Science

Young physicists gain early research experience through internal scholarships

Emma PesceSecond-year medical physics student Emma Pesce received $1,000 to work in Dr. Steven Rehse’s laser spectroscopy lab. (Photo courtesy of Emma Pesce/University of Windsor)

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

From left, Dr. Michael McKay, Steven W. Wilhelm and Brittany N. ZepernickFrom left, Dr. Michael McKay, Steven W. Wilhelm and Brittany N. Zepernick conducting research in the lab. (Photo by the Daylight Award/University of Windsor)

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

A wall of blockers in a roller derby game tries to stop their opponentUWindsor alumnae Veronica Van Winckle aka Big V, Adele Dollar aka Delirious and Sandra Caradonna aka Diana Boss block an opposing skater in a 2025 roller derby game in Guelph, On. (SKYLAR SAWYER/University of Windsor)

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

David Suzuki address an audience in Alumni Auditorium.David Suzuki chronicles his journey from a childhood marked by wartime internment to becoming a globally respected science communicator and environmental advocate in his latest book, latest book titled Lessons from A Lifetime: 90 Years of Inspiration and Activism. (PHOTO BY MICHAEL WILKINS/University of Windsor)

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

Will ConlonSecond-year student Will Conlon is continuing a family tradition in physics. (SARA ELLIOTT/University of Windsor)

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

Trevor Pitcher talking to school childrenDr. Trevor Pitcher, director of the University of Windsor's Freshwater Restoration Ecology Centre, shows students a juvenile sturgeon at the opening of the Giigoonyig Enjintaawgiwaad hatchery at Anishinaabeg Kinomaagewgamig Immersion School on Walpole Island First Nation. (MICHAEL WILKINS/University of Windsor)

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. 

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

Top three winners at 2026 3MT competitionThe top three winners in the 2026 University of Windsor Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition are (from left) Alex Stoinescu, Dora Strelkova and Isabelle Hinch. (DAVE GAUTHIER/University of Windsor)

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

Two goslings and adult Canada geese in backgroundSpringtime brings breeding season for Canada geese on campus (CHERRY THERESANATHAN/University of Windsor)

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

Students work on a robot in front of a crowd at the St. Denis Centre at UWindsorTeams from high schools across the province will compete in the FIRST Robotics competition at the Toldo Lancer Centre April 9 to 11 (SARA ELLIOTT/University of Windsor)

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.