Students outside Dillon Hall

FAHSS is Awesome

 FAHSS faculty and students in the news ...
 

Members of the student filmmaking team “The All-Stars” set up a shot for their entry in the Windsor international Film Festival’s 48-Hour FlickFest.Students win kudos in fast film competition

Nov. 9, 2023

The University of Windsor student filmmaking team “The All-Stars” took home two awards — for best cinematography and best use of character — at this year’s Windsor international Film Festival Mark Boscariol 48-Hour FlickFest.

The team comprised six crew and two actors, all third-year students:

  • film production majors Clay Leblanc, producer and co-director, and sound recordist Gwyneth Roy;
  • communications, media, and film majors Evan Johnson, co-director and assistant camera, director of photography Sam Rosso, editor Kendra Schmidt, and art director Olivia Patricia;
  • and the actors, computer science major Zach Ublansky and acting major Rylan Thomas.

They have been working together since second year on personal and school projects and knew that they could come together and make something great for FlickFest.

The competition, named in honour of festival founder Mark Boscariol, is an intense, hyper-local movie-making challenge. Supplied with a line of dialogue, a character trait, and a prop, filmmakers must complete their entries within 48 hours.

“Our motto throughout the pre-production process was something we learned in professor Mike Stasko’s screenwriting class: K.I.S.S, Keep It Simple, Student (Stupid),” says Leblanc.

“Although it would have been fun to go over the top and make a musical or a complex, crazy film, we know that we are still in the beginnings of our careers and on a tight timeline, so we decided to do something simple really well rather than make something complicated just okay.”

It turned out to be a winning strategy.

“We are all super excited to have received these achievements and are more motivated than ever to do it even better next year,” says Leblanc.

Watch the award-winning short on YouTube.

 

High school students in the arts and culture Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM) program watched a film and heard from professor Vincent Georgie as part of a day of workshops at the School of Creative Arts.School of Creative Arts welcomes high schoolers to skills conference

Nov. 8, 2023

High school is a time of growth, exploration, and self-discovery. For students in the Greater Essex County District School Board’s arts and culture Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM) program, Thursday, Nov. 2, was an opportunity to get hands-on experience working with faculty and senior students in the School of Creative Arts.

“Organizing this event for these students was a fantastic way to broaden their horizons and foster a deeper appreciation for the arts,” says Sheri Lowrie, recruitment and outreach co-ordinator in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

More than 110 students completed two certification workshops while on site at the Armouries building and the Alan Wildeman Centre for the Arts. They were able to choose between sessions on lighting for sets and selfies, stop motion animation, advanced training in a technique, writing music for film, studio microphone technique, portfolio development and video editing. These sessions provided students with hands-on experience to develop their artistic skills and knowledge.

“Having students interacting with other high school SHSM students, asking questions to our upper-year student leaders, and learning from our talented professors made this event a memorable day,” says Lowrie. “It is an opportunity like this that allows a Grade 11 or 12 student to really see themselves as a UWindsor student.”

Professor Vincent Georgie shared a session with the students on event planning, with his role as executive director of the Windsor International Film Festival as the main topic. This was an invaluable experience for students to be immersed in WIFF at SoCA facilities and enjoy a private screening of I’m Here for the Riot. Watching this film helped them look at lighting a different way, hear the music within the film from a new perspective, and have a sense of a large-scale, successful art event in the Windsor community.

“It’s a conference like this that SoCA hopes will contribute to the personal and artistic growth of young minds, fostering a lifelong appreciation for the arts and culture,” says acting director Bruce Kotowich. “We want these local SHSM students to be open to the world of creativity, artistic expression, and career opportunities in the arts.”

 

Dr. Tanya BasokDarien Gap: As migrants take deadly risks for better lives, Canada and the U.S. must do much more

Oct. 30, 2023.

Tanya Basok, Associate Dean, Research (FAHSS), and Professor of Sociology, and Assistant Professor, Human Plurality, Université de l'Ontario français, had their article on the deadly risks migrants take for better lives published in Monday's The Conversation Canada.

"As many migrants told us when we interviewed them in Tijuana in northern Mexico and Tapachula in the south of Mexico between 2018 and 2022, crossing the continent is not for the faint of heart.

They may experience harassment, extortion or detention by migration authorities, violence perpetrated by criminals and abuse by deceitful unscrupulous smugglers. The number of lives lost in the Darien Gap, including children and adolescents, is increasing."

The researchers conclude that the USA and Canada must do more. Read the full article.

 

The School of Social Work is hosting Wanda Thomas Bernard for a series of presentations this week.Social work hosting pioneering academic

Sept. 12, 2023

It is a great honour for the School of Social Work to host Wanda Thomas Bernard for a series of presentations this week, says director Robin Wright.

Dr. Bernard, a social worker, educator, researcher, community activist, advocate, and mentor, will conduct workshops with faculty, students, and staff; class visits with all undergrad and graduate students; and online webinars for members of the Canadian Association of Social Workers.

A founding member of the Association of Black Social Workers, a former chair of the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women, and a founding member of the Africadian Empowerment Academy, Bernard is highly regarded for addressing racial and cultural diversity in social work education and in the community.

“As a well renowned academic in Canadian social work, our faculty, students, and staff are looking forward to her in-class teaching and participation in her workshops,” says Dr. Wright.

Bernard has received numerous awards, certificates, and recognition over the years for her trendsetting work and effective community leadership, including the Order of Nova Scotia, the Order of Canada, and three honorary doctorates. She was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 2016 under the new independent appointments process.

Born in East Preston, Nova Scotia, Bernard was the first African Nova Scotian hired in a tenure track position at Dalhousie University in 1990. She served as director of its School of Social Work for 10 years, retired in 2017, and is now a professor emeritus.

 

Social work professor Adrian Guta is the 2023 Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.Social work professor to take visiting chair in public health research

August 31, 2023

A UWindsor professor has been named the 2023 Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.

Social work professor Adrian Guta conducts research into HIV, substance use, and harm reduction. His appointment is hosted at Johns Hopkins through a pre-arranged affiliation between that institution and Fulbright Canada, whose research chair program promotes opportunities at select universities for exceptional scholars.

The award comes with $25,000 U.S., and Dr. Guta will be a visiting professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health from September to December.

“I’m honoured to receive the Fulbright and to collaborate with leading public health scholars at Johns Hopkins,” said Guta, who holds a Ph.D. in public health sciences.

He is on sabbatical and will reside in Baltimore this fall, with plans to conduct comparative research on the impact of unregulated fentanyl, which has contributed to tens of thousands of deaths across Canada and the U.S., and the feasibility of providing a “safer supply” of drugs in the U.S. context.

Safer supply is a Health Canada-sanctioned approach to reducing overdose deaths by providing prescriptions for pharmaceutical-grade alternatives to the toxic drug supply. Guta is involved in several CIHR and SSHRC-funded safer supply research projects.

“The early evidence from safer supply programs shows they are dramatically reducing the risk of overdose and changing the lives of people who use drugs across the country,” he said.

Guta has been leading a Canadian program of research on these issues through the pandemic and will collaborate with U.S. public health scholars, drug policy experts, and harm reduction practitioners to explore the transferability of the Canadian model.

 
Dr. Catherine Hundleby and her dog Abbie in her officeDear Students, Faculty, and Staff,                                                 August 28, 2023
 
It is with profound sadness that I share that we were recently informed that Dr. Catherine Hundleby (Philosophy and Interdisciplinary and Critical Studies - Women's and Gender Studies) passed away suddenly on Saturday, August 26, 2023.
 
I know this news is upsetting and impacts all of us as a FAHSS community. If you are an employee (faculty or staff) and need assistance during this difficult time, I encourage you to reach out to the University's Employee Assistance Program through TELUSHealth using their helpline 1-844-880-9142 (press 3 for access to critical support). They can provide one-on-one or group support virtually or in person as needed. Also, the following links may be helpful:
 
 
Students who require assistance can contact Student Health, Counselling and Wellness through the following link.
 
If any further information becomes available, we will be sure to share it with you. Please keep Dr. Hundleby, her family, and her friends in your hearts and thoughts today.
Sincerely,
Dr. Cheryl Collier, Dean FAHSS
 

Aug. 28, 2023

The new Department of Interdisciplinary and Critical Studies (IaCS), housed within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, promises to propel growth in Women and Gender Studies, Latin American studies, Disability Studies, Labour Studies, and Black Studies programs as it finds new ways to shape higher education in Windsor-Essex.

Extensive demand has allowed integrated programs to flourish not only in Canada, but globally, notes acting department head Natalie Delia, an associate professor of criminology.

“Critical studies is a growing and evolving field at the intersection of the arts, humanities, and social sciences,” Dr. Delia says. “Our department will provide a comprehensive research and training approach to grow, support, and strengthen the area of critical studies at the University of Windsor while managing and scaffolding the Liberal Arts and Professional Studies program within a framework of interdisciplinary education.”

