Service with a smile: President Feridun Hamdullahpur, Vice-President, University Relations Tim Jackson, Vice-President, Advancement Ken McGillivray, Dean of Environment Andre Roy, Dean of Mathematics Ian Goulden, and Associate Provost, Students Chris Read put on their aprons for Wednesday's Senior Leadership Serves event at Village 1 Wednesday, preparing and serving the food in the cafeteria alongside members of the Food Services staff.

 

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GreenHouse plants its first crop

"What are you growing?"

Students from St. Paul’s GreenHouse answered the question during a public open house on Tuesday, December 3 to officially celebrate the new innovation incubator at St. Paul’s University College. 

This past September welcomed the ‘first crop’ of GreenHouse innovators to St. Paul’s. The students presented their ideas for changing the world to an audience of more than 150 University of Waterloo staff, faculty and students and Waterloo Region community members. Their ideas include socially responsible investing, revolutionizing the way students study, video production for social good, changing our campus food supply to support local and mapping where our food comes from, raising awareness about the effects of shark finning to our ecosystem and a plan for recycling hotel soap that could prevent the millions of deaths caused by hygiene-related illnesses around the world.  

At right, student Renishaki Kamalanathan speaks about her project The Study Bike.

“In 12 short weeks, our GreenHouse innovators have gone from taking their passions about environmental and social issues to generating more than 50 innovative ideas for change,” said Tania Del Matto, Director of St. Paul’s GreenHouse. “We now have five early-stage social enterprises that are ready for testing and refining. This progress is a result of the combined energies invested by our students and our community of mentors and social entrepreneurs who have volunteered their time to help." 

GreenHouse students have been working under the guidance of professional mentors and have received specialized learning opportunities to help them develop their ideas and take action. They gain valuable skills, build relevant networks and put their academic knowledge into practice, setting them up on a path to a bold career.  Students must apply to be a part of St. Paul’s GreenHouse and it is open to upper-year undergraduate students from all Faculties at Waterloo.  

“The response from the community has been amazing.  Together, we’ll put social entrepreneurship on the map here in Waterloo Region,” said Del Matto.

 

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Vigil honours mass shooting victims

Today is the 24th anniversary of the December 6, 1989 shooting deaths of 14 women at École Polytechnique in Montreal. The incident has been the focus for remembrance and reflection ever since.

To mark this solemn occasion, the university is hosting an event commemorating the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. The vigil will be held from 11:30 a.m. to noon at the Sedra Design Centre in Engineering 5. All members of the campus community have been invited to attend the remembrance event.

Speaking at the event will be Catherine Fife, member of provincial parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo, Professor Diana Parry, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, and special advisor to the president on women's and gender issues, Professor Mary Wells, associate dean, outreach, Faculty of Engineering, and Steph Lynn Niesner, Women's Centre at the Federation of Students.

The event is being held in partnership with the Office of the President, the Department of Women's Studies, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Federation of Students' Women's Centre.

 

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Students go Over and Above

by Kayla McKinnon. Originally published on the Master of Public Service website.

On November 22, uWaterloo co-op students Christopher Gunn-Isaacs (MPS) and Alex Cho (AFM) received the “Over and Above” award from Deputy Minister of Finance, Steve Orsini, for their efforts with the Frost North Ministry of Finance United Way Campaign. The students collectively raised $4,000 for United Way on behalf of the Office of Economic Policy.

The Frost North MOF campaign is an annual fundraiser that collects charitable donations for various non-profit organizations under the United Way umbrella. These donations help support people throughout Toronto including the elderly, homeless, new immigrants, single parents and the physically challenged. The “Over and Above” award recognizes select individuals who exceed expectations as volunteers and leaders for the campaign.

“I saw the opportunity [to get involved with the campaign] as a chance to give back, become more engaged at the workplace and to do so for a good cause,” says Gunn-Isaacs. “It’s a method of fostering new relationships and a chance to meet and engage in conversation outside of work with like-minded colleagues.”

Read the rest of the article on the Master of Public Service webpage.

 

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Registrar retirement revelry

Friends and colleagues of Ken Lavigne (at right, the one not wearing sunglasses) are invited to attend his retirement party on January 9, 2014 to celebrate his 37 years at the University of Waterloo.

For the last 18 of those years, he has served as the university's Registrar, and is only the third person to hold that position in the institution's history.

The event will be held at the University Club from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on January 9. Speeches will begin at 4:30 p.m., and refreshments will be served.

 

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