Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER)

What a great event we had at GLIER yesterday. The Graduate Showcase was a huge success. Congratulations to all our presenters of the lightning talks and to all our award recipients. A huge thank you to our keynote speaker, Dr. Robert Huber!

We will be welcoming our keynote speaker, Dr. Robert Huber at the 2026 Graduate Showcase. All are welcome, please come join us.

This year's GLIER x SOE Graduate Showcase will be on Wed. Apr. 8th. Grad students, don't forget to send in your lightning talk titles and slides (minimum of 2 slides) by Apr. 3rd!

You are invited to our next seminar to be held on Wednesday, March 25th at 12:30pm.
In collaboration with INSPIRE, we will be welcoming Dr. Amy Pruden in the GLIER Davidson Conference Room 250. Everyone is welcome!

🌊 You’re invited to the AquaHacking Challenge Info Session!
Are you passionate about water sustainability, innovation, and real-world problem solving?
Come learn how you can join the AquaHacking Binational Challenge, a free 7-month innovation and entrepreneurship program that brings together students, researchers, and young professionals from the U.S. and Canada to develop solutions for critical freshwater challenges facing the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence region.
What to expect:
• Discover the amazing prizes and benefits of the Challenge… Including a $70,000 prize pool, a 3-day long leadership retreat in Québec, personalized mentorship, and coaching opportunities
• Discover the water issue areas you could tackle (like water access, ecosystem health, circular blue economy, and more)
• Learn how to register and how to form or join multidisciplinary teams
• Lunch provided! 🍕
📅 When: Friday, March 13th, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
📍 Where: Alex S. Davidson Conference room at GLIER
Whether you’re an engineer, designer, scientist, aspiring entrepreneur, or problem-solver — no prior experience is needed. Stand out, build skills, and make an impact while having fun and connecting with mission-driven people!
RSVP today and bring your friends!
RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3ZU8LAc

UWindsor researchers team up with the Canadian Coast Guard to collect water samples to understand how winter conditions shape the lake's ecosystem. Members of the GLIER research team, post-doctoral fellow Kate Brown, GLIER director Dr. Mike McKay and research associate Jon Leblanc. aboard the CCGS Vincent Massey.
Read more at this link:
https://www.uwindsor.ca/news/2026-02-24/canadian-coast-guard-icebreaker-supports-uwindsor-research-during-rare-lake-erie-deep

Everyone is welcome!
Where: Seminar room, Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER)

When: Thursday, February 12th, 6-8pm

Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/demystifying-the-data-diving-into-great-lakes-water-quality-platforms-tickets-1981583788454?aff=oddtdtcreator

Congratulations to 2 of our students who successfully completed their defences. We are beyond proud of what these two have accomplished after all these years and are so excited to see what they do next! Congratulations to Mona and Neve!

Dr. John Hartig's latest article in The Nature of Cities

Working Towards a Binational Great Lakes Waterfront Trail – The Nature of Cities Dr. John Hartig is a Visiting Scholar at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Windsor where he is undertaking interdisciplinary research on the cleanup, restoration, and revitalization of the most polluted areas of the Great Lakes.

https://www.uwindsor.ca/news/2025-09-29/researchers-investigate-potential-health-risks-linked-arctic-permafrost-thaw
GLIER professor and researcher, Dr. Chris Weisener and collaborators, travel to the Yukon–Northwest Territories border and along Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway to investigate health risks linked to Arctic permafrost thaw.

Researchers investigate potential health risks linked to Arctic permafrost thaw By Sara Elliott As the once permanently frozen ground known as permafrost rapidly thaws in the Canadian Arctic, emerging health threats loom.   Researchers at the University of Windsor are using modern science and Indigenous knowledge to address the emerging issue...

In the 2026 QS World University Rankings, the University of Windsor rose to number 546 in the world, citing commitment to research excellence and sustainability as the highest metrics for evaluation. President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Windsor says "This achievement is a further testament to the talent, commitment, and drive of many of our faculty, staff, and students."

University of Windsor achieves its highest ranking in the 2026 QS World University Rankings Report The University of Windsor proudly achieved its QS highest ranking yet at 546 overall, a significant milestone as one of only seven to see an increase globally. WINDSOR, Ont. — The University of Windsor’s commitment to research excellence and sustainability were amongst their highest metrics in t...