A new $3.7 million research partnership between the University of Windsor and a local company that develops scientific testing instruments aims to create new research tools and advanced materials the world has never before seen.

Nicholas Vukotic, principal scientist at Proto Mfg., is UWindsor’s new Industrial Research Chair in X-ray Diffraction and Crystalline Materials. He will join the Advanced Materials Centre of Research (AMCORe) in UWindsor’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, where he will work with researchers with complementary interests in synthetic chemistry, catalysis, materials chemistry, materials characterization, and materials applications.

“I am thrilled about joining the exceptional group of researchers within AMCORe at the University of Windsor,” Dr. Vukotic said. “This research partnership is all about synergy and brings together two great organizations, which I am proud to be part of.”

Vukotic’s five-year position is funded jointly by the University, the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and Proto Mfg., a multinational company headquartered locally that manufactures X-ray diffraction instrumentation and provides laboratory services to companies around the globe.

The position comes with nearly $3.7 million of funding, of which $2,354,000 is cash provided by NSERC, Proto Mfg., and the University. In addition to the cash contribution, Proto Mfg. is providing $1 million of in-kind support towards the development of advanced scientific instrumentation, and the university is contributing in-kind support of nearly $284,000.

Proto has a long-standing relationship with the University of Windsor, said company president Michael Brauss.

“Over the past several years, we have significantly benefited from working with several professors from the University of Windsor, and many of their graduates have become employees of our company,” he said.

“Proto prides itself on its innovative products, quality, customer service, and pursuit of excellence, and these traits will only be strengthened by having an Industrial Research Chair at our local university with a close proximity to our base of operations.”

Industrial research chairs are designed to create mutually beneficial collaborations between Canadian universities and partners outside academia. The idea is to develop research in new fields of science and engineering, making advancements that will benefit Canadian society. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows get the chance to do ground-breaking research and develop expertise that will help their careers.

Vukotic specializes in X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the development of advanced crystalline materials. XRD is a non-destructive method to get information about materials, including their chemical make-up and molecular structure. It has applications in the pharmaceutical industry, mining and geology, and in construction and manufacturing. It can be used not only to identify and test the purity of materials, but to test the structural integrity of materials used in the manufacturing of cars, airplanes, power turbines, and in the construction of bridges and buildings.

“To spur the development of new commercial products — allowing Canada to retain a competitive advantage in the global market and an increased quality of life for all Canadians — new technologies and materials are required,” NSERC said in announcing Vukotic as UWindsor’s latest industrial research chair.

“This research partnership between Proto and the University of Windsor will create an environment that fosters the pursuit of knowledge, innovation, and the development of new technologies and materials within Canada.”

Vukotic is a UWindsor grad with a doctorate in chemistry and biochemistry. He has brought numerous patented XRD products to market. The position will give him the opportunity to develop new scientific research tools and create new advanced crystalline materials with industrial applications as nanoporous adsorbents, chemical sensors, and drug-releasing biomaterials.

K.W. Michael Siu, UWindsor’s vice-president, research and innovation, said Vukotic’s Industrial Research Chair holds great promise.

“I am absolutely delighted that NSERC and Proto have chosen to invest in an Industrial Research Chair position at the University of Windsor,” Dr. Siu said.

“Congratulations to Dr. Vukotic for his success, and I certainly look forward to hearing and reading the wonderful and innovative research results that he and his team will produce in the not-too-distant future."

UWindsor currently has one other Industrial Research Chair — Ming Zheng from the Department of Mechanical, Automotive and Metals Engineering. Dr. Zheng is the NSERC/Ford Industrial Research Chair in Clean Combustion Engine Innovations.

Vukotic said he wants to create a high-energy and diverse research group. He is recruiting four graduate students, three post-doctoral fellows, and senior undergraduate researchers to join his lab in September. Interested candidates can learn more at vukgroup.com.

—Sarah Sacheli

New UWindsor students who register for undergraduate classes by July 12 will enter a draw for a $1,000 tuition prize — and 25 will win!

The “Ready! Set! Register!” campaign includes supports to help incoming students navigate the course registration process, in addition to the prize incentive.

“We want to ensure every student who plans to come here this fall has as easy a transition as we can possibly provide,” says Chris Busch, acting associate vice-president for enrolment management.

Students who need assistance registering for classes can:

• meet one-on-one with an academic advisor,
• join an online webinar explaining the process, or
• attend a registration clinic at a high school.

Find details of these supports, online guides for registration, and the full set of contest rules on the Ready! Set! Register! website.

The Alumni Association is offering one lucky DailyNews reader a chance to win a Father’s Day prize package, consisting of a folding lawn chair, insulated cooler bag, polarized sunglasses, water bottle, inflatable beach ball, flying disk, and rubber stress ball — all bearing the alumni association logo.

To enter the contest, submit your responses to these three trivia questions on fathers from fiction. The winner will be selected at random from all correct responses received by noon Friday, June 14.

1. Which comic actor played the title character in the 1993 film Mrs. Doubtfire?

a) Jim Carrey
b) Steve Martin
c) Jerry Seinfeld
d) Robin Williams
 

2. Who voices Homer Simpson on the long-running animated TV series The Simpsons?

a) Hank Azaria
b) Dan Castellaneta
c) Matt Groening
d) Harry Shearer
 

3. What is the first name of the Weasley patriarch, Ron’s father, in the Harry Potter series?

a) Albus
b) James
c) Sirius
d) Arthur
 

Contest is open to all readers of the DailyNews. Send an e-mail with your responses to uofwnews@uwindsor.ca. One entry per contestant, please. Note: the decision of the judge in determining the most correct response is inviolable.

