Current students

Frightfully Fun Social

Emily Tan — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 12:55:10 +0000

Frightfully Fun Social Emily Tan Thu, 2026-10-08 - 08:55

Get into the Halloween mood and join us at the Project Cube in Hagey Hall for some treats and crafts!

WatCards are required, and refreshments are first come, first served while supplies last.

Registration

What’s the Matter with Sycophancy? Pathologizing Channel Maintenance for Chatbots and Humans

Elizabeth Rogers — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 19:46:54 +0000

What’s the Matter with Sycophancy? Pathologizing Channel Maintenance for Chatbots and Humans Elizabeth Rogers Fri, 2026-09-25 - 15:46

About the talk

One of the most common complaints about chatbots in public discussions in the US is that they are sycophantic, agreeing too easily with their human interlocutor. Chatbot sycophancy is then blamed for a wide array of problems, from laziness and narcissism to “chatbot psychosis.” Without denying the dangers of obsessive involvement with chatbots, I argue that sycophancy is both a poor diagnosis of what chatbots do and also a pathologization of everyday interactional routines among humans. What people often talk about as sycophancy is discussed here as channel maintenance – the desire to keep people talking. There are many different contexts in which channel maintenance is a central feature of interactions considered to be both positive and negative, including talk therapy, improv comedy, parent-child interactions, sales, and scams. If channel maintenance is in fact omnipresent and necessary for interaction, it is nonetheless pathologized as sycophancy because of changing norms about political discussion in the US. In the context of concerns about the feminization of public discourse, argumentative confrontation unconcerned with channel maintenance is no longer the cause of democratic disintegration but now the safeguard of healthy debate.

Talk: 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Reception to follow from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Hosted by the School of Social, Political and Historical Research (Anthropology)

Dr. Courtney Handman is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. As a linguistic anthropologist, her work has focused on the communicative networks and technologies that people use to make connections across boundaries of difference.

Arts celebrates three new Royal Society of Canada honours

Wendy Philpott — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 18:45:29 +0000

Arts celebrates three new Royal Society of Canada honours Wendy Philpott Mon, 2026-09-14 - 14:45

Congratulations to three faculty members in Arts on being recognized by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC).

This month the RSC announced its new fellows, members and award recipients, and among them are: Dr. Andrew Cooper (Political Science), Dr. Myra Fernandes (Psychology), and Dr. Geoffrey Fong (Psychology).

“I’m so pleased and proud to see these accomplished colleagues’ efforts and impacts duly honoured by the Royal Society of Canada,” said Dean of Arts, Alexie Tcheuyap, FRSC.

Andrew Cooper, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada

Dr. Andrew Cooper (BA ‘72, MA ‘73) is a University Research Chair in the School of Social, Political and Historical Research, and a Professor at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA). An internationally recognized scholar of diplomacy, global governance and international institutions, his research examines how ascendant powers are reshaping world politics and multilateral cooperation.

Cooper’s work has influenced scholarship and policy discussions on major international summit forums, including the G20 and BRICS, as well as the recalibrated role of middle powers. Throughout his career, Cooper has held visiting appointments at a wide number of institutions including Harvard University, the Australian National University and Stellenbosch University in South Africa. In 2009 Cooper was selected as the Canada-US Fulbright Research Chair, Annenberg Center, University of Southern California.

“Being elected to the Royal Society of Canada brings the immense satisfaction of peer validation from the premier assembly of intellectual leadership in Canada,” said Cooper. “The stature of this fellowship allows both greater access to policy makers and - especially relevant at my stage of career - an enhanced role in mentoring the emerging generation of scholars.”

Cooper has contributed more than 250 total publications, including nine sole-authored books. Standing out among his 30 edited collections is The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy. His work has generated more than 12,500 total citations (Google Scholar), with an h-index of 53, reflecting its extended reach and impact on the study of international relations. In 2019 he was honoured as the inaugural recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Award from the Diplomacy Section of the International Studies Association.

Myra Fernandes, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada

Dr. Myra Fernandes is a Professor in the School of Psychology. Her work integrates psychology, neuroscience, and gerontology to understand how the brain dynamically coordinates systems to optimize memory. Her pioneering research has developed cognitive methods that enhance memory in younger and older adults, individuals with a history of concussion, and people living with dementia, pinpointing its brain basis using functional neuroimaging.

