The University of Windsor Alumni Association is bestowing its Alumni Award for Distinguished Contributions to University Teaching on four professors during Spring Convocation ceremonies.

The award honours faculty members — nominated by colleagues, alumni, and students — as incentive and encouragement for achieving excellence in teaching and learning at the University of Windsor.

This year’s recipients are:

Professor Sigi Torinus in the School of Creative Arts has enhanced the lives of numerous art students and has had a positive impact on their creative and professional endeavours.

An expert specializing in the area of integrated media, Prof. Torinus shares her passion for art through the creation of a personal, connected classroom that allows students to reach their highest potential. She says she believes in “active, experience-based learning and maintaining a lively and interactive classroom, changing delivery methods and including the students as much as possible in disseminating information.”

Students and colleagues remark on her dedication to teaching.

One student says that through Torinus’ mentorship she “learned that being an artist meant that” she is on a “continuous journey of self-exploration and self-expression.”

Many students credit Torinus with building their confidence and helping them to find their place in the professional world of art.

Torinus was recognized during the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences ceremony on June 7 at 4 p.m.

The creative, innovative, and caring approach to teaching of kinesiology professor Victoria Paraschak (MHK 1978) has helped develop the strengths of her students as leaders and professionals. Her  approach to teaching in the university environment is often cited as one of the things that contribute to her stellar reputation and impact on students.

Dr. Paraschak is lauded for her passion for aboriginal and marginalized peoples as well as her constant encouragement of students to think outside the box, debate, and research. One of her students says that Paraschak’s “teaching style was supportive, challenging and student centered with an open-door policy for further discussion and questions. Her efforts towards teaching each student encouraged me to work to my best ability during my undergraduate years.”

Paraschak’s class in Outdoor Recreation is known across campus for the opportunities it offers for skills and leadership development. As one of her colleagues says: “She is a teacher, a leader, a role model and a mentor.”

Paraschak was recognized during the Faculty of Human Kinetics ceremony on June 9 at 4 p.m.

Dora Cavallo-Medved (BSc 1994, MSc 1996, PhD 2000), a cell biologist in the Faculty of Science, has shared her love of science with numerous University of Windsor students. Her approachable manner and her belief in making strong classroom connections have contributed to the personal growth, success, and self-confidence of her students.

Dr. Cavallo-Medved is known for her devotion to teaching and research, and her positive work has spread throughout campus. She works collaboratively with other faculties and students in a variety of disciplines. No matter the program, she can engage and excite students with her own passion for science and learning.

As one of Cavallo-Medved’s colleagues says: “she goes above and beyond to enhance the student experience, to embrace our local community in academic learning and to facilitate the growth of our programs and faculty professional development.”

Cavallo-Medved was recognized during the Faculty of Science ceremony on June 11 at 2:30 p.m.

Professor Jasminka Kalajdzic from the Faculty of Law is a scholar and expert in class actions in Canada. Prof. Kalajdzic has put University of Windsor students at the forefront of her work. In 2019, she established Canada’s first class actions clinic located in Windsor Hall. The clinic relies primarily on students to provide advice about specific lawsuits and class actions to the public.

Kalajdzic demonstrates passion for teaching and mentoring students in many ways. She regularly coaches students in the annual moot competitions against other Canadian law school teams. She also developed a cross-jurisdictional course on comparative class actions which allowed students to collaborate across several countries through technology.

Most important, Kalajdzic’s teaching philosophy mirrors her impact on Faculty of Law students. “I believe people are their best when they know they are valued,” she says. “Ultimately, I hope to teach students about the importance of caring about their clients.”

Kalajdzic will be recognized during the Faculty of Law ceremony on June 16 at 4 p.m.

Convocation ceremonies continue through June 16. All sessions are available for viewing through the Convocation website.

Two benevolent biomedical science majors turned their pandemic boredom into a successful fundraising campaign called “She Support Drive.” The first-year students, Renee Wulterkens and Isabella Arthur, collected menstrual products, toiletries, and money to donate to three Windsor charities that support women.

“We wanted to do something for our community and decided, in honour of International Women’s Day, we would collect menstrual products,” says Wulterkens.

