters and PhD students that will enhance their skills and abilities for academic studies and future careers. In this #GradLife episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Elizabeth Mohler talk with Dr Julie Jonkhans, who is the coordinator for Own Your Future. She talks about what Own Your Futur

On this episode, hosts Yousuf and Francesco discuss cognitive dissonance with Master’s of Psychology candidate, Mikayla Colthirst-Reid. With a background and industry experience in marketing, social media and communications, Mikayla is attempting to explore how our own self-perceptions affect our decision-making processes and behaviours. She discusses how this phenomenon could make our choices predictable to a certain extent and therefore exploitable by marketing campaigns. Mikayla is returning to school after 7 years of industry experience in both corporate and not-for-profit roles. She also continues to do freelance work as a social media strategist and consultant and hosts a podcast dedicated to mindful marketing for online entrepreneurs. If you would like to learn more about Mikayla and her work, you can follow her on Instagram @themikaylavictoria or connect with her on LinkedIn. Full video available on YouTube Recorded on Jan 5, 2021 Produced by Gavin Tolometti Theme song provided by https://freeb

Did you know Mars has seasons too? Different from ours, but they are there. In this episode, Ariel Frame and Elizabeth Mohler sat down with Vidhya Ganesh Rangarajan who shared his research which focuses on studying active surface processes on Mars. These include phenomena that may be driven by wind, water, frost, dust and/or seasonal atmospheric changes seen on Mars.  To find out more from Vidhya, follow him on Twitter @vidhyaganeshr93 Full video on YouTube Recorded on Jan 12, 2021 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

This week we speak with Dan Perdic, a media studies scholar looking at the misogynist Red Pill online community. Hosts: Yimin Chen & Tristan Johnson Recorded on Nov 29, 2016 Produced by Susan Anthony

On this episode, hosts Gavin and Greg discuss game theory with a PhD Candidate in Economics, Adam Rooney. From childhood, Adam has been an avid poker fanatic often hosting poker tournaments with his friends. When he came to university, he started with $50 in his bank account, which he used as a buy in for online poker tournaments. After winning many tournaments, he cashed out with an undergraduate degree education. Now he is in his PhD studying what he loves most, poker. And most importantly, he has many poker tips and tricks. Tune in to unlock the secrets of how you can become a poker pro too! Recorded on Aug 27, 2019 Produced by Gavin Tolometti Theme Song by Matthew Becker

Andrew Hanna and Yimin Chen speak with Mary Blake Bonn about the role of voices in musical understanding, as well as her work as the president of SOGS. Recorded on June 20, 2017 Produced by Susan Anthony

Russell Ashton has been a working man since he was 10; first running his own very successful neighborhood lawn services business, and now working as a Mechanical Engineer at a Junior Mineral Exploration Company. So why is Russel even in school doing his Masters? Tune in and listen to hosts Greg and Nik pick his brain about how to get your job to pay for your education.  Recorded Dec 3, 2019 Produced by Gregory Robinson Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

Gregory Robinson enlightens hosts Ariel Frame and Nikol Posnov about his research on the impact of cannabis during development. As a soon to be MSc graduate from the physiology and pharmacology department's collaborative specialization program in developmental biology, Greg has discovered some novel effects that cannabinoids, THC and CBD, have on the developing fetal heart when ingested by the mother. They are not good for the baby's heart and Greg explains why.  To hear more about Greg and his research follow him on Twitter @GregIanRobinson or check out his supervisor's Twitter @QFeng3     Recorded December 15, 2020 Produced by Laura Munoz Baena Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

With lame duck Trump and president elect Biden incoming, the world is sharply tuned in to American political scandals involving their presidency. Danielle McLennan is an MA student in history investigating various American political scandals including the Pentagon Papers, Watergate, whistleblowers and American news media in general. Ariel Frame and Yousuf listen closely as Danielle describes scandals of the past and explains how similar issues are tackled in this day and age.  Danielle can be found on Twitter @mynameisjonp1 and recommends you also follow Daniel Ellsberg on Twitter @DanielEllsberg     Recorded December 12, 2020 Produced by Laura Munoz Baena Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

