Monday, July 4, 2016


Canada Day Celebration a crowd-pleaser

The crowd at the Canada Day Celebration on July 1, 2016.

On Friday, July 1, as Canada celebrated its 149th birthday, the University of Waterloo and the Federation of Students thanked the community for its partnership and mutual support by hosting Waterloo Region's flagship Canada Day Celebration.

Close to 60,000 people gathered at Columbia Lake Fields Friday for a day filled with interactive family fun, delicious local foods, live entertainment featuring outstanding Canadian talent, and a spectacular fireworks display.

Check out the Storify for highlights from the celebration, and look for a wrap-up video later this week.

Jannet Leggett named Chief Ethics Officer

"I am pleased to announce the appointment of Jannet Ann Leggett as Chief Ethics Officer beginning July 4," says a memo from Vice-President, University Relations George Dixon distributed last week.

"Ms. Leggett has extensive, broadly based experience in ethics," Dixon writes. "As a Barrister and Solicitor, she spent 14 years specializing in privacy, ethics and regulatory compliance for both public and private sector organizations, most recently as Director, Customer Success and Ethics at NYMITY Inc., Toronto. She played a major role in the design and integration of ethics and privacy protocols for Canada's first multi-jurisdictional public health surveillance and research data repository of over one million patient electronic health records, an initiative that involved working with 11 academic medical institutions and 1,000 primary care physicians. In 2013, she was named Privacy by Design Ambassador by the Ontario Privacy Commissioner. She is also a recipient of the Privacy Innovation Award sponsored by teh International Association of Privacy Professionals."

Based in the Office of Research, the Chief Ethics Officer is key point of contact and ethical expert (i.e. chief ethics officer) for all ethics compliance activities involving research at the University of Waterloo. The position provides discreet and confidential advice and counsel to the Vice-President, University Research when handling sensitive ethical or research misconduct allegations to ensure the University’s legal, financial and reputational risks are minimized. The position also manages research integrity compliance and research misconduct allegations.

"Ms. Leggett brings substantive experience and knowledge of research ethics to Waterloo," Dixon writes. "I look forward to working with Jannet, and am confident that she will have your full cooperation and support."

Concert will benefit sexual assault support centre

A concert and variety show organized by a Waterloo staff member will benefit the Sexual Assault & Support Centre (SASC) of Waterloo this week.

Michael Klein Live poster.“Michael Klein: Live!” is dedicating its Friday, July 8 concert in the Theatre of the Arts in support of the SASC, with 75 percent of ticket proceeds being donated to the organization.

The show features performances by Michael Klein, The Nathan Day project, and many others. Tickets are $20 and are available online at www.eventbrite.com and at the door. Klein, who works as an admissions officer in the Faculty of Engineering, is headlining.

The event takes place in the Theatre of the Arts from 8:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

"The on-campus performance venue also highlights ongoing problem of sexual assault on college and university campuses across the country, as highlighted in many recent studies," says an announcement about the event.

Founded in 1989, the SASC provides individualized and confidential support services including counseling, advocacy, information and referrals, and emergency assistance to victims of sexual assault of all ages. All services are provided free-of-charge. For additional information, please send an email to Michael Klein.

Ransoming the Wasteland and other notes

The covers of Ransoming the Wasteland volumes 1 and 2.

A collection of writings about the science fiction and fantasy works by author C.S. Lewis, written by Distinguished Professor Emerita Nancy-Lou Patterson and co-edited by Emily Auger and Janet Brennan Croft, has been published by Valleyhome Books.

Patterson was a professor in Waterloo’s fine arts department from 1962 until her retirement in 1992, teaching art history while working as an active artist, poet and fiction writer. She also published extensively on her favourite research subject, the Inklings, a literary group of professors  and authors associated with Oxford University that included Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Many of her papers on C.S. Lewis's fiction have been gathered in Ransoming the Wasteland Volumes I and II, available as Kobo ebooks and in paperback from Amazon and Lulubooks.

Auger, who took one of her first art history courses from Patterson at the University of Waterloo, is a graduate of the University of Victoria's History in Art program. She taught Art History at various universities in Canada and the United States from 1987 through 2010, before returning home to Wellington County where she spends much of her time writing and publishing. Janet Brennan Croft is editor of Mythlore and head of Access and Delivery Services at Rutgers University Libraries in New Brunswick, NJ.

Douglas Ruth.Waterloo Engineering alumnus Douglas Ruth has been elected President of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE). He was elected as a Fellow of the Academy in 2008 and has served on the organization's board of directors since 2013.

Ruth received a doctorate at Waterloo and has worked in the manufacturing sector and in the oil and gas industry. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba for 11 years, and served for 12 years as a member of the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. He is a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada and of Engineers Canada.

He will serve a two-year term.