Fernandes’ multidisciplinary research addresses a pressing global health challenge: population aging and the associated rise in dementia and other forms of cognitive decline. Her work draws on a combination of behavioural, neuroimaging, and developmental methods to advance understanding of how memory works and build models of how it functions. Her research is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation.

“I am deeply honoured to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada,” said Fernandes. “This recognition reflects not only my own work, but the dedication of the many students, trainees, collaborators and mentors who have shaped my research over the years. It also reflects the support of my parents and their advice to make sure what I did mattered to the lives of others. That advice guided my career and research focus: memory is one of our most fundamental human resources. Understanding how memories are created and retrieved, and how to protect them as we age, isn't just a scientific pursuit, it's about preserving what makes us ourselves.”

Fernandes has co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, four books, and five book chapters. She is a past president of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science, recipient of the inaugural Women in Cognitive Science Canada Mentorship Award and the Canadian Psychological Association’s President’s Researcher Award, and currently serves as Chair of the internationally renowned Psychonomic Society, reflecting her worldwide impact on the study of memory, cognition and aging.

Geoffrey Fong, Royal Society of Canada Eric Jackman Prize

Dr. Geoffrey Fong, FRSC, is University Professor of the School of Psychology and School of Public Health Sciences, and is also Senior Investigator at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. He is the second recipient of the Eric Jackman Prize in the Human Behavioural and Social Sciences, which “celebrates path-breaking and sustained scientific contributions to preventing harm, strengthening resilience, or otherwise benefiting humankind through research in one or more behavioural and social science fields.” This prize recognizes Fong’s international leadership in tobacco control research and its impact on public health policy worldwide. He is Founder and Chief Principal Investigator of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC Project), the world’s first international cohort study of tobacco use and tobacco control policy, which he built by integrating theories and methods from the behavioural and social sciences into public health surveillance systems.

Through a collaboration of more than 150 researchers across 31 countries, the ITC Project has evaluated the effectiveness of tobacco-control policies implemented under the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the world’s first public health treaty. The ITC Project examines the behavioural and psychosocial impact of major tobacco-control measures, including health warning labels, smoke free legislation, taxation policies, cessation programs, and nicotine-product regulation.

“I am deeply honoured to receive the Eric Jackman Prize,” said Fong. “This recognition highlights the essential role of the behavioural and social sciences in public health and global health. The ITC Project has shown how understanding behaviour and the social environments, policies, and systems that shape it can generate evidence to strengthen public health policies and improve health around the world.”

Fong has authored or co-authored more than 600 publications and received more than 51,800 citations, with an h-index of 105. Fong has received numerous award and recognitions, including the Governor General’s Innovation Award (shared with Waterloo faculty members Mary E. Thompson and David Hammond), the WHO World No Tobacco Day Award, and the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health Senior Trailblazer Award. In 2021, Fong was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Read the full University of Waterloo RSC 2026 announcement in Waterloo News.

Bodies, Bones, and Burials

Wendy Philpott — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 20:07:33 +0000

Bodies, Bones, and Burials Wendy Philpott Thu, 2026-09-10 - 16:07

The School of Social, Political and Historical Research is honoured to present this special lecture by Dr. Douglas Stenton, CM, lead researcher in a series of breakthrough discoveries related to the ill-fated 1845 Franklin Northwest Passage Expedition.

About the presentation

In May 1845, Sir John Franklin’s expedition left England aboard HMS Erebus and HMS Terror on a voyage of exploration to complete the Northwest Passage. Both ships became trapped in ice near King William Island (Nunavut) and by the spring of 1848 two dozen men had died, including Franklin. In a desperate attempt to escape, the 105 remaining officers and crew left the ships and set out on foot to try and reach the mainland, hundreds of kilometres to the south. None survived, turning the expedition into the worst disaster in the history of British polar exploration and one of the Arctic’s best-known tragedies.

