Participating in a new nationwide scientific freshwater observatory will help to secure the University of Windsor as a leader in freshwater research, says Aaron Fisk.
Professor and Canada Research Chair in Changing Great Lakes Ecosystems in the School of the Environment, he also serves as scientific director of the Real-Time Aquatic Ecosystem Observation Network (RAEON) — a key component of the new Global Water Futures Observatories.
Awarded $40.67 million from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation through the Major Science Initiative, the GWFO comprises instrumented observation in 64 basin, lake, glacier, river, and wetland sites; 15 deployable water measurement systems; and 18 water laboratories. Its meteorological, glaciological, hydrological, water quality, and freshwater data will inform the development of water prediction models, diagnosis of risks to water security, and solutions to ensure the long-term sustainability of resources across Canada.
It is led by the University of Saskatchewan and in addition to Windsor, includes researchers from seven universities: Waterloo, McMaster, Toronto, Wilfrid Laurier, Carleton, Western, and Trent.
“This network will give scientists from the University of Windsor new mechanisms for collaboration with other leading freshwater research universities and participating in large-scale projects and grant applications,” says Dr. Fisk.
The advanced monitoring capabilities will support Indigenous communities, governments, industry, and agriculture in developing policies to secure their futures in a time of rapid climate change and threats to freshwater ecosystems.
RAEON will receive a share of the CFI grant, funding it through 2029.
“Our researchers will leverage this infrastructure to provide expertise in water utility management, harmful algae blooms, nutrient dynamics, environmental genomics, fish ecology, oil and gas sources, and contaminant fate,” Fisk says. “We will provide knowledge and leadership for the study of large freshwater ecosystems around the world.”
Shanthi Johnson, UWindsor vice-president, research and innovation, emphasized the importance of the federal investment.
“Funding through the Major Science Initiative is very competitive, with only 19 projects nationwide,” she said. “This support showcases our network's excellence and crucial role in addressing climate change. We are deeply grateful for this investment, which will significantly impact our ability to safeguard water resources for future generations.”
A launch event Wednesday took place online from Saskatchewan, with an in-person gathering at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research. Learn more on the Global Water Futures website.
Aaron FiskShanthi JohnsonLydia PaulicSilviya IvanovaStrategic Priority: Research and Creative ActivitySafety and SustainabilityAcademic Area: ResearchScienceLindsey Boshart is grateful for participating in the UWill Discover Conference.
“This was truly an amazing opportunity to showcase my undergraduate research and gain invaluable presentation experience,” says the biomedical sciences major.
Her presentation “Enhancement of OECT-Based Biosensors through Synthetic Manipulation of Semiconducting Polymers” was one of three selected for top honours from more than 60 student presenters, announced during an appreciation event last week.
Also honoured were Dami Babs-Olurenfemi for her nursing poster “Fecal Microbiota Transplantation as a Mental Health Intervention,” and master of education candidate Kate Hargreaves for her presentation “Trauma-Informed Practices in Ontario University Writing Centres.”
Erika Kustra, one of the four judges who selected the three winners, called the April 5 UWill Discover Day of Excellence an “inspiring and uplifting” event.
“I was so impressed with the high quality of presentations and the wide variety of intriguing questions being studied, from leadership models to feces to the chemistry behind wearable technology,” she said.
The UWill Discover Sustainable Futures project was funded in part by the Social Sciences Humanities and Research Council of Canada, the Student Success and Leadership Centre, and the Office of Research and Innovation Services.
Project lead Tim Brunet says that expanding the project — including establishing a new podcast, a Model United Nations team, and a new journal — couldn’t have happened without the enthusiastic participation of students and support from the campus community.
Learn more on the uwindsor.ca/uwilldiscover website.
Lindsey BoshartDami Babs-OlurenfemiKate HargreavesErika KustraTim BrunetStrategic Priority: Research and Creative ActivityAcademic Area: EducationGraduate StudiesNursingResearchScienceBiomedical SciencesGraduate and undergraduate students setting out to creatively solve societal problems came together at the 10th Computer Science Demo Day at 300 Ouellette Ave. on Wednesday, April 10.
Mainly hailing from the Master of Applied Computing (MAC) program, with some computer science master’s students and undergraduates, the students shared their programming projects covering topics from how to best travel through France to simplifying Airbnb reviews.
Saran Kumar Saravanan and Dev Prajapati make up the team “AgroLens.” The MAC students want their website to help corn farmers identify crop diseases.
“We are focusing on classifying three diseases related to corn crop: blight, gray leaf spot, and common rust,” says Prajapati.
“Majorly grown in North America, we are focusing on how to classify diseases by uploading an image and help the user or farmer to get solutions to a particular disease, to help them find out what percentage of their crop is diseased.”
Saravanan says the motivation is to end hunger by the year 2030.
Alongside the UWindsor students, Victoria Korban, a Grade 12 student from Assumption College Catholic High School, set up her early stages pose estimation fitness project. She says demo day is a great opportunity for her.
“My end goal is a fitness app that helps you when you do a workout because sometimes you don’t know if you’re doing it right or wrong and you can get injuries,” says Korban, a co-op student working with Ziad Kobti, director of the School of Computer Science.
“This AI helps you do exercise right and detects if you’re doing it wrong or tells you to bend your knees a bit. It helps ensure you don’t get any injuries.”
