Gradcast

Join hosts Nikol & Laura to hear about a topic which has rarely been explored in the context of urban environmental history, something which has gone unremarked and is often invisible in our everyday lives: telephone poles and wires. The interviewee, Michael Feagan, explains the use and status of telephone poles within cities, and how they reflected social, economic, and political value of technology in the late nineteenth-century. Michael also highlights the importance of how the poles and wires were physically constructed, and how they interacted with natural elements such as plants and the weather. Give this a listen and we guarantee you will have a completely different view on telephone poles because after all, electrical poles are simultaneously so like trees but yet so different. To find more about Michael, you can follow on Twitter as @mrfeagan and check his work at Photographing Environmental History Produced by Laura Muñoz

Colonizing Mars has been a dream for planetary scientists for decades, expanding the presence of human kind in our solar system. However, for us to colonize Mars, we need to use resources available on the red planet. In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Yousuf Hasan chat with PhD candidate Shannon Hibbard from the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration about how we can search for buried ice on Mars and use it for drinking water, breathable air, and rocket fuel!  To learn more about Shannon and her research, check out her website https://www.shannonmars.com/ or follow her on Twitter @Shann0nMars   Produced by Gregory Robinson    

Have you ever wondered what it takes to destabilize a culture from the inside? Liam Clifford, current M.A. student in History, discusses his research on cultural genocide and internal colonialism with co-hosts Sarah Klapman and Yousuf Hasan, including the importance of language, the role of the institution, and why Russia and Ireland have a lot in common. Liam shares his knowledge of geopolitics, and draws fascinating connections between cultural marginalization and the destructive colonial structures whose echoes reverberate in the present.  To find out more about Liam, follow him on Twitter @LNJClifford Full video available on YouTube Recorded on May 12, 2020. Produced by Ariel Frame.

Maps have helped us find our way home and discover new places around the world. When we think of maps, we picture large sheets of paper with an image of all of the continents. Nowadays, with technology advancing and the digital era approaching, maps and mapping have started to become available online, without the need for large tables to set your maps on. Ask yourself, is there a way for you to access maps digitally? Well this is the episode for you! In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Sarah Klapman talk with part-time MSc student Liz Sutherland, who works in the Map and Data Centre in Western Libraries as their Geographical Information Systems (GIS) specialist. She explains how she fell in love with maps and cartography, discovered the world GIS and how it has made it easier for the public to access data, and how she challenges everyone to find her something she cannot map. To find out more from Liz follow her on Twitter @cartoliz, or find her in the Map Data Center: https://www.lib.uwo.ca/madgic/ind

After another month in isolation, Monica, Viki, and Gavin are back with Co-Hosts Greg and Nikol to talk about their experiences with COVID-19. The hosts discuss their new habits and routines (there's a lot of running involved), their feelings on Instagram challenges, and how their grad studies (and graduations) have been affected by COVID-19 isolation measures. Plus, we discuss "Zoom Gloom", how we feel about being constantly connected, and whether Dalgona coffee is worth the hype.   Watch the episode on YouTube by clicking here    Produced by Gregory Robinson

The quest for understanding the Earth’s geologic past has puzzled scientists for decades, slowly advancing based on the shreds of evidence left behind. There are clues everywhere – from fossils and remnant minerals to pollen spores of extinct plants, our planet's history can be preserved the most unlikely of places. In this episode hosts Rhys Paterson and Yousuf Hasan talk to Stephen Pilar, a grad student in the Earth Science department discussing a fairly new area of research. By studying microscopic bubbles within rocks and minerals using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), he is working on developing new ways to uncover valuable information about Earth’s ancient geology and add another piece to puzzle we call home.To find out more from Stephen, follow him on Twitter @stephenpilar or email him at spilar@uwo.ca Full video available on YouTube Produced by Ariel Frame

