On Saturday, February 28, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA Ontario) held a convocation ceremony in Toronto to celebrate the success of 1,390 CPA students who successfully wrote the challenging Uniform Evaluation (UFE) exam. Among those CPA students was Akash Kapoor, MAcc ‘14, who was recognized as the winner of the Governor General's Gold Medal for achieving the highest standard in Canada on the UFE. In the last five years, four recent graduates from the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) have won the National and Ontario gold medals for the Chartered Accountancy Uniform Final Examination (UFE).

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Provost sounds caution on exam cheating

"In light of the upcoming exam season and the dramatic arrests in December 2014 associated with academic fraud and examinations, the University reminds all members of the community of the importance of academic integrity and the significant consequences of poor decisions," says a memo from Vice-President, Academic & Provost Ian Orchard.

"Our students expect us to protect the high value of a Waterloo degree, and this is a responsibility not taken lightly," the Provost's memo continues. "All members of our community should be aware that the university is well positioned to detect incidents of academic fraud, and will take swift action against all who are caught in such circumstances. The consequences of being caught cheating are significant and students risk being arrested and/or expelled. In the case of international students, they may even face deportation. For the coming exam period, enhanced measures will be in place to detect impersonation and document fraud."  

"The University of Waterloo expects the highest standard of academic integrity from its entire community. We know that the vast majority of our students pursue their academic work honestly. We also understand the challenges associated with the successful completion of your programs. If academic support is required, please see your academic advisors or contact the Student Success Office. If personal wellbeing or mental health support is required, please contact Counselling Services."

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Staff travel fund winners named

A message from Waterloo International.

Waterloo International is pleased to announce the winners of the 2014 Staff International Experience Fund (SIEF). The SIEF is a maximum award of $6,000 and provides staff members with the opportunity to travel to an approved University of Waterloo partner institution and engage in collaborative work. It supports international engagement of the university community and is in line with the University’s goal of becoming one of the most internationalized universities in Canada.

Waterloo International has selected four recipients to receive three awards and asks the Waterloo community to join in congratulating our first annual SIEF winners.

Jay Athia, Manager of Data Analytics & Reporting, and Jana Carson, Manager of Evaluation & Accountability have been selected for a joint award to travel to Monash University in Melbourne, Australia in March of 2015. Jay and Jana are employed in the Department of Institutional Analysis & Planning.

“We hope to learn about a broad range of activities and bring back key learnings to improve how processes and products," wries Athia. "I am looking forward most to building connections at other world-class institutions that will result in long-term learning and collaboration."

Jay and Jana endeavour to learn how key institutions carry out activities including strategic planning, indicator development, survey administration and institutional data management. They will observe how their international counterparts use data processes to inform strategic planning and support decision making for the institution.

“I am thrilled and honoured to have been awarded the SIEF. This is an incredible opportunity to learn about promising practices in institutional planning from our partner institutions," writes Jana Carson. "Travelling is always a transformative experience, and I hope to return to Waterloo with lots of great stories to share!"

Tanya Andrews is the only employee at the University of Waterloo cross-appointed in the Student Success Office and Counselling Services. Tanya has been awarded the SIEF to travel to ETH Zurich in Switzerland, the University of Rome in Italy and the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Spain in mid-April, 2015.

Tanya wants to learn how internationally acclaimed institutions are incorporating life skills into their first year programming and curriculum because universities worldwide have been faced with the challenge of welcoming students who meet high entrance standards only to find high dropout rates, under performance and lack of fulfillment at an all-time high (Lowe & Clarke, 2003).

Through her experience abroad, Tanya will enhance the aims of the mental health review by encouraging the importance of thinking in term of preventative, early identification and intervention.

“Our campus is rich with students and staff from around the world.  They bring with them valuable knowledge and experiences that make the UW a wonderful place to work," writes Andrews. "I want to go out and explore other universities, learn great international ideas, and have my chance to bring something back to make our school even better!”

Jennifer Kieffer is the Senior Manager of Policy and Enrolment Planning in the Department of Institutional Analysis and Planning and has been awarded a SIEF award to travel to the United Kingdom in April.

Jennifer's travel is focused on building UW’s connections with the Russell Group, an organization of 24 leading research-intensive universities across the United Kingdom that parallels the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities. Jennifer will be visiting the Russell Group Headquarters in London as well as several member institutions including the University of Warwick, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and King's College London.

“I am happy to see Waterloo making this investment in staff members with projects that also benefit UW strategically," Kieffer writes. "This project provides me with the opportunity to take on a significant challenge that will test and strengthen my research and consultation skills.”

