A new year with new opportunities

by Feridun Hamdullahpur, President and Vice-Chancellor.

Happy New Year!

I am thrilled that coming into the new year I will soon be able to present a University of Waterloo flagship publication to you: The inaugural University of Waterloo State of the University Report 2014-15. This report provides insight into who and what we are at University of Waterloo, including our strengths in transformative research, experiential education, and innovation. Its title, Defining Tomorrow, is fitting as we enter the new year and look to seize new opportunities for the University.

Watch your inbox for a message from me about the official release in the coming weeks.

This month we held our eighth Mini-Town Hall on our eight strategic themes, this time on the theme of experiential education. The discussion was productive on such an area of strength and of high priority to the University, and served to help keep up the momentum as we execute on our Strategic Plan.

Last week, I was honoured to speak at the Top Employer 2015 Greater Toronto Area reception. In the last nine terms, 47 per cent of all co-op students at Waterloo were employed in the GTA. Employers in the GTA are critical to making our co-op system the exceptional program it is, both in scale and quality. It was a privilege to honour some of our top employers and learn about their experiences with co-op.

The new Dean of Science, Robert Lemieux, was announced this month for a five-year term. Robert Lemieux is a respected scholar and administrator, currently associate dean (research) in the Faculty of Arts and Science, and professor in the Department of Chemistry at Queen’s. His research accomplishments have been recognized through the 2012 Samsung Mid-Career Award and previously by an Ontario Premier’s Research Excellence Award in 2000 and one of the inaugural Queen’s Chancellor’s Research Awards in 1999. It is a great privilege to welcome Robert Lemieux to the team. He will succeed current Dean Terry McMahon at the end of his term on June 30.

Federal Members of Parliament Scott Brison and Ted Hsu toured campus late this month, spending the morning visiting centres for transformative research on campus, including: the Sedra Student Design Centre, the Institute for Quantum Computing, the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research, the Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Laboratory, and also the Tatham Centre for an overview of experiential education at Waterloo. The afternoon was spent touring some of Kitchener-Waterloo’s tech innovation hubs, including: Waterloo Alumnus’ startup Vidyard, Desire2Learn, and Google.

Premier Kathleen Wynne also visited campus this month, participating in an open discussion with students on topics surrounding post-secondary education, including: student housing, mental health, national and international education, and improved access to food resources for low-income students. The Premier visited various Universities in a weeklong tour, creating open discussion with a focus on creating opportunities for young people, and preparing an educated future workforce.

Several days ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Saudi Arabia to participate in a “dialogue of civilizations” at Imam Mohammed bin Saud University. My talk centered on the need for open dialogue among and within all cultures, for the benefit of all members of society. Specifically, I spoke to the role of universities in promoting this dialogue, and how fundamental research represents a truly universal language. It was a productive discussion that included many universities from across North America, Europe, and the Middle East.

Earlier this month, I spoke at the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing as the Federal Government confirmed their support for IQC in the form of $15 million in funding over 3 years. This renewed the Government of Canada’s previous investment in IQC of $50 million in 2009. This is an excellent reflection of IQC’s position as a world-leader in quantum information science, and as the Quantum Valley.

As we continue on into the new year and new term, I wish you the happiest of new years, and to all students: good luck on your upcoming midterms!

Sincerely,

Feridun

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Monday is World Wetlands Day

Monday is World Wetlands Day. World Wetlands Day, held annually on February 2, marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. The theme for this year's World Wetlands Day is "Wetlands for our Future - Join Us!"

In honour of the event, the Faculty of Science's Ecohydrology Research Group is hosting a World Wetlands Day Symposium on Monday from 1:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in DC 1302 that will feature a day-long program of wetlands science.

The symposium will feature speakers from the University of Waterloo, The Wildlife Conservation Society of Canada, the University of Saskatchewan and McMaster University. A poster session and reception will follow the afternoon lectures.

More details, including the program, are available through the symposium event page.

Later in the evening, the Ecohydrology Research Group is presenting a public lecture by Professor William Mitsch, winner of the 2004 Stockholm Water Prize, entitled “Phosphorus and nitrogen and carbon, oh my! The catchment and global roles of wetlands in mitigating these pollutants.” 

"The big three of biologically necessary elements – phosphorus, nitrogen and carbon – are now considered pollutants because we have transformed these elements from the lithosphere and atmosphere to our biosphere and back to our atmosphere in far too high concentrations and amounts, beginning with the industrial and “green” revolutions," says an explanatory note. "Wetlands, both freshwater and coastal, are linchpins in these three chemical cycles but, more importantly, wetlands can be restored and created to mitigate phosphorus pollution of our ponds, lakes and oligotrophic wetlands, nitrogen pollution in our coastal areas, and greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in our atmosphere."

The lecture will take place from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in DC 1350. An abstract and registration for the lecture are available on the public lecture event page. The event is free, but registration is recommended.

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Further Education Bootcamp this weekend

Saturday, January 31 is the date of the semi-annual Further Education Bootcamp. Hosted by the Centre for Career Action, the Bootcamp provides students and alumni with the opportunity to attend a diverse array of further education workshops in one location over the span of a day.

The Bootcamp is intended to provide students and alumni with tips and strategies for success on admissions tests. Anyone thinking about taking the PCAT, LSAT, OAT, DAT Princeton Review, or MCAT tests is encouraged to attend.

Attendees will learn more about potential field(s) of study and the corresponding admissions process from career advisors, industry experts, and representatives from companies that offer admissions test preparation courses. Experts from the fields of health, business, law and teaching will be on hand.

