Hear from distinguished alumni and faculty on the topics that matter most. Tune in to panel recordings, video interviews and recordings of our alumni podcast.
Podcasts
Going Pro feat. Lisa Bentley (BMath '92)
IRONMAN triathlons are about 4 times as long as their Olympic counterparts, and take hours to complete. To the average person — or average athlete, for that matter — the IRONMAN probably seems like an overwhelming challenge. But Lisa Bentley (BMath '92) built a whole career out of these epic races.
Listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Soundcloud.
Alumni:
Lisa Bentley (BMath '92)
From biochemistry to cultural design feat. Chris Wilson (BSc '21)
We often think about growth as an additive process, and it is. We take new roles to build new skills, learn new knowledge. But there's a crucial step that we forget -- letting go. In order to add, we need to make space.
Listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Soundcloud.
Alumnus:
Chris Wilson (BSc '21)
A watershed moment feat. Rahim Thawer (BA '08)
Can you point to an experience that defined your career path? For Rahim Thawer (BA '08), it was an elective course — SMF 208, taught at St Jerome's. It's a Sexuality, Marriage and Family course that dives into therapies and systemic oppression. For Rahim, this was a key moment in his education, and set him on a career path in social work.
Listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Soundcloud.
Alumnus:
Rahim Thawer (BA '08)
Panels
Data + The Arts
Discover how artists are using data to create innovative works that influence change. In this event, you'll meet three artists using data to express beauty.
Panelists:
Craig Kaplan – Moderator
Rob Gorbet (PhD '97)
Marcel O’Gorman
Jane Tingley
Data + Health
How has the history and evolution of meaningful data changed health care — in Canada and across the globe? In this event, we'll explore the things we have — and haven't — learned about collecting health data, and how we might use it to make health a human right around the world.
Panelists:
Anita Layton – Moderator
Catherine Burns (BASc '92)
Cecilia Cotton (MMath ’03)
Data + Climate
How do we use data to understand that our climate IS changing, and that humans are responsible? In this event, we'll be considering the use of different data streams (climate modelling, satellite and aircraft measurement and surface observation) in emerging climate science. We will also explore how data and models are being used to develop solutions.
Panelists:
Chris Fletcher – Moderator
Dave Bailey (BMath ‘91)
Dr. Ray Nassar (PhD ’06)
Andrea Scott (BASc ’99, PhD ’08)
Interviews
Alumni Know: Are fees killing your finances?
f there's one thing that Alexandra Horwood doesn't like, it's the f-word: fees.
In recent years, financial fees have acquired a negative reputation. Financial influencers, robo-advisors and do-it-yourself trading platforms encourage us to believe that higher fees will always eat into our returns, leaving us with significantly less wealth in the end. But is that really true? If you want to stay with your financial advisor, will the fees keep you from achieving your wealth and retirement goals?
This is why we reached out to Alexandra, a financial advisor with Richardson Wealth. She joins us to break down the truth behind fees. Plus, we talk about meme investing, and how to find the right financial services to build your wealth.
Alumnus:
Alexandra Horwood (BA '10)
Alumni Know: What do employees want?
Does working from home bring more work-life balance? What will it mean to go "back to normal"? And who exactly is doing all this great resigning? For many of us, the future of work feels pretty uncertain — maybe even stressful.
In this episode, we explore employee desires with Anne Fannon (MA '03), director at the Work-Learn Institute, a research unit that pulls insights from Waterloo's world-renowned co-op programs. She offers valuable information about what the youngest workers want from their careers, and how tomorrow's most successful employers will meet their expectations.
Alumnus:
Anne Fannon (MA '03)
Alumni Know: Is news entertainment?
When you scroll through news and social media feeds, you probably see content specifically curated to your interests and biases. Is this really a news feed? Or is it personalized entertainment?
Today we're posing these questions and more to Arjun Moorthy (BASc '99). Arjun is the co-founder and CEO of The Factual, an AI-powered news platform that provides readers with credible perspectives on the day's trending stories. Arjun shares how the platform works, the role of sensationalism and his thoughts on paywalls.
Alumnus:
Arjun Moorthy (BASc '99)
Webinars
Your Health
and Mental Wellness
Alumni:
Debbie Fung (BES ’06) and Jason Lu (BSc ’05)
Stay Productive
and Unlock Creativity
Alumnus:
Danielle Ryan (BES ’14)
How Not
to Meditate
Alumnus:
Kunal Gupta (BSE ’08)