A new study by a UWindsor business professor seeks to uncover the links between employees’ personal well-being and workplace behaviors.

The study is led by Kyle Brykman and colleagues at Dalhousie University and the University of Toronto. Focusing on full-time workers who report to someone else in their organizations, it is open to anyone aged 18 and older in Canada.

“This research flips our understanding of work and well-being,” said Dr. Brykman. “We know quite a bit about how work affects employees’ well-being but not that much about how mental health affects their behaviors and experiences at work.”

The $12,000 research project is funded by UWindsor’s Odette School of Business and Mitacs, a national non-profit organization that brings together Canadian academia, private industry, non-profit organizations, and government to provide research and training opportunities.

The study consists of four surveys throughout the month of October. Participants must complete the first survey to be eligible to complete the subsequent ones. Participants will be rewarded with gift cards for every survey they complete.

Brykman and his fellow researchers hope to have 350 people participate.

Since the survey is taking place during COVID-19, its results will be affected by the pandemic, Brykman said: “This study would be happening regardless, but do think COVID will have an impact on it and so we are going to account for that too.”

Brykman specializes in research into employee performance and proactivity. He has studied the subject both before and during the pandemic, and notes “This is my first foray focusing on employees’ mental health.”

The survey goes live Thursday on the Work & Well-Being Study website.

—Sarah Sacheli

The Turtle Island Aboriginal Education Centre is hosting events in cyberspace on Wednesday, Sept. 30, in observance of Orange Shirt Day, designated to promote awareness in Canada about the Indian residential school system and the impact it has had on Indigenous communities.

“We are inviting the campus community to consider the legacy of the Residential School system in Canada, to participate, and to learn,” says Kat Pasquach, outreach co-ordinator for Turtle Island.

A film screening presented in partnership with Arts Council Windsor & Region, St. Clair College Indigenous Student Services, and VUCAVU is part of the series “We are Not a Phase.” Get more information on the event Facebook page.

Pasquach will moderate a presentation by Jay Jones entitled “the Legacy of Residential Schools” via Zoom at 7 p.m. Jones is the son of Susie and Vernon Jones, both Shingwauk Residential school survivors. He considers himself a “first generation out survivor,” but he is also a fifth generation Indian residential school survivor. Register for the discussion online.

Pasquach also encourages people to wear an orange shirt and learn more about the residential schools system. She suggests these resources to get started:

• Phyllis Webstad’s story of her orange shirt
• Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association
• Shingwauk’s Vision: A History of Native Residential Schools
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
• Art, Law, and Community: Truth and Reconciliation through Art

This fall, the Paul Martin Law Library at Windsor Law will partner with CiteRight, a Toronto-based startup company that specializes in providing legal research tools to law students and established lawyers alike.

According to its website, CiteRight makes legal research fast, affordable, and simple. The startup’s flagship tool lets users collaborate on legal research, while formatting legal citations automatically.

Along with the rest of the world, University of Windsor students, faculty, and staff had to pivot the way they learn, teach, and work amid the pandemic. In the wake of this abrupt change, law librarian Annette Demers searched for strategic, collaborative partnerships.

She says the law school’s librarians, student reference associates, instructors, and Legal Innovation Hub student group will test and review the automated legal citation tool. A demonstration of the project in May impressed Demers.

“It convinced me that this product will be a game changer for the legal profession and for how we teach legal citation in law school,” she says.

The firm’s CEO, Aaron Wenner, calls the agreement a win-win.

“CiteRight solves problems that affect law students and legal practitioners alike,” he says. “Our partnership with the University of Windsor gives us the opportunity to collaborate with some really bright students to bring real innovation to the legal profession.”

Windsor Law student Hilary Peters developed the company’s latest tool, which compiles and consolidates free electronic filing resources for all courts across Canada.

“Working for CiteRight has been a much richer experience than I ever could have expected,” Peters says. “I’m learning about software development, project management, and marketing — things I never thought I’d have the opportunity to learn. The team is truly invested in my growth, so I’m very excited to continue working with them through the school year.”

—Rachelle Prince

A new program of the Entrepreneurship Practice and Innovation Centre (EPICentre) is designed for startups and early-stage businesses that are ready to take their ideas to market, says director Wen Teoh.

“We understand that this new economy needs innovative thinking to solve problems arising in our community, especially during the pandemic,” she says. “That’s why we’ve decided to launch this program to help startups bring solutions that will help accelerate our economy in the next decade.”

The four-month EPIC Founders Accelerating 2020s Program — funded by FedDev Ontario under the Community Economic Development and Diversification stream — will involve an immersive approach to the Lean Startup methodology. It is aimed at enterprises operating for two years or less to take their ideas for a product and craft it into a business prepared to drive change in the new economy.

Participants will learn key skills and have access to virtual workshops, 3D printers, and other prototyping equipment. Valued at over $7,500, the program is offered free to qualified applicants.

“Today’s economy requires businesses to be agile and find new and creative ways to compete,” says Teoh. “This program strives to give all participants the competitive edge they need in order to succeed.”

Applications are open until Oct. 15. More information is available on the program website.

Online events helped students to get to know their faculty, the Windsor community, and each other, during Welcome Week, Sept. 5 to 12.

Organizers hope that the activities to foster virtual connections will serve as an example for students to form connections through the school year.

Rebecca Burkoski, orientation programming assistant for the Student Success and Leadership Centre, expressed appreciation to all participants.

“In a challenging time such as this, we are very grateful for everyone that came together to make this happen,” she said.

Among the highlights were the Battle of Faculties, a virtual bake-off, a Netflix streaming party, a yoga night, program orientations, and the welcoming celebration. First-year engineering student Joseph Kobti won a draw at that last event for a $4,000 tuition waiver courtesy of the Alumni Association.

The Virtual Involvement Fair enabled new students to experience the clubs and societies that UWindsor has to offer, creating opportunities to share interests and form lasting friendships.

Fourth-year biology major Sara Knezevic said she enjoyed the variety on offer.

“Welcome Week is a great way for students to connect with their peers as well as upper-year students and create life-long friendships,” Knezevic said. “It's awesome to help calm some nerves and have some fun before classes start as well.”

—Bridget Heuvel

A drop-in session offered as a Zoom teleconference will help lead UWindsor students through the application process for scholarships, bursaries, and awards for the 2020-21 academic year.

It runs today — Tuesday, Sept. 29 — from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Find a link and login details on the awards website.

The Office of Student Awards and Financial Aid has also created a “how-to” document guiding students through the profile process.

Staying healthy doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym, says a message shared by the Department of Human Resources with UWindsor faculty and staff Monday.

Sarah Woodruff Atkinson, head of the kinesiology department, provided a wellness tip that notes that specialized equipment is not required for some workouts, and can even be replaced by regular household items in many instances.

Read the entire message.

The University has declared specialized storage cabinets — one for corrosives and one for flammables — for sale by bid as Disposal File 1026. Click here for details.

The University has declared a set of five wall panels and a door for sale by bid as Disposal File 1027. The panels, which measure 36" by 66.5" each, connect for use as a room divider. Click here for details.