Spotlight on Graduate Research

By Kate Hargreaves 

Ergonomics goes well beyond posture and repetitive movements, but the mental demands of work are often overlooked. 

Two University of Windsor kinesiology graduate students are drawing attention to those demands after winning the Hazard Control Solutions category at the 2026 Ergonomics Case Study Competition. 

By Sara Elliott 

What began as a collaboration between a University of Windsor graduate student and his professor has grown into an AI-powered real estate platform designed to help Canadians navigate the housing market. 

Bruce Samcevic (BEng ’08, MEM ’26) has launched Casakibo, a platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help users find properties, connect with real estate professionals and make informed decisions about buying or selling a home. 

By Kate Hargreaves 

Giang Nguyen had never owned a restaurant or even worked in a kitchen when she moved to Canada three years ago with her family. 

A trained teacher with a master's degree in teaching English as a second language from her home country of Vietnam, Nguyen came to Windsor to pursue a master of education at the University of Windsor. 

Three years later, she's earned her degree and traded the classroom for the kitchen, becoming the owner of two Vietnamese restaurants in Windsor-Essex. 

By Kate Hargreaves 

Going to the gym plays a major role in Dr. Fallon Mitchell's (PhD Kinesiology, '26) mental and physical health. 

However, gyms are not always accessible or welcoming places for everyone, including people with a disability. 

Mitchell will receive the Governor General's Gold Medal at the University of Windsor's Fall 2026 Convocation in recognition of doctoral work that aims to reduce barriers to fitness spaces and create more welcoming facilities for all. 

By Kate Hargreaves 

With shortages of primary care practitioners and long wait times for health care, more Ontarians may be turning to episodic care providers such as walk-in clinics, urgent care centres and pharmacies for their medical needs. 

For women who have experienced gender-based violence (GBV), however, a lack of continuity and brief encounters with providers can create barriers to receiving responsive trauma- and violence-informed care. 

By Sara Elliott

Dr. Evra Trought-Pitters sees a future where Indigenous Knowledges are meaningfully included in Ontario elementary and secondary mathematics education.

The Toronto District School Board educator recently defended her University of Windsor doctoral dissertation in education, examining how educational leaders can help teachers incorporate Indigenous Knowledges and perspectives into mathematics instruction respectfully.

By Sara Elliott 

Every Saturday in Iqaluit, Patricia Rokitnicki spends her morning with community members searching the city for snow bunting nests.

That's not a distraction from her PhD research — it is her PhD research. 

By Kate Hargreaves

For the fifth year running, the University of Windsor’s Master of Sport Management and Leadership program has ranked first in Canada. 

By Kate Hargreaves 

Being a teacher is about more than getting kids up to speed on their reading, writing and math. 

Teachers also support students as they solve problems, build relationships, set goals and manage emotions. 

These skills are part of social-emotional learning (SEL), which takes place every day in elementary and secondary schools. But PhD researcher Elizabeth Szymanski (BA, ECE, BEd, MEd) says that teacher candidates don’t necessarily feel prepared to take it on. 

By Kate Hargreaves 

On an extremely hot day in early July, 42 doctoral students arrived on the University of Windsor campus for the Joint PhD in Educational Studies 2026 summer institute.  

Over the whirr of handheld fans, first-year students introduced themselves to one another while second years exchanged hugs and life updates after a year apart.