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Tuesday, August 2, 2011

  • New Grebel building will honour President Paetkau and supporter Schlegel
  • Sabbaticals from Japan to Singapore
  • Editor:
  • Chris Redmond
  • Communications and Public Affairs
  • bulletin@uwaterloo.ca

New Grebel building will honour President Paetkau and supporter Schlegel

from a Conrad Grebel University College news release

Planned Grebel academic building -- architect's drawingTwo important spaces in Conrad Grebel University College’s new academic building (architect's drawing, right) will bear familiar names. The seminar room in the new facility to be constructed in 2012-13 will be named in honour of Grebel’s sixth president, Henry Paetkau. “The Henry Paetkau Seminar Room,” offering a wonderful view of the front of the campus and Westmount Road, will be on the main level of the $6.3 million addition and will be used for graduate studies.

The second named space will be Grebel’s new community education room, to be funded by a $500,000 gift from RBJ Schlegel Holdings Inc. The “RBJ Schlegel Community Education Room” will be located next to the reception area on the main floor of the academic building. This high-profile room will be used for public seminars, meetings, and lectures, and affords bright views of the Westmount Road side of the campus. The new space will help to ease the pressure on the college’s Great Hall and chapel facilities, which are in heavy demand for community events.  

Henry PaetkauThe named rooms were announced at a recent Grebel board of governors meeting. In his statement to the board, outgoing chair Bert Lobe summed up the influence of Henry Paetkau (right): “Henry joined Grebel in late 2003 and provided the leadership we needed. In 2006 we identified six strategic directions and under Henry’s watch we made substantial progress on each. What distinguished Henry’s presidency was his sensitivity to the college and university context, his commitment to and understanding of the church, and his graciousness.”

During his presidency, Paetkau signed an agreement with the University of Waterloo that integrated the college’s Master of Theological Studies degree into the Waterloo graduate studies program. A master’s degree in peace and conflict studies is also in the final stages of approval.

Paul Berg-Dick, the outgoing treasurer, noted that the college has enjoyed fiscal stability and growth during these last nine years, with balanced budgets, healthy reserves, endowments that have doubled in size, and increased financial aid for students. “The ability to embark on such an ambitious capital campaign is the result of Henry’s leadership, plus the generosity of our donors who understand the college’s mission and want to participate in it,” added Susan Taves, who is taking over as board chair.

More about Schlegel
Ron SchlegelRBJ Schlegel Holdings Inc. is already connected with the college, in its funding of the Spirituality and Aging program, which is hosted at Grebel as part of the Schlegel-UW Research Institute on Aging (RIA). The company’s founder, Ron Schlegel (left), served on the board of governors at Conrad Grebel from 1972 to 1982. He, his wife Barbara, and other family members are supporters of the college.

The RBJ Schlegel Community Education Room will be used primarily by the Conflict Management Certificate program. Its manager, Sue Baker, reports that “this continuing education program is growing steadily and new, more professional-looking space will be a welcome enhancement.”

This gift, along with those of more than 270 donors, has pushed Grebel’s Next Chapter Campaign over its minimum goal of $3.7 million. “What a wonderful investment in the college’s future! This is a great way to begin my term as president,” said Susan Schultz Huxman, who started her position on July 1. “We will continue to push toward raising $4 million. This will reduce the mortgage needed as we complete this exciting building project designed to grow Grebel’s mission.”

The Next Chapter Campaign grows out of the college’s strategic plan to address urgent space needs in the current academic building. In addition to the named rooms and revamped main entrance, the $6.3-million building project includes an expanded library with more teaching and learning resources; larger and more accessible space for the Mennonite Archives of Ontario; and new, expanded practice and teaching facilities for the music program.

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Sabbaticals from Boston to Singapore

Here’s another list of Waterloo faculty members who are currently on sabbatical leave. The plans quoted are taken from documents submitted to the university’s board of governors, which has to approve all sabbaticals. All these leaves are for six months. Some began May 1, 2011:

Behrad KhameseeBehrad Khamesee (left), mechanical and mechatronics engineering: “During my sabbatical period, I will focus on my research development, identify potential international collaborators and probably visit some of them. I am planning to visit SIMTech R&D institute in Singapore, MIMED at  Technical University Munich, and Sharif University.”

Roger Melko, physics and astronomy: “I have been offered a research sabbatical stay at Boston University in the Quantum Condensed Matter group. I will serve on the organizing committee of the International Summer School on Numerical Methods for Correlated Systems in Condensed Matter in Sherbrooke, Quebec, taking place in May or June 2011.”