A public reception at 6 p.m. Friday, June 14, will celebrate an exhibition in the Armouries’ SoCA Gallery featuring works by 32 students representing five local high schools: Kennedy Collegiate, Walkerville Collegiate, Sandwich Secondary, Catholic Central, and Essex District.

“Front Lines” is an important collaboration between the School of Creative Arts and Windsor-Essex high schools, says gallery co-ordinator Victor Romao.

“This event provides students with the opportunity to showcase their curated, imaginative works in the new gallery located in the beautifully re-imagined Armouries building,” he says. “It is also a wonderful opportunity for contributors to engage with the university community and public through their media.”

This year marks the return of the event after a two-year hiatus during the school’s move to its downtown space.

The exhibition is free to visit, and is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays through June 14.

—Susan McKee

On Saturday, June 15, the School of Creative Arts (SoCA) will host a public workshop on creating short, community-focused films that can be shared easily through social media.

“Guerrilla Filmmaking 101 for Community Builders” promises to teach registrants the mechanics of a story, structure, and the basics of video technology.

The workshop is a collaboration between SoCA, the Propeller Project, Windsor Law, the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF), the Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative, and the Toronto-based DOC Institute.

“The saying ‘think globally, act locally’ has never seemed more vital and relevant,” says SoCA professor Kim Nelson, director of the Propeller Project. “Since film is such an effective form of communication, I am excited to team up with this incredible cast of filmmakers to offer a free workshop for community members who are passionate about our city and wish to express themselves about what is important to them.”

Besides Nelson, instructors include UWindsor film professor Nick Hector, Windsor Law professor Anneke Smit, filmmaker Lana Oppen, and journalist and community advocate Makram Kamel.

“This workshop highlights the potential of collaboration across the campus and with community partners such as WIFF and the DWCC,” says Smit, who teaches and researches in municipal and urban planning law. “A healthy civil society is key to the development of good law and policy. Over and over, we see that the strongest cities and towns are the ones where the best conversations are happening. This project is a great one for Windsor Law to be involved with, as a community-facing law school.”

The workshop will take place at the SoCA Armouries from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Although it is free and includes lunch, space is limited. Interested attendees must register on Eventbrite.

—Rachelle Prince

The UWindsor Office of Research and Innovative Services and the Research Ethics Board are seeking to assess the use of Qualtrics’ participant panel and elicit researcher feedback on the ethical context, functionality, quality of data, ease of use, and value for money.

They are seeking three projects currently underway to compare the use of Qualtrics panel with other recruitment sources such as Mechanical Turk, social media, and community-based.

Eligible projects must meet the following criteria:

1. The project must be currently underway with a cleared REB protocol.
2. The project must include an on-line survey using the Qualtrics platform.
3. The sample must be drawn from the general population with no additional screening.
4. At least one form of recruitment has already been implemented.
5. The pilot provides a proportion of the estimated sample, not the entire sample.

Applications are due by June 23, and are available here: http://www.uwindsor.ca/research-innovation-services/395/internal-funding-programs.

For further information, contact Nicole Noel nnoel@uwindsor.ca, Joan Craig CraigL@uwindsor.ca, or Suzanne McMurphy mcmurphy@uwindsor.ca.

Today — Thursday, June 13 — friends and colleagues of UWindsor professor Lionel Walsh are gathering to show appreciation for his years of service as the University’s assistant vice-president for North American recruitment.

Prof. Walsh will return to the School of Dramatic Art on July 1, after more than four years in student recruitment.

Today’s reception will feature fellowship and refreshments from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Welcome Centre lobby.

—Dana Roe

Beth Natale will join the UWindsor administration as director of student recruitment on July 2, Chris Busch, acting associate vice-president for enrolment management, announced Wednesday.

“As a seasoned practitioner, Beth brings to this important role a competitive spirit and passion for student recruitment, a thorough understanding of enrolment management strategies and best practices, significant depth of experience in the operational aspects associated with student recruitment both in the Canadian and global context, and demonstrated success in forging relationships and garnering support campus-wide,” Busch said.

Natale most recently served as director of recruitment and retention at Brock University. She will reach out to meet with campus leadership and recruitment partners over the coming weeks.

The future of health care will be led by harnessing data to create services, technologies, and business models to improve outcomes, says Anne Snowdon.

Chair of the World Health Innovation Network (WIN) based in the Odette School of Business, she acknowledges the contributions of partners around the world in its 2018-19 Annual Report.

“I’m grateful and honoured to collaborate with such an exceptional group of health system stakeholders committed to providing the essential expertise and research evidence needed to drive economic growth, transform our health systems, and improve population health,” says Dr. Snowdon.

In the report, she writes “Mobilizing health information to support the design, implementation and scalability of data-powered health technologies creates the pipeline of next generation products capable of transforming healthcare delivery.”

Read the full report on the WIN website.

The University has declared a Stanley router for sale by bid as Disposal File 1012. Click here for details.