Thursday, November 30, 2023

President visits Student Venture Fund to hear about positive student experiences

A message from the School of Accounting and Finance.

The School of Accounting and Finance's Student Venture Fund (SVF) had the honour of hosting University of Waterloo President Vivek Goel last week. This event showcased the vibrant ecosystem of learning and collaboration cultivated by this experiential learning opportunity. The primary goal of SVF is to provide students with hands-on training in venture capital investing with guidance from industry and faculty experts. Through the SVF, students learn to achieve sustained asset growth by securing a return on invested capital while responsibly managing risks. For years, SVF students have been putting Waterloo on the map as they continue to attract capital to further develop Canadian ideas at home.

President Goel actively participated as students shared their personal journeys in the SVF from listening to company pitches to assessing risks and determining where to invest capital. Beyond being an exceptional experience, SVF opens doors to exciting opportunities for students. This includes the Concept 5K competition finals where previous SVF members have served on the judging panel, and the Canadian Venture Capital Investment Competition in Halifax where SAF’s most recent team placed first.

The future for SVF looks bright as students continue to acquire hands-on training in early-stage investments. They actively engage with entrepreneurs, collaborate with angel, venture capital, and institutional investors, and diligently prepare for a career in venture capital investing.

Learn more about the Student Venture Fund.

Computer Science student gives "virtuoso" Chopin performance

By Melodie Roschman. This is an excerpt of an article that originally appeared on Waterloo News.

As the triumphant last notes of Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 rang out, the packed auditorium filled with thunderous applause.

Catherine He, the pianist performing the concerto, is not a professional musician, or even a music major, but rather an undergraduate computer science student at the University of Waterloo.

He, who has been playing the piano since she was four years old, is the most recent winner of Conrad Grebel University College’s Concerto and Aria Competition. Held every two years, the competition invites Waterloo students and recent graduates to perform a piece written for soloist and orchestra before a panel of professional musician judges. During the competition portion, the orchestra part is played by an accompanist on piano. The winner, chosen in the winter term, gets to perform their chosen piece with the full Waterloo university orchestra later that year.

“When I was a kid, my dream was to be a pianist,” He says. She took private lessons all the way through high school, performing regularly and competing in major festivals. At the 2017 National Music Festival, held annually by the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals, He placed third in the nation for pianists under the age of 28. She was 13.  

In high school, however, He developed an interest in computer science, and decided to pursue a career in the field. “I really liked the problem-solving aspect, and I’ve always enjoyed math and technology,” she says. Between computer science and piano, she figured music “would be easier to keep as a hobby.”

When He was deciding where to go for university, opportunities to keep playing the piano were a big consideration. “As soon as I saw that Waterloo had a concerto competition, I knew that I would enter,” she says. He brought her keyboard with her when she moved to Waterloo, and long before she began preparing for the competition, she was practicing every day. “It’s a good form of stress relief,” she says.

Read the rest of the article on Waterloo News

Q and A with the experts: RSV prevention for vulnerable populations

This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common virus that seriously affects vulnerable populations such as infants, young children and older adults. Dr. Wasem Alsabbagh, associate professor at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, answers frequently asked questions about RSV.

Why should I be concerned about RSV?

RSV is the leading cause of respiratory tract infections and hospitalizations among infants in Canada. About 80 per cent of children who are hospitalized with bronchitis have RSV, while 20 per cent of infants hospitalized with pneumonia have RSV.

What are the symptoms of RSV?

Patients with RSV present with fever, chills, difficulty sleeping and/or eating. Symptoms in infants range from nasal congestion, cough, and runny nose to severe symptoms of wheezing, shortness of breath, fast breathing and may lead to pneumonia or bronchitis. Parents are urged to seek medical care immediately when symptoms of severe RSV develop.

Who is most at risk for severe RSV?

Risk factors for severe RSV infection include premature birth, chronic lung illness of prematurity, congenital heart failure, neuromuscular impairment, immunodeficiency and Down syndrome. However, severe RSV can happen to any infant and almost 80% of hospitalizations in 2022 for RSV were among healthy infants.

Can I get an RSV vaccine?

GSK’s RSV vaccine (Arexvy) is approved by Health Canada for people aged 60 and older. There is no vaccine for children and infants yet.

Will there be an RSV vaccine for children and adults?

Ontario has started a publicly funded RSV vaccine program tailored and covered in full for older high-risk adults residing in long-term care homes, Elder Care Lodges and retirement homes licensed to provide dementia care services.

Can I get my flu shot, COVID-19 booster and RSV vaccine at the same time?

It is recommended that the GSK RSV vaccine not be routinely co-administered with COVID-19 or influenza vaccines, at least 14 days before or after receiving them. COVID-19 vaccines are recommended to be co-administered with the seasonal influenza vaccine.

Dr. Wasem Alsabbagh is an Associate Professor in the School of Pharmacy. Dr. Alsabbagh’s research interests are in examining the impact of advances in pharmacy practice, as well as the effect of medications on large populations with a focus on disadvantaged Canadians as they unfortunately suffer more adverse health events and receive less care. He uses the analysis of large administrative data sets – big data analysis to unravel and mitigate systematic barriers faced by disadvantaged Canadians to achieve Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in healthcare.