Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Employees asked to fill out Mindful survey

“The University of Waterloo is excited to announce that our institution has been accepted as part of a case study project with Mindful Employer Canada,” says a memo from Associate Provost, Human Resources Marilyn Thompson distributed to employees yesterday. “The intent of the project is to make our institution an even better place for all of us to work. We recognize that psychological health and safety may not be well understood, especially in terms of preventing harm and reducing risk. This initiative builds capacity throughout the University through an ongoing development of strategies unique to and embedded in the work environment.”

Employees are invited to complete the 6 question survey before Thursday, June 30.

“Your answers will go directly to Mindful Employer Canada and will be kept strictly confidential,” Thompson writes. “You are not required to provide your name, and we will only receive aggregate information (all the answers added together without any names) now and at the end of the project.”

“Thank you for your co-operation.”

Co-op student single-handedly finds her dream job

by Andreea Perescu.

For over a year, Hilary Lam, a kinesiology student with a specialization in ergonomics, relentlessly emailed the managers of firms she was determined to join. In winter 2016, her perseverance finally paid off. Hilary landed an eight-month work-term at Advantage Forensics, doing what she enjoys the most: forensic investigation.

Working at Advantage Forensics, Hilary’s role as a forensic student intern focused on the examination of products and structures that fail to function as needed. “When I first learned about forensics in my second year of undergrad, I instantly knew it would be the right fit for me. I found the work interesting," said Hilary. "I thought it complemented my strengths, and I could see myself growing and learning as I advanced in the industry.”

Hilary found her own co-op position by being determined and staying true to what she finds exciting in a work-term. ”I have an interest in research, and this forensic internship allows for the direct application of scientific research to real events involving real people,” said Hilary. “The job never gets boring, and the variety of work that I am involved in is unlike any other.”

She has conducted on-site independent investigations and produced research for insurance and legal industries throughout Ontario. “For example, in a staircase fall at a mall, some of the things we would [investigate] include: the width of the staircase, the height of the risers, the depth of the treads, and the height of the handrail,” said Hilary. “The measurements would then be compared to the dimensions listed in the appropriate codes and standards.”

For Hilary, the most challenging obstacle in the job-finding process was securing a highly sought-after, niche role. Her passion for the industry made Hilary stand out.

Co-op students should keep in mind that Waterloo offers flexibility to students if they want to arrange their own jobs. For more information, visit Co-operative Education and follow Waterloo co-op @HireWaterloo.

Call for exhibitors at Maker Expo 2016

Maker Expo is looking for makers, artists and organizations of all kinds to showcase their amazing creations on September 10, 2016. Whether you’re an individual, group or team, if you have something to show off, Maker Expo is the place to demonstrate it. Exhibitors are the bread and butter of Maker Expo — seeing what other people are working on through interactive demos, workshops and more! 

We are currently accepting applications for the following:

• Hands-on “Make and Take” (participants get to take something home)
• Hands-on Making Experience (participants get to make but don’t keep anything)
• Maker Demonstrations (participants will get to watch you make something)
• Showcase (participants get to see your finished creation and discuss it with you)
• Art Installation (participants get to experience your show or interact with your creation)
• Commercial (participants can buy your creations; requires a $50 vendor fee)

Maker Expo’s focus is on interactivity and inclusivity — they want to celebrate a wide range of topics and disciplines. The deadline to apply is Friday, July 1, 2016. Apply now.

SHAD set to begin this weekend

This year's month-long SHAD program starts on Sunday, July 3 at the University of Waterloo with the arrival of 54 of the best and brightest high school students from across Canada.

"SHAD is delighted that Rob Gorbet, Associate Professor and Chair in the Department of Knowledge Integration, who has been involved with the SHAD program for many years, will take over as Program Director at SHAD Waterloo following in the footsteps of Professor Ed Jernigan, who has retired from SHAD after serving as Program Director for 30 programs," says a statement from SHAD. 

Waterloo was the first university campus to host the program, which has helped Canada’s top youth find and reach their potential since 1983. The University has continued to play a crucial role ever since with SHAD’s national office based in the city and many of the students deciding to come back after SHAD to pursue their studies.

SHAD is an enrichment program for students with a strong interest and potential in STEAM based subjects (sciences, technology, engineering, arts and math) and has helped serve as an incubator for entrepreneurship and innovation for the students who participate nation-wide. The SHAD Network now includes 15,000 alumni, including 30 Rhodes Scholars.

During the month of July, lectures and workshops are offered by faculty members from across campus, and from visionary leaders in the community.

“It is an honour to be heading up an organization that is doing such important work for Canada at SHAD Waterloo and our 11 other host campuses,” said Tim Jackson, SHAD’s recently-appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. “By exposing 701 high achieving high school students this year to great ideas from leading faculty across Canada and some of the world’s biggest challenges, the students are inspired by the SHAD network to start making an impact now.” 

In one of the unique elements at SHAD, during the first week, youth are challenged to innovate on a specific theme, built around a current economic and social problem. SHAD youth, working in small teams, collaborate to design and engineer a new solution that addresses the problem. As part of this challenge, teams conduct market research, write business and marketing models, and design and build working prototypes.

The SHADs will hold a public open house to show off their achievements on the afternoon of Thursday July 28, in the Great Hall at Conrad Grebel University College.

Remembering retirees

Human Resources has reported a number of recent retired faculty and staff deaths, including:

Professor Emeritus Giuseppe "Pino" Tenti, who died June 10. Professor Tenti began his career at Waterloo in September 1983 and spent 23 years as a faculty member in the department of Applied Mathematics.

"Although he had been at Waterloo from 1974-1980 as postdoctoral fellow/research associate and research assistant professor, Pino returned from the USA to join the Department as a permanent faculty member in 1983," says a tribute posted to the Applied Mathematics news page. "From 1983 until his retirement in 2006, he was an active participant in many aspects of university life but was particularly known for the energy and dedication he put into undergraduate teaching."

An important area of his research focus was brain biomechanics, with projects including blood flow and hydrocephalus. He was Associate Professor in Applied Mathematics prior to his retirement in September 2006. 

"For the many of us that knew him, it was plain to see that Pino put his heart and soul into trying to impart his love of learning and his clear, logical thinking to others - his impact on countless generations of students is, no doubt, profound and far reaching," says the Applied Mathematics statement.

Professor Tenti is survived by his spouse, Giuseppina. The Faculty of Mathematics has established a scholarship in his memory.

Retired staff member Harry Holley, who died on June 16. Holley started at Waterloo in August of 1966, working as a supervisor in the Engineering Machine Shops before retiring in November 1985. He is survived by his two daughters June and Joyce.

Professor Emeritus Ewart Brundrett died on June 20. Professor Brundrett began his career at Waterloo in July 1965 as an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering. He received tenure in April 1969 and full professor status in July 1971.

A mechanical engineer with deep roots in the agricultural sciences, Professor Brundrett's research interests included fluid mechanics, heat transfer, solar energy, lubrication mechanics and engineering physics. His interest in agriculture, from market gardening to energy conservation, led to his involvement in innovations in greenhouse technology. Brundrett founded a company in 1978 that developed solar-powered greenhouses, and he designed a motorized thermal shade for the Governor General of Canada's greenhouse at Rideau Hall in the early 1980s.

Professor Brundrett retired under the Special Early Retirement Program (SERP) in September 1996. He is survived by his wife, Gwynedd.