Faculty and industry partners Rocket Innovation Studio, WeTech Alliance, Invest WindsorEssex, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, roamed the aisles judging the projects.
These projects received awards at the end of the day:
From neurotransmitters to stress to brain diseases, a group of high school students spent the day March 20 showing off their brain knowledge at the fourth annual UWindsor Brain Bee competition.
The annual event had the biggest turn out yet, with more than 30 students from grades 11 and 12 competing. The top three competitors received entrance scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,500 to study the program of their choice in the Faculty of Science at the University of Windsor.
Eleventh grader Adalyn Matteis from St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic High School claimed first place; Grade 12 student Rami Haddadin from F.J. Brennan Catholic High School finished second; Grade 11 student Niyanika Ghosh from Riverside Secondary School placed third.
Matteis will represent the Windsor area in the CIHR Canadian National Brain Bee held virtually on April 20. The top three competitors from that competition will go to the Canadian Neuroscience Meeting in Vancouver in May and compete in the final round.
Brain Bee competitions are held globally. UWindsor’s Brain Bee was organized by Jeff Dason, biomedical sciences professor; Michelle Bondy, experiential learning specialist; graduate student volunteers from Dr. Dason’s lab Dunya Assaf, Allie St. Louis, and Adam Sghaier; and undergraduate volunteers Sana Assaf and Simona Brazeanu. In addition to the competition, students participated in tours of the neuroscience labs of Dason and professor Huiming Zhang.
Jeff DasonHuiming ZhangMichelle BondyDunya AssafAllie St. LouisAdam SghaierSana AssafSimona BrazeanuStrategic Priority: Partnership and EngagementAcademic Area: ScienceUWindsor alumna Maheen Arshad (BSc 2020) discovered joy by taking the lesser-known career path of genetic counselling.
“Genetic counselling is a really rewarding profession and I wish everyone could learn about it because I absolutely love what I do.”
After receiving her honours BSc in Behaviour, Cognition and Neuroscience (BCN) through the Department of Integrative Biology, Arshad went on to complete a two-year master’s degree in genetic counselling at Wayne State University School of Medicine.
Genetic counsellors are health-care professionals with specialized training in medical genetics and counselling. They work directly with patients and families at risk of genetic conditions. Arshad currently works in the fields of cancer, prenatal, and preconception genetics at Henry Ford Health in Detroit.
“It has the complexity I wanted in a career with a good balance of providing scientific information along with psychosocial counselling to support patients and families — it is the best of both worlds,” she says.
“There’s a lot that is not known so when we do have the answers, we can help patients be proactive and navigate challenges. Whether it is finding out they have an increased lifetime risk of cancer or whether is it a high-risk pregnancy, as a genetic counsellor I can serve as a central resource for my patients at difficult stages in their life.”
Arshad reports feeling prepared for graduate school thanks to the classes and knowledge she gained from undergraduate experience.
“Because of Science at UWindsor and the BCN program I transitioned well into grad school and adapted to the greater courseload along with the clinical rotations," she says.
“BCN was also the perfect program to prepare me for genetic counselling as it was a mix of biological sciences and social sciences, which transitioned well into learning complex medical genetics and psychosocial counselling.”
It was at the University of Windsor that Arshad learned about genetic counselling. She says Windsor is geographically well-positioned to give students the option to go across the border for shadowing, work, and volunteer opportunities.
A self-described shy high schooler, Arshad stepped out of her comfort zone as an undergraduate and quickly landed a student research position in biomedical sciences professor Lisa Porter’s lab investigating the role of a cell cycle protein in the formation of brain tumours.
“It was really cool to get started in research in my first year,” she says.
“What I was learning in the classroom about the cell cycle, I was able to apply that in the lab doing research simultaneously, which helped consolidate the knowledge and provide greater context from what I was learning.”
Arshad also engaged with the BCN student organization by serving as vice-president of finance and co-ordinating its annual fundraising gala. She also attributes her success to being involved in Student Success and Leadership Centre’s LEAD program where she learned leadership skills, professionalism, and communication skills, and developed a sense of university community.
“I really optimized my time in undergrad and I’m so glad I did, because looking back it was so much fun to have all those experiences.”
Maheen ArshadStrategic Priority: Teaching and LearningAlumniAcademic Area: Arts, Humanities and Social SciencesPsychologyScienceThe Faculty of Science recognized and celebrated the accomplishments of members during the Science Awards ceremony April 3.
Faculty and staff award recipients:
Student awards recipients:
UWindsor teams returned from the Computer Science Games with a haul of four trophies.
The collegiate competition, held in Montreal from March 15 to 18, involved challenges in everything from web and mobile development to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and social school spirit activities.
Windsor sent two teams of 10 students each, led by captains Abbie Dewhirst and Vivian Tang. Each team earned a first place and a third place showing.
Gabriel Rueda and Tanzim Hossain of Code Green won first place in debugging; Hossain and Bradley Boratto finished third in high performance computing.
Borhan Saflo and Cameron Vandermeersch of //path/ogens took top honours in database; their teammates Faraan Rashid and Raymond Zeng earned a third-place finish in the chatbot competition.
“This success was made possible by the unwavering support of the Computer Science Society, School of Computer Science, and Faculty of Science,” says Tang. “With their backing, our teams continue to elevate UWindsor’s reputation and showcase our excellence in computing.”
