Podcast
GradCast
Hosted by Maris Schneider, Anthony Cruz, Mark Ambrogio, Scott Walters, Ryan Baxter, Maria Khan, Garth Casbourn, Riya Sidhu, Sarah Bidinosti, Chrishma Perera, Bruno Mesquita, Kirstyn Seanor, Mohammed Zeratti · EN
The official podcast of the Society of Graduate Students at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. We aim to showcase the innovative research that graduate students are conducting at Western University and appeal to various audiences including those within and beyond the academic community.
26episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
555 | Marc Lalonde and The Grad Club, the Heart of Grad Life at Western
1w ago00:27:39Tap to summarizeThis week, hosts Anthony Cruz and Mark Ambrogio are joined by Marc Lalonde, the longtime manager of The Grad Club and recent recipient of the Western Award of Excellence. For over 20 years, Marc has played a central role in shaping The Grad Club as a community space for graduate students, faculty, and staff. In this episode, Marc discusses his journey from Canadore College to Lake Louise, the West Coast, and finally to London. Listen to learn about Marc’s career, how The Grad Club has evolved over the past two decades, and maybe even a few teasers about what’s coming to The Grad Club this summer. Follow The Grad Club on Instagram: @uwogradclub The Grad Club The Grad Club Western News Keri Ferguson Western Award of Excellence recipients support campus community –... Seven individuals and one interdisciplinary team are recipients of the 2025 Western Award of Excellence, a top honour for Western University employees. Recorded on Tuesday, May 19th, 2026 Produced by Anika Bushra Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
Transcribe →554 | Culturally Safe Long-term Care: Supporting Seniors with Diverse Cultural Backgrounds
2w ago00:29:07Tap to summarizeThis week, PhD candidate (Nursing) Azmat Jehan shines a light on older adults and their experiences in long-term care. How are they supported by family, or by other care partners? How do cultural practices intersect with the healthcare system to make individuals feel more heard, cared for, and respected? What are some of the potential barriers that remain, hindering the realization of what's been termed culturally safe care? Join Kelly Wang and Victor Lau as they learn more about Azmat’s journey in interviewing and hearing stories from this age-friendly community. Discover a bit more about how communication can make a difference - both within, and outside of the time spent with individuals making up an important part of our community. You can find Azmat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azmat-jehan-928399309 Recorded on Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 Produced by Garth Casbourn Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
Transcribe →553 | Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Beyond Borders: Reality, Resilience, and Research in Canadian Health Care
3w ago00:29:33Tap to summarizeIn honour of International Nurses' Day (on Tuesday, May 12), hosts Chrisma Perera and Mark Ambrogio interview Mehtab Jaffer, a PhD candidate in Nursing here at Western University. While many topics of study are divided between practitioners and researchers, Mehtab is uniquely positioned as both, as she is a registered nurse here in Ontario studying the place of Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) in Ontario hospitals. In their conversation, Mehtab speaks to her use of in-depth interviews with both IENs and key informants in Ontario hospitals. They discuss Mehtab's research into the lived experiences of IENs, as they navigate their journey into the Canadian healthcare system, touching upon topics such as the influence of organizational culture and identity orientation, capturing the professional, cultural, social, emotional, and psychological aspects that define and shape IENs' journeys. Mehtab's Social Media Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mehtab.jaffer/ LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/mehtab-jaffer Instagram @mehtab.jaffer Other links from the episode Western University Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing PhD Society Of Internationally Educated Nurses (SIENNA) Registered Nurses of Ontario (RNAO) International Nursing Interest Group (INIG) Trent University (Alumni IENs) Aga Khan University School of Nursing, (AKU-SONAM)- Karachi, Pakistan Recorded on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 Produced by Ella Siciliano Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
Transcribe →#BookCast 10 | Special Topics in Calamity Physics
4w ago00:55:12Tap to summarizeBookCast is an ongoing series where we delve into novels set in an academic context. For the 10th edition of BookCast, Garth Casbourn, Milan Mamman, and Mark Ambrogio discuss the 2006 novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics, by Marisha Pessl. Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a darkly hilarious coming-of-age tale and a richly plotted suspense story, told with dazzling intelligence and wit. This novel won the inaugural John Sargent, Sr. First Novel Prize in 2006. In their discussion, Garth, Milan and Mark share their analysis of the novel, combined with some first-hand experience of academic life. Recorded on Friday, February 27, 2026 Produced by Mark Ambrogio Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
Transcribe →552 | Understanding the Abstract & Each Other: How Mentalizing Shapes the Way we Think
