Wednesday, October 21, 2015


Knowledge for all ages at the Science Open House

Two young people look at plants.

by Victoria Van Cappellen.

The Faculty of Science is hosting its 21st annual Science Open House and Gem & Mineral Show this Saturday, October 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Centre for Environment and Information Technology (EIT). The Gem and Mineral show opens Friday, October 23 at noon.

This year includes more than 100 hands-on activities, with extra experiments and demonstrations geared to middle-school children. Take tours of the Velocity Science and iGEM labs, where you’ll meet the entrepreneurs behind some of Waterloo’s most exciting companies as well as learn about synthetic biology from Waterloo’s award-winning team. You can also drop by the Science and Business SciBiz Career Booth where you can try on a Science career and snap a picture to share with friends!

Young visitors can dress up like a scientist, pan for gold, extract banana DNA, explore a giant cell, concoct slime from household products and jump inside a giant soap bubble, all while learning about chemistry, genetics, momentum and gravity.

Families are invited to attend the colourful and explosive Chemistry Magic Show at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

“It’s hard to tell who is more excited about the event – the undergraduate students sharing their passion for science or the visiting school-age scientists,” said Heather Neufeld, manager of science outreach for the Faculty of Science at UWaterloo. “We’ve made an extra effort this year to ensure that we’re capturing the interest of our middle-school visitors, and have a number of new activities.”

The event is free, and free parking is available in Lot C, off of Seagram Drive. For more information visit the Science events page or contact Heather Neufeld.

Vote for the best 24 Hours of Waterloo photo

A collage of 24 Hours of Waterloo photos.

On Wednesday October 14, Waterloo community members came together to share photos and videos of a day in their #UWaterlooLife during 24 Hours of Waterloo. Participants campus-wide (and even a few across the pond!) were encouraged to share images using Twitter, Instagram and e-mail in order to promote a sense of pride and community via social media.

We’ve narrowed down the top 15 submissions, and now we need your help to choose number one.

Visit the UWaterloo Life Facebook page and cast your vote by liking your favourite photo until Friday October 23 at 12:00 pm. The lucky student whose photo receives the most likes will walk away with $500 to spend at Retail Services.

To check out what #UWaterlooLife looked like on October 14, check out Tint.

Waterloo launches annual travel survey

How do you move? image showing a map and various forms of transportation.

by Mat Thijssen.

As many of you know, the University of Waterloo has partnered with the TravelWise program for the past several years to encourage sustainable transportation options.  Each year we need your help to see how you get to work, understand what has changed, and identify areas we can help make your commute easier.

Please take a few minutes to complete this quick and confidential online survey.  Raw data from completed surveys will be held online while the University of Waterloo continues to be a member of TravelWise, to measure year-over-year changes and trends.

By completing the survey, you could win amazing prizes, including one of:

  • One (1) $250 King Street Cycles Gift Card ($250 retail value) 
  • One (1) $250 Adventure Guide Inc. Gift Card ($250 retail value)
  • Two (2) $100 Borealis Grille & Bar Gift Cards ($100 retail value each) 
  • Two (2) $100 University of Waterloo Retail Services Gift Cards ($100 retail value each)

We encourage staff and faculty to complete your survey and enter into this fantastic draw.  The survey will remain open until Monday, November 2.

Please note that the survey can be completed anonymously, however contact information must be provided in order to be eligible for the prize draw. Any personal data collected will be used to contact prize winners or to obtain a better profile of commuting behaviours so that transportation options can be made more accessible. Personal information will be separated from survey responses and all data from participants will only be presented in aggregate form.

New study space at Federation Hall

It was built as a nightclub, served for years as a special event venue (and even hosted a rave or two back when you could get away with that sort of thing), but now Federation Hall is expanding its utility to the campus community yet again, as it is now offering a new study space for students on campus. 

Fed Hall's mezzanine has been set up with tables and chairs and now offers students a new area to study and work on assignments or group projects during the day in the north end of campus. 