Abbie DewhirstVivian TangGabriel RuedaTanzim HossainBradley BorattoBorhan SafloCameron VandermeerschFaraan RashidRaymond ZengStrategic Priority: Teaching and LearningAcademic Area: ScienceComputer ScienceIs climate change affecting the foraging habits of eider duck predators in the Canadian north?
It took a bird’s eye view to better understand who is eating the eider duck eggs on East Bay Island in Nunavut.
Andrew Barnas, a former post-doctoral fellow in integrative biology professor Christina Semeniuk’s lab, says because of climate change, melting Arctic sea ice is pushing polar bears onto land earlier in the year. As it turns out, this phenomenon is creating the perfect conditions for predatory gulls to get access to the duck eggs.
“As the bears walk through the colony, they’re scaring eiders off from their nests leaving the nests unprotected, and gulls can come in and scoop up eider eggs,” says Dr. Barnas.
“People have seen this before, but we didn’t have the tools to dig into the idea. Now using drones to get high-quality data is something you couldn’t quite get at before.”
Barnas studied unique drone footage collected by former members in Dr. Semeniuk’s lab, Cody Dey and Patrick Jagielski, in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
“Patrick and Dr. Semeniuk used drones to record videos of polar bears foraging on East Bay Island for common eider nests. They originally wanted to know how bears eating duck eggs was contributing to the bears’ caloric deficit.”
It was that polar bear research that drew him to work in Semeniuk’s lab. Barnas started his post-doctoral fellowship in 2020, but because of the pandemic he was unable to collect fresh footage. He used Jagielski’s original recordings to push the research further.
“They had this data and footage and I wanted to know what the gulls were themselves doing — I got to work on that same footage but this time from a bird’s perspective,” he says. Barnas and undergraduate student Cassandra Simone reviewed the footage to see what gulls were doing during polar bear foraging.
“I was really interested in these gulls and if bears are creating foraging opportunities for gulls that they wouldn’t otherwise have had.”
Barnas’ findings were recently published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
Eiders, says Barnas, are big heavy football-shaped ducks and that are well adapted to sitting on their nests and not moving for very long periods of time.
“The gulls can’t get at these eggs unless eiders are off their nests and bears are this new disturbance source for eiders.”
“Bears want to spend as much time as they can on sea ice but as things get warmer, that ice melts earlier and forces bears onto shore more often. It is definitely happening earlier and more frequently.”
Barnas says it is highly likely this is happening in other eider populations but notes this particular population has been getting hammered every year by polar bears leading to low nest success by the eiders.
“I personally think this is impactful because it gives us a broader understanding of the effects of climate change on animal behaviour, and it paints a picture of the complex interactions that bears have in this ecosystem,” he says.
“More directly it has implications for estimating the energetic contribution of eating the eggs to bear diets. Because it might be the case that they’re not getting as many eggs as we think they are.”
Essentially, says Barnas, the bears are causing the nests to fail, but they’re just not getting the benefit from it.
“Throughout the season as there are fewer and fewer nests available, bears get more and more inefficient at finding nests. They’re revisiting old nests or not finding the same numbers they would earlier in the season and if those nests are depleted earlier in the season by gulls.”
Barnas is now a postdoctoral fellow in the Applied Conservation Macro Ecology Laboratory at the University of Victoria.
Andrew BarnasChristina SemeniukCody DeyPatrick JagielskiCassandra SimoneStrategic Priority: Research and Creative ActivitySafety and SustainabilityAcademic Area: ResearchScienceIntegrative BiologyYour next treatment for anxiety or cancer may be residing right now on Aziz Abu-Saleh’s computer.
As a post-doctoral researcher in the lab of professor John Trant, Dr. Abu-Saleh specializes in computational chemistry, leveraging advanced computer modeling techniques and machine learning to design drugs targeting a range of health issues, including anxiety, cancer, COVID-19, and obesity.
“My research involves computer modelling of biological systems to solve challenging problems,” he says. “We want to target those health issues without affecting other functions.”
The computer models simulate real-world effects of his designs. Promising solutions are handed off to partners to synthesize the materials, test them, and then provide feedback for further refinement.
His work has won him notice from the Chemical Abstracts Service, a division of the American Chemical Society specializing in scientific knowledge management, which named Abu-Saleh one of this year’s 35 CAS Future Leaders. The program provides early-career scientists with leadership training and connection to peers from around the world.
Program director Peter Carlton hailed participants as a diverse group from 13 countries.
“From hundreds of applicants, we mindfully select individuals who are accomplished scientists and also demonstrate leadership in their communities — improving people’s lives in various ways,” he said.
Dr. Trant calls Abu-Saleh an “outstandingly creative and productive scientist,” but says more importantly: “he’s a great colleague who goes out of his way to support the graduate students, undergrads, and other postdocs in the group.
“This is why his selection is so apt: he will be a great leader in chemistry.”
The CAS Future Leaders will take the next steps in their leadership journeys this August in Columbus, Ohio, and Denver, with an opportunity to present their research and participate in professional and leadership development courses. They have already begun forming connections through social media, Abu-Saleh says.
“I believe that this opportunity will enable me to cultivate a robust professional network, connecting with peers and pioneering leaders in the field,” he says.” This aligns perfectly with my career goal of establishing a research lab where I can mentor the next generation of scientists, contributing to the advancement of science and medicine.”
