Choice cuts: President & Vice-Chancellor Feridun Hamdullahpur, Regional Chair Ken Seiling, Patrick Deane, president & vice-chancellor of McMaster University, Carl Zehr, mayor, City of Kitchener, and John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities take a look at specimens offered by Bruce Wainman, director of anatomy for McMaster University at last Tuesday's event celebrating the opening of a new anatomy lab to be shared by students of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine and the University of Waterloo's School of Pharmacy at the downtown Kitchener Health Sciences Campus.

Photograph by Mike Lalich.

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Stay cool, everyone: it's Frost Week

The weather may have taken a turn for the warm, but this week promises to be cold as ice as Frost Week, organized by the Federation of Students, gets underway today with an action-packed schedule of events.

Today, for example, there will be a free breakfast at The Bombshelter Pub for the first 150 people to arrive at 9:00 a.m., and tonight, starting at 8:00 p.m., Sex Toy Bingo, also in the Bombshelter. You don't want to mix those two up, people.

Tuesday features the The Feds' Get Involved Fair from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Student Life Centre's Great Hall. At the Fair, students will be able to meet volunteers from Feds services including the Campus Response Team, The Women’s Centre, and more to ask questions and get involved. "Volunteering for a Feds service is a great way to make new friends, learn new skills, and make a difference on campus," writes the Federation's Jacqueline Martinz.

Tomorrow night is the main event - a concert at Fed Hall featuring Dragonette, the best Canadian band ever helmed by the daughter of a former provincial finance minister (I'm willing to be proven wrong on that one). Doors open at 9:00 p.m., with the show starting at 10:00 p.m. Tickets are still available for purchase online.

On Wednesday, there will be a Lunch with the President and Senior Leadership event held at noon in the Student Life Centre's Great Hall, and a Winter Carnival that runs from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. also in the Great Hall, with free activities and free loose leaf tea from Campus Bubble. Later that evening it's Legendary Wednesday at the Bombshelter Pub.

Thursday will feature Clubs and Societies' Day in the SLC Great Hall, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Mega Trivia Night at the Bombshelter Pub starting at 8:00 p.m., and Free Comedy Night at Fed Hall, with doors opening at 8:00 p.m. and the show getting underway at 9:00 p.m.

On Friday, Clubs and Societies' Day continues in the Great Hall, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The full Frost Week schedule is available online.

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Timing is everything for Three Minute Thesis

by Marta Bailey, Graduate Studies Office

1 slide.  3 Minutes.  Outstanding ideas!

The inaugural Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition is taking place at University of Waterloo this winter term. The 3MT is 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. 

This competition will foster effective communication and presentation skills of graduate students, and is part of a world-wide initiative.  There are also cash prizes for top winners! 

For more information, visit the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition website or contact Marta Bailey.

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Six projects win LITE Grant funding

a message from the Centre for Teaching Excellence

In collaboration with the Office of the Associate Vice-President, Academic Programs and Strategic Initiatives, the Centre for Teaching Excellence is pleased to announce that six exciting projects have been funded through the new Learning Innovation and Teaching Enhancement (LITE) Grants initiative.

The purpose of the LITE grants is to provide support for experimenting with and investigating innovative approaches to enhancing teaching that aim to foster deep student learning at the University of Waterloo.  In 2012, 12 new projects were funded.

Two kinds of grants are available: LITE Seed Grants for projects up to $5,000, and LITE Full Grants for projects up to $30,000. Both grant formats emphasize the contribution of the project to the University of Waterloo learning community.

  *Denotes Graduate Student

**Denotes Undergraduate Student

LITE Seed Grants

LITE Full Grants

For Seed Grants, the three annual application deadlines are February 1, June 1, and October 1. The one annual deadline for LITE Full Grants is October 1. More information about the grants is available online.

To register for an upcoming LITE Grant Information or Working Session, please visit the Centre for Teaching Excellence web site. If you are considering applying for a grant and would like to discuss your project, please contact Julie Timmermans at the Centre for Teaching Excellence by email or at x32940.

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