An exhibition opening this weekend at the Art Gallery of Windsor will feature works by local youths participating in an educational program through the campus Aboriginal Education Centre.

The 4 Winds STEM – Beginning Time Teaching Project is aimed at encouraging Aboriginal students in grades six, seven and eight to pursue education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines.

In its first year, it ran over five weekends in October and November 2012, involving participants in lab experiments, lectures, and the Mobile Print Studio with Métis artist Dylan Miner. Miner led the students in the construction and decoration of a print studio on a specialized tricycle, designing pennants and printing them.

The students’ designs incorporated Native elements representing the north and east, says the centre’s coordinator, Russell Nahdee.

“You have the bear, winter and the wind for the north and an eagle feather and fire to symbolize the east,” he says. “Dylan plans to have students in Detroit make designs for the south and west.”

The art gallery will display both the tricycle studio and the printed pennants as part of Border Cultures, a three-part annual exhibition that brings together regional, national and international artists to examine the complex and shifting notions of national boundaries. The show runs through March and opens with a public reception on Friday, January 25.

Nahdee says he was impressed with the gallery’s approach.

“They have been really supportive,” he says. “This is a major effort to get our community out to the gallery.”

Eva Thomas, acting aboriginal outreach coordinator, says the students and their families are excited to see their work reach the public in this way.

“To be part of a major exhibit at a public gallery is wonderful for their personal development,” Thomas says.

Besides Miner and the students, Border Cultures will present works by UWindsor alumnus Chris McNamara (BA 1987, MA 1993), the Broken City Lab collective, and a number of other artists.

Tonight’s opening reception, part of the gallery’s Fridays Live! series, begins at 7 p.m. Besides the opportunity to meet the artists in attendance, it promises live music and studio activities for children and adults. Admission $7, free for children under 12. The Art Gallery of Windsor is located at 401 Riverside Drive West.

Lisa Porter is well aware of how cold it’s been this week, but is doing everything in her power not to think too much about it. She’ll need all the mental fortitude she can muster when she plunges into the icy waters of Lake Erie tomorrow to help raise money for a children’s cancer support network.

“I’ve been avoiding looking at it,” the biology professor and cancer researcher said when asked if she’s looked at the weekend’s forecast. “I’m not sure I want to know.”

For the record, Environment Canada is predicting a high of only -4 C on Saturday when Dr. Porter and the rest of the parents and coaching staff from her son’s Windsor Minor Hockey Association novice travel hockey team jump in the lake.

The group is taking part in the 13th annual Polar Bear Dip, held annually at the Lakeside Pavilion and Cedar Beach in Kingsville. The event raises funds for ChildCan, a London-based network that provides families with financial, social and emotional support for children who are going through cancer treatment.

Porter, who studies the cellular mechanisms that cause various forms of breast and brain cancers to spread, said one of the boys on her son’s team was treated earlier in his life for neuroblastoma and was well taken care of by the organization.

Porter’s team, The Crazy Canucks, has already raised more than $18,000 towards its goal of $20,000 however the event’s overall efforts are still well below its target of $100,000. Porter said it’s still not too late for people to make donations, or even join in to take part in the plunge.

Registration for the event begins at 11 a.m., and dippers take the plunge at 1 p.m.

Make a donation to the Polar Bear Dip here.

Two research projects led by University of Windsor professors have the potential to transform how emergency patients with traumatic brain injuries are diagnosed and will improve cognition in children, attendees heard during a media event Thursday at the University.

• Elena Maeva, an associate professor in physics cross-appointed with chemistry and biochemistry, is leading a project with industry partner Tessonics Inc. to develop a mobile device to diagnose head injuries on the site of accidents.
• Dragana Martinovic, associate professor in education, along with her research team and industry partner OTEP Inc., are leading a project that uses the power of video games to identify and improve cognition in children aged six through 12.

These advances come via an innovative partnership between the Ontario Brain Institute and the University of Windsor. The two projects are supported by a broader investment of $11 million by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to the institute.

“Our government is pleased to see these two neurotechnology projects begin to take shape here in Windsor,” Essex MP Jeff Watson said on behalf of the Honorable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for FedDev Ontario. “The partnerships will not only help create high-quality jobs in the region, but they will also support the discovery of new solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of brain-related injury and disease.”

UWindsor President Alan Wildeman says fostering strong partnerships between academia and industry is the key to making the most efficient use of university research.