Aziz Abu-SalehJohn TrantStrategic Priority: Research and Creative ActivityAcademic Area: ResearchScienceChemistry & BiochemistryDrew Marquardt took another step forward in his quest to bring neutron scattering to the forefront of material research and cancer treatment in Windsor when he received the Early Researcher Awards (ERA) program from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
The five-year award comes with $140,000 along with an additional $50,000 funded from the UWindsor Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation.
“Since Canada’s major neutron beam source facility closed down in Chalk River in 2018, researchers have had to travel to international facilities to conduct imperative research,” says Dr. Marquardt, acting head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
“My lab is building a research program that will hopefully result in bringing a compact accelerator-driven neutron source, or CANS, infrastructure to Windsor. This funding shows that the broader community sees the value.”
Neutron beams help analyze materials on the smallest scales to provide information that would be impossible to find out any other way. For now, his research team must travel to international facilities for their projects. Marquardt says bringing a neutron source back to Canada is crucial for development of research talent.
“We are training the next generation of neutron scatterers, well-rounded scientists who can co-ordinate with scientific and technical staff alike.”
Marquardt says his lab currently creates opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students as well as post-doctoral candidates to remain highly trained by providing the following:
Marquardt’s ERA project will also include laying the groundwork for exploring Boron Neutron Capture Therapy for clinical treatment of cancer, potentially saving thousands of lives each year.
“Boron Neutron Capture Therapy is a cancer treatment that uses neutron capture within the patient to kill the cancer cells and effectively destroy the tumour, and this is an opportunity for Ontario to be a North American leader,” says Marquardt.
Shanthi Johnson, vice-president, research and innovation, says Marquardt’s research not only advances material science and cancer treatment, but supports the next generation of scientific leaders.
“Drew Marquardt's visionary project embodies the spirit of discovery, innovation and progress, pushing boundaries and creating pathways for a future defined by scientific excellence and social benefit,” says Dr. Johnson. “Dr. Marquardt shines a light on the transformative potential of collaborative research.”
In addition to materials research and training opportunities, Marquardt says there are social and economic benefits to be had by building a new neutron source in Canada.
“The proposed project will provide the scientific tools to lower greenhouse gas emissions through clean energy production and storage and through energy conservation, aid the transition to more sustainable foods and food production methods, and enable Ontario to better understand and preserve its cultural heritage as represented by historic buildings and artifacts,” he says.
“It could also take pressure off the supply-chain limits by making medical isotopes for diagnostic imaging.”
Drew MarquardtShanthi JohnsonStrategic Priority: Research and Creative ActivityAcademic Area: ResearchScienceChemistry & BiochemistryDepartment of Physics astronomy instructor Steve Pellarin is presenting a public seminar on Friday, April 5, about the upcoming total solar eclipse.
Canadian national co-ordinator for astronomy outreach for the International Astronomical Union, he will give the audience a glimpse of what to expect.
“I’ll be presenting information about how solar eclipses work, what will happen during the April 8 total solar eclipse, and what people can expect to see from various locations around Essex County,” says Pellarin.
“We’ll discuss some of the strange things that you’ll see and feel before, during, and after the eclipse, how to view it safely, some tips for taking eclipse pictures, and some easy little experiments that you can try to make the most of your experience.”
Pellarin will have plenty of ISO Certified solar eclipse glasses available for purchase for $2 per pair. All proceeds are donated to the Windsor and Essex Public Library systems for free astronomy outreach activities in the future.
“I want everyone to have a safe and exciting eclipse experience!”
The campus and wider community are all invited to attend this free event at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 5, in room 102, Toldo Health Education Centre.
Steve PellarinStrategic Priority: Partnership and EngagementSafety and SustainabilityAcademic Area: SciencePhysicsAs one of the first to graduate from the UWindsor medical physics program, Khadija Sheikh (BSc 2012) is quick to sing the praises of the niche program.
“I truly owe my success to Windsor; it was Because of Science at UWindsor,” says Dr. Sheikh. “It was one of the best four years of my life.”
And success has followed her. After graduating from the University of Windsor, she earned a doctorate in medical biophysics from the University of Western Ontario. From there she completed a residency in radiation oncology physics at Johns Hopkins University.
After residency, Sheikh took a proton medical physicist position, and more recently became assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is also associate program director of the Medical Physics Residency at Johns Hopkins University.
“In the residency program, I matched with Johns Hopkins and fell in love with proton therapy. Now I work as a proton physicist,” she says.
Conventional radiotherapy, Sheikh explains, uses X-rays to treat cancer, but with proton therapy tumours are treated using a charged particle.
“What is nice about charged particles is that they stop. So when irradiating tumours, you do not get dose spread out past the tumour, irradiating the normal tissue,” says Sheikh.
“I think that is fascinating and a huge advantage to treating pediatric cancers where you don’t want to radiate normal tissue in young children. That is what made me fall in love with this type of treatment.”
In addition to working as a proton physicist, she says it is exciting to also be part of the faculty.
“I love research, teaching, and talking with the younger generation, and it is nice to see everyone so enthusiastic about these techniques being able to share that enthusiasm as well,” she says.
“By teaching I’m learning myself because there are always new techniques coming out and I have to keep on top of that and be able to communicate with the students and colleagues.”
