Waterloo team a runner-up in Dyson contest

A University of Waterloo startup developing a marker that lets you know when you need to reapply sunscreen is the runner-up in a prestigious international design competition.

Suncayr, a company formed by nanotechnology engineering students in Waterloo’s Velocity program was announced as an international runner up in James Dyson Awards on Thursday. The James Dyson Award, founded by the British industrial designer and inventor of the Dyson bagless vacuum, runs in 18 countries.

Using the UV-responsive marker, a Suncayr user simply draws a design on their skin before applying sunscreen. When the sunscreen is protecting skin, the marker is one colour. When the sunscreen is no longer blocking harmful UV rays, the marker changes to a different colour notifying the user it’s time to reapply.

The Dyson contest is open to university level students (or recent graduates) studying product design, industrial design and engineering, who "design something that solves a problem.” As a runner-up of the James Dyson award, the group will receive $9,000 (£5,000) to further develop, test and ultimately commercialize their project.

“Our team was inspired to develop a product that would better protect people against the sun’s UV rays, which are harmful to our skin and causes sunburns, skin aging and can lead to skin cancer,’ said Rachel Pautler, CEO of Suncayr. “We were fed up with being sunburned on days we thought we were being vigilant about re-applying sunscreen, and as engineers, we knew we could create a better solution. Using Suncayr with sunscreen can offer more effective protection against harmful UV rays and will allow people to be safer in the sun.”

One in every three cancers diagnosed worldwide is skin cancer and according to the Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation, more than 80,000 Canadians are diagnosed each year. Suncayr attempts to help alleviate this problem with an inventive colour-changing marker that tells you when your sunscreen is no longer protecting you.

“The consequences of not having adequate sun protection are significant. Suncayr uses visual cues, so it’s obvious when it’s time to reapply sunscreen,” said James Dyson. “As with all the best problem-solving designs, it’s very simple to use – but very effective.”

The team behind Suncayr is a group of fourth-year University of Waterloo nanotechnology engineering students from Waterloo’s innovative Velocity Science incubator.  Waterloo's Nanotechnology Engineering degree program is unique, and first-of-its-kind in North America, with programs offered in collaboration with the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, and the Chemistry Department in the Faculty of Science.

Velocity Science is a partnership between Velocity and the Faculty of Science. Since its establishment in April, Velocity Science has helped initiate ten student-led companies.

“We know we wouldn't have been able to make it this far without the supportive community, especially the lab space and mentorship provided by Velocity Science," says Jouppi.

The 2014 James Dyson Award international winner is MOM, a low cost, inflatable incubator for use in the developing world. The design engineer behind MOM is James Roberts, a recent graduate from Loughborough University, UK.

The James Dyson Foundation was set up in 2002 to support design engineering education, medical research and local charities in the Wiltshire, UK area.

 

Back to top

New online training opportunities for employees

University of Waterloo faculty, staff and graduate students can now access web-based training from Lynda.com using their WatIAM credentials, according to a memo circulated by Information Systems and Technology (IST) yesterday.

There are over 3,000 online courses aimed at teaching software, creative, and business skills, as well as a new IT training category.

"This training is available 24x7, and available wherever you have access to the Internet," says the memo. "Lynda.com provides just-in-time training, as in-class courses may not be offered when you need it."

Lynda.com accounts have been used at the University for about 5 years, but they were limited to 2-week loans and there was always a wait list for those vying for limited accounts. Now, Waterloo faculty, staff and graduate students can access the online training whenever they need it.

"Feedback from clients using the training has been excellent," says the memo. "The Lynda.com training complements our Skills for the Electronic Workplace (SEW) program. For example, you may want to learn Microsoft Excel in a lab setting through the SEW program and then learn more advanced features as you need them through the website. It is also an excellent resource to learn about the new features in an application (e.g. Office 2013). There are courses for all levels that cover technical skills, creative techniques, business strategies, and more."

