Long ago, a great flood covered the earth. During this time, a brave muskrat dove to the bottom of the water and brought up a piece of land. A turtle allowed this earth to be placed on its back. As the wind moved in all directions, the earth on the turtle’s back grew, expanding into what is now called Turtle Island, or North America.

This creation story is a key part of Anishinaabe tradition.

Artist Teresa Altiman of the Walpole Island First Nation shared how it inspired her sculpture, The Big Turtle, which was installed in the River Commons on Friday, Sept. 6.

“That turtle holds a very important position for us as First Nations people,” Altiman said. “And here it is now, being held up by a powerful hand.”

Altiman developed the design years ago, creating sketches and a prototype modeled after a snapping turtle. Earlier this year, she had her first look at the completed piece and saw her vision realized.

“I was overwhelmed when I saw it. It’s one thing to design and dream of something and another to actually see it in reality,” she said.

The eight-and-a-half-foot sculpture features the great turtle — Gchi-mishiikenh in Anishinaabemowin — supported by an outstretched hand, carrying an eagle feather with the sacred colours of white, yellow, red, and black.

“I’ve seen it in pictures and online, but to see it in person, it’s powerful,” said Beverly Jacobs, senior advisor on Indigenous relations and outreach.

The statue now stands along Turtle Island Walk, which is lined with banners also featuring Altiman’s designs and plaques showcasing traditional teachings.

“This is, to me, very important to bring attention to the university moving forward on Truth and Reconciliation,” she said. “I’m hoping this will highlight those messages and help foster stronger relationships within the university.”

Zeke Moores, a sessional instructor in the School of Creative Arts and the sculptor who executed Altiman’s design, worked hard in his Walkerville studio to ensure that every detail — from the turtle’s shape to its texture and colours — matched her vision.

“As an artist myself, I wanted it to be as close to what she envisioned as possible,” Moores said.

Altiman had emphasized the “gnarly texture” of turtles, with their ridged and bumpy skin. Moores said the team hand-hammered the shell to reflect that quality.

“Her drawings were distinctly her style, and our goal was to preserve those elements in the sculpture. We wanted anyone familiar with her tapestries or other works to recognize the connection,” he said.

“When you share an idea, especially one you hope to bring to life, you put all your trust and feelings into it,” Altiman said. “The team that worked on the turtle has done a marvellous job — they’ve met my expectations and much more.”

She hopes the sculpture will inspire those who see it to feel the strength the turtle embodies.

“As First Nations people, we hold deep respect for the turtle and everything it represents. I believe it will have the same impact when it’s placed at the University,” Altiman said. “The turtle is so powerful, and I hope that when students and others see it, they’ll feel that power too — standing a little taller, walking with more pride.”

The University of Windsor will honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Monday, Sept. 30, with a ceremony at the statue and a flag-raising event. More details to come.

Watch a video on the making of the sculpture:

The latest local Black history exhibit at the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, “For Friends and Family: Social Organizing in Late Nineteenth Century Amherstburg,” is the work of recent grad Max Bennett (BA 2024), this year’s local Black history intern.

Under the supervision of history professor Gregg French and Amherstburg Freedom Museum assistant curator Lorene Bridgen-Lennie, Bennett, who uses they-them pronouns, conducted independent research and used the museum’s Family History Collection, along with sources from the Alvin D. McCurdy Fond and The Amherstburg Echo, to discuss the organizational work of persons of African descent in 19th-century Amherstburg.

The exhibit includes displays in the museum gallery and online network diagrams which demonstrate the interconnectivity between individuals and institutions in multiple organizations, in addition to international and intergenerational links. Bennett’s exhibit focuses on the lives of Black settlers in Amherstburg in the post-Underground Railroad period and demonstrates the extensive activity occurring in the region in the 19th century which created a foundation for 20th century activism.

Most of the material Bennett had to work with is the result of family history research by Dr. Bridgen-Lennie. There are 66 family histories on the website to date. Bennett focused on a couple dozen of them.

