About / À propos

From Concordia U. Website:

Dr. Kim Sawchuk is a Professor in the Department of Communication Studies, holds the Concordia University Research Chair in Mobile Media Studies, and is the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies for the Faculty of Arts and Science at Concordia University.

Since the mid-1990s, much of Kim Sawchuk’s intellectual attention has focused on the intersection between age, ageing, and communication technologies (see: actproject.ca). Her research on ageing in networked societies is intersectional and challenges lingering ageist assumptions within media studies, where old age and new media are often positioned as incommensurable topics. This research is dedicated to fostering opportunities for intergenerational media-making and is foundational to a re-theorization of how we understand key concepts in the field of communications, such as mediation and mediatization. Dr. Sawchuk’s research asks what it means to age in a society where the pressure to become digital is being made into an imperative for participation in public life. She has conducted major ethnographic investigations on “seniors and cell phones” with Dr. Barbara Crow of York University. These studies have demonstrated the need for researchers to understand the connections between ageing, personal household economies, political economic forces and the policies that influence cell phone use; they also question how we understand “non-use”.  Kim’s most recent work on ageing and media is centred on community-based media practices with older adults and is asking questions about the ways in which Web 3.0 is shaping public knowledge of age and ageing.

2009 Faculty of Creative Media, Multimedia University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

2009 Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies, Marconi Foundation/University of Bologna, Bologna Italy, (March 1- April 30, 2009) .

2007 Pembroke Institute, Brown University, Providence Rhode Island, Roundtable Symposium on “Bodies, Mediations, Ethics,” (March 14-16).

2006 Almost Perfect, Rapid Prototyping and Locative Media, Banff New Media Institute, Banff, Alberta (Nov. 10-21)

2004 Digital Politics and Poetics, Film and Media Studies, Queens University, Kingston Ontario (Aug. 3-10).

2004 Institute for Cultural Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster, England.

1999 Studio Arts Program, University of Regina, Regina Saskatchewan.

1994 The Free Idea Zone: Realidad/Réalité/Reality, San Francisco, California, June 27-July 3.

1993 (fall) Visual Arts Programme, Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, Alberta.

1991 Fellowship: Critic in Residence, The Dunlop Art Gallery, Regina Public Library, Regina, Saskatchewan (May- Aug, 1991).

Research Teams

2009 – Present Mediatopias: Art and Hybrid Spaces; McGill University Communications and Art History.

2007 – Present Mobile Media Lab: Concordia University, Montreal- York University, Toronto. B. Crow, M. Longford, K. Sawchuk, Directors

2003 – Present Hexagram. Concordia/UQAM/University of Montreal. (CFI funded research consortium for art and technology).

2005 – 2009 Cut Rate Collective. Fine Arts-Communications, Concordia University. L. Oades and G. Amantea, Directors.

2008 – 2009 Marconi Galaxy: Concordia University; University of Bologna; Marconi Foundation, Italy, York University

2007 – 2009 Lo-fi Lab: York University, Toronto. N. Tenhaaf and M. Baljko, Directors.

2007 – 2008 Purlieus: art/science and technology. Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies, Concordia University, T. Clarke, Director.

2006 – 2007 EMU: Evaluating Mobile Users. Concordia University-York University-MDCN. B Crow and K Sawchuk, Directors. (Heritage Canada).

2005 – 2007 MDCN: Mobile Digital Commons Network. Concordia University-York University-Ontario College of Art and Design-Banff New Media Institute, M Longford and S Diamond, Directors. (Heritage Canada/Hexagram)

Degrees

1991 Doctor of Philosophy, Graduate Programme in Social and Political Thought, York University, North York Ontario.
1986 Master of Arts, Graduate Programme in Social and Political Thought, York University, North York Ontario.
1982 Bachelor of Arts Honours, Double major in Political Science and History, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Awards and Grants

2010, NCE Grand, with Diane Gromala SFU Mobilizing Pain (co-applicant, $10,500).

2009, Concordia University, Faculty Mobility Grant: team, travel to Kuala Lumpur (with Leslie Shade, Rae Staseson, Owen Chapman, $10,400).

2009, SSHRC, “Redressing silences, confronting mobility: Seniors, cell phones and aging” (with Barbara Crow, York University, PI, $103,000; Sawchuk, co-applicant).

2009, FQRSC, Team Grant, “Art et nouveaux médias: vers une redéfinition hybride du lieu,” (with Christine Ross, McGill University, PI, $400,000+, co-applicant).

2009, Senior Research Fellowship, “The Wireless Imaginary”, Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Bologna.

November, 2008, SSHRC, Aid to Scholarly Journals, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, The Canadian Journal of Communication 2009-20012. $90,000 (maximum).

August 2008, SSHRC International Opportunities Fund, “Wireless Communications and the Marconi Galaxy: Culture, Technology and Myth-Making,” Co-investigators: Barbara Crow, Elena Lamberti, Michael Longford, Seth Feldman, Martin Stiglio, Barbara Valotti. $24,422.

August, 2008. Aid to Scholarly Publication Program with University of Toronto for The Wireless Spectrum (app. $8,000).

March 2008-2011, “Illustrating Medicine: The Case of Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy,” Standard Research Grant, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Principle Investigator with an interdisciplinary team comprised of Nicholas Woolridge (biomedical communications), Nina Czegledy (independent curator), Nancy Marrelli (archivist), and Brian Sutherland (information architect). $107,000.00

March, 2008, Conference Travel Grant, Centre de Université de Arts. Rethinking Labour: Labour Affect and Material Culture, University College of Dublin, Ireland, April 18, 19, 20. $2,000.

Feb. 2008- 2009, “Networking the Image: Antoni Abad and Cheryl Sourkes” PI, Research Grant, Hexagram: Concordia/UQAM/Université de Montreal. $8,400.

Sept 2007 – 2009, ”Conversing with Abstract Artificial Agents” (collaborator). Nell Tenhaaf, PI. SSHRC, Research Creation Grant, $109, 698. (my portion: $ Research Creation Grant, for user testing protocols)

(Ver. PBe 09-2022)