The faculty of science will present itself in go-to-meetin' clothes and academic gowns for Convocation this afternoon, but last week shorts and T-shirts were quite acceptable. (But surely that's a tie flying from the neck of chemistry professor Bob LeRoy in the front row?) The occasion was a mass picnic on the Optometry lawn, part of UW's 50th anniversary celebrations. University photographer Chris Hughes of UW Graphics took the collective portrait (and Graphics colleague Andrew Mills captured him doing it).

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On the first day of Convocation

The Ninety-fourth Convocation begins this morning with a session (at 10:00) for graduates in environmental studies and applied health sciences. Names of two winners of Alumni Gold Medals, for top bachelor's degree graduates, have just been announced. Receiving the medal in ES is Rachel McQuail, who's graduating in geography; receiving the medal in AHS is Joel Scott Emery, of health studies and gerontology.

A total of 3,894 undergraduate and 454 graduate students will receive degrees and diplomas this week, the registrar's office calculates. Next up, as convocation week continues:

Ninety-fourth Convocation, second session

When and where: Wednesday, June 13, 2:00 p.m., Physical Activities Complex
Degrees: Faculty of science
Valedictorian: Jeff Yoo, honours science (biology)
Honorary degrees: Rudolf Thauer, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Germany; Richard Peltier, physics department, University of Toronto
Distinguished Professor Emeritus: John Cherry (earth sciences), who will give the convocation address; Frederick McCourt (chemistry)
Honorary Member of the University: Angelo Graham, former UW safety officer
University Professor: Jacob Sivak, optometry
Distinguished Teacher: Barbara Moffatt, biology
Alumni gold medal: Robert Kosztyla, physics and astronomy
Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Studies: Michael Reimer, MSc in physics and astronomy
Dean of Science Award at the MSc level: Jennifer Kormos, biology; Laura Ingram, chemistry; Cherilyn Carrara, earth sciences; Krystynne Harvey, optometry
W. B. Pearson Medal at the PhD level: Stephanie DeWitte-Orr, biology; Alireza Shayesteh, chemistry; Jean-Michel Lemieux, earth sciences; Edward Gilmore, optometry; Cristian Stelea, physics and astronomy
Social notes: General reception after the ceremony, Student Life Centre.

Ninety-fourth Convocation, third session

When and where: Thursday, June 14, 10:00 a.m., Physical Activities Complex
Degrees: Faculty of arts, some programs
Valedictorian: Meaghan Hoffmann, speech communication.
Honorary degrees: James Balsillie of Research in Motion (will give the convocation address); Carl M. Dare, Kitchener industrialist
Distinguished Professor Emeritus: Arthur Green, fine arts
Distinguished Teacher: Gary Bruce, history
Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Studies: Bruce Dadey, PhD in English
Social notes: Accountancy pre-convocation reception 8:00 a.m., Student Life Centre third-floor lounge. General reception after the ceremony, Student Life Centre.

And still to come: faculty of arts, second ceremony at 2 p.m. Thursday; mathematics, two ceremonies Friday; engineering, two ceremonies Saturday.

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Committee reviews engineering dean

a memo from the provost

The Dean of Engineering Nominating Committee, constituted under the terms of Policy 45, is now in place and has held its first meeting.

You are encouraged to provide, by July 13, your comments views concerning the reappointment of Adel Sedra or the deanship in general, to any member of the Nominating Committee identified below; if you prefer to respond in writing, please direct your submission to the Committee Secretary, Trenny Canning, Secretariat in Needles Hall [tcanning@uwaterloo.ca; fax 519-888-6337]. However you respond, your comments will be held in confidence within the Committee.

The ballot required under paragraph 4.B.1 will be distributed when the Committee completes the consultation described above.