She says that creating a department dedicated to the field ensures increased student success and provides avenues beyond traditional pathways by expanding the types of academic programs currently on offer.

“Graduates will be well prepared for a variety of professional trajectories. This is particularly true when students choose to augment pre-professional programs with minors in one of the critical studies disciplines,” says Delia. “Employers and graduate schools demand critical literacy for a diverse and equitable world — our undergraduates establish this with majors and minors in the Interdisciplinary and Critical Studies Department.”

Departmental offices are located on the second floor of Chrysler Hall South. View the list of faculty members who will be teaching in this new academic unit.

 

UWindsor student Chidera Ikewibe is the city’s new youth poet laureate.Poet hoping to reach out to multicultural youth

August 17, 2023

Poetry goes beyond the written word, says UWindsor student Chidera Ikewibe, appointed to serve a two-year term as youth poet laureate for the City of Windsor.

“I believe that poetry goes beyond the written word and can be accessed through drawing, painting, and singing to engage fellow youths and allow them to see themselves in sectors they are often under-represented,” says Ikewibe, who is studying psychology and creative writing.

Her areas of interest as an artist include race and ethnicity, anti-Black racism, institutional decolonization, poetry as performance, spoken-word radio, Black diaspora, playwriting, mask making, and mixed media. Her works often incorporate nsibidi — a pictographic writing system from southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon, reflecting her Igbo heritage.

Ikewibe has served as a collage poetry instructor with Art Windsor-Essex, host on campus community radio CJAM, and a poetry instructor for Youth Wellness Hub Windsor.

As youth poet laureate, Ikewibe looks forward to serving as an ambassador for the literary arts by incorporating poetry and writing into spaces where they may not be expected — including radio. She plans to use her platform to help showcase artists and their work to the broader community, and sees her role as an opportunity to engage newcomers to Canada.

“I want to connect with our multicultural youth and encourage them to explore themselves and their cultural identity through poetry, through workshops and programs, and new opportunities,” Ikewibe says.

Mayor Drew Dilkens welcomed Ikewibe to her new position.

“I trust that she will help this program continue to positively impact our community, in Windsor and beyond our borders,” he said. “The city’s poet laureate and storytellers program continues to help us record and share the stories that shape our city while teaching us the value of unique voices and new perspectives.”

Besides Ikewibe, the program currently features poet laureate emeritus and UWindsor resident writing professional Marty Gervais, poet laureate and alumnus Peter Hrastovec (BA 1979, LLB 1982), Indigenous storyteller Theresa Sims, and multicultural community storyteller Teajai Travis.

Chidera was also interviewed on CBC Windsor Morning with NAv Nanwa. Listen here.

 

Ryan Bills and Austin Di Pietro are one-third of a jazz sextet playing Wednesday in Willistead Park. Photo by Jeff Dunn.Alum to headline Walkerville jazz concert

August 14, 2023

UWindsor alumnus Austin Di Pietro (BMus 2018), a trumpeter, will lead a combo of friends in a free public concert Wednesday, Aug. 16, at Willistead Park.

The show is the last in the Jazz in the Park concert series organized by UWindsor staff member Kristen Siapas and funded by a municipal Arts, Culture, and Heritage Fund Grant.

Besides Di Pietro, it will feature saxophonist Ryan Bills, guitarist Ian Blunden, pianist Eli Bucheit, drummer Zach McKinney, and bassist Ian Lukas.

Guests may bring a lawn chair or blanket to enjoy an evening of performance by local musicians.

The show will begin at 6 p.m. in the park, in the heart of Walkerville. Find more information on the event Facebook page.

The Kingsville Music Festival runs Friday to Sunday, Aug. 11 to 13Scholarship beneficiary to play music festival

August 10, 2023

Recent grad Colin Gronert (BMus 2023) is one of the featured performers this weekend during the Greenway Jam. The Kingsville Music Festival runs Friday to Sunday, Aug. 11 to 13, in Mettawas Park on the Lake Erie shore.

Gronert, a jazz saxophonist, will take to the Grovedale Stage at noon Saturday. Gronert is one of two 2023 recipients of the Music and Arts for Youth (MAY) Fund scholarship supporting education in the arts. He will begin master’s studies this fall.

The other beneficiary is Abbey MacLeod, who is heading into the UWindsor visual arts and the built environment program.

Sheri Lowrie, recruitment and outreach co-ordinator for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and a member of the Kingsville Music Society board, says the festival promises a diverse line-up of talent celebrating the beauty of music and the joy of community.

“Grab your friends, bring your dancing shoes and a lawn chair, and immerse yourself in the unparalleled magic of the Greenway Jam,” she says. Find more information, including a full schedule of performances, on the event website.

UWindsor music instructor and pianist Mike Karloff makes another appearance in the Jazz in the Park concert series Wednesday, Aug. 9.Trio to take stage in Sandwich concert

August 8, 2023

UWindsor music instructor and pianist Mike Karloff makes another appearance in the Jazz in the Park concert series Wednesday, Aug. 9, at Mary E. Bibb Park, joined this time by fellow faculty member Michael Palazzolo on bass and saxophonist Ray Manzerolle.

Presented by UWindsor staff member Kristen Siapas and funded by a municipal Arts, Culture, and Heritage Fund Grant, the concerts feature local musicians in a relaxed setting. Guests bring a lawn chair or blanket to relax and enjoy an evening of music.

The show will begin at 6 p.m. in the park, located at 3261 Sandwich St. adjacent to Mackenzie Hall. Find more information on the event Facebook page.

The series will conclude Aug. 16 with trumpeter and UWindsor grad Austin Di Pietro (BMus 2018) headlining a combo at Willistead Park in the heart of Walkerville.

Art professor Catherine Heard invites contributions from the public of embroidered squares for a large-scale installation work.Quilt combining creative contributions

August 3, 2023

Red Work: The Emperor of Atlantis is a work-in-progress by Catherine Heard, professor of interdisciplinary practices in the School of Creative Arts, that invites the public to contribute an embroidered motif to a large-scale installation work.

Participants may choose a traditional redwork design or may select from among the categories of patterns created for this work, including: the War on Terror, the Vietnam War, the Iranian Revolution, Abu Ghraib prison, monuments, and others.

Visit the Red Work: The Emperor of Atlantis website to view each embroidered square that’s been mailed in along with the embroiderer’s comments.

“As an artist, I’m often asked ‘Where did the idea come from?’ I can rarely pinpoint a single moment when an idea emerges for any artwork, but one of the starting points for this piece was Ruby Short McKim’s 1930 Colonial Quilt. The imagery is, to say the least, problematic,” says Prof. Heard.

Heard created an information comic about Red Work: The Emperor of Atlantis for HA&L Magazine, vol.15, no.2, “Process” guest edited by Karl Jirgens, that both entertains and enlightens about the history of redwork and this new project.

To date, Heard has received 217 embroidery squares and counting. She and her team of students and alumnae are currently working on assembly of each embroidery square into banners — like a sewing bee. The assembly team includes visual arts undergrads Phoebe Findlay and Krystal Bigsky, master’s student Emma Feliciano, and alumna Emily Roe.

Heard invites members of the UWindsor community who would like to drop in and help with the assembly, no sewing experience required, to email her at Catherine.Heard@uwindsor.ca.

They are working Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Wildeman Centre for Creative Arts on Freedom Way. Assembly will continue until Aug. 17. Then it will be carefully packed and taken to the Niagara Artists Centre for an exhibition opening at the end of September.

Heard will continue to send out embroidery kits and add completed embroidery squares for future exhibitions of this installation. For information on requesting a kit, consult these tutorial videos.

This project has received grant support from Ignite, Brightspace, the Women’s Research Fund, and the Humanities Research Group — where Heard is the 2023-24 HRG Fellow.
 

Film student Ashley Jun applies labels to cover prop computer logos on the set of “Show and Tell,” a professional production shooting in Windsor last month.Film experience shows student a new side of industry

August 3, 2023

They say everything in movies is fake, notes Ashley Jun. It took her a stint volunteering on a film set to find out it’s true.

Jun, a senior student of communication, media, and film, spent a couple of weeks as a props assistant for “Show and Tell,” a Lifetime Channel feature which filmed in Windsor last month.

“It was really cool I got this opportunity to be on a set here in Windsor,” Jun says. “I got to meet so many people in the profession — local as well as from Vancouver and Toronto.”

She was one of several UWindsor students and grads involved in the project and acknowledges that a professional production is very different from the student films she had worked on.

“The crew is a lot larger and everyone has their own task,” Jun says. “I found even the fast-paced flow of how it all works to be really interesting.”

Working in props, she was responsible for ensuring actors had what they need once the cameras started rolling — from coffee cups to smartphones. And, she learned a new term, “greeking” — covering up logos to avoid misuse of corporate brands.

“We made new labels for wine bottles and pasted them over the bottles,” Jun recalls. “It was fun to see the finished products and how real the props looked when we were finished with them.”

