RSS Feed - Science

Science Olympiad comes full circle for UWindsor student leader

Mon, 06/15/2026 - 15:28

By Sara Elliott 

One Science Olympiad volunteer in particular takes personal pride in the success of the annual event at the University of Windsor.  

Honours biochemistry and biomedical sciences undergraduate Vivian Peng is not only the student leader for Science Olympiad, but she was also a participant herself. 

Listening to the night sky: UWindsor team deploys Canada-wide acoustic bird migration network

Mon, 06/08/2026 - 11:15

By Sara Elliott 

Every night during spring migration, millions of birds cross Canada in darkness, calling out to one another to stay together. 

Until now, no one was listening. 

From the Great Lakes to the open ocean, two UWindsor PhD students are studying how noise and tourism affect fish

Mon, 06/08/2026 - 10:31

By Sara Elliott

When they were children, Rachel Koop and Riley Beach unknowingly shared the same dream: becoming marine biologists.

Growing up by the Great Lakes, it seemed unlikely.

What makes a lake turn toxic? UWindsor is part of a global team trying to find out

Tue, 06/02/2026 - 15:30

By Sara Elliott 

University of Windsor researchers have partnered with global experts to write a five-year action plan aimed at understanding the risk of highly toxic blue-green algae blooms.  

The five-year research plan outlines priorities to address the threats these blooms pose to freshwater resources worldwide, including the Great Lakes.  

Can stream sounds predict ecosystem health? University of Windsor grad’s thesis research asks the question

Mon, 06/01/2026 - 11:23

By Sara Elliott 

From leading a group of art-loving scientists, to helping organize summer symphony performances for the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra, Avery Ng builds community in every role she takes on.  

This commitment helped the fourth-year behaviour, cognition and neuroscience student earn a science medal. At spring convocation, she will sport a Leadership, Engagement, Application and Discovery (LEAD) gold medallion.

Faculty of Science honours 17 at annual Spring and Shout awards

Mon, 05/25/2026 - 13:30

By Sara Elliott 

Faculty, staff and students were recognized for their excellence in service, teaching and research at the Faculty of Science Spring and Shout event. 

While 17 award recipients were celebrated across the faculty, three honourees — master’s student Sarika Sharma (BSc ’24), staff member Jayne Pierce and instructor Olena Syrotkina — showcase some of the stories behind this year’s awards. 

Young physicists gain early research experience through internal scholarships

Fri, 05/22/2026 - 14:31

By Sara Elliott 

Two University of Windsor physics undergraduates are gaining early research experience thanks to scholarships funded by professor emeriti. 

Distinguished University Professor Emeritus William Baylis and his wife, Bobbye Baylis, launched the Baylis Physics Research Internship in 2021. It offers an annual opportunity for a student to engage in advanced research with a faculty mentor. 

As Great Lakes lose ice, a UWindsor researcher makes the consequences visible — and wins an international prize for it

Wed, 05/20/2026 - 08:50

By Sara Elliott 

As climate change strips ice from the Great Lakes, something less visible is also changing: the underwater world of light that microscopic life depends on.  

When ice recedes, wind and water stir sediment, clouding the water and blocking the sunlight that drives photosynthesis at the base of the food web. What looks like a simple seasonal shift is, in scientific terms, a restructuring of habitat. 

Students, staff and alumni gear up for home-track return of Windsor Roller Derby

Tue, 05/05/2026 - 13:58

By Kate Hargreaves

For the first time since 2019, residents of Windsor-Essex will have a chance to see Windsor Roller Derby (WRD) play locally. 

Founded in 2010 as Border City Brawlers, the league has been playing exclusively on the road for the last few years.  

June 6 marks their return to home track with UWindsor staff, students and alumni among those gearing up for a game at Tecumseh Arena. 

David Suzuki calls for urgent action and community resilience during UWindsor visit

Wed, 04/29/2026 - 16:16

By John-Paul Bonadonna

The University of Windsor welcomed one of Canada’s most influential voices in environmental science and advocacy, Dr. David Suzuki, for a wide-ranging and candid evening that challenged audiences to confront the realities of climate change and their own role in it.

Hosted by the Faculty of Science, the School of the Environment and the Healthy Headwaters Lab, An Evening with Dr. David Suzuki drew a sold-out audience from across campus and Windsor-Essex. 

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 Toldo Lancer 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.