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Provincial funding boosts research tracking COVID-19 through sewage

Mar 23rd, 2021

Mike McKay, executive director of UWindsor’s Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, is leading a multidisciplinary team that has been collecting and testing weekly samples of wastewater.

Researchers at the University of Windsor using sewage as an early warning system for COVID-19 outbreaks are receiving $540,000 in funding as part of a new provincial wastewater surveillance system co-ordinated by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks.

Mike McKay, executive director of UWindsor’s Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, is leading a team that has been collecting and testing weekly samples of wastewater from Windsor, Leamington, Amherstburg, Lakeshore, London, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, and Thunder Bay. Dr. McKay’s project, launched early in the pandemic, was among the first in the province and is now part of a network of Ontario labs monitoring sewage for SARS-CoV-2.

The Ontario government has announced it is investing more than $12 million to support and expand the network. The province is partnering with 13 academic and research institutions across Ontario to enhance the ability of local public health units to identify, monitor, and manage potential COVID-19 outbreaks.

Research aims to minimize earthquake devastation

Mar 11th, 2021

Earthquakes that occurred in Canada in the last 30 days are shown in a graphic produced by Earthquakes Canada. The latest occurrence involves a 3.9 magnitude earthquake reported on Feb. 18, 2021 near Arctic Bay, Nunavut.

Would you be surprised to learn there are more than 1,450 earthquakes across Canada each year?

Although only a small fraction is of large enough magnitude to feel, the data published by Natural Resources Canada includes damaging earthquakes peppered throughout the nation’s history, which will inevitably occur again, according to the federal ministry.

Niel Van Engelen, an assistant professor in the University of Windsor’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is leading a project that can help Canada mitigate the loss of life and financial ruin caused by these large-scale earthquakes.

The $258,000 project is funded equally by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Ontario Research Fund with $46,000 support from the Faculty of Engineering.

Team working to ease transition to a hydrogen-based economy

Mar 9th, 2021

UWindsor engineering professors are contributing to a national momentum that’s mapping out the future of hydrogen in Canada.

Hydrogen has the potential to become a major fuel of the future since it can be produced from clean sources such as water, says Ofelia Jianu, a mechanical engineering professor and director of the Intelligent Fuels and Energy Laboratory (I-FuELs).

Dr. Jianu is leading a UWindsor team developing new predictive models for hydrogen generation to advance its integration in sustainable energy systems.

“Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can be produced from local, zero-carbon sources and consumed by non-emitting devices such as fuel cells,” Jianu says. “Therefore, transitioning to a hydrogen-based economy would alleviate concerns related to climate, air quality, and energy security as well as create new economic opportunities for Canadians.”

The most common method of hydrogen production utilizes steam in a chemical process that converts methane to hydrogen and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

“In order to achieve a future hydrogen economy and zero emissions, more sustainable methods of hydrogen production are needed,” she adds.

Engineering student recognized as leader in diversity and inclusion

Mar 8th, 2021

Engineering major Erica Rossi and science student Aislyn Lewis-Laurent (pictured below) are the first-ever recipients of Student Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Research awards.

Science double major Aislyn Lewis-Laurent and Erica Rossi, a student of mechanical, automotive, and materials engineering, are the recipients of the Student Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Research awards from the Office of Research and Innovation.

The awards were made possible by Lisa Willis of the University of Alberta, who declined an honorarium last fall when she spoke to researchers about new data and best practices in lab diversity. Instead, Dr. Willis asked that the Office of the Vice President, Research and Innovation recognize students advancing EDI practices in their own labs and research projects, with a particular focus on STEM fields.

An adjudication committee of faculty members from science, engineering, and human kinetics selected these honorees from among 10 nominations.

Lewis-Laurent is currently finishing her BSc with Honors in biochemistry and computer science and looking forward to a career in computational chemistry. As Google’s Women Techmaker Ambassador for the Windsor Essex region, she helps improve the lives and careers of women in tech. She also leads the UWindsor chapter of Google’s Developer Student Club, where she works to recruit and showcase the talents of women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and ethnically diverse students.

UWindsor lends automotive expertise to national study

Mar 4th, 2021

A University of Windsor automotive expert has helped craft a national report that examines trends affecting the evolution of connected and automated vehicle technologies in Canada.

Peter Frise, the university’s director of the Centre for Automotive Research and Education and former scientific director and CEO of a national automotive R&D program, was invited to participate on an expert panel assembled by the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA).

The panel’s resulting report titled Choosing Canada’s Automotive Future identifies potential impacts of connected, autonomous, secure/shared, and electric (CASE) vehicles on industry, privacy and cybersecurity, urban planning, the environment and the safety and well-being of people in Canada. It was released publicly March 2.

“The automotive industry is a key part of Canada’s industrial sector and a major source of high-value employment and foreign exchange,” says Dr. Frise. “The industry is moving toward a set of new vehicle technologies, which have been dubbed CASE.”

Engineering profs recognized for enriching student learning

Feb 25th, 2021

Three engineering professors have been recognized for their standout teaching performances.

