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 technol...

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 i...

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,...

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 ac...

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 w...

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...

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 Paterso...

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...

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 sta...

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 search...

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 (...

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...

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...

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,...

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 o...

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...

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 plane...

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...

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...

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...

We are bringing you another GradCast Undergrad to Grad Transition episode! In this episode, host Gavin Tolometti talks with masters student Meredith Fyfe and fifth year undergraduate student Hanna Rzyszczak about life for an earth science student after graduation. Meredith brings Hanna into the world of a graduate student, and discusses the thoughts and preparations you need to consider before you...

You may have heard that eating too much fish may put you at risk of mercury poisoning, but how does mercury get into fish in the first place? Hosts Gregory Robinson and Yimin Chen speak with biologist Jennifer Blythe about the ecology of organic mercury - from the peat-loving, Sulphate-reducing bacteria that produce it, down to the trout on your dinner table. Along the way, we'll also hear about b...

Today's episode listens in on a conversation between 2nd year Undergrad student Alexandra Posnov and Daryl Peiber about the transition from an undergrad to a graduate in the field of Information and Media studies. Join Hosts Nikol Posnov and Greg Robinson as we talk about things we wished we could tell our undergraduate selves. To all you undergrads out there, this episode contains a well of wisdo...

Gavin Tolometti and Ariel Frame hear from a burgeoning chemical engineer, Connor Wilson, about his experience during his undergraduate degree at Western. Furthermore, Connor enlightens us on the differences between internship, grad school and undergrad experiences. To find out more from Connor, you can contact him through his chemical engineering club or brew crew club ( https://www.facebook.com/w...

We’ve touched upon individual topics like imposter syndrome and finances, but how is #GradLife incorporated within the broader university community? To delve into this, we brought in an expert. Monica Munaretto, the new Manager of Graduate Student Life in Student Experience, is focused on the goal of creating a thriving graduate student experience across Western. If you’d like to learn more about...