Participating in the UWill Discover undergraduate research conference gave her new perspective on research, says Celina DeBiasio. A fourth-year student in the arts and science program, majoring in biochemistry with a minor in Italian, she won the people’s choice award for her presentation Clock work: the role of the circadian clock in colorectal cancer.

“From the comments of the judges and spectators, I understand how important our research is to the Windsor-Essex County community,” DeBiasio says. “Being a part of the conference and receiving this award motivates me to continue my research in the future.”

Held March 31 in the CAW Student Centre and Dillon Hall, the conference featured 10 sessions of presentations, plus dozens of poster projects. Chair Simon du Toit says organizers are already looking forward to planning next year’s event.

“Students find it a perfect opportunity to experience an academic conference setting first-hand and get feedback and acknowledgement for their efforts,” he says. “The University of Windsor prides itself on providing unique undergraduate research opportunities that enrich the overall student experience, and UWill Discover is an important part of that process.”

DeBiasio says working on her project with biology professor Phillip Karpowicz taught her many valuable skills.

“I have learned determination and perseverance, problem-solving techniques, and critical thinking,” she says. “Oftentimes, an experiment will not turn out the way you expected, and it is your job as a researcher to first understand why it happened and then formulate ideas on how you can improve the experimental setup.”

And the conference experience was worth more than her $250 prize as the people’s choice.

“Presenting my research at the UWill Discover Conference taught me how to communicate my research to an audience in an effective way,” says DeBiasio. “It increased my own understanding of my research and made me view it with new perspectives.”

Her prize was part of thousands of dollars awarded by discipline, style of presentation, connection to community, and vote by attendees. Find a full list of prize winners on the conference website.

The Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce has nominated a UWindsor alumnus for its Professional of the Year Award, making him one of only a handful of engineers to receive the honour.

Sean McCann, a professional geological and civil engineer with 28 years of experience under his belt, said it’s not common for engineers to receive nominations in this category even though they play such an integral role in our society. Only two engineers have won this award in the 27 years the chamber has hosted the event.

“Anything we sit on, touch, look at, go to work in, fly in — an engineer has touched it many times over,” said McCann, who was named Windsor-Essex County’s Engineer of the Year in 2016.

McCann received his Bachelor of Applied Science in geological engineering in 1989 and Master of Applied Science in civil engineering in 1993 from UWindsor. The father of four resides in Tecumseh and has been helping companies across the country secure funds through Canada’s Scientific Research and Experimental Development tax credit program since 2001.

“I get involved when there’s a problem they can’t readily solve,” he said. “I listen to their stories and problems, and try to interpret them. Canada as a whole is much stronger knowledge-wise thanks to the financial benefits companies receive through this program, based on the technological advancements achieved.”

McCann has been promoting engineering in Windsor and Essex County for more than 20 years through his volunteer role with the Windsor-Essex Chapter of Professional Engineers Ontario. Over the two-decade span, McCann has helped create a video promoting the engineering profession to students, organized countless engineering promotional events, initiated a lean manufacturing subcommittee for promoting lean principles, judged thousands of science fair projects and has taught technical and nontechnical courses at UWindsor and St. Clair College. He was inducted into the Professional Engineers Ontario Order of Honour at the member level and designated a Fellow of Engineers Canada for his volunteer service — a title bestowed to those who have contributed significantly to the profession.

In 2012, he launched McCann International Consulting Enterprises, which he currently operates as president and senior engineer to assist hundreds of clients with their tax credit claims in numerous industries in almost every province, through his technical writing skills and understanding of the engineering design principles.

“Sean is a strong advocate for the engineering profession on a very broad scale,” said Bill Altenhof, a UWindsor mechanical and materials engineering professor who has volunteered in the community with McCann in the past. “He understands that engineers require a strong and comprehensive education, mentoring, engagement and collaboration together in an appropriate network, and working together in a multi-disciplinary fashion to best benefit the profession and, very importantly, our society. Sean’s efforts have resulted in impacts and significant contributions at the local municipality level but also at the provincial and national levels.”

The 27th Annual Business Excellence Awards takes place April 19 at Caesars Windsor. McCann is one of three professional of the year finalists who will be judged by an independent panel comprised of local businesspersons.

A local seatbelt manufacturer will save nearly $10,000 a year thanks to a warehouse optimization strategy produced by industrial engineering students at the University of Windsor.

Ahmed Khalid, one of several students who worked with TRQSS as part of a capstone project, said his team proposed using ultrasonic sensors to help the Windsor auto supplier track products in its warehouse.

