A social work alumnus who uses surfing as therapy to help people struggling with depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges dates his interest in alternative practices to his UWindsor education.

Mark Micelli (BSW 2012, MSW 2013) works with the Waves of Wellness Foundation on the beaches near Sydney, Australia. The group program engages participants in a weekly 30-minute discussion on wellness issues before paddling out into the ocean with facilitators who are both mental health professionals and certified surf instructors.

“Being at the beach and in the water allows people to engage in a group, in an environment that feels comfortable,” Micelli told the St. George & Sutherland Shire Leader newspaper. “It becomes a safe space to share their struggles if they wish to.”

Professor Kim Calderwood recalls Micelli’s interest in getting out of the office to meet clients, which he expressed in a written reflection on her course, Direct Practice.

“Mark wrote that he found it strange that counsellors assume that an office is the best place to conduct therapy, especially with younger demographics,” she says. “He said he wanted to explore other methods of intervention when dealing with clients.”

In fact, Micelli wrote in 2012: “I believe that it could be extremely beneficial for social workers who deal with young people to go outside with them, bounce a ball, play a game, kick around a soccer ball, or throw around a football while you get to know them. I truly believe that this will keep children entertained and help advance their therapeutic relationship with their worker.”

Now that he has had a chance to put the theory into practice, he is finding the outcomes exceeded his expectations.

“The therapeutic rapport and relationship seem to develop almost instantly in the ocean, when it may take weeks in a standard office setting,” says Micelli. “In the future, it would be great to see holistic programming like this expand and become more mainstream in mental health recovery.”

Communication, Media and Film graduate Matt Bendo (BA 2014) was recognized by the Canadian Society of Cinematographers with the 2017 award for Best Cinematography in the category of Branded/Corporate/Educational Cinematography.

Bendo received the honour April 1 in Toronto at the society’s 60th annual awards gala for his work on Storm, an ad for custom Lamborghini exhausts created by YST and Armytrix.

His former University of Windsor instructor, Tony Lau, produced the advertisement through his company, Film Loft Productions, with cinematography by Bendo.

“Tony has gone beyond the scope of what is required as a professor. After my graduation, Tony has continued his role as an important mentor whose guidance has tremendously impacted my professional career,” Bendo said.

Besides being the cinematographer, Bendo co-directed the commercial alongside Cameron Bryson, with sound design created by Windsor native and musician Cal Cuffaro.

“It’s an honour to share this nomination with a student that I have taught, mentored, and later worked with professionally,” said Lau. “Matt is a talented and dedicated young filmmaker, and to see him recognized among the top Canadian cinematographers so early in his career is something I am immensely proud of. I see some great things ahead for him.”

See the award-winning ad here.

The Department of Athletics and Recreational Services has announced the nominees for major awards in advance of the Lancers Evening of Excellence banquet, to be held Wednesday, April 5, at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts.

The annual event celebrates the accomplishments of student athletes, recognizing their scholastic and sporting achievements. It will see the conferral of a number of awards, including the following among the most prestigious.

The DeMarco Awards honour those who best combine academics and athletics. This year’s female nominees are Sarah Mitton (track and field), Emily Prevost (basketball) and Jillian Rops (hockey). On the men’s side are Nick MacMackin (cross country, track and field), Mike Rocca (basketball), and Carlos Soares (soccer).

Nominated for the Banner Shield as outstanding female athlete of the year are Abby Hunt (soccer), Krystin Lawrence (hockey and soccer), and Cheyanne Roger (basketball).

Nominees for the Olympic Shield as outstanding male athlete of the year include Corey Bellemore (cross country and track), Tarrence Crawford (football), and Eli Pawliw (track and field).

Head coaches Steve Hart of women’s soccer, Gary Malloy of cross country and Chantal Vallée of women’s basketball are up for the Gino Fracas Coach of the Year award.

Find a full list of nominees, including outstanding rookies, sophomores, and team captains, at goLancers.ca.

Lily Powis, records clerk in the Office of Alumni Affairs and Donor Communications, won yesterday’s DailyNews trivia contest and its prize of two tickets to see the University Players production of Bedtime Stories.

Her name was drawn from all contestants who correctly responded that the play will enjoy 10 performances during its Essex Hall run, that it is a comedy, and that it is one of 55 plays by prolific writer Norm Foster.

The University Players production of Bedtime Stories continues through Sunday at Essex Hall Theatre. For information or tickets, call 519-253-3000, ext. 2808, or visit www.UniversityPlayers.com.

Being certified to teach the International Baccalaureate curriculum was an important decision, says Ruxandra Nahaiciuc.

Now pursuing master’s studies in education, she says earning the International Educator Certificate for International Baccalaureate (IB) Qualification enhanced her teaching credentials.

“This qualification makes me a competitive professional anywhere in the world,” Nahaiciuc says. “It has given me access to an immense body of teaching resources and professionals dedicated to life-long learning and quality education.”

The International Baccalaureate is a series of curricula for children from age 3 to 19, offered at more than 5,000 schools worldwide. Locally, it is employed at Assumption College, Cardinal Carter, Riverside, Leamington District, L’Essor and E. J. Lajeunesse secondary schools and Academie Ste-Cecile.

The University of Windsor’s Faculty of Education is the first in the province certified to train teacher candidates at the pre-service level in the specialized program.

Geri Salinitri, associate dean, pre-service, said she is proud to be able to address the growing need for teachers qualified to lead students to the IB diploma.

“What IB offers is a global perspective on education,” she said. “Our certificate makes graduates marketable around the world.”

The certificate program requires four online courses plus a practicum for pre-service teachers or professional learning community for those in-service.

Acting dean Katherine Quinsey said this intensive training will give graduates a deeper understanding of the IB curricula.

“Our program is better than just a workshop,” she said. “In the course of earning certification, students will be really embedded in the philosophy and benefit from our course-based approach to preparing them for classrooms.”

The sentiment is seconded by Nahaiciuc.

“My IB experience at the University of Windsor included interacting with incredibly understanding instructors who are full-time IB teachers,” she said. “I had the benefit of learning the IB curriculum at a time when IB continues to grow in cities all over the world, but most excitingly, here, in Windsor also.”

Learn more about this program, now registering for Summer 2017, on the faculty’s website.

A gala evening Wednesday, April 5, will celebrate the work of students in the University’s creative writing program.

More than 30 authors will read from a variety of literary forms. The event is free and open to the public; it runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Green Bean Café, 2320 Wyandotte Street West.

Michael Darroch, professor in the School of Creative Arts, will deliver his free public lecture “Unorthodox Anthropology: Edmund Carpenter and Canadian Media Studies” at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 5, in Katzman Lounge, Vanier Hall.

Dr. Darroch is an associate professor of media art histories and visual culture, co-director of the In/Terminus creative research collaboration, and the 2016/17 University of Windsor Humanities Fellow.

Wednesday’s presentation will draw on his book project on the genesis of Canadian media culture in the last century and the extraordinary link between Carpenter and Marshall McLuhan. The event is part of the Humanities Research Group’s Martin Wesley Lecture Series; a reception will follow the presentation.

Speakers from universities across Canada and the US will examine how the cultures in post-secondary institutions shape the ways they define and evaluate quality in teaching, May 2 on the UWindsor campus.

The day-long International Forum on Teaching Evaluation will bring together academics, administrators, faculty, students, and private sector professionals. It serves as a precursor to the University of Windsor-Oakland University International Teaching & Learning Conference, which will feature workshops, concurrent sessions, and a competitive poster session, May 3 and 4.

Find more information, including registration details for the conference and the pre-conference, at www.uwindsor.ca/tlconf.