“For this project I had to pick one specific topic to represent social organizing in this community,” Bennett says. “So I wanted to talk about intergenerational skill sharing, social networks and mutual aid, uplifting the community.”

The network diagrams and the exhibit show the links between organizations ranging from etiquette groups, literary societies, philanthropic societies, theatrical performance groups, and the Freemasons.

“I felt like these kinds of organizations best fit the themes of social organizations,” says Bennett.

The network diagrams Bennett created visually depict, by organization, what school or church hosted it and the people who were members. Scanning the names of members of the various groups soon reveals the interconnectivity within the community.

“So the Oxford Club was a performance group, like a theater troupe,” says Bennett. “If you look at the membership list, many are involved in literary societies and mutual aid organizations. And they’re also gaining skills from being involved in these clubs. Often challenging people’s ideas.

“I was working with minute books for these clubs where people are literally writing what happened at meetings. I was having to work out what everyone’s saying. You figure out there’s sometimes little dramas within these groups as well. You can read the records of who’s paying when, who’s paying late.”

Bridgen-Lennie calls “For Friends and Family” significant for many reasons.

“It not only narrows the focus to highlight Amherstburg’s significance, but it also demonstrates that Canada did have a civil rights movement in the 19th century through groups such as fraternal orders, literary societies, and etiquette groups that helped to lay the foundation for future activists,” she says.

“This is a history to be very proud of and I hope that it helps visitors to challenge what they think they know about our country’s history and starts a conversation about our region’s significant Black history.”

The exhibit grew out of a group project Bennett and some of their classmates undertook during the Winter 2024 semester in a third-year level course taught by Dr. French. The project received support from an undergraduate research experience grant from the Centre for Teaching and Learning.

The Local Black History Internship program, established by French in 2023, is a partnership between the Department of History and the Amherstburg Freedom Museum.

“This is just one of the many paid experiential learning opportunities that we, in the Department of History, are providing to our students through our connections with local non-profit organizations in Windsor-Essex, particularly those groups that focus on underrepresented groups from the region’s diverse past,” French says.

Watch a video presentation of the exhibit by Bennett.

With a passion for design, Grace Oyeyi always found herself drawn to the built environment.

While studying quantity surveying at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, she developed a strong interest in transportation and improving infrastructure. This inspired her to pursue further studies in Leeds, England, before continuing to Waterloo, Ont., where she specialized in sustainable transportation.

Now an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Windsor, Dr. Oyeyi focuses on developing smart, sustainable transportation infrastructure. Her research contributes to creating safer pavements and construction materials, supporting water-related ecosystems, and designing longer-lasting infrastructure. She plans to study how climate change impacts materials and pavement designs to build more resilient systems.

DailyNews will showcase the contributions and insights of members of the Black Scholars Institute leading up to its official launch on Sept. 26 and connected with Oyeyi to discuss her research goals and experience in civil and environmental engineering.

Q: Tell us about your research interests and what projects you’d like to pursue at the University of Windsor:

A: My research focuses on creating sustainable, smart, and durable transportation infrastructure, particularly pavements. At UWindsor, I intend to work on developing and assessing sustainable and smart materials and construction techniques, as well as designing accessible transportation systems for different user groups. Additionally, I will study how climate change affects materials and pavement designs, their resilience, and their adaptability to changing environmental conditions.

Q: Can you share a bit about your academic journey and what inspired you to pursue a career in civil engineering?

A: I’ve always been drawn to the built environment, with a passion for designing and creating things. This led me to pursue a degree in quantity surveying at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. During my studies, I developed a strong interest in improving transportation infrastructure, particularly roads, due to the poor conditions I saw, which inspired me to continue with a master’s degree in transportation planning and engineering at the University of Leeds.

It was during this program that I realized how crucial road transportation is to making cities competitive and accessible, sparking my focus on pavement research. This interest led me to complete a PhD in civil engineering with a specialization in transportation at the University of Waterloo, where I worked on designing, constructing, and evaluating sustainable and durable pavements. After my PhD, I continued as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo, working on pavement-related projects before joining the University of Windsor.

