The Humanities Research Group (HRG) will kick off its new season of in-person events with a talk by award-winning Canadian author Lawrence Hill. "Faction: Lawrence Hill Reflects on Merging History and Fiction" is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 22, 5 p.m., in the Performance Hall at the SoCA Armouries building in downtown Windsor.

Hill is the author of 11 books of fiction and nonfiction, including The Book of Negroes and The Illegal. In 2022, Harper Collins Canada published his latest novel, Beatrice and Croc Harry. Hill has volunteered with Crossroads International, the Black Loyalist Heritage Society, and the Ontario Black History Society.

“The HRG is thrilled to return to in-person events with such a luminary and important figure from the international literary stage,” says director Kim Nelson, an associate professor in the School of Creative Arts.

A professor of creative writing at the University of Guelph, Hill also teaches and visits with book clubs in federal penitentiaries. He is writing a new novel about the thousands of African American soldiers who helped build the Alaska Highway in northern British Columbia and Yukon during the Second World War.

In his talk, Hill will describe his passion in merging the past, present, and future with fiction, and his attempts to explore, dramatize, and popularize little-known corners of Black history and culture in Canada and around the world. He will read brief snippets from his novels The Book of Negroes, The Illegal, and Beatrice and Croc Harry, and describe his novel-in-progress.

Admission is free and open to the public, no advance registration required. The SoCA Armouries is located at 37 University Ave. East, at Freedom Way.

Explore the Humanities Research Group’s complete line-up of guest speakers on its website: www.uwindsor.ca/hrg.

The School of Computer Science is celebrating the new downtown home for its Master of Applied Computing (MAC) program, with 300 Ouellette Ave. hosting nearly 700 full-time students pursuing education in software development and advanced computing.

“This is a highly sought-after program that in 2020 ranked as the top sixth destination school for international students on the ApplyBoard and in 2022 the School of Computer Science programs ranked in the Top 20 for the second time in Macleans magazine,” says Ziad Kobti, director of the School of Computer Science.

“MAC’s goal is to deliver highly trained graduates in computer science with skillsets that include cloud computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, web and mobile application development, and data science.”

The downtown space will allow the program to expand industry partnerships.

“We want to invite industry to come, collaborate, and complement the vision of the computing hub,” says Dr. Kobti.

“The primary goal of the space is to build a simulated professional work environment for students and industry to collaborate in the development of new software projects and offer training on the latest computing technologies. This is part of the work-integrated learning experience we present to computer science students and local industry.”

Kobti says 300 Ouellette will provide services including meeting and workspaces, consulting, expert faculty members, customized training, and research collaborations.

“We’ve already collaborated with IBM, Blackberry, GlassHouse Systems, and Rocket Innovation Studio, to name a few,” he says. “These prestigious companies are at the top of their field employing the latest computing technologies and have already collaborated with CS providing students with advanced training and internship opportunities.”

Students in the MAC program undergo lab-based applied training for 12 months followed by an internship of four to eight months. To date, 90 per cent of students searching for internships in their final term this fall have found a paid placement with industry.

“After a very competitive selection process, these excellent international students come into the MAC program with a lot of experience already — they are filling the gaps with industry who are facing shortages for skilled employees with advanced computing talent and software development skills,” Kobti says.

“We are always looking for new internship opportunities for these highly experienced students and invite interested industry to partner with us.”

The new space will house dedicated MAC faculty and staff members as well as professional spaces for internships and work-integrated learning experiences.

MAC students will call 300 Ouellette home and will take classes in Windsor Hall at the intersection of Ferry and Pitt streets.

Industry interested in hiring co-op or internship students may contact Johanna Beneteau at Johanna.Beneteau@uwindsor.ca.

Industry or public sector organizations looking to provide work-integrated learning experiences or locate in the building should contact Kobti at kobti@uwindsor.ca.

Attention all students, faculty, and staff: the University of Windsor wants you for its next marketing campaign!

The Office of Public Affairs and Communications is looking for people of all looks and styles to appear in photoshoots, videos, and other marketing projects for the 2022-23 academic year.

These assets could be used in a variety of different marketing pieces, from institutional brochures to billboards to social media posts.

The first photoshoot will take place over three days from Oct. 19 to 21. Those who participate will be compensated with $20 added to their UWinCARD.

Interested? Fill out this form on the Public Affairs and Communications website.

The University of Windsor and Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) are hosting a vaccination clinic today — Friday, Sept. 16 — from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Katzman Lounge, Vanier Hall.

Registration through WECHU is recommended, however walk-ins are permitted subject to availability throughout the day.

The University of Windsor encourages you to make the choice to keep yourself and the campus community as safe as possible. Vaccination through a full series of doses, including boosters, plays an important role in the collective fight against COVID-19. Doing so has directly contributed to more favourable outcomes from COVID-19 infections.

For dose interval and booster eligibility information, visit the Ontario COVID-19 website.

Since 2020, the VentureWomen Program — an accelerator program focused on female entrepreneurs — has supported more than 35 women-led businesses.

The Entrepreneurship Practice and Innovation Centre (EPICentre) will provide guests the chance to meet some of the program’s talented graduates during the Inspiring Female Founders Women Entrepreneurs Showcase, Oct. 4 at the Ciociaro Club.

Attending will be:

• Caita Clemerson, Stitch Happens Studio, a fabric store and sewing studio offering garment-making classes;
• Abeer Ahmed, Avid Sensory Wellness, provider of products and services that develop, support, and enrich sensory systems and lives;
• Sarah Haefling, Elevate podcast Co., an agency helping entrepreneurs and businesses have their voices heard;
• Andrea Descargar, Ecovana, an eco-conscious boutique creating plastic-free essentials;
• Jacqui Verellen, Verellen Music Academy, music lessons for all ages with instruction in guitar, piano, voice, and ukulele;
• Kennedy Murray, Act At A Time, creator of customized one-day programs for experiential learning and educational play;
• Taylor Meyers, All On Board Charcuterie, providing locally made and sourced artisanal charcuterie boards and grazing tables;
• Zule Ankamah, Zuleeats, specializing in savoury pies with a few sweet treats;
• Enisa Hyseni, With A Bow, a custom gifting startup with a mission to help children get the education they deserve;
• Aline Ranieri, Diverse Jewelry, a brand to fit the budget of any jewelry lover.

The event will run 5:30 to 8 p.m. The $10 ticket includes complimentary sandwiches and hors d’oeuvres; a cash bar will also be available.

Register here to attend.

The University of Windsor will open Monday, Sept. 19, with classes and labs proceeding as scheduled.

Ontario has declared it a provincial day of mourning in observance of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Members of the campus community are invited to observe a moment of silence at 1 p.m. to commemorate her life and service.