Western University

For 13 days, Faculty of Science - Western University PhD student Alessandra Walsh traded dry land for the open Atlantic.

Aboard Ireland’s national research vessel, the Tom Crean, Alessandra worked 12-hour shifts collecting samples from depths of up to 1,400 metres, studying deep-sea predators and prey and testing a new way to detect bioluminescence. 🌊🦈

Her research could help scientists better understand how warming oceans are changing where marine species feed and move, knowledge that could support more sustainable fisheries and ocean conservation.

Read more about Alessandra’s research at sea: https://news.westernu.ca/2026/08/deep-sea-bioluminescence-research/

A mission to make 3D printing more accessible to students has helped transform Western’s makerspaces into student-led hubs for creativity and innovation.

Faculty of Engineering - Western University student Troy Leishman, president of 3D Western, worked with Morrissette Entrepreneurship to bring 24 industrial 3D printers to campus and mobilize a team of students to help operate and expand the makerspaces in the Ronald D. Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Western students from every faculty can access tools, materials and technical guidance for free - whether they’re building a prototype, learning a new skill or simply exploring an idea.

Troy's team is now developing an AI-enabled 3D print farm to make the process even more accessible and efficient.

Read Troy's story and how we're on preparing future leaders and global citizens: https://news.westernu.ca/2026/08/makerspaces-at-western-thrive-under-student-leadership/

🌎🚣 More than 300 student-athletes. Over 20 countries. One unforgettable international competition in London.

Western helped welcome the 2026 FISU World University Championship Rowing to Fanshawe Lake from August 13 to 15 - the first time the competition has ever been hosted in North America.

Six current and former Western Mustangs were among the rowers competing, and Western hosted athletes from around the world for the opening ceremonies on campus.

Take a look back at some of the highlights from three days of racing, celebration and international sport: https://news.westernu.ca/2026/08/fisu-world-university-rowing-championships-photos/

📸: Brandon VandeCaveye/Western Mustangs

Should you tell a date you’re using Ozempic?

Anthropologist and Faculty of Health Sciences - Western University professor Treena Orchard explores whether to disclose use of GLP-1s for weight loss while dating – and how fatphobia and stigmatizing cultural beliefs help shape that choice.

"GLP-1s are revolutionizing the weight loss landscape, but our mixed feelings about them mean that disclosing their use while dating is not a straightforward or easy experience."

Expert insight: Should you tell a date you're using Ozempic? The GLP-1 disclosure dilemma - Western News As GLP-1 medications like Ozempic become more common, many users face a difficult question: should they disclose weight-loss drug use when dating?

Faculty of Engineering - Western University grad Scott Shawyer is training to be the first Canadian to complete the Vendée Globe, a solo, non-stop sailing race around the world that has been dubbed the “Everest of the Seas.”

“The more people said I couldn’t do it, the more I felt like I ought to try.”

From battling seasickness to learning how to sleep in short bursts, Scott said his education at Western helped prepare him for the challenges.

Read more of this Western Alumni's journey: https://news.westernu.ca/2026/08/scott-shawyer-vendee-globe-canadian-sailing/

“I define creativity to my students as the crafting of the self.”

Artificial intelligence may spark ideas, but it’s humans that shape their meaning. researchers Juan Luis Suárez, director of Western’s CulturePlex Lab, and Jeffrey Lupker, music professor and co‑founder of Staccato AI, discuss where creativity is headed in an era of generative AI.

Read more in the Western Alumni Magazine: http://magazine.westernu.ca/machina-ex-deus/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=organic&utm_term=spring_26