Q: What led you to become a part of the University of Windsor’s Black Scholars Institute?

A: Simple answer: I got the job! I want to make a difference and be a role model.

Q: Could you explain the significance of your work and research interests?

A: My research contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals. To outline them briefly, my work aims to:

• Develop sustainable pavement and construction materials that could reduce accidents and deaths due to hazardous chemicals (SDGs 3.6, 3.9).
• Develop and evaluate pavement and urban infrastructure materials that can aid in protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems (SDG 6.6).
• Develop quality, sustainable, and resilient pavements, and redesign them to provide longer lasting and smarter infrastructure, which contributes to upgrading and making infrastructure more sustainable (SDGs 9.1, 9.4).
• Evaluate the accessibility needs of varying transportation user groups to enhance the provision of safe, sustainable transport systems for all (SDG 11.2).
• Promote a circular economy by exploring reducing, reusing, and recycling construction and waste materials, aiding in the achievement of sustainable management and efficient natural resource use. Additionally, perform material impact evaluations to encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices and integrate sustainability information into reporting (SDGs 12.2, 12.5, 12.6).
• Provide longer-lasting pavement infrastructure with updated designs and properties, strengthening their resilience and adaptability to climate hazards. Material and construction impact assessments from my research could also aid the integration of climate change into policies, considering the transformation in urban material production and consumption to reduce emissions (SDGs 13.1, 13.2).

Q: What do you believe are some of the most pressing challenges in your field today?

A: Some of the most pressing challenges in my research area include adapting infrastructure to the ever-changing climate. Another critical challenge is predicting infrastructure needs before they fail, allowing for more efficient maintenance. Developing smart pavements with self-sensing capabilities presents a promising solution, but this technology is still in its early stages and comes with significant cost implications.

Another major focus is incorporating new materials to improve sustainability and create smarter materials, which remains a complex challenge. Finding the right proportions and types of materials is key.

Enhancing the recycling of old pavements and reusing construction materials in new projects to reduce carbon footprints is another important area. However, there’s still resistance to using higher percentages of recycled materials, highlighting the need for evidence-based studies to validate their effectiveness.

Integrating social aspects into the lifecycle assessment of infrastructure designs and materials is an emerging area that requires further attention.

Q: In what ways do you hope your research will influence policy and development?

A: My goal is to perform innovative, cross-disciplinary research that leverages the views of multiple stakeholders. I hope to develop and use experimental and realistic field evaluation methods to understand pavement materials and design resilient transportation infrastructure that is economical, durable, and sustainable, ensuring evidence-based decision-making. This will encourage the uptake of new designs, methods, and materials, which will inform standards and policies.

A UWindsor professor will engage in an exchange of ideas, culture, and exploration as the 2024 Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Computers, Science, and Engineering at Florida Polytechnic University.

Jalal Ahamed, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical, Automotive, and Materials Engineering, will embark on a four-month journey collaborating with other fellows along with current faculty and graduate students.

“It is a unique opportunity for us to expand and advance our knowledge by going beyond our boundaries to learn from others through research, teaching, and exchange of ideas in a collaborative environment,” Dr. Ahamed says. “It will help us propel a solid and long-lasting academic collaboration between the institutions.”

As the Fulbright Canada Research Chair, he will be working closely with Chris Kelley, is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Florida Poly, on research regarding wearable sensing systems for Parkinson’s care. Dr. Kelley specializes in controls, while Ahmad specializes in wearable sensors for human movements.

The sensors they are working with have three-axis motion sensing for real-time identification of movement disorders and utilizing that information in control systems for disorder care and rehabilitation. Together they are trying to improve the wearable sensing and control system for human motor dysfunction detection and management.

Fulbright Scholars are professors, scientists, administrators, artists, and other distinct professionals who travel to other countries to teach, lecture, research, and exchange ideas. Fulbright Canada Research Chairs are intended for Canadians who wish to conduct research or lecture in the United States.