4w ago00:28:29Tap to summarizeIn this week's episode, PhD student Hannah Corenblum joins hosts Rafaela Platkin and Spencer Schmitz to talk about her research on abstract mental state concepts. Hannah is interested in understanding the individual differences in mentalizing abilities and how these relate to people's capacities to process cognitive concepts. Mentalizing is the ability to understand one's own and others' mental states. Hannah hopes her clinical research will help improve how mentalization is measured, with the goal of identifying impairments and developing ways to better target and treat them across a wide range of clinical populations. Recorded on Tuesday, April 26, 2026 Produced by Evelyn MacKay-Barr Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
Transcribe →551 | Navigating Falls After Stroke: Research Shaped by Community Voices
Apr 2800:25:33Tap to summarizePhD candidate Catherine George joins hosts Milan Mammen and Mark Ambrogio to discuss her research on falls and their risk factors among stroke survivors aged 30–65 living in the community. Guided by supervisors Joy MacDermid and Janelle Unger, Catherine uses a community-based participatory action research approach to center the voices of individuals with lived experience of stroke. Listen to this episode to find out more! To learn more about Catherine, explore the links below: Catherine’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-george-262168221 Dr Joy MacDermid, HULC Clinical Research Lab: https://www.sjhc.london.on.ca/research/hulc/meet-the-team Dr Janelle Unger, RED Neuro Lab: https://junger61.wixsite.com/redneuro Recorded on Tuesday, April 21st, 2026 Produced by Victor Lau Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
Transcribe →Art or Science #1| Music
Apr 2800:31:58Tap to summarizeHow do artistic and scientific ways of thinking meet, overlap, and challenge each other? In this special Arts & Sciences mini-series episode of GradCast, hosts Ryan Baxter and Riya Sidhu are joined by Rebekka Lagace Cusiac, a PhD student in Psychology studying music and numerical cognition, and Seyed Mohammad Tonkaboni, a DMA student in music composition whose work engages with Persian literature and Iranian musical traditions. Together, they explore how different disciplines approach the study of music, and how creative and analytical perspectives can inform one another. Recorded on August 12th, 2025 Produced by Bruno Mesquita Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
Transcribe →550 | Where are you From? How Placed-Based Identity Affects Political Behaviour
Apr 2100:27:57Tap to summarizePolitical science PhD candidate Katie McCoy returns to the podcast this week. She chats with hosts Scott Walters and Garth Casbourn about the new directions her research has taken over the past 18 months. She explains how the focus of her dissertation has broadened from the urban/rural divide to place-based identity. We get a sneak peek at some hot-off-the-presses analyses of how the places people grow up and live in shape their perceptions of economic reality, as well as shaping their political behaviours like voting. Katie has also become a graduate fellow of Western's Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance. If you enjoyed this episode, you may also want to listen to Katie's previous time on the podcast. Recorded on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 Produced by Evelyn MacKay-Barr Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
Transcribe →Thinking with the Earth 4: Where and Why People Move
Apr 1600:23:18Tap to summarizeThis is the fourth and final episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries, 2026. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Ryan Baxter speak with Haorui Zhou, a second-year Master's student in Geography and Environment. Haorui shared key insights from his research on mobility patterns in Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area, highlighting trends and challenges in urban transportation. He also reflected on his personal experience as an international student at Western, offering a unique perspective on adapting to a new academic and cultural environment. Connecting his research to broader themes of sustainability, Haorui emphasized the importance of individual responsibility in reducing environmental impact and contributing to a more sustainable future. Recorded on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026 Produced by Chrishma Perera Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
Transcribe →549 | Caring About Caring
Apr 1400:28:52Tap to summarizePhD student Kailey Cutillo joins hosts Maris Schneider and Mark Ambrogio to talk about her work in Theory and Criticism. Kailey is interested in better understanding the politics of care, particularly within institutions such as universities. The "politics of care" is a framework that examines the social, ecological, and physical welfare of individuals' opportunities within systems, but also considers how these systems seek to profit from the motives of care. She critiques current systemic practices and uses Indigenous Critical Theory and Feminist Theory to conceptualize how we, as a society, can care better. Kailey also discusses her role as the Peer Advisor for Academic Matters for the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS). One of the texts foundational to Kailey's research is The Care Manifesto. Recorded on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 Produced by Mark Ambrogio, with help with Maris Schneider Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)
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