Historical sites such as Chernobyl and Auschwitz hold a dark past, and require respect and remembrance from visiting tourists. In this decade, social media has brought upon a new type of tourism known as dark tourism, where reeducation is needed to explain to tourists why these sites must be respected and not used as social media photo spots. In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Rhys Paterson talk with MA Public History student Kaitlyn MacDonald about how she is working with the public to provide education about dark tourism in Canada and around the world. To find out more from Kat follow her on Instagram @HistoricDame, email her kmacd253@uwo.ca,  or check out her website https://historicdame.wordpress.com/about/ Produced by Ariel Frame

England - late Victorian era (1870-1910): The industrial revolution is booming (and a little dystopian). Many writers are focused on prescribing moral guidance and christian ideals, but some authors lash back against this, inspired by nature, paganism and art for the sake of art! It is a wild time in the world of literature. In this episode Hosts Nick and Connor interview English lit PhD candidate Jeff Swim, discussing writers like Robert Louis Stevenson, Samuel Butler, Richard Jefferies, and Kenneth Grahame. Together, they delve into some of the literary ideas that defined the time and how those still stay relevant today. Produced by Laura Muñoz

Mohammad Chamma is a PhD candidate at Western’s Physics and Astronomy Department. He was interviewed by cohosts Yousuf Hasan and Gavin Tolometti about his research on early star formation. Mohammed explains how studying these early processes help us gain insight about how the stars will develop. His research can also help us know more about the galaxies that are constituted by certain types of stars. And finally, Mohammed tells us what he thinks about Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar movie and how accurate it is. To find out more about Mohammed, follow him on Twitter @hmsmohammed Produced by Ariel Frame

Danica Facca always thought that she would go to law school after finishing her undergraduate and master's degrees in English, so how did she end up doing her PhD studies in Health and Information Sciences? It just goes to show that you never know where grad school will take you! Your hosts Yimin Chen and Ariel Frame get a lesson in digital literacy and learn about how kids and preteens are searching for and interacting with health information online.   For more information about Danica's work, go to: https://www.fims.uwo.ca/people/profiles/danica_facca.html To participate in the iParenting study, go to: https://www.facebook.com/IParentingStudy Produced by Connor Chato

In this episode, Monica, Viki, and Gavin digitally discuss what it’s like being a grad student during the COVID19 pandemic. They discuss how their research has been affected, how they’re feeling personally, and how other graduate students are feeling during this time. Remember, if you have a conference or other presentation cancelled because of COVID19, write it on your CV. And PLEASE, stay home (if you can) and wash your hands! To learn how to cite a cancelled conference on your CV, click here Fully YouTube video available here Produced by Gregory Robinson

Christopher Boucher, who is doing an MSc. in Geophysics at Western, elaborated on his research on building maps meant to help reduce damages from earthquakes. He was co-interviewed by Nicholas Hadfield-Jones and Yousuf Hasan. Chris is especially focusing on mapping specific areas of Vancouver that are need of geological clarity in terms of us understanding what areas are more hazardous in case of an earthquake. His focus uses non-invasive tools to study and model these grounds. His research has other broader benefits as well.  Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Tyler Journeaux, an MA candidate at Western's Philosophy Department, shares his journey for truth and how his search for God led him to pursue research in the philosophy of time, science, and mathematics. Cohosts Connor Chato and Yousuf Hasan asked him questions about philosophy and theology. Tyler expressed his preferred argument for theism: an argument from contingency especially as discussed by Copleston and Bertrand Russell in their BBC Broadcast in 1948. He also explained why he was interested in the philosophy of time in particular. And finally, Tyler provided a response to a challenging problem for theism: the problem of evil, according to which the presence of apparently gratuitous evil makes the existence of an all-good,all-knowing, and all-powerful God unlikely. For more on what Tyler thinks on topics of philosophy and theology, please visit his blog: https://tylerjourneauxgraham.wordpress.com (Correction by Tyler on a comment he made in the podcast: the definition of omniscience should have been: “

In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Gregory Robinson interview MSc student, Trent Gordon, in biomedical engineer about his research using slow dissolving polymer gels to treat osteoarthritis in the knee. Tune in to hear from Mr. Walter White himself. To learn more about Trent Gordon check out his Twitter @Flash_Gordon96 his Linkedin or the Gillies Research Group Produced by Greg Robinson, Edited by Ariel Frame