Ahamed is the eighth UWindsor professor to serve as a Fulbright Scholar — the first from engineering.

Two summer workshops offered participants an artistic outlet to explore local ecosystems and ecological interactions. Fifty people, including students and community members, took part in the Creative Ecologies Masterclasses.

The first Creative Ecologies Masterclass was delivered in creative partnership with Art Windsor-Essex (AWE). It was taught by bioartist and Master of Fine Arts student Garvin Chinnia. Participants used handheld microscopes and found objects to create original artwork.

The second offering sent participants on an adventure to Essex County to visit Gem Farms, a Leamington greenhouse. Tom Schnekenburger, UWindsor director of research partnerships, led a tour of the facility and spoke about Agriculture UWindsor, a Centre of Excellence partnership that supports research, community, and collaboration in the agriculture sector.

“Windsor-Essex is North America’s largest cluster of greenhouses growing fruits and vegetables and these highly complex and technologically advanced environments are supported by a huge ecosystem of growers, specialists, and scientists,” says Schnekenburger.

“The work with the Creative Ecologies group is an important reminder of the role agriculture plays in our lives and need for secure food systems that support a growing population.”

Chinnia brought the creative side into the workshop by creating an outdoor scavenger hunt that tied together agriculture, landscape, and drawing. Gem Farms encouraged everyone to load up on free produce from its bountiful crops.

Jaclyn Meloche is the project lead as well as an instructor in the School of Creative Arts.

“These classes are community partnerships in different ways that we didn’t anticipate and really they are pilot projects for what we could offer next,” says Dr. Meloche.

“It’s nice to see the social scientists and the scientists work so seamlessly together on the faculty side and the student side.”

The Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science collaborate on the Masterclasses series. The next courses will be offered in music and film in Fall 2024.

The series is funded by a one-year Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) program grant and it is sponsored by UWindsor’s Science Meets Art (SMArt) Communications initiative.

As a culmination of the entire series, the School of Creative Arts will host a SMArt Communications exhibition — curated by graduate students Grace Dycha and Robyn-Jean Susko — featuring content generated by participants.

Law professor Gemma Smyth will succeed Jasminka Kalajdzic as academic clinic director of the Class Action Clinic following the latter’s appointment to the Superior Court of Justice. Prof. Smyth has been a member of the Class Actions Clinic advisory committee since its founding five years ago.

Smyth was previously director of the University of Windsor Mediation Clinic, academic clinic director of Legal Assistance of Windsor and Community Legal Aid, and a board member with the Windsor Law Centre for Cities. She is currently director of Windsor Law’s externship program and will retain that role alongside her new position with the Class Action Clinic.

“No one can truly take the place of Justice Kalajdzic,” Smyth said. “She is the pre-eminent class actions scholar in Canada and founder of the Class Action Clinic. The clinic has represented many clients and taken on significant law reform initiatives, alongside providing meaningful experiential learning for law students. Clinic lawyer Andrew Eckart and I will continue Justice Kalajdzic’s legacy and re-commit to the important work of the clinic.”

The first of its kind in North America, the Class Action Clinic is a non-profit representing class members through Canada at no charge and at all stages of a class action. More information about the clinic is available on its website.

The newest addition to the University Print Shop, the Xante X-33 printer, is gaining attention for its ability to print on materials like coroplast, foam board, wood, metal, and more, making it perfect for creating eye-catching signs and promotional items.

With its UV-cured ink technology, the Xante X-33 delivers vibrant, durable prints suitable for both indoor or outdoor use: personalized signage, brochures, flyers, or banners.

Visit the Print Shop today to explore its expanded capabilities or email printshop@uwindsor.ca for more information and quotes. Remember, no taxes are charged to internal accounts.

The University has declared four filing cabinets for sale by bid as Disposal File 2086.

The cabinets are cream-coloured and each has five drawers.

Click here for photos, item details, and instructions on submitting bids.