She says this love of medical physics started when recruiters from the University of Windsor came her to high school classroom.
“They explained this whole new field of medicine where you could merge physics and modelling with mathematics to help treat cancer. I always thought I wanted to go to medical school, and I was pleasantly surprised that you could pursue a career in medicine via physics. I thought that was exciting.”
During her undergrad studies, Sheikh pursued research opportunities in the labs of physics professors Steven Rehse and Chitra Rangan.
“The faculty took a huge role in our mentoring in third and fourth year, and Dr. Rehse and Dr. Rangan were phenomenal in teaching and research opportunities,” she says.
“I was also in the co-op program and did a semester at (the subatomic physics research laboratory) TRIUMF at UBC where I got to work at a particle accelerator and that’s really where I first learned about proton therapy.”
Beyond academics, Sheikh excelled in other ways: running varsity track and participating in the physics club and Let’s Talk Science.
Khadija SheikhSteven RehseChitra RanganStrategic Priority: Teaching and LearningAcademic Area: SciencePhysicsAn event April 9 promising to unveil groundbreaking research into dementia and Alzheimer’s disease will feature UWindsor professors.
Psychology professor emeritus Jerome Cohen and Siyaram Pandey of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry will share their preclinical research aimed at halting the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Their presentation will delve into innovative approaches in combating this debilitating condition, offering hope for patients and care partners alike.
Joshua Armstrong of the Alzheimer Society of Canada will present findings from his report offering insights into “The Many Faces of Dementia in Canada,” shedding light on the multifaceted nature of dementia and its impact on Canadian society.
The free event will feature two identical sessions to accommodate attendees’ schedules — 9 to 11 a.m. or 6 to 8 p.m. — at Art Windsor Essex, 401 Riverside Dr. West.
To reserve a spot, RSVP at www.alzheimerwindsor.com or email Eugene van Wyk at evanwyk@aswecare.com.
Jerome CohenSiyaram PandeyStrategic Priority: Partnership and EngagementResearch and Creative ActivityAcademic Area: Arts, Humanities and Social SciencesPsychologyResearchScienceChemistry & BiochemistrySharjeel Mustafa’s journey through the practical application of his studies helped unveil a clearer direction for his future: exploring the realm of machine learning.
A computer science student, Mustafa completed his co-op term at Swift Medical, a start-up tech company specializing in wound care management technology for health-care enterprises. Given the dynamic nature of start-ups, he took on a variety of projects and large-scale tasks.
“During my co-op term at Swift Medical, I was exposed to working in industry research and machine learning and had opportunity to work on projects that encompassed the data pipeline. Given the fast-paced and tight-knit nature of start-ups, I was treated as a full-time employee and given freedom and responsibility over my projects,” says Mustafa.
“Thanks to the support of my supervisor, I was able to take on large-scale tasks and make significant contributions in the form of two research papers and a prototype for a multi-million-dollar initiative.”
Rishabh Gupta, Mustafa’s supervisor at Swift Medical, says his work reflected a rare combination of technical expertise and analytical acumen: “He demonstrated a deep understanding of complex data science concepts and applied innovative methodologies to derive insights that significantly enriched our understanding of wound care.”
Mustafa credits the technical knowledge he gained in the classroom with helping him excel in his co-op work term.
“My academic training in SLQ, Python, data structures, and statistics gave me the necessary background to work on these projects,” he says. “This, coupled with the mentorship I received, greatly supplemented my abilities and motivated me to continue my focus on machine learning.”
Mustafa says the influence of his work-term at Swift Medical cannot be overstated, inspiring him to continue exploring the world of machine learning.
“My co-op experience significantly altered my post-academic goals and motivated me to further pursue studies related to machine learning,” he says. “At the conclusion of my work term, I immediately decided to join a machine learning project for my fourth-year research project and have taken up another information extraction project at school to continue working in the field.”
Mustafa received a Co-op Rising Star Award for his time at Swift Medical.
“He embodied the qualities of a dedicated and innovative professional,” Gupta says. “He leaves an indelible mark on our team, and we are confident that his future endeavours will continue to reflect the same level of excellence.”Sharjeel MustafaCareer Development and Experiential LearningStrategic Priority: Teaching and LearningAcademic Area: ScienceComputer ScienceA reception at Art Windsor-Essex tonight — Thursday, March 21 — will celebrate the opening of an exhibition of photographs and postcards showcasing the rich diversity of Indigeneity in the city.
The Waawiiatanong Forever project invited women and two-spirit folks to present themselves as they wanted to be represented alongside street signs that bear their nation’s name.
The project involved several members of the UWindsor community:
“Waawiiatanong Forever weaves the threads of history, culture, and personal identity,” Tucker says. “Listen to the voices, stories, and get to know the Indigenous presence on this land forever celebrated.”
The exhibition continues at the gallery through Sept. 22.
Tonight’s AWE at Night reception promises art activities, community conversations, and guided tours through Art Windsor-Essex and the Chimczuk Museum.
At 6 p.m., join artist Ostoro Petahtegoose (BA 2023) in the Education Studio to create your very own postcard inspired by the Waawiiatanong Forever exhibition.
At 6:30 p.m. in the third-floor galleries, the Centre for Cities and Transnational Arts & Entertainment Law Clinic will lead a community conversation on “Envisioning Windsor’s National Urban Park,” with speakers delving into the intricacies of the planning process, its environmental impact, and what it means for the future.