In this presentation, Dr. Douglas Stenton will provide an overview of the expedition and discuss his team’s recent DNA investigations that have resulted in the identification of six members of the expedition. He will share why these identifications matter for understanding the expedition’s final stages and the human cost behind its legacy.

The presentation will be followed by a Q and A, moderated by Dr. Ian Milligan, Director of the School of Social, Political and Historical Research.

About Dr. Douglas Stenton

Douglas Stenton is a Canadian archaeologist whose career has been devoted to the archaeology, history, and cultural heritage of the Canadian Arctic. For more than four decades, he has conducted archaeological research in Nunavut while helping shape the policies and legislation that protect one of the world's richest archaeological landscapes. His work has advanced understanding of both Inuit history and the fate of Sir John Franklin's 1845 Northwest Passage expedition.

Beginning in 2008, Stenton directed the Government of Nunavut's archaeological investigations of Franklin expedition sites on King William Island and the Adelaide Peninsula. His team’s investigations integrated archaeological evidence with Inuit oral history and nineteenth-century search records, providing new insights into the movements and final days of Franklin's crews.

His research has contributed to several important discoveries, including previously undocumented human remains and new interpretations of key Franklin expedition sites. By integrating archaeology with historical research, facial reconstruction, isotope analysis, and DNA studies, Stenton has helped shed light on the lives and deaths of individual expedition members. His work also played an important role in the collaborative efforts that led to the discovery of HMS Erebus in 2014, one of the most significant archaeological finds in Canadian history.

Stenton's many honours include the Polar Medal, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society's Erebus Medal, and appointment as a Member of the Order of Canada. Through his archaeological investigations and his leadership in heritage conservation, Stenton has helped preserve and illuminate the history of Canada's Arctic for future generations while making lasting contributions to one of the country's most enduring historical mysteries.

Banner image: Douglas Stenton excavating the bones of Franklin expedition sailors at Erebus Bay. Photo by Robert Park.

Parking information

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Read about Franklin Expedition discoveries

Orientation is the foundation for future friendships

Wendy Philpott — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:57:25 +0000

Orientation is the foundation for future friendships Wendy Philpott Fri, 2026-09-04 - 11:57

When Gurman Johal arrived at the University of Waterloo, his biggest concern wasn't academics. It was the thought of sitting alone.

Moving to Waterloo from Mississauga meant leaving home for the first time. Although two classmates from high school were also moving to the region, neither was entering his program.

“I had a lot of anxiety,” says Johal, a third-year Accounting and Financial Management student. “I was living away from home for the first time and worried about finding friends.”

Those concerns followed him as he packed for residence and prepared to start university. Almost immediately, however, he encountered students eager to help.

When he arrived at residence, upper-year volunteers helped him move in, answered questions and introduced him to other incoming students. “Right away I had exposure to students who were willing to help me,” Johal says. “It showed there was support available.”

The next day, he joined hundreds of incoming Arts students for Orientation.

Walking into a crowd of unfamiliar faces was intimidating, particularly as someone who considered himself introverted at the time. “I was kind of baffled by how many students were there,” he says.

Orientation leaders helped ease those nerves, creating opportunities for students to connect and reminding them that everyone was navigating the same transition. “It helped me feel like I belonged in Waterloo,” Johal says.

When classes began, he immediately recognized familiar faces from Orientation. Those early connections became the foundation for future friendships, study groups and collaborative projects.

Orientation also introduced him to Arts traditions that helped strengthen his connection to the faculty. One of his favourites remains the Rowdy Arts Dance (RAD) dance, a longstanding Orientation tradition that culminates with students earning the faculty's distinctive orange shades.

“Once you earn your shades, you're part of Arts,” he says.

The impact of Orientation inspired him to return as a volunteer leader the following year. Since then, he has taken on increasingly senior planning roles, helping design experiences for incoming students. His advice for incoming students reflects that lesson.

“Be open-minded,” Johal says. “Try new things, meet new people and just be part of the experience.”

Opening reception: new shows by Abraham O. Oghobase and Laura Moore

Elizabeth Rogers — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:32:06 +0000

Opening reception: new shows by Abraham O. Oghobase and Laura Moore Elizabeth Rogers Wed, 2026-09-02 - 10:32

Join us at the University of Waterloo Art Gallery (UWAG) for the opening of two new exciting exhibitions.

