GSA, University renew Graduate House lease

by Robert Henderson and Michael Makahnouk.

Our campus will be enjoying the hospitality of the Graduate House for many years to come: the GSA’s lease was renewed with the University for two more decades, with provisions for another renewal beyond that. The Graduate House has been operating for over 40 years as a social and cultural hub on campus, offering a relaxing atmosphere for students, faculty and staff to meet, eat, and drink. While this new lease is similar in scope to the previous agreement, a major new addition is the inclusion of a small amount of surrounding green space. This will allow the GSA to have more flexibility to host outdoor events immediately adjacent to the building (e.g., during the new graduate student orientation).

Two years ago, the University and the GSA jointly funded a major renovation and revitalisation of the farmhouse. Since then, both the food and drink menus have had a similar overhaul: thanks to new daily $5 lunch specials and “feature of the week” creations of burgers, pizzas and salads, there has been a surge in member activity. Thanks to this (and despite the student-friendly prices) over the past few years the GSA has been able to turn the operation into a small but positive stream of revenue that is used to help fund student initiatives. Very few student-managed pubs in the country are in this enviable position.

“Connecting with the Waterloo community has been a top priority for the Graduate House, and this commitment translates to the products and services we offer,” says Henry Ensley, the Graduate House manager. “Our supply of Black Angus beef comes from Ayr, the chicken from a farm in Milton, and produce is sourced as locally as possible. Our menu features fresh local fare, prepared by Waterloo students. An impressive selection of local micro-brewed beers is available on our 15 taps, with our beverage program acknowledged by the Ontario Craft Brewers Association.” Recently, the Graduate House became a major outlet for the Block 3 Brewing Company, an independent brewery located in St. Jacobs and founded by Waterloo alumni. In addition, local musicians, including several Waterloo students, are featured during evening events in the “green room” (now black and gold, since the renovation). “We provide a unique social experience on campus for our graduate students, affiliate members, and their guests,” Ensley concludes.

Owned and operated by the GSA, the Graduate House is a members-only club. All graduate students contribute a refundable membership fee, and any other member of campus (e.g., postdoctoral fellows, faculty, staff, and undergraduate students) may obtain an affiliate membership for a nominal fee.  Once graduate students complete their degrees, they hold honourary lifetime memberships to the Graduate House. Membership fees offset operational costs, which in turn allow members to enjoy great products at great prices.

 

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Lecturer says answers are blowing in the wind

The effects of wind turbines will be the topic of discussion at an event featuring Carmen Krogh called "Harm from Wind Turbines: What Has Been Known for Decades" on Wednesday, May 7 at 3:30 p.m. in DC 1302.

The talk is being hosted by Professor Richard Mann in the Cheriton School of Computer Science, who has been researching, recording, and measuring wind turbine noise since 2013.

Krogh has been invited to present the latest findings on wind turbines and human health.

"The topic of adverse health effects associated with wind facilities is globally debated," reads the talk's abstract. "It is acknowledged that if placed too close to residents, industrial wind turbines can negatively affect the physical, mental and social well-being of some. There is published research on the effects of Low Frequency/Infrasound (LFI) on people and animals dating back several decades. This presentation will provide some of the available evidence drawn from peer reviewed literature, authoritative references, and other sources."

Carmen Krogh is an independent, full-time volunteer who has researched health and other effects associated with industrial wind energy facilities who has been published in peer-reviewed scientific and medical journals and has presented papers at scientific noise conferences. She held senior positions at a major teaching hospital; as a drug information researcher; a professional association and the Health Protection Branch of Health Canada (PMRA). She is a former Director of Publications and Editor-in-chief of the Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties (CPS), the book used by physicians, nurses, and health professionals for prescribing information on prescription medication in Canada.

The event is free and open to the public.

 

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Accounting professor wins education award

The School of Accounting and Finance’s managerial accounting professor Theresa Libby will be presented with the 2014 L.S. Rosen Outstanding Educator Award at this year’s President’s Luncheon at the annual Canadian Academic Accounting Association (CAAA)’s conference.

