The University of Windsor has launched a weekend Master of Engineering Management program to help working professionals advance their careers.

As Ontario’s only weekend engineering management degree, the two-year program—offered by the Faculty of Engineering in partnership with the Odette School of Business—prepares graduates for leadership and entrepreneurial roles in multinational engineering and technical enterprises.

“The majority of people who make it to the top of a company are the ones who have the elements of business and engineering combined,” said Majid Ahmadi, associate dean of engineering research and graduate studies. “That’s why we feel this program is going to be an enabling program that prepares engineers to run, lead or setup a business.”

The university welcomed the inaugural class on September 10 during the official launch of the Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program.

“We received more than 100 applications, so we can tell this is a much needed program,” said MEM program coordinator Ali AbdulHussein.

Beth-Anne Schuelke-Leech, a professional engineer who has co-founded three technology-based businesses, will guide MEM students through the innovation process and help them link industry, academia and policymakers. She believes the program will help students navigate the insecure work environment of today’s world.

“The next wave of engineers is going to have to figure out how to be entrepreneurial—not just as in a startup, but how to be entrepreneurial within a company,” Schuelke-Leech said. “If you are not providing or demonstrating value, companies will not keep you around like they used to.”

Dr. Schuelke-Leech joined the University of Windsor in August as assistant professor of engineering management and entrepreneurship. She said she was attracted to the MEM program after speaking to faculty members and recognizing their commitment to diversifying the engineering curriculum and preparing students for the working world.

“That’s a very different approach to engineering and I found that very appealing,” she said.

For more information about the MEM program, please visit uwindsor.ca/mem.

A garden bed outside the Leddy Library West Building is producing more than greenery—it is a breeding ground for monarch butterflies.

Earlier this year, gardener Aaron Dickau added a planting of pollinator food sources adjacent to the Stewart Moore Carolinian Garden, which hosts many native species. One day this month, he spotted a number of monarch caterpillars munching on the milkweed.

“There were six or 10 caterpillars on those plants,” says Dickau, a trained horticulturalist. “I’m so excited to see it working just like it’s supposed to.”

Monarch butterflies lay their eggs only on milkweed plants, which are their sole food source during the larval stage of their development. The gardens south of the Leddy West feature two species of milkweed: common milkweed Asclepias syriaca and butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa.

Dickau says the iconic butterflies, with their distinctive orange, black and white colouring, are well-known for their beauty and their long annual migration to over-winter in Mexico.

“The monarch is kind of a symbol in this area, for sure,” he says. “I’m happy that we have a spot for them.”

In addition to the butterflies, the variety of native plants supports other pollinator insects, like honeybees.

It’s a welcome sight for librarian Jennifer Soutter, whose office overlooks the Stewart Moore garden, which is registered as an official habitat with the Monarch Watch waystation program.

“There is so much life in there,” Soutter says. “You really get an appreciation for what is possible even in a small space.”

The Organization of Part-time University Students invites students, staff, faculty and alumni to its annual welcome barbecue, 4 p.m. Thursday, September 22.

The free event promises food and fellowship, as well as an announcement of the results of the organization’s $1,500 tuition bursary draw.

It will take place outside the northwest corner of the CAW Student Centre. Find more info on the Facebook event page.

An invitation to the Dean of Science’s student academic excellence reception made Adam Vandolder feel “appreciated.”

The computer science major earned top grades during his studies at Riverside Secondary School, and was one of 90 first-year students to earn an invitation to Friday’s event.

“It makes me feel that my work is appreciated to be recognized in this way,” Vandolder said as he entered the Ambassador Auditorium for the reception.

Dean Chris Houser said that recognition flows both ways. While the faculty pays tribute to the academic achievements of incoming students, it is earning a reputation for excellence.

“More of the best and brightest students in Ontario are choosing the Faculty of Science,” he said. “It is known locally, nationally and even internationally for the quality of its undergraduate and graduate students.”

Dr. Houser urged attendees to get their hands dirty to develop soft skills outside of the classroom.

“You need to become engaged in extra-curricular activities,” he said, citing opportunities in research, study abroad, community service, internships, and student organizations. “I am making a promise to you to make sure that every student has an opportunity to participate in at least one transformational experience.”

The students and their guests, about 150 people in total, also heard from alumnus Frank Abbruzzese (BComm 1988), president of the technology firm AlphaKor.