Faculty, staff, graduate students and co-op students on a work term at the University of Waterloo can access this resource by:

• Going to http://www.lynda.com/ and selecting ‘Log in’.
  
• Typing ‘uwaterloo.ca’ in the ‘Log in through your organization or school’ window, and clicking ‘Go’. (Returning users can just click ‘Go’ in this window.)
• Entering your WatIAM userid and password. (If you want to join a previous account choose “I’ve had an account”, if not choose “No, I’ve never had an account.”)

Faculty, staff, and graduate students will receive email notices from time to time to inform them about new courses. Undergraduate students can continue to borrow an account for a 2-week period by sending a request email.

Support for this service is available from the IST Service Desk (CHIP).

 

Back to top

Warriors Think Pink Campaign kicks off this week

The Athletics and Recreation Department's 7th annual Think Pink campaign is set to begin tomorrow and will run until Friday, November 28. This year's goal is to raise $35,000, which will go towards the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation - Ontario Chapter.

Over the past six years, the Warriors have raised $128,429, and Waterloo has been a leading school in donations across Canada for the past four years.

The Athletics and Recreation Department will be selling t-shirts for $15 in the PAC Athletics Office or at any of the scheduled Think Pink events taking place between now and November 28.

Between November 15 and 21, a number of brave Warriors have pledged to shed their locks as part of the fundraising campaign. They will either be shaving their heads, or cutting a minimum of 7 inches of their hair to donate to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program, Locks of Love, and the Little Princess Trust, all organizations that make wigs for cancer patients out of donated hair.

Between November 15-21, the following individuals will either be shaving their heads to raise money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation or cutting a minimum of 7 inches of their hair to donate to any of the following organizations:

More information about the campaign is available on the Think Pink Facebook event page. The hashtag #WarriorsCare will be used throughout the campaign.

You can also make a donation online.

 

Back to top

Random Act of Kindness Day and other notes

Friday, November 7 is Random Act of Kindness Day. Random Act of Kindness Day inspires people to practice kindness and to pass it on to others. The University is partnering with the Federation of Students and The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation to engage citizens in small acts of kindness and generosity to build a stronger community.

Throughout the day "Kindness Krews" made up of students, faculty and staff will spread kindness with small yet meaningful deeds for others across campus and in the community. Keep track of things by following the hashtag #UWaterlooRAK.

LEARN will be down for system maintenance on Sunday, November 9 from 1:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.

The University of Waterloo Recreation Committee (UWRC) is selling tickets to a production of "Snow White - A Traditional British Panto" that will take place on Sunday, December 14 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the St. Jacob's Country Playhouse. Discountged group tickets are $38.50 per adult and $28.50 per youth (under 20 years old). The deadline for ticket purchases is Tuesday, November 11. Contact Shirley Chatten for more information and to purchase tickets.

Tuesday, November 11 is Remembrance Day, and there are a number of events taking place on campus to mark the solemn occasion, including:

The UW Chaplain's Association is organizing a Remembrance Day service in the Student Life Centre's Great Hall beginning at 10:45 a.m. The event is billed as "a time to give respect to those who serve us and to pray for peace."

There will be also be a Remembrance Day ceremony hosted by the Engineering Society and the Faculty of Engineering at 10:45 a.m. in the Sedra Student Design Centre in Engineering 5. There will be a reading, a slideshow, a recitation of In Flanders Fields, and a moment of silence. The ceremony is open to all faculty and staff.

BlackBerry Executive Chair and CEO John Chen will be visiting the University of Waterloo campus on Thursday, November 20 for an Interactive Conversation, when he will deliver a public lecture on the company's turnaround and future, sharing his insights on the future of the mobile communications industry before participating in an audience Q&A discussion.

Chen has been Chief Executive Officer of BlackBerry since November 2013. Previously, he was CEO of Sybase.

The lecture is open to students, faculty and staff and takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Sedra Student Design Centre in Engineering 5.

 

Back to top