Forging links between leadership, innovation

by Matt Bondy

The Leadership Innovation Conference – #LINC2013 – kicked off yesterday morning at the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre. At the invitation of University of Waterloo President Feridun Hamdullahpur, a group of some 200 innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and venture capitalists came together to share ideas and policy options for building entrepreneurial ecosystems both here in Canada and around the world.

Minister of State for Science and Technology Gary Goodyear provided opening remarks from the Government of Canada, followed by President Hamdullahpur who welcomed the participants and set the stage with a set of remarks about the attributes of great innovation systems.

Speaking of developing entrepreneurial communities by focusing on university research, the president said “Only by deepening our understanding of the world around us do we open new horizons for innovation and progress. Only research systems free the flow of human knowledge. That is our greatest natural resource, and our greatest economic asset. “

The text of President Hamdullahpur’s speech is already available.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne (pictured at left with Feridun Hamdullahpur) keynoted the afternoon proceedings yesterday, with Blackberry inventor Mike Lazaridis set to address the conference this morning.

The LINC conference strongly underlines some core University of Waterloo priorities, with the themes of research and entrepreneurialism being both central to the conference and to the draft University of Waterloo Strategic Plan, which remains open for campus feedback until May 1.

“Entrepreneurship is a really important space for us ,” Tim Jackson, VP of University Relations told the Daily Bulletin. “The University of Waterloo is well-known for innovation and entrepreneurship because it’s always been fundamental to who we are. People know that Waterloo leads on innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as on experiential learning. We need to maximize those advantages, while communicating the fundamental importance of basic research to the whole innovation process.”

Photographs by Alan Lee.

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Warriors host inaugural football gala

The Waterloo Warriors football program held their first annual gala on Thursday, April 18 at the Bingemans conference centre, with a large contingent of current players, alumni, family and friends in attendance to support the team. Mike Hogan of TSN was the master of ceremonies while Chris Schultz a former player in both the CFL and NFL and football analyst on TSN was also on hand as the keynote speaker.

The highlight of the evening was the handing out of the first-ever Ring of Honour awards, presented to alumni who have been ambassadors for Waterloo's football program either during their time at Waterloo or afterward, and who have had a significant impact on the program. Four of these awards were presented.

The first Ring of Honour was presented to Dick Aldridge (1960-65), who is described as an "outstanding member" of both the Warrior football and basketball teams. Aldridge was a linebacker, running back and quarterback for the Warriors, and was drafted by the BC Lions before being traded to Hamilton so he could continue with his post-graduate studies and then traded again to the Toronto Argonauts, all before playing a single game of CFL football. He played the bulk of his career with the Argos before being traded back to the Ti-Cats for a single season before retiring in 1974.

Dave Shaw (1985-89) was the second Ring of Honour recipient. Shaw played both football and hockey at Waterloo and was an academic all-Canadian, Warrior Rookie of the Year in 1985 and team MVP in 1986. "A hard hitting linebacker with great range, Dave was the face of Warrior football in his time at Waterloo and a great ambassador of the program," says a statement from Athletics.

Jason Van Geel (1994-1997), the third recipient, is described as "one of the most dominant linebackers in the history of OUA football." He was named Warrior Rookie of the Year in 1994, a three-time all-Canadian, and winner of the President's Trophy as best stand up defensive player in the CIS. Van Geel is still the second all-time leading tackler in Warrior history. "His on field presence was a key ingredient to Waterloo’s appearance in two consecutive Yates Cup appearances, including Waterloo’s first ever championship in 1997." Van Geel was drafted by Saskatchewan and played one year with Winnipeg and one year with Hamilton in the CFL.

The final Ring of Honour went to Mike Bradley (1997-2001). An OUA MVP and Hec Creighton nominee, Bradley was one of the greatest running backs in CIS history leading the Warriors to two Yates Cup victories (1997 and 1999). The three time all-Canadian finished his career at Waterloo fifth all-time in CIS history in touchdowns and 12th in career rushing yardage. Signed by the Edmonton Eskimos, he was a special teams ace and running back for six seasons, winning two Grey Cups. The three time Warrior MVP "will be forever known for his explosive runs and threat to go all the way on every play."

The four winners of the award received a plaque outlining their accomplishments and their names will be added to the Waterloo football Ring of Honour wall in the team's locker room.

The Warriors open up their 2013 season on Sunday, August 25 in Windsor before taking to Warrior Field for their home opener on Labour Day Monday (September 2) against Ottawa at 7:00 p.m.

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Third place finish at Three-Minute Thesis

The University of Waterloo's Chau-Minh Phan placed third at the provincial finals of the Three-Minute Thesis competition, held last week at Queen's University. Thirty graduate students from 16 Ontario universities were competing to become the first to win the championship trophy for their school.

The winner of the provincial finals was University of Toronto medical biophysics PhD student Jasdeep Saggar, who presented "Hypoxia-activated pro-drugs: A novel approach for breast cancer." She received $1,000.

In second place was University of Toronto computer science PhD student Abraham Heifets with "How can we make better medicines? Computer tools for chemistry."

Five judges were enlisted to score each participant in three categories – comprehension, communication and engagement. The judging panel included Rob Baker, guitarist for the Tragically Hip, marathon swimmer Vicki Keith, lawyer Hugh Christie, economist Donald Drummond, and Peter Gooch of the Council of Ontario Universities.

Chau-Minh Phan's presentation was entitled "Treatment of Fungal Eye Infections using contact lenses and nanoparticles." Phan is a PhD student in the School of Optometry and Vision Science.

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Construction to impact pedestrians; other notes

The construction fencing in front of Biology 2 that marks the Science Teaching Complex build site will be extended to the sidewalks of Ring Road, according to Don Haffner. This will become the main entrance for trucks into the construction site. Signs will be posted requesting pedestrians to use the walking on the ring road's west side, and a flagperson will be at the entrance whenever a truck is entering or leaving. "Most likely the sidewalk will be in disrepair," Haffner notes.

Institutional Analysis and Planning would like to remind graduate and professional students that they have been invited to participate in the Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey (CGPSS). The survey is being conducted by Mosaic Research Inc. on behalf of Waterloo, and asks graduate students about their activities and what they feel they gain from their university experiences. The survey will be available until Friday, May 10 and takes about 20 minutes to complete. Individuals who complete the survey will be entered in a draw to win a $500 Graduate Award as a prize for participating. All graduate and professional students should have received an invitation via their uWaterloo account. That said, the survey can be accessed here, thought students will need the PIN they were sent via the earlier email.

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