A recently retired kinesiology professor is calling for a judicial inquiry into abuse in Canadian sport, launching an online petition to be presented in the House of Commons.

Victoria Paraschak said she hopes to collect at least 500 signatures before March 12 so her petition can be presented to the federal government by local MP Brian Masse.

“There are widespread reports of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse throughout Canadian sport,” said Dr. Paraschak. “Everyone in sport, from children to elite athletes, should have the right to participate without abuse and harm.”

Paraschak’s petition comes after 91 academics calling themselves Scholars Against Abuse in Canadian Sport wrote a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in January calling for an independent public inquiry. Paraschak, a signatory to the letter, wants the federal government to call an independent review similar to the 1989 Dublin Inquiry which looked into doping in sport — the use of drugs and other banned practices to enhance athletic performance.

“Athletes’ human rights are being violated,” said Paraschak. She said the current system lacks an independent and transparent mechanism to address complaints.

Last year saw an explosion of personal accounts by athletes who say they were abused by their coaches in a toxic sport culture. These athletes came from a wide variety of sports, including hockey, gymnastics, cycling, water polo, figure skating, boxing, soccer, rowing, and bobsleigh.

In response, the federal government established the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner. But critics have said the office is not independent and effectively allows Sport Canada to investigate itself.

The petition can be found here.

—Sarah Sacheli

Following a highly competitive search process, Shanthi Johnson will take up an appointment as vice-president, research and innovation, effective July 1, 2023.

Reporting to the President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Johnson will be the University’s internal and external advocate for research, creative work, scholarship, and innovation — providing leadership in advancing areas of opportunity to further accelerate growth and success while ensuring effective support of researchers. In her role, Johnson will also be responsible for advancing UWindsor’s research culture by enhancing the development of interdisciplinary research teams, expanding partnership opportunities, capitalizing on strategic research funding, and supporting student and community engaged research.

Johnson comes to the University of Windsor from the University of Alberta, where she served most recently as professor and dean of the School of Public Health. Building on a strong academic foundation from India and culminating with a PhD from the University of Western Ontario, Johnson has significant research and leadership experiences in Canada and beyond.

She also has had considerable national and international experiences through her participation on various councils and boards including the National Seniors Council, Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, and the CIHR Governing Council. Johnson’s research focuses on falls and injury prevention, aging in place in rural communities, and social isolation among immigrant and refugee seniors.

She takes on the role from K.W. Michael Siu, who completed his second term as vice-president, research and innovation in the fall of 2022, and interim vice-president, research and innovation Chris Houser, who has been in the role since September 2022.

President Robert Gordon says he is thrilled to welcome Johnson to the University of Windsor community and thanks Drs. Siu and Houser for their leadership in the role.

“Shanthi’s commitment to building a culture of research and innovation on campus will complement the work of Michael and Chris,” said Dr. Gordon. “With an impressive body of scholarship that boasts interdisciplinary collaboration and community-engaged practice, Shanthi will be an excellent addition to the University’s leadership team.”

Johnson said she is honoured to have the opportunity to lead, support, and elevate the innovative research capacity and impact at the University of Windsor.

“It is a privilege to join a university community driven by relevance to the critical issues our society faces right now while looking ahead to the solutions we will need in the future,” she said. “I am committed to celebrating and strengthening UWindsor’s diversity of research and innovation.”

Lancer sports enters the weekend’s competition with four teams ranked in the top 10 across the nation.

Basketball will celebrate graduating seniors during the final games of the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 18, tipping off against the Guelph Gryphons in the Toldo Lancer Centre. The women will play at 4 p.m. and the No. 10 men at 6 p.m.

Women’s hockey will also host senior’s day on Saturday, facing off with the Toronto Varsity Blues at 4p.m. at the Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex. Men’s hockey has already finished its regular season, ranked 10th by USports.

Men’s volleyball, currently ranked sixth, will close at its regular season with a pair of matches against the York Lions in Toronto, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 17 and 18. Women’s volleyball has already completed its regular-season play.

Track and field athletes will travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to compete in the Silverston Invitational meet. USports has ranked Windsor’s men seventh in the country. The Lancers will host the Ontario University Athletics championship tournament Feb. 24 and 25. Fans can get tickets, including a two-day pass to the meet, at goLancers.ca/tickets.

Watch goLancers.ca for details of playoff contests in other sports.

The University of Windsor website will undergo planned maintenance on Tuesday, Feb. 21, from 6 to 8 a.m. During this time, uwindsor.ca will be temporarily unavailable.