The experience helped her to appreciate the wide variety of jobs available in media production.

“It’s a lot of long hours and hard work,” she says. “But this is an industry I’m passionate about, which makes it all worth it.”

Now she is looking forward to gathering family and friends for a viewing of “Show and Tell” once it hits the screen: “I am excited for everyone to see all the hard work we all put into it.”
 

Philosophy professor Christopher Tindale is the fourth UWindsor scholar to receive the distinguished research award from the International Society for the Study of Argumentation.International recognition a boost for argumentation studies program

July 27, 2023

The best part of receiving the distinguished research award from the International Society for the Study of Argumentation is knowing it will ultimately benefit his students, says philosophy professor Christopher Tindale.

Dr. Tindale received the award July 7 at the society’s conference in Leiden, Netherlands.

“Recognition like this helps show our students that they chose the right school, the right program, the right supervisor,” he says. “Maybe it lends a little more weight to a recommendation letter I write.”

The conference is held every four years; Tindale’s award was actually for 2020. “It was a bit anti-climactic,” he acknowledges.

Still, he notes, it’s gratifying to see his area of specialty — rhetorical rather than logical or dialectical argumentation — win acclaim.

“I look at the notion of the audience, how discourse is developed, how you close the distance between different groups,” he says. “Many colleagues tend to focus on persuasion, whereas I focus more on furthering understanding.”

The awards committee cited his publications as not only original and innovative, but the result of solid scholarship.

“Based on these contributions, Tindale is currently worldwide considered as one of the most prominent scholars in the field,” it wrote. “The way in which Tindale combines a strong historical interest with a systematic theoretical approach has resulted in new insights that have inspired others in the field to follow in his footsteps and to seek his collaboration.”

It further praised his leadership as director of the Centre for Research in Reasoning, Argumentation and Rhetoric and editor of the journal Informal Logic. Both of those institutions, as well as the conferences of the Ontario Society for the Study of Argumentation, are based at the University of Windsor.

“You’ll see scholars here from across the world,” Tindale says. “The place to connect is Windsor.”

He points out that his is the fourth award in its 33 years to honour a scholar associated with the University of Windsor — more than any other university. Previous winners include Doug Walton, Ralph Johnson, and Tony Blair.

Professors emeritus Blair and Hans Hansen joined Tindale on the Windsor delegation in Leiden, along with doctoral students Daniel Mejia Saldarruaga, Hareim Hassan, Jianfeng Wang, and Ronnie Haidar, and master’s student Nick Kinnish.

“Our students really stood out as young scholars who know what they’re talking about,” Tindale says.
 

David Court is the new director of his alma mater, the UWindsor School of Dramatic Art.Alum directing School of Dramatic Art

July 27, 2023

The next act of the School of Dramatic Art promises exciting opportunities for students, says its new director, David Court (BA 1996).

“Our drama school and University Players have a 65-year history that has given so many professionals in the Canadian theatre industry their foundation,” Court says. “It continues to be the place where we can achieve excellence through collaboration with students, professional staff and faculty, and talented guest artists.”

A graduate of the school himself, Court has served on its faculty as well as a scenic designer and artist. He began a five-year term as its director July 1.

“I’m looking forward to connecting with students, staff, faculty, and of course our supporters, patrons, and the general community in this new role,” he says. “The success of SODA is all of us, working together.”

 

Ten new co-op streams are now available to students in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.New co-op options offered in the arts, humanities, and social sciences

July 13, 2023

Ten new co-op streams in the arts, humanities, and social sciences are now available to students looking to gain hands-on work experience and a competitive edge upon graduation.

Launched in collaboration with Co-operative Education and Workplace Partnerships and the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, the new co-op offerings span a variety of disciplines and fields of study, including:

  • Communication, Media, and Film
  • Drama
  • Drama in Education and Community with a Concentration in Applied Theatre
  • English
  • French
  • History
  • Modern Languages and Second Language Education (Spanish Stream)
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science
  • Psychology

Enrolment details:

  • The inaugural cohort of FAHSS co-op students will be selected from students entering the Fall 2023 intake this September from the eligible Honours Bachelor of Arts disciplines.
  • Applications for eligible students open Friday, Dec. 1, and close Monday, Jan. 8, at 4 p.m. Those students will be invited to in-person and virtual information sessions to learn more about how co-op could compliment their degree program.
  • After the first intake of FAHSS co-op students, this option will be available from high school (Fall 2024 admissions).

Kristen Morris, manager of co-operative education and workplace partnerships, says the co-op office is excited to build on the success of existing UWindsor co-op and internship programs by offering more students the opportunity to put their skills to work in a variety of sectors.

“With these additional co-op streams, students will be able to explore their career options, build professional connections, and earn 12 months of paid work experience while applying and enhancing their skills,” says Morris.

Cheryl Collier, dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, says she is excited to be able to offer students co-operative education opportunities in many core programs.

We already know that the skills students develop in our programs are essential to the jobs of the future,” Dr. Collier says. “They will now get the opportunity to apply these skills during their university education which will give them an even stronger advantage and head start toward their careers upon graduation.”

For more information about the new FAHSS co-op options, visit uwindsor.ca/coop.

 

Karleigh Kochaniec is working with the Amherstburg Freedom Museum through the Local Black History Internship Program.Internship pairs history students with museum

July 10, 2023

The best collaborations are born out of a mutual need and opportunity.

Last fall, history professor Gregg French established the Local Black History Internship Program between the Department of History and the Amherstburg Freedom Museum. Early this year, they received a Mitacs Accelerate Program grant to support this initiative.

The museum’s assistant curator, Lorene Bridgen-Lennie, said she and Dr. French thought it would be interesting to have interns highlight the museum’s family history series.

“Each month, I research and write about a local Black Canadian family in Essex County which is shared on our website,” Dr. Bridgen-Lennie said. “The intern is adding to the family history series by conducting further research and mapping out the settlement of these families during the 19th century which is not something I have seen applied to Essex County to this extent before. The research is an extension of the family history series which adds to the Amherstburg Freedom Museum’s collection.”

French says the position is meant to give the interns a chance to use their knowledge: “We want to provide students with an experiential learning experience which will enable them to take those skills that they’re learning inside the classroom and apply them in a practical way in the field.”

Undergraduate history students were invited to apply for the internship, and Karleigh Kochaniec was hired. Kochaniec graduated in May with a BA in history and women’s and gender studies, with distinction.

The internship is divided into two sections. The first portion occurred during the winter semester and involved conducting approximately 10 hours per week of secondary research. This researched enabled Kochaniec to immerse herself in the field of study and prepared her for forthcoming archival research.

Starting on May 1, the internship transitioned to the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, where Kochaniec is currently conducting archival research and preparing a permanent exhibit for the museum.

“Karleigh was one of my strongest students in the two courses that I teach on the history of Black experiences in North America,” says French. “So, she was certainly familiar with the topic and also had some pre-existing knowledge about library and archival research, having worked under Dr. Sarah Glassford at the Leddy Library.”

As Kochaniec is conducting that archival research at the museum, she will still be looking for a needle in a stack of needles. But her previous experiences will provide her with the necessary knowledge and skills to know when she has found one.

“I have spent the last few weeks going through primary documents and searching for information related to understudied Black settlements in the Windsor-Essex region,” she says. “Although I have done research on local Black history in the past, there is so much more I have yet to learn.”

Kochaniec is building on the research conducted by staff at the museum and by other historians, and seeing what else she can learn from their work. This is what museums do: they create narratives about a specific group of individuals or a specific space or place.

“At the museum, I can access primary sources that I would not have access to otherwise, which is helpful in advancing my research,” she says. “This experience has also allowed me to use the research skills I gained through my courses and focus my efforts on one big project.”

Currently, Kochaniec is trying to map out settlements and show where there used to be schools, churches, businesses, and properties owned or frequented by members of the Black community. Read more ...

 

UWindsor doctoral students of argumentation studies made a big impression at the International Conference on Debate and Dialogue, May 29 and 30.Up for debate: students shine at Qatar conference

July 6, 2023

A team of doctoral students of argumentation studies from the University of Windsor made a big impression at the first International Conference on Debate and Dialogue held May 29 and 30 in Doha, Qatar.

The UWindsor students: Asma Tajuddin, Jiaxing (Jessie) Li, Amanda (Panambi) Morales Vidales, Ronnie Haidar, Jianfeng Wang, and Daniel Mejia Saldarruaga, led a session on “Argumentation in a Political Context.”

“It was truly a proud moment to see our PhD students shine the way they did,” says Pierre Boulos, a learning specialist in the Centre for Teaching and Learning and a senior fellow of the QatarDebate Center, which organized the conference.

The event attracted scholars from around the world for what was billed as an “open platform for discussing specialized academic issues that enrich our knowledge in the fields of debating, dialogue, argumentation, and other related fields such as philosophy, education, linguistics, and Islamic sciences.”

Dr. Boulos notes QatarDebate and the University of Windsor held a signing ceremony to formalize the relationship between the two institutions.

