News 2023

Capstone co-ordinators invited Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie to participate in a panel discussion on how politics fits into engineering.

The event was multidisciplinary with all capstone disciplines participating. The panel was made up of Bill Altenhof, a professor of mechanical, automotive and materials engineering and former member of Tecumseh town council, and Peter Frise, associate dean of professional programs, as well as Dowie, who is also a civil engineer. The panel was moderated by Jill Urbanic, a professor of mechanical, automotive and materials engineering.

The Iranian student club will celebrate Nowruz — the Persian new year — with an event in the lobby of the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation, Tuesday, March 21, at 11 am.

Nowruz has been celebrated in conjunction with the spring equinox for over 3,000 years and means “New Day”.

University of Windsor Continuing Education announced a partnership Thursday with Stellantis for the upcoming session of its Applied Leadership Program.

As the industry project partner, Stellantis will provide a case scenario to participants, along with valuable feedback on learners’ capstone presentations at the end of the program.

Jacqueline Oliva (BA 1996, B.Ed 1998), head of human resources for Stellantis Canada, said the automaker’s Windsor Assembly Plant team is pleased to partner with the University to bring a hands-on approach to problem-solving and change management.

“The automotive sector is rapidly changing as we prepare for an electric future and with that comes a significant shift in the way we manufacture vehicles,” she said. “We are looking forward to reviewing the creative solutions generated by this talented group of students and are happy to play a small role in shaping their educational experience.”

An information session held Jan. 23 by Boeing, one of Canada’s largest aerospace manufacturers, offered UWindsor engineering students the chance to learn about experiential learning opportunities at the company’s manufacturing facility in Winnipeg.

Phil Weissgaerber, an industrial engineer manager at Boeing, hosted the event in partnership with the office of co-operative education and workplace partnerships to recruit student talent and promote co-op placement opportunities for students interested in pursuing a career in industrial or mechanical engineering. This was Weissgaerber’s first time visiting the UWindsor campus and touring the faculty of engineering.

UWindsor engineering professor Waguih ElMaraghy has received an Ontario Volunteer Service Award, nominated by Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) for his 30 years of service to the organization.

“Waguih has had an incredibly fruitful career which has been dedicated to his profession, his students, and our faculty,” says dean of engineering Bill Van Heyst. “Waguih’s legacy of volunteering can be seen through his work with the PEO where he has promoted to his utmost the high professional values associated with our sector.”

The award recognizes Dr. ElMaraghy’s continued contributions to engineering and engineering education. He is the chair of the Academic Requirements Committee, which advises PEO on academic matters relating to admission procedures and assesses applicants’ qualifications.

Faculty, staff, and students welcomed more than 650 Master of Engineering (MEng) students at the 2023 Winter Orientation on Wednesday, Jan 4.

The session included a movie and sports event highlights with popcorn, a light lunch, the presentations themselves, and campus tours.

“It was exciting and fun to see so many enthusiastic new students attend the in-person orientation,” says Dr. Peter Frise, associate dean for professional programs. “The event filled all three of the big lecture theatres in the CEI and was a great success.”

Along with Dr. Frise, the welcome group included:

A night of fun and games Friday, Jan. 27, will raise funds for the UWindsor Concrete Canoe Team in its quest to join the Canadian National Concrete Canoe Competition in May.

The event promises unlimited bingo and a euchre tournament. Bingo winners will receive prizes and the top euchre team will earn half the total profits drawn from the $5 admission fee.

The team will also have snacks and drinks available for purchase.

“This will be a fun night to play games with friends, so bring lots of them,” says vice-president social Noor Hasan. “We especially encourage euchre players to bring a partner.”

The University of Windsor’s Centre for Hybrid Automotive Research and Green Energy (CHARGE) lab hosted Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday.

Trudeau was greeted by University of Windsor president Robert Gordon, vice-president research and innovation Chris Houser, dean of engineering Bill Van Heyst, and professor Narayan Kar, Canada Research Chair in Electrified Vehicles.

After a tour of the facility, Trudeau took part in a roundtable discussion with engineering students and faculty from the CHARGE Lab. Students discussed their fields of study and answered the visitor’s questions about their research.

Are we ready for long-haul electrified trucking?

A mini-conference Friday, Jan. 20, will discuss the potential to create a carbon-free transport corridor from Montreal to Chicago.

Organized by civil and environmental engineering professors Rupp Carriveau and Hanna Maoh, the event will bring together international experts to consider the vehicles, energy, and critical infrastructure needed.

They will share early results from research on the impact transport electrification has had on fleet owners, fueling stations, power grids, and businesses.

Speakers include:

With cars doing a lot of the thinking for us these days, a pair of UWindsor researchers have launched a $319,000 study to assess how drivers use automation when behind the wheel.

Kinesiology professor Francesco Biondi and engineering professor Balakumar Balasingam are conducting a real-world study of advanced driver assistance systems. They’ve recruited a small army of research subjects to drive their lab’s recently purchased Tesla Model 3 on Hwy. 401 from Windsor to Chatham and back. The researchers will compare driver behaviour when the vehicle is in the manual driving mode and when it is in Tesla’s partially automated “autopilot” mode.