14
view . fall 2014
Youneedn’t lookany further thanCanada’snational
pastime
to seehow innovationcandramaticallychangea
game, according toGaryGoodyear.
“Hockey sticksused tobemadeof wood,”noted the
Ministerof State (FederalEconomicDevelopmentAgency for
SouthernOntario),whowasoncampus tokickoff the47th
annual InternationalAcademy forProductionEngineering
ConferenceonManufacturingSystemsat theEdLumley
Centre forEngineering Innovation.
“Theydidn’tprovide theflexibility thatplayersdemanded,”
Goodyear saidof theoldwooden sticks. “Now theyuse
composite sticks,whicharemuch lighter, providebetter
control, and thevelocityof thepuck isapproaching levels that
areastonishinganddownright frightful.”
Henoted that theevolutionof the stick isagoodexample
of howmanufacturersarealways looking for innovativeways
to improve theirproducts. “Manufacturershave toevolve
andadapt inorder to survive ina rapidlychanging, global,
knowledge-basedeconomy.”
Expanding themetaphor,Goodyear said that events like
themanufacturing systemsconferencebrings together the
rightplayers—academia, industryandgovernment—toprotect
Canada’smanufacturing sector.
“TheUniversityof Windsor isaperfect exampleof the
excellent institutionswehave inCanada,”he said. “Workingas
a team,wecanallwork together to translateknowledge into
products, anddo it efficiently.”
More than200engineersand industry representatives
from21countriesattended theconference. Immediately
following, thecampushosted the sixthannual conference
on IndustrialProduct-ServiceSystems,withmore than100
manufacturing researchersand industry leaders fromCanada
andworldwide inattendance.
If there isone thingshehopedherstudentswill take
away from theLet’sTalkScienceChallenge
, saidLakeview
MontessoriSchool teacherSarahTroupBSc ’04,BEd”07, itwas
thatanopenmind isessential tomasteringanysubject.
“We’realways trying to teach students that creativitygoes
hand-in-handwith science,” she saidMay2at theconclusion
of UWindsor’sfirsthostingof theevent.A teamof her
students—oneof 20 from six local elementary schools—won
agoldmedal for combiningknowledgeof sciencewith the
ability toapply that learning inahands-ondesignchallenge.
OrganizerMichelleBondy, co-ordinatorof outreach
programs for theFacultyof Science, said theeventwasahuge
success. “Thekidswereveryexcited tobedoing scienceall
day.Next yearwill bebiggerandbetter.”
She said theeventwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithout
theworkof volunteerUWindsor science studentswho ran
challenges, judged the results, andkept thedayorganized.
MatthewMcGregor, aGrade8 student atKingsville’s
St. JeandeBrebeuf CatholicElementarySchool, said the
activitieswereentertainingandeducational. “I learned today
that soap ishydrophobic!”he said, sportinga labcoat labelled,
“LilEinstein.”
Let’sTalkScienceChallengeemphasizes fast thinking,
competitionand teamwork, encouragingyoungcompetitors
toview science, technology, engineeringandmathas funand
practical choices for their future studies.
UWINDSOR RECOGNIZED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT
DAY OF SCIENCE CHALLENGES LOCAL GRADE SCHOOLERS
Minister of StateGaryGoodyear kickedoff the 47thannual
International Academy for ProductionEngineeringConference on
ManufacturingSystems, held in lateApril on campus.
CarterMastronardi,MaddieBorland,MatthewMcGregor
andSami Lambier of Kingsville’s St. JeandeBrebeuf Catholic
ElementarySchool don their scientific garb. The teamwonan
awardasmost-spiritedparticipants during the Let’s TalkScience
Challenge.
