With admiration and tremendous pride, we celebrate the Class of 2021! In a year like no other, we will celebrate virtually as COVID-19 continues to disrupt our daily lives and the traditions we hold dear. Our collective pride in all that you have achieved could not be stronger.
You have been on an extraordinary journey at the University of Windsor where you have embraced new and unprecedented ways of learning, engaged with a diverse community of learners and teachers and developed relationships that you will cherish for a lifetime.
The days ahead are full of hope as we come together to build a safer, more equitable and prosperous world. No doubt the challenges are extensive but so too are the opportunities to leave your mark on a world that needs your talent and innovative solutions, your vision and leadership and importantly, your humanity....
Your commitment and tenacity, graduating with a degree from the University of Windsor, at a time of tremendous change and in a world that has forever changed has given you a strong foundation and enabled your future success.
I hope you leverage all of the knowledge you have gained, the skills you have learned and the relationships you have fostered in your journey ahead. Be proud of the resilience you have demonstrated and the growth you have achieved, and embrace the future with confidence.
To each of you, our Spring 2021 graduates, may your journey continue to be rewarding, and may you look back on your years at the University of Windsor with tremendous pride.
Robert Gordon
President & Vice Chancellor
University of Windsor
I want to wish you my heartfelt congratulations on all of your accomplishments at the University of Windsor. And to officially welcome you into the graduating Class of 2021.
I also say this knowing it includes the best wishes of every one of the faculty, staff and fellow students who contributed to your achievements during the time you spent at the University. To reach this point in your life, you’ve worked very hard, and your determination and dedication have paid off. Celebrating Convocation is proof that you’ve succeeded.
That’s why your University of Windsor family is so proud - and yes, excited - that we have been able to provide you with a virtual Convocation this spring - despite the uncertain and often difficult times we’ve faced this year and continue to deal with....
It’s not the traditional Convocation that we’d all rather be taking part in, but we do hope our virtual event means that your family, your friends and those people who have been instrumental in helping you reach this milestone in your life can share in your accomplishments.
Our virtual Convocation has also given you the opportunity to share this special time with many other of our graduates from across the globe. The University of Windsor Class of 2021 includes over 4,400 graduates. And all of you will be joining an Alumni family that now numbers nearly 150,000.
Now it’s time to move forward and take the confidence and experiences you’ve forged at the University of Windsor with you. You are ready to make a significant and lasting impact on your community and your country - wherever you may be. We are so proud of you, and we cannot wait to see how your stories unfold from here.
And here’s something you can count on - All of us at the University of Windsor will be thinking of you in the days ahead. And if you need us, we’ll be here for you.
Robert Gordon
President & Vice Chancellor
University of Windsor
Katrina Bahnam is a rare and exceptional person. She is a shining role model for other students who seek to balance stellar academic achievements alongside leadership, community advocacy, and a high level of dedication to those in need of support around them.
Katrina became an Outstanding Scholar in the Fall semester of 2018, one of the top 3% of students in her class. She entered the elite Law and Politics program and has successfully raised her GPA to almost 93% since her first year – a challenging feat when considering her many leadership and volunteer contributions.
Katrina’s research work in Outstanding Scholars focused for many semesters on the project “Feminizing Party Difference” with Dr. Cheryl Collier. Later she worked with Dr. John Sutcliffe on the project “Citizen Engagement in Municipal Decision Making.” Katrina researched with Dr. Sutcliffe the impact of COVID-19 on municipal transportation....
Katrina’s on-campus contributions have been many and diverse, but they all connect in expressing her values. Katrina has been an undergraduate teaching assistant and has volunteered for many other on-campus positions, such as an Outstanding Scholars Peer Mentor, FAHSS Political Science Mentor, and a welcome weekly coordinator on the LEAD team in the Student Success and Leadership Centre. Moreover, Katrina has been recognized for a wide range of community and university-level charity achievements in Windsor-Essex over the past four years. Her community activities are diverse in focus, but they are further evidence of her outstanding leadership and strong desire to make a difference for those less fortunate.
Despite this broad range of contributions both on- and off-campus, Katrina has remained a humble and unassuming person who is genuinely grateful for her opportunities at the University of Windsor. Her compassionate care for others is a commitment that connects all her activities – her research, employment, and extracurricular paid and volunteer work.
We confidently predict that Katrina will help make the world a more just, equitable, and caring place, and we are so proud and happy to celebrate her contributions with this award.
Many of the faculty have known Grace since she entered the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. From the first year of the program, Grace has held impressive academic achievements, including being on the Dean’s list and President’s Honour Roll each year. However, Grace’s talents go beyond her passion for knowledge.
She has strong leadership and mentoring skills, as demonstrated in the clinical setting and as a peer mentor in the Simulation Lab.
