An annual powwow event and March Break and summer camp programs are among the beneficiaries of funding received by the Turtle Island Aboriginal Education Centre from the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefits Plan.

Beverly Jacobs, UWindsor senior advisor to the president on Indigenous relations and outreach, said a powwow organized in partnership with St. Clair College and Indigenous community groups will bring people together to share and celebrate Indigenous culture.

“Powwows are ways to come together in song and dance and are based upon fundamental values common to Indigenous peoples throughout Turtle Island,” she said. “We look forward to co-hosting and sharing our culture and powwow traditions to all. With funding support from the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefits Plan, we will ensure this remains a free community event with a traditional feast to share with all.”

Youth attending the March Break and summer camps will also benefit from the new funding, said Kat Pasquach, co-ordinator of Indigenous outreach and retention: “The support from the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefits Plan will enrich their experiences as we continue to build a culturally supportive environment during their educational journey.”

The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority is a not-for-profit Canadian Crown corporation responsible for overseeing and managing the construction and operation of a new crossing between Windsor and Detroit. A key feature of the project is the Community Benefits Plan to advance economic, social, or environmental conditions for the local communities.

A ceremony to officially open the AfroFest cultural and educational festival is set for noon Friday, Feb. 3, in the student centre commons.

The annual celebration highlights the contributions made by peoples of African descent to the world. Friday’s opening will include musical performances and formal remarks.

Events and activities will run through Black History Month. Find a full schedule on the AfroFest website.

The Windsor Symphony Orchestra will kicks off Black History Month with four performances of classical and contemporary music written by Black composers for orchestra, and orchestra and voice Feb. 2,3, and 4.

All four performances feature violinist Lillian Scheirich, the orchestra’s concertmaster and violin instructor in the School of Creative Arts. Performances Friday at the Amherstburg Freedom Museum and Saturday at Sandwich First Baptist Church also feature vocalist and alumna Florine Ndimubandi (BComm 2020).

Under the baton of music director Robert Franz, Scheirich will bring to life a concerto by the swashbuckling 18th century composer, Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de St. Georges, known as “The Black Mozart.” Jessie Montgomery’s composition Shift, Change, Turn provides a new twist on the four seasons. Ndimubandi will sing Amazing Grace and Oscar Peterson’s 1962 Hymn to Freedom.

Find the full schedule of concerts and ticket information on the orchestra’s website.

Researchers at the University of Windsor studying the lived experiences of people diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) are looking for participants from the Windsor-Essex community who wish to share their PCOS journey.

Psychology professor Kendall Soucie and research co-ordinator Noelle Citron of the Health Experiences and Longevity Lab have launched a research study that will build an inclusive, resiliency-based framework to support people with PCOS across the lifespan.

This study, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, brings together a multidisciplinary team of faculty from the University of Windsor: Patti Timmons-Fritz and Jessica Kichler in psychology, Suzanne McMurphy in sociology, and Nicole Markotić in English, as well as Heather Lawford of Bishop’s University, Jen Rinaldi of Ontario Tech University, and Stacey Williams of East Tennessee State University.

“The majority of PCOS research has taken a biomedical lens with a focus almost exclusively on how the syndrome impacts people’s lives negatively,” says Dr. Soucie. “Our goal is to challenge this framing of PCOS by amplifying stories of strength, resilience, and healing. We want to know other sides of the story.”

Soucie’s work provides advocacy, and support resources for people with PCOS, and creates a shared empowering narrative of thriving with PCOS.

The research team is seeking to learn more about:

• How your PCOS has changed across your life, and how you have coped with and managed shifting symptoms.
• How you typically talk about PCOS with others, and how PCOS has impacted your relationships in positive ways.
• How you navigate health care spaces, and advocate for health care.
• How you practice self-compassion or self-care on days that are difficult.
• How you have met and overcome challenges in your life associated with PCOS, and learned more about yourself and others along the way.

All people with PCOS are welcome to participate. The study is an interview study which can be conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams or in-person at a quiet research space at the University of Windsor. The study requires a one-on-one interview of one-and-a-half to two hours, followed by a 30-minute survey.