Navid Afrasibian, an MSc. candidate at the Department of Applied Mathematics, shares his research on the motion of long-chained molecules with hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Yousuf Hasan. Navid compares the movement of the long-chained molecules that need to go through super-tiny pores called nanopores with a spaghetti-noodle on plate that needs to somehow move through a small hole at the center of the pate. In his studies and mathematical exploration, he has made observations that would benefit DNA sequencing scientists as well. Hosts: Yousuf Hasan, Nicholas Handfield-Jones Producer: Connor Chato

This special episode covers 4 researchers picked fresh from the Neuroscience research day here at Western University. Join hosts Ariel Frame and Greg Robinson as they dive into the topics of what makes humans humans so good at using their hands? How does music trigger moments of lucidity in alzheimers patients? How do we fight brain cancer? and what are some of the rot causes which lead to Autism spectrum disorders? If you're interested in brains and all the wonderful things they do - tune in. Sarah Klapman   Rajkamal Mann   Spencer Aarbuckle   Andy Olin Produced by Connor Chato

Titan is not only the largest of Saturn's moons, but conditions on its surface are also remarkably similar to those on early Earth. Unfortunately, Titan is covered in thick clouds, which limits our ability to observe this peculiar satellite. So what's an astronomer to do? Jahnavi Shah, a master's student in geophysics and planetary science, is taking advantage of the similarities between our planet and Saturn's moon by using radar data from impact caters on Earth as an analogue for those on Titan. This week, hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Yimin Chen probe some of the mysteries of Titan and learn that you should never ask a space scientist about astrology.   Produced by: Laura Muñoz-Baena

Alex Leonard has worked in the music industry in Montreal, flown drones around London, and followed elephants through Sri Lanka. What's next for someone who's done almost everything? Why, a Masters in Environment and Sustainability, of course! Today, hosts Connor Chato and Yimin Chen learn how to keep pesky elephants out of your crops and about the push for corporations to be more environmentally friendly. You can contact Alex through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexleonardmedia/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexleonardmedia/   WAGS Conference: https://anthropology.uwo.ca/graduate/WAGS/events_and_conferences.html Alex's RadioWestern Broadcast: https://www.mixcloud.com/alexander-leonard/     Produced by: Laura Muñoz-Baena  

When we hear the word "map" or "mapping", we instantly think of a map of the surface. However, not all maps in geography and geology mean looking for surface features or geologic formations on the surface. Sometimes they map features or formations underground. In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Ariel Frame talk with Earth Science MSc student Rhys Paterson about her work on using boreholes to locate a type of rock formation (known as the Clinton-Medina Group). Rhys explains how she uses borehole computer analysis and core logging to study the past environment of the rock formation, and how she came to this field of study.  If you want to learn more about Rhys's work and her borehole computer analysis you can find the OGSR data library on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter at @ogsrlibrary. More information on the 3D Paleozoic Model of Ontario:  A 3-D Tour of the Paleozoic Bedrock Geology of Southern Ontario - Terry R. Carter A First Look at Ontario's Geology in VR (short) 3D 360   Produced by Ariel

So you're about to graduate with a Master's or a Ph.D. - but what happens after? Some might continue on their journey in academia, while others consider industry or private sector jobs. Regardless, many may feel lost or unprepared when navigating the next chapter of their lives. In this episode, hosts Monica and Viki welcome back Monica Munaretto, the manager of Graduate Student Life, along with Jennifer Baytor, career counsellor and psychotherapist with Careers & Experience, to discuss the challenges and misconceptions associated with job-hunting after graduate school. Highlights include how to market your graduate experience for the job market, and why you need to get started on your LinkedIn profile NOW!   To look more into the content of this episode, click on the following links: http://hirephd.uwo.ca/   https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/about/10000-phds-project-overview/   https://www.uwo.ca/ownyourfuture/   https://www.linkedin.com/home   http://career.uwo.ca/prepare/linkedin_profile.html   https://ww