Committee members

James Bookbinder, Management Sciences [ext. 84013, jbookbinder@uwaterloo.ca]
Frederic Bosche, graduate student, Civil & Environmental Engineering [ext. 33872, fbosche@uwaterloo.ca]
George Dixon, Dean of Science [ext. 32531, dgdixon@uwaterloo.ca]
Tom Duever, Chemical Engineering [ext. 32295, tduever@uwaterloo.ca]
Paul Fieguth, Systems Design Engineering [ext. 33599, pfieguth@uwaterloo.ca]
Roydon Fraser, Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering [ext. 84764, rafraser@uwaterloo.ca]
Eric Haldenby, Architecture [ext. 84544, erhalden@uwaterloo.ca]
Levi McCulloch, undergraduate student, Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering [lrmccull@uwaterloo.ca]
Laurie Peloquin, staff member, Graduate Studies Office [ext. 37170, lpeloqui@uwaterloo.ca]
Sherman Shen, Electrical & Computer Engineering [ext. 32691, xshen@uwaterloo.ca]
Pearl Sullivan, Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering [ext. 84522, pearls@uwaterloo.ca]
David Walsh, staff member, Engineering Computing [ext. 32788, dwalsh@uwaterloo.ca]
Wei-Chau Xie, Civil & Environmental Engineering [ext. 33988, xie@uwaterloo.ca]

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Faculty members going on sabbatical

Here’s list of some of the UW faculty members who will be going on sabbatical leave as of July 1. The summaries of what they’ll do during their months away from teaching and other routine duties are what was submitted to the university’s board of governors, which must give its approval for all sabbatical leaves. All the leaves, except as noted, are six months long, ending December 31.

Rahim Moosa, pure mathematics: “I will be based in Waterloo pursuing my research into the model theory of compact complex manifolds and related areas. I expect to travel to France for one month to work with Z. Chatzidakis (Paris VII) and attend the Model Theory workshop at CIRM (Luminy).”

Katherine Acheson, English (twelve months): “During this sabbatical, I will complete the basic research for Visual Rhetoric and Early Modern English Print Culture. This research, which examines the ways in which scientific, cartographic, religious, and political images communicated in seventeenth-century English culture, will undergird a book, journal articles, and conference presentations. I plan to visit Oxford and London for extended stays in order to examine the original works with which the study is concerned.”

Michael Balogh, physics and astronomy: “My early sabbatical leave will be entirely devoted to developing my research into the formation of galaxies. Time will be spent at Waterloo, at the University of Swinburne (Melbourne) and the University of Durham (UK) to establish and strengthen ties with my collaborators.”

Sue Ann Campbell, applied mathematics (twelve months): “I will spend my sabbatical continuing old collaborations and initiating new ones at other universities and here at UW. It will include extended visits to Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Toronto Western Research Institute.”

Guangzhe Fan, statistics and actuarial science: “I plan to carry on my research during this period, attending several conferences and visiting collaborators in Canada, the US, or China while on leave.”

Colleen Cutler, statistics and actuarial science (twelve months): “I plan to remain at UW for much of my sabbatical leave, working on research in two separate areas: Regression to the Mean, and Applications of Dynamical Systems in Psychology. In both of these areas I intend to continue contact with Dr. David Kenny, a prominent psychologist at the University of Connecticut.”

Jean-Paul Lam, economics: “During my half-sabbatical leave I plan to spend my time on research related to optimal monetary policy under uncertainty and studying economic growth within overlapping generations models. My work will be carried out at the University of Waterloo.”

Marek Stastna, applied mathematics: “I intend to spend the six months on developing some new numerical codes, writing up research I have conducted in the last two years, and traveling for one month of the six.”

Monica Leoni, Spanish and Latin American studies: “After enjoying my two maternity leaves in recent years, this six-month sabbatical is essential to the successful initiation of research in new directions. Except for short periods to network at major conferences, plans are to remain on campus to complete manuscripts for publication and proposals for further research.”

Mike Stone, planning: “A sabbatical leave is requested to conduct sediment-associated contaminant transfer research. Field studies will be conducted in the Oldman watershed, Alberta, and supported by laboratory studies at Canada Centre for Inland Waters, Burlington, Ontario. The goal of the research is to quantify and model sediment-associated contaminant transport in fire watersheds.”

CAR

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