So far there have been relatively few instances of humans contracting avian influenza, but that is no reason for complacency, says chemistry professor Kenneth Ng.

“The concern is that each time there is a spillover infection from a bird to a human or from a cow to a human, we are rolling the dice and giving the virus another chance to pick up additional mutations that could then allow it to start spreading efficiently among humans,” Dr. Ng says. “When that happens, there will be an outbreak that could be the start of a major public health problem.”

He is the project lead on a team of scientists exploring the diversity of influenza virus subtypes infecting wild bird populations in Windsor-Essex. Using environmental samples taken from areas of Essex County where both migratory and resident birds congregate, they will monitor the levels and types of influenza infections to help prepare for future spread into commercial livestock and humans.

Avian influenza primarily affects birds, but since March 2024, it has spread widely for the first time in dairy cattle across 15 states in the U.S. Genomic sequencing of influenza virus in cattle, birds, and humans provides an opportunity to identify mutations that help the virus infect and reproduce more efficiently in different hosts. The researchers will develop a platform to rapidly monitor changes in influenza virus subtype composition.

“With the first human case of H5N1 avian influenza in Canada very recently confirmed in B.C., this adds to a few dozen documented human cases in the U.S. over the past year,” Ng says.

“Fortunately for now, these cases have all been isolated, and the virus does not spread efficiently in humans. As seen with the recent dairy cow infections, however, the situation can change quickly as the virus continues to evolve.”

The one-year $150,000 Canadian Institutes of Health Research Catalyzing One Health Research on Avian Influenza grant is sponsored by the CIHR Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies.

“This work will establish and validate a novel and sustainable surveillance platform at a border region that acts as a critical gateway for the entry of viruses and other pathogens into Canada,” Ng says.

“We aim to develop and test a virus sampling and genome sequence analysis workflow targeting environmental samples from key sites identified within the Windsor-Essex border region, an area with particular significance for migratory birds at the confluence of two of the four major flyways in North America.”

Along with Ng, team members Dan Mennill, a professor of integrative biology, and Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) director Mike McKay each bring their own unique expertise to the project.

Cam Chevalier, a graduate student working with Dr. Mennill, will lead the work to identify productive sampling sites for resident and migratory waterfowl likely to harbour avian influenza viruses.

Ryland Corchis-Scott, a graduate student working with Dr. McKay, will lead the work to process environmental samples and test them for influenza viruses.

Ana Podadera, a post-doctoral fellow in Ng’s research group, will lead the work to develop virus genome sequencing methods, and to compare sequences obtained from wild and domesticated animals, as well as people.

By working closely with members of the Canada Biomedical Research Fund supported INSPIRE network, Ng says they will integrate this surveillance platform into a broader public policy decision-making structure to help leaders in government and industry use information about viral infections in wildlife, farm animals, and humans from a One Health perspective. Rowena Hill-Ernesto, training co-ordinator at INSPIRE, will lead efforts to engage with livestock producers and regulatory agencies.

An unprecedented number of UWindsor professors are among the world’s most influential academics, according to an annual ranking by researchers at Stanford University.

Each year, Stanford University and information analytics company Elsevier compile a database of the most-cited researchers. This year, 40 current and former UWindsor professors made the list.

“This most-cited researchers list speaks to the breadth of expertise and research excellence at our institution,” said Shanthi Johnson, UWindsor’s vice-president, research and innovation.

“I'm delighted so many of our researchers have been recognized in this way. I extend to them my heartiest congratulations.”

The study, which lists the top two per cent of scholars in their fields of expertise, is based on metrics that assess the publication records and citations of roughly 7 million academics from 1965 to 2023. The database is derived from Elsevier’s Scopus database of abstracts and citations for academic journal articles. It corrects for self-citations and co-authorships, and reflects a scholar’s influence rather than just their publication count.

The list includes current or past professors across several faculties and disciplines, with 20 from the Faculty of Engineering. Nine are chemists and others are ecologists, social workers, sociologists, mathematicians, physicists, geomorphologists, neuropsychologists, and philosophers.

Some are early career researchers, while others made so many contributions over their lifetimes they continue to make the list posthumously.

Engineering professor Adeyemi Adesina is the latest UWindsor researcher to make the list. Joining the University in October 2023, he made the list for the first time three years ago with papers he co-authored while completing his PhD.

Dr. Adesina studies the sustainability and durability of concrete, alternative binders in cement, low-carbon alternatives to cement, and the use of waste products such as plastics in construction.

“We use a lot of this material and there’s a lot of research in this field,” he said, modestly crediting the subject matter for why his work is highly cited.

“It’s the current push for sustainability… It’s the time for it.”

View the searchable database here.

Associate professor and chair of equality law at Windsor Law, Joshua Sealy-Harrington played a pivotal role as a constitutional and legal consultant on Soulpepper Theatre’s adaptation of What the Constitution Means to Me.

A Broadway production of playwright Heidi Schreck’s work was nominated for the Tony Award for best play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and won an Obie Award for best new American play and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle award for best American play. In preparing for the Toronto production, it underwent thoughtful adjustments to connect with Canadian audiences, thanks in part to Prof. Sealy-Harrington’s expertise.

Sealy-Harrington's involvement focused on guiding Schreck and director Weyni Mengesha through the complex legal and political nuances surrounding Canada’s constitutional debates. His insights helped adapt the play’s U.S.-centric discussions on rights and justice to reflect contemporary Canadian issues, particularly those shaped by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

As described in The New York Times, “Over three days this year, Schreck, Mengesha, and (lead actress Amy) Rutherford held a workshop to imagine what a Canadian take on the play could look like. Joshua Sealy-Harrington, a Canadian constitutional scholar, helped tease out the politics, including how the modern charter is actually working and who it is and isn’t protecting.”