Staff & Faculty Preview: Thursday, September 10, 4-5 pm

Opening Reception: Thursday, September 10, 5-8 pm

Shows open: September 10 - December 5, 2026.

Abraham O. Oghobase - Notes to Self: Offerings on History and Memory

Abraham Oghobase investigates the ways that photographic images shape memory and history. The artist’s mixed-media installation Onoriode (Who Knows Tomorrow?) references both his middle name and its translation from the Urhobo language. Exhibited in context with the large-scale print installation Notes to Self, these recent bodies of work are made in response to the tensions inherent to both the personal and historical archive.

Historically, photography was routinely used as a tool to legitimize colonial dominance and reinforce Eurocentric ideology. Oghobase’s reconstruction of images suggests a restorative counternarrative. The artist explores his Nigerian heritage through family photographs and archival imagery culled from the Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University. He explores different image-making methodologies to edit, overlay and reframe these images using analog technologies ranging from photocopying to screen printing. Family photos are enlarged on canvas and paired alongside readymade furniture. Monochromatic silhouettes of figures and flora are printed on Kozuke paper banners alongside agricultural and industrial imagery.

Family Tree 01 (detail), 2024, Inkjet prints on canvas, wooden objects (ironing board & stool). Photo by Darren Rigo, Courtesy Gallery TPW.

Laura Moore - Handheld

The multidisciplinary artworks in Handheld are rooted in Laura Moore’s fascination with obsolete technology and her commitment to repurposing materials. Having established a reputation for carving 1:1 scale vintage computer monitors and boom boxes out of stone, over the last few years her practice has expanded to include the making of quilts and mosaics. While the penchant for referencing obsolete consumer electronics remains central to her practice, this switch from smooth exteriors to the complexity of internal circuit boards has allowed the artist to expand her material and visual vocabulary. Culled from a personal collection of obsolete technology, she swaps the geometric patterns of the traditional quilt for that of a diagrammatic circuit board from a Nintendo game controller for instance. While the quilts elicit a degree of anxious comfort, the recent mosaics represent a further mash-up of past and present. Based on the guts of her collection of cell phones, each mosaic represents a circuit board enlarged to 1:12 scale suggesting an archeological relic. Thematically, Moore’s work invites us to consider the preponderance and disposability of consumer electronics and the troubling inheritance these artifacts represent for future generations.

Gameboy & Ms. Pac-man, 2023, Hand-carved soapstone. Photo: Paul Cimoroni.

Indigenous Speakers Series presents Sarah Deer

Emily Ysselstein — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:03:59 +0000

Indigenous Speakers Series presents Sarah Deer Emily Ysselstein Mon, 2026-08-31 - 12:03

The Indigenous Speakers Series is honoured to present Sarah Deer, acclaimed legal scholar and advocate widely recognized for her work addressing violence against Indigenous women and advancing Indigenous feminist approaches to law and justice.

About the speaker

Sarah Deer is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma and a University Distinguished Professor at the University of Kansas, where she holds a joint appointment in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and the School of Public Affairs and Administration. A lawyer by training and an advocate in practice, her scholarship explores the intersection of U.S. federal law and victims’ rights through the lens of Indigenous feminist legal theory.

Over more than two decades, Deer has worked alongside survivors and communities to address violence against Indigenous women. Her award-winning book, The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America, examines the historical and legal roots of gender-based violence in Indigenous communities. Her contributions to Indigenous rights and legal reform have earned national recognition, including the American Bar Association Spirit of Excellence Award in 2016 and induction to the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2019. Deer was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow in 2014 and a Carnegie Fellow in 2020.

In her presentation, Sovereignty of the Soul, Justice Deer will speak about the movement in the United States to address gender-based violence in tribal communities. The movement includes legal changes that will allow tribal nations to assert sovereignty over criminal and civil cases involving victims of crime. Drawing from her scholarship and work as Chief Justice for the Prairie Island Indian Community Court of Appeals, Deer will highlight the role of advocates in engaging in law reform for marginalized communities, particularly Indigenous nations in the U.S.

Portrait of Sarah Deer by Hawlii Pichette, Urban Iskwew.

