As Windsor’s NextStar Energy plant ramps up battery module production, local engineering students are gaining hands-on experience and honing skills vital to the region’s emerging electric vehicle sector.

A joint venture between Stellantis and LG Energy Solution, the plant is Canada’s first facility of its kind to begin production. Construction on the facility broke ground in 2022, with the project celebrated as a major win for the community, expected to create 2,500 jobs.

Among those jobs is the first cohort of co-op students from the University of Windsor, who have had the opportunity to play a role in the plant’s launch.

“Everything is new. It’s fresh,” said third-year electrical and computer engineering student Michael Schembri. “The technology is so advanced compared to what we’ve been seeing in the manufacturing industry over here. It’s exciting to be here from the ground up to really help get this plant running.”

Each of the seven co-op students was placed in the quality department with an individual mentor, working on a range of projects including data analysis, monitoring air quality (essential for battery production), learning to operate technical equipment, training each other, and programming, among other tasks.

Schembri said he’s helped establish process flows and procedures for the inspection team, while gaining new perspectives and connecting what he’s learned in the classroom — such as problem-solving and analytical skills — to the field.

“I work on a lot of different projects and get to bounce around, which has been great,” he said. “Overall, my experience has been great. Everyone’s very welcoming. I’ll walk by a lab and pop in to see if the technicians need help with anything. Through that, I’ve learned so much. It’s been an amazing place to grow, especially seeing the manufacturing process from the ground up — it’s been truly eye-opening.”

Adaptability and cross-functional skills are key qualities Krista Ammonite, quality planning manager at NextStar, said the company looks for when hiring students.

“Attitude is a big component,” she said. “We want to bring in someone who is looking to try something different, step outside their comfort zone, and be willing to help one another out. At NextStar Energy, we work together as a strong team.”

Part of Ammonite’s role includes being the primary contact, mentor, and facilitator for the co-op students. She ensures each student secures a valuable placement in one of the organization’s quality departments.

In addition to gaining hands-on experience, she said, the students, in turn, offer unique skills and a fresh perspective that help keep employees “on their toes.”

“While they’re transitioning from academia into the workplace, they have a lot of questions stemming from their studies,” Ammonite explained. “Those questions help us stay proactive in terms of programming and problem-solving — really getting to those dynamic solutions. They bring that skillset and energy, and their passion for learning is contagious.”

Third-year mechanical engineering student Lauren Schmidt said her term at the battery plant was “incredible” and allowed her to learn about and use state-of-the-art technology unique to NextStar.

“I’ve been using some software that’s specific to NextStar Energy to create data visualizations,” she said. “I was also able to create standard operating procedures for the different machines in the lab, as well as create video standard operating procedures for future training purposes.”

For Schmidt, the experience has also opened her eyes to potential opportunities right here at home.

“I’m focusing on aerospace engineering, and being at NextStar has really shown me that there are places in Windsor where I want to work,” she said. “I thought I’d have to move away for something like this, and it’s been so great to work with and be taught by actual engineers doing real-life projects in the field.”

Currently, all of the co-op students are from the University of Windsor, which Ammonite said is beneficial because the students already have strong ties to the local community. She added that having students with these connections sends a strong message about the programs NextStar is developing and the type of talent they aim to attract.

“We want to continue to have local talent as well as diverse talent,” she said. “The University of Windsor has done a great job sending professional young people to our workplace. They show up, they’re ready to work, they’re engaged, and they’re doing a great job.”

While the quality department spearheaded the pilot co-op program, other departments are planning to follow their lead and bring on more students.

Talent acquisition specialist and NextStar’s first employee, Cristina Mazza, said a key aspect of the program is to help establish a talent pipeline.

“We look for students that stand out,” she said. “So, hopefully, once they’ve had their experience here, they’ve enjoyed it and are interested in working for us in the future.”

Mazza said they are continuously building their team, especially as production continues to ramp up.

“We’re looking for talent within our community to grow with us,” she said. “We are going to be hiring a lot of engineers within our community, and having this relationship start from the beginning with the university is vital to our future.”

To learn more about the University of Windsor’s co-op program and workplace partners, visit uwindsor.ca/coop-workplace-partnerships.

By pursuing her academic dreams at UWindsor, Tiffany Huang became a third-generation science student.

The fourth-year undergraduate is currently studying biology and psychology. Her father, William Huang, studied the same double major in the 1990s. But she says her academic legacy story starts with her grandfather, Fore-lien Huang, who finished a biology doctorate in the 1970s.

“I’m constantly reminded of how interconnected our journeys truly are,” says Huang.

Her grandfather came to UWindsor to pursue his PhD, and while living in Windsor, he and his wife, Meichi Huang, welcomed their son William. Tiffany Huang says her grandparents returned home for Fore-lien to become a professor at the National Taiwan University.

“He is still teaching endocrinology and developmental biology as a retired professor. He also still has his own lab, and it is just so inspiring to see.”

William moved back to Windsor for high school and stayed to pursue his undergraduate studies. After finishing dental school at University of Toronto, he moved back to Taiwan to open a practice.

Tiffany Huang’s grandmother Meichi Huang, grandfather Fore-Lien Huang, and father William Huang pose on the steps of Essex Hall during celebration’s of Fore-Lein’s graduation.