In recent years, the U15 has undergone a significant transformation, moving the organization from one that focused heavily on supporting internal management, to one that is much more public-facing, focused on building a strong advocacy agenda on behalf of Canadian research-intensive universities. Jennifer will investigate how the Russell Group operates and what Waterloo and the U15 might learn from their experiences.  She is particularly interested to learn how individual member universities benefit from the broader advocacy efforts of the Russell Group and how member institutions leverage their membership to support their strategic goals.

Are you a staff member interested in applying? The deadline for the 2015 SIEF is May 15, 2015, up to 3 awards will be awarded annually. Find out information on how to apply on the Waterloo International website.

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Grad makes one-way Mars trip's shortlist

This piece originally appeared on the Waterloo News page.

A former University of Waterloo student is among seven Canadians shortlisted for the Mars One mission attempting to set up a human colony on Mars.

Ben Criger is one of 100 men and women selected today to move to the third round of training for the one-way trip to Mars. Mars One aims to create a colony on Mars by sending four men and women in the first mission and following with four people every two years.

“I think everybody should want to go,” says Criger, “To me, Mars exploration is the default, and not doing it is exceptional.”

An alumnus from the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing, Criger has a PhD in physics from Waterloo’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. He was selected from a pool of 660 candidates who participated in personal online interviews with Norbert Kraft, Chief Medical Officer of Mars One. Criger participated in his interview from Germany where he is currently doing a post-doctoral fellowship at RWTH Aachen University.

“I’m extremely proud of Ben,” said Raymond Laflamme, executive director of the Institute for Quantum Computing. “He’s a talented scientist and will be a great addition to the Mars One mission. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and all of us here in Waterloo will be watching and cheering him forward.”

The Mars 100 will now have the opportunity to experience what life will be like on Mars by training in a copy of the Mars Outpost on Earth. “Being one of the best individual candidates does not automatically make you the greatest team player, so I look forward to seeing how the candidates progress and work together in the upcoming challenges.” said Dr. Norbert Kraft in the Mars One press release.

"I hope this is going to give me the opportunity to learn little bits of different scientific and engineering disciplines,” said Criger, “which was one of the things I liked most about Waterloo."

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Thursday's notes

"The Bookstore is looking forward to hosting Ian Milligan, Susan Roy, and Catherine Briggs from the History Department on Monday, March 16," writes Tiffanie Chum. "The event runs from 2:30 to 4:30 and everyone is welcome to attend!"

Ian Milligan is an Assistant Professor of Canadian and Digital History and is the author of Rebel Youth. Milligan’s book focuses on the ‘long 60s’ and the movements by youth, ushering in an anti-authoritarian stance that brought in the New Left movement. With over 70 interviews and archived records to support Milligan’s findings, Rebel Youth will help accurately decipher the youth movements of the long 60s.

Susan Roy is an Assistant Professor Waterloo's department of History and recently co-curated a new exhibition about 'Cesna?em (also known as Marpole Midden or the Eburne Site) and the history of Vancouver. The Vancouver exhibition is part of a series of 'Cesna?em exhibitions displaying Musqueam's ancient landscape and living culture.

Briggs is a Sessional Professor with the Department of History and Editor of the book Modern Canada. Her book touches upon the history of postwar Canada and Canada’s changes towards a more diverse and socially just nation.

While we're on the subject of books, hundreds of them—including best-selling novels, social science, history, foreign language, and children's books—are currently being offered for sale at bargain prices during the Renison University Library's annual book sale, held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. from Tuesday, March 3 until Thursday, March 5.

Some books were donated to the library for sale. The books sale will take place on the Hallway outside the Renison University College’s Lusi Wong Library at 240 Westmount Road North.  Hardcover books will be $2; paperback will be $1; magazines will be 10 cents, and CD will be $1.50. Money raised from the book sale will be used for library collection enhancement.

Here's today's Nutrition Month "myth vs. fact" provided by Health Services Dietician Sandra Ace:

Myth:  Carbs make you fat.

Fact:  If you eat more than your body needs, you will store the extra calories as body fat, whether those calories come from carbohydrates, protein or fat. Carbohydrates  are the main source of power for your muscles and brain.  When chosen wisely and in the right amounts, carbohydrates are an essential part of any healthy eating plan and deliver much more than just calories.  

Emphasize “complex" carbs, foods that are made of chains of linked sugars that take longer to break down into glucose, such as fruits, starchy vegetables (like sweet potatoes), whole grains, lentils and beans. They provide a slowly-released supply of energy, especially when paired with protein-containing foods. Carbohydrates contain valuable vitamins, minerals and fibre that you’re likely to fall short on if you follow a low carb diet, which is not a magic bullet and has many downsides. 

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