The University of Waterloo Staff Association is hosting its third annual Golf Tournament on Thursday, July 7 at the Foxwood Country Club near Baden. A $10,000 Hole-in-One is being sponsored by Johnson Insurance, and prize sponsors include GoodLife Fitness, Canada’s Wonderland, Coldwell Banker, Bingeman’s, UW Food Services, Sue Fraser Crafts, Country Gardens, African Lions Safari and the Education Credit Union. 

Link of the day

100 years ago: The Somme

When and where

Student Leadership Program presents Communication and Leadership Styles, Monday, July 4, 2:00 p.m., SCH 108A.

Student Leadership Program presents Effective Meetings, Tuesday, July 5, 5:00 p.m., SCH 108A.

Velocity Fund $5K Qualifier – Night 1, Wednesday, July 6, 7:00 p.m., Quantum-Nano Centre Room 0101.

UW Farm Market, Thursday, July 7, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Student Life Centre.

UWSA Golf Tournament, Thursday, July 7, 4:00 p.m., Foxwood Country Club, Baden.

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

Drop, Penalty Period 1 ends, Friday, July 8.

Michael Klein: Live, Friday, July 8, 8:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Modern Languages, Theatre of the Arts.

Orientation presents Engineering 101, Saturday, July 9, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., PAC.

Student Leadership Program presents Motivating Others, Saturday, July 9, 11:00 a.m., SCH 108A.

Student Leadership Program presents Presentation Skills, Saturday, July 9, 1:30 p.m., SCH 108A.

The Writing Centre presents Say it in your own words: Paraphrase & summary, Monday, July 11, 1:00 p.m.

Student Leadership Program presents Creativity, Tuesday, July 12, 11:00 a.m., SCH 108A.

Velocity Start presents Speaking Startup with Miron Derchansky, Tuesday, July 12, 7:30 p.m., Velocity Start, SCH 2nd Floor.

Orientation presents Science 101, Wednesday, July 13, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Science Teaching Complex.

Student Leadership Program presents New to a Team, Wednesday, July 13, 12:00 p.m., SCH 108A.

Velocity Start presents The Startup Rollercoaster, Wednesday, July 13, 7:30 p.m., Velocity Start, SCH 2nd Floor. 

Student Leadership Program presents Personality Dimensions, Thursday, July 14, 11:00 a.m., SCH 108A.

Student Leadership Program presents Principles of Leadership, Saturday, July 16, 11:00 a.m., SCH 108A.

Student Leadership Program presents Succession Planning, Saturday, July 16, 1:30 p.m., SCH 108A.

University Choir concert: Music of Peace, Music of Joy, Saturday, July 16, 7:30 p.m., Cedars Worship Centre, Waterloo.

Student Leadership Program presents Motivating Others, Monday, July 18, 1:30 p.m., SCH 108A.

Organize your time for midterms and exams, Tuesday, July 19, 3:00 p.m.

Test Preparation and Text Anxiety, Wednesday, July 20, 3:00 p.m.

Velocity Fund Finals, Thursday, July 21, 11:00 a.m., SLC Great Hall.

Orientation presents Math 101, Thursday, July 21, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Federation Hall.

UW Farm Market, Thursday, July 21, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Student Life Centre.

Student Leadership Program presents Presentation Skills, Thursday, July 21, 11:00 a.m., SCH 108A.

Orientation presents Applied Health Sciences 101, Saturday, July 23, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Mathematics 3.

Orientation presents Arts 101, Saturday, July 23, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Science Teaching Complex.

Orientation presents Environment 101, Saturday, July 23, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Environment 3 Atrium.

Instrumental Chamber Ensemble Concert, Sunday, July 24, 7:30 p.m. Conrad Grebel Chapel.

Lectures end, Tuesday, July 26.

Pre-examination Study Days, Wednesday, July 27 to Monday, August 1.

The Writing Centre presents Say it in Your Own Words: Paraphrase & Summary, Wednesday, July 27, 2:00 p.m.

GreenHouse Social Impact ShowcaseThursday, July 28, 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Alumni Hall, St. Paul's University College.

August Civic Holiday, Monday, August 1, most University operations closed.

On-campus examinations begin, Tuesday, August 2.

Online class examination days, Friday, August 5 and Saturday, August 6.

Quantum Cryptography School for Young Students (QCSYS), Friday, August 5 to Friday, August 12, QNC 0101.

Conrad Grebel Peace Camp, Monday, August 8 to Friday, August 12, Conrad Grebel University College.

On-campus examinations end, Saturday, August 13.

Co-operative Work Term ends, Friday, August 26.

PhD oral defences

Electrical & Computer Engineering. Mohammad Hamdaqa, "An Integrated Modeling Framework for Managing the Deployment and Operation of Cloud Applications." Supervisor, Ladan Tahvildari. On deposit in the Engineering graduate office, PHY 3003