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Dean's Statement on Anti-Racism

Racism has no place in the University or London community. Everyone in Western Science is appalled by news of violence directed against Black and Indigenous people, particularly in Canada. This intensifies our resolve to remove obstacles and systemic barriers to creating a community in our Faculty of Science in which we can all study Science in an atmosphere of mutual respect. As a Faculty of Science and as members of the London community, we condemn all racist acts, whether intended or arising from ignorance, and the power imbalances they reflect and perpetuate. Power imbalances and racial biases also exist in our own Faculty community.

Our resolve to improve must be matched with thoughtful action. I affirm Western Science's active role and support in Western's response to the Anti-Racism Working Group Report. Over the coming weeks, I commit to working within and outside our Faculty to identify issues from staff, faculty, and students. This process will be followed by planning and action within our Faculty of Science, informed and led by our community. We will, together, speak up and stand up for the changes needed.

Matt Davison, Faculty of Science Dean

News

  • Western News: Competition augments local reality with environmentalism

    A new competition for Western students is designed to create an augmented-reality version of London locales, with an environmental twist. Western’s Centre for Environment and Sustainability (CES) has teamed up with London-based augmented-reality start-up, EXAR Studios, to host the 2021 Augmented Good Competition, in which the winning entry will have the opportunity to change the way we experience the world around us.

  • Yahoo News: Why it matters that British Columbians buy earthquake insurance; Washingtonians don’t

    Glenn McGillivray (Managing Director, Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, Western University) and Mary Kelly ( Chair in Insurance and Professor, Finance, Wilfrid Laurier University) write that though Canadians and Americans living in the region share virtually the same risk from a major quake, the 49th parallel that demarcates the boundary between Canada and the United States also marks another line — more than 60 per cent of homeowners in the lower mainland of British Columbia purchase earthquake insurance protection for their homes and belongings, while less than 14 per cent of those in western Washington State do the same.

  • Western News: Alumna leads the world in robot ethics

    Aimee van Wynsberghe is proof that the detour is sometimes more compelling than the intended destination. Since her studies at Western veered from cell biology to the almost-life of artificial intelligence nearly 15 years ago, van Wynsberghe, BSc’06, has emerged as one of the world’s leading experts on robot ethics. In January, she began a five-year appointment at the University of Bonn as an Alexander von Humboldt Professor. One of Germany’s most prestigious academic and research professorships, the appointment brings with it €3.5-million (about $5.5-million Canadian) to start a lab focusing on the applied ethics of artificial intelligence and, in particular, sustainable AI.

  • Blackburn News: Iranian PhD student awarded first Flight 752 scholarship at Western

    An Iranian PhD student at Western University is the first recipient of the Flight 752 Memorial Graduate Scholarship. Payam Momeni says he feels he is “carrying the torch” for the four Western students who lost their lives aboard Flight PS752 one year ago. “We only knew these students for a few months or a few years, but their main goal was to live in peace and serve this country as their new home – which provided them great opportunities to pursue their dreams – as well as their home country Iran. I think the best thing I can do will be to live that goal.” Momeni said in a statement.