Justice Deer’s presentation will be followed by a Q & A moderated by Dr. Rowland Keshena Robinson (Political Science).

Parking information

This event will include a gift announcement from TD Bank Group and will be followed by a reception at 4:30 p.m. – all are welcome.

The Indigenous Speakers Series is supported by a generous donation from TD Bank Group. The series is organized by a committee of Indigenous and settler faculty and staff from the Faculty of Arts and the Office of Indigenous Relations.

Registration

Watch past recordings from our Indigenous Speakers Series on YouTube.

Waterloo welcomes inaugural Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs

Wendy Philpott — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 20:17:08 +0000

Waterloo welcomes inaugural Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs Wendy Philpott Thu, 2026-08-27 - 16:17

The University of Waterloo is thrilled to welcome internationally recognized researchers from the U.S. and the U.K. through the Government of Canada’s Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs of Canada program, reinforcing Canada’s capacity to address complex health, societal and economic challenges through world-leading research.

Dr. Talia Bettcher (Faculty of Arts) and Dr. James Wolffsohn (Faculty of Science) will receive long-term funding and institutional support to lead ambitious research programs aligned with Canada’s strategic priorities. Their work will advance gender-based violence prevention and transgender community resilience, as well as innovations in equitable eye care and vision-loss prevention.

The appointments are part of a broader $1.7 billion Government of Canada investment through the Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative, aimed at strengthening Canada’s research excellence through strategic international recruitment and talent attraction. At the centre of the initiative is the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs of Canada program, which will provide up to $1 billion over 12 years to help Canadian post-secondary institutions recruit exceptional international researchers who will inspire the next generation of talented researchers, innovators and leaders.

Read the full announcement story in Waterloo News.

Cozy Cafe

Emily Tan — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:15:37 +0000

Cozy Cafe Emily Tan Wed, 2026-08-26 - 12:15

Come welcome in the Fall 2026 term with us and enjoy some refreshments, simple crafts, and conversations with your fellow Arts Faculty peers (and Arts staff) in the Hagey Hall Hub!

WatCards are required, and refreshments are first come, first served while supplies last.

Registration

Arts goes to Homecoming 2026

Emily Ysselstein — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 15:59:15 +0000

Arts goes to Homecoming 2026 Emily Ysselstein Mon, 2026-08-24 - 11:59

Look for the Arts tent at the Homecoming Parking Lot Party

Come hang out with the Arts community before kickoff and get ready to cheer on your fellow Warriors. Arts community members will receive a special Arts swag item while supplies last.

Arts undergraduate students: Please bring your WatCard so you can tap in at the event.

Then, Head to the Game!

After the parking lot party, make your way into Warrior Field and find Porcellino and the rest of the Arts students. Let’s cheer on our fellow Warriors as they take on the Windsor Lancers (kick off is at 1:00 pm)!

There will also be FREE programming happening throughout the morning, so be sure to check it out and make a day of it!

Please note: The Arts Parking Lot Party is not your game ticket. You must reserve your ticket separately.

Undergrad students have the chance to win $5,000 with the Pass Punt Kick competition at halftime!

Nick Orr, a fourth-year Philosophy student and current quarterback of the Waterloo Warriors.

Join us for three new art exhibitions at Longhouse Labs and UWAG

Kahionwinehshon Phillips

Solo exhibition of 2024-25 Longhouse Labs Fellow

Mohawk knowledge-keeper, ceramicist, and raised beadwork artist, who uses traditional materials blended with contemporary elements and methods to create beautiful and meaningful representations of the interconnectedness of Indigenous culture, history, and life, sparking artistic dialogue throughout generations.

Abraham O. Oghobase - Notes to Self: Offerings on History and Memory

Laura Moore - Handheld

The multidisciplinary artworks in Handheld are rooted in Laura Moore’s fascination with obsolete technology and her commitment to repurposing materials. Having established a reputation for carving 1:1 scale vintage computer monitors and boom boxes out of stone, over the last few years her practice has expanded to include the making of quilts and mosaics.

Both galleries will be open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Visit The Longhouse Labs and University of Waterloo Art Gallery (UWAG) for full details.