Patrick MitranPatrick Mitran (right), electrical and computer engineering: “This is a pre-tenure sabbatical. It will be used to revise publications under review as well as submit new ones. In addition, it will be used to visit a collaborator, Prof. Hideki Ochiai, in Japan. It may also be used to visit a colleague, Prof. Mai Vu, of McGill University.”

Other sabbaticals began July 1:

Robert Ballard, drama and speech communication: “Completing three major research publications on intercountry adoption and interpersonal communication as well as creating a book proposal/ series of articles based on my dissertation work in communication ethics and ethnographic methods.”

Cora CluettCora Cluett (left), fine arts: “I am requesting a sabbatical leave for the purpose of developing a substantial body of abstract paintings for exhibition at Wynick Tuck Gallery in Toronto (spring 2012) as well as Harbinger Gallery in Waterloo. I will also use this time to continue to develop a body of photographs that document WWII pillboxes that line coasts of Scotland and Eastern Canada.”

Elizabeth Nilsen, psychology: “My sabbatical will provide me with the opportunity to focus on writing manuscripts and developing research projects, and to pursue research collaborations. My research focuses on children’s ability to tailor their communicative behaviour to the perspective of conversational partners. I examine the cognitive skills required for this process to emerge and the interpersonal consequences for populations of children who have cognitive deficits.”

Mark Smucker, management sciences: “I intend to stay at the University of Waterloo and continue working on my existing research program of utilizing user interaction to improve information retrieval. In particular, I plan to conduct several new user studies and work on the completion of projects currently in progress.”

Michael Stone, geography and environmental management: “A sabbatical leave is requested to conduct sediment-associated contaminant transport research. Field studies will be conducted on the Oldman watershed (Alberta) and supported by a series of laboratory annular flume studies at Canada Centre for Inland Waters, Burlington, Ontario. The flume studies are required to determine critical transport parameters for cohesive sediment which are necessary to model cohesive sediment and associated contaminant transport in Alberta rivers.”

CPA staff

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Happening today

A special announcement on the Ontario Research Fund’s Research Excellence and Research Infrastructure programs, and the Early Researcher Award Program, will be made in Engineering 5’s fourth-floor lobby today at 11 a.m. More news will appear soon in the Daily Bulletin.

Link of the day

Happiness Month

When and where

Summer camps for children: Arts Computer Experience; Engineering Science Quest; Warrior multi-sport camp; men's volleyball camp .

Diploma survey: Complete this anonymous survey of two semi-final diploma design options to help the Diploma Review Committee recommend a preferred choice to Senate.

Examinations for spring term courses start today and continue through August 13. Unofficial grades begin to appear in Quest August 15; grades become official September 19.

Student Life 101 visits for future first-year students, August 2-3, 5-6, 8-9.  Details.

Library hours during exams, July 24-August 13. Davis is open 24 hours except closed Sundays, 2-8 a.m. Porter is open Monday - Friday, 8 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

WPIRG Seeds of Resistance workshop: Canadian Mining Injustice. Thursday, 5 to 8 p.m., Student Life Centre room 2135. For information or to register: tammy@wpirg.org.

Quantum Cryptography School for Young Students (grades 10-12), August 8-12. Details.

Peace Camp for students aged 11-14, August 8-12, Conrad Grebel University College. Details.

Warrior athletics camps August 8-12: Womeh’s hockey. Details.

Ontario Mennnonite Music Camp August 14-26, Conrad Grebel University College. Details.

Hot water shutdown for all buildings inside the ring road, as well as Village I, August 15 (6 a.m.) to August 18 (9 p.m.).

Warrior athletics camps August 15-19: Multi-sport camp; women’s basketball fundamentals. Details.

UWRC Book Club: Room by Emma Donoghue, Wednesday, August 17, 12:00, Dana Porter Library room 407.

Electrical power shutdown for most buildings inside ring road (but not  Student Life Centre, PAC, BMH, Math and Computer or main wing of Davis) Saturday, August 20, 6 a.m. to midnight; cooling and ventilation also shut down.

National women’s volleyball team vs. Netherlands, Saturday, August 20, 7:30, and Sunday, August 21, 3:00, Physical Activities Complex. Tickets.

Warrior athletics camps week of August 22: Men’s volleyball elite. Details.

Fall term fees due August 29 (certified cheque or promissory note), September 7 (bank transfer).

Warrior athletics camps August 29 to September 2: Women’s basketball; field hockey. Details.

Labour Day, Monday, September 5, university closed.

First day of classes for the fall term, Monday, September 12.

Friday's Daily Bulletin