The Award was established in 1983 to honour Professor L.S. Rosen, the founding president of the CAAA, and recognizes the recipient’s contribution to Canadian accounting education over a sustained period of time through excellence in teaching, educational innovation, publications, guidance for students, and involvement in professional and academic societies and activities.

The citation for the award describes Professor Libby as “an exceptional, dedicated, caring, friendly and effective teacher.” The citation mentions support letters which said that her students “not only learned management accounting concepts in the classroom but also understand how management accounting concepts are used to improve business operations.”

The selection committee members were impressed with how Professor Libby demonstrated both depth and breadth in all five areas considered for the award and saluted her teaching excellence and commitment to her guidance of undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students. Former students described Professor Libby as an exceptional, dedicated, caring, friendly and effective teacher, ensuring that her students “not only learned management accounting concepts in the classroom but also understand how management accounting concepts are used to improve business operations.”

Additionally, the selection committee commended Professor Libby’s vast contributions to education innovation in her work with CMA Ontario and Wilfrid Laurier University, and involvement in professional and academic societies, notably as Editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief for Contemporary Accounting Research and Behavioral Research in Accounting.

Professor Libby, CPA, CA (PhD ’96, Waterloo) joined the School of Accounting and Finance at the University of Waterloo in 2010 teaching management accounting. As the Director of the PhD program and Acting Graduate Officer for the School of Accounting and Finance, Professor Libby is currently an Associate Editor at Management Accounting Research and is currently a Consulting Editor at Contemporary Accounting Research.

Eight School of Accounting and Finance faculty members have previously won the award:

• Alan Webb (2011)
  
• Duane Kennedy (2009)
  
• Efrim Boritz (2006)
  
• William R. Scott (2005)
  
• Morley Lemon (2004)
  
• Howard Armitage (2000)
  
• Stan Laiken (1997)
  
• Jack Hanna (1986)

 

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Novel water tech for liveable communities

Cities and water utilities around the world are required to provide reliable, safe drinking water to domestic, industrial and institutional consumers while meeting increasingly stringent regulatory requirements and customers’ expectations.

At right is pictured tuberculation and scale formation – a common sickness in old, rusty metallic water pipes supplying drinking water to our homes and businesses. These defects compromise hydraulic and structural integrity of water pipes and create water quality and safety issues.

“This is like clogged arteries and blood vessels in our bodies. Blockages can cause increased blood pressure and cut off blood supply to heart causing heart attack,” says Professor Mark Knight of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “Similarly, tuberculation, scale formation, and corrosion cause catastrophic pipeline failures.” Every year our cities lose millions of litres of drinking water through breaks and leaks causing damage to properties and lost revenue. The city of Toronto alone experiences 1,400 water pipe breaks every year requiring millions of dollars to fix broken pipes not to mention inconvenience to businesses, consumers and public.

According to the US National Research Council of the National Academies, the municipal water supply systems span over 2 billion kilometers – about 72 per cent of them are made up of metallic pipelines. Hundreds of billions of dollars are required to rehabilitate or replace these pipes. The Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies is at the forefront of finding timely and cost effective solutions for fixing drinking water pipelines’ issues. Knight and Professor David Johnson of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering secured the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and NSERC grants to develop an innovative trenchless technology for the rehabilitation of aging drinking water pipelines.

The cities will be able to rehabilitate drinking water pipelines at a fraction of replacement costs and without digging city streets. The technology will enable “same day” rehabilitation and return to service for water pipes compared to pipelines’ replacement using open-cut (excavating streets) method which takes months to complete.

“We are very excited to be part of this initiative,” says Denise McGoldrick, director of water services at the City of Waterloo. “This technology will allow the city to extend the life of iron water pipes at a lower cost than existing technologies with significantly lower disruption to our customers and traffic.” The three year project will be completed in collaboration with the industrial partners that include Envirologics Engineering Inc. and Madison Chemical Industries Inc.

Expected benefits to Canada include the creation of manufacturing and construction jobs while improving water quality for domestic, industrial and institutional consumers.

 

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