Alumni Stories

By Kate Hargreaves 

With baseballs and frisbees flying, music pumping and students dancing, the Adapted Physical Exercise (APEX) program wrapped up for the summer at Windsor’s Westview Freedom Academy.   

APEX — started 15 years ago in the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Human Kinetics — provides exercise programming for community members with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD).  

By Kate Hargreaves 

Soccer fans are gearing up to watch Canada take on the best teams from around the globe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Some supporters will even have the chance to support their team in person in Toronto and Vancouver, as Canada hosts the tournament for the first time alongside Mexico and the United States. 

Among those cheering on Team Canada will be community soccer organizations, who plan to leverage the World Cup excitement to support the goals of their clubs. 

By Victor Romao

The moment the Enactus Windsor team heard their name echo across the competition hall at regionals, something shifted.

Months of work, late nights, early mornings and relentless iteration had finally produced results.

What began as a set of student-driven ideas was gaining national traction, and the team knew the journey was far from over.

By Kate Hargreaves 

History tells us that the bigots never win. 

That’s what gives Windsor high school teacher and Faculty of Education alumnus Walter Cassidy (BEd ’00) hope in the face of what seems like an uptick in anti-2SLGBTQIA+ sentiment. 

“As long as we know our history and we know that we’ve been through this before, we’ll get through it,” Cassidy says. “We always do.” 

By Sara Meikle

Graduation is a milestone full of reflection and possibility, marking growth, accomplishment and everything still ahead. 

From mentoring classmates and leading community initiatives to pursuing critical care certifications and life-changing leadership opportunities, this year’s nursing LEAD Medallion Scholars are celebrated for the many ways they enriched the nursing community during their time at the University of Windsor. 

By Sara Meikle

As he prepares to cross the stage at the University of Windsor’s Spring Convocation, the next chapter of Ethan Vinagre’s life is already taking shape.

A career in critical care nursing, a new home of his own and even his face on a UWindsor billboard celebrating the Class of 2026 are all part of what comes next for the BScN graduate, who will begin working in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU) at Henry Ford Health this fall.

By Victor Romao

By studying how near‑infrared light affects the brain, a University of Windsor PhD candidate is exploring a potential new approach to managing symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. 

Brooke Shepley (MHK ’21, BHK ’19), a kinesiology researcher specializing in cerebrovascular physiology and vascular biology, is studying an approach known as photobiomodulation (PBM).

By Sara Meikle

From negotiation competitions to marathon finish lines, Celina Seguin’s time at Windsor Law has been defined by momentum — both academic and personal.

Now preparing to cross the convocation stage next week, Seguin is reflecting on what she describes as a fast-paced but deeply rewarding three years at Windsor Law, marked by academic excellence, international experiences, community involvement and more than a few kilometres logged on running trails around the world.

By Kate Hargreaves 

Throughout her UWindsor experience, Sophia Boucas says she tried a little bit of everything, from student clubs to research, co-op and internships. 

Now preparing to graduate with her BSc in Kinesiology, Boucas will receive a gold LEAD medallion for her efforts, recognizing her involvement across activities related to Leadership, Engagement, Application and Discovery. 

By Victor Romao

Two University of Windsor professors are being recognized on the provincial and international stage.

Dr. Vincent Georgie and Dr. Emmanuelle Richez have been named Knights of the Order of La Pléiade by the Ontario section of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie — two of just six recipients selected across the province for 2026. 

By Sara Meikle

For many women leaving a violent intimate partner, the journey to safety continues long after the relationship ends.

Rebuilding health, stability and quality of life often means navigating healthcare, housing, social services and community supports — a complex process researchers at the University of Windsor are exploring through an innovative arts-based study.

As May marks Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, the project examines the help-seeking journeys of women who have physically separated from violent intimate partners.

By Kate Hargreaves 

From academic advocacy to community engagement, Dr. Sean Horton’s work is consistently imbued with a focus on equity and inclusivity. 

These efforts will be recognized by the Windsor University Faculty Association’s (WUFA) Status of Women, Diversity and Equity Action Committee as Horton is awarded the 2026 Mary Lou Dietz Equity Leadership Award at an award celebration on May 27. 

By Kate Hargreaves 

Lancer midfielder Robbie Oates (BSc Kin ’24, BEd ’26) has maintained a packed sports schedule over his last few years at UWindsor. 

Some nights, he’s on the basketball court, others surrounded by cheering volleyball fans and others still on the sidelines at football games. He’s even been known to make the occasional appearance at a pre-game tailgate. 

By Sara Meikle

For the first time in its history, the Global Law Deans Forum was held in Canada — with the University of Windsor at the centre of the international conversation on the future of legal education.

By Kate Hargreaves 

The University of Windsor’s Alumni Stadium was bursting with spirit, cheers and...ducks as the Faculty of Education’s LEAD service-learning classes hosted hundreds of local children for the annual LEAD Legacy Project Challenge Cup. 

LEAD — which stands for Leadership Experience for Academic Direction — is a service-learning course first introduced by Dr. Geri Salinitri in which second-year teacher candidates volunteer in schools to work with educators to support student success programming.

By Lindsay Charlton

Engineering students may know what they want to study, but not always where that path could lead.

Sometimes, all it takes is a single conversation to uncover a new opportunity.

Designed to foster those connections, NEX-GEN 2026 will bring together students, alumni, industry professionals and community members for a two-day conference beginning Friday, May 22, hosted by the University of Windsor chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).

By Lindsay Charlton

As additive manufacturing becomes more common across industries ranging from healthcare to automotive, a new course is helping professionals better understand the rapidly evolving technology.

By Sara Meikle

The medical drama The Pitt is doing more than drawing viewers — it’s sparking overdue conversations about violence in emergency departments, and the realities nurses face every day.

At the University of Windsor, faculty and frontline nurses say the show comes closer than any other to portraying life in the emergency department (ED), but it still only tells part of the story.

For Destiny Cadarette (BScN ‘17), an ED nurse in Windsor now pursuing her nurse practitioner designation, the show hits close to home.

By Sara Meikle

For more than five decades, Dr. Linda Patrick has helped shape nursing in Ontario as a clinician, educator, administrator, researcher, mentor and advocate.

This year, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) recognized that impact with one of its highest honours, the Lifetime Achievement Award.

By Sara Meikle

A group of University of Windsor nursing students have turned a transformative global experience into research, reflection and recognition.

Their manuscript, based on a three-week experiential learning trip to Tanzania last year, has been accepted for publication in the Global Qualitative Nursing Research journal — marking a significant milestone for both the students and faculty involved.

For fourth-year nursing student Bayan Nasra, the project represents far more than an academic achievement.