Grace has been instrumental in facilitating students in each year of the program work through various simulation scenarios, impacting the growth of their critical thinking and clinical judgement skills.
Grace has demonstrated initiative and commitment to the nursing program through her participation in multiple committees and student events....
She has been a pillar on the recruitment and curriculum committees. She provides an invaluable student perspective that assists future students and the faculty in making decisions.
Nursing faculty can attest to the many attributes that Grace has to earn The Governor General’s Silver Medal, but the one that makes her stand out is her passion for the nursing profession. She brings to nursing, caring, compassion, and a strong work ethic.
As a graduate of the Faculty of Nursing, she will continue to be a true asset to nursing. As one of her nursing professors summarizes her thoughts about Grace with “I am proud to call her my colleague.”
The Governor General’s Silver Medal is awarded to the undergraduate honours program graduating student deemed to be the most outstanding in their field. In relation to their graduating peers.
Dr. Dora Cavallo-Medved, a cell biologist in the Faculty of Science, shares her love of science with numerous University of Windsor students. Her approachable manner with students and her belief in making strong classroom connections, has contributed to the personal growth, success and self-confidence of Dr. Cavallo-Medved’s students.
Known for her devotion to teaching and research, Dr. Cavallo-Medved’s positive work has spread throughout campus. She works collaboratively with other faculties and students in a variety of disciplines. No matter the program, Dr. Cavallo-Medved can engage and excite students with her own passion for science and learning.
As one of Dr. Cavallo-Medved’s colleagues says: “she goes above and beyond to enhance the student experience, to embrace our local community in academic learning and to facilitate the growth of our programs and faculty professional development.”
Professor Jasminka Kalajdzic, from the Faculty of Law, is a scholar and expert in class actions in Canada. Professor Kalajdzic has put University of Windsor students at the forefront of her vast work. In 2019, she established Canada’s first-class actions clinic located in Windsor Hall. The clinic relies primarily on students to provide advice about specific lawsuits and class actions to the public.
Professor Kalajdzic’s passion for teaching and mentoring students can be seen in many ways. She regularly coaches students in the annual Moot competition against other Canadian law school teams. She also developed a cross-jurisdictional course on comparative class actions which allowed students to collaborate across several countries through technology.
Most important, Professor Kalajdzic’s teaching philosophy mirrors her impact on Faculty of Law students. “I believe people are their best when they know they are valued,” Professor Kalajdzic says. “Ultimately, I hope to teach students about the importance of caring about their clients…”
Dr. Victoria Paraschak’s creative, innovative and caring approach to teaching has helped develop the strengths of her students as leaders and professionals. A professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Dr. Paraschak’s approach to teaching in the university environment is often cited as one of the things that contribute to her stellar reputation and impact on students.
Dr. Paraschak is lauded for her passion for aboriginal and marginalized peoples as well as her constant encouragement of students to think outside the box, debate and research. One of her students says that Dr. Paraschak’s “teaching style was supportive, challenging and student centered with an open-door policy for further discussion and questions. Her efforts towards teaching each student encouraged me to work to my best ability during my undergraduate years.”
Dr. Paraschak’s Outdoor Recreation class is known across campus for the important opportunity it offers for skills development and leadership opportunities. As one of Dr. Paraschak’s colleagues says, “She is a teacher, a leader, a role model and a mentor.”
Professor Sigi Torinus in the School of Creative Arts has enhanced the lives of numerous art students and has positively impacted their creative and professional endeavours. An expert specializing in the area of Integrated Media, Professor Torinus shares her passion for art through the creation of a personal, connected classroom that allows students to reach their highest potential. Professor Torinus says she believes in “active, experience-based learning and maintaining a lively and interactive classroom, changing delivery methods and including the students as much as possible in disseminating information.”
Students and colleagues remark on Professor Torinus’ dedication to teaching. One student says that through the mentorship of Professor Torinus she “learned that being an artist meant that” she is on a “continuous journey of self-exploration and self-expression.” Many students credit Professor Torinus for building their confidence and helping them to find their place in the professional world of art. “She encouraged her students to take risks, get messy…and to find our voices as artists.”
Professor Tawfik is an innovative teacher and an exceptional researcher. She is a nationally and internationally renowned scholar and thought leader in copyright law and capacity-building in intellectual property (IP) for a global innovation economy.
Myra Tawfik has a broad national and international reputation for her scholarship and professional accomplishments.
She has developed a long and impressive list of research areas over the twenty-eight years that she has been a faculty member at the University of Windsor.
She is a leader in research in capacity-building in IP for an innovation economy, copyright history, and copyright generally, including comparative and international copyright.
In addition, she plays a distinctly influential role in advancing public policy at both the provincial and federal levels. It is a rare and distinct honour in the life of a law professor to be involved in the development of government public policy....