The adaptation allows Canadian audiences to connect with the play’s powerful themes of equality and justice. Its limited run, presented by Soulpepper and Nightwood Theatre in association with Necessary Angel and Talk is Free Theatre, was timed to overlap with the U.S. election, with performances Oct. 31 to Nov. 10.

The ceremonial lighting of the student centre’s holiday tree promises festive music and traditional milk and cookies starting at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, with the official illumination at noon.

Event organizer Sandra Riccio-Muglia says the occasion is open to the entire campus community.

“Come share in the magic of the holidays,” she says. “As the nights get longer, we’ll light the way to brighter days.”

The Presidential Search Committee is embarking on the process of selecting the University of Windsor’s President and Vice-Chancellor. The search will be comprehensive in scope with an integral portion being a process of consultation.

To help in the search, the committee has engaged the services of Laverne Smith & Associates, a leading Canadian firm that has worked extensively with universities.

As this is a very important matter for the University, input from the community is critical. Click here to complete a brief questionnaire to be returned to Laverne Smith & Associates. All responses are due by Nov. 28. Responses will be held in strict confidence by the consultant and the inclusion of your name is optional.

Take the few minutes required to help in this important undertaking.

The Department of Continuing Education, in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering and Siemens, a global leader in advanced manufacturing, will introduce the Siemens Mechatronic Systems Certification Program at an information session on Thursday, Nov. 21.

The program is an industry certification designed to equip participants with essential skills for high-tech manufacturing roles. The in-person session will run 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation.

Mechanical, automotive, and materials engineering professor Shahpour Alirezaee, co-ordinator of the Siemens Mechatronics program, notes its applicability to the modern-day workplace.

“I’m proud to offer a program that provides students with hands-on experience in automation and mechatronics,” says Dr. Alirezaee. “This globally recognized certification equips them with the skills needed to thrive in high-demand industries, preparing them for successful careers in advanced manufacturing and technology.”

Students will engage in four compulsory courses that will cover (electro) pneumatic and hydraulic control circuits, digital fundamentals and programmable logic controllers, electrical components, and mechanical components and electrical drive. Graduates will earn an internationally recognized certification, giving them a strong competitive advantage for roles in engineering, production, and technical fields worldwide.

The Winter 2025 program begins Jan. 24, with classes held on Fridays and Saturdays until April 12. Financial aid is available through the Ontario Student Assistance Program for micro-credentials.

Attend the information session on Nov. 21 to discover how Siemens and the University of Windsor are preparing tomorrow’s leaders in mechatronics. Click here to register.

A University of Windsor professor has been elected to membership in the American Antiquarian Society, an organization that recognizes individuals for their significant contributions to academic and public life.

Ashley Glassburn, a professor of interdisciplinary and critical studies, was elected in October to the 212-year-old society, a distinguished national research library and scholarly community dedicated to exploring and sharing a deeper understanding of the American past.

“I am incredibly honoured to join such an impressive group of scholars and deeply appreciative that my work contributes to the scholarship on how colonial racial orders shaped the early United States and continue to impact living Indigenous peoples today,” Dr. Glassburn said in a news release.

Glassburn joins more than 1,100 scholars, collectors, librarians, artists, writers and history enthusiasts from across the United States and five other countries who have been elected to the society.

Since its founding in 1812, the society has included 14 U.S. presidents, more than 75 Pulitzer Prize winners, numerous Bancroft Prize winners, Guggenheim fellows, and several MacArthur Award recipients among its members.

Located in Worcester, Mass., the American Antiquarian Society holds the world’s largest and most accessible collection of printed, handwritten, and visual materials from before 1900 in the U.S. Its library includes more than four million items, ranging from books and pamphlets to newspapers, children’s literature, music, and graphic arts. The society provides access to these collections through its digital catalogue, online resources, and exhibitions.

To learn more, visit americanantiquarian.org.

Each November, organizations around the world pledge to increase fraud awareness in their workplaces and communities. International Fraud Awareness Week is a global campaign led by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners to highlight the importance of fraud detection and prevention.

As a broader public sector institution, the University must manage fraud risk to protect against the loss of public funds and public trust. In support of Fraud Awareness Week, the University is taking the opportunity to remind the campus community about the shared responsibility to prevent fraud.

What is fraud?

The term fraud encompasses intentional actions that are meant to deceive for financial or personal gain. Occupational fraud refers to fraud that is committed by people who work for or do business with an organization. Occupational fraud can be classified into three main categories: Asset Misappropriation, Corruption, and Financial Statement Fraud.

Why should we care about fraud?

The association’s 2024 Report to the Nations estimates that the typical organization loses five per cent of its revenue annually to fraud. Losses from fraud can place a significant strain on the organization’s resources and may result in budget reductions, reputational damage, and weakened public trust in the institution.

What can you do to help?

Every member of the campus community has a role to play in preventing fraud. You can help protect the University’s finances and its reputation from harm by remaining alert to potential fraud and reporting if you suspect fraud is occurring.

Employees are encouraged to report suspected fraud directly to the academic or administrative unit responsible for the area of concern or to their immediate supervisor or reporting vice-president. For employees who may be uncomfortable disclosing through these channels, the University has engaged the Grant Thornton CARE team to provide an independent service for employees to confidentially or anonymously report suspected financial misconduct via an online reporting program, telephone, email, or ground mail.

For further details on how to report, visit Whistleblower Safe Disclosure Reporting Program | Internal Audit.

Interested in learning more about fraud? Additional information is available at Resources: Fraud Awareness | Internal Audit or contact Internal Audit at kimlass@uwindsor.ca to schedule a fraud training session for your department.