Hadfield takes flight at Waterloo

a news release by the media relations team.

The University of Waterloo has announced the appointment of retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield as a professor of aviation.

“We are delighted to welcome Chis Hadfield to the University of Waterloo as a member of our faculty,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur. “This is a tremendous opportunity for our students and researchers to work with, and learn from, one of the greatest Canadians of recent times.”

Professor Hadfield’s first role on campus is to continue research on heart health in space with professor Richard Hughson. The pair is looking into why some astronauts are prone to fainting spells when they return to earth by predicting how they recover from rapid changes in blood pressure. The research, known as BP Reg, will not only help understand dizziness in astronauts, but also have direct benefits everyday on Earth – particularly for elderly people predisposed to falls and resulting injuries.

In addition to his work on heart health, professor Professor Hadfield is expected assume some teaching and advising responsibilities in aviation and related programs from Fall 2014.

“As you would expect for a man who has just returned to Earth after five months in space, Chris has a very busy schedule,” said professor Ian McKenzie, director of aviation at Waterloo. “We are excited that he is willing to share his extensive career knowledge and experience in aviation with our faculty and students when he is able.”

Hadfield’s new role at the university is not his first experience with Waterloo:

• He studied as an NSERC postgraduate in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo in 1982, looking at aircraft fuel pump design.
  
• He was the keynote speaker for the official launch of the Waterloo Aviation program in June 2007.
  
• He conducted a downlink to the University of Waterloo from the International Space Station during Expedition 34/35 in February 2013.
  
• He and his wife, Helene, married in Waterloo in 1981 and their eldest son was born in Kitchener in 1983.
  

He is cross-appointed to Waterloo’s Faculties of Science, Environment and Applied Health Sciences and is appointed for a three-year term.

Professor Hadfield will give a public lecture at the University of Waterloo on December 3, 2013. Details about the lecture will be released closer to the event date.

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Professional School, Post-Degree Days hit SLC

Students interested in graduate or professional school should check out the annual Professional School & Post-Degree (PPD) Days event happening in the Great Hall, Student Life Centre Wednesday, October 16 and Thursday, October 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Career options, graduate school admission requirements, program specifics, and application procedures and deadlines will be a few of the topics that students can talk to representatives about over the course of the two days. 

Students will have the opportunity to interact with and ask questions of representatives from 115 institutions.

On the first day, Education, Health, Pharmacy, Social Work, and various college programs will be represented.  On the second day, it will be Law, Engineering, MBA, and various university graduate programs.

In addition to organizing PPD Day, the Centre for Career Action also offers individual appointments to provide information about the grad/professional school application process, review of applications, and mock grad/professional school interviews on an ongoing basis. People can book their appointment early – the easy way, online. Students just starting to think about the next steps after their undergrad degree may also consider attending one of the Centre for Career Action’s workshops such as “Get Started on Your Applications,” and “Professional School Interviews”. Book appointments or register for workshops online.

For more information about PPD Day, please contact Pam Waechter at 888-4567 ext. 35521.

Career Action in the House

Career advisors from the Centre for Career Action are heading into Village 1 this semester to answer undergraduate students’ questions about résumés, interviews, and finding jobs. Don’t get bogged down in uncertainty – ask the experts!  Office hours will be held in the new office space off the main dining area in V1, on Mondays and Fridays from 9:30 am - 11:30 am, from October to end of term.   

Other ways to get questions answered include booking appointments or attending drop-ins at the Tatham Centre (TC 1214), Monday to Friday, all year round.  These can be accessed in person, by phone, or by Skype.  For more information, check out the Centre for Career Action.

This week's question: Name one participant that will be in attendance for the Professional School and Post-Degree Days this year (Hint: The answer is somewhere in this article). Enter to win A FREE LUNCH BAG.

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Memorial to honour ace code cracker

Many alumni, faculty and staff will remember Bill Tutte, a professor who played a pivotal role in the development of mathematics at the University of Waterloo.

And, by the way, he's also remembered for his role in changing the course of world history.

Tutte, who joined Britain’s Government Codes and Cypher School at Bletchley Park in 1941, is credited with breaking the German Lorenz cipher during the Second World War.

He came to Waterloo as a professor of mathematics in 1962, and was a member of the department of combinatorics and optimization before retiring in 1985. He later received the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Tutte was named honorary director of Waterloo's Centre for Applied Cryptography Research in 1998.

Tutte was a leading authority in the areas of graph and matroid theory. His work in those fields led to important applications in other fields of study including combinatorics, geometry, algebra, computer science and electrical engineering.

He was awarded the Killam Prize in 1982, and was made a Fellow of The Royal Society in London in 1987 and an Officer in the Order of Canada in 2001. Tutte died in 2002.

Now, the Town Council in Tutte’s hometown of Newmarket, England plans to commemorate Tutte’s contributions with a memorial in the town centre and a scholarship fund supporting students in the fields of mathematics and computer science.

The group is accepting donations towards the memorial.

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Wednesday's whereabouts

Sergeant Paul Lobsinger of the Waterloo Regional Police will be speaking about identity theft at a public event today at 12:00 p.m. in MC 5158. He will cover what identity theft is, how it occurs, and most importantly, how to prevent it. There is no charge for this event, but registration is recommended.

The latest Noon Hour Concert at Conrad Grebel University College takes place today. "Sassy Women: Art Songs" features music by Alma Mahler and Pauline Viardot performed by Anna Ronoi on piano and soprano Marion Samuel. The concert gets underway at 12:30 p.m. in the Conrad Grebel University College Chapel. Admission is free.

Also today is the last UW Farm Market of the term. Waterloo students and UW Food Services established this market, which brings locally grown produce and food to campus, in 2006. The market, located in the Student Life Centre's lower atrium, is open to all students, faculty, staff, and members of the public. As always, it's BYOB - Bring Your Own Bag.

The Centre for Career Action is hosting a Math Alumni Career Panel today tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. in DC 1302. Not only will attendees be able to eat the free cupcakes on offer, they will learn about different math careers, figure out how to land that dream job after graduating, find out what employers really want to hear in job interviews, and have an opportunity to network with accomplished Mathematics alumni. Registration details are online.

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