The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada named Jane McArthur, a doctoral candidate in sociology and social justice at the University of Windsor, one of the five winners of its national Storytellers contest.

The five were selected from among 25 finalists of an annual challenge to find innovative ways to communicate the impact of social sciences and humanities research. The final round of the competition took place June 3 in front of a live audience at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, hosted by the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

The Storytellers contest calls on postsecondary students to demonstrate how SSHRC-funded research is making a difference in the lives of Canadians.

McArthur’s presentation explains her research, studying the understanding of breast cancer risks in female workers at the Ambassador Bridge. She interviewed the women to find out what they know about breast cancer risks and if they’d made any connection between their cancer risks and environmental exposure.

Amy Peirone, also a PhD student in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, also represented the University of Windsor in the final showcase with her project, “Location, Location, Location: the Geography of Justice in Canada.”

SSHRC president Ted Hewitt applauded all the finalists.

“Their stories are a source of inspiration as we continue to demonstrate how social sciences and humanities research is important to Canada and the world,” he said.

The UWindsor Welcome Week committee invites individuals and organizations to submit proposals for events for the annual fall orientation program.

Those interested in offering a social event must submit an event proposal no later than Friday, June 28, to have it included in promotional materials to be distributed in August and September. Applicants will be called to attend a meeting to explain their program to organizers.

“The committee will advise whether their event is approved, pending or disapproved,” says Amber Norman, student development specialist in the Student Success and Leadership Centre. “Only events approved by the Program Proposal Committee will be advertised in our schedule and app.”

Find the Event Information Form.

Faculty members planning Academic Program Orientations for Wednesday, September 4, do not require approval by the committee, but must submit a form to be allocated space.

“As always, we have pre-booked all academic spaces on campus for that period and so we will need to provide faculty with their room assignments,” Norman says. “If they have already reserved their academic space, they still need to fill out this form if they want us to promote their program orientation.”

Find the Program Orientation Form.

She encourages faculty and staff to download the UWindsor Events app, which will give them access to the information sent to students about Welcome Week, Head Start, and open house activities. Visit the orientation website to find the app.

“That way, if they see anything they know is incorrect, they can bring it to our attention so we can provide the most up-to-date details,” she says.

For further information, contact Norman at anorman@uwindsor.ca or 519-253-3000, ext. 3462.

UWindsor alumna Devon Mordell (BFA 2004) has returned to her alma mater for a two-year stint as digital scholarship and archiving librarian in the Leddy Library.

Mordell spent several years working in educational technologies and instructional design at McMaster University before completing her Master of Archival Science at the University of British Columbia’s iSchool.

She recently held positions at Vancouver Island University Library and the UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections division. Her career has revolved around the intersections of technology, education, and design, with a specific focus on digital literacy and the creative applications of digital technology.

Her professional praxis explores the preservation of digital archives as well as the emerging technologies that provide greater access to digital collections such as linked open data and natural language processing. Her research interests include critical data studies, the politics of interfaces and phenomenological analyses of virtual reality.

In her new role, Mordell will provide consultations through the Centre for Digital Scholarship (CDigs) on tools and techniques for conducting digital scholarship research. In addition, she will assist with planning and management of digital scholarship projects on campus and provide workshops to engage the campus community in digital scholarship.

She looks forward to supporting the University of Windsor's students, faculty, and researchers in the creation of new forms of scholarly output and in the long-term preservation of their digital works. Direct questions about digital scholarship or digital preservation to Mordell at devon.mordell@uwindsor.ca.

—Marcie Demmans

Sexual violence is not supposed to be part of the university experience — yet one in four women will experience rape or attempted rape during their time at a Canadian post-secondary institution.

The University of Windsor’s Bystander Initiative is working to address this staggering statistic through the cultivation of community responsibility. Meaning that everyone within the campus community has an important role and responsibility in addressing sexual violence. Community responsibility challenges the widely-held belief that the elimination sexual violence is a “women’s issue,” or that sexual violence impacts only those directly involved.

Founded by UWindsor professors Anne Forrest and Charlene Senn, the Bystander Initiative embeds sexual violence prevention education into the undergraduate curriculum, the only program of its kind in Canada.

The Bystander Initiative is seeking undergraduate students to enrol in 3500 Practical Strategies for Social Change, facilitated in Fall 2019 by professor Frankie Cachon. The course explores the complexity of sexual violence, inviting students to deconstruct the ways in which sexual violence is normalized and embedded in everyday lives. The program encourages students to take personal and social responsibility for the prevention of sexual violence by increasing proactive bystander intervention among their peers.

“This course is very much about building student leadership, creating a space where students can unlearn dominant myths about sexual violence and, most importantly, gain the practical skills needed to be positive social change agents within our campus community and beyond,” says Dr. Cachon. “It’s an absolute privilege to watch students move from apathetic to empowered — fostering a campus climate where sexual violence will not be tolerated.”

The class is offered for credit as a general social science, psychology, social work, sociology/criminology, or women’s and gender studies course. Prerequisites include semester 4+ standing. Interested undergraduate students are encouraged to apply at https://www.bystanderinitiative.ca/participate/courses.

A recent graduate from the UWindsor creative writing program was a finalist in a short prose contest held by the Writers’ Union of Canada.

Chloe Moore (BA 2019) saw her story “The Clay Child” listed among a dozen finalists chosen from 580 submissions. Newfoundland author Sheilagh Guy Murphy claimed the $2,500 cash prize.

The Writers’ Union of Canada is a national organization representing professional authors of books. It is dedicated to fostering writing in Canada, and promoting the rights, freedoms, and economic well-being of all writers.

It established the Short Prose Competition in 1993 in honour of the union’s 20th anniversary, to provide opportunity and exposure to developing writers. The union will submit Moore’s story and all the shortlisted entries to three Canadian magazine publishers for their consideration.

Noting that the contest attracted national and international entrants, including professional authors, English professor Karl Jirgens expressed pride in Moore’s accomplishment: “We’re delighted to hear of our students’ ongoing successes!”

The Campus Food Bank is seeing its cupboards run low on supplies as demand outstrips supply, says manager Sandi Rose.

“It is a challenge to keep the shelves stocked,” Rose says. “Nobody wants to see our students going hungry, and so I am appealing for donations of money or food to see us through.”

She lists canned kidney beans, chick peas, corn, tuna, and peanut butter as items most in demand.

The Iona Campus Food Bank is located in the basement of Canterbury College at 2500 University Avenue West. It provides basics and essential items to registered University of Windsor students free of cost.

To make a contribution, contact Rose at sandir@uwindsor.ca.