Participants will be reimbursed for their time and participation with an e-gift card. Participation in this study will add to an emerging area of PCOS research that focuses on building strength, resilience, healing, and longevity. This study has been cleared by the University of Windsor’s Research Ethics board.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is the most common endocrine syndrome in women or individuals assigned female at birth, with a global prevalence of up to 21 per cent, affecting an estimated 1.4 million Canadians. Symptoms cluster into reproductive (menstrual irregularities, impaired ovulation, high testosterone), metabolic (insulin-resistance, obesity), and psychological distress (depression, poor body image, poor quality of life). If left untreated, PCOS increases a woman’s risk for diabetes, stroke, or heart disease.

Click here to sign up to participate or email the researchers at pcos@uwindsor.ca.

Contaminated sediments limit the ecological recovery of the Detroit and Rouge River ecosystems, says a report released Tuesday by the State of the Strait Conference steering committee.

On the U.S. side of the Detroit River, up to 5.1 million cubic metres of contaminated sediments have been targeted for remediation by state and federal governments. No additional sediment remediation is required on the Canadian side.

“Efforts should also be made to ensure that contaminated sediment remediation and other ecosystem restoration efforts improve the lives of people living in the watershed,” said John Hartig, co-chair of the committee and a visiting scholar at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research.

“We should think of these efforts as part of a continuum of remediation, restoration, reconnecting people to these waterways through greenways and water trails, and community revitalization.”

The report notes that a narrow window of opportunity — four to five years — is open to receive federal funding for necessary contaminated sediment remediation through the Great Lakes Legacy Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

It is based on the 2022 State of the Strait conference held at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. The State of the Strait is a U.S.-Canada collaboration that hosts a meeting every two years bringing together government managers, researchers, students, environmental and conservation organizations, and concerned citizens to understand historical conditions and assess current ecosystem status to achieve a better future for the Detroit River and western Lake Erie.

Read the report, titled “The Contaminated Sediment Remediation Challenge: Complicated Problems that Require Interdisciplinary and Creative Solutions.”

UWindsor engineering professor Waguih ElMaraghy has received an Ontario Volunteer Service Award, nominated by Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) for his 30 years of service to the organization.

“Waguih has had an incredibly fruitful career which has been dedicated to his profession, his students, and our faculty,” says dean of engineering Bill Van Heyst. “Waguih’s legacy of volunteering can be seen through his work with the PEO where he has promoted to his utmost the high professional values associated with our sector.”

The award recognizes Dr. ElMaraghy’s continued contributions to engineering and engineering education. He is the chair of the Academic Requirements Committee, which advises PEO on academic matters relating to admission procedures and assesses applicants’ qualifications.

After earning master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from McMaster University, ElMaraghy started his career in industry; he joined the UWindsor faculty in 1994.

“The privilege of industrial experience, as well as engineering professional service, has afforded me opportunities to make unique contributions in my academic research, applied research with industry, and the teaching for many years at the undergraduate and graduate levels,” he says.

In 2022, the Ontario government issued 4,555 Volunteer Service Awards to honour the “exceptional contributions of individuals providing dedicated service to a single organization.”

The award certificate was signed by Ontario premier Doug Ford and was accompanied by lapel pins acknowledging 30 years of volunteerism and the platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

—Naomi Pelkey

Students looking to learn how to manage their money better and stay away from poor money management can improve their knowledge through the Enriched Academy financial literacy program created by the Office of Student Awards and Financial Aid.

Students who complete the program through a series of fun and insightful videos may be considered for one of five awards available for the current academic year. Upon completion of all Enriched Academy modules, students will receive a certificate of completion and become eligible to apply for this award via the UWinAward Profile/Application.

Start now — the deadline to complete the modules and to apply for this award is Feb. 15.

New and existing content editors who maintain official UWindsor websites are invited to attend online Drupal training on Thursday, Feb. 9.

“New UWindsor web editors are required to take the training to maintain and start building webpages, while more seasoned web editors could use the opportunity learn how to organize their content more effectively,” says Rob Aitkens, web development team lead. “This session focuses on fundamentals and helps our web editors create accessible and interesting content.”

Faculty and staff, including student employees, can sign up to attend the online Drupal 7 + Web Accessibility Basic Training on Thursday, February 9, from 1 to 3 p.m.