Robert Gordon converses with Tecumseh mayor Gary McNamaraUWindsor president Robert Gordon converses with Tecumseh mayor Gary McNamara during a forum of municipal leaders on campus Wednesday.

Forum with municipal leaders to enhance University-community partnerships

Leadership from the University of Windsor and surrounding municipalities came together Wednesday, May 24, for the inaugural University of Windsor Mayors and CAOs Forum.

The event is aimed at enhancing municipal and community networks, expanding partnership opportunities, supporting talent development and student experiential learning, and identifying potential directions for collaborative regional problem solving.

The five-year Aspire strategic plan, the result of more than 90 hours of consultations with on- and off-campus communities, was a central inspiration for the event. The strategic plan showcases several foundational commitments aimed at deepening and broadening regional engagement, further strengthening its existing engagement with local stakeholders.

Vincent Georgie, acting associate vice-president external, said half of the Aspire plan’s six commitments focus on improved collaboration.

“Community engagement lies at the heart of our mission at the University of Windsor,” Dr. Georgie said. “We believe in the power of connection, collaboration, and inclusivity to tackle ambitious challenges collectively, both within our institution and in the broader regional and global contexts.”

During the forum, mayors and chief administrative officers participated in discussions to find common ground, seek partnership opportunities, and identify regional risks that could be addressed with the support of the University.

“Our universities help shape the economic, cultural, and academic landscape of Canadian communities,” said Tecumseh mayor Gary McNamara.

“We are excited to see the opportunities for collaboration, research, and partnerships to come out of these conversations benefiting students, leadership, and local municipalities. We can continue to work together for a more innovative and resourceful Windsor-Essex.”

Leamington CAO Peter Neufeld said municipalities are the level of government which has the most direct impact on the lives of residents.

“By creating a relationship between the local municipalities and the University of Windsor, the University becomes an integral part of identifying, researching, and helping to solve the issues faced by the municipalities improving the quality of life for the residents of the Windsor-Essex Region,” Neufeld said.

Looking ahead, the University plans to build on the momentum gained at the Mayor and CAO Forum with future virtual events, outreach, and planning discussions.

“There is limitless opportunity to create talent pipelines, promote economic diversification, develop industry and research partnerships, and identify solutions to shared challenges through enhanced partnership,” said UWindsor president Robert Gordon.

“Together, we are building a foundation for a better future for all of Windsor-Essex with mutual benefits to researchers, students, and communities.”

graduation caps flying through blue skyThe University of Windsor will confer 32 Board of Governors Medals during its 119th Convocation, this week at the Toldo Lancer Centre.

Honours to be conferred on top-achieving grads

The University of Windsor will confer 32 Board of Governors Medals during its 119th Convocation, this week at the Toldo Lancer Centre.

The medals are awarded to the graduating undergraduate student with the highest academic standing in each program:

  • Communication, Media, and Film — Jaydin Maria Spooner
  • Dramatic Art — Melody Jean Pigeon
  • English Language, Literature, and Creative Writing — Natalie Elizabeth Cusinato
  • General Program – Arts — Lauren Alessia Lopez
  • General Program – Social Sciences — Shamus Caplin
  • History — Lily Marie Zitko
  • Interdisciplinary Arts and Science — Salma Samer Ahmed Farghaly Al Ghazaly
  • Languages, Literature, and Cultures — Riley Nicolle Martin
  • Liberal and Professional Studies – Aeronautics — Moses Nimalan Gunaratnam
  • Music — Samuel Blase Fedele
  • Philosophy — Adam Rideout-Arkell
  • Political Science — Owen Richelmo Marino Bortolon
  • Psychology — Katherine Mary Burton
  • Social Work — Carolyne Andzoa
  • Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology — Alyssa Lauren Woodbridge
  • Visual Arts — Courtney May Ells
  • Women’s and Gender Studies — Deslyn Tracey
  • Education — Jade Alexandra Williamson
  • Kinesiology — Olivia Lynne Meloche
  • Law — Laila Azizi
  • Nursing — Sylwia Borawski
  • Business Administration — Dylan Blake Nickolson
  • Biomedical Science — Emmanuel Joran Boujeke
  • Chemistry and Biochemistry — Kasey Renee Brown
  • Computer Science — Phillip Pham
  • Economics — Rim Hachem Al Moussawi
  • Environmental Science and Studies — Rose Marie-Angele Simard
  • Forensic Science — Diane Tannous
  • General Science — Keith Wong
  • Integrative Biology — Adriana Zutic
  • Mathematics and Statistics — José Benjamin Guillen Santos
  • Physics — Emily Anne Tracey

Convocation celebrations run in 11 sessions May 30 to June 2; tune in to the livestream at convocation.uwindsor.ca.

sculpture hanging from wall. clay handmade cupsAgar Vessels, a sculpture by Lyndsay McKay, one of the graduating MFA students participating in the exhibition Thesis.

MFA students to exhibit works

Members of the graduating class of Master of Fine Arts students in visual arts are presenting an exhibition of their work at the Leamington Arts Centre. Titled Thesis, the show is made possible through the efforts of School of Creative Arts faculty and staff.

The installation is the culmination of two years of intense studio practice, academic research, a supporting thesis document, and a final solo exhibition at the SoCA Gallery in the Armoury.

Nathalie Dubois Calero is a BacterHuman — half bacteria, half human. To present her human skin and microbiota’s communication to human viewers, she tracks local interactions between her microbiota and skin through colour changes into pH sensitive jelly patches fixed on her skin. They are her performative creations that she observes and documents. In her performance, Dubois Calero cuts layers of clothing on her body to reveal the coloured patches, while dancing in conversation with video and audio, conveying the colours and sounds produced by the living cultures on her body.

Lyndsay McKay’s work exposes how the past relates to the present, how temporalities exist like a collection of fragments, and how traces of bodily movement can be transformed through a process of “ongoingness.” By recognizing the liminality of space and the often imperceptible, but highly charged gap between objects and bodies, and bodies and bodies, McKay seeks to understand more deeply how differently our histories and experiences position themselves in relation to each other and inside the spaces we inhabit. More specifically, she is interested in the interconnection of intimacy and care with the incursions and violence of daily life.

Steve Rose’s studio practice continues to be influenced from a level of personal loss experience. Attempting to come to terms with the grief, mourning, and eventual healing, Rose believes creativity helps to understand how traumatic loss has changed him and what has shifted over this time. Increasingly, the artist sees himself in the imagery, not as in self-portrait necessarily, but as a reminder of memento mori. The clarity of realizing that there is more of his own life behind him than there is in front of him aids in his ability to be present, to live well and to seize the day. Rose notes that research and rumination into the vast areas of life, death, death-sign, skulls, and effigy will undoubtably contribute to a continued weaving in of ongoing personal experience and potential catharsis to any future work.

Thesis will be on view from May 30 to June 25. The gallery is located at 72 Talbot St. West in Leamington and is open for regular visitation 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $2, free for youth and Leamington Arts Centre members.

—Susan McKee

clipboard with page labelled SurveyWE-Spark Health Institute is conducting a 10-minute survey to engage the community and provide insight into its strategic planning.

WE-Spark Health Institute seeking input on next strategic plan

WE-Spark Health Institute is seeking input on its work to draw a roadmap for the next five years.

The institute is conducting a 10-minute survey to engage the community and provide insight into the development of its inclusive regional health research vision and future in the health research ecosystem.

The deadline to complete the survey is June 5. Access the survey here, along with updates on upcoming visioning and planning sessions.

WE-Spark Health Institute is an innovative partnership supported by the University of Windsor, Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital designed to elevate health research excellence across the Windsor-Essex region.