Science Matters
Winter 2018
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Dean's Message
As the stories in this newsletter attest, there are many exciting activities and initiatives happening in Science this year. There is much to celebrate in the Faculty of Science- from the opening of the Forensic Sciences Crime Scene Condo, to a significant increase in our graduate and undergraduate enrollment, a reinvestment in our faculty, a 20% increase in tri-council funding, and $15.9 million in funding for the innovative new research program in GLIER.
Through our new Extension Science program, we are building stronger and sustainable research and education partnerships with local industry, and our new Science On Tap and Uncorked outreach program is helping us connect with the community.
As noted in the Fall newsletter we have the best faculty to student ratio in the Province of Ontario, one of the highest participation rates of undergraduate students in research, and internationally recognized research strengths in the areas of environment, health and biomedical sciences, advanced materials, and data analytics and visualization.
Our aim is to become the
Destination Science
program in the Province of Ontario, both geographically and programmatically. In support of this, we are committed to improving the student experience through such endeavors as: 1) new study abroad programs to Costa Rica, Iceland, Northern Europe and China, 2) an increase in the number and diversity of internships, 3) industry-relevant certificates to enhance our degrees, 4) Women in Science initiative, and 5) the Science Meets Art (SMArt) program out of the USci Network. We have also invested $150,000 in support of graduate research, and we are currently looking at ways to increase the number and diversity of undergraduate research opportunities.
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Faculty Highlights
As part of Economic professor Tongzhe Li's Sylvia Lane Mentorship Fellowship, Dr. Li will survey members of the Windsor-Detroit community about how they feel about using recycled wastewater to conserve freshwater, in an effort to battle negative public perception.
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Biology professor Dora Cavallo-Medved won the 2017 Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) Teaching Award.
UWindsor's Centre for Teaching and Learning produced a video of testimonials, from staff, faculty and students, to honour Cavallo-Medved
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Dora Cavallo-Medved received the 2017 Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations Teaching Award.
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Nigel Hussey won the 2018 Stevenson Lectureship Award.
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He delivered the keynote address,
Telemetry, deep-water Arctic ecosystems and developing commercial fisheries,
at the 2018 Canadian Conference for Fisheries Research in Edmonton in early January.
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As an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Scott Mundle's lab, Karly Dominato’s work has work contributed to a successful NSERC-Engage grant with Suncor Energy Incorporated, targeting the development of geochemical approaches to monitor the fate, transport, and retention of CO2 in steam-assisted gravity drainage reservoirs in the Canadian oil sands. For her fourth-year thesis she also developed new approaches to generate high-resolution geochemical profiles on deep drilling operations and will be first author on a research paper.
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Fourth year chemistry major Karly Dominato was in the first group of students to complete science's new internship course.
As part of the internship, she co-authored four environmental forensic technical reports investigating leaking gases and fluids from production wells in the oil and gas sector.
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Science Uncorked: Maria Cioppa
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Science On Tap at Walkerville Brewery. Photo credit:
Allison Mistakidis
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Science On Tap: Birds and Beers. Photo credit: Snapd Windsor
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Science On Tap
Science on Tap is a new initiative aimed at encouraging the Windsor-Essex community to engage with scientific researchers, and their research, in a unique and incredibly fun way.
“The idea of Science on Tap is to get UWindsor scientists out into the public, communicating the relevance of science to people’s everyday lives,” says Chris Houser, dean of science.
In August, 2017, the
inaugural Science On Tap event
invited beer aficionados to the Walkerville Brewery for a tour and a drink, while Microbiologist Tanya Noel walked them through the microbiology and biochemistry of brewing.
At the most recent event,
Science On Tap: Birds and Beers
, faculty and students from our ornithology research group showcased what is happening at UWindsor with informative presentations, photographs, taxidermy and a trivia contest.
Follow us on social media to participate in upcoming 2018 events that will focus on cancer research, brain research and citizen science.
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The Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science has approved a total of $750 thousand dollars, over three years, to help launch the Faculty of Science’s Extension Science Program in the fall of 2018.
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Photo Credit: Dax Melmer, The Windsor Star
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The Great Lakes will have a network of well-equipped guardians thanks to a plan hatched by a UWindsor researcher with funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Ontario’s Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science and Ministry of Economic Development and Growth.
Aaron Fisk and his nine collaborators will receive $15.9 million for the Real-time Aquatic Ecosystem Observation Network (RAEON), a collaborative research project which will provide infrastructure and data management for Canadian scientists to carry out cutting-edge research on freshwater ecosystems.
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The University of Windsor's
Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods
(CCAAM) and its subsidiary, Canadian Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (CaCVAM), a non-animal biomedical research and testing institute, officially launched on October 2, 2017, announcing three major initiatives - research, academic, and regulatory testing and policy - to establish human-centred health research and chemical safety testing as the gold standard.
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Mock Crime gets investigated on campus
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Events
I heart SMArt -
Celebration of the new Science Meets Art (SmART) initiative. Activities in the lobby of Essex Hall on on Valentine's day, Februrary 14, 2018.
Go CODE Girl
- Free event for
girls in grades 7 to 11 to learn coding and software development
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Prior registration is required.
February 24, 2018.
Let's Talk Cancer
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Let’s Talk Cancer is a series of full-day symposia for secondary students that explores the use of science, technology, engineering, nursing, psychology and kinesiology as an integral part of cancer research. The day includes seminars and a variety of hands-on activities.
Prior registration is required.
February 22nd, 2018 .
Local sixth, seventh and eighth graders 6, 7, and 8 will test their science knowledge and skills by participating in a science ‘quiz show’, a design challenge, and engaging hands-on activities. Teams must be registered by their teachers in advance, and participation is free. April 26, 2018
Science Rendezvous
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Each year UWindsor Science invites the Windsor-Essex community to visit the campus and learn about our science research. The free event features dynamic displays, demonstrations and hands-on activities. May 12, 2018.
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Donation creates scholarship
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A new scholarship aims to further public awareness about the biological, historic, and archaeological resources of the Ojibway Prairie Complex, a nature reserve on Windsor’s west side.
The Friends of Ojibway Prairie
(FOOP) donated $50,000 dollars to the Faculty of Science to create the Friends of Ojibway Prairie Muriel Kassimatis Memorial Scholarship in memory of a long-time member who left funds to the organization upon her death in 2012. The group sponsors environmental outreach, provides equipment for the nature centre, and runs special events.
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The Faculty of Science has helped students achieve their promise since the founding of the University in 1963. The Place of Promise campaign will help us attract and empower the finest faculty, staff, and, students through new capital projects, multidisciplinary research and the student experience.
Investments in our
strategic funding priorities
will help us achieve our goals to advance the Faculty of Science to a new unprecedented level.
For more information, contact
Gemma Grey-Hall
at gemmagh@uwindsor.ca or 519-253-3000 ext. 3957.
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Faculty of Science
University of Windsor
401 Sunset Ave.
Windsor, ON N9
B 3P4
519-253-3000 Extension: 30
09
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