Small fire at Hagey Hall yesterday

Fire trucks arrived outside Hagey Hall Tuesday afternoon after an electrical panel in the building’s basement caught fire.

Hagey Hall was evacuated and the fire quickly extinguished. No injuries were reported.

A portion of the building will remain closed today as cleanup and repairs take place.

 

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Environment dean André Roy stepping down

Effective August 1, 2014 Faculty of Environment dean André Roy will be stepping down from the position he has held since 2011.

“This has probably been the most difficult decision that I have ever made in my career,” Roy said. “It has been a real pleasure and privilege to be your dean. I have thoroughly enjoyed working and interacting with all of you and I will miss the talented and committed people who make this Faculty such a great place.”

Roy will be heading to Montréal's Concordia University, where he will become Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science. Roy came to the University of Waterloo from the Université de Montréal in 2011.

Upon arriving in 2011, Roy has helped Environment become the fastest growing faculty at the University of Waterloo. Under his leadership the faculty has added new graduate programs in climate change, development and sustainability management and has added ten new faculty members to help guide research and build on Environment’s exceptional reputation for teaching excellence.

Roy also made it a priority to help the new Environment 3 building achieve LEED® Platinum certification, making it the first building of its kind on an Ontario university campus.

Read the full story on the Faculty of Environment news page.

 

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Jean Andrey is named interim Environment dean

"With regrets I inform you that Dr. André Roy is leaving the University of Waterloo as of August 1, 2014 to take up the position of Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science at Concordia University in Montreal," said a memo from Vice-President, Academic & Provost Geoff McBoyle circulated Monday.

"I am pleased to announce that Dr. Jean Andrey, current Associate Dean, Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Environment, will serve as Interim Dean of Environment effective August 1, 2014 until a permanent appointment is made, but no longer than one year."

Andrey's research is concerned with the implications of climate change for transportation infrastructure and operations. She is the current president of the Canadian Association of Geographers and is highly regarded as a teacher and mentor to undergraduate and graduate students alike. Andrey is also a Distinguished Teacher Award winner and received a Women of Waterloo Region (WOW) award for education in 2012.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank, André Roy for his years of contributions and excellent work at UW and wish him well in his next endeavour, and, Jean Andrey for her willingness to assume this responsibility," McBoyle concluded.

 

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Professional perspectives on health careers

By Karleigh Masney.

The Centre for Career Action and Alumni Relations teams recently hosted an event called “Explore Your Options: Health Related Careers of Waterloo Science Alumni.”

This event was geared to Science and Applied Health Sciences students, but was open to University of Waterloo students and alumni of all disciplines who were interested in exploring a career in the field of health, beyond practicing medicine.

Over 100 students and 4 panelists attended the event. The panelists were from diverse career backgrounds including: pedorthics, MRI technology, health research, and practical nursing but from a common academic background, as they were all University of Waterloo Alumni.

The panelists provided participants with an insight into their profession, their educational background and the path they took to get to where they are today in their careers. Each of the panelists shared unique stories and emphasized that career happiness is defined by several more factors than a job title and paycheck, and that students are not alone in their uncertainty. One panelist expressed “it will all be okay in the end!” (in reference to the struggles of completing an undergraduate degree and the confusion that sometimes comes with the pressure of deciding on a career).

The panelists also discussed how using their network played a large role in their success. Panelists encouraged participants to be thinking of ways in which they could build relationships and gain support from peers.

In order to assist with the process of exploring your career, students can make use of the services provided by the Centre for Career Action such as Career Exploration and Decision Making appointments where skills and potential career options can be discussed. They may also wish to book a Work Search appointment where strategies such as informational interviews, networking tools and strategies can be looked at in greater detail.

To book either of these appointments, go to the Centre for Career Action website and click on “appointments/workshops”.

 

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Wednesday's notes

The Waterloo Warriors football program has announced that Joe Hagins has been hired as assistant football coach/defensive coordinator.

"Hagins brings a wealth of football coaching and playing experience to the black and gold and will undoubtedly make an immediate impact to Waterloo’s defence," says a statement from the athletics department.

Hagins coached the Guelph Gryphons for three seasons starting in 2006 in several capacities including the special teams unit. He also had a stint in the CFL as a defensive assistant and special teams coach in 2009 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the same team he won a Grey Cup with as a player in 1999.

Prior to joining the CFL, Hagins enjoyed a four-year collegiate career at Purdue (1993-1996), where he played as a linebacker, safety, running back and kick returner. In his rookie season, Hagins was named the Purdue Freshman Athlete of the year. Most recently Hagins has worked as a defensive coordinator/special teams coach for the Hamilton Ironmen of the Ontario Varsity Football League (2012) and assistant coach for the Canada Prep Football Academy.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity that lies ahead with the Warriors,” said Hagins. “There is a lot of great talent on this team and I look forward to working with these dedicated and motivated student-athletes for years to come.”

Friends and colleagues of Darlene Dietz-Hicks are being invited to a retirement party to celebrate her 36 years of service to the University in the Procurement & Contract Services Department. The retirement celebration will be held on Wednesday, May 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in DC 1301. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.

"When students stop by Feds Used Books to pick up texts from their reading list, they’ll also be able to enter a fantastic new contest," writes Jacqueline Martinz. "To be entered into a draw for one of three exciting prizes, students simply fill out a ballot with their name and email address. The prizes are $200 worth of textbooks from Feds Used Books, an iPad, and a Kindle."

The contest will run until Thursday, April 24, and the winner will be announced on Friday, April 25. More information about Feds Used Books is available online.

 

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