Megan ElliottMegan Elliott is the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Anthony N. Ezeife Mathematics and Indigenous Education Award.

Award recognizes commitment to educational equity

The inaugural recipient of the Dr. Anthony N. Ezeife Mathematics and Indigenous Education Award says she is honoured by the recognition.

“As an educator, I am committed to equity and mutual respect, as Dr. Ezeife demonstrated throughout his career,” says Megan Elliott, who graduated with her Bachelor of Education degree this spring and will begin studies in the Master of Education program in September.

The new annual award is based on academic performance by a graduating B.Ed. student who has obtained the highest combined average across B.Ed. Math and Indigenous Education courses and who has demonstrated commitment to equity and mutual respect during their two years as a student in the Faculty of Education.

Anthony N. EzeifeValued at $1,000, the award was created through the generosity of Dr. Ezeife (pictured at left), and honours his service as professor of mathematics, statistics, science, and Indigenous education from 2001 to his retirement in 2017.

Dean of the Faculty of Education, Ken Montgomery says his faculty is delighted to honour Ezeife’s career.

“We are grateful to Dr. Ezeife for his continued support of students and significant educational issues,” says Dr. Montgomery. “This award draws crucial attention to excellence in two important educational areas that are presently top of mind for educators, government officials, and community partners across the country: Indigenous education and mathematics education.”

Elliott works for the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board as a tutor supporting Indigenous students, has taken classes in Indigenous language and culture, and spent six weeks in a peer health education program in a Dene community in the Northwest Territories. She expresses particular thanks to instructor Angel Renaud and professor Priscila Corrêa, and adds the money will help her as she pursues graduate studies.

“I plan to complete a thesis researching strategies for equity within online learning settings,” Elliott says. “I will continue to learn and build my current knowledge as I work towards the goals of adopting a culturally responsive pedagogy and integrating mathematical competency within my classroom.”

Nicole Di NardoNicole Di Nardo, a psychology student entering her final year at the University of Windsor, has co-authored a peer-reviewed paper published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

Anxiety affects a child’s ability to read facial expressions, study finds

There’s an association between anxiety disorders and a child’s ability to read facial expressions, UWindsor psychology professor Lance Rappaport and undergraduate student Nicole Di Nardo write in an article in the latest edition of the Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

Di Nardo and Dr. Rappaport co-authored the article with researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University and the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md. It is based on a study involving more than 600 children aged nine to 14. The children were asked to look at images of faces and identify the feelings each expressed.

The study found that children with generalized anxiety disorder symptoms were able to more accurately recognize expressions of happiness and fear, among other emotions. Meanwhile, children exhibiting symptoms of depression or separation anxiety were less able to accurately recognize facial emotion.

The results were similar across the study sample regardless of gender or age.

The study’s findings “highlight the importance of distinguishing between anxiety syndromes,” the researchers said.

Rappaport said he was thrilled for Di Nardo that the study was published.

“This is Nicole’s first peer-reviewed scientific publication,” he said. “It’s an impressive accomplishment for student research.”

—Sarah Sacheli

people working on flipchartA new internship program will engage FAHSS students in the ProsperUs community partnership.

Internship program to engage students in community project

After months of planning, an innovative new internship program in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science will provide students with a unique learning experience while supporting a community partnership to unlock the potential of local youth.

The course will be led by professor Geri Salinitri, and co-taught by staff from the ProsperUs backbone at United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County. In this two-semester program, students will learn the theoretical foundations of community-based program evaluation, receive practical experience by engaging with community services, participate in human-centred design processes, and experience a program evaluation simulation.

Students will also receive career, resumé, and interview supports from the Office of Experiential Learning, creating a scaffolding that bridges into a placement interview in the course's final weeks.

This is a wonderful chance for our students to engage with key community partners on a ground-breaking project aimed at widening access to post-secondary education in our community,” said Cheryl Collier, dean of FAHSS. “I hope our students take advantage of this opportunity not only to give back to the Windsor-Essex community, but also to learn important skills to help them transition into the workforce upon graduation.”