“Researchers at the University of Windsor are engaged in many projects addressing issues of importance to society,” he says. “The work of the neurotechnology cluster is going to enhance diagnosis of brain injuries and provide new insights into cognitive development, and the University of Windsor is grateful for the support of FedDev Ontario, the Ontario Brain Institute, Tessonics and OTEP Inc.”

Diagnosing brain injuries in the field

Dr. Maeva’s project has the potential to improve the diagnostics of patients with traumatic brain injuries in field emergency cases. Every year, about 1.5 million people in Canada and the U.S. sustain a traumatic brain injury. To properly diagnose brain injuries, the patient must undergo either a CAT scan or an MRI scan in a hospital setting.

The mobile Ultrasonic Transcranial Imaging (UTI) device developed by Maeva’s team enables emergency crews to quickly diagnose the patient’s head injury at the site of an accident, which saves precious minutes. Using the portable device, health care professionals can quickly detect structural brain damage around the wounded site, the identification of blood vessel pathologies, such as an aneurism.

The device can also detect the presence of foreign objects trapped in the brain; determining their size, location and depth. A total of 10 full-time highly-skilled jobs are expected to be created from this project alone.

“The UTI has the potential to revolutionize treatment for traumatic brain injury and will bring considerable benefits to patients, healthcare providers and the healthcare sector as a whole,” Maeva says. “Through the support of FedDev Ontario and industry partner Tessonics Inc., we see a much brighter future for patients who require immediate, emergency assessment.”

Using video games to enhance children’s cognitive development

Dr. Martinovic says research has shown that video games can serve as powerful tools in reshaping and enhancing visual-motor, spatial, visual and verbal skills. Furthermore, it can improve the ability to self-regulate, make appropriate decisions and problem-solve.

Based on an understanding of how the brain develops in children and the impact of computer technologies, her team of researchers will design a software engine that will allow health professionals and parents to use the data from online computer games to identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses in children much earlier than is currently possible. A total of 15 full-time, highly-skilled jobs are expected to be created from this initiative.

“This truly interdisciplinary partnership between the University and industry is driven by the passion to better understand how computer games can be utilized in children’s cognitive development,” Martinovic says. “This exemplary collaboration among the UWindsor research team and industry partner Rob Whent at OTEP Inc. would only be possible through FedDev Ontario funding.”

In total, the investment by FedDev Ontario through its Technology Development Program to the Ontario Brain Institute will support 13 projects, including the two projects based at the University of Windsor, that have brought academic institutions and private sector organizations, including four international companies. This collaboration aims to accelerate the growth of Ontario’s neuroscience sector and contribute towards the development of southern Ontario’s growing neurotechnology cluster.

It was cold in Windsor on Wednesday, but hearing testimonies to the winners of Employee Recognition Awards was enough to warm anyone’s heart, chief human resources officer Rita LaCivita told a reception gathered in Vanier Hall to honour the inaugural group of award recipients.

“All these positive comments in the nominations help us to realize the many ways our employees are providing excellent service to clients across campus,” LaCivita said. “We are so excited to be able to celebrate the outstanding contributions of our employees to the achievement of the University’s mission and vision.”

The human resources department introduced the Employee Recognition Awards program in July 2012; Thursday marked the first set of awards.

“This award program provides opportunities for all employees to be recognized for their outstanding service to the University,” said LaCivita. “Being recognized and recognizing others builds a supportive and positive workplace and contributes to making the University of Windsor the best place to work and learn.”

Jonathan Sinasac, videoconferencing and multimedia engineering specialist in the Centre for Teaching and Learning, received the Service Excellence – Individual award, presented to someone who consistently delivers service that exemplifies the UWindsor Service Standards.

Testimonies supporting his nomination included: “He has a reputation for meticulous attention to detail, intelligent design, respect for others, and effective teamwork. Although his work is highly technical, his focus is always on people, what they need, what will help them and how to make technology work for them

The Service Excellence – Team award went to the Paul Martin Law Library, and included Annette Demers, Helga Dienesch, Selma Eren, Marianne Grayce, Shafqat Hanif, Mary Jane Hutchinson, Vicki Jay Leung, Lisa Milne, Christina Olsen, Norman Saxon, Tracy Schulz, Danielle Stiller, Pauline Strong and housekeeper Pauline Benoit.

Among the comments offered in support were: “The team strives for accuracy, courtesy and helpfulness in their approach to all persons making requests” and “Each staff member keeps a notebook to record new ideas to improve service. These are shared at staff meetings and are followed up.”

The nominations committee identified two recipients for the Excellence in Leadership Award, Pierre Boulos and Mike Havey.