There are 14 workshops available over the course of the day, including:

• Thinking About Teaching? 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., TC 1113. Details. Hear from secondary school teacher Andrew Hann, BEd about day-to-day teaching experiences and finding work in today’s job market.
• Thinking About an MBA? 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 am, TC 1208. Details. This workshop provides an overview of the requirements for MBA programs and what to consider when choosing a program. Presented by a current MBA student, as well as an MBA program representative.
• Thinking About Further Education? 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., TC 1208. Details. Learn about what to consider when applying to graduate programs. Topics include GPA, prerequisites, admission tests and exam scores, funding, research experience, letters of intent, and reference letters.
• Volunteer for Your Career, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., TC 2218. Details. Learn how to find unique volunteer opportunities that provide you with hands-on career-related experience, and how to market these experiences effectively on your grad school applications.
• Admission Test Preparation, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., TC 1112. GRE (Quantum Test Prep) Details.
• Admission Test Preparation, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 am, Tatham Centre 2218. MCAT Strategy Session (Princeton Review) Details.
• Admission Test Preparation, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., TC 1112. GMAT (Quantum Test Prep) Details.
• Admission Test Preparation, LSAT (Quantum Test Prep), 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., TC 1112. Details.
• Thinking About Rehab Science? 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., TC 2218. Mary Simpson-Jones, BA, BSc OT, Caitlin McArthur, BSc, MSc PT, and Jennifer Phillips, BASC, MHSc SLP will talk about the professions of occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology. Details.
• Thinking About Optometry? 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., TC 1208. Dr. Graham Berg, OD will talk about his experiences as an optometrist and in operating a private practice. Details.
• Thinking About Law? 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tatham Centre 1208. A lawyer will provide advice on attending law school, writing the LSAT, the licensing process, and career opportunities for lawyers. Details.
• Thinking About a Health-Related Career? 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., TC 2218. Career advisors will provide information and options for health-related careers, as well as tips on assessing your career fit within this broad field. Details.
• Thinking About Pharmacy? 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., TC 2218. Kevin Potvin, BScPhm, MScEpi (Pharm) will talk about his experience as a pharmacist and the ideal attributes of competitive candidates for admission to pharmacy programs. Details.
• Thinking About Med School? Perspectives of a Waterloo Grad, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., TC 2218. Dr. Rob Moreland, MD, BSc, BA will explore tactics for strengthening your med school applications, plus give you insights into whether a career in medicine is right for you. Details.

Attendees can register for each event they plan to attend, and can create their programme on the student workshop calendar.

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Raising awareness, research on dementia

This is the latest in a series of #UWCommunity stories that feature Waterloo in the community.

At the University of Waterloo, we apply research to everyday life. The Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP) is an organization that is a part of the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at Waterloo. MAREP integrates research and educational activities in an effort to improve dementia care practices in Canada. MAREP works with researchers, persons with dementia, families, staff and community members in the Waterloo region to build knowledge around effective practices for care.

Various participants at MAREP have shifted the care and research process from passive to active for participants with dementia. A care partner for someone with dementia shared that it is important that it is not only heath care professionals that say what the needs are for those with dementia, but that they ask those with dementia what their needs are and allow them to actively contribute to their treatment as they become useful members of society. One partner with dementia made the point that without the true and trusting partnership with MAREP, the proposed model of care wouldn’t be in existence.

Currently, MAREP is working on a program called Self-Management. The main foundational skills this program seeks to provide is the ability to adapt to change, to find meaning and purpose in life, and to maintain communication with family and the community while living with dementia. The focus of this research study is to create a toolkit on involving people living with dementia and care partners in the program planning process.

In recognition of Alzheimer awareness month, the Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP) at the University of Waterloo presented “My Life, My Dementia – Stories of Self-Management”.

Key panelists and PhD Elaine Wiersma were welcomed to speak about the stigma around dementia, and to promote the concept of taking control of lives, and taking action to live well with dementia. As the search for an effective treatment continues, it is important that people who have Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia receive the best care possible and are provided with support and opportunities to live meaningful lives.

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Friday's notes

The Climate Students group has organized its first big event for 2015, a Post-COP20 Panel and Discussion that will bring together the experience of students, researchers and faculty on the issue of climate change. COP20 was the 20th annual Conference of the Parties, held last fall in Lima, Peru.

Vanessa Schweizer is an Assistant Professor in the Centre for Knowledge Integration here at the University of Waterloo, where her research interests revolve around problems in collective decision-making. Dr. Brad May is currently the Research Manager for Climate Change and Extreme Weather Adaptation at Environment Canada. The students - Mark and Andres - both study in the Masters of Climate Change program here at the University. Attendees will learn about their journey to COP20.

The event takes place today from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in EV2-2002.

Renison University College is hosting a Study in China Summer Program info session on Monday, February 2 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. From May 8 to June 21, participants will "travel through China with your group and examine a living textbook of culture, art, food, and history." Attendees will spend five weeks studying at Nanjing University, and one week traveling throughout China as a group. The application is open to anyone - students or non-students.

Visit the Study in China Summer Program webpage for more information or contact Damaris McKinley to find out more.

The session takes place in REN 2103.

The Finance - Student Accounts office will be closed from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 5 for a staff retirement lunch.

There will be a utility shutdown at TechTown in the David Johnston Research + Technology Park on Sunday, February 8 from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Domestic cold water and domestic hot water will be shut off from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., and electrical power will be shut down from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., as renovations are carried out. As this is an electrical shutdown, Plant Operations is reminding people to shut their computer equipment down on Friday.

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