A podcast about academic research and why it matters.

Dr. Alison Halsall, Associate Professor of Humanities at York University, studies graphic texts in relation to children and childhood. She is the coordinator of the Children, Childhood and Youth Program at York, an undergraduate program that takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding childhood from the perspective of children. The program prepares students for work in fields such as advocacy, counselling, education, health and wellness, and international development, all related to the rights and the experiences of children and youth. In this interview, she talks about her new book, Growing Up Graphic: The Comics of Children in Crisis. The book deals with some very tough topics, including child soldiers and migrant children.

Dr. Susan Dieleman is the newly appointed and inaugural Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership at the University of Lethbridge. Dr. Dieleman is a renowned authority on the philosophy of Richard Rorty, the American pragmatist whose approach to understanding society through language and solidarity has been so instrumental in the work of many scholars in the humanities.

Dr. Emily Rosenman, Assistant Professor of Geography at Penn State University, is an urban and economic geographer. Her research examines the connections between finance, urbanization, and inequality, and the relationships and structures that produce wealth and poverty simultaneously.

Dr. Elizabeth Greene, Associate Professor of Classics at The University of Western Ontario, holds the Canada Research Chair in Roman Archaeology. Her work on Roman ruins near Hadrian’s Wall in northern England looks at everyday objects like leather footwear. History is written by the winners, they say, and as a result, the voices of women are often left out of historical narratives. But by looking closer at the archaeological record, Dr. Greene has been able to discover a lot more about everyday life in Roman society. It’s an approach to history that challenges our assumptions about how the world works.

Prof. Markus Giesler, of the Schulich School of Business at York University, is a consumer researcher. This means he looks at how markets dynamically shape human behaviour. He is an Editor at the Journal of Consumer Research and the bright spark behind one of the most popular courses at our school, "Customer Experience Design." It’s a course that models customer experience design for his students in every lecture, project, and assignment. In this episode, he talks about his latest research paper, “The Consumerization Of Care,” in which he explores how we as a society have responded to the global pandemic in ways that redefine social solidarity.

Prof. Françoise Baylis is a renowned bioethicist and recipient of this year’s Killam Prize in the humanities. Her work on the ethics of gene editing and other technologies related to human reproduction offers clear guidance and thought-provoking critical insights into an area of research that is not only on the cutting edge of science, but tied to the most profound emotions of women and their partners who are trying to have children.

Dr. Josh Thienpont is a paleolimnologist from York University's Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change. He studies inland aquatic ecosystems in the Arctic to understand what the distant past of lakes and streams can tell us about how climate change is affecting the Arctic. His work is crucial for understanding the effects of humanity on the very waterways on which human life depends.

Dr. Alison Harvey of York University studies digital games from a communications and culture perspective. Her research looks at issues of inclusivity, justice, and accessibility in digital culture. The multibillion-dollar electronic games industry blurs the line between work and play, exacerbating the exploitation of workers. This makes it an ideal site for Dr. Harvey to study contemporary employment practices.

Assoc. Prof. Ozzy Mermut of York University’s Centre for Vision Research investigates the diagnosis and treatment of age-related eye diseases using lasers. Her work on biophotonics harnesses the power of light to provide new insights into the structure and function of the eye, with the promise of new diagnostic tools and minimally-invasive treatments for serious eye diseases.

Prof. Dayna Scott, of York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School, holds a Canada Research Chair in Environmental Law & Justice. Her work examines the problematic jurisdictional reality that shapes the transition to a green economy, as Canadian mining companies seek to develop resources on land belonging to the First Nations.