Following the successful completion of the first semester and the interview process, students will be eligible for internships paying a $2,000 honorarium while filling a position in a community setting. These positions will support children, youth, and families in a program setting within three target neighbourhoods in Windsor-Essex County while supporting robust community engagement and evaluation efforts.

“ProsperUs is a cross-sector, collective impact partnership comprised of non-profit, government, health care, education, labour, business, and inspired community members with a shared vision of a prosperous Windsor and Essex County. We’re working differently and more collectively than ever before, and this partnership is a true example of that,” said ProsperUs co-chair Jim Inglis, regional vice-president of BMO.

The other ProsperUs co-chair, Jessica Sartori, is CEO of the John McGivney Children’s Centre.

“We are proud to partner with the University of Windsor to provide students with this experiential learning course — to learn about human-centered design and to share the approaches that are being applied locally to solve community issues,” she said.

Windsor-Essex United Way CEO Lorraine Goddard said the organization is pleased to provide this innovative learning experience to students this fall in partnership with the University of Windsor and ProsperUs.

“Resident engagement and evaluation plays a vital role in solving problems and creating lasting measurable change,” said Goddard. “We’re eager to share our insights and build the capacity of students to undertake this important work in the community.”

This program directly supports community initiatives and will provide students with work-integrated-learning opportunities and tangible training that will help support their future career opportunities in the human service sectors and beyond. Expanding student opportunities for experiential learning while simultaneously supporting community partners is really important, said Judy Bornais, executive director of the Office of Experiential Learning, who has been involved with the planning of the project.

The program, titled Community Engagement and Evaluation GART/SOSC 2050, will launch in September.

Paul OchejePaul Ocheje took up an appointment as associate dean for research and graduate studies in the Faculty of Law on July 1.

Law professor joins faculty leadership team

In his new role as associate dean for research and graduate studies in the Faculty of Law, professor Paul Ocheje will lead future development of its strategic research goals while championing research excellence and administering its Master of Laws (LLM) program.

Prior to joining the University of Windsor in 2000, Dr. Ocheje taught at the University of Benin Law School in Nigeria and was also state counsel for the Ministry of Justice in that country’s Kano State. His research interests include public and private international law, international criminal law, human rights, law and development, global governance, consumer protection, and property law. Prior to his July 1 appointment as associate dean, Ocheje taught courses in property law, access to justice, insurance law, and law and development.

“I am at once grateful and excited about this opportunity to contribute to the continuing development and growth of research in the law school,” Ocheje says. “Windsor Law has established a respectable record of research through the years, and our young graduate school is fast establishing a unique name in its category through innovative partnership with the Centre for Learning. I am looking forward to helping raise our research profile even further, and to making our graduate program a clear global leader in the legal academy.”

The leadership position was formerly held by Laverne Jacobs — an expert in the areas of disability equality, human rights, and administrative law — who was recently nominated for election to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

In her congratulatory remarks, dean of law Reem Bahdi says: “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Ocheje to the leadership team at Windsor Law. He will bring his research networks and creative energy to help further develop our graduate program and research profile.”

Bahdi adds that Ocheje has been a strong and supportive colleague over the years and is loved and respected by students. “I can't think of anyone better positioned to take up this important role at this moment in Windsor Law’s history.”

Lancer Gaming logoLancer Gaming is adding Rocket League and Valorant to its competition line-up.

Esports adds new games to competitive roster

Lancer Gaming will add two competitive programs this fall: Rocket League and Valorant.

The two new programs were added as the result of an online survey earlier this spring in collaboration with the Student Success and Leadership Centre and the Office of Student Experience.

“Data from the survey indicated a strong interest in Rocket League followed by Valorant, Call of Duty, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,” said Nick Zuidema, program development and diversity co-ordinator for Lancer Gaming. “There is definitely interest in the last two programs, which can be revisited in the future as Lancer Gaming grows.”

Find the full story on the Lancer Gaming website.