University of Windsor alumnus Justin Langlois builds connections across art, research and community through a collaborative and socially engaged practice. (PERRIN GRAUER/University of Windsor)
By Victor Romao
Long before stepping into a senior academic leadership role on Canada’s West Coast, Justin Langlois developed the foundations of a multidisciplinary practice at the University of Windsor.
Langlois (MFA ’09, BA Hons. ’07), now associate vice-president, research and dean of graduate studies at Emily Carr University for Art+Design, has built a career that blends art, research and community engagement, an approach rooted in his time as a student in Windsor.
— Published on Oct 2nd, 2026
Alumna Mia Kairouz and partner Simão Santa Barbara opened VeloFit in Amherstburg in July 2026 (PROVIDED BY M. KAIROUZ/University of Windsor)
By Kate Hargreaves
At just 24, Mia Kairouz (BA ’25) jokes that she’s already lived many lives.
She’s been a lifeguard, a first responder, an endurance athlete, a personal trainer and a cancer survivor.
In July, she became an entrepreneur, opening VeloFit Performance and Fitness Coaching in Amherstburg, with her partner Simão Santa Barbara.
“In general, my goal is to help people,” Kairouz says.
— Published on Oct 2nd, 2026
Andrea Yzeiri serves on the board of WEtech Alliance and chairs the McGill MMA Advisory Board, drawing on her more than a decade of experience as a data specialist across sectors. (PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREA YZIERI / University of Windsor)
By John-Paul Bonadonna
Andrea Yzeiri was supposed to become a lawyer.
As an undergraduate at the University of Windsor, she was pursuing two degrees with an eventual career in intellectual property or commercial law in mind. Then, somewhere along the way, she discovered statistics, optimization and research — and found herself increasingly drawn away from the career she had imagined.
“I kind of stumbled on it,” Yzeiri says of the path that eventually led her into artificial intelligence.
“I really fell in love with data.”
— Published on Oct 1st, 2026
Nadine Manroe-Wakerell, her daughter Gabrielle and her mother Miriam, pose following Gabrielle's University of Windsor graduation in 2025. Twenty-one years after graduating from the university herself, Manroe-Wakerell greeted her daughter on the convocation stage as a member of the Board of Governors. (SUBMITTED BY NADINE MANROE-WAKERELL/University of Windsor)
By Victor Romao
Twenty-one years after crossing the University of Windsor convocation stage as a student and young mother, Nadine Manroe-Wakerell (BA, Hons ’05) returned to the same stage for a moment she never could have imagined: presenting her daughter with her parchment.
— Published on Sep 30th, 2026
Kim Rocheleau is the founder of the Dirt Divas women's mountain biking group and successfully led 13 Women's 100 road cycling events in Windsor-Essex (PROVIDED BY K. ROCHELEAU/University of Windsor)
By Kate Hargreaves
When Kim Rocheleau (BHK ’95, BEd ’06) finishes her workday as a high school principal with the Greater Essex County District School Board, she often hits the road — or the trail — on two wheels rather than four.
When she’s not supporting students and staff at Vincent Massey Secondary School, she shares the joy of cycling with women across Essex County.
Earlier this month, she organized the 13th annual — and final — local Women’s 100, marking more than a decade of leading the inclusive cycling event.
— Published on Oct 1st, 2026
Lena and Fadi Bidawid are establishing the Nuts4Dates Kindness Bursary, awarding an Odette School of Business student who exemplifies kindness, empathy and a commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others. (PHOTO COURTESY OF LENA BIDAWID/University of Windsor)
By John-Paul Bonadonna
Sometimes the right opportunity begins with something as simple as a Date Bite.
For Lena Bidawid (BA ‘01) and her husband, Fadi, a chance encounter with Josianne Marsan, dean of the Odette School of Business, led to a new way to give back — and to help a student build a future through a simple act of kindness.
— Published on Sep 29th, 2026
Ashley Jun (left), Ambrose Wong and Tyler Weyersberg celebrate wrapping up principal photography on the set of Plan C in Burlington, Ontario. (PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHLEY JUN / University of Windsor.)
By John-Paul Bonadonna
A paid research placement at the University of Windsor has turned into something recent graduate Ashley Jun (BA '24) never expected: a first step toward a career in film production.
Just two months after Jun graduated with a BA in Communication, Media, and Film, she found herself working on the set of Plan C, a feature film produced in Windsor with a local cast and crew. What began as a production assistant role quickly evolved into a much larger responsibility — and helped clarify where she wants her career to go next.
— Published on Sep 29th, 2026
What started with a single photo booth has expanded into a double-digit fleet of units for UWindsor alumna Teisha Gentles. (PHOTO COURTESY OF TEISHA GENTLES / University of Windsor)
By John-Paul Bonadonna
When Teisha Gentles (BA '02) looks back on her journey from University of Windsor student to entrepreneur, one theme stands out: the courage to start over.
Over the last three decades, Gentles has reinvented herself more than once.
She left Toronto for Windsor in search of independence, moved to Florida after graduation, returned to Canada as a single mother to rebuild her career, spent 25 years in the insurance industry and eventually launched a business in a field where she had no formal training.
— Published on Sep 29th, 2026
For the complete schedule of Alumni Week events, visit uwindsor.ca/alumni (FILE/University of Windsor)
By John-Paul Bonadonna
UWindsor alumni are invited to reconnect with the University community during Alumni Week, from Monday, Sept. 28, to Saturday, Oct. 3.
The week will offer opportunities to connect with fellow Lancers, celebrate shared memories and take part in events on campus and online.
Alumni Week kicks off Monday with online activities including a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Each decade of graduates will be invited to revisit their UWindsor experience through curated photo galleries and stories from The Lance.
— Published on Sep 21st, 2026
Dayna Pidhoresky was the women's winner at the Sept. 13 Windsor Waterfront Half-Marathon (PROVIDED BY D. PIDHORESKY/University of Windsor)
By Kate Hargreaves
On a muggy September morning, Dayna Pidhoresky (BSc ’09, BA ’10) lined up with more than 1,500 runners on Windsor’s Riverside Drive, awaiting the start of the second annual Windsor Waterfront Half-Marathon.
Just over 71 minutes later, she broke the tape at the finish line, at the same time taking down a personal best (PB) that had stood for 15 years.
“It did feel very humid warming up, and we were unsure if a PB would be possible on a day like that,” Pidhoresky recalls.
— Published on Sep 29th, 2026
University of Windsor alumnus Justin Langlois builds connections across art, research and community through a collaborative and socially engaged practice. (PERRIN GRAUER/University of Windsor)
