Do you know of a staff member from Student & International Affairs who “Goes the Extra Mile” and really made a difference for you or someone you know? If so, submit a nomination so that they can be recognized at the seventh annual appreciation luncheon.

Please click here to see the list of offices and staff that qualify for this award, and to access the on-line nomination form.

The nomination deadline has been extended to March 7. If you require additional information please e-mail the committee at recognition@uwindsor.ca.

When he woke up Tuesday, the last thing Paul Marchwica expected was to be entering a paper airplane competition. But the master’s student in mechanical engineering read in DailyNews about the Red Bull Paper Wings qualifier in the CAW Student Centre and set to work.

“I researched on the Internet and found the dragon design,” Marchwica said. “It pays to learn from the best.”

His creation flew 21.1 metres to win the longest distance category in the contest, sending him to the national championships in Toronto in April. Winners there will advance to a world championship contest in Salzburg, Austria.

Another mechanical engineering student, first-year undergrad Soham Singh, earned top honours for longest airtime with a plane that stayed aloft more than 6.5 seconds.

“I prefer to make a plane that stays in the air to one that travels far,” he said. “It looks more beautiful.”

Ali Khan won for the most aerobatic design, which rewards fancy flight patterns like loops and rolls.

Watch a video of the Windsor event on the Windsor Star Web site.

Tom LaSorda.

Auto industry veteran and University of Windsor alumnus Tom LaSorda (BComm 1977, BA 1977, MBA 1981) has taken the wheel as chief executive officer of Fisker Automotive, a manufacturer of luxury electric cars, the company announced Tuesday.

LaSorda joined the company as vice chair of its board in December. He is a former president of the Chrysler Group and held a number of executive positions at General Motors.

He said he is delighted to be assuming this role at an exciting time for Fisker Automotive.

“The team has designed and engineered a great range-extended electric car with industry leading technology,” LaSorda said. “It gives me great pleasure to be working together with the co-founders, Henrik Fisker and Barny Koehler, to build Fisker Automotive into a global automotive company.”

He said his future strategy will include seeking partnerships and alliances to grow the brand of the Anaheim-based firm.

Windsor native Darrett Zusko, an internationally-respected pianist, will appear in the Music Building’s Recital Hall for an intimate performance of works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt on Friday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m.

A graduate of the Juilliard School, Zusko is fast becoming one of Canada’s most sought-after soloists. He has been invited to perform with a number of North America’s leading symphonic ensembles including the orchestras of Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Cincinnati, Louisiana, Niagara, London and Windsor.

Many of his performances have been recorded for CBC Radio and Radio-Canada broadcasts, airing on such shows as Tempo, In Performance, Symphony Hall, Next!, Sunday Afternoon in Concert, and Music Around Us.

Admission is $20 per person, with proceeds benefiting music scholarships. Tickets are available at the door or in advance from the box office in room 117, Music Building, or by phone at 519-253-3000, ext. 4212.

A UWindsor music student and a recent grad are among the featured performers for a series of educational concerts by the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.

The 20 concerts will bring the full orchestra to churches, schools and concert halls throughout Windsor-Essex for programs aimed at elementary school students.

Bass-baritone Adam Iannetta, a third-year BMus student, will join choirs from Conseil scolaire de district des ecoles catholiques du Sud-Ouest for a folk medley featuring songs celebrating the history of Windsor and Essex County during “Canadian Music, Eh?” The concert is for grades 4 to 6 and will also feature a demonstration of First Nations drumming traditions and a composition by a student at Walkerville Collegiate Institute.

Saxophonist Marc Funkenhauser (BMus 2010) is a featured musician for “Wild & Wacky Woodwinds” for children from kindergarten to grade 3. It is part of a four-year cycle that centre on a different family of instruments each year. Students attending these performances will hear music that features a variety of woodwind instruments, including Sergei Prokofiev’s classic Peter and the Wolf.

Along with the performances, the orchestra has collaborated with the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Learning Through the Arts to develop an education guide with instructional material and activities tied to the Ontario curriculum. Learn more on the orchestra’s Web site.

The Lancer men’s hockey team defeated the Western Mustangs 4-3 on Wednesday in London to open a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three Western Conference final series. Read a full game recap “Men’s hockey edges Mustangs 4-3 in game one of Western Conference finals” on goLancers.ca.

The puck is set to drop in game two on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Windsor Arena. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for youth and seniors, and will be available for purchase at the gate starting one hour prior to the game.

The following Non Union Administration position is available to all applicants through Human Resources.

The following posting closes on Tuesday, March 6, at 4 p.m.

#2012-NU-01 Research Finance Manager, Financial Services – Research Finance

Reporting to the Executive Director, Finance, the Research Finance Manager plays a leadership role in the efficient, effective and accountable financial administration of research resources and activities. This includes providing information, advice and recommendations to faculty members, as well as, working with the Vice President, Research regarding accounting activities that are related to research. The Research Finance Manager will also be expected to produce a variety of reports for various levels of Canadian government funding agencies in order to relay the impending impacts of funding on research activities to the University. The Research Finance Manager will be knowledgeable in accounting policies and practices and be effective in financial reporting both internally and to the external funding agencies.

Persons interested are encouraged to review the full job advertisement. Your resume and cover letter can be submitted to employment@uwindsor.ca, quoting posting reference 2012-NU-01 on or before 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 6. Please note: The University of Windsor accepts resumes for current postings only.