Computer science major Lama Khalil will be virtually heading to Montreal this summer as the first UWindsor student to take part in the all-female AI4Good Lab, which offers lectures, workshops, and mentorship opportunities in artificial intelligence (AI).

She will join 29 other AI-focused students from around Canada in the bootcamp, blending academic and industry participation on the use of the technology for social good. In addition to meeting people in the industry and working in teams to solve social problems, Khalil receives a $500 stipend. She says she already has project ideas she wants to work on.

“For starters — the middle class who need legal representation are in a tough spot. They are too rich for legal aid, but too poor to afford lawyers,” says Khalil.

“I want to use AI to make legal information more accessible so by the time someone contacts a lawyer, they already have a good knowledge base of their legal options, saving them time and legal expenses.”

She also sees an opportunity for AI to become a doctor’s assistant by making medical diagnoses more efficient, which could cut down on wait times.

The AI4Good program is presented by CIFAR (formerly the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research) and the Montreal-based non-profit Osmo.

Khalil is a recipient of an Ontario Graduate Scholarship and will start Masters studies in computer science in fall 2021 under the supervision of Ziad Kobti, director of the School of Computer Science.

“Dr. Kobti is very empowering and supportive of women and he really wants to give women an equal chance,” says Khalil. “I am very proud to be a woman computer scientist and I think we will bring a big change in this domain.”

Dr. Kobti says he suggested Khalil apply to AI4Good Lab because she shows great promise.

“Women in computer science are generally very scarce, but at the School of Computer Science we have been diligently working over the years to promote CS to young female students, reaching out to them as early as middle school,” he says.

“The school has fundraised and allocated several undergraduate scholarships for female students; we invite the public and donors to help support these scholarships by donating to this worthy cause.”

—Sara Elliott

The Faculty of Law is delighted to announce the appointment of Myra Tawfik as the inaugural Don Rodzik Family Chair in Law and Entrepreneurship, the law faculty’s first endowed chair. Professor Tawfik, who holds the rank of Distinguished University Professor, is an expert in intellectual property law with an extensive background of research, teaching, community outreach, and policy development in intellectual property education for start-ups and entrepreneurs. The appointment is effective July 1, for a five-year term.

“I am truly honoured to have been selected as the inaugural Don Rodzik Family Chair and am grateful to the Rodzik family for their commitment to advancing research and community engagement at the intersection of law and entrepreneurship,” says Tawfik, who has been a professor at the University of Windsor since 1991. “I look forward to the many opportunities that this chair provides to support the entrepreneurship ecosystem in this region and beyond.”

During a September 2020 Transforming Windsor Law event, the Rodzik family announced its gift of $1 million to support the creation of the first endowed research chair position in Windsor Law’s history. The chair will provide current and future Windsor Law students with the tools to achieve educational excellence and address the changes and challenges of future entrepreneurs. The position will also provide advocacy and counsel to local businesses in the areas of law and entrepreneurship, strengthening University ties with the Windsor-Essex community.

“Professor Tawfik is truly a distinguished faculty member and we are very proud of her leadership as the inaugural Don Rodzik Family Chair,” adds acting dean Beverly Jacobs. “I look forward to the work that she will engage in with our students and community.”

—Rachelle Prince

UWindsor executive chef Paolo Vasapolli has endorsed a campaign to set a record for the most takeout food ordered by Canadians in one day.

An industry association has designated today — Thursday, April 15 — National Takeout Day.

“It’s all about supporting our local restaurants that have been hit so hard by social distancing restrictions,” says Vasapolli. “Imagine if every faculty and staff member participated, just by ordering out on this day from their favourite place.”

Canada Takeout asks patrons to submit their receipt totals to its online tracker so it can measure the campaign’s impact. Find more information on its website.

Two players from the Ontario Hockey League have committed to Lancer men’s hockey, head coach Kevin Hamlin announced Tuesday.

Forward Brady Hinz of the Niagara IceDogs and defender Holden Wale of the Kitchener Rangers will join the blue and gold this fall.

Hinz plans to initially study Liberal Arts and Professional Studies with the hopes of transferring into sports management after his first year; Wale will pursue studies in environmental science.

Read the full story at goLancers.ca.

Looking to become more engaged in the local health research community and expand your collaboration network? Join the WE-Spark Health Institute for “WE-Spark After Dark,” the first virtual networking event for members of the Windsor-Essex research community to get to know one another through fun and casual conversations.

It can be difficult to move research ideas forward if you don’t know who is doing what, so don’t miss this opportunity to learn what’s happening in local health research in an informal and enjoyable atmosphere.

The event takes place Thursday, April 29, from 6 to 7:15pm. Register here.