Research and Creative Activity

UWindsor partners with Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network to bring automotive research to market

OVIN Incubators launchHead of OVIN Raed Kadri speaks to the crowd at the University of Windsor and OVIN Incubators partnership launch. (PETER MARVAL/University of Windsor)

By Sara Elliott

A new partnership will help University of Windsor researchers commercialize innovative automotive technologies and support entrepreneurship.

UWindsor has joined OVIN Incubators, a program of the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network.

How three UWindsor students cracked open vehicle communication safety at an international hackathon

Hashim Tayyab ShahHashim Tayyab Shah presents at the inaugural OmniAir Hackathon held at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. (Courtesy of Hashim Tayyab Shah/University of Windsor)

By Sara Elliott 

A future where vehicles communicate directly with one another is not so distant — but is the technology safe enough to deploy?  

That question was at the centre of the inaugural OmniAir Hackathon held at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where three University of Windsor graduate students earned first place for their research. 

Breakthrough magnetism research earns UWindsor physicist national honour

Dr. Jeffrey G. Rau Dr. Jeffrey G. Rau received the Herzberg Medal at the 2026 Canadian Association of Physicists Congress.

By Sara Elliott

His mother may not fully grasp what he does for a living, but theoretical condensed matter physicist Dr. Jeffrey G. Rau (BSc ‘08) is in global demand for his expertise in quantum magnetism.

The University of Windsor researcher does not run experiments in a lab. Instead, he builds mathematical and computational models to understand and predict how magnetic materials behave at the atomic level.

What happens when bacteria outsmart antibiotics? A UWindsor researcher is building the answer

Dr. Opeyemi Lawal Dr. Opeyemi Lawal is the Canada Research Chair in Environmental and Public Health Genomics. (PETER MARVAL/University of Windsor)

By Sara Elliott 

Drug-resistant infections are silently spreading through water, soil, food systems and healthcare settings — often undetected until they become a public health emergency. 

At the University of Windsor, environmental microbiologist Dr. Opeyemi Lawal is developing new ways to spot these threats early, understand why they persist, and stop them before they spread.  

Student, leader, teacher, researcher: Education grad named most valuable student

Student teacher in front of elementary school childrenSarah Julius is the winner of the Faculty of Education's Most Valuable Student award for 2026 (FILE/University of Windsor)

By Kate Hargreaves

Sarah Julius is used to balancing a lot.  

A recent graduate of the University of Windsor’s concurrent education program in psychology and early childhood education, Julius (BEd, BA, ECE ’26) crossed the stage in June to receive two degrees and a college diploma. 

Watch parties, recruitment and walking soccer: How grassroots clubs are turning World Cup buzz into lasting change

Kristen Morrison holding a soccer ball next to a soccer netDr. Kristen Morrison is studying the way community soccer organizations are leveraging World Cup buzz (PETER MARVAL/University of Windsor)

By Kate Hargreaves 

Soccer fans are gearing up to watch Canada take on the best teams from around the globe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Some supporters will even have the chance to support their team in person in Toronto and Vancouver, as Canada hosts the tournament for the first time alongside Mexico and the United States. 

Among those cheering on Team Canada will be community soccer organizations, who plan to leverage the World Cup excitement to support the goals of their clubs. 

Why a national Dutch studies association returned to UWindsor after decades away

University of Windsor's Chrysler Hall Dr. Tanja Collet-Najem, professor in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Netherlandic Studies conference at the University of Windsor on Thursday, June 11, 2206. (Tanja Collet-Najem/ University of Windsor)

By Lindsay Charlton

At the University of Windsor, a small group of academics and librarians with roots in Dutch language and culture set out decades ago to create a lasting home in Canada for Netherlandic studies. 

Their work grew into the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Netherlandic Studies (CAANS), a national organization that continues to publish the journals and newsletters it established in the 1980s. 

‘I just started running alongside it’: University of Windsor engineering team’s aircraft takes flight for the first time at national competition

Lancer Aero Design TeamLancer Aero Design travelled to Fort Worth, Texas to compete in the SAE Aero Design Collegiate Design Series where the team finished as the top-performing Canadian team. (Photo courtesy Tony Woo/ University of Windsor)

By Lindsay Charlton

After spending 20 hours on the road to Fort Worth, Texas, the Lancer Aero Design team watched months of hard work take flight as the aircraft they built soared into the sky for the first time. 

“It was amazing,” said Tony Woo, team president. “When we saw it take off, there’s this rule that you’re not allowed to run on the runway, but I was so excited I just started running alongside it. You could visibly see my excitement.”