A one-day symposium at the SoCA Armouries aims to uncover creative acts by individuals, groups, and organizations that have made a difference in re-visioning Windsor’s future.

The DIY Urbanism Symposium is open to the public Saturday, Oct. 5. Admission is free but registration in advance is encouraged: http://diywindsor.com/.

Its organizers — Mona Makki, a third-year student of the Visual Arts and the Built Environment program, and professor emerita Veronika Mogyorody, an architect and the program’s founder — hope to promote an approach to neighbourhood building and activation using short-term, low-cost, and scalable interventions and policies that spark social interaction.

“This symposium will highlight the creative efforts of citizens in Windsor and spark a conversation about downtown Windsor’s potential,” Makki says.

An exhibition curated by student Maria Jose will feature art, installations, and architecture in the SoCA Gallery through Oct. 5. Both the exhibition and the symposium are part of a series of celebrations on the 10th anniversary of the Visual Arts and the Built Environment (VABE) program.

The SoCA Armouries is located at 37 University Ave. East.

—Susan McKee

Over the past year, the University has been the victim of online security attacks.

“We’ve seen trends in the types of attacks that happen on campus,” says Kevin Macnaughton, team leader security in IT Services. “We hope that revealing some of these to the campus will go a long way in helping staff avoid these common scams.”

Phishing

• Gift Card Scam: the attacker sends an e-mail to the victim that looks like it comes from their boss. In the email, the victim is asked to buy some gift cards and reply to the email with the activation codes.
• Scareware attack: the attacker sends an email claiming that they have access to your computer and have observed you surfing pornography. They threaten to expose you unless you pay them, typically using a digital cryptocurrency like Bitcoin.
• JOB ALERT scam: This is an information-gathering scam, where the sender hopes that you will provide useful information, such as your full name, location and cellphone number.

Ransomware

The attackers have installed malicious software on your computer that prevents access to the data on the hard drive and network shares. Once they’ve locked you out of the files, they display a notice on the screen asking for a cash payment in order to give you the key to access the files.

Account Compromise

The attacker learns the username and password to an account. Once they log in, they can abuse the account to send spam, conduct a phishing campaign, or try to access resources and steal confidential data. Over the past year, the University has suffered 64 compromised staff accounts, and have learned of more than 3,500 uwindsor.ca accounts exposed on the Internet.

Loss of Computer Equipment

Information, especially personal information, is very valuable. Attackers will steal computer equipment not just for their resale value, but also for the information they may contain.

Led by IT Services, Cybersecurity Awareness Month efforts will bring awareness to the above topics. More information, along with how you can protect yourself, is available at uwindsor.ca/cybersecurity, which will be updated regularly with best practices and current threats.

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the UWin Proud spirit campaign, the CAW Student Centre will give away a limited amount of blue and gold pancakes on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

The first 150 students will enjoy the Lancer-themed treat at 11 a.m. in the Commons.

“Exclusivity is meant to be special, just like birthdays are special!” says director of events Sandra Riccio-Muglia.

The Office of Student Experience will follow with a giveaway of cake and cupcakes starting at noon.

A conference this week will support those in the LGBTQ+ community and celebrate their contributions to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The LGBTQ+STEM Conference is a one-of-a-kind event that will provide important opportunities for discussion on a wide range of scientific topics as well as issues relating to equity, diversity and inclusion. The goal is to empower those in the LGBTQ+ community on their accomplishments in STEM while building strong and supportive bonds with their allies.

The conference, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 4 and 5, will feature a plenary speaker, invited presenters and panelists. Find the conference’s schedule here.

—Dana Roe

UWindsor researchers are seeking to learn more about experiences of belonging in academic settings, and are asking for help from faculty, staff, and students — undergrad, graduate, and post-doctoral fellows.

Respondents who fill out the 15-minute online survey [here] will be entered into a draw for one of five $20 Tim Hortons gift cards.

The researchers will use the results to design workshops to help people gain greater confidence in themselves, reduce stress, and assist them in making good career decisions.

The survey questions centre on the sense of belonging in academic settings, as well as resilience, work engagement, self-efficacy, and general life satisfaction. Participation is completely voluntary and responses will be confidential.

For questions concerning this survey, contact experiential learning specialist Michelle Bondy at mbondy@uwindsor.ca.

This study has been cleared by the University of Windsor Research Ethics Board.

A public debate by candidates for Parliament in Windsor West will focus on environmental issues, Thursday, Oct. 3, in the SoCA Armouries Performance Hall.

The event will be moderated by Jane McArthur, a doctoral student of sociology, as one in a national series under the auspices of 100 Debates on the Environment, a non-partisan effort to spur government action towards a sustainable future.

Organizer Tanya Basok says environmental concern has never been higher, but doesn’t always translate into action from elected leaders.

“We’re concerned about our future and how climate change, land-use policies and practices, water pollution, air pollution, and the human impact on wildlife affects our health, well-being, and preservation of biodiversity,” she says.

“For years, scientists have said the environment is too important to ignore. This election, voters are saying the same thing.”

The federal election is set for Oct. 21. The Oct. 3 all-candidates meeting will run 7 to 9 p.m. in room 132, 37 University Ave E. The event will be live-streamed through Facebook and into room 104, Toldo Health Education Centre.

Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff enjoyed the barbecue hosted by the Organization of Part-time University Students to welcome the school year Thursday, Sept. 26 — but none enjoyed it more than Bianca Lenarduzzi.

The part-time social work student won a $1,850 bursary toward her tuition, courtesy of the University of Windsor Alumni Association.

Besides a free meal, attendees received information on the benefits of OPUS membership, material on the federal election, and giveaways. It marked the 17th year for the annual event.

A field trip to tour the facilities of Canada’s largest generic drug producer proved educational for students in the Master of Medical Biotechnology program.

Chemistry professor Tranum Kaur organized the Aug. 26 field trip to the Etobicoke manufacturing site of Apotex Inc. The group toured quality control and high-performance liquid chromatography labs as well as production operations.

Seeing chemistry in action helps to promote student engagement with the curriculum, says Dr. Kaur.

“These real-world experiences tend to evoke interest in the life science sector and equip our students with a better understanding of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industrial workplace environment,” she says.

Student Li Zhao calls the tour a valuable learning experience.

“It helped build a potential pathway for us to find jobs in the future,” says Zhao. “I really appreciated the experience.”

—Darko Milenkovic