Coming up with effective online tools to test the cognitive health of aging adults is the goal of a new research project led by a UWindsor psychology professor.

Neuropsychologist Kristoffer Romero is using online testing to reach populations often left out of scientific studies. He is hoping to recruit 200 adults aged 55 or older to take an online questionnaire that asks about your concerns and attitudes toward your cognitive abilities, and tests things like memory, attention, and your ability to multi-task.

“Neuropsychological assessment is the gold standard for cognitive testing, but it’s not always available for people in Windsor and Essex County,” said Dr. Romero. “These assessments are not readily available for older adults living in rural regions and may have lower accuracy with racialized groups.”

Romero said the COVID pandemic got him and fellow psychology professor Renée Biss thinking about new ways to provide such services.

“Usually cognitive assessments like IQ tests, attention tests, and memory tests take place in person, in a nice quiet office,” Romero said. “With COVID, this came to a screeching halt. The pandemic has forced us to do things in different ways than we have done before.”

But even before the pandemic, people in Windsor and Essex County often had to travel to London or the Greater Toronto Area for neuropsychological cognitive assessments, Romero said. This is especially onerous for people with mobility issues.

“This will help address the lack of access to services here and could lead to new initiatives between UWindsor and our regional hospitals.”

The country’s population is aging. According to Statistics Canada, 18.5 per cent of the Canadian population is made up of people aged 65 and older. That percentage has been steadily increasing. In 2011, the figure stood at 14.4 per cent. In 2016, it was 16.4 per cent.

Cognitive assessments are important to keep an aging population healthier longer. The assessments can identify changes in memory that are not part of the normal aging process, and can help with early detection of disease like Alzheimer’s.

Romero said he will work with local community groups to recruit adults from racialized groups to take part in the study. He said making sure these populations are represented will help ensure the tools created are useful for a broader cross-section of Canadian society.

“They haven’t been part of the picture,” Romero said. “We want to get them into the fold and see if these tools are useful for them.”

Participants will be given a link where they can complete online tasks unsupervised. They will complete the assessment twice so the researchers can validate the results.

The project will also include a survey.

“We want to develop better clinical tools to better service a wider population, starting with our own community here in Windsor-Essex,” Romero said. “Right now, there’s a lot of people being left behind.”

The project is being funded through a $20,000 grant from the WE-Spark Health Institute, a partnership involving the University of Windsor, Windsor Regional Hospital, Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, and St. Clair College. WE-Spark provides seed funding to local health researchers.

To learn more about the project, visit UWindsor’s Applied Neuropsychology Lab website.

—Sarah Sacheli

A new year presents new opportunities to seek personal and professional growth. Continuing Education presents learning opportunities to individuals who wish to pursue a new career, learn a new skill, or work towards career advancement. Classes are online and are now open for registration.

Introduction to Microsoft Excel dives into the fundamentals of using Microsoft Excel from a practical perspective. The course covers principles of data collection and analysis, building functional spreadsheets, Excel tools, and macros. Emphasis is placed on practicality; tutorials use the framework of a business case to illustrate the real-world application of course content. Class takes place Mondays and Wednesdays, Jan. 17 to Feb. 2 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

In six interactive courses, the miniMBA will provide individuals with a comprehensive overview of core business functions. Upon completion, participants will be able to understand the basics of all business functional areas, increase organizational competitiveness with new strategic insights, learn to view the “big picture” of an organization, and operate more effectively in a team-oriented environment. Take each course individually or complete all six to achieve the miniMBA Certificate. Classes take place on Saturday mornings, Feb. 5 to June 11 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Project management has become a necessity for all organizations. Delivered in partnership with Procept, an authorized training partner of the Project Management Institute, Continuing Education is continuing its project management course offerings, including

• a PMP ® Exam Prep course, starting Jan. 10,
• Certified Agile Project Manager, starting Jan. 24, and
• an additional section added to Project Management Essentials, which begins Feb. 23.

These courses provide participants with the skills necessary to succeed in project management processes and are ideal for all disciplines.

Employers place a high value on writing that is clear, concise, persuasive, and accessible to all readers. The Technical Writing Workshop Series will provide an understanding of the characteristics of effective technical writing, recognize report vs. essay features, identify common writing and citation problem spots, apply revising and editing strategies, and become familiar with the writing expectation in a high tech world. This four-class series takes place on Saturdays, Feb. 5 to 26 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Geared towards current and aspiring artists or any individual who seeks a creative outlet, Abstract Painting will explore different mediums and develop a visual language unique to them. Through a series of six classes, individuals will express emotions through colour, line form, and mark making, and learn how to mix paint, utilize various painting techniques, and explore different materials. Participants will also understand visual representation, abstraction, and the process of creating their own unique artistic style. Classes take place on Thursdays, Feb. 10 to March 17, 6 to 8 p.m.

