The University of Windsor’s second annual Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (EDID) Week continues today with a presentation on a strategy for addressing sexual violence, and two events hosted by the Belonging, Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity (BIDE) Institute.

Sexual violence education specialist Anne Rudzinski will answer the questions: How do we prevent sexual violence on our campus? How can we best support our students when sexual violence has happened? in a free online presentation today at 10:30 a.m. Register to attend on MS Teams.

The second floor of Dillon Hall has an exciting new addition: the Belonging, Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity (BIDE) Institute has designed and furnished a space for students to escape the busy nature of university life. From noon to 2 p.m., drop in for the launch of the BIDE Wellness Lounge.

The BIDE Institute also presents speakers Sarah Mushtaq of Windsor Regional Hospital and Irene Moore Davis of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society, at 7:30 p.m. in the Performance Hall, SoCA Armouries. Register here for transportation from main campus to the downtown campus.

Tomorrow’s EDID Week events include:

• The online session “Helping the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community Thrive” will discuss the UWinPride Committee’s Thriving on Campus campaign at noon. Register to attend on MS Teams.
• The presentation “Migrant Worker Health Care in Windsor-Essex County” at 3 p.m. Register to attend on MS Teams.
• A trivia night engaging in the material surrounding Black history, life, public figures and culture, at 7 p.m. in Katzman Lounge, Vanier Hall. Register here to compete for prizes.

EDID Week activities continue through Friday, March 24. Find details on the EDID Week website.

Friday, March 24, sessions of the UWill Discover student research conference will include a trivia contest, a policy brief competition, discussion of sustainability, and poster presentations, all in the CAW Student Centre.

UWindsor sustainability officer Nadia Harduar promises a fun and informative trivia contest at 9 a.m. concluding with cash prizes for winning students.

The policy brief competition, at 10 a.m., will allow participants to advocate for ideas to address complex issues.

Also at 10 a.m., a panel of UWindsor alumni will discuss their means of working to ensure a more sustainable world.

Law professor Anneke Smit, director of the Centre for Cities, will discuss a partnership between Wayne State University and the University of Windsor in a Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development at 11 a.m.

The campus community will join in a free chili lunch beginning at noon, and afterwards, the floor will turn over to poster presentations.

The top-judged finalists in all disciplines will present condensed versions of their projects a week later — Friday, March 31, at 2:30 p.m. in the Entrepreneurship Practice and Innovation Centre (EPICentre).

Find a full conference schedule here.

Melissa Valdez (BSc 2015) says her UWindsor physics degree gave her the confidence to explore various career paths, and she cannot wait to see what other opportunities await.

Following completion of her undergraduate degree in physics with a minor in computer science, Valdez entered master’s study at York University where she got to work on a project at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, exploring antimatter.

After graduation, she took a full-time position with a science outreach group she first volunteered with at UWindsor, a national charitable organization called Let’s Talk Science.

“We launched a neat collaboration in a historically underserved community in Toronto. We provided a full year of hands-on science activities at an after-school program for 100 kids in kindergarten to grade eight,” says Valdez.

“It was a successful partnership, and we had a lot of fun. The initiative is still going on today; it continued right through the pandemic. I was excited to be a part of it.”

Next, she sought out a technical role where she could use her physics and computer science background. This led her to a three-year position as a consultant at IBM in their Cognitive and Analytics practice.

“That is a group within IBM focused on bringing AI solutions to their customers — I focused mainly on conversational AI, so chatbots,” she says.

“We launched two chatbots into production in the Fall of 2019 just before the pandemic exacerbated logistics challenges and increased wait times to reach customer service. This additional contact channel was a relief for our client and such a success story for their customers.”

In 2022 Valdez found herself in a new challenge, working at the Vector Institute, focused on machine learning research and commercialization.

“I got to be a part of a program that helped upskill mothers on maternity leave,” says Valdez.

“So, when they returned to work, they had a machine learning skillset to use — perhaps in a different position within their company, or to take on new responsibilities.”

Valdez says she attributes the skills and confidence she gained at the University of Windsor for her career success.

“Because of Science at UWindsor and the smaller class sizes, I knew all my professors and all my classmates so there was a sense of community and support — there was a lot of opportunity for me to develop academically,” she says.

During her undergrad studies, Valdez completed an honours thesis with professor Chitra Rangan running computations to determine how adding gold nanoparticles to solar panels could make them more efficient.

She adds that there were also plenty of opportunities to explore extracurriculars.

“I loved giving back and was energized by the outreach work, which helped balance the many hours of studying alone in my room.”

Through Let’s Talk Science and the Physics Club, Valdez took on leadership roles where she helped co-ordinate and engage others.

“I think that is one of the main skills that I’ve taken with me into every one of my jobs.

“I’ve naturally gravitated towards leadership roles, and I think those skills I have were fostered at UWindsor. My extracurriculars definitely helped establish my confidence after graduation.”

Valdez says next she would like to pursue a job in quantum computing.

—Sara Elliott

Because of Science at UWindsor is a series designed to showcase Faculty of Science alumni and the impact of their journey through science.

As deaths in Vancouver reach an all-time high, a group of misfits, artists, and drug users opens a renegade safe injection site. The work of its staff and volunteers to save lives and give hope to a marginalized community is the subject of the documentary Love in the Time of Fentanyl, which will be screened Friday, March 24, in Windsor Hall.

The event is hosted by the School of Social Work, Recovery Education for Addictions and Complex Trauma (RE/ACT) Windsor-Essex, and the Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative. Attendees will learn more about consumption sites and the possible impact of Windsor’s new consumption and treatment services site on the community.

The screening begins at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a question-and-answer session with one of the film’s featured subjects, harm reduction worker Ronnie Grigg.

Admission is free but requires registration at DWCC.ca/events.

Today marks the first full day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Between now and April 21, Muslims the world over will engage in prayer, self-reflection, self-sacrifice, and self-restraint.

The Office of Student Experience reminds supportive educators and colleagues to be considerate when scheduling meetings and events.

Prayer space is available in the Multi-Faith Space located on the lower level of the CAW Student Centre.

For more information, visit the Muslim Chaplaincy website or the Facebook page of the Muslim Students Association.

A pop-up Fika Café in the student centre commons today — Thursday, March 23 — will give members of the campus community a chance to get together for coffee, tea, and treats from around the world.

Fika is a Swedish custom combining a coffee break with company. Thursday’s event, hosted by the CAW Student Centre and co-sponsored by the International Student Centre, is open free of charge to students, faculty, and staff at 2 p.m. — while supplies last.

“We held a similar event in January and it was so well-attended, we’re staging a repeat,” says Sandra Riccio-Muglia, director of events and programming for the student centre. “Students really enjoyed tasting different coffees, teas, and desserts, and this time we’re featuring new flavours.”

The Association of Serbian Student Philanthropists, a student club at the University of Windsor, together with filmmaker Aleksandar Jovic, invite the campus community to their charitable showing of Beyond the Peak.

The film is a 70-minute documentary following the journey of a group of climbers, including an Orthodox clergyman, to perform the divine liturgy at one of the highest mountain elevations in North America.

Its Canadian premiere is taking place at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 25, in the SoCA Armouries’ Performance Hall. Admission is $15, with proceeds supporting the charitable organization Serbs for Serbs and its drive to build a new house for the Zubovic family.

For questions or to pay in advance, contact serbs@uwindsor.ca.