Western International

Osmany Hernandez Cruz will never forget his first night in London, Ont. in 2019. Far from his home in Holguín, Cuba, dressed in a light jacket and jeans, he could barely catch his breath in the bitter cold. “When we took off from Holguín, it was 33 C and by the time we landed in Toronto, it was -19 C. Then I took the shuttle to London, where it felt like -38 C,” Cruz said. Just as he hadn’t expected the shocking cold, he never could have imagined how the coming months would change the course of his research and future. Cruz arrived at Western at the invitation of engineering professor Greg Kopp, as a Visiting Research Only (VRO) student. The two had met while Kopp was visiting the University of Holguín, where Cruz, then a master’s student, was presenting his work on the impact of wind on communication towers in Cuba. Without access to wind tunnels to evaluate his research models, Cruz believed it impossible to advance his work. When Kopp encouraged him to test the validity of his research at Western’s world-class wind tunnel, Cruz was all in. Six years later, he’s making positive contributions in an emerging field, helping Kopp and his team survey tornado damage across Canada as part of Western’s Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP). “Meeting Greg and being part of the research culture at Western has been life changing,” Cruz said.  

Value of Visiting Research Only students at Western

Students with VRO status come to Western to conduct short-term research under a host supervisor. They have paid tuition and are enrolled in good standing at an institution outside Canada, so pay no tuition and take no classes at Western. Lise Laporte, senior director of Western International, said VRO students add to the diversity on campus while making significant contributions. “Even though they’re short-term students, they’re important members of our community, helping Western to increase international connections, collaborations and research opportunities,” Laporte said. “We’re also seeing anecdotal evidence that after coming to Western as VRO students, some choose to return to pursue a full degree.” Such was the case with Cruz, who at Western found a warm welcome – and a newly discovered passion for structural and wind engineering. He returned to Cuba to complete his master’s in civil engineering, but with his interest broadening from towers to tornadoes, Cruz now had only one school in mind for his future studies. “Western is one of the top universities in the world for wind engineering,” he said. The combination of expertise, facilities and mentorship made it the perfect place.” He earned his PhD in civil engineering (wind engineering) at Western in 2024, with his doctoral research already contributing to real-world solutions. “Osmany’s work during his PhD helped us understand how tornado wind loads depend on details of the tornado vortex, with a focus on how to develop building code provisions,” Kopp said. “His work has been helpful as we work to develop provisions for tornadoes for the National Building Code.” Now as a postdoctoral fellow, Cruz is helping the team understand and model the wind fields in downbursts and derechos – different types of windstorms that also emerge from thunderstorms. Beyond his academic contributions, he’s also making an impact helping other students from Cuba find their way. “There’s a stark difference between Cuba and the rest of the world,” he said. “We don’t have credit cards; that’s a new concept for us. It can be hard in the beginning, so when new students come, I try to connect and help them find a place to rent and take them to the grocery store and teach them how the system works.”  

Coming to Canada, conducting chemistry research a dream come true

Last year, Western hosted 197 VRO students from 25 countries. Among them, Lucas Ferreira Marques dos Santos, from Brazil, who was selected to conduct short-term research at Western through the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP). It marked the end of a 14-year journey for Ferreira, who arrived as an undergraduate student enrolled at the Federal University of Bahia, in Salvador. “I’ve dreamed of coming to Canada since I was 11 years old,” said Ferreira, who also developed a love for chemistry at an early age. “I was always the guy asking, ‘Why?’, wondering why fireworks are purple and why do certain items burn?’” Unable to afford language classes, he taught himself English through videos on YouTube. “I really wanted to pursue chemistry and to experience life in Canada. But with my background, I could never afford to come, even though I had saved and sacrificed for years.” His only chance would be through an ELAP award, which would cover his flights and living expenses. After contacting chemistry professor Johanna Blacquiere, Ferreira found a supervisor and champion to support his ELAP application. Although his first attempts were unsuccessful, he persisted, and with Blacquiere’s steadfast support, he was delighted to be selected in 2024. With a background in analytical chemistry, Ferreira said working in an inorganic chemistry lab offered an entirely new experience, where he grew and matured through Blacquiere’s feedback and support. “I made lots of mistakes, but I had the enthusiasm, creativity and curiosity,” he said. Under Blacquiere’s supervision, Ferreira developed catalysts – molecules that speed up or direct chemical reactions. “These catalysts help us control which products are formed in a reaction, making the process more efficient and selective. It’s a bit like designing a tool to make reactions work better,” Ferreira said. “I love thinking about molecules and how I can improve them. It’s creative, challenging and has the potential for real-world impact in areas like materials science and sustainable chemistry.” Ferreira’s passion and persistence during his first four months at Western paid off when he received the inorganic chemistry division award at the (2024) 52nd Southern Ontario Undergraduate Student Chemistry Conference.

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He also used the research he conducted at Western to successfully defend the first international undergraduate thesis in the University of Bahia’s chemistry department. Now he’s pursuing further studies here as a direct-entry PhD student, with hope to one day work in the industrial field as an R & D chemist. “My home university in Brazil is very good, but Western offers greater accessibility to equipment and resources,” Ferreira said.

“After a transformative experience in 2024 as a visiting undergraduate researcher under the supervision of Professor Johanna Blacquiere, I returned to her lab in 2025 as a direct-entry PhD student, thrilled to work under her mentorship again.” – Lucas Ferreira Marques dos Santos, former VRO and current PhD student

Ferreira is now a source of information – and inspiration – for other students in Brazil. “When I returned home after my VRO, I gave a few speeches about studying abroad and my experience at Western. Recently, I was invited by one of the professors who supported my journey, to give another talk to her class by Zoom. She brought me as an example to inspire and motivate her students by sharing my journey to becoming a PhD student here. I even gave them a small virtual campus tour to showcase Western as an achievable dream.” Like Cruz, Ferreira makes a point to give back to the Western community, from serving as a guide in the chemistry department during Spring Open House to sitting on the Society of Graduate Students’ executive as international commissioner. He is also active in the London, Ont. community, singing in a local church choir and volunteering for many causes, including local clean-up initiatives. Recognizing the reciprocal research and reputational benefits VRO students bring, Laporte and her team are working to further enhance their experience, organizing special social events and ensuring they’re aware of the services available to them. “These visiting student researchers often end up becoming great ambassadors for Western through their journey,” Laporte said. “The hope is that if we can make them feel even more engaged with the campus community and prouder of their experience here, they’ll take that feeling back to their home university.”