Delivered in partnership with industry partner, Transform Shared Service Organization (TSSO), the Health Informatics program covers an array of topics relating to health information management — from the fundamentals of health informatics and project management, to systems implementation and project charter presentations. Through this program, TSSO looks to create a pipeline of qualified applicants for anticipated employment opportunities within the health system in our region. Classes take place on Saturdays, Feb. 26 to June 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Select programs are eligible for the Canada-Ontario Jobs Grant and OSAP Micro-credentials application. See individual course pages for details.

More courses will be announced soon. To stay up-to-date with all upcoming Continuing Education programs, visit continue.uwindsor.ca.

An online program in development to support new undergraduate students starting next fall is intended as a non-credit optional resource to supplement existing transition programming, says the team responsible for its design.

The proposed UWindsor 101: The First Year Transition program is meant to add to support offered by faculties, the Student Success and Leadership Centre, and other areas across campus, says Chris Busch, associate vice-president, enrolment management.

“We see this new program as just one additional piece of a holistic educational community to support student success, retention, and ultimately graduation,” he says. “Our plan is to allow for future customization as applicable to students’ individual journeys.”

He says the team’s earlier communications may have caused some confusion.

Campus community members interested in becoming involved or providing feedback on proposed content, aesthetics, and potential areas of improvement, may contact the development team at transitioncourse@uwindsor.ca.

Carly McKay, deputy director of the Centre for Health and Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport at England’s University of Bath, has worked with Hockey Canada, the National Hockey League, England Rugby, World Rugby, the England and Wales Cricket Board, and the International Olympic Committee on projects to improve athlete safety and welfare.

She will discuss her research into the role of psychosocial and behavioural factors in sport injury risk and recovery in a free online presentation entitled “From Crags to Pitches: My Journey in Injury Prevention” on Friday, Dec. 3.

Conducted over Microsoft Teams from noon to 1 p.m., Dr. McKay’s lecture is part of the Faculty of Human Kinetics Distinguished Speakers’ Series. Register here to attend.

This year, Winter Orientation will take place as a hybrid event on Jan. 5, 2022.

The Student Success and Leadership Centre has been working hard to develop its first hybrid orientation event to support all undergraduate students entering their first semester with the University of Windsor in the Winter 2022 semester.

“Winter Orientation prepares students joining us for their first semester of an undergraduate program for a successful educational experience at the University of Windsor,” says Rebecca Burkoski, student development specialist. “The event will aim to answer questions that our newest Lancers may have about their transition to university life.”

Information, including a schedule of events, is available on the Winter Orientation website.

The student experience is a top priority for the Faculty of Science, which is why it has created a new associate dean position for student and faculty engagement.

“We want to create an environment for students that is welcoming, supportive and inclusive, and the engagement of both faculty and students in this process is essential for this to be successful,” says biomedical science professor Dora Cavallo-Medved, acting associate dean of science for student and faculty engagement.

“My goal is to provide active engagement opportunities and transformative experiences that will help build our students’ transferable skills in leadership, collaboration, communication, and management — while they build technical skills in the classroom, labs, and field.”

The position will be responsible for developing, co-ordinating, and promoting student and faculty participation in high-impact learning experiences that support student recruitment and retention and strengthen student-faculty partnerships.

Dean of science Chris Houser says this position will build on the foundation of leadership and engagement opportunities the faculty has already been offering to students at UWindsor.

“It has been our goal to support students with high-impact experiences like undergraduate research, international academic experiences, internships, leadership development activities, and service learning,” says Dr. Houser.

“This new position gives us a chance to bring it to the next level, to strengthen and expand current programs and build new ones that engage and connect faculty and students both on campus and in the community.”

Dr. Cavallo-Medved says to engage students the faculty will continue to build upon the USci Network — an interdisciplinary network that brings faculty and students from all science programs together to work collaboratively in providing a unique integrative support system with the goal of enriching the undergraduate student experience.

“Under the USci banner we’ve created a host of student-led initiatives from program and career advising with Destination Science and Careers in Science, to mental health resources with the Sci of Relief initiative, to community-building groups like Women in Science and Science Meets Art, among others,” she says.

“These student-led initiatives offer support services specific to the needs of our students as well as leadership opportunities.”

The Faculty of Science is continuously looking for ways to support and empower students as well as recognize them for their personal successes, Cavallo-Medved says.

“This is about creating an engaging and collaborative environment that best prepares students for whatever they are going to do after they graduate and strengthens their connections to the Faculty of Science well into the future.”

From a personal perspective she says she is excited to take the position on.

“I love working with students and I’m excited for the opportunity to bring in more engagement activities and transformative experiences for them, our alumni, and our faculty.”

A search is underway to hire a permanent associate dean.