"UW Food Services hopes this offering will be utilized by students for their educational pursuits," says a note from Micaela Buchnea-Chew. "The Food Services website will be updated weekly with hours of operation for the study space, as it’s dependent on building bookings and operations."

All of this information can also be found on the student portal.

What rhymes with orange and other notes

Participants in Mental Health Wellness Day hold up orange banners.

Participants in the Mental Health Wellness Day kickoff event in the Student Life Centre show off their orange shirts. Check the Storify for more photos and other bits relating to Mental Health Wellness Day.

Health Services is hosting high risk flu clinics this month for members of the community who fall into the following categories:

  • Adults (including pregnant women) and children with chronic health conditions;
  • Immune compromised conditions such as transplant recipients;
  • Neurologic and neurodevelopment conditions such as seizure disorders;
  • Residents of long term care facilities;
  • People 65 years and older; and
  • All children from 6 to 59 months of age.

The clinics will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Health Services 1101 today, tomorrow, and from Tuesday, October 27 to Thursday, October 29.

Human Resources is reporting that retiree Ida Mae Poth died October 1. Ida began her employment at Waterloo in September 1973 as a Food Services Assistant. She retired in November 1986.

Employers on campus next week hosting employer information sessions include Nulogy, Uber, Joist, Wealthsimple, Goldman Sachs, TJX Canada, LimeConnect, Conexsys Communications Limited and Autodesk Canada.

Link of the day

An electronic display with October 21 2015 highlighted.

Great Scott! Today, Marty McFly went back to the future - our present!

When and where

High Risk Flu Clinics and Community Clinics, Wednesday October 21 to Thursday, October 22, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Health Services 1101.

Together: A Workshop on Global Development, Wednesday, October 21, 3:00 p.m., Alumni Hall, St. Paul’s University College. Mobile exhibit on October 21 and 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the St. Paul’s main parking lot.

Mitacs Step Workshop - Time Management, Wednesday, October 21, 9:00 a.m., TC 2218.

Arriscraft Lecture: The illusion of Stasis in Structures - Recent Findings from Mark West and Pressure Building Laboratories, Thursday, October 22, 7:00 p.m., School of Architecture. 

Velocity Alpha: Do People Want Your Sh*t?, Wednesday, October 21, 7:30 p.m., Environment 3 room 4412.

WISE Lecture Series - The Impact of "Energiewende" on Renewable Energy in Germany, Thursday, October 22, 10:30 a.m., DC 1302.

Soup and Bannock Thursdays at Aboriginal Education Centre, Thursday, October 22, 12:00 p.m., STP 228.

111th Convocation ceremonies, Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24, Physical Activities Complex.

English Language and Literature Series featuring Lisa Hager, University of Wisconsin - Waukesha, "Towards a Queer Literary History of Gender Identity: Steampunk, Gender Nonconformity, and Victorian Studies," Friday, October 23, 1:00 p.m., PAS 2438.

Science Open House and Gem & Mineral Show 2015, Saturday, October 24, 10:00 a.m., Centre for Environmental and Information Technology.

Dogwhistles, Philosophy of Language and Political Manipulation, Monday, October 26, 7:00 p.m., LHI 1621.

High Risk Flu Clinics and Community ClinicsTuesday, October 27 to Thursday, October 29, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Student Life Centre Multipurpose Room.

2015 Fall Symposium on Aging Research, Tuesday, October 27, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., University Club.

“Generics Don’t Essentialise People; People Essentialise People,” public lecture by Jennifer Saul, University of Sheffield, UK, Wednesday, October 28, 10:00 a.m., HH 373.

Velocity Alpha: How To Find Your Customers Online, Wednesday, October 28, 7:30 p.m., Environment 3 room 4412. 

UWSA Annual General MeetingThursday, October 29, 9:00 a.m., DC 1302.