“The organizers and scientific committee were impressed with the depth of knowledge from our students, so much so that a separate session was planned at the conference showcasing UWindsor and the research around political argumentation,” he says.

“While we shared UWindsor and the Centre for Research in Reasoning, Argumentation, and Rhetoric with Qatar, our students have returned with new insights and knowledge from the debate community, and especially the thriving Arab debate community.”

Haidar calls the conference an extraordinary experience.

“It was an excellent platform for us from the argumentation studies program to showcase our important work to a diverse audience on an international stage,” he says. “I am proud to say that our program is a leader in this subject area, and we were able to demonstrate that at the conference. It was a fantastic experience, and I am grateful to have been a part of it.”

 

The Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is running a Harry Potter themed summer camp for children aged 7 to 12.Summer camp promises magical experience

July 4, 2023

Don’t be alarmed should you happen to notice some young aspiring witches and wizards on campus this week. The Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is running a Harry Potter themed summer camp for children aged 7 to 12.

The magical adventure, organized in partnership with Lancer Summer Camps, promises an experience filled with creativity, friendship, and the joy of exploring magic, wonder, and imagination through a range of disciplines. Whether they’re budding actors, talented painters, passionate writers, or creative dreamers, there’s something extraordinary waiting for campers at FAHSS Academy.

Students will strengthen their Hogwarts application through such activities and workshops as:

  • Drama — Go behind the scenes and create a magic wand in the prop shop, design a button for your wizard cape in the costume shop, and enjoy drama games on a real theatre stage.
     
  • Visual arts — Create wizard-inspired masterpieces using varied media, painting, drawing, and colouring.
     
  • Creative writing — Explore the realm of magical storytelling and embark on your own literary adventures. Write and create a potion that you will take home to the muggle world with you.
     
  • Music — Let the rhythm and melodies of the wizarding world guide your footsteps. You will become the conductor and your wand will tap along to the music.
     
  • Film — See how Harry Potter was created through images on a green screen, be inspired in a real studio space filled with cameras, lights, and action.
     
  • Quidditch — Experience the thrill of the most beloved sport in the wizarding world.
     

The faculty’s recruitment and outreach co-ordinator, Sheri Lowrie, says she is excited to welcome young Potter enthusiasts.

“Through a fusion of arts and the magic of the wizarding world, this camp will ignite the spark of inspiration within every camper, leaving them with lifelong memories and a renewed passion for the arts,” she says. “Let the journey begin, and the magic of creativity guide us all.”

This week is the first of two offerings this summer. There is still space in the second, which runs Aug. 21 to 25. Register through the Lancer Camps website.

 

Sociology and Criminology professor Suzanne McMurphy has accepted appointment as Chair of the University of Windsor’s Research Ethics Board effective July 1, 2023 Sociology and criminology prof to lead University’s Research Ethics Board

June 29, 2023

Sociology and Criminology professor Suzanne McMurphy has accepted appointment as Chair of the University of Windsor’s Research Ethics Board effective July 1, 2023 the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation announced.

“I am very pleased that Dr. McMurphy has taken on this role”, said Interim Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Chris Houser. “Dr. McMurphy’s exceptional leadership, dedication, wealth of knowledge, and expertise in research ethics are a tremendous asset to our research community.”

Dr. McMurphy has over 20 years’ experience in research ethics, serving as a member of institutional review boards in the US and research ethics boards in Canada. She joined the University of Windsor’s Research Ethics Board in 2010, serving as Chair from 2016-2022. She has also been a member of the Windsor Regional Hospital’s Research Ethics Board since 2017. From 2021-2023, Dr. McMurphy provided consultation to the World Health Organization’s Secretariat for the Ethics Review Committee where, in addition to providing pre-reviews and assessments of international research ethics protocols, she developed and staffed a weekly clinic on research ethics for WHO personnel. She is a member of the Consortium to Advance Effective Research Ethics Oversight, located at the University of Pennsylvania, and a collaborating researcher on two of their research projects examining the improvement of research ethics protocols and developing metrics to assess the quality of research ethics oversight. During her recent sabbatical, Dr. McMurphy completed a Master’s in Bioethics (MHSc) at the University of Toronto. She is currently working on a co-edited book on contemporary research ethics issues and qualitative research.

In addition to serving as Chair of the Research Ethics Board, Dr. McMurphy teaches research methods, qualitative research and law and social policy in her home Department of Sociology and Criminology. Her research examines issues of institutional trust and trustworthiness and she is a founding member of the Trustworthiness Research Alliance at the University of Windsor.

Dr. McMurphy succeeds Scott Martyn, who served as the Board’s Chair since 2022.

“On behalf of our research community, I would like to thank Dr. Martyn for his service over the past year,” Dr. Houser said.

 

Freakonomics Radio called on philosophy professor Christopher Tindale to discuss the validity of slippery slope arguments.Professor lends expertise on argumentation to discussion of slippery slopes

June 19, 2023

His appearance on Freakonomics Radio, a show that purports to explore “the hidden side of everything,” impressed philosophy professor Christopher Tindale.

Producers called on Dr. Tindale, director of the Centre for Research in Reasoning, Argumentation, and Rhetoric, for an episode entitled “Enough with the Slippery Slopes,” exploring whether claims of dire consequences inevitably following actions constitute a valid logical construction.

In their interview, Tindale found the host, Stephen Dubner, had done his research.

“It was good that he was taking the issue — and argumentation generally — seriously,” Tindale said. “I am also pleased that they chose to include some of the discussion around the importance of teaching argumentation studies and what it contributes to society.”

The professor added that he has been surprised by the positive reaction from people across the U.S. who listen to the show, either as a podcast or weekly broadcast on National Public Radio.

Tindale told listeners that slippery-slope arguments are usually phrased in terms of freedoms.

“You take away some freedoms, that’s going to lead to the erosion of freedoms, and ultimately the imposition of government control over all areas of life, which is obviously undesirable,” he said. “The questions we have to raise here are, will A lead to B? Will B lead to C? … furthermore, is there no way to stop the slope, as it were — stop on the slope and go back? Is it indeed slippery?”

He said that education can help to forestall the misuse of these types of arguments.

“When we’re teaching critical thinking, or teaching argumentation, we’re encouraging people to develop certain kinds of habits of thought so that in the future, they will think in similar kinds of ways, they will resist thinking in other kinds of ways,” Tindale said. “And they become disposed to think appropriately.”

The entire episode is available on the Freakonomics website.

 

UWindsor professsors Ronjon Paul Datta and Reza Nakhaie have won the 2023 award for best journal article from the Canadian Sociological Association.Exploration of social factors in suicide ideation wins recognition for sociology scholars

June 15, 2023

Regular social interaction can help prevent suicidal thoughts, say two UWindsor sociology professors.

“There is a widespread consensus that suicide and the prevalence of thoughts about suicide in the population are worrisome problems in Canadian society,” Ronjon Paul Datta and Reza Nakhaie write in an article published in the Canadian Review of Sociology. “This makes suicide and suicidal ideation a pathological social fact characterized by its generality throughout society, one that cannot be reduced to individual psychopathology.”

Using publicly available survey data, the authors explore whether social support and a sense of belonging — factors often conflated — affect suicide ideation differently. Their findings? A higher level of social support had the largest effect, while that of a sense of belonging disappeared once measures of social support are accounted for.

In addition, they showed that immigrants, racialized, and food-insecure Canadians were significantly more prone to suicidal ideations than their counterparts. However, higher social support among the former groups helped decrease their level of suicidal ideation. Drs. Datta and Nakhaie stressed that policy makers must grasp that socially healthy and vibrant citizenship depends on social support, particularly among immigrants, racialized, and food-insecure Canadians.

Their analysis won recognition from the Canadian Sociological Association, which conferred its 2023 award for best journal article on their study, “Suicidal ideation and social integration in three Canadian provinces: The importance of social support and community belonging.”

In a citation, the awards committee wrote it was “especially impressed by the theoretical foundations of this study as well as its potential to appeal to a broad, interdisciplinary audience. It succeeds in reinforcing the value of sociological scholarship and sociology as a discipline by drawing from foundations, applied to contemporary social problems.”

 

Professor Carol Davison is touring the United Kingdom to promote her debut novel, Bodysnatcher.Professor’s debut novel a gothic portrayal of depravity

June 8, 2023

English and creative writing professor Carol Margaret Davison is currently in the United Kingdom promoting her first novel, Bodysnatcher.

Bodysnatcher provides new insight into the infamous story of William Burke and William Hare, who committed murders that shook 19th century Edinburgh. The darkly gothic narrative centres on the untold story of Burke’s partner Helen “Nelly” McDougal in a visceral portrayal of love, sacrifice, and human depravity.

Told from the points of view of both Burke and Nelly, it manages to expose the psyche of a killer while also giving voice to the woman who endured his horrors. Bodysnatcher’s investment in the depiction of abusive relationships as well as its emphasis on religion and class makes it a fitting contribution to contemporary literary fiction.