“The ultrasonic sensor sends data to a cloud using Wi-Fi, which then sends a notification to a phone and updates the occupancy of the slot in the google drive,” Khalid said during an industrial engineering capstone presentation day, March 31 in the Centre for Engineering Inovation. “Having sensors in every slot in the warehouse will let us know which are empty and which are occupied, therefore reducing the search time of the forklift operating.”

TRQSS, which supplies seatbelts to Toyota, Subaru and Lexus, plans on implementing the sensors and new software developed by UWindsor students by the end of the year.

Professor Jill Urbanic said industrially supported capstone projects expose students in their final year of undergraduate study to real life challenges. Nearly 40 students presented research related to warehousing; logistics; and product and process solutions for waste minimization.

“We have an excellent set of industrial partners this year and our students have really grown because of their work with them,” Dr. Urbanic said.

Nine student teams — some of which included students from the Odette School of Business — partnered with TRQSS, Erie Architectural Products, Dieffenbacher, A.P. Plasman, Ford, the Electromac Group and Karima Bawa, a senior fellow for the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

“We don’t always get to see what’s out there — what’s new and innovative,” said Kim Talbot, a production coordinator at TRQSS. “It’s nice to get the students’ fresh eyes. We really like the sensor idea. With us getting new programs and new products, we need to save time elsewhere in order to handle the extra workload without adding manpower.”

Khalid said his team visited TRQSS roughly 15 times and spent several days following the forklift around and asking questions to learn more about plant operations and its 800 associates.

“We reduced 41 minutes from the forklift’s travel time and $12 per shift, which saves approximately $9,000 per year,” Khalid said. “The total cost of the project is $10,900. In 14 months, we can recover all of the costs and then it’s just savings.”

Urbanic said at least half of the student projects provide a different way of looking at a problem that industry may have never thought of before: “Students have fresh eyes, are unbiased and can give them something to think about, and to me, that’s a job well done.”

English professor Karl Jirgens won Thursday’s DailyNews quiz contest and its prize of two tickets to his choice of concert this weekend by ensembles from the School of Creative Arts.

Dr. Jirgens’ entry was drawn from all those which correctly responded that the spit valve releases moisture from the trumpet tube, the tenor saxophone is pitched in the key of B-flat, and the snare drum is strung with a rattle of metal wires. Incidentally, the spit valve is a bit of a misnomer — most of the liquid inside a trumpet is condensation from the player’s breath rather than saliva.

Jirgens will choose from:

• The University Jazz Ensemble Cabaret, 8 p.m. Friday, April 7, at the Caboto Club, 2175 Parent Avenue.
• The University Wind Ensemble Spring Concert, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 9, at the Capitol Theatre, 121 University Avenue West.

Tickets for either concert are $15, with a student rate of $5. Purchase them at the box office in room 115, Music Building; by phone at 519-253-3000 ext. 4212; or online.

You would think that with exams looming, fewer students would free up the time to attend Canterbury College’s communal Wednesday dinner, says Simar Anand, a third-year law student and head of college’s student council. Instead, the opposite is the case.

“The turnout increases, because it means one less thing to worry about,” he says. “Check one box off — you’ve had dinner and don’t have to get groceries.”

This week’s dinner was extra-special, as the college provided an “exam survival bag” students could fill with their choices of convenience foods and study supplies.

“There were pencils, notepads, highlighters, and munchies,” Anand says. “Plus massive boxes of produce.”

Kingsville grower Sunset-Mastronardi Produce donated a variety of foodstuffs, from which Anand loaded up with tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

“It’s great that the college recognizes students are very busy with the final stretch of the semester,” he says. “These gestures go a long way to helping students not worry about this small stuff.”

Four UWindsor students of a total delegation of 14 won honours at the Canadian International Model United Nations conference, held in Ottawa earlier this semester.

The conference, an initiative of the United Nations Association in Canada, brings together students to discuss and debate issues in a simulation of United Nations bodies. This year it attracted 400 participants from all over the world.

Awards claimed by Windsor attendees included:

• Sarah El Meddaka, representing the United Kingdom, was named best delegate on the Commission on the Status of Women Award.
• Arianne Rodriguez Saltrón, representing the Russian Federation, was named best delegate on the Security Council.
• Norma Roumie, representing Senegal, received an award for best position paper submitted to the Security Council.
• Aaron Sahota, representing the Russian Federation, was named outstanding delegate on the United Nations General Assembly First Committee on the topic of disarmament and development.

Outside the mock deliberations, conferees visited embassies to meet and interact with diplomatic officials from Russia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and Greece.