“Misleading and Morality,” public lecture by Jennifer Saul, University of Sheffield, UK, Thursday, October 29, 10:00 a.m., HH 373.

CBB Biomedical Discussion Group featuring Alfred C. H. Yu, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, “Ultrasound imaging innovations for live monitoring of complex flow dynamics,” Thursday, October 29, 10:30 a.m., EIT 3142.

Soup and Bannock Thursdays at Aboriginal Education Centre, Thursday, October 29, 12:00 p.m., STP 228.

Water Institute WaterTalks Lecture Series featuring Dr. Dustin Garrick, McMaster University, “Pathways to Water Security for Rivers under Pressure: Water Markets and Transboundary Governance in Australia and Western North America.” Thursday, October 29, 2:30 p.m., DC 1304.

“Implicit Bias, Stereotype Threat and Women in Academia,”
 public lecture by Jennifer Saul, University of Sheffield, UK, Friday, October 30, 11:00 a.m., HH 373.

Noon Hour Concert: Attacca Quartet plays Haydn, Friday, October 30, 12:30 p.m., Conrad Grebel Chapel.

President's Town Hall Meeting, Tuesday, November 3, 10:30 a.m., Humanities Theatre.

Velocity Alpha: Pitch Like A Pro, Wednesday, November 4, 7:30 p.m., EV3 4412.

Soup and Bannock Thursdays at Aboriginal Education Centre, Thursday, November 5, 12:00 p.m., STP 228.

Post-Conflict Columbia: Writing trauma and the challenges of translating it, Friday, November 6, 11:00 a.m., HH 1108.

CBB Bioinnovations Seminar featuring Charles Cooney, Robert T. Haslam (1911) Professor of Chemical Engineering Emeritus, and Faculty Director, Emeritus Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, MIT, “Accelerating Academic Research into Commercial Impact,” Friday, November 6, 11:00 a.m., DC 1302.

Remembrance Day, Wednesday, November 11.

Research Talks featuring Professor Susan Tighe, "Roads of the future: environmentally-friendly and resilient pavement," Friday, November 11, 12:00 p.m., DC 1302.

Noon Hour Concert: Songs My Mother Never Taught Me, Wednesday, November 11, 12:30 p.m., Conrad Grebel University Chapel.

Velocity Fund $5K Qualifier – Night 1, Wednesday, November 11, 7:00 p.m., Quantum-Nano Centre room 0101.

"The Terrible Truth about Canadian Crime: No Justice for Women" featuring visiting lecturer Professor Kim Pate, Wednesday, November 11, 7:00 p.m., Alumni Hall, St. Paul’s University College.

Soup and Bannock Thursdays at Aboriginal Education Centre, Thursday, November 12, 12:00 p.m., STP 228.

Velocity Fund $5K Qualifier – Night 2, Thursday, November 12, 7:00 p.m., Quantum-Nano Centre room 0101.

TEDxUW 2015, Saturday, November 14, CIGI Campus.

Velocity Science: Brainstorming, Tuesday, November 17, 7:30 p.m., QNC room 1506.

Velocity Alpha: How Not To Run Your Company Into The Ground (From People Who Did), Wednesday, November 18, 7:30 p.m., EV3 4412.

CBB Biomedical Discussion Group featuring Thomas Willett, PhD, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering Program, “A tissue mechanist found in translation,” Thursday, November 19, 2:30 p.m., E5 2167.

Positions available

On this week's list from the human resources department, viewable through myHRinfo:

  • Job ID# 2998 – Regional Manager, South Western Ontario – Cooperative Education & Career Action, USG 13
  • Job ID# 2999 – Research Finance Training and Compliance Officer – Office of Research, USG 8-10
  • Job id# 3001 – Payroll Administrator – Human Resources, USG 5
  • Job id# 2996 – ITC Survey Research Assistant – Psychology, USG 5

Internal secondment opportunities, viewable on myCareer@uWaterloo:

  • Data Analyst – Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, USG 9-11