“Our four-week campaign raised $12,368 in cash and we filled Isabella’s basement with a total of 25,800 female toiletry items ranging from tampons and pads to toothbrushes, shampoo, and lotion.”

The money and products will be distributed to Hiatus House, the Downtown Mission of Windsor, and the Welcome Centre, a shelter for women and families.

“Every shelter wanted something different and so we collected what each of them needed,” says Arthur. “For example, the Welcome Centre in particular asked for socks and bras and we were able to donate 931 gently-used bras and 300 pairs of socks.”

Local businesses helped by setting up drop-off bins, a dance company held a virtual dance class, one bakery raised almost $1,500 and the duo picked up porch donations from 100 households. They teamed up with 21 local Shoppers Drug Marts and raised almost $9,000 and were able to purchase products at cost.

The students enlisted the help of the Women in Science organization from the Faculty of Science to help spread the word and local media, including CTV Windsor, promoted the campaign.

“The need for these things has increased with lockdown and we couldn’t believe the feedback we got from the community — once the ball started rolling, it just kept going,” says Wulterkens.

Follow future She Support Drive projects on Instagram. It is currently engaged in a competition run by the Student Life Network and you can vote on the Remarkable Students Projects’ page.

“We are always here to support and empower our female science students,” says biomedical sciences professor Dora Cavallo-Medved, faculty supervisor for Women in Science. “And it’s amazing to see the impact they are making on the Windsor-Essex community.”

—Sara Elliott

Representatives from admissions, academic advising, and recruitment will be on hand to help new students register for their fall classes during online sessions June 16, 17, and 19.

New Student Registration Days will feature presentations on recommended course selections for first-year students. Parents and guidance counsellors are welcome, too.

This new event expands the online resources available to facilitate the first-year transition at future.uwindsor.ca/plan-your-program, which cover the basics, from understanding subject codes to seeing the specific courses required for each program.

Academic program areas have contributed to the event by recording on-demand presentations to help incoming students learn about their program course offerings and identify the unique learning opportunities in their first terms. A presentation will focus on double majors and certificates to show how they can fit into the UWindsor experience.

“The transition to post-secondary education is challenging enough,” says Chris Busch, associate vice-president for enrolment management. “Our recruitment team and academic partners are dedicated to making it as easy as possible for the newest members of our UWindsor community to make a successful start to their university careers.”

Incoming students can also arrange for individual conversations with current students or staff.

The live event runs

• 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
• 12 to 3 p.m. Saturday

Windsor (Eastern Daylight) time.

Recordings of the presentations — and all the resources in the exhibit booths — will be available for a month after the event.

Find more details, including a full agenda and online registration, on the New Student Registration Days website.

The Smoke-Free Campus Steering Committee is seeking feedback from students, faculty, and staff on the draft Smoke-Free Campus Policy, which reflects the University’s commitment to foster a culture of well-being for visitors and those who work, live, or study on campus.

A working group reviewed information gathered through the campus consultation activities held in 2020, as well as the policies of other Ontario universities who have gone smoke-free over the past several years, to develop the document, says committee chair Marcela Ciampa, director of organizational development and training.

To prepare for the implementation of the policy, the committee will launch an awareness raising, education, and supports campaign in the coming weeks. Frequently Asked Questions and a map of the campus boundaries will be posted on the Smoke-Free Campus website.

The committee invites students, staff, and faculty to review the draft Smoke-Free Campus Policy and provide feedback by June 28, using the anonymous online feedback form.

A survey by the WindsorEssex Community Foundation will measure residents’ views of local issues, providing an opportunity for UWindsor students, faculty, and staff to make an impact, says Wen Teoh.

Director of the Entrepreneurship Practice and Innovation Centre (EPICentre), she volunteers on the foundation’s board, and calls its Vital Signs survey a catalyst for community dialogue about “who we are, what we do, and where it can lead.”

Questions seek respondents’ opinions on the natural environment, safety, transportation, education, housing, employment, cultural outlets, and more. A report will combine the results with national, provincial, and local data to measure where assistance is needed to make the community a better place to live, work, play, and grow.

Reports from past years are available for download here.