Graduate students and faculty members from Information & Media Studies (FIMS), Music, and Law came together for the second-annual FIMULAW Graduate Interdisciplinary Research Day held on April 13.
“Interdisciplinary research is the future of knowledge production and creation,” says Kelly Bylica, Western Music graduate student and one of FIMULAW’s organizers. “We are not going to solve any issues thinking about research in a siloed way.”
The event provided graduate students and faculty members an opportunity to present new ideas and engage in a transparent and open dialogue with researchers from other faculties.
Research topics ranged from LGBTQ+ children’s picture books in Ontario public libraries to collaboration between music educators and music therapists, and data security and society’s diminishing ideology of privacy.
FIMULAW 2018 also featured two panel presentations, lightning talks, musical performances and poster presentations from graduate students in each of the three faculties.
FIMULAW 2018 had panel presentations on deconstructing privilege, and mental health.
“We had asked for topic recommendations from graduate students and faculty members from all three faculties,” said Lisa Macklem, Western Law graduate student and FIMULAW co-organizer. “Both panel topics were very relevant across all three faculties.”
The panel on mental health – moderated by law professor Jacob Shelley – featured discussions about the impact of social media on mental health, assessing the mental health of Canada’s incarcerated population, and the healing power of music in dealing with traumatic situations.
“The event is a great opportunity for graduate students to learn more about their own field of research from a completely different perspective,” Macklem said.
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