The Student Mental Health Strategy Fund invites proposals from students, faculty, or staff for projects that foster a community of caring and promote campus mental health.

The University of Windsor invests $24,000 through the fund each year, with the next application deadline Feb. 1, 2020.

In the fall term, $12,900 was disbursed to student groups and departments to fund prevention and early intervention efforts, and enhance mental health services, including training for Student Counselling Centre staff, a wellness initiatives student employee position, a mental health summit for high school students, and an event to provide students with an opportunity to de-stress while learning about the biological component of mental health.

This funding to implement the Student Mental Health Strategy comes in addition to the recent launch of My Student Support Program (MySSP), which provides free counselling 24/7 to all students via call and text.

Visit the fund’s website to learn more, view funded proposals, and submit an application.

Companies are well aware of the environmental benefits of electrifying vehicle fleets, but how much is known about the security of these systems?

A University of Windsor researcher aims to dig deeper through the investigation of cybersecurity issues that arise when using electric vehicle fleets with battery charging infrastructure.

“The environmental, geopolitical, and financial advantages of electric vehicles are well-studied and addressed in many research publications. However, security of these systems is not given the full attention that it requires,” says Mitra Mirhassani, the project lead and associate professor who specializes in electrical engineering.

Municipalities are planning to add infrastructure to accommodate the surge in consumer and corporate investment in alternative fuels; the City of Windsor is looking to set up 11 electric vehicle charging stations.

But Dr. Mirhassani warns the most common method of recharging electric vehicles raises security issues. The primary components of a charging station include the main board, communication equipment that is connected to a central unit, radio-frequency identification readers, and other electronic components such as circuit breakers and electrical measurement systems.

“This means that essentially a computer is placed on the street, with potential access to the smart grid that it is connected to,” she says. “This creates the potential for weak security points that can provide a hacker with possible access to the primary network.”

She has received up to $640,000 to work on cybersecurity and automotive technologies as part of a FedDev Ontario $5 million investment in community economic development and diversification that supports Windsor-Essex in transitioning from traditional automotive manufacturing to transformative automotive technologies.

Read the full article in the 2019 issue of Windsor Engineering (WE).

For the second year in a row, University of Windsor students have brought home a monetary prize from a national competition promoting research into brain tumours.

Aleena Malik and Renée Goodman, students in Simon Rondeau-Gagné’s conjugated materials and organic electronics lab, won second place — a $750 cash prize — in the Pam and Rolando Del Maestro Family Undergraduate Student Research Competition, held at the 2019 Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada national conference on Oct. 18 in London, Ontario.

Participants in the competition were presented with a case study of a type of brain tumour and tasked with providing a solution based on their undergraduate research.

Goodman and Malik were given the case study of a 14-year old with an ependymoma tumour, a tumour often found inside the ventricles of the brain. Their solution was based on their research for Dr. Rondeau-Gagné, focused on polymer chemistry: designing and synthesizing different kinds of polymer.

“We proposed the use of what’s called conjugated polymer nanoparticles,” says Goodman. “These are polymers we can tune and engineer to specifically target receptors on the tumour cell.”

“The conjugated polymers also have electronic properties,” says Malik. “And because of these electronic properties, we are able to do electro therapy as a cancer treatment as well.”

Rondeau-Gagné says their accomplishment demonstrates the talent and outstanding quality of UWindsor undergraduate science students.

“This recognition also highlights the unique opportunity for undergraduate students to perform meaningful and impactful research here in the Faculty of Science,” he says. “Both Aleena and Renée started in my lab during the first year of their undergraduate degree and have already co-authored multiple publications in top-tier journals. It’s a particularly remarkable and outstanding achievement.”

—Darko Milenkovic

Nearly 300 grads and guests enjoyed Windsor Law's annual alumni dinners at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto and the Windsor Club on Nov. 27 and Dec. 10, respectively.

This year’s award recipients include:

• Allan Stitt (LLB 1988), Nils Engelstad (JD 2007), Heather Hansen (JD 2006) - Distinguished Alumni Award
• Jamie Johnson (LLB 1987) and Justice Mary Jo Nolan (LLB 1981) - Extraordinary Contribution to Windsor Law in Memory of John Mountain (LLB 1986)
• Suhuyini Abudalai (JD 2008) and Nancy Merrill (LLB 1988) - Access to Justice Award
• Mary Gold and Neil Gold - Builder of Windsor Law Award

• Evan Kubes (JD 2016) and Joshua Marcus (JD 2016) - Emerging Leader in the Law Award

To learn more about Windsor Law’s second annual alumni awards, visit the event website.

—Rachelle Prince

IT Services will upgrade student email accounts (UWinID@uwindsor.ca) from UWin Gmail to Outlook.

The University of Windsor is investing in this upgrade to provide students with:

• the same email platform as faculty and staff, enhancing collaboration capabilities within the campus community;
• a more integrated system with communication, creation, and collaboration tools all in one place; and
• more secure email.

IT Services will pilot the Outlook upgrade with incoming Winter 2020 undergraduate students who have no previous student relationship with UWindsor. In addition, starting mid-January, students who accept offers of admission for future semesters will also use Outlook for their student email accounts instead of UWin Gmail.

The students involved in the pilot project will receive direct communication from IT Services in advance of the upgrade. New students currently receive a link to www.uwindsor.ca/studentemail when they extend their UWin Account. This link will continue to work and direct students to the appropriate email system.

All other students will continue to use their student email accounts in UWin Gmail until spring or summer 2020 when the upgrade of all student email accounts is scheduled to occur. www.uwindsor.ca/uwingmail will remain active for accessing UWin Gmail. In addition, UWin Gmail will be an option from www.uwindsor.ca/studentemail.

Please note there will be no change to UWinID@uwindsor.ca email addresses. It is only the tool students use for their email that is changing.

If you have a question about the upgrade of student email accounts to Outlook, share it with IT Services.

—Ericka Greenham

The relationships, complexities, and contradictions in the life of cultural commodities associated with sport are the subject of a free public lecture Friday, Dec. 13, on the UWindsor campus.

Steve Jackson — a professor in the School of Physical Education at the University of Otago, New Zealand — will present “Sport and the Commodification of Social Life” at 1:30 p.m. in room 145, Human Kinetics Building.

Dr. Jackson’s research focuses on globalization, media, and national identity. He is a past-president of the International Sociology of Sport Association

Friday’s lecture is presented by the Faculty of Human Kinetics as part of its Distinguished Speakers Series.

Want to show your UWindsor pride without breaking the bank? The Campus Bookstore is offering a bargain on sweats — tops and bottoms available for just $24.95 each.

The hooded sweatshirts come in navy blue, grey heather, or maroon, screen-printed with “University of Windsor: 1857” above a kangaroo pocket. Made of a blend of 70 per cent cotton and 30 per cent polyester, they’re designed and decorated in Canada by Dubwear, a member of the Fair Labour Association.

The comfort fleece sweatpants boast “University of Windsor” on the thigh, and are available in charcoal heather, black, or navy.

Get kitted out for Christmas in the store, located on the lower level of the CAW Student Centre.

Facility Services advises that due to increased volume of mail and packages at this time of year, departments may experience delays in delivery and collection.

Departments with time-sensitive mail — expected or outbound — should inform Distribution Services by emailing rchawla@uwindsor.ca or phoning 519-253-3000, ext. 2017 or 2850.