At 7 p.m. in the second-floor galleries, Nolan and Tucker will join co-curators Shane Lyon and Jace Pillon for a discussion of Waawiiatanong Forever.
And at 7:30 p.m., Abel González Fernández, associate curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, will discuss the work and legacy of Charles McGee, whose 1965 painting Tunnel to Detroit is featured in the exhibition The Once and Future City co-curated by law professors Shanthi Senthe and Anneke Smit with Emily McKibbon.
The gallery is located at 401 Riverside Dr. West. Admission to the events is free for members of Art Windsor-Essex or the Chimczuk Museum and $13.25 for the general public.
Shanthi SentheAnneke SmitOstoro PetahtegooseShayenna NolanJulie Rae TuckerMichelle NahdeeKat PasquachMarcie DemmansStrategic Priority: Research and Creative ActivityTruth and ReconciliationAcademic Area: Arts, Humanities and Social SciencesCreative ArtsScienceIntegrative BiologyMaster of Applied Computing grad Mohit Agarwal (MAC 2023) believes in the power of hands-on learning and the impact it can have on one’s career trajectory. His internship experience served as a stepping stone towards securing full-time employment, as he was able to apply his academic knowledge and carve out a path to a successful future at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.
After joining CIBC as a business analyst intern, Agarwal decided to take a proactive approach to make the most of his experience.
“I dedicated myself to learning the business flow and role-specific applications and was always proactive in asking for work and grasping every available opportunity that came my way,” he says. “It was through this approach that I was given the opportunity to work with the application development team, where I learned how to bridge the gap between a business analyst’s way of thinking and a developer’s way of thinking.”
His most notable achievement during his internship was completing a large decommissioning project, earning him praise that resonates to this day.
“The project involved capturing requirements from scratch, learning a completely new business application, migrating dependencies to a new system, and staying on top of testing at all times,” says Agarwal.
This project, along with working with diverse teams, gave him the exposure he needed to land a full-time position.
Today, Agarwal is a business systems analyst consultant at CIBC, where he continues to learn and grow.
“I would not be in my current role if it wasn’t for my academic learning at the University of Windsor, the help of the co-op team, and the effort they put into helping students prepare for landing an internship,” he says. “My rule of thumb was to never shy away from asking for help and to always grasp every new opportunity.”
Mohit AgarwalOffice of Career Development and Experiential LearningStrategic Priority: Teaching and LearningAcademic Area: ScienceComputer ScienceA local research team has been leading a made-in-Windsor program to help connect cancer patients with clinical trials nationally.
Only seven per cent of Canadians with cancer end up enrolling in a clinical trial, and the rate is lower in small cancer centres that run fewer trials than larger hospitals.
Caroline Hamm, a medical oncologist at Windsor Regional Hospital and clinical associate professor in the UWindsor Department of Biomedical Sciences, has spent years investigating why more people don’t participate in clinical trials, and exploring ways to increase patient accrual — the number of patients who have completed or are actively in the process of completing a trial.
“Clinical trials represent hope for many cancer patients, offering access to promising new treatments and a chance to impact the future of cancer care,” says Dr. Hamm.
Access to trials depends on where the patient lives and whether they meet the eligibility criteria. Patients are often left to search for trials on their own. Smaller centres have an enrolment rate of less than five per cent as compared to 18 per cent in larger centres. Sixty per cent of Ontario’s population lives outside the catchment areas of large academic centres and have significantly lower access to clinical trials.
Hamm has been leading a program to help connect cancer patients with relevant trials, with support from the Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Network. Developed with former Windsor Regional Hospital board chair and cancer patient Ron Truant, the program created the Clinical Trials Navigator, dedicated to helping people find their way through a clinical trials system.
“Of the total 302 patients since the launch, 24 per cent were referred to a clinical trial and eight per cent were enrolled,” continues Hamm.
The project has secured research grants including $10,000 in seed funding from WE-Spark Health Institute, $40,000 from the Cancer Research Collaboration Fund — a local initiative in partnership with the WindsorEssex Community Foundation, $100,000 from TD Bank through the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation, and $120,000 from MITACS to support trainees.
It has now been awarded its first national grant: $198,000 from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Hamm is the first clinician in Windsor-Essex to be the primary investigator on a CIHR grant.
The program will now expand to additional sites in Winnipeg and Thunder Bay.
“I am grateful for the incredible support we have received for this project, and over the moon about being funded by a national program, and for a national initiative,” Hamm says. “People see the value in what we’re doing here in Windsor. It’s very exciting to be able to bring this to so many patients.”
The research team includes co-Investigators Megan Delisle of CancerCare Manitoba and Nicole Laferriere of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Research collaborators include chair Roaa Hirmiz and Renee Nassar of Windsor Regional Hospital; Devinder Moudgil, Mahmoud Hossami, Rhonda Abdel-Nabi, Kayla Touma, Olla Hilal, Dora Cavallo-Medved, Youshaa El-Abed, Milicia Paunic, and Abdulkadir Hussein of the University of Windsor; and Sanghyuk Claire Rim, Farwa Zaib, Maegan Miklas, and Melissa Fenech of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry - Windsor Campus.
