Zac Sinasac, just finishing his first semester of graduate study in automotive engineering, is grateful for the opportunities he has been afforded.

“I say thank you as much as I can to the people who have supported me,” he says, listing faculty, family, friends — and donors to scholarships for UWindsor students.

Sinasac says the $1,000 Shawn Yates Memorial Award helped inspire him to excel.

“It’s a motivation, because you’re being rewarded and recognized for your efforts,” he says. “Sometimes you’re so deep in your books that you don’t realize people take notice.”

He made the effort to learn more about Yates, a UWindsor alumnus (BASc 1982, MBA 1992) who helped to found the Windsor Engineering co-op program with the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Automotive Research and Development Centre (ARDC) before his death in July 2017.

“It was an honour for me to receive this scholarship, knowing the impact that he made in the community,” Sinasac says. “I have already met his family, who started the award in his memory, and went to a golf tournament that raised funds for the endowment.”

He says the gift made a difference in his ability to focus on his studies.

“It really reduced some of the stress,” says Sinasac. “Having that security kind of takes the weight off my shoulders.”

Now he is conducting research at the ARDC, working on a confidential project with the potential to speed up and improve the development of future vehicles produced by the automaker. He enjoys research and development and hopes to build a professional career in a leadership role, like Yates.

The Annual Giving Program supports UWindsor students, ensuring their access to post-secondary education and enabling them to achieve their potential. Employees may contribute by payroll deduction, making donations convenient and painless.

To make a gift, visit uwindsor.ca/donate or contact Annual Giving Program co-ordinator Chris Knack at 519-253-3000, ext. 4279 or cknack@uwindsor.ca.

The Department of Human Resources invites the campus community to the annual Employee Recognition Awards reception, Jan. 20 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Alumni Auditorium, CAW Student Centre.

The event will honour the following individuals and teams:

• Excellence in Leadership Award – Lisa Porter, executive director, Windsor Health Institute;
• Excellence in Health and Safety Award – Lucy Howe, make lab technician – Visual Arts in the School of Creative Arts;
• Impact Award – Co-chairs of the LGBTQ+ in STEM Conference: Tricia Carmichael, acting associate dean of research and graduate studies in the Faculty of Science, and James Gauld, department head of chemistry and biochemistry;
• Service Excellence Award (Individual) – Michelle Fitzgerald, administrator of international and exchange student services in the International Student Centre, and Beverley Hamilton, academic initiatives officer in the Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic;
• Service Excellence Award (the First Five Years of Employment) – Jessica Hatt, secretary in the Faculty of Law;
• Service Excellence Award (Team) – The Print Shop (team members include: reprographic operators Jennifer Almeida and Scott Thorpe, and Luc Quenneville reprographic/WordPro operator);
• “U” Make a Difference Award – Andrew Jenner, manager of technical support in the Faculty of Engineering.

RSVP by Jan. 14 online at www.uwindsor.ca/hr/rsvp, by e-mail at oligat@uwindsor.ca, or by phone at 519-253-3000, ext. 2044.

Build a Dream offers girls in Grades 9 to 12 exposure to new career pathways in trades, science, technology, engineering, and maths, and also serves to connect them with female role models in these fields.

The sixth annual Build a Dream consisted of four career expos held in Windsor on Nov. 7, Kitchener on Nov. 14, Port Elgin on Nov 19, and London on Nov. 26. The expos were a chance for high school girls to learn about the University of Windsor’s STEM programs as well as a chance to win an entrance scholarship in the Faculty of Science.

Last year’s science scholarship winner, Allyssa Poulin, is now a first-year student double majoring in math and computer science.

“I was very indecisive when I was in high school,” says Poulin. “I didn’t quite know what I wanted to do or study, and Build a Dream was introduced to me as a good opportunity to help me decide on a path.”

Poulin says there were posters and flyers all over her high school in Belle River, and teachers made attempts to encourage her and her friends to attend.

“There was encouragement from our teachers that we would get to see all these cool jobs at the Build a Dream event that we would be able to do in the future,” she says. “And for someone like me who really wanted to figure things out, it was an ideal experience.”

