RSS Feed - Science

Sixty years after grandfather's graduation, UWindsor student carries on a family physics tradition

Fri, 04/24/2026 - 16:17

By Sara Elliott 

The passion for physics runs strong in one University of Windsor family. 

Second-year student Will Conlon is continuing a family tradition in physics, following his maternal grandfather, John A. Giffen (BSc ’62, MBA ‘72), who graduated from physics in 1962. 

Where sturgeon meets ceremony: Walpole Island school opens hatchery connecting youth to land and water

Fri, 04/17/2026 - 16:32

By Sara Elliott

At the Bkejwanong Kinomaagewgamig and Anishinaabeg Kinomaagewgamig Immersion School on Walpole Island First Nation, students will soon learn fish biology in Anishinaabemowin — the same language their ancestors used to describe these waters — while raising the very fish that have sustained their community for generations. 

The Giigoonyig Enjintaawgiwaad — “Place Where Fish Are Raised” — opened Friday, April 17, at a ceremony marking the beginning of a new kind of classroom: one where fish biology, ecological stewardship and Anishinaabe knowledge are taught as inseparable. 

What if a children's book could take the fear out of cancer? Three UWindsor grads hope it can

Thu, 04/16/2026 - 14:31

By Sara Elliott 

Cancer is a difficult subject to approach, both emotionally and academically.  

Explaining it to children makes that challenge even greater.  

Biology researcher wins UWindsor thesis pitch competition with study on breastfeeding and cancer risk

Thu, 04/09/2026 - 10:54

Biology PhD candidate Isabelle Hinch earned first place at the 2026 University of Windsor Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition with a three-minute pitch on breastfeeding and breast cancer risk. 

Judged on comprehension, communication and engagement, Hinch took the top prize at the April 1 final. In addition to a $1,000 cash prize, she will represent UWindsor at the provincial competition hosted by Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., on May 6, 2026. 

Co-existing on campus with Canada geese

Thu, 04/09/2026 - 10:21

By Kate Hargreaves

While warmer spring weather seems to be slow to arrive this year, one of the surest signs of spring on campus is the often-noisy activity of Canada geese. 

Whether honking from the rooftops of tall buildings or nesting in the grass — or occasionally hissing at a passer-by who comes too close — Canada geese are ubiquitous at the University of Windsor. 

High school robotics teams to face off in action-packed competition

Tue, 04/07/2026 - 13:53

By Kate Hargreaves

Thirty-five high school teams from across the province will converge at the University of Windsor’s St. Denis Centre April 9 to 11 to put their teamwork, leadership and innovation to the test at the Windsor Essex Great Lakes District’s FIRST Robotics Competition. 

Robots will compete head-to-head, showcasing student engineering prowess, creative problem-solving and strategy in front of stands full of cheering fans. 

Outstanding scholar strings together opportunities

Mon, 04/06/2026 - 13:27

By Sara Elliott

Offering free violin lessons to children is a “bright spot” in Avery Ng’s life.  

The fourth-year integrative biology student has been involved with Windsor’s The String Project since its inception four years ago. Volunteers teach violin to pupils in grades 3 to 8 at Frank W. Begley and Marlborough.   

Neutron facility could bring new cancer therapies and high-skilled jobs to Windsor 

Tue, 03/24/2026 - 08:32

By Sara Elliott  

A University of Windsor researcher is one step closer to building a facility that could deliver cutting-edge cancer treatment, produce medical isotopes and anchor a new industry in Windsor — after securing nearly $2 million to design it.  

Dr. Drew Marquardt, head of chemistry and biochemistry, has spent years advocating for a compact accelerator-based neutron source (CANS) in Windsor. The funding, announced March 13 as part of a $552-million federal infrastructure investment through the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), will support a full scientific and technical design for a prototype facility.  

Microbes strut the catwalk in Bioart fashion show

Thu, 03/19/2026 - 09:00

By Kate Hargreaves 

Black mold, salmonella, E. coli and even brain-eating amoeba took over the CAW Student Centre March 16. 

What sounds like a health and safety nightmare was not, in fact, a biohazard but rather a Bioart fashion show coordinated by School of Creative Arts professor and Canada Research Chair Dr. Jennifer Willet. 

University of Windsor brings Bank of Canada economist into undergraduate classrooms

Tue, 03/17/2026 - 11:38

By Sara Elliott

As questions about Canada’s economic direction mount, University of Windsor students will soon hear directly from someone working at the centre of it.

Economist Dr. Chris D’Souza from the Bank of Canada will visit campus Monday, March 23, speaking in three undergraduate classes as part of the bank’s Central Bank in Your Classroom program.

WE-SPARK launches 2026 health research grant competition

Tue, 03/17/2026 - 10:13

By Sara Elliott

WE-SPARK Health Institute is ready to support innovative health research and education projects with the launch of its 2026 grant competition.

The competition provides seed funding to stimulate research development in Windsor-Essex.

Your DNA has a schedule. Daylight Saving Time doesn't care.

Wed, 03/04/2026 - 08:49

By Sara Elliott

Nearly half your genome operates on a clock. Daylight Saving Time throws it off.

When the clocks move forward an hour for Daylight Saving Time on March 8, our body’s natural clock — the circadian rhythm — gets disrupted. 

Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker supports UWindsor research during rare Lake Erie deep freeze

Tue, 02/24/2026 - 13:46

By Sara Elliott 

With Lake Erie locked in its heaviest ice cover in more than two decades, a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker has become an unlikely research platform for University of Windsor scientists. 

As the CCGS Vincent Massey breaks through thick ice, its crew is collecting water samples to help researchers understand how winter conditions shape the lake’s ecosystem. 

UWindsor installation reveals unseen life of Great Lakes

Wed, 02/04/2026 - 13:15

The hidden world of the Great Lakes will be revealed at the University of Windsor, where scientific instruments are being transformed into an immersive art installation. 

Creative Currents: Art and Science on the Great Lakes is a collaboration between RAEON, the Regional Aquatic Environmental Observatory Network, and INCUBATOR Art Lab, bringing the lakes’ offshore monitoring systems onto shore, giving visitors a glimpse into the currents, cycles and microscopic life that usually go unseen. 

UWindsor research shows surprising implications in fish farming

Wed, 01/14/2026 - 14:09

By Sara Elliott  

Some farmed fish are snubbing commercial fish food pellets in favour of naturally and freely available microscopic organisms and invertebrates.   

That is according to PhD candidate Dennis Otieno’s study which showed farmed tilapia in net-pen cages in Kenya were not significantly consuming the provisioned commercial fish feed – one of the highest costs of production.