This month, University of Waterloo alumni and supporters have a lot to celebrate! Throughout April, I’m pleased to have many opportunities to recognize and commend those who give back to this community.
On Wednesday, April 3, I was honoured to attend the Future Cities Institute launch event, marking UWaterloo’s bold new mission to create healthier, more prosperous cities. The Future Cities Institute founded by CAIVAN is made possible by a $10 million donation from Frank Cairo (BES ’05) and Troy van Haastecht (BASc ’93), UWaterloo alumni and leaders in the Canadian real estate sector. At the event, attendees heard directly from Frank and Vivek Goel, UWaterloo President and Vice-Chancellor, who discussed how the institute’s bold, interdisciplinary approach will tackle the many issues facing our urban communities — affordable housing, aging infrastructure, climate change and more. It was also inspiring to see attendees from government, academia, real estate and development show a keen interest in a cross-disciplinary approach to these challenges.
Later this month, I look forward to celebrating another group of UWaterloo supporters: volunteers. April 14-20 marks National Volunteer Week, and the Office of Advancement has some special plans to thank the alumni and supporters who give their time to UWaterloo. Our community relies on many dedicated volunteers who build our global community, host international events, create mentorship and learning opportunities, and provide critical expertise. Volunteers are the backbone of our community, and their efforts make much of our programming for students, young alumni and children possible.
Speaking of volunteers, on May 1 we will celebrate the launch of our Ottawa Alumni Chapter with a special event at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Led by alumni volunteers, UWaterloo chapters build community among local alumni, students and friends with a wide variety of programming tailored to the culture in their region — including mentorship programs, socials, networking events and family-friendly activities. With approximately 9,000 alumni living in the Ottawa region, plus many co-op students working there every term, I am thrilled to see this new chapter come to life!
Finally, I’ll join University leadership and community members to revel in our industry partnerships. Built on connections with individual professionals, industry partnerships can open new, exciting doors for research, entrepreneurship, co-operative education and real-world change. On April 25, the University will host Canadian executives and business leaders in Toronto at the Waterloo Innovation Summit (WIS). This year’s theme is Conversations with Next-Gen Talent: Leading and Innovating in Uncertain Times, where we will hear from researchers, industry experts and current students about how to develop, nurture and retain a highly skilled future workforce. I always leave the WIS with a renewed perspective — both from the conference speakers and the industry partners I meet.
After the Summit, many of those same industry partners will join me and University leaders at the Chancellor’s Celebration — a gala event in honour of our 11th Chancellor, Dominic Barton, who has been a tremendous advocate for the University community on campus and worldwide. Proceeds from the event will support Indigenous initiatives at the University, an area that Dominic has personally supported as well.
I’ve said it before — our supporters are an integral part of the UWaterloo community, though they often work behind the scenes. With their backing, I know we can achieve our mission to build a better future for humanity and the planet. I look forward to celebrating their efforts in our community this month and through the rest of the year!
Nenone Donaldson
Vice-President, Advancement