A paper by professor Jillian Rogin of Windsor Law was cited in a judgment by the Supreme Court of Canada ordering a new trial in the case R. v. Zora.

Prof. Rogin’s paper, “Gladue and Bail: The Pre-Trial Sentencing of Aboriginal People in Canada,” published by the Canadian Bar Review in 2017, argues that Aboriginal people in Canada are improperly being sentenced via bail proceedings.

The court noted the work in its finding that “Indigenous people, overrepresented in the criminal justice system, are also disproportionately affected by unnecessary and unreasonable bail conditions and resulting breach charges.”

Its ruling will allow Chaycen Michael Zora to appeal his conviction for breach of bail conditions.

A pair of student-athletes from the University of Windsor are set to make history as Canada’s first-ever eSports competitors.

Happy Ananum, a mechanical engineering student heading into his second year this fall, and Sudiksha Khanduja, a master’s in computer science graduate this past spring, will wear the maple leaf in the inaugural FISU eSports Challenge Football tournament, kicking off this week.

The tournament will be played on FIFA 20 for PlayStation 4 and features separate male and female competitions representing 26 countries.

Ananum was placed in Group B following Thursday’s draw alongside competitors from universities in Mexico, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Khanduja is in Group A and will face opponents from universities in Argentina, China, India, Malaysia, and South Africa.

“I’m extremely proud that two of our students were selected to represent Canada on the international stage,” said Paul Meister, co-ordinator of Lancer Gaming, which will officially launch its groundbreaking program this fall. “Congratulations and good luck to Happy and Sudiksha.”

The games will be livestreamed daily through the July 16 championship final. Find more information, including a full schedule, at goLancers.ca.

A UWindsor professor has signed on to encourage U.S. citizens living in Canada to participate in the American political process.

Beth Daly, professor of anthrozoology in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, is chair of the Windsor chapter of Democrats Abroad, which represents the Democratic Party to Americans living outside the United States.

“Without exaggeration, I believe that the upcoming election is one of the most important elections in American history, and the single most important in many of our lifetimes,” Dr. Daly says.

She has begun with outreach to UWindsor students and faculty eligible to vote, informing them of the process to request an absentee ballot through www.votefromabroad.org.

“There are so many Americans who live in Canada that if they all voted, it would make a difference to the election,” Daly says.

She invites questions and comments by email to DemocratsAbroadWindsor@gmail.com.

WE-Spark Health Institute has planned a series of virtual events through July for the public to ask local experts about COVID-19.

“Misinformation about health and research is everywhere and impacts the health and safety of our community,” says executive director Lisa Porter. “We’ve seen this amplified in recent months by the COVID pandemic.”

To help fight fiction with facts and improve public education, WE-Spark Ask the Experts has been created as a resource for those seeking unbiased, fact-based, and up-to-date information.

Its “Community COVID Conversations” series will run for four weeks, highlighting local researchers who have received WE-Spark Igniting Discovery Grant funding for their COVID projects.

• July 8, Mental Health and Wellness
• July 15, Personal Protective Equipment and Other Innovations
• July 22, Planning and Predicting for the future: Modelling and Supply Chain
• July 29, Screening and Treatment

Click here for more information and to register.

Two new associate deans began five-year terms in the Faculty of Education on July 1: Kara Smith in graduate studies and research and Clinton Beckford in teacher education.

Dr. Smith has a broad and diverse output in her own scholarly work, through both traditional publications and creative activity, and is therefore well-positioned to support the varied forms and modes of scholarship and knowledge production of both faculty and graduate students. She has a strong record of university teaching and supervision at the graduate level. Her editorial work with the Journal of Teaching and Learning, her numerous commitments to local and provincial educational partnerships, and her extensive experience teaching, partnering, and researching in international contexts were viewed as important strengths, said dean Ken Montgomery.

“Over her long tenure with the Faculty of Education, and its different graduate programs as they have developed over time, Dr. Smith has fostered a deep ethic of care for her students and positioned herself consistently as one who privileges dialogical and experiential learning,” he said.

Dr. Beckford has a very strong record of university teaching at the pre-service level and a strong record of student mentorship. he has served the faculty well, including in this particular position, before the teacher education program was changed from a one- to a two-year program. He has a strong record of responding well to the diverse needs of diverse students and a demonstrated ability to work with faculty and a variety of stakeholders from within and beyond the university.

Montgomery noted Beckford is very knowledgeable with respect to human rights, equity, and accessibility and has demonstrated a strong commitment to taking deliberate and strategic approaches to building a more inclusive student body and to facilitating success for students from diverse backgrounds.

Montgomery also expressed gratitude to the outgoing associate deans, Glenn Rideout and Geri Salinitri, both of whom completed their terms effective June 30.

An online session Thursday, July 9, will explore stress resulting from difficult interactions.

Presented by the Office of Organizational Development & Training in the Department of Human Resources, the two-hour webinar will provide research-backed stress management strategies to increase resiliency and tolerance when we find our buttons are getting pushed.

Facilitator Jenny-Lee Almeida is an educator with the local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association.

The event begins at 9 a.m. Sign up through the Professional Development registration page.