Dr. Davison will undertake a guided walking tour and Edinburgh Dungeons event about bodysnatching and the Burke and Hare murders to promote her book, after which she will head to Manchester Metropolitan University to work as the visiting international professor for its intensive four-day Gothic Summer School, where she is the visiting plenary speaker.

Davison will also conduct a public interview regarding Bodysnatcher, and will cap off her tour with a workshop devoted to gothic writing and publishing.

An internationally renowned specialist in gothic and Victorian literature and the series editor for Anthem Studies in Gothic Literature, Davison is the editor of The Gothic & Death (2017) for Manchester University Press, winner of the 2019 Allan Lloyd Smith Prize for best edited collection devoted to gothic criticism — for which three of her recent publications made the shortlist of four books.


 

Professor Marcello Guarini leads consideration of philosophical questions during a salon for high school students.Salon engages secondary students in philosophical discussion

June 6, 2023

Recently, the Department of Philosophy hosted its first-ever Philosophy Salon Event, drawing approximately 120 students from three Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board secondary schools: Assumption, St. Anne, and St. Joseph’s.

The event was the brainchild of alumna and current high school teacher, Taunia Piknjac Phillips (BA 1994, B.Ed 2004), who approached philosophy professor Jeff Noonan to make this idea become a reality.

Students were welcomed by Cheryl Collier, dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and Sheri Lowrie, the faculty’s recruitment and outreach co-ordinator.

Each table discussion was led by either a faculty member or a senior philosophy student. Participants included professors Cate Hundleby and Marcello Guarini and students Sofia Piknjac Phillips, Izaak Piknjac Phillips, Matt Ribble, Dylan Menard, Albert Behm, and Tina Wadhawa.

Topics ranged from a consideration of the nature of philosophy through metaphysics, ethics, science and artificial intelligence, and aesthetics. Each discussion lasted 30 minutes, followed by a pizza lunch and closing remarks by Dr. Noonan.

The salon returned philosophy to its roots in the free flow of give and take, question and answer. The high schoolers reported that they enjoyed the freedom from the confines of the classroom and the opportunity to explore philosophical problems with their university peers.

“The energy and inquisitiveness of the secondary school students fuelled the day,” Noonan says. “The philosophy students and those of my colleagues who participated all agree that it should become a regular event.”

 

President’s Medallist Mary Desaulniers accepts congratulations from UWindsor president Robert Gordon during Convocation celebrations, May 30 in the Toldo Lancer Centre.Grad honoured for academic achievement and campus contributions

June 5, 2023

As appreciative as she was to receive the President’s Medal during Convocation ceremonies Tuesday, Mary Desaulniers says she couldn’t wait to get back to her seat.

“I hate being the centre of attention,” says the behaviour, cognition, and neuroscience grad. “All my friends and family were super happy for me, but I was dying.”

The medal is awarded to a graduating undergraduate who has made an outstanding contribution to campus activities while maintaining a superior academic record.

Desaulniers served as co-ordinator of the Peer Support Centre and volunteered with the Student Medical Response Service and as a member of Campus Mental Health Advisory Committee, held additional jobs as a teaching assistant and a barista, all while earning grades worthy of a place on the dean’s list.

Next in her career is graduate study in public health at McMaster University.

“I was inspired by my thesis work in Prof. Kendall Soucie’s HEAL (Health Experiences and Longevity) Lab,” Desaulniers says. “It made me want to pursue research.”

Psychology department head Patti Fritz notes that professors describe Desaulniers as a kind, thoughtful, extremely motivated, and compassionate young scholar with a zest for knowledge.

“As can be clearly seen, Mary is a promising young scholar who has significantly impacted the lives of others on campus and in our community,” says Dr. Fritz.

 

Consent is too low a standard for defining what constitutes ethical sex, argues a UWindsor researcher.Ethical sex extends beyond consent: researcher

June 5, 2023

Consent is too low a standard for promoting ethical sex, says Nicole Jeffrey. In an article published May 29 in the Conversation, the postdoctoral fellow and adjunct assistant professor of psychology argues that focusing on consent limits the ability to create better approaches to dealing with sexual violence.

“Moving beyond the language of consent will open new possibilities for promoting truly equitable and ethical sex,” Dr. Jeffrey writes. “At a minimum, we need to teach young people how to communicate more meaningfully about sex.”

She says that comprehensive sexual health education should teach that empathy, mutual decision-making, and ongoing communication are integral components of sex, rather than preconditions that take place only before.

“We need to teach and expect boys and men to listen to women’s desires and care about their well-being,” Jeffrey says. “Prevention programs that, in part, challenge what it means to relate as women and men are some of the most effective at reducing sexual violence.”

She concludes that concepts of consent should never have played more than a supporting role in defining ethical sex: “It’s time to shift the spotlight.”

The Conversation is an online publication featuring articles from academics and researchers around the world. Read Jeffrey’s entire article, “Focusing on consent ignores better ways of preventing sexual violence.”

 

Alumni honour faculty members for dedication to teaching

Betty BarrettMay 30, 2023

The University of Windsor Alumni Association will bestow its Alumni Award for Distinguished Contributions to University Teaching on three professors during Spring Convocation ceremonies this week: Betty Barrett of women’s and gender studies in the School of Social Work, Tanya Noel of the Department of Integrative Biology, and Patti Millar of the Department of Kinesiology.

The award honours faculty members — nominated by colleagues, alumni, and students — as incentive and encouragement for achieving excellence in teaching and learning at the University of Windsor.

Dr. Barrett is being honoured for her commitment to student-engaged learning and community building. The association notes her impact extends beyond the usual classrooms. She established the Walls to Bridges program at the University and has recruited additional faculty members for training in the program, which brings together university students with incarcerated students to co-learn in a course offered inside the prison.

Barrett will receive her award at the 9:30 a.m. May 30 session of Convocation.

The 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

May 29, 2023

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

     

UWindsor faculty member David Court will teach a course in set design for Stratford’s “Off the Wall” program, July 17 to 21.Drama instructor offering Stratford course in set design

May 16, 2023

Drama instructor David Court (BA 1996) will lead a one-week course in set design through Stratford’s “Off the Wall” program, which promotes artistic growth and professional skill development in theatre production arts.

Students will learn how to analyze and break down a script, envision a set concept, and communicate design ideas to the director, set builders, and other behind-the-scenes collaborators, July 17 to 21.

With a target enrolment of just eight, participants will have individual guidance in practising hand-drafting skills, building a design from thumbnail sketch to three-dimensional model, and techniques for presenting their designs.

University of Windsor students can earn a transfer credit on completion of this 40-hour course. It is also suitable for theatre directors, actors, teachers, and community theatre volunteers.

Court’s education in scenic design includes a certificate from the Moscow Art Theatre School and an MFA from Wayne State University. For the School of Dramatic Art, he teaches courses in Drawing for the Theatre, Rendering for the Theatre, Scene Painting for Theatre, Studies in Design, and Scenic Design.

Find more information, including learning outcomes and registration details, on the Off the Wall website.

 

The Canadian Psychological Association has conferred its Award for Public, Community Service and Human Rights and Social Justice in Psychology on UWindsor professor Ben Kuo.Psychology professor wins recognition for public service

May 15, 2023

An award from the Canadian Psychological Association has left UWindsor psychology professor Ben Kuo “deeply honoured.”

The association selected him for its 2023 Award for Public, Community Service and Human Rights and Social Justice in Psychology in recognition of his commitment to increasing the provision of mental health services for refugees, immigrant newcomers, and racialized populations.

Dr. Kuo notes the annual awards are considered the highest academic honour and professional distinction for psychologists.

His expertise on culture, mental health, and diversity issues lends naturally to his active engagement with the larger communities in Canada and elsewhere.

“I consider community service and social advocacy an integral part of my academic and professional identity as a psychologist, an educator, a researcher, and a communicator,” he says.

In nominating Kuo, professor emeritus Shelagh Towson cited his service, teaching, clinical training, and knowledge dissemination as worthy of notice.

She described his partnership with the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County to develop a doctoral-level practicum course that has provided counselling and psychotherapy to more than 120 refugees, while giving experience in cultural clinical practice to students.

In addition, Kuo created and taught an undergraduate course on “Culture and Psychology” and a graduate course on “Multicultural Issues in Clinical Practice,” contributing to raising the cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills of students, and sensitizing them towards issues of cultural diversity, multicultural clinical competence, and inequality, pertaining to race, ethnicity, religion, sexual and gender identity, and more.

Dr. Towson concluded “Dr. Kuo’s professional record indicates that his service to the discipline and to members of marginalized communities and his commitment to human rights and advocacy extends well beyond Windsor’s to Canada and internationally.”

