Six projects approved under the Anti-Black Racism Student Leadership Experience Grants program involve a range of approaches to dismantling barriers caused by racial oppression, says Marium Tolson-Murtty.

Strategic planning officer for anti-Black racism initiatives, she led the adjudication process, which awarded the $10,000 grants to support co-curricular activities through education, cultivation, and preservation of Black culture and history.

“I am proud of these excellent projects,” Tolson-Murtty says. “We had originally planned to approve just five, but the submissions were so good, we expanded the inaugural tranche of funding.”

The approved projects are:

“Black Leadership Excellence,” which will train Residence Assistance and education residence students on anti-Black racism efforts on campus, including workshops, unconscious bias training, and more. Student team lead Brittney Ketwaroo will work with sociology professor Natalie Delia Deckard and residence life co-ordinator Lynn Charron.

“Identifying Barriers and Creating Opportunities to Ensure Success of Black Studentss in the Faculty of Engineering,” aimed at recruiting Black students into engineering. Students Staecey-Merveille Ngabire and Aimée-Larissa Dushime will work with professors Rajesh Seth and Jennifer Jorhrendt.

“We Were Here: Recovering the Stories of Windsor's McDougall Street Corridor,” a research project to document the history of McDougall Street, home to Black families that are descendants of the Underground Railroad. Student team lead Willow Key will work with Heidi Jacobs and archivist Sarah Glassford of the Leddy Library, and Irene Moore Davis of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society.

“The Forgotten Ones: The Impact of COVID-19 on Black Families and Black Child Welfare Survivors Dealing with Child Protection,” coursework assignments to advance understanding of the implications of COVID-19 for Black child welfare survivors. Student team lead Josh Lamers will work with law professor Venkatesh Vasanthi.

“Coaching and Mentorship Programs for Black Female Athletes,” education and engagement to promote Black female athletes into coaching certification programs. Kinesiology professor Kevin Milne, track coach Marcia Milne, and Lancer Recreation co-ordinator Sandra Ondracka will work with student leads to be named.

“Understanding Barriers to Higher-Education at the University of Windsor Rooted in Racial Oppression, especially among Black Prospective Students,” recruitment and engagement of prospective Black students to the University of Windsor. Chris Busch, assistant vice-president of enrolment management, his team, and cross-campus collaborators will work with student leads to be named.

The grants are intended to foster student-led research and leadership skills, says Clinton Beckford, UWindsor vice-president for equity, diversity, and inclusion.

“These exciting projects will enhance the student experience and promote the training of highly creative and motivated students,” he says. “These valuable career-related transferable skills will provide future opportunities while cultivating awareness and advocacy for issues related to the experiences of Black people.”

More information on the progress of each of these projects will be forthcoming in the months ahead. Learn more about the Anti-Black Racism Student Leadership Experience Grants program.

UWindsor physics students came out on top at the Canadian Association of Physicists annual congress, held virtually June 7 to 11.

Graduate student Layale Bazzi (BSc 2019) took first place in the division of Physics in Medicine and Biology for Best Oral Student Paper with her presentation, “Mapping Magnetic Field Around Metal with Pure Phase Encoding Magnetic Resonance Imaging.”

Bazzi, who serves in the lab of physics professor Dan Xiao, works on magnetic resonance imaging methodology development with a focus on high quality quantitative imaging around metal, such as those used in implants.

Metal severely distorts the magnetic field, leading to significant artifacts in conventional MRI. Bazzi says they are trying to develop novel methods so that MRI diagnosis is possible around metal implants.

“We have presented methods to reliably image around metal as well as simultaneously quantify the effect of metal on the magnetic field,” she says.

“This will enable the development of more advanced, non-traditional imaging techniques that are applicable in a clinical setting.”

Recently graduated Emma Blanchette (BSc 2021) took second place in the division of Physics in Medicine and Biology for Best Poster Student Presentation for a poster entitled “Quantification of Sensitivity and Specificity in a Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Diagnostic Assay for Pathogenic Bacteria Detection and Classification.” Blanchette works in the lab of Steve Rehse, and is a former recipient of the 2020 Lucjan Krause Scholarship. She begins her graduate studies at UWindsor in the fall of 2021.

Graduate student Jake Stephen, from the lab of TJ Hammond, took second place in the division of Atomic and Molecular Physics – Canada for Best Poster Student Presentation for his work, entitled “Simple Measurement for Field Reconstruction.”

Dr. Rehse, head of the physics department, says it is great t see these students win recognition.

“These student competition results at the national and international level show that the UWindsor physics department absolutely contributes at the highest level of Canadian physics, having more prize-winning student contributions than many other departments of comparable or larger size,” he says.

“The research supervisors should also be commended for their tutelage and mentorship of these students, as well as their constant encouragement and their dedication to preparing the students for careers in science by supporting their participation in national conferences like this.”

Bazzi advanced to the finals on June 17, where she competed against other division winners and earned an honourable mention.

The UWin Proud Committee, previously known as the Blue and Gold Committee, is looking for faculty members to help advise on the 2021-22 UWin Proud campaign.

Sarah Hébert, who oversees the committee, noted the lack of faculty representation on the committee in the past as well as the valuable perspective and insight that the group has in future planning.

“The UWin Proud campaign is a spirit initiative on campus that strives to instill a sense of school pride by building on the identity and community created by attending or working at the University of Windsor, and that includes faculty members,” she said.

Supported by the Office of Student Experience, the UWin Proud Committee has helped develop a UWin Proud Campaign for the past three years, advising on events, activities, and projects to boost school spirit and engagement at the University.

The committee will meet twice in the summer to review last year’s campaign and finalize the campaign for the upcoming year. The first meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 7.

Faculty members interested in being a part of the committee are asked to email Hébert at Sarah.Racinsky@uwindsor.ca.

Like the host of a dinner party, WE-Spark Health Institute asks its members to bring their expertise and enthusiasm to the table to spark new connections and ideas.

Created by Ryan Palazzolo for professor Lisa Porter’s class in “Regenerative Biology and Disease,” this video was designed to raise awareness about the institute and how it can facilitate local research collaboration.

From think tanks to networking events, grant and education opportunities, WE-Spark offers services and organizes events to help spark conversations and set the stage for meaningful relationships and collaborations.

Whether you’re a nationally funded researcher, just starting out, a healthcare professional, educator, student, patient, or a member of the community, all are welcome at its table. Everyone can contribute to the health and well-being of the Windsor-Essex region. Watch this short infotainment video to find out how.

Hungry for more and want a seat at the table? Join up!

Most University of Windsor offices will close Thursday and Friday, July 1 and 2.

Summer courses scheduled for Friday, as well as fall registration, will proceed as planned, president Rob Gordon announced in a June 1 message to the campus community.

Employees who need to work on this day to ensure continued operations should discuss an alternative date off with their managers; workers in 24/7 operations will have an opportunity to take the day off at another time.

DailyNews will resume publication Monday, July 5.