The maintenance is necessary to ensure the smooth operation of the website and ensures the infrastructure that Information Technology Services supports remains stable.

Only uwindsor.ca Drupal pages will be affected; other systems will remain available.

Should users experience any issues with the website after the maintenance, contact the IT Service Desk by submitting a ticket, chatting, or calling 519-253-3000, ext. 4440.

A UWindsor kinesiology professor has been featured in the latest edition of Community Living Essex County’s Possibilities Newsletter for his work with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Chad Sutherland is the founder of the Faculty of Human Kinetics’ Adapted Physical Exercise Research Group, or APEX for short. The program offers physical activity including sports and games for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. People supported by Community Living Essex County have participated in the APEX program for the past 12 years.

“I’m pleased to be profiled in this edition of the newsletter,” said Sutherland. “It helps to showcase the University of Windsor’s connection with the community and the services our faculty in particular provides.”

Sutherland joined Community Living Essex County’s board of directors in 2014 and is currently the agency’s first vice-president. The agency lauds Sutherland for his advocacy and hands-on programming.

“Chad is passionate about making exercise an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone,” the agency says in Sutherland’s profile.

In addition to leading APEX together with fellow kinesiology professor Sean Horton, Sutherland specializes in sport and exercise biomechanics, applying his expertise in his role as director of operations and sport performance at the Faculty of Human Kinetics’ Centre for Human Performance and Health.

—Alexis Tadiello and Sarah Sacheli

Students got a lesson in leadership from successful women scientists on Friday, Feb. 9.

In honour of the International Day for Women and Girls in Science, the Faculty of Science’s Women in Science (WinS) held a panel discussion on leadership. Eight women leaders from various disciplines within the Faculty of Science shared their personal stories of resilience and persistence.

Acting dean of science Dora Cavallo-Medved leads the WinS group out of the USci Network. She started off the discussion by answering a question about the best qualities of a leader.

“I believe it takes good listening skills, patience, as well as a thoughtful approach. It is about building relationships with people,” says Dr. Cavallo-Medved. “Ultimately, it is about our success as a collective.”

Other panellists tackled questions about overcoming challenges, leadership styles, biggest setbacks, and the imposter phenomenon.

Undergraduate Rabia Ali is a WinS co-leader and a biology major.

“We organized this panel because we wanted to celebrate the International Day for Women and Girls in Science and to hear from the team of women leaders in science. The panellists’ stories were so great and funny too,” says Ali.

“They even had personal stories that we could relate to, and I could really relate being in leadership positions as a co-lead of Women in Science. I believe it was helpful for everyone.”

Physics major Hadia Malik is also a co-leader for WinS.

“I think that, especially when talking about imposter phenomenon, it was really relatable, and it made me feel good that even professors who are in higher-up positions also have those feelings themselves,” says Malik.

Cavallo-Medved adds: “Having our women leaders connect with our students also promotes mentorship and empowers our students to take on challenges knowing that there is support for them in science.”

The panel also included:

• Arunita Jaekel, computer science, acting associate dean, undergraduate affairs;
• Isabelle Barrette-Ng, head of integrative biology;
• Shari Forbes, chemistry and biochemistry, incoming forensic science program chair ;
• Maria Cioppa, environment, outgoing forensic science administrator;
• Lisa Porter, biomedical sciences, executive director, WE-Spark Health Institute;
• Chitra Rangan, physics, associate dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies; and
• Alice Grgicak-Mannion, acting director, School of the Environment.

The United Nations General Assembly designated Feb. 11 the International Day for Women and Girls in Science to strive towards gender equality for women and girls pursuing STEM-related fields.

Students in the Master of Management program tested their skills Feb. 11 at the Odette School of Business in a case competition hosted by the National Bank of Canada.

Twelve teams competed to propose a marketing plan for the bank to engage and attract new Canadians. A panel of five judges from NBC selected the top three teams, awarding each a cash prize.

“The competition provided Master of Management students with a unique opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to a practical business problem and receive valuable feedback on their efforts,” says Master of Management program director Brent Furneaux.

The first-place team will present its plan to NBC’s executive team and its members will have the opportunity to meet with NBC managers for an interview and resumé coaching session.

Clementa Stan, Odette career advising co-ordinator, says getting guidance will prove invaluable to the students’ futures.

“The career coaching session with leaders at NBC is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain practical insight into their interviewing and resume skills,” she says. “Students will see what companies see when reviewing applications and interviewing candidates.”

All participants enjoyed a lunch sponsored by the bank and had the opportunity to meet with company managers prior to the competition to learn more about the organization and the case.

—Sienna Ducharme