 

The African Diaspora Youth Conference runs May 11 to 13 at the University of Windsor. Student organizers include (from left) Joshua Sorhaindo, Lynn Micka Mwongerinka, Onanye Oluwabunmi, Folakemi Folami, Oliwale Olatunbosum, Sarah Nwachi, and Theresa Imegi. Missing: Michael Ipaye.Youth of African diaspora to gather in person once again

May 9, 2023

The African Diaspora Youth Conference (ADYC) returns as an in-person gathering at the University of Windsor on May 11, 12, and 13, after three years of online conferences during the pandemic. This year’s conference — the 19th in the annual series — will bring more than 200 children of the African Diaspora to campus.

“High school students from Toronto, Windsor-Essex, and for the first time, Guelph will attend to reflect, connect, plan, network, and set personal goals for their future and to develop a constructive and productive education and career plan of action,” says conference chair Andrew Allen, an associate professor of education.

Detroit Public Schools are taking a year off from sending students.

The conference is unique in that it is organized by a team of university students hired through Ignite by the dean’s office in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. The team members are Joshua Sorhaindo, Lynn Micka Mwongerinka, Onanye Oluwabunmi, Folakemi Folami, Oliwale Olatunbosum, Sarah Nwachi, Theresa Imegi, and Michael Ipaye. These students are supervised by Yvonne Zimmerman, FAHSS special events co-ordinator and guided by Dr. Allen.

The students have been working on the conference plans since the fall. They selected and invited keynote speakers Amina Abdulle and Stefan Adjetey, both from the Windsor public school board.

Abdulle is a teacher consultant for equity for the Greater Essex County District School Board. She is a poet who is passionate about art and expression. Abdulle was born in Somalia and draws on her immigration experience as a youth for unique insight as an educator.

Adjetey, vice-principal of Kennedy Collegiate, previously worked at the board office to develop teaching planning in alternative education and re-engagement strategies. He is skilled in ways to engage youth as an educator, even for those with non-traditional education paths.

The university student organizers invited the workshop facilitators, updated the conference website, created gift bags for attendees, and will work during the conference along with additional volunteers from the moment the first busload of students arrives on campus Thursday afternoon through to seeing them off on Saturday morning.

This year’s workshop facilitators include Michael Akpata, Katia Benoit, Wren Dosant, Adam Harris, Kenny Gbadebo, Richard Douglass Chin, Petra Owusu, Joshua A. Strode, Kaye Johnson, Leslie McCurdy, Jeremiah Bowers, Louisa Barnes, Neil McEachrane, Mehari Hagos, Gemma Grey Hall, Cameron Anderson, and Venus Olla.

Owusu, now a PhD candidate in school and applied child psychology at Western University, began her involvement with ADYC in 2014 as an undergraduate student of psychology at the University of Windsor. She served as a fundraiser, conference co-ordinator, and leadership mentor. Since 2019, she has been a workshop facilitator.

“One of the biggest takeaways for high school students who attend ADYC is representation — seeing people who look like you not only running the conference but attending the university,” says Owusu. “It’s motivating. It resonates. These students see that they could come to university too. ‘Okay, there are people like me here. I can excel, no matter my background, I also belong here.’ Representation can make a substantial difference and it matters.”

Owusu’s studies and research have focused on Black youth’s mental health, and her workshops discuss different aspects of mental health, well-being, and self-care.

“It takes my breath away, the lack of knowledge, awareness, and understanding youth may hold about mental health. The stigma is still quite prevalent, especially among racialized youth. Also, there is a huge disparity on help-seeking behaviours among this population. On the feedback they always mention how helpful, timely and needed this workshop is,” she says. “I always strive to share effective strategies, and evidence-based resources, so they can expand their coping repertoire.”

Her workshop this year, entitled “Spiritual and Mental Wellness: Nurturing the mind, body, and spirit,” is co-facilitated with Strode.

“This conference is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experience for these secondary students. It can really change the trajectory of their life,” says Owusu. “Everyone involved looks forward to ADYC every year: the student organizers, teachers, mentors, facilitators, the students themselves. This conference forms lasting connections. I truly love and value how collaborative, inspiring, and life-shifting it can be. An incredible opportunity, indeed.”

Find more information on the ADYC website.

 

The Department of Psychology will host the annual Ontario Psychology Undergraduate Thesis Conference online Friday, May 12.Conference to present research by psychology undergrads

May 9, 2023

More than 150 psychology students from across Ontario will present their undergraduate thesis research at an online conference hosted by the University of Windsor on Friday, May 12.

The annual Ontario Psychology Undergraduate Thesis Conference rotates among the province’s psychology departments, notes UWindsor professor Kathryn Lafreniere, one of its organizers.

Students will present in one of two formats:

  • live oral presentations in 12 sessions available only to registrants
  • posters in the form of animated GIFs displayed on the website for all

Dr. Lafreniere calls the graphics posters an interesting exercise in knowledge translation.

“It’s an engaging way to distill and present research findings,” she says. “In developing them, the students have to reduce their message and consider what is truly valuable.”

Registration for the conference is free and closes today: May 9. Find a full program and registration details on its dedicated website.

 

Psychology professor Jessica Kichler is part of a team researching ways to help families and individuals cope with pediatric diabetes.Grant to fund research into improving care for pediatric diabetes

May 4, 2023

Although there have been advances in diabetes care since insulin was discovered 100 years ago, youth with diabetes continue to have a higher risk of other health problems, a lower quality of life, and a shorter life span.

UWindsor psychology professor Jessica Kichler, a core member of WE Spark Health Institute, is part of a group of researchers awarded a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Titled “Building CAPACIty for Pediatric Diabetes Research and Quality Improvement Across Canada,” the project will study trends in pediatric diabetes and how families can successfully navigate the comorbidities that often come with the disease such as depression or anxiety.

The team plans a central registry that will allow clinics across Canada to submit data specific to pediatric diabetes to guide care recommendations nationally.

Dr. Kichler’s research focuses on pediatric health psychology, especially type 1 diabetes and young adult transition to adulthood.

“My area in diabetes is to understand the psychological adjustment, coping, and self-management around having diabetes, but all especially in youth and families,” she says. “What are the family factors that help kids thrive with diabetes?”

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Canada is a nonprofit organization that developed a curriculum to train mental health practitioners. The foundation will host a directory of those professionals, allowing families to search for clinicians who have this specific training to help those with diabetes develop coping and self-care management skills.

Previously, Kichler led a team that completed an in-depth needs analysis of students with diabetes transitioning to post-secondary education. It was supported by the internal “Research Grants for Women” program and its findings will guide the University in developing programs to address these needs.

“Managing the emotional and physical aspects of diabetes goes hand-in-hand with understanding insurance, choosing food plans, advocating for academic accommodations, and more as they move out of their family homes,” she says.

Kichler acknowledges key collaborators from McGill University and the University of Manitoba as she continues to work on newly-funded projects with children and young adults who have this chronic health condition.

 

The fall 2022 “Tough Chicks” class created this mural at the South West Detention Centre.Course to create educational opportunities in correctional settings

April 17, 2023

Applications are now open for the Fall 2023 Walls to Bridges course “Tough Chicks: Representations of Women’s Strength and Anger in Popular Culture and Society.”

This will be the sixth Walls to Bridges course offered at the South West Detention Centre by Women’s and Gender Studies in the Department of Interdisciplinary and Critical Studies. The classes are taught in jails, prisons, and community correctional settings, bringing students who have been incarcerated together with students enrolled in university programs.

An important principle of W2B courses is that students from outside the correctional system are not “mentoring” or “helping,” or “working with” criminalized students, says instructor Betty Jo Barrett: “All participants in the class are peers, learning the class content together through innovative, experiential, and dialogical processes.”

The current course will take place on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. and examines popular interest in “tough chicks.” Students investigate the social construction of women’s and girls’ anger and aggression in fiction, popular media, and real life. On completion, students earn credit in either arts or social science.

The course is open to UWindsor undergraduates in all majors with at least Semester 3 standing. Students must complete a written application and online interview process. The course can accept only female-identified students because instruction takes place in the women’s unit of the South West Detention Centre.

The deadline to apply is noon Friday, May 19; find more information and the course application form on the program website.

The program is supported by the Nancy Gobatto Walls to Bridges Fund, which underwrites education for incarcerated students by covering the costs of their tuition and books. It is named to honour the late Women’s and Gender Studies professor Nancy Gobatto, who died in August 2016. To make a contribution, visit the University’s donation page and indicate that your gift is directed to the Walls to Bridges Fund.

 

Law and politics student Lila Iriburiro Happy was selected as one of three top presenters at the UWill Discover Sustainable Futures conference.Student researchers honoured for approaches to development

April 5, 2023

It’s going to take inclusive consultation to develop intergenerational, sustainable, and equitable approaches to the Sustainable Development Goals, says Lila Iriburiro Happy.

The law and politics student is one of three presenters at the UWill Discover Sustainable Futures whom facilitators awarded top honours during a wrap event Friday.

“The UWill Discover conference epitomizes how effective education can be from theory-based to practical application,” Happy says.