Despite a challenging year and pivoting to virtual teaching due to COVID-19, the professors were recognized for enriching student learning. Recipients were honoured during UWindsor’s 15th annual Celebration of Teaching Excellence held virtually on Feb. 24. 

The celebration is jointly hosted by the Office of the Provost and the Centre for Teaching and Learning. The annual event highlights the achievements and initiatives of faculty across campus who have received international, national, provincial, and cross-campus awards.

Faculty of Engineering​ recipients include:

$1 million invested in real-time data collection to protect drinking water

Feb 22nd, 2021

​UWindsor researchers and their partners have received more than $1 million to deploy real-time continuous monitoring instruments into Lake Erie to better understand and predict development of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and to protect and secure drinking water in southern Ontario.  

 The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Alliance grant, along with industry partner funds, were awarded to the cross-disciplinary team which includes researchers from UWindsor’s Faculties of Science and Engineering, as well as partner universities and collaborators from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Canada.  

“These real-time sensors are a game changer because we might be able to identify what is causing algal blooms and use that information to predict when and where they are going to happen,” says Jill Crossman, co-PI and assistant professor in the School of the Environment at UWindsor.  

HABs have serious implications for drinking water treatment. Once in the system, they can cause processes to break down and lead to service interruptions, making blooms an increasing societal concern.

Frank Anthony DeMarco Biography

Feb 11th, 2021

By Dr. William Miller

On February 14, 2021 Frank DeMarco turned 100 years old. During these 100 years he has accomplished many amazing achievements. In the establishment of Essex College, the Faculty of Applied Science and the University of Windsor, Frank Anthony DeMarco is most prominent. What follows is a short chronicle of Frank’s life that contains at least a few of his life experiences and accomplishments. It soon becomes evident that Frank could focus his amazing passion, energy, and commitment to excellence on any activity he undertook. He is truly a Man for all Seasons!

Frank’s father, Francesco (Frank) DeMarco, was born on October 2, 1878, together with his twin brother Stefano, in Podargoni, Reggio di Calabria, Calabria, in the south of Italy. He arrived in New York City on June 18, 1900 sailing from Naples, Italy aboard the S. S. Trojan Prince and later came to Canada in June 1903 where he went on to start a fruit store business in North Bay, Ontario. In November 1910 Francesco travelled back to southern Italy and arrived in his hometown village of Podargoni. Francesco met Carmela Scappatura who had been born in Podargoni on November 4, 1891.  Francesco and Carmela were married in Podargoni on February 26, 1911. They sailed from Napoli, Italy aboard the S. S. America on April 30, 1911 and arrived in New York on May 12, 1911, in transit to North Bay, Ontario. The DeMarco family had six children born in North Bay by 1919.

UWindsor’s first dean of engineering celebrates centennial birthday

Feb 11th, 2021

Dr. Frank A. DeMarco, his son Dan and daughter Terry react to a speech during a lab naming ceremony in Frank’s honour on May 28, 2016 in the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation.

Dr. Frank A. DeMarco, his son Dan and daughter Terry react to a speech during a lab naming ceremony in Frank’s honour on May 28, 2016 in the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation. Former colleagues and students, friends, UWindsor staff and members of his family donated $100,000 to the university’s engineering and science faculties in honour of Dr. DeMarco’s illustrious career.

Dr. Frank A. DeMarco has a lot to celebrate.

His illustrious career at the University of Windsor spans four decades and boasts notable roles — professor, researcher, coach, athletic director, first dean of engineering, and inaugural vice-president — that have earned him a legacy that few will ever be able to match.

He and his wife, Mary, have been married for nearly 73 years, raised 12 children and dote on 39 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He even has his own Wikipedia page.

And on Feb. 14, 2021, DeMarco will become a centenarian. 

“Your long and productive life is an inspiration to us all,” the university’s first graduating class of engineering wrote in a letter to DeMarco, congratulating their former mentor on the milestone.

“Our numbers were very small, only 25 in total, but we are impressed at how the Engineering Faculty has grown into a world class organization during the past 60 years and we recognize that this is due in large part to your efforts in the initial years. We can say for certain as we look back over the many years working in our profession, that we were well-prepared for this work by our engineering studies.”

Centre to drive research and education in automotive cybersecurity

Jan 28th, 2021

The University of Windsor will host Canada’s first organization dedicated to countering threats to the connected transportation marketplace.

The SHIELD Automotive Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence will build the skills, innovations, and policy to secure and protect connected and autonomous vehicles. Led by researchers recognized for their excellence in the automotive industry, it will partner with industry, government, and community stakeholders to respond to an emerging transportation landscape driven by connections and sensors embedded in vehicles, infrastructure, and the manufacturing supply chain.

The co-founders and co-directors — Mitra Mirhassani of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Ikjot Saini of the School of Computer Science — note that modern vehicles have more than 100 million lines of computer coding and 20 sensors transmitting wireless data, with more connecting in every new vehicle.

“Hardware and software vulnerabilities could put personal information and vehicle safety in jeopardy,” says Dr. Mirhassani. “Transportation systems are especially susceptible to attacks from malicious actors due to the complexity, implementation costs, and lifecycles of equipment and platforms.”