The UWindsor campus will be welcoming visitors on Saturday, Oct. 3, to an online event that will showcase its academic programs and student services.

The Virtual Open Day is directed at high school seniors but will also be informative for international students and anyone considering continuing their education or transferring from another post-secondary institution, says Chris Busch, associate vice-president for enrolment management.

“Our guests will be able to connect with our professors and students, have their questions answered through chat, attend presentations in our virtual auditorium, and tour the campus from their computers,” he says.

Attendees even have a chance to win prizes.

Busch notes that with the Ontario Universities Fair on hold this year, the Virtual Open Day will mark the start of the annual student recruitment effort.

“We’re eager to show prospective students and their families why we’re Windsor Proud!” he says.

Registration is now open; find more details and a sign-up link on the event webpage.

University of Windsor researchers are using computer modeling to help construction workers operate safely and efficiently during pandemics.

Civil engineering professors Rajeev Ruparathna and Niel Van Engelen are developing an implementation strategy for maintaining physical distance using a Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based optimized work schedule. The 4D modeling feature of BIM will allow the duo to predict construction worker movements and make alterations to project schedules to mitigate health risks.

“Site managers will be able to leverage the proposed scheduling technique and training material to enhance site productivity and safety, and avoid costly shutdowns during pandemics,” says Dr. Ruparathna.

BIM and dynamic modeling will help the researchers identify high-risk zones in construction projects and develop safer work schedules that help maintain physical distancing. The proposed schedules will be further evaluated to understand the impact on the total project cost, schedule, and quality. Investigators aim to use this project to promote BIM-based safety planning in the construction industry.

The project will be completed in collaboration with the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association, which is providing $15K of in-kind support. The research team expects to develop training material for BIM-based construction safety planning.

The project is funded through a $49,500 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Alliance Grant.

—Kristie Pearce

Registrar Alice Miller has emailed an invitation to all 2020 graduands to submit an image and message that will allow them to put a stamp on the University’s first-ever virtual Convocation, scheduled to be live-streamed in 13 sessions Oct. 14 to 17.

“This year, students will be able to upload a photo and attach a message that will be displayed in an online slideshow as their names are read,” says Miller. “We look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of the newest cohort of our alumni with their family and friends.”

Each of the eligible grads has received an email with a unique link to a site that will allow them to create their personalized slide. That process must be completed by 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, to be included in the Convocation ceremonies.

Miller hopes that faculty and staff will assist in getting the message out.

“We are on a very short timeline,” she says. “Please help by alerting any grads you know to check their UWindsor email account and follow the steps to participate in this unprecedented endeavour.”

Students in the course Ways of Knowing will learn this semester to develop and pitch proposals, with practice in front of a corporate executive.

Neelam Sandhu, BlackBerry vice-president of business operations and strategic accounts, will once again hear pitches from students on how the company can further commit to the United Nations Global Compact. The compact is a corporate commitment to the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals.

"We need to work together on initiatives that deal with the well-being of citizens around the world,” says instructor Tim Brunet.

In his course, students learn about the Capabilities Approach, the underpinning framework for the United Nations Human Development Reports and Human Development Index. It gives them insight into measuring social and economic progress. The students apply these lessons to develop proposals for community partners who provide feedback and mull the ideas for potential implementation.

In Winter 2020, students pitched to Sandhu, who endorsed two projects for further development.

“I am delighted to extend the partnership between the University of Windsor and BlackBerry,” she said. “The Ways of Knowing class focuses on issues that are core to the future and well-being of our society, which the future workforce must keep front of mind.”

The class receives coaching from BlackBerry student ambassador Noah Campbell as well as from Brunet, who aims to teach students that society must work together to develop partnerships that reflect upon and solve the world’s problems.

"This unique experiential learning opportunity does just that,” Brunet says. “The course gives students the chance to interact with online guests who experience life in other countries.”

Rather than teaching remotely, he works on dispersed collaborations, an opportunity to work with people beyond traditional networks and the conventional lecture.

The first Ways of Knowing class was Wednesday, but there is still room for interested students to register. More information is available on the course website.

The juicy crunch of pomegranate adds an aspect to classic Caesar salad in a recipe provided by Paolo Vasapolli, executive chef in Food and Catering Services.

“Using panettone to make croutons for this dish adds fruit and sweetness to offset the sour lemon and mustard,” says Vasapolli. “The contrast makes for a more complex experience.”

Fall Caesar Salad

Ingredients

• ¼ cup Parmigiano cheese, grated
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Dash cayenne pepper
• Head of romaine lettuce, torn into bit-sized pieces
• Panettone croutons (recipe follows)
• ¼ cup (or more) fresh pomegranate arils (seeds)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the first seven ingredients.
2. Place romaine lettuce in a large bowl and drizzle with dressing. Toss to coat.
3. Top with croutons and pomegranate seeds.

To make the panettone croutons:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Cut panettone into cubes and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until dark golden brown and crispy on the outside – about 45 minutes.
2. Remove from the oven and set aside. The croutons will continue to crisp up as they cool.

Vasapolli recommends reserving some Parmigiano cheese to sprinkle atop the salad to serve.

Find more recipes — as well as a place to submit your own — on the Healthy Eating website.