Researcher awarded Steacie Fellowship

University of Waterloo researcher Kevin Resch (Physics & Astronomy, Institute for Quantum Computing) will be awarded the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's (NSERC) E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship at a ceremony this afternoon at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Designed to "enhance the career development of outstanding and highly promising scientists and engineers who are faculty members at Canadian universities", the Steacie Fellowships are highly-sought after hallmarks of professional success and potential.

Professor Resch is an experimental physicist working in quantum information science, in particular the development of quantum sources of light and interferometric sensors. Technologies that harness the capabilities of quantum systems promise to transform the way we process and share information and how we measure the world around us. Resch is one of six winners who each receive a research grant of $250,000 over two years.

"NSERC presents this respected award to promising young researchers whose work has the potential for major impact," said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president & vice-chancellor of Waterloo. "This fellowship will enable Professor Resch to focus on his research, so that Canada and the world may benefit from his innovation. On behalf of the university community, we are very proud of his accomplishment and congratulate him on this honour."

Together with his students and international collaborators, Resch has made several highly regarded contributions to quantum information science. He was a major contributor to the famous Danube experiment where entangled photons were distributed through the air over Vienna’s landmark river as a first step toward very long distance quantum cryptography. In a separate project, he clarified the role of quantum entanglement for making the best interferometric sensors nature allows. As well, his research on groundbreaking applications of chirped laser pulses, carefully stretched pulses of light, shows promise for non-invasive 3D imaging of biological tissue for medical applications.

“I am delighted that Kevin Resch's achievements have been recognized by NSERC for this prestigious award,” says Professor Raymond Laflamme, executive director of the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo. “Quantum information research promises to transform technology as we know it. Young researchers like him will continue to push the field forward and discover new technologies.”

Quantum information processing has the potential for breakthroughs in computing, communications and cryptography. It can also help us devise tools for navigating and controlling the nano-scale world. Sensors and actuators that operate according to quantum mechanics may achieve sensitivity, selectivity, precision and robustness far beyond their classical counterparts.

NSERC’s E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowships honour the memory of Edgar William Richard Steacie, an outstanding chemist and research leader who made major contributions to the development of science in Canada during, and immediately following, World War II.

Photograph provided by NSERC.

 

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Watch your inboxes, there are surveys afoot

Three different sets of current or former students should watch for email invites to participate in important surveys.

Grad students: look out for the Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey (CGPSS): This survey is being conducted by Mosaic Research on behalf of the University of Waterloo and runs from March 1 to 29. All graduate students enrolled in a Waterloo program in fall 2012 are invited to participate. The intent of this survey is to improve programs and supports for current and future graduate students.

Alumni: all 2007 alumni who have already agreed to being contacted by email should watch for the National Five Year Out Baccalaureate Graduate Outcomes Survey. This survey is being conducted by Mosaic Research on behalf of uWaterloo and runs from March 1to April 24.

First-year students: you may have already been contacted for the Canadian University Survey Consortium (CUSC) survey of first year students. This survey is being conducted by PRA on behalf of Waterloo and runs from February 25 to March 29. 1,000 first year students will be invited to participate. Students who complete the survey will receive a $10 payment to their WatCards and will be entered into a draw to win a $200 gift certificate to Retail Services.

If you have questions, contact Jana Carson, Institutional Analysis and Planning by email or by phone at ext. 38611.

 

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Three-Minute Thesis competition gains speed

How time flies! Faculty-based heats for the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition are taking place across campus. The Faculty of Environment held its initial round on February 15, with Science following on February 21.

The 3MT competition has been described as "a university-wide competition for research-based masters and doctoral students, where competitors have 1 static slide and 3 minutes to explain the breadth and significance of their research to a non-specialist audience." The academic competition was developed by The University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia in 2008.

The Faculty of Arts is holding three heats. The first and second were held on Monday, February 25 and Tuesday, February 26, respectively, and the third is scheduled to take place today from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in HH 1106. Next up will be Mathematics on Friday, March 1 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in DC 1304. The Faculty of Applied Health Sciences will hold their competition on Tuesday, March 5 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in LHI 1621. Finally, the Faculty of Engineering will host their competition over three days starting on Monday, March 11, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in locations in Carl Pollock Hall and the J. R. Coutts Engineering Lecture Hall. A full schedule of the faculty-based rounds is available online.

The university-wide competition, hosted by the Graduate Studies Office, will be held on Wednesday, March 27 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in room 0101 of the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre. The winner will then proceed to the provincial finals at Queen's University on April 18.

 

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National Co-op Week less than a month away

by Shannon Tigert, communications & marketing associate in CECA

March 18-22, 2013 is National Co-op Week, presented by the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education. CAFCE is currently celebrating its 40^th anniversary of promoting and fostering the growth of co-operative education in Canada. 

Every year, the University of Waterloo chooses National Co-op Week as the ideal time to showcase excellence within the co-operative education program with the Co-op Student of the Year Award. Some of CECA’s co-op students will also be attending popular student gathering spots on campus promoting the Co-op Week Social Media Contest.

The University of Waterloo takes great pride in the outstanding students whose combined dedication and skill contribute to our co-operative education program, which remains the largest in the world. One student from each of the six faculties is chosen for the Co-op Student of the Year award based on exemplary performance during a 2012 work term, along with other factors including community involvement, contribution to co-op and academic achievements.

Every year it becomes more and more difficult to honour only six, as Waterloo co-op students continue to excel beyond expectation during their work terms. 

Check out the Co-op Students of the Year page on the CECA site for more information and to read up on last year's winners.

This year’s ceremony will take place March 19, 2013 in the William H. Tatham Centre. Stay tuned for the profiles of the 2012 winners!

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Last week’s question: 95 per cent of you guessed correctly: CECA posted 16,482 jobs last year. Congratulations to last week’s draw winner Joe Henhoeffer from the Office of Research.

This week’s question: Last year one of our co-op students of the year was a member of a company’s due diligence team for a major acquisition valued at $387 million. Who was the student? (Hint: learn about the accomplishments of last year’s winners.) Take a guess and enter to win a lunch bag.

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Wednesday's notes

The Pension team from Human Resources is offering a Lunch and Learn Pension session entitled "Three Ds to Consider" on Tuesday, March 5 in DC 1302 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

"We will be discussing the issues of Disability, Death and Divorce as they relate to your uWaterloo Pension," says the memo sent to faculty and staff. "We look forward to having you join us! No need to register. Please bring your lunch and learn while you munch!"

Information about the Pension Lunch and Learn sessions can be found on Human Resources' website.

The date and time of the next scheduled tour of the Gustav Bakos Observatory has been changed to Wednesday, March 13 at 9:00 p.m. from March 6. Attendees still convene at PHY 308 to begin the tour of the observatory.

One final note. I have been on vacation since Tuesday, February 12 and I would like to thank my colleagues in Communications & Public Affairs for keeping the Daily Bulletin on an even keel these past two weeks. Also, I picked a heck of a day to come back to work from Florida.

 

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