“We are excited for the funding to expand the program and the recognition it brings to Windsor-Essex,” said Dr. Cavallo-Medved, interim dean of science. “This project highlights the great impact of our collaborative efforts across our region to lead clinical health research nationally. More importantly, we will be able to better serve and support cancer patients across Canada.”
The Clinical Trials Navigator has helped about 380 patients identify potential clinical trials outside of their treating centre. Patients, patient families, and clinicians can access the service here.
Caroline HammDevinder MoudgilMahmoud HossamiRhonda Abdel-NabiKayla ToumaOlla HilalDora Cavallo-MedvedYoushaa El-AbedMilicia PaunicAbdulkadir HusseinStrategic Priority: Partnership and EngagementResearch and Creative ActivityAcademic Area: ScienceBiomedical SciencesFor the first time in more than 200 years, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Essex County, an event one astronomer calls “once in a lifetime.”
On April 8 at around 1:58 p.m., as the moon moves between the Earth and the sun, temperatures may drop, and the sky will darken with just a thin sliver of sunlight visible.
“It's really spectacular,” said astronomy instructor Steven Pellarin, vice-president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Windsor Centre. “I’ve been to four eclipses, and I can’t get enough. I’m willing to travel to go and find these things in different places in the world because it’s just the freakiest thing you’ve ever seen when you experience it.”
What exactly is an eclipse?
Each month the moon moves around the Earth in its orbit, and being lit by the sun at different angles, appears to us as different phases. Typically, when the moon gets between the Earth and the sun, it’s either above or below the Earth and casts a shadow. But during an eclipse, the moon is tilted in its orbit, Pellarin explained.
“So an eclipse happens when the moon’s shadow lands on the surface of the Earth so that it lines up almost perfectly from its orbit 300,000 km away,” he said. “That happens usually twice a year.
“Two parts of the shadow hit the earth. There’s a wider shadow — that’s a partial shadow because there is some sunlight that gets into the bottom of the moon and blocks out some sunlight. But the top of the sun’s light gets into that part of the shadow. The same thing happens on the other side.”
For a total eclipse, which will be visible in some areas of Essex County this year, there will be a cone of shadow that’s completely dark, Pellarin said. When that hits the surface of the earth, that’s when you’ll see the black disk in the sky.
“So you have to be standing inside the moon shadow, the darkest part of the shadow, to actually be able to see the total eclipse,” he said.
Pellarin said along with the darkening skies, you may notice a few other things, like the wind picking up, and shadows on the ground may appear sharper as the sun’s light will be very narrow.
“You’ll notice that the animals will start to behave strangely because they sense something is happening,” he said. “This has happened in every eclipse I’ve been to. As the eclipse approaches, the sky will start to darken. And if you’re in totality, it’ll get dark enough that the planets will start to appear. The brighter stars will start to appear in total during the maximum part of the eclipse.”
How to safely view the eclipse
If you plan to take in the eclipse, it’s important to ensure you have the proper eye gear to be able to look at the sun without causing damage to your eyes.
“It’s like trying to look up at the sun without an eclipse going on. You have lenses inside your eyes that act just like magnifying glasses,” Pellarin explained.
“Magnifying glasses concentrate light and make it very intense. You can burn paper with it, things like that, and that happens with your own eyes. You have lenses that concentrate the light on the back where all the nerves and the sensors are that let you see. And obviously, you don’t want to burn them.”
So, you will need some sort of eye protection, such as solar eclipse glasses or a welding mask.
“They block out a very, very large portion of the light that’s coming in. So only a very small amount gets to your eye in and can’t do damage,” Pellarin said.
He recommends looking down at the ground while putting your glasses on, looking up at the eclipse, and then looking back down to remove them to avoid any potential eye damage.
It is also important to look for glasses that have the ISO certification that confirms they meet the Transmission Requirements of ISO filters for direct observation of the sun.
Eclipse glasses are available on campus for $2 a pair from the information desk in the CAW Student Centre. All proceeds from their sale will go toward the local branch of the Royal Astronomy Society of Canada, a non-profit that runs free public outreach events.
Where to see the eclipse
A line running from southwest to northeast across Essex County will demarcate the zones of total and partial eclipse.
The communities of Harrow, Colchester, Kingsville, Leamington, Tilbury, and Wheatley, along with Point Pelee, Pelee Island, Hillman Marsh, and Rondeau Park are south of the line and will be the only local areas to experience the total eclipse.
“What you will see is that as the moon crosses in front of the disk of the sun is the sun’s outer atmosphere,” Pellarin said. “And it’ll be shimmering like a silk curtain fluttering in the wind changing shape. And it’s kind of silvery-white, very beautiful. It’s the only time that astronomers can study the outer atmosphere of the sun. Because otherwise, the sun is just so blindingly bright, it blocks our view of that.”
All other areas, including Windsor, will not see a total eclipse, but instead 99.9 per cent coverage, Pellarin said, which is why it’s important to have protective glasses on hand.
While it will be very close to a total eclipse, it will not be quite as spectacular.
“If at all possible, people really should try to get into the zone of totality,” Pellarin said. “It is, after all, a once-in-a-lifetime event and totally worth the extra drive to get under the umbral shadow path.”
There are several events hosted by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Windsor Centre in areas within the line of totality including at Point Pelee, Colchester Beach, and John R. Park Homestead for people to share the stellar experience.
Attendees will have the chance to look through solar telescopes as well to get an up-close look at the sun’s activity.