Her project, entitled “African Indigenous Knowledge at the Intersect of Environmental Sustainability and Legal Precedent,” addressed several of the goals, identified by the United Nations as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.

“Who we consider as experts starts to diversify when intersectional approaches are encouraged,” she says.

The other top conferees were creative writing major Leah Levy for “Constraint Poetry on Disability and Disability as Constraint” and biomedical sciences student Emmanuel Boujeke for “Spy1-Mediated Cell Cycle Effects Enhance Oncogenic Transformation by Selected Drivers in Human Glioblastoma.”

Interim provost Patti Weir says the finals were a pleasure to watch, calling the presentations well-researched, informative, and professionally presented.

“The breadth of research was impressive and the students were exceptional,” she says. “Presenting in front of your peers, family, and faculty is not an easy but the dissemination of knowledge is a responsibility we have as an institution.”

The full roster of award winners is posted on the UWill Discover Sustainable Futures website.

“With over 160 presentations given during the conference week, it was extraordinarily competitive to be among the top presenters,” says Tim Brunet, project lead for UWill Discover.

Next steps include launching the UWill Discover journal and selecting four conference participants to lead a team to the Model United Nations in Washington, D.C. in November. Find more information on the year-round project on its YouTube channel.

 

Students unbox copies of the anthology they produced in the Editing and Publishing Practicum course. A public event April 6 will formally launch “In the Middle Space,” which celebrates Windsor’s public art through storytelling.Reception to launch student-produced anthology

March 30, 2023

As a creative writing major, Leah Levy has edited and produced works from classmates in workshops and chapbooks, but never had the opportunity to cultivate a professional relationship with an author. The Editing and Publishing Practicum course gave her that opportunity.

Taught by resident writing professional Marty Gervais, the class engages students over two semesters in editing material, designing interiors and covers, and marketing the final product. This year’s project, In the Middle Space, is an anthology exploring Windsor’s rich public art culture. It is published by Gervais’ literary house Black Moss Press under the auspices of the city’s poet laureate program.

“The Editing and Publishing Practicums have been eye-opening for me in exposing the machinery behind the professional publishing industry,” Levy said. “As we transitioned to the publishing portion of the practicums, we got to unbox our copies of In the Middle Space and see our efforts come alive after two semesters of work.”

She and her classmates will host a launch for the volume at Mackenzie Hall on Thursday, April 6, at 7 p.m.

Creative writing professor André Narbonne is one of the 13 featured contributors to the book. He said his student editor, Iori Khuhro, faced a “perilous” task: the student schooling the professor.

“I tend to wave my hand at other people’s opinions, but this was true collaboration. Iori’s insights were on the mark,” Dr. Narbonne said. “She brought energy and conviction to our meetings. Looking back on our work, Iori was one of the top editors my writing has known.”

The launch is free and open to the public and will feature readings by the authors, who include past and present civic poets laureate and graduate students Rawand Mustafa and Maya Jessop. Register here to attend.

 

Set designer Nancy Perrin’s work for the University Players production of “Twelfth Night” is inspired by the Brighton Beach bandstand.Lovers and clowns to take stage in Shakespearean comedy

March 22, 2023

University Players will stage William Shakespeare’s classic combination of shipwreck, mistaken identity, unrequited love, and fools who speak the truth, Twelfth Night, March 24 to April 2 in the Essex Hall Theatre.

The play is hilarious and silly, but at its centre are characters — both heroes and clowns — dealing with the excruciating grief of loss or the ache of unrequited love,” says director Yanna Mcintosh.

This production is set on Brighton Beach in the Victorian era, with staging inspired by the iconic bandstand that still stands today.

Mcintosh describes working with the young cast as both invigorating and exhausting.

“It is thrilling to see burgeoning talent, but it is breathtaking to see someone simply take courage, connect to their breath, find their voice, step into their body, understand in a way that makes them want to seek to know more.”

Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Student tickets are just $10; get more details and visit the box office on the University Players website.

 

The digital archive “We Were Here” documents the history of Windsor’s McDougall Street corridor.New resource highlights rich Black history of Windsor neighbourhood

March 21, 2023

A new resource of the Leddy Library aims to recover the stories of Windsor’s McDougall Street corridor, a once vibrant and bustling Black neighbourhood in the city’s downtown. The neighbourhood which stretches from Goyeau Street to Highland Avenue and between Pitt Street and Giles Boulevard, was once filled with businesses, schools, and churches.

Only a few traces of the community remain after urban redevelopment in the 1950s moved people out of the neighbourhood homes and businesses. Willow Key, master’s student in history, was eager to ensure those remaining traces would not be lost.

Keen to preserve the stories and history, she reached out to members of the community to conduct interviews and gather ephemera.

“My research interests have always involved Black Canadian history and through this opportunity of sharing the McDougall Street corridor’s history with the public, I also discovered my own family’s connection to the neighbourhood,” said Key.

The preliminary research was funded through the UWindsor Anti-Black Racism Student Leadership Experience Grant program. Key worked with Leddy Library’s digital scholarship librarian Heidi Jacobs and archivist Sarah Glassford, and Irene Moore Davis of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society, to collect the stories of the community hub for Black families in Windsor. Read more ...

 

The CBC Radio program Ideas will deliver a national audience this week to a documentary by film faculty members Kim Nelson and Nick Hector.Film faculty produce podcast episode for CBC Ideas

March 8, 2023

To mark the occasion of the 95th installment of the global event that is the Academy Awards, the national podcast CBC Ideas episode “Picturing the Past” considers the implications of the historical film, the most-awarded genre for best picture, by probing the extraordinary influence of depictions of the past on public understanding of history.

The hour-long audio documentary was directed and narrated by Kim Nelson and edited by Nick Hector, both School of Creative Arts film faculty members.

“Picturing the Past” will be broadcast nationally on CBC RadioOne on Thursday, March 9, at 8 p.m., and online at CBC Ideas with Nahlah Ayed. It will also be released that day as a podcast available on all main podcast apps.

“The one-hour documentary relates to my research on historical film and features interviews with top scholars in the field from history, film, media, and cultural studies and cognitive science,” says Dr. Nelson. “The documentary looks at the public implications of history as it is relayed by feature films, TV, and documentaries.”

Ideas describes itself as “radio for the mind” and posts podcasts weekdays at 8 p.m.
 

Filmmakers from the School of Creative Arts helped to produce The Perfect Story, nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Documentary Program.Award nomination an honour for film faculty

March 1, 2023

A film with several connections to the School of Creative Arts has been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Documentary Program.

The Perfect Story (2022) offers an intimate look at the ethical challenges sparked by the relationship between a Canadian foreign correspondent and a young Somali refugee. By revealing the boundaries of journalism and filmmaking, the film questions what stories are told, why, and who gets to tell them.

The creative team behind the National Film Board production includes two members of the SoCA faculty: co-producer and editor Nick Hector and editorial consultant Kim Nelson, as well as alumna Alysha Baker-Diaz (MFA 2020), who served as assistant editor.

“This is a great honour. The School of Creative Art’s film faculty are proud to have been part of this challenging and important film,” says Prof. Hector.

Canadian Screen Awards are given annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize artistic and technical merit in the film industry. Award winners will be announced on April 16.

Watch the trailer: https://vimeo.com/745074682.

 

Ten women will share their stories of immigration and adaptation to Canada through the focus of a pair of shoes in the Feb. 26 presentation “Taking New Steps.”Shoe Project empowers new Canadian women to tell their stories

Feb. 16, 2023

For 10 weeks, 10 women from across the globe met at the Leddy Library for their weekly Shoe Project workshop, a program designed to help newcomer women improve their language and communication skills through writing and public speaking. These women are now preparing to take the stage for the official Shoe Project performance.

The program began with a 10-week writing seminar facilitated by Leddy librarian and award-winning writer Heidi Jacobs.

“My role as their mentor was to lead them through weekly creative writing sessions to help them discover and craft a story about their individual journeys to Canada, with one caveat,” said Dr. Jacobs. “The story must use a pair of shoes as the focus, as the Shoe Project believes that shoes are a metaphor for journey and transformation, and this is certainly the case for our 10 writers.”

Jacobs, whose debut novel Molly of the Mall: Literary Lass and Purveyor of Fine Footwear won the 2020 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, was thrilled to join the initiative.
Read more ...

 

Ronnie Haidar is currently completing a PhD in Argumentation StudiesStudent Engagement & Outreach Coordinator

Feb. 7, 2023
 
Please join us in welcoming Ronnie Haidar as Student Engagement & Outreach Coordinator from February - May 2023. In this temporary part-time position Ronnie’s primary focus will be to connect with and provide outreach to FAHSS students. Many of you already know Ronnie as a former President of the UWSA, a graduate of the Political Science program (BA), History program (MA), and most recently a PhD student in Argumentation Studies. Ronnie will report directly to Dr. Adrian Guta, Associate Dean, Student Experience and Interdisciplinary Studies and support the great work that Adrian is doing in this space.
 