The most significant memory Poulin has from attending Build a Dream was an exhibit showcasing the use of virtual reality in the workplace.

“I was shown career paths that I had never thought about,” says Poulin. “Math and computer science were originally just hobbies of mine, but Build a Dream showed me how broad those fields really were, and the many opportunities they could open up for me.”

Build a Dream founder Nour Hachem, a major gifts officer with the University Campaign, says the organization creates an experience for young woman that helps them explore, connect, and learn about the different options available to them.

“We know that making decisions about a future career can be difficult so we hold these events to highlight career options that young women may not have considered,” says Hachem. “We want to motivate and inspire them to seek out opportunities and tackle careers or goals where they have a solid future. We want them to know their gender should not be part of that decision-making.”

Michelle Bondy, experiential learning specialist in the Faculty of Science, attends the annual event to share information and opportunities that could await the high school students should they pursue a degree in science or math.

“We have science alumni, as well as current undergraduate and graduate students, participating in Build a Dream as mentors,” says Bondy. “They are able to show what they love about their field, and they serve as role models to the girls in attendance.”

The Faculty of Science is not the only unit from the University of Windsor with representation at Build a Dream. The Faculty of Engineering also has representation and offers its own scholarship, and this year the Odette School of Business; the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; and the Faculty of Human Kinetics became involved as well.

“It was very inspiring,” says Poulin. “Prior to Build a Dream I hadn’t realized how many women were in the workforce in all these different fields. The experience made me realize that I could do these jobs too.”

—Darko Milenkovic

Let your Yule tree display your UWindsor pride with an ornament bearing the University’s crest. The Campus Bookstore is offering one lucky DailyNews reader a chance to win this prize, fashioned in gold with silver imprint and valued at $9.98.

To enter the contest, submit your responses to these six questions on the themes of peace and joy. The winner will be selected at random from all correct responses received by 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16.

1. The Peace fountain in Coventry Gardens is named in memory of which Windsor figure?

1. labour leader Charles Brooks
2. industrialist Clifford Hatch
3. publisher Adie Knox Herman
4. former mayor Bert Weeks
    

2. The “Ode to Joy” is the final movement of which symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven?

1. The third, Eroica
2. The fifth, Schicksals
3. The sixth, Pastorale
4. The ninth, Choral
    

3. Who was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize?

1. Abiy Ahmed Ali
2. Médecins sans frontières
3. Greta Thunberg
4. Donald Trump
    

4. “Canadian Hope” and “Canadian Joy” are cubs of which species born in 2015 at the Toronto Zoo?

1. Arctic fox
2. Koala
3. Panda
4. Sumatran tiger
    

5. Late University of Windsor president J. Francis Leddy also served as president of which Canadian peace organization?

1. Canadian Peace Alliance
2. Canadian Pugwash Group
3. Project Ploughshares
4. World Federalists of Canada
    

6. Which author penned the Joy Luck Club?

1. Gish Jen
2. Jean Kwok
3. Amy Tan
4. Sandra Tsing Loh

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.

An open house event Tuesday will showcase projects by students in biomedical sciences professor Lisa Porter’s third-year course, Cancer Undergraduate Research and Education.

During the semester, the students learned about advancements in cancer research, participated in community outreach events, and received guest lectures by experts in the field. Each student focused on a particular area of interest to develop a final project showcasing effective yet ethical cancer research and current cutting-edge direction being taken in the field.

The campus community is invited to drop in from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 17 in the CORe lobby.

Set yourself up for a restful holiday with UWindsor sleepwear from the Campus Bookstore.

Pair $24.95 blue and gold flannel pants with a $30 long-sleeve T-shirt in 100 per cent cotton. The shirt, navy blue with a UWindsor shield printed in gold over the heart, is suitable for day wear as well, says general merchandise buyer Jackie Imeson.

“It makes a cute ensemble, but for sure you can wear them separately,” she says. “Both are comfy and great for layering.”

These items and more are available in the store, located on the lower level of the CAW Student Centre.