Dr. Boulos is chair of the Research Ethics Board; his nominators wrote: “His dedication to ethical scholarship and insightful leadership of the University’s REB has made him a role model for REB members and other REBs,” and “By fostering respect among diverse researchers and stakeholders, he encourages others to take pride in the collective quality of our scholarship.”

Havey, associate athletic director in Athletics and Recreational Services, was cited for his hard work and ethical approach to every facet of his job. “In recent years, the accomplishments of our varsity programs have been outstanding and Mike has driven this success through his student-comes-first approach,” wrote one nominator. Another offered “His leadership style builds relationships and trust among his peers allowing for a very supportive response to every day challenges.”

The Innovation Award, in recognition of innovations that enhance teaching, learning and service delivery, went to the team that produced the My UWindsor student mobile app, comprised of members from Information Technology Services: Shawn Denhartogh, Nick Keren, Jay Lamont, Vlad Pavlovic, Marcin Pulcer, Christopher Ribble and Eyob Woldemichael, as well as Paul Green and John Powell of Public Affairs and Communications.

“This group of highly skilled and dedicated professionals pooled their exceptional talents to craft an impressive very functional application in a very short period of time,” wrote their nominator. “By focusing on student needs, the team created a work environment that focused on developing a cutting edge state of the art application that rivals any University mobile application.”

Mary Lou Scratch, administrative assistant to the director of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, won the “U” Make a Difference Award, in recognition of her commitment to building a sense of community through volunteerism.

Among her volunteer efforts are serving as a member of the Campus Safety Audit Committee and fire safety warden for the institute’s building, assisting with donations to aid the breakfast program at St. Francis elementary school, organizing the GLIER Adopt-a-Family effort and canvassing for the United Way.

The Central Safety Committee presented the Excellence in Health and Safety Award to grounds supervisor Garry Moore of Facility Services. The award recognizes individuals who foster a culture of health and safety in the workplace.

Moore has initiated and achieved several safety improvements, including a comprehensive safety program for the grounds staff, which included improved safety equipment in the department, the development of safe operating procedures, and more safety training.

Dozens of UWindsor staff and faculty attended Wednesday’s reception, which president Alan Wildeman called “a tremendous opportunity to kick off this new way of recognizing the great employees we have on our campus.”

Award winner Boulos said he was honoured to be recognized, but was also quick to acknowledge the award points to the value of the work done by his colleagues.

“The culture of ethics at this university is shown through the great research that faculty, staff, and students carry out,” he said.

Between 30 and 40 people are homeless in Windsor on any given night, says Christine Wilson, administrator of Street Help, a downtown drop-in centre for homeless and low-income people.

The organization has issued a call for sleeping bags to help keep its clients safe and warm through the Canadian winter. Paolo Vasapolli of Food Services has offered to collect contributions from the UWindsor community.

“Street Help has identified a need for 450 new or gently-used sleeping bags,” he says. “The word is going out through media, church and school groups, and I hope we here on campus can do our part.”

The city is currently in the midst of a cold snap, with temperatures expected to stay well below freezing through the weekend. Vasapolli says the winter weather is especially hard on the homeless population.

“They have nowhere to go. A donation of a sleeping bag, maybe one we don’t even use anymore—that could save someone’s life,” he says.

Street Help is located at 964 Wyandotte Street East and is open to accept donations from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Vasapolli invites anyone on campus interested in contributing sleeping bags or warm winter gloves to the cause to drop off donations at his office in the CAW Student Centre’s Marketplace, or phone him at 519-253-3000, ext. 4517.

Campus employers hoping to create 2013 summer positions under the province’s Summer Experience Program must submit their proposals no later than 4:30 p.m., Monday, February 4, to Yvonne Currie, career development coordinator at the Center for Career Education.

The goal of the program is to provide entry-level work experience for Ontario youth to develop transferable career related skills. Positions must focus on activities such as customer service, regulatory or legislative requirements, policy and program delivery, information technology, and service contract management.

The Ontario Ministry of Government Services will approve projects that:

• Provide training related to career development
• Provide development of transferable work skills
• Provide positions that focus on critical activities supporting the Universities core business

Summer Experience Program candidates must be Ontario residents 15 to 24 years old—up to 29 years old for a person with a disability—and eligible to work in Canada.

Project proposal documents, including guideline book and external job posting form, are available by contacting Currie at 519-253-3000, ext. 3554, or e-mail ycurrie@uwindsor.ca.