Science Matters Winter 2021
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The COVID-19 pandemic has been with us for almost a year, and while it has been a difficult year for everyone, there is much to celebrate in the Faculty of Science. This year we published a new booklet highlighting the accomplishments and achievements in research, teaching, and outreach. Please check it out at Destination Science: At the Leading Edge.
Our undergraduate and graduate enrolment now exceeds 3000 students and our growth over the last five years is nearly three times the provincial average for the sciences. Growth has been particularly strong in health and biomedical sciences as well as in computer science.
The increase in students has been supported through an investment in new faculty, who are rising stars in fields across the sciences, from neutron scattering to healthy headwaters, from cybersecurity to developing portable MRI scanners.
As you will read below, new faculty members have been busy – Marcus Drover was awarded the prestigious Polanyi Prize, Drew Marquardt took over as President of the Canadian Institute for Neutron Scattering and Ikjot Saini is co-launching SHIELD Automotive Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence. Our faculty were also recognized by the Ontario Medical Association for work on neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, and by the Essex Region Conservation Authority for protecting species, habitats and ecosystems.
Federal, provincial and industrial funding has also continued to be strong, supporting exciting new projects such as a cross-Canada training program that will give students the opportunity to train in freshwater fisheries and fish conservation, and a study combatting the increasing prevalence of microplastics in the environment.
Our researchers have also played an active role in studying the novel coronavirus and researching strategies that keep Canadians safe, including new testing methods, wastewater monitoring, testing the effectiveness of masks and new formulations for hand sanitizer.
This fall has truly proven that the Faculty of Science is the Destination Science program in the Province of Ontario.
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Mike McKay, executive director of the Great Lake Institute for Environmental Research, is leading a research team using sewage as an early warning system to determine trends in COVID-19 infection rates.
Early on in the pandemic, a team of UWindsor scientists, lead by Mike McKay, executive director of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER), started testing sewage as an early warning system for the community spread of COVID-19.
The project has continued to grow to include several Southwestern Ontario communities. In November, 2020, the research got a federal funding boost of $300,000.The money comes from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) which is directing a special fund of $28 million for equipment needed for research related to COVID-19.
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Testing for COVID-19 immunity |
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After receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, you will want to know if you have gained immunity to the very contagious and potentially life-threatening virus. As heard on CBC Windsor, UWindsor professor John Trant is working with a biomedical industry partner to develop a simple antibody test that will quickly tell if the vaccine has boosted your immune system enough to create antibodies that will fight off the coronavirus.
“With just a few minutes and a drop of blood, we will be able to determine if the vaccine has made you immune to COVID-19,” says Dr. Trant, a chemistry and biochemistry professor.
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Professor John Trant is working to develop a simple test to determine whether a vaccine has effected immunity to COVID-19.
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Commitment to Inclusivity in Science |
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Research aimed at boosting inclusion in science |
A research team in the Faculty of Science, including post-doctoral fellow Michael Godfrey, is holding
a series of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) based research studies. Members will collect and analyze data with an end goal of improving EDI within Science.
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Highlighting the diversity in the scientific community |
In October, 2020, a team of organizers held the LGBTQ+ STEM Conference.
This event was held virtually as an opportunity to discuss a broad range of scientific topics as well as issues pertaining to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, and to create new opportunities for collaboration.
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SMArt Inclusivity Posters |
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Poster by Charlotte Hayes |
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Six Inclusivity Posters were created by SMArt students to promote equity, diversity, and inclusivity in science across Canada. They were first showcased at the 1st Annual LGBTQ+STEM conference at UWindsor.
The beautifully designed messages were created by:
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Periodic Table (Chemistry) Poster - Jessica Szawara
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Genetic Diversity (Biology) Poster - Charlotte Hayes
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Great Lakes (Environment) Poster - Emma Flynn
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Binary Code (Computer Science) - Lauren Szucki
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Inequity (Math) Poster - Taylor Bendig
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Visible Light (Physics) Poster - Kaila Wilson
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Faculty attracting attention |
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Rising star wins Polanyi Prize |
Marcus Drover does not seem to sleep. The Chemistry and Biochemistry assistant professor won
the 2020 John Charles Polanyi Prize in Chemistry in recognition of his work in developing cleaner energy sources as an early-career researcher in the province of Ontario.
The award, valued at $20,000, is given to five Ontario researchers in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Science.
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His work developing cleaner energy sources has earned UWindsor professor Marcus Drover the 2020 John Charles Polanyi Prize in Chemistry.
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UWindsor professors Mitra Mirhassani and Ikjot Saini head the SHIELD Automotive Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence, Canada’s first organization dedicated to countering threats to the connected transportation marketplace. |
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Centre to drive research and education in automotive cybersecurity |
UWindsor will open SHIELD Automotive Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence. Canada’s first organization dedicated to countering threats to the connected transportation marketplace. This is a partnership between the School of Computer Science's Ikjot Saini and Mitra Mirhassani from Engineering.
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Biochemist looking presidential |
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Biochemist Drew Marquardt becomes president f Canadian Institute for Neutron Scattering (CINS).
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Drew Marquardt is helping put UWindsor at the centre of the neutron scattering research resurgence in Canada. The assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, cross-appointed in the Department of Physics, took over the role of president of the Canadian Institute for Neutron Scattering (CINS) in November 2020.
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Researcher acknowledged for scientific contributions |
The Ontario Medical Association has extended honorary membership to UWindsor biochemistry professor Siyaram Pandey in recognition of his contributions to science.
