2021 News Archive

$1 million invested in real-time data collection to protect drinking water

​UWindsor researchers and their partners have received more than $1 million to deploy real-time continuous monitoring instruments into Lake Erie to better understand and predict development of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and to protect and secure drinking water in southern Ontario.  

 The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Alliance grant, along with industry partner funds, were awarded to the cross-disciplinary team which includes researchers from UWindsor’s Faculties of Science and Engineeringas well as partner universities and collaborators from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Canada.  

“These real-time sensors are a game changer because we might be able to identify what is causing algal blooms and use that information to predict when and where they are going to happen,” says Jill Crossman, co-PI and assistant professor in the School of the Environment at UWindsor.  

HABs have serious implications for drinking water treatment. Once in the system, they can cause processes to break down and lead to service interruptions, making blooms an increasing societal concern.

UWindsor’s first dean of engineering celebrates centennial birthday

Dr. Frank A. DeMarco, his son Dan and daughter Terry react to a speech during a lab naming ceremony in Frank’s honour on May 28, 2016 in the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation.

Dr. Frank A. DeMarco, his son Dan and daughter Terry react to a speech during a lab naming ceremony in Frank’s honour on May 28, 2016 in the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation. Former colleagues and students, friends, UWindsor staff and members of his family donated $100,000 to the university’s engineering and science faculties in honour of Dr. DeMarco’s illustrious career.

Dr. Frank A. DeMarco has a lot to celebrate.

His illustrious career at the University of Windsor spans four decades and boasts notable roles — professor, researcher, coach, athletic director, first dean of engineering, and inaugural vice-president — that have earned him a legacy that few will ever be able to match.

He and his wife, Mary, have been married for nearly 73 years, raised 12 children and dote on 39 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He even has his own Wikipedia page.

And on Feb. 14, 2021, DeMarco will become a centenarian. 

“Your long and productive life is an inspiration to us all,” the university’s first graduating class of engineering wrote in a letter to DeMarco, congratulating their former mentor on the milestone.

“Our numbers were very small, only 25 in total, but we are impressed at how the Engineering Faculty has grown into a world class organization during the past 60 years and we recognize that this is due in large part to your efforts in the initial years. We can say for certain as we look back over the many years working in our profession, that we were well-prepared for this work by our engineering studies.”

Centre to drive research and education in automotive cybersecurity

The University of Windsor will host Canada’s first organization dedicated to countering threats to the connected transportation marketplace.

The SHIELD Automotive Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence will build the skills, innovations, and policy to secure and protect connected and autonomous vehicles. Led by researchers recognized for their excellence in the automotive industry, it will partner with industry, government, and community stakeholders to respond to an emerging transportation landscape driven by connections and sensors embedded in vehicles, infrastructure, and the manufacturing supply chain.

The co-founders and co-directors — Mitra Mirhassani of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Ikjot Saini of the School of Computer Science — note that modern vehicles have more than 100 million lines of computer coding and 20 sensors transmitting wireless data, with more connecting in every new vehicle.

“Hardware and software vulnerabilities could put personal information and vehicle safety in jeopardy,” says Dr. Mirhassani. “Transportation systems are especially susceptible to attacks from malicious actors due to the complexity, implementation costs, and lifecycles of equipment and platforms.”

Engineering alum honoured as leader in profession

Engineering alumnus Md Mizanur Rahman

An engineering alumnus has been featured among Canada’s top 100 professionals in a publication that highlights top tier business leaders.

Md Mizanur Rahman (MASc 2003) was recognized for nearly two decades of diverse experience as a professional engineer in Redwood Media’s Top 100 Magazine.

Rahman not only serves as president and chief executive officer of MR Engineering Limited, he is the senior structural engineer for the company headquartered in Edmonton.

“The University of Windsor played a vital role in my engineering career in Canada,” says Rahman, a civil engineering grad. “I will never forget the extraordinary guidance, mentorship, and support of Dr. Faouzi Ghrib, Dr. Nihar Biswas and Dr. Tirupati Bolisetti.”