Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Find your United Way any time of the year

by Nadine Collins.

Want to participate in the United Way Campaign but find October is just too hectic? You can host United Way events in your area at any time during the year!

The Office of Research area representatives, Heather Murphy and Christina Yee, decided to take this approach because they found that October was a busy month, with lots of treats already being offered for one reason or another. This generous group also supports several families during the Christmas season and holds a Halloween event for another charitable cause.

They decided to host monthly coffee breaks throughout the spring (once a month usually in March, April and May).  Each coffee break provides an opportunity to bring together the Office of Research team, while also raising approximately $200 for the United Way.  They also host a bake sale at the beginning of the Campaign which draws in approximately 200 people from across campus and raises an additional $750.

Hosting United Way events throughout the year has helped spread out their fundraising events, increased their participation rates, raised more money, decreased their stress during October and eliminated the competition with other causes they support. 

Wondering how this might work in your area? 

Heather’s tip is to “know your people”.  Look at the ebbs and flows in your area of busy and not-so-busy times and the commitments that have been made to other causes.  Learn what people in your area like to participate in.  The Office of Research has tried many different activities over the years, like dress-down days, but they have found that the coffee breaks and the bake sale work for them.  Heather stressed that not designating a specific donation amount to participate in the event ends up generating more money. 

One reminder about holding your events outside of the campaign period is that you are responsible for storing all the money you raise.  The United Way office is staffed by a co-op student from May to December.  Most areas have access to a safe that can be used.  If don’t have access to a safe, contact one of the Campaign Co-Chairs.  We would be happy to help you out!

Waterloo researchers receive strategic grants

Seven researchers at the University of Waterloo are receiving more than $3.9 million to collaborate with Canadian-based companies and government organizations on strategic research projects.

The funding for Strategic Partnership Grants announced today by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) helps bring expertise from academia and industry together to collaborate on research that will lead to innovation and commercialization. Waterloo has a long history and reputation for successful industry partnerships, and was ranked second in Canada for collaboration with industry by the CWTS Leiden Ranking 2015.

“Strategic Partnership Grants are excellent opportunities for researchers to develop partnerships with industry, and for industry to benefit from academic research,” said D. George Dixon, vice-president, university research. “These early stage projects lead to new products and technologies that support innovation worldwide and further enhance the Canadian economy.”

The researchers who will receive funding through Strategic Partnership Grants are:

• Professor Slim Boumaiza (Electrical and Computer Engineering) with BlackBerry Ltd. and Skyworks Solutions Inc: Digitally-assisted analog/RF circuits for enhancing the performance of 5G millimeter-wave massive MIMO transceivers ($581,844).
• Professor Jean Duhamel (Chemistry) with EcoSynthetix: Hydrophobically modified thermoresponsive starch nanoparticles for use in oil recovery of oil sands ($574,220).
• Professor Karim S. Karim (Electrical and Computer Engineering) with Teledyne DALSA: High resolution, hard X-ray digital imagers for non-destructive testing applications ($597,000).
• Professor Hyung-Sool Lee (Civil and Environmental Engineering) with AMEC Foster Wheeler: Innovative technologies for controlling dissolved methane and nitrogen in anaerobic wastewater treatment ($567,300).
• Professor John Long (Electrical and Computer Engineering) with Sidense Corp. and Skyworks Solutions Inc: 2D material thin-film transistors and components for RF/mixed-signal applications ($633,613).
• Professor Sriram Narasimhan (Civil and Environmental Engineering) with the City of Guelph, C3Water, Terepac Corporation, Toronto Water and Eramosa Engineering Inc: A novel monitoring and decision support system to manage water loss in urban water distribution systems ($503,448).
• Professor Aiping Yu (Chemical Engineering) with Grafoid Inc. and Microbonds Inc: Advanced graphene fiber based wearable supercapacitor ($450,000).

The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, made the announcement in Toronto yesterday.

Take your degree to the next level

This Saturday, March 5 marks the date of the semi-annual Further Education Bootcamp hosted by the Centre for Career Action. This term’s focus on health-related studies will see experts gather in the Tatham Centre to present eight workshops on the options available to students upon completion of an undergraduate degree

Workshops include:

• Thinking About Pharmacy?
• Thinking About Rehab Sciences?
• Thinking About a Health-Related Career?
• Think Like a Test Taker (The Princeton Review)
• MCAT: The Princeton Review
• Thinking About Optometry?
• Thinking About Med School?
• Volunteer for Your Career

More information about the workshops can be found on the Further Education Bootcamp website.

Attendees will also hear from career advisors about different schools, admissions processes, and tips and strategies for success when writing admissions tests.

Past Bootcamp attendees have described the event as an outstanding chance to learn about the education options available after graduation. Interested in attending? Register to attend the Further Education Bootcamp on the website.

We hope to see you there! 

Remembering Douglas Crowne and other notes

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Douglas Crowne died on December 25, 2015, according to a recent announcement by Human Resources. Crowne received his PhD from Purdue in 1959 and began his career at Waterloo in the Psychology department in July 1971.

Crowne's research was focused on personality and social psychology and physiological psychology, including research into communication between the brain's two hemispheres and cerebral lateralization in non-human animals. He was an authority on personality measurement and the phenomenon of neglect.

He served on several committees including planning, salary, promotion and tenure, and animal care, and was a faculty representative on the University's Senate.

Two of his academic publications received "citation classic" status, meaning they had a significant impact on a field and had attracted a great deal of attention.

In addition to his academic work, he was a top-ranked senior tennis player and (according to an unofficial source) a competitive ballroom dancer.

Crowne retired in July 1993 and was named Distinguished Professor Emeritus in 1994. He was predeceased by his spouse, Sandra, in November 2015.

"The Federation of Students is bringing hilarious comedians to campus, and it's a FREE show for all undergraduates," writes the Federation's Jacqueline Martinz. "The special event will be held on March 3 at 10:00 p.m. inside The Bombshelter Pub. Comics include Daniel Woodrow, Garrett Jamieson and Just For Laughs featured K Trevor Wilson! More information is available online."

Employers on campus next week hosting employer information sessions include Deloitte.

Here's today's Nutrition Month "Myth vs. Fact" provided by Health Services Nutritionist Sandra Ace:   

Myth:  Vitamin C can prevent a cold.

Fact:  While Vitamin C has been a popular remedy for preventing and treating the common cold, a review of the evidence does not support this role. However, some research suggests that taking high doses of Vitamin C may shorten the length of a cold by 1 to 1.5 days. While Vitamin C supplements are generally considered safe, high doses can cause stomach upset, cramping, diarrhea and other health problems. The daily UL, or Upper Limit of Safety, for this vitamin is 2000 mg so avoid taking more than this. And like many supplements, Vitamin C can interact with certain medications. It’s always best to check with your health care provider before taking large doses of any vitamin, mineral or other supplement. Visit EatRight Ontario for tips on how to naturally enrich your diet with food sources of this important antioxidant.