Tiffany Huang grew up in Taiwan dreaming of coming to Canada for her post-secondary studies. She was accepted to the University of Toronto, but she chose Windsor because of all the family stories she grew up with.

“It was a tug of war between do I count on the wonderful things my family had to say about this place for the longest time, or do I count on the fact that a couple of my friends were heading to U of T,” she said.

“I don’t regret my decision to come here and I’m glad I’m able to thrive in this environment.

“The faculty here are approachable and willing to help. I have so many nice things to say about all of the biology and psychology faculty.”

It was not a stretch for Huang to choose to the biology path.

“From the cell molecular level of it to the ecology aspects of it, I have found biology to be so fascinating,” she says.

“There are so many systems around you as an individual that make up your experience of life and biology is such an integral aspect of it.”

Though biology was always a given, Huang says she is happy she enrolled as a double major.

“Socially there is so much I’ve learned,” Huang says.  “The way of understanding how people’s thought processes came to be, circumstances that have shaped them — I wouldn’t have considered if I was only in the biology track.”

For her fourth-year thesis, she is researching misconceptions surrounding vaccines with integrative biology professor Tanya Noel.

Beyond her academic work, Huang is co-president of the Biology Students’ Union, a teaching assistant for human physiology, an awareness co-ordinator for the Canadian Cancer Society fundraising organization Relay for Life, and is involved in Little Kindness as a club manager, promoting student wellness with small acts of kindness in the UWindsor community.

As Huang nears the end of her degree, she looks forward to furthering her studies in health care, where she plans to combine her passion for biology and psychology to make a meaningful impact in the field of dentistry. In June, her graduation will be a celebration of her achievements, with the three generations gathering back at the University of Windsor to honour their shared academic legacy.

Tickets for the UWindsor faculty and staff holiday luncheon happening at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 4, are available for purchase now through Monday, Dec. 2, on a first-come, first-served basis from the Catering Services office.

Mona Sleiman, event and community relations manager in the Office of the President, advises acting fast to secure tickets.

“Last year, we sold out before the deadline,” says Sleiman.

The event will feature festive food stations serving up everything from roast beef to pasta, festive desserts, and a potini bar: mashed potatoes served in a martini glass with choice of toppings. The stand-up reception shares fellowship with friends and colleagues, in Vanier Hall’s Winclare Room.

Tickets are $20 per person, including tax and a cheering beverage. Email catering co-ordinator Rana Chan at ranachan@uwindsor.ca or stop by room 12, Vanier Hall to purchase tickets.

Each department is asked to delegate an individual to co-ordinate purchases. Note that only debit or credit may be used for ticket purchases. Celebrants are invited to bring a non-perishable food item for donation to the Campus Food Pantry.

The Schulich-UWindsor Opportunities for Research Excellence Program (SWORP) is offering 10 grants of $5,000 each to support research projects by medical students at UWindsor’s Schulich campus. This initiative is to provide students from the Windsor program of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry to enhance their research experience under the supervision of a University of Windsor faculty member.

Grant details:

• Eligibility: Open to undergraduate medical students enrolled in the first or second year at the Windsor Campus of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
• Supervisors: Must hold a University of Windsor appointment (assistance is available to help with this). Applications must be submitted jointly by a student and a supervisor.
• Funding use: Grants may cover research supplies and provide a stipend for students.
• Duration: Awards are typically for a period of 18 months.

Key dates:

• Application deadline: Mid-February 2025
• Results announced: March 2025
• SWORP mixer: Monday, Dec. 2, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Medical Education Building. (Participation in this mixer is encouraged but not mandatory.)

How to Get Started:

Interested clinicians are invited to express their interest by sharing a brief summary (one paragraph to one page) of their research area or project idea. Submit this summary to Jessica Flammia at jessica.flammia@uwindsor.ca by Friday, Nov. 29.

For additional information or questions, contact Flammia at jessica.flammia@uwindsor.ca.

Over the weekend of Nov. 10 and 11, the School of Computer Science hosted the Regional inter-university computer programming competition. The University of Windsor was one of four hosting sites in the East-Central North-American Region and the only site in Ontario.

The competition brought together 556 elite student programmers, making up 193 teams attempting to solve 13 problems in four hours. The Windsor site welcomed 27 teams from numerous universities across Ontario: Waterloo, Toronto, Brock, McMaster, York, Toronto Metropolitan, and Fanshawe as well as Windsor.

The top teams across the region hailed from Carnegie Mellon and Purdue, each of whom found solution to all 13 problems.

The UWindsor S team solved eight problems to finish behind squads from Waterloo, Toronto, Brock, and McMaster.

“Hosting this annual event brings a unique experience for our students, participating both as contestants and volunteers,” says Ziad Kobti, director of the School of Computer Science. “It further catapults our reputation for excellence in computersScience, resonating with all the contestants and coaches converging to Windsor over the busy weekend.”

Professor Ahmad Biniaz served as the Windsor coach, along with the team of dedicated computer science staff, putting together every detail for hosting a flawless event. The contest was financially supported by the International Collegiate Programming Contest organization and regional sponsors.

The scoreboard and problem set can be found here: https://naeast24.kattis.com/contests.