“The sun is very active right now,” Pellarin said. “It’s undergoing lots of storms on its surface. And that causes lots of eruptions. So, we’re going to see long plasma flames sticking out from the edge beyond the moon.”
The eclipse is expected to begin at about 1:58 p.m. with the start of totality beginning closer to 3:13 p.m., but that timing will differ depending on where you are. If you’re planning on attending one of the viewing events, Pellarin said, it’s best to arrive early as roads are expected to be congested and there will likely be line-ups.
If you’re looking to learn more, he will be speaking at free talks leading up to the eclipse. The first will be held on Monday, March 18, at the Fogolar Furlan Club of Windsor at 7:30 p.m.
Steve PellarinAcademic Area: SciencePhysicsIntegrative biology PhD student Ashley Watt (MSc 2019) fell deeply in love with lake sturgeon and she is bursting to spread that appreciation with the publication of her new storybook, Sam and the Magic Key: A Quest to Save the Lake Sturgeon.
A follow-up to her 2022 book Rory the Redside Dace, this independently published children’s book focuses on a little boy named Sam who sets out to help a talking lake sturgeon whose home is threatened by water pollution and habitat loss.
“First off, sturgeon are absolutely adorable as juveniles and I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t fall instantly in love with these charismatic beautiful fish,” says Watt.
“It’s also cool to think we have a species in Canada that used to exist when the dinosaurs did, and I think people will be interested in them as a species.”
These ancient fish, who have been around for 200 million years, can live up to 100 years and grow to two and a half metres long. There are many different species of sturgeon, with their at-risk status ranging from threatened to endangered.
“There are so many people around the world working on the preservation of sturgeon I thought it would make a great outreach species,” Watt says.
While her doctoral research is centred around the redside dace, she discovered lake sturgeon in the lab of her supervisor Trevor Pitcher, a professor of integrative biology and researcher with the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research.
“There are a lot of issues leading to their decline in the wild, and in Pitcher’s lab there have been two master’s students working on their conservation by studying ways to improve fitness to inform future reintroduction efforts,” says Watt.
This summer she plans to do a book reading at UWindsor’s Freshwater Restoration Ecology Centre and visit Ontario schools. Watt thanks Olivia Galloway from Pitcher’s lab for helping edit the book to ensure the details of the biology were correct.
“My second book uses a higher vocabulary and contains a lot more biology, ecology, and science terms — this is for teachers, or parents who want to have a book that will teach kids about biology in an approachable way.”
Both of Watt’s books are available from her website streamsidestories.ca, where teachers can also download free worksheets. Watt says any teacher who wants a free copy of the book can reach out to her through the site.
Ashley WattTrevor PitcherOlivia GallowayStrategic Priority: Research and Creative ActivityAcademic Area: Graduate StudiesScienceIntegrative BiologyThree faculties are coming together to help enhance students’ science communications skills through arts training. The Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science are collaborating on the Science Meets Art (SMArt) Communications initiative.
The project will offer masterclasses in the fields of creative ecologies, creative writing, drama, film, music, and visual arts where undergraduate and graduate science, engineering, and humanities students will learn communication skills and effective knowledge translation skills for disseminating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics research to diverse populations.
The Connect Grant is a one-year Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) program.
“We’re really proud to see interdisciplinary research and how we can rethink the way in which we’re all utilizing research and creative methodologies,” says Jaclyn Meloche, project lead and instructor in the School of Creative Arts.
“The initiative will scaffold interdisciplinary scholarly exchanges between faculty and students in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences to develop new and innovative methods for teaching, disseminating, decolonizing, and deracializing scientific research.”
In addition to Dr. Meloche, the project team includes Dora Cavallo-Medved, interim dean of the Faculty of Science; Jennifer Willet, director of the Incubator Art Lab; Lisa Salfi-Novena, learning specialist in the Faculty of Engineering; and experiential learning specialist Michelle Bondy from the Faculty of Science, along with four student research assistants.
“We’re excited about the opportunities for our students across campus to engage within the SMArt communication masterclasses. By working together across disciplines, we are hoping our students can build their skillsets through collaboration and the cross-pollination of ideas,” says Dr. Cavallo-Medved.
The three-phase strategy includes six masterclasses, having students present their creative research to academic and non-academic audiences, and finally to have team members present their research findings to academic audiences via conference presentations and journal articles.
“SMArt Communications will have both immediate and long-lasting impacts on the learning trajectories of student participants, featured faculty, and audience members, for all will have learned new ways for effectively communicating and translating research and knowledge,” Meloche says.
“By putting new communication tools into the hands of future researchers, this initiative will improve how future research is conducted and disseminated and how diverse audiences are engaged.”
Salfi-Novena says students in STEM and other disciplines across the university have ideas to share and work to showcase: “These masterclasses aim to help them develop the critical skill of translating their complex knowledge into a format that audiences with varying backgrounds can more easily and joyfully access.”
English professor Susan Holbrook will lead a masterclass in creative writing from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, March 21. Students can register on the SMArt Communications Masterclasses website or directly on the creative writing masterclass webpage.
Jaclyn MelocheDora Cavallo-MedvedJennifer WilletLisa SalfiMichelle BondySusan HolbrookStrategic Priority: Teaching and LearningAcademic Area: Arts, Humanities and Social SciencesEnglishEngineeringScience