Professor Tawfik is one of the earliest clinical and experiential learning professors at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law.
Motivated by an interest to ensure students’ professional competence and the desire to ground abstract (legal) concepts in real-world experience, she is deeply involved in the design of clinical and experiential learning methods for students.
Lastly, from her career trajectory, one can see that Professor Tawfik has shown leadership in many ways. However, it is essential to note that Professor Tawfik is also a strong leader at the University of Windsor through her service.
She has been Acting Dean for the Faculty of Law on two occasions (2011 and 2017).
In addition, she served as Associate Dean from 1998-2000.
We are proud to recognize Professor Myra Tawfik as our next Distinguished University Professor!
Patti Lauzon
Director of Alumni &
Donor Communication
Congratulations! The Alumni Association congratulates you on achieving this milestone and proudly welcomes you to the University of Windsor alumni family. As a graduate of the University of Windsor, you have joined a proud, strong network of over 145,000 UWindsor alumni worldwide.
Our University of Windsor alumni are doing great things in their professional and personal lives around the world. From working on state-of-the-art research to writing important works of fiction to working on the front lines of our healthcare field, our alumni are certainly part of why we are Windsor Proud. We know you will carry on this great tradition and we can’t wait to hear about the fabulous things you will do!
Please remember to stay in touch and keep your contact information updated through our web site. We want to make sure you receive invitation to special networking events, guest speakers, social events and we will keep you updated on the exciting things that continue to happen at our great university.
You represent all that is great about the University of Windsor. Cheers to your graduation!
Patti Lauzon
Director of Alumni &
Donor Communication
Your University of Windsor Alumni Association
To learn more about the University of Windsor Alumni Association visit the UWindsor Alumni website, or email alumni@uwindsor.ca
Spring 2021 Convocation ceremonies will be postponed helping address the spread of COVID-19 and support social distancing strategies. Though we are all disappointed we cannot celebrate our students’ achievements in the usual way, please know that your health and safety is our primary decision-making driver during these unprecedented times.
Currently we are unable to produce and send out any visitation letters for family members to attend the ceremony.
Yes. If you have completed all the academic requirements of your program, and have completed the application to graduate process in UWinsite Student you will graduate.
Yes. All students who will have completed their degree requirements by the end of the winter term, must apply to graduate whether you plan on attending your Convocation ceremony or not.
If you are eligible to apply to graduate for Spring 2021 Convocation, please note the no-fee deadline is March 1, 2021.
Late applications to graduate will be accepted from March 2 to April 26, 2021. If you apply during the late application period, and wish to attend your Convocation ceremony, a non-refundable, non-transferable $80 fee will be charged. No applications to graduate will be accepted after April 26, 2021.
To apply to graduate, please log on to UWinsite Student.
After you have applied to graduate, it is recommended that you check your graduation eligibility status in UWinsite Student regularly, as applications are being evaluated on an ongoing basis.
Note: Your graduation eligibility status will be "Approved" or "Conditionally Eligible" if you have been deemed eligible to graduate.
Specifically:
Parchments, the legal document embossed with the University seal and the graduate’s name and degree, will be couriered after the degrees have been conferred.
Your mailing address on Uwinsite Student will be the default shipping address. Please note that couriers cannot deliver to P.O. Boxes. You have until May 7, 2021 to update your mailing address on your UWinsite Student profile for the purpose of shipping your diploma.
To update your address in UWinsite Student, follow the steps below:
*NOTE: If you are living in Residence at UWindsor, your Residence address will be pre-populated and cannot be updated by you in UWinsite Student. Information on Residence mailing addresses can be found here.
For additional information on how to set up your student profile, please visit this article.
If your mailing address was incorrect on your UWinsite Student profile: The courier company will call the number provided but if the diploma cannot be delivered, it will be returned to the Office of the Registrars. We will contact you to correct the address, however any further attempts to courier the diploma will be at your expense.
If your mailing address was missing: Your home address will be used in lieu of a mailing address.
It is imperative that you review your mailing address on your Uwinsite Student profile and ensure it is correct. If the Office of the Registrar is required to re-ship your diploma, there will be additional charges directly incurred by you.
Yes, we will ship worldwide (at no charge to you). Please update your mailing address on your Uwinsite Student profile. You will need to provide a full street address, City or town, Province or Region, Postal code and your international phone number. If there are any problems trying to deliver your package, the courier will reach out to your international phone number.
Nothing can replace the experience of crossing the Convocation stage and having your accomplishment recognized. We are as saddened as you that the pandemic has forced us all to change how we gather and celebrate life’s biggest moments.
Earlier this year, President Robert Gordon promised that, when safe to do so, an in-person celebration for you and your family will be held on campus. We will contact you once more information is available.
