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Welcome to Winter 2016
Well, it looks like winter finally decided to show up, just in time for the new term.
In contrast to the last day campus was open on Thursday, December 23, when it was a balmy 14 degrees Celsius and there was nary a flake of snow to be seen, the weather that roused campus from its holiday slumber this morning was a bracing -16 degrees, complete with a wind chill that makes it feel more like -23. According to the Weather Network, the cold snap will be brief, with the mercury rising back above 0 degrees later in the week.
Is this Old Man Winter's idea of a warm welcome? Perhaps, especially on the heels of what the University of Waterloo Weather Station is calling the warmest December on record.
Amid today's frostiness, lectures have begun, and the co-op work term is starting up as well. Best bundle up as you head outside for lectures or that morning coffee.
Speaking of which, Food Services locations are back up and running today. Check the locations and hours page for details. One exception: Federation Hall is closed until January 18.
Athletics facilities are open from 7:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Monday to Friday and Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The Athletics office will be open until 6:00 p.m. this week until January 8.
The Book Store, Waterloo Store, and Write Stuff are open today at 9:00 a.m. Special extended hours will be in effect for the first week of January, with the locations staying open until 6:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 8 and Saturday, January 9 and Saturday, January 16 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
WatCard, Campus Tech, and Media.Doc also open their doors today from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Check the Retail Services hours page for a full listing of their extended hours.
The Dana Porter and Davis Centre libraries are back to their regular hours for January, with Dana Porter open from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on weekends, and the Davis Centre open from 8:00 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and 11:00 a.m. to midnight on weekends.
Feds Used Books is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and will be open Saturdays and Sundays as well until the weekend of the 16th from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. They will return to regular business hours on Monday, January 11.
IT Service Desks returned to regular operating hours today at 8:30 a.m.
Winter Orientation is now in full swing for all incoming students - first years, exchange/study abroad, transfer and graduate students.
New executive director for the Water Institute
Following an exhaustive international search, the University of Waterloo has announced the appointment of Dr. Roy Brouwer as The Water Institute’s new Executive Director effective January 1, 2016. Dr. Brouwer is joining the University from Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam in The Netherlands.
“The Water Institute serves as a catalyst for inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration which is important in addressing today’s complex water security issues," says Professor D. George Dixon, vice-president, university research. "We are delighted that Dr. Brouwer is joining the Institute, and I’m confident that, under his leadership, the Water Institute will further increase its profile and impact over the coming years.”
Dr. Brouwer is an eminent water economist, and comes to Waterloo after seven years as Head of the Department of Environmental Economics at VU Amsterdam. Prior to joining VU Amsterdam, he was Chief Economist at the Dutch Water Ministry for five years. In addition to his positions at Waterloo, Dr. Brouwer will continue as Visiting Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) in Zürcih, and as Editor-in-Chief for the Elsevier journal Water Resources and Economics. Dr. Brouwer’s primary research interest is in water resource economics, including the economic valuation and modelling of water resources, and the design and evaluation of policy instruments to support sustainable water management. Over the past twenty years, Roy has participated in, and successfully led, a wide range of multi- and inter-disciplinary water projects across Europe, Africa and Asia. In addition to his position at the Water Institute, Dr. Brouwer will be joining the Department of Economics as Professor
“I am delighted to be joining an institution where water research and education has such a proud history, and where water has been recognized as a strategic priority," says Professor Brouwer. "I am honoured to be given the opportunity to lead the internationally-recognized Water Institute”.
The purpose of the Institute is to facilitate collaboration and to support excellence and innovation in interdisciplinary water research and education. Currently, the Water Institute includes over 140 faculty and 300 graduate student members, representing 18 departments and all six academic faculties at the University. Its inaugural Executive Director was Dr. David Rudolph (2009 – 2011), followed by Dr. Bob Gillham who recently retired (2011-2015).
John Ralston Saul to speak on campus this month
Members of both the University community and the general public are being invited to join author John Ralston Saul at 7:30 p.m. on January 20 in the Humanities Theatre for a discussion of newest work, The Comeback. A book signing will follow.
"John Ralston Saul will speak about his latest book The Comeback, a powerful pamphlet on the growing force of indigenous peoples in Canada in spite of the difficulties so often discussed," says a note from the Bookstore. "In addition to his dramatic and moving argument, Saul uses letters, speeches and writings of leading Aboriginal leaders to present an unfamiliar story of Canada’s past so that we may better understand its present and imagine a better future. In an era when we are faced by an explosion in the number of refugees and environmental crises, Saul believes indigenous philosophies and methods have an important role to play."
Copies of The Comeback will be available on-site for purchase.
Space is limited, please RSVP to reserve a seat at this free event.
Notes on the first day back
There will be a service disruption in the University's Special Collections and Archives starting today for a period of seven weeks as building work is carried out. The department will remain open during this time, but be advised that there may be periods of disruption. Access to the archive's stacks will be limited and the department recommends that patrons contact them ahead of time before visiting. Item retrieval will take place daily at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Registration is open for Campus Recreation programming offered by Athletics either online or in person at the Athletics Office in Red North. The deadline for registration is Friday, January 8. The list of courses for Winter 2016 is also online.
Employers on campus this week hosting employer information sessions include: Mattermost Inc., Google, Deloitte, Twitter, Venture For Canada, Google, Capital One, 500px, CIBC Wholesale Banking, Siemens Canada, Protiviti (CPA and non-CPA roles), and Wish.
And given today's cold temperatures, why not look ahead to next autumn, as the fall 2016 convocation ceremony dates and times web page for Undergraduate programs has been posted in the Registrar’s Office website.