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The Ontario Medical Association has awarded UWindsor biochemistry professor Siyaram Pandey honorary membership.
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Science sweeps Conservation Awards |
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Ken Drouillard, a GLIER researcher and professor in the School of the Environment,
received the Environmental Achievement Conservation Award.
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Science student Emily Browne received the Youth Conservation Award. |
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The Freshwater Restoration Ecology Centre (FREC), run by integrative biology professor and Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) researcher Trevor Pitcher, won the Conservation Award for Education.
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UWindsor science students, researchers and research centres are at the top of their game for protecting species, habitats and ecosystems – and they are proving it with winning three Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) 2020 Conservation Awards.
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The Conservation Award for Education: The Freshwater Restoration Ecology Centre (FREC), run by integrative biology professor and Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) researcher Trevor Pitcher
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Youth Conservation Award: School of Environment student Emily Browne
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The Environmental Achievement Conservation Award: goes to Ken Drouillard, School of Environment professor and GLIER researcher
The Awards were presented at ERCA’s Annual General Meeting in an online ceremony hosted on Thursday January 21 2021.
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15 Science UWindsor researchers listed as top academics in their field |
Fifteen members of Science UWindsor faculty made it onto a list of most-cited academics globally, in their field of study.
The searchable database was developed Stanford University researchers and lists more than 100,000 top academics.
Twenty-eight current and retired UWindsor professors ranked in the database.
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Computer science student Ashley Newton is working to improve the quality of software documentation. |
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One of the event organizers, biochemistry and computer science student Aislyn Laurent, is Google’s Women Techmaker Ambassador for the Windsor-Essex region.
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Members of the UWindsor Google Developer Student Club are helping organize the first Great North DevFest, a conference bringing together tech industry professionals and students from across Canada and Michigan.
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Ryan Palazzolo’s project will help researchers spread the word about their work. He is one of 107 UWindsor students who have received research internship grants.
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Entreprenuriship WCRG - student designs tool kit. |
A UWindsor student is designing a toolkit to help health researchers disseminate information about their work.
Ryan Palazzolo is working on knowledge translation, creating messaging that simplifies information to match the expertise of its target audience. His project will help researchers apply for grants, communicate with other experts, or explain their work to the general public.
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Physics scholars recognized |
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Emma Blanchette - Ontario Scholar and fourth year physics major wins the Dr.Lucjan Krause Undergraduate Scholarship in Physics.
Emma Blanchette has been named the 2020 Recipient of the Dr. Lucjan Krause Undergraduate Scholarship in Physics.
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Doctoral student Aaron Bondy wins the Tom & Mylo Drake Physics Research Prize
Doctoral Candidate Aaron Bondy is the third winner of the annual Tom & Mylo Drake Physics Research Prize, awarded by Professor Emeritus Dr. Gordon Drake.
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Federal Government funds UWindsor research looking to dissolve microplastics |
Assistant professor at the University of Windsor Jill Crossman says they hope to find a zero cost, zero waste solution to breaking down microplastics in the environment. |
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Dr. Jill Crossman heads federally funded project that aims to help towards a national Zero Plastic Waste Initiative.
The Canadian government will ban certain forms of single-use plastic by 2021.
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Researchers at UWindsor use underwater robot to collect Great Lakes data
Researchers employ underwater robot to study harmful algal blooms and low oxygen levels in Lake Erie.
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RAEON's autonomous underwater vehicle, The Cormorant, glider being deployed into Lake Erie.
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University of Windsor receives $1.65 million for student training in fisheries and conservation. |
UWindsor professor Christina Semeniuk releases Atlantic salmon smolts in Sheet Harbour, N.S.
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Other impressive highlights across science: |
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New Initiatives in Science |
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Chemistry student Kasey Brown, a member of Science Meets Art, illustrated the flora and fauna of a tropical reef.
Science communication training
The Faculty of Science and Faculty of Engineering are collaborating with partners from the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences on a project that aims to enhance students’ science communications skills through arts training.
The Science
Communication Skills grant is a one-year pilot program funded with $20,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
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Science Meets Art (SMArt) student Chelsea Ymana's artwork for the cover of “Chemistry - A European Journal.”
New Faculty Support Fund
In Spring, 2020, Marcus Drover was the inaugural recipient of the Faculty of Science's New Faculty Publication Support Fund, a faculty funded opportunity to help pre-tenured faculty members cover the costs of getting published in high-profile scientific journals.
In Fall, 2020, Drew Marquadt took the honour. He published an article in the journal, Nanoscale, with artwork created by SMArt student Kayle Kathleen Marie Gorospe.
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The RSF: Science Xcelerate logo was designed by Aya El-Hashemi of the USci Network’s Science Meets Art (SMArt) program.
RSF - XCELERATE
As real-life social circles shrink, the Faculty of Science is looking to expand its research social circle with the 2020 Research Stimulus Fund program, Science Xcelerate.
The program is designed to encourage new cross-disciplinary projects involving Faculty of Science researchers. These projects can involve scientists working together from various Faculty of Science departments, or scientists connecting with researchers from other disciplines or even beyond the University.
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What will you put on your resume? |
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Our YouTube channel brings to life the stories from #WindsorScience - from student student opportunities to innovative research.
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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.
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Faculty of Science
University of Windsor
401 Sunset Ave.
Windsor, ON N9B 3P4
519-253-3000 Extension: 3009
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