#GradLife is back with another winter holiday special episode! Graduate students get to use the holidays as a chance to put aside work and spend time with friends and family, eating mountains of homecooked food and catching up with stories. This year we face new challenges with COVID-19 restricting travel and making it harder to see extended family over the holidays. However, it is not all doom and gloom. Hosts Gavin Tolometti, Rhys Paterson and Nikol Posnov break open the winter holiday spirit with stories about holidays traditions, epic food wars, random and fun winter holiday facts, and learning how you, the audience, are spending your holidays this year and what questions you hate being asked as a graduate student.   To hear previous #GradLife episodes, follow us at @GradCastRadio on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website gradcast.ca Full video available on YouTube Recorded on Dec 6, 2020 Produced by Gavin Tolometti Theme song Upbeat Party produced by Scott Holmes

The Trump presidency was infamous for a myriad of reasons, one of them being his perpetuation of a post-fascist rationale that sought to deeply divide people. How does an ideology, sharing a namesake with the likes of Hitler and Mussolini, reincarnate into this modern form? Hosts Liam Clifford and Yousuf Hasan speak with Political Science Master's student Hunter Blue on how the forty-fifth US President adapted a twentieth-century dogma to the present day and manipulated it to suit his own nefarious ends. The discussion that follows makes harrowing connections to the atrocities of the past and raises the existential question over the health of Western democracy. Full Video on YouTube  Recorded Dec 8, 2020 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

In the second episode of GradCast's international student segment, hosts Liam Clifford, Nikol Posnov, and Rhys Paterson speak to Earth Sciences Master's student Karina Martinez about her experiences at UWO. Hailing from Mexico, Karina speaks to how Canada has both benefited her growth as an academic and increased her yearning for home. A subsequent discussion on food, social outings, and tequila seeks to broaden our horizons and educate us on how the Western community is enriched by the international student community. Full video available on YouTube Recorded on Dec 6, 2020 Produced by Liam Clifford and edited by Gavin Tolometti Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

Last year, Nikol Posnov told us about all the things that she was planning to study as an Earth Science MSc student. This time, she's returned to tell us about what she actually ended up researching. What can rocks taken from Brazilian impact craters tell us about where we might find evidence of life on Mars? How likely is it that future missions will find anything living on the Red Planet? On this episode, hosts Yimin and Yousuf ask these hard-hitting questions and more: like, "what's your favourite movie alien"? The answer may surprise you! To find out more from Nikol, follow her on Twitter @SpaceDoctorNik or follow her supervisor @DrCrater   Full video on YouTube Recorded on Dec 1, 2020 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

In this special episode, Dr. Samuel Wong joins hosts Liam Clifford and Francesco Colosimo to discuss his research in how COVID-19 is affecting mental health globally. As the keynote speaker at Power & Global Health Day 2020, he tells us about certain mental illnesses that the pandemic is exacerbating, particularly in populations whose mental health are being disproportionally affected by the pandemic, as well as potential interventions and strategies to improve mental health. Dr. Wong is a clinician with training in both Family Medicine and Public Health and has published over 160 original papers in international peer-reviewed journals. In addition, he serves as a member of the Expert Panel in Primary Healthcare and Non-Communicable Disease in Hong Kong and does significant government and public service work in his native country. If you would like to learn more about Dr Samuel Wong's research, you can visit http://www.med.cuhk.edu.hk/ for more information. Full video available on YouTube Recorded on

Xavier Borsato joins hosts Liam Clifford and Francesco Colosimo to chat about his research in domestic violence against males. He attempts to shine a light on how men can also be victims of abuse but often face several stigmas that act as barriers for seeking and attaining help. Xavier hopes that, through his research, he can help fill a gap in the literature regarding this topic.   Recorded November 24, 2020 Produced by Laura Munoz Baena Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

Jason Wozniak (MSc. Geology) joins hosts Yousuf Hasan and Elizabeth Mohler to chat about economic geology and gold mineralization. Jason's research helps companies know where exactly to look for gold. In particular, he studies old rocks to learn more about gold-movements. We also chat about COVID-19 and how it has deeply impacted Jason's research.  To find out more from Jason, check out his personal Instagram @j_woz or the the Society of Economic Geologists London Student Chapter Instagram @seg.lsc  Full video available on YouTube Recorded on Nov 19, 2020 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot