As 2022 comes to a close, we have an opportunity to look back and celebrate the many good news stories and accomplishments The University of Winnipeg community shared this year.
The following is a snapshot of some of the stories we have featured in our news centre over the past 12 months.
January
Dr. Angela Failler’s Canada Research Chair in Culture and Public Memory renewed
Dr. Angela Failler, Canada Research Chair in Culture and Public Memory.
Dr. Angela Failler, Professor in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, will continue her internationally-recognized research into public memory and the afterlife of the 1985 Air India bombings.
Her Tier II Canada Research Chair in Culture and Public Memory appointment was renewed for a five-year term valued at $500,000.
“The bombings were an incident of mass violence and transnational scope that continues to have social and political resonance in and beyond Canada,” said Failler. “The renewal of my CRC term will allow me to further this research, including collaborations with other scholars and artists, some of whom lost relatives in the bombings.”
Also Trending
UWinnipeg student Nathalie Turenne has been working with NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover team as the Science Payload Uplink Lead and Campaign Implementation Lead. Read the full story
UWinnipeg student Cameron Adams officially launched nēhinawēwin, the new Swampy Cree language app. He was inspired to create the app after taking first-year Cree courses. Read the full story.
February
Louis Riel Bursaries – meet the talented Métis students
From left to right: Nathalie Turenne, Megan Lindell, Rielle Miller, Mackenzie Stewart, and Aaron Sobkowich
To celebrate Louis Riel Day, we highlighted five of 90 UWinnipeg students — Nathalie Turenne, Megan Lindell, Rielle Miller, Mackenzie Stewart, and Aaron Sobkowich — who were awarded Louis Riel Bursaries during the 2021-22 academic year.
Since 1999, the Manitoba Métis Federation and its educational arm, the Louis Riel Institute, through funding from Employment and Social Development Canada, have provided more than $2 million in bursaries to Métis students attending UWinnipeg.
Approximately 10 per cent of UWinnipeg students self-identify as Indigenous, and half of those students are Métis — among the highest participation rates across Canada.
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UWinnipeg student – and now alumna – Sidney Leggett was named a finalist for the McCall MacBain Scholarships, which are Canada’s first comprehensive leadership-based scholarship program for master’s and professional studies. Read the full story.
In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, UWinnipeg was proud to share the stories of students Kaitlyn Hanson, Nathalie Turenne, and Sidney Leggett, and how the connections they made during their studies set them up for success. Read the full story.
March
Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre receives federal funding to support STEAM programming
Angeline Nelson
The Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre received Government of Canada funding to support their science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics outreach programming. Thanks to the CanCode program, Angeline Nelson, Director of Community Learning and Engagement, says the Centre is receiving $367,000 across three years.
The federal program aims to equip Canadian youth, with a focus on inclusion of underrepresented groups, with the skills they need to be prepared for further studies, including advanced digital skills and science, technology, engineering, and math courses, leading to the jobs of the future.
“This will allow us to continue offering our digital literacy programming, such as our Youtuber, animation, and coding programs, as well as Science Explorers and Science Kids on Campus,” Nelson said. “It will also support the growth of our Indigenous STEAM Camp in the summer, which we’re really excited about.”
Also Trending
Researchers actively tested machine-learning models in the field this spring thanks to a collaborative digital agriculture project led by UWinnipeg’s Dr. Christopher Bidinosti and Dr. Christopher Henry. Read the full story.
Stellar research was on display during UWinnipeg’s ninth annual Three-Minute Thesis competition. The top prize was awarded to Natassia D’Sena for her virtual presentation Virtual Drive Thrus: Is OnlyFans the McDonalds of the Sex Industry? Read the full story.
April
Dr. Todd Mondor becomes UWinnipeg’s 10th President and Vice-Chancellor
Dr. Todd Mondor, UWinnipeg President and Vice-Chancellor
Dr. Todd Mondor started his five-year term as UWinnipeg’s President and Vice-Chancellor on April 1.
After more than two decades in a multitude of academic and administrative roles at the University of Manitoba, including Deputy Provost (Academic Planning and Programs) since July 2019 with a concurrent tenured professor appointment in the Department of Psychology, Dr. Mondor has extensive, progressive, proven leadership experience at the institutional, faculty, and department levels.
“I feel excited and proud to return to The University of Winnipeg, especially at such a pivotal time. Winnipeg is a humble, hardworking city, and The University of Winnipeg has a unique role and place in it. The University excels at connecting with the inner city, with Indigenous communities, and with non-traditional students, and it is a privilege to be in a role where I can help build on that success.” said Dr. Mondor.
Also Trending
After being shortlisted as a finalist in February, Sidney Leggett was named a McCall MacBain Scholar. Leggett joined a class of 20 scholars, chosen from nearly 700 Canadian applicants through a rigorous seven-month process involving two rounds of interviews. Read the full story.
Dr. Ed Cloutis was one of four Canadian university researchers to receive a funding grant from the Canadian Space Agency for his work advancing scientific knowledge of the Sun–Earth system, the solar system, and the universe through participation in international science missions. Read the full story.
May
Two community leaders receive honorary doctorates
Diane Redsky (left) and Dr. Alex Wilson (right) Photo credit: Alex Moodie
Exceptional community leaders Diane Redsky and Dr. Alex Wilson were announced as honorary degree recipients for UWinnipeg’s first in-person Spring Convocation in three years.
“UWinnipeg is proud to recognize Diane Redsky and Dr. Alex Wilson for their lifelong dedication to advocating for social change,” said Chancellor Barb Gamey. “Their leadership has had a profound effect on the individuals they work with and is foundational in our work as a society to move towards reconciliation.”
In recognition of exceptional service, achievement, and distinction, UWinnipeg presents a variety of awards to deserving members of the University family and wider community twice annually at Convocation.
Also Trending
UWinnipeg’s Dr. Jaime Cidro and her Indigenous doula research team celebrated a successful grant application from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada valued at $449,980. Read the full story.
UWinnipeg announced that five individuals – Dr. Catherine Taylor, Dr. Ortrud Oellermann, Dr. Neil Besner, Ben Trunzo, and Gisele Vizza – who all had instrumental roles in helping thousands of students achieve their academic dreams throughout the years would be recognized during Spring Convocation. Read the full story.
June
Meet the 2022 Spring Convocation Valedictorians
Philippe Larouche, Sharissa Neault, and Callum Goulet-Kilgour
Sharissa Neault, Callum Goulet-Kilgour, and Philippe Larouche were named 2022 Spring Convocation Valedictorians.
Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, Sharissa originally arrived at UWinnipeg in 2015 with an interest in pursuing social work. However, she fell in love with psychology and made it her major in her second year.
Callum was drawn to a Bachelor of Arts in Economics for its vast and varied impact on major policy decisions — as well as the way it draws from mathematics, political science, business, philosophy, history, and other fields.
And Philippe has long understood the beauty and poetry of a body in motion. It was, after all, his career as a professional ballet dancer that led him to UWinnipeg’s Department of Kinesiology and Applied Health.
Also Trending
New Indigenous language banners welcoming you to campus were installed as part of National Indigenous History Month. These banners, decorated with artwork by Oji-Cree artist Jordan Stranger, represent the importance of language revitalization and inclusion. Read the full story.
The Report into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirited Persons – The University Responds Conference was hosted on campus and featured keynote speakers Dr. Karine Duhamel, Sheila North, and Sandra DeLaronde. Read the full story.
July
UWinnipeg launches new Indigenous language certificates
Newly developed certificates allow students to gain specific proficiencies in Indigenous Languages, Indigenous Language Revitalization, Indigenous Language Teaching, and Supporting Multilingualism and Indigenous Languages in Schools.
Three new Indigenous language certificates, which complement the Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Languages major launched in 2021, were announced for the 2022 Fall Term.
With flexible delivery options that include online courses, these certificates provide a pathway for students who are not ready or able to commit to a full degree, or who wish to embed a specific Indigenous languages certificate into a current degree.
“There are two main objectives to the Indigenous Languages program at The University of Winnipeg,” said Dr. Lorena Fontaine. “The first is to teach students who are interested in learning a local Indigenous language to become proficient. The second is for students to be provided a historical context to why Indigenous languages are endangered. We are not just looking to teach students how to speak the language, but also to understand language revitalization locally and globally.”
Also Trending
Dr. Christopher Henry, Dr. Christopher Storie, and Dr. Joni Storie were exploring research for Arctic Gateway Group and working with Grant Barkman at DecisionWorks to develop innovative monitoring software to mitigate hydrological impacts on the Hudson Bay Railroad. Read the full story.
Four UWinnipeg faculty members – Dr. Ed Cloutis, Dr. Talal Halabi, Dr. Lucas Mol, and Dr. Gyanendra Pokharel– received NSERC Discovery Grants and Early Career Research Grants for their ongoing research. Read the full story.
August
The next generation of leaders
UWinnipeg Graduate Studies students Katherine Rempel, Nooshin Noshiri, and Bunmi Afolabi were selected to the President’s Student Leadership Program.
Three UWinnipeg Faculty of Graduate Studies students – Bunmi Afolabi, Nooshin Noshiri, and Katherine Rempel – completed the President’s Student Leadership Program.
This unique program, in its fourth year, is a one-week immersive learning opportunity that brings 20 students from various disciplines and Manitoba post-secondary institutions together to build their leadership potential.
“In the President’s Student Leadership Program, students share and apply the skills and knowledge from their areas of specialty while learning from peers and mentors in a diverse and intellectually rich setting,” said Dr. Manish Pandey, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Also Trending
Environmental Studies and Science student Taylor Mitchell originally came to UWinnipeg to become a chemist, but then discovered she could further her knowledge about something she truly cared about – the environment. Read the full story.
UWinnipeg surpassed $1 million in MITACS internships during the 2021-22 academic year and, in several categories, outpaced the national average among partner institutions. Read the full story.
September
UWinnipeg recognizes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Dr. Todd Mondor, President and Vice-Chancellor, speaks during the Every Child Matters flag raising.
In recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, the University installed the Every Child Matters flag on campus during a special ceremony with Dr. Todd Mondor, President and Vice-Chancellor, and Angeline Nelson, Acting Lead of Indigenous Engagement.
Throughout the week, special events, learning opportunities, and activities were dedicated to honouring Residential School Survivors and learning from Indigenous peoples and perspectives.
Wesley Hall was also lit orange in the evening throughout the week.
Also Trending
Larissa Wodtke was named Program Officer of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism, and Decolonization (EDI/AR/D) for the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation. Read the full story.
Biology student Isaac Henderson was one of four students from across Canada to be awarded the $9,000 Fessenden-Trott Scholarship, which recognizes students who have demonstrated high academic achievement and community involvement. Read the full story.
October
UWinnipeg installs Treaty One and Métis flags on campus
The Treaty One and Métis flags were permanently raised on campus in October.
UWinnipeg was proud to permanently install the Treaty One and Métis flags on campus during a special ceremony in front of Wesley Hall.
Speakers included Dr. Todd A. Mondor, President and Vice-Chancellor; Angeline Nelson, Acting Lead of Indigenous Engagement; Andrew Carrier, Vice-President for the Winnipeg Region of the Manitoba Métis Federation; and Chief Gordon BlueSky of Brokenhead Ojibway Nation and Chairperson with Treaty One.
“Reconciliation is about building respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples and, for UWinnipeg, it is a proud moment to soon bear witness to the permanent raising of the Treaty One and Métis flags on campus,” Nelson said. “For years, land acknowledgements have been shared at every event, but seeing the flags flying on campus will be an important way to recognize the traditional lands we are on and a daily reminder of our commitment to reconciliation.”
Also Trending
UWinnipeg recognized Dr. Martin Brokenleg with an Honorary Doctor of Laws during our 121st Convocation. Dr. Brokenleg, a member of Rosebud Sioux Tribe and an adopted member of the Kyanuuslii Raven House of the Haida First Nation, is an educator, psychologist, and author who’s dedicated his life to opening up a space for Indigenous knowledge and practice in the classroom. Read the full story.
Some of the best undergraduate research in social sciences, biological and environmental sciences, experimental physical sciences, and mathematics and theoretical physical sciences was on display during the 17th annual Randy Kobes Undergraduate Poster Symposium. Read the full story.
November
Axworthy Distinguished Lecture returns
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson and Robyn Maynard headlines the Axworthy Distinguished Lecture Series.
The Axworthy Distinguished Lecture Series returned to UWinnipeg with two exciting speakers.
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer, and artist, and Robyn Maynard, artist and scholar, delivered the lecture in Riddell Hall on November 9.
Simpson and Maynard co-authored the recent national bestseller Rehearsals for Living, a captivating and visionary work — part debate, part dialogue, part lively and detailed familial correspondence between two razor-sharp writers. It’s a finalist for the 2022 Governor General’s Award for Nonfiction.
Also Trending
Dr. Ryan Bullock’s research to better understand the dynamics of environmental resource governance systems received new funding from the federal government through the renewal of his Tier II Canada Research Chair. Read the full story.
Dr. Anuraag Shrivastav and his research team developed a simple predictive and prognostic breast cancer test that could predict whether there is a likelihood of recurrence in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients. Read the full story.
December
Advancing digital agriculture
The rover created by R-Tech Industries for the TerraByte project.
A UWinnipeg research team led by Dr. Christopher Bidinosti, Department of Physics, and Dr. Christopher Henry, Department of Applied Computer Science, received more than $500,000 in funding support.
TerraByte, along with partners R-Tech Industries and Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative, were one of 10 new Innovation Proof-of-Concept Grant recipients announced by Research Manitoba in November. The innovative digital agriculture project will be receiving $150,000 from Research Manitoba over two years, along with an additional $360,000 of co-funding from MITACS.
“Digital agriculture is coming, and with it the large-scale use of robotics and computers to quickly generate, digest, and act upon massive amounts of data. The rover we are developing is a critical first step toward this goal, allowing us to collect both the quantity and quality of crop image data needed to drive innovation,” said Dr. Bidinosti.
Also Trending
Dr. Ed Cloutis and his team of students have partnered with Mission Control Space Services in the development and deployment of a terrain classifier, MoonNet, which was launched to the moon with the ispace HAKUTO-R Mission 1 lander. Read the full story.
Dr. Sara Murphy, Assistant Professor in the Department of Business and Administration, and co-applicant Lisa Keeping, Vice Dean of the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, received a $60,747 SSHRC Insight Development Grant for their project Cross-Cultural Differences in Stories Within Behavioural Interviews. Read the full story.
Visit our news archives to see more stories highlighting the many innovative ways The University of Winnipeg community made an impact locally and globally over the past year.
