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Faculty of Information and Media Studies

Western alumni elected to Canada’s 45th Parliament

Western alumni elected to Canada’s 45th Parliament

From law to medicine to political science, Western alumni with experience in diverse disciplines and industries will represent Canadians in the House of Commons.   Western graduates were elected in ridings across the country during the federal election on April 28. Fifteen new or returning Members of Parliament from the Conservative and Liberal parties are Western alumni.  Parliament resumes on May 26.   

Roman Baber, LLB'05Roman Baber, LLB’05 

York Centre (Conservative)  A former provincial politician who holds a law degree from Western, Baber was elected to his first term as MP. He ran for leadership of the federal Conservative Party in 2022.   

Adam Chambers, BA'05, MBA'11, JD'11Adam Chambers, BA’05, MBA’11, JD’11 

Simcoe North (Conservative)  Chambers, a three-time Western graduate, won a second term serving his central Ontario riding.   

Sandra Cobeña, BMOS'10 Sandra Cobeña, BMOS’10 

Newmarket—Aurora (Conservative)  Cobeña was elected to her first term representing her York Region riding. She has a bachelor of management and organizational studies from Western.   

Peter FragiskatosPeter Fragiskatos, BA’04 (King’s)

London Centre (Liberal)  Fragiskatos, a King’s University College graduate who also taught at King’s and Huron University Colleges, was re-elected for his fourth term in north London.   

Cheryl GallantCheryl Gallant, BSc’82 

Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke (Conservative)  Gallant was first elected in 2000 and is now in her ninth term, making her one of her party’s longest-serving MPs in office.   

Anthony Germain, MA'91Anthony Germain, MA’91 (Journalism)

Terra Nova–The Peninsulas (Liberal)  The Western journalism graduate won his Newfoundland and Labrador riding to become a first-term MP.   

Tim Hodgson, MBA'88 Tim Hodgson, MBA’88 

Markham—Thornhill (Liberal)  Hodgson was elected to his first term and subsequently named Minister of Energy and Natural Resources in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new cabinet.   

Corey Hogan, MBA'20 Corey Hogan, MBA’20 

Calgary Confederation (Liberal)  The Ivey graduate is a newly elected MP in his Calgary riding.   

Arpan KhannaArpan Khanna, BA’12 

Oxford (Conservative)  The Western sociology and criminology graduate was first elected to serve Oxford County in a 2023 by-election before his re-election this year.    

Andrew LawtonAndrew Lawton, BA’23 

Elgin—St. Thomas—London South (Conservative)  Lawton, who studied political science and history at Western, was elected for the first time in the riding that covers south London, St. Thomas and surrounding rural communities.   

Greg McLeanGreg McLean, MBA’96 

Calgary Centre (Conservative)  The Alberta MP and Ivey graduate was re-elected to a third term in his Calgary riding.      

Kyle SeebackKyle Seeback, LLB’98 

Dufferin—Caledon (Conservative)  The Western grad was re-elected for his third term representing Dufferin-Caledon. Before that, he served Brampton South as MP for a single term.   

Amandeep SodhiAmandeep Sodhi, BA’23 (King’s)

Brampton Centre (Liberal)  A recent King’s University College graduate, Sodhi won her seat in the 2025 election.    

Matthew StraussMatthew Strauss, MD’08 

Kitchener South-Hespeler (Conservative)  Newly elected MP Strauss is a Schulich Medicine & Dentistry graduate.   

Tim UppalTim Uppal, MBA’18 

Edmonton Gateway (Conservative)  The Ivey graduate and longtime MP was re-elected in his Alberta riding for a third term. Previously he represented the Edmonton-Sherwood Park community for seven years. 
Western lecturer explores life in perpetual motion

Western lecturer explores life in perpetual motion

What’s missing from Meredith Levine’s new multimedia project on chronic vertigo is her own story. The project, comprised of three text and five video stories, alongside photos and audio clips, published on cbcnews.ca earlier this month, was funded by the Canadian...

Munroe-Blum: Learn to succeed, shed fear of failure

Munroe-Blum: Learn to succeed, shed fear of failure

Graduates must prepare for failure on the path to success, Heather Munroe-Blum, a distinguished academic administrator and scholar, told graduates from King’s University College, Information and Media Studies and Social Science at the Thursday morning session of...

UWOFA president aims to keep association’s profile high

UWOFA president aims to keep association’s profile high

When Alison Hearn stepped up to the plate that is the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA), things were a bit hectic. “I assumed the position early because Jeff Tennant, the previous president, stepped down to become the chief negotiator. That was...

Construction projects changing face, flow of campus

Construction projects changing face, flow of campus

A new year brings new looks, as Western ushers in a fresh academic term with numerous changes – both completed and ongoing – across its campus. Topping the list, Western officials are encouraging commuters to turn off their ‘autopilots’ as a major change to how...

Plans for new FIMS, Nursing building unveiled

Plans for new FIMS, Nursing building unveiled

Members of the university community got their first official look at preliminary plans for Western’s newest forthcoming building earlier this month. At town hall meetings held for the Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS) and Faculty of Health Sciences,...

Ukrainian academic headlines ‘Media and Crisis in Ukraine’

In the wake of the Maidan protests in November 2013, the Russian invasion in March 2014 and continuing through this week’s presidential election, Ukraine has dominated news cycles around the globe. Sponsored by the Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS) and Faculty of Engineering, Media and Crisis in Ukraine will explore many of the issues surrounding this country in flux.

Proving memes more than digital distractions

You may think they’re funny. Or witty. Or maybe, you think they’re a plague of today’s online culture. It’s also possible you don’t know what an ‘Internet meme’ even is.

New Nursing/FIMS building gets Board go-ahead

Western’s Board of Governors recently approved the construction of a new facility to house the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing and the Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS). This 12,100-square-metre (130,000-square-foot) building will be located on the southwest corner of Lambton and Huron drives (former home of the Services Building).

Study eyes domestic violence’s impact outside the home

The effects of domestic violence are not just felt inside the home, said Nadine Wathen, a professor at Western’s Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS). Much of it spills into the workplace and places unprecedented demands on employers.