Professor Kendall Soucie is seeking respondents for a study into the lived experiences of people diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.Research study seeking to reframe experiences of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Feb. 2, 2023

Researchers at the University of Windsor studying the lived experiences of people diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) are looking for participants from the Windsor-Essex community who wish to share their PCOS journey.

Psychology professor Kendall Soucie and research co-ordinator Noelle Citron of the Health Experiences and Longevity Lab have launched a research study that will build an inclusive, resiliency-based framework to support people with PCOS across the lifespan.

This study, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, brings together a multidisciplinary team of faculty from the University of Windsor: Patti Timmons-Fritz and Jessica Kichler in psychology, Suzanne McMurphy in sociology, and Nicole Markotić in English, as well as Heather Lawford of Bishop’s University, Jen Rinaldi of Ontario Tech University, and Stacey Williams of East Tennessee State University.

“The majority of PCOS research has taken a biomedical lens with a focus almost exclusively on how the syndrome impacts people’s lives negatively,” says Dr. Soucie. “Our goal is to challenge this framing of PCOS by amplifying stories of strength, resilience, and healing. We want to know other sides of the story.”

Participants needed for research on PCOSSoucie’s work provides advocacy, and support resources for people with PCOS, and creates a shared empowering narrative of thriving with PCOS.

The research team is seeking to learn more about:

  • How your PCOS has changed across your life, and how you have coped with and managed shifting symptoms.
  • How you typically talk about PCOS with others, and how PCOS has impacted your relationships in positive ways.
  • How you navigate health care spaces, and advocate for health care.
  • How you practice self-compassion or self-care on days that are difficult.
  • How you have met and overcome challenges in your life associated with PCOS, and learned more about yourself and others along the way.

All people with PCOS are welcome to participate. The study is an interview study which can be conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams or in-person at a quiet research space at the University of Windsor. The study requires a one-on-one interview of one-and-a-half to two hours, followed by a 30-minute survey.

Participants will be reimbursed for their time and participation with an e-gift card. Participation in this study will add to an emerging area of PCOS research that focuses on building strength, resilience, healing, and longevity. This study has been cleared by the University of Windsor’s Research Ethics board.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is the most common endocrine syndrome in women or individuals assigned female at birth, with a global prevalence of up to 21 per cent, affecting an estimated 1.4 million Canadians. Symptoms cluster into reproductive (menstrual irregularities, impaired ovulation, high testosterone), metabolic (insulin-resistance, obesity), and psychological distress (depression, poor body image, poor quality of life). If left untreated, PCOS increases a woman’s risk for diabetes, stroke, or heart disease.

Click here to sign up to participate or email the researchers at pcos@uwindsor.ca.

 

The exhibition “Metamorphosis” features works by third-year students in the Visual Arts and the Built Environment program.Exhibition showcases growth of VABE students

January 25, 2023

A reception Friday, Jan. 27, will celebrate an exhibition of works by third-year students in the Visual Arts and the Built Environment (VABE) program.

Entitled “Metamorphosis,” the showcase includes pieces in visual arts media such as charcoal drawings and watercolour paintings as well as structural-focused projects developed during design studio classes.

Program co-ordinator Jason Grossi says the students are fortunate to have two opportunities to exhibit their work: once in first year and then nearing graduation.

“It is always a celebratory experience for students and a demonstration of their accomplishments throughout the course of their study,” he notes.

Participating students include:

  • Rees Cameraon
  • Elena Moamar
  • Alexane Chiasson
  • Spencer Jovanovski
  • Lexy Lacobelli
  • Vishmith Kumarasinghe
  • Tyler Hearn
  • Fredo Shtjefni
  • Megan Kavanaugh
  • Logan Gillingham
  • Sophia Sabelli
The exhibit is displayed in the SoCA Gallery in the Armouries building, 37 University Ave. East. Admission daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. is by appointment only.
Friday’s closing reception runs 5 to 9 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
 

Katherine Quinsey’s decades of commitment have earned her the Educational Leadership Award.English and Creative Writing professor recognized for educational leadership

January 25, 2023

English and Creative Writing professor Katherine Quinsey’s decades of commitment have earned her the Educational Leadership Award, according to the Office of the Provost and the Centre for Teaching and Learning.

When Dr. Quinsey, who just retired, first started teaching, she knew it was what she wanted to do for a living. She was 25, had just finished her PhD, and got her first teaching job at the University of Ottawa.

“I felt at home, I felt this is my vocation. This is really what I was meant to be doing,” she said.

She said she loved working with students, learning alongside them, and her predominant view of teaching is the original meaning of the word education: to lead out.

“It's really about leading people out beyond the limitations of themselves and their own preconceptions, to realize the world is just so much bigger, so much more complicated, and so much more exciting and interesting than they could ever have imagined,” Quinsey said. “I think it's absolutely essential, not only for my own and the student’s well-being, but for the well-being of the world today. People are often locked inside their own subjective worldview.”

Her love of teaching grew to extend beyond the classroom and into curricular and program development. Shortly after receiving tenure at the University of Windsor, she had to step unexpectedly into the role of department head. Read more ...

 

Cole Pauls is a Tahltan comic artist, illustrator, and printmaker hailing from Haines Junction, YukonIndigenous comic artist to take up writing residency​

January 16, 2023

The English and Creative Writing department welcomes comic artist and illustrator Cole Pauls for a month-long residency Jan. 17 to Feb. 18.

Pauls is a Tahltan comic artist, illustrator, and printmaker hailing from Haines Junction, Yukon. Residing in Vancouver, Pauls focuses on his two comic series, the first being Pizza Punks — a self-contained comic strip about punks eating pizza — the other the award-winning Dakwäkãda Warriors.

In 2017, Pauls won Broken Pencil Magazine’s Best Comic and Best Zine of the Year Award for Dakwäkãda Warriors II. In 2020, Dakwäkãda Warriors won Best Work in an Indigenous Language from the Indigenous Voices Awards and was nominated for the Doug Wright Award categories The Egghead for best kids’ book and The Nipper for emerging talent.

“Cole Pauls is an exceptionally talented comic artist, printmaker, and storyteller,” says English professor Dale Jacobs. “His portrayals of his home community of the Tahltan First Nation in Haines Junction, the Vancouver punk scene, and the imagined world of the Dakwäkãda Warriors — through which he also seeks to preserve the Southern Tuchone language — allow him to explore issues of racism, identity, tradition, and community.”

Dr. Jacobs predicts students will benefit tremendously from what Pauls has to say “about visual storytelling, the creative use of genre, and the benefits of grounding their writing in the communities from which they come.”

Pauls has planned several events while he is in residency, including:

  • A campus event on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 4:30 p.m. in the Collaboratory space on the main floor of Leddy Library; and
  •  A public event at the John Muir branch of Windsor Public Library on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m.

He will also be available for one-on-one writing consultations with students and the community; book a consultation by emailing Monika Burdzy mburdzy@uwindsor.ca

 

The University Singers will join more than a dozen choirs in performance during the Windsor Choral Festival.Festival to feature choral performances

January 12, 2023

The Windsor-Essex choral community is kicking off the new year with workshops, a concert, and guest performances by the Canadian Chamber Choir during the Windsor Choral Festival, returning for the first time since 2020.

On Saturday, Jan. 14, at 7:30 p.m., more than a dozen choirs including the University Singers and the Canadian Chamber Choir will perform in the Windsor Choral Festival Concert at the Capitol Theatre. Choral groups from across Windsor-Essex will sing repertoire selected by their music directors. The choirs will join voices for a massed finale of a newly commissioned work by Canadian composer Sarah Quartel, conducted by guest clinician Joel Tranquilla, director of choirs at Trinity Western University in Langley, B.C., and associate conductor of the Canadian Chamber Choir.

As a special treat, the Canadian Chamber Choir and Sherryl Sewepagaham will perform three selections on the program. Admission to the concert is by donation at the door, 121 University Ave. West.

The 40-member University Singers is one of three choirs directed by Bruce Kotowich, director of choirs and acting director of the School of Creative Arts. University Singers includes students from across the University, although it is dominated by music students. Dr. Kotowich also directs the Windsor Classic Chorale and the Windsor Symphony Orchestra Chorus.

The festival is organized by Kotowich and members of the Windsor Classic Chorale. The annual event brings together attendees from across Windsor-Essex to share their love of singing with one another. The festival provides free clinics for ongoing vocal training and education, encouraging community through collaborative singing. With an explicit mandate to promote Canadian choral music, it features a Canadian work every year as a massed choir piece in a grand finale concert.

You can also hear the Canadian Chamber Choir and Sherryl Sewepagaham at noon Friday, Jan. 13, during a “SoCA Fridays” recital at the SoCA Armouries, in the Performance Hall. Admission is free. Enter the Armouries at the doors off Freedom Way.

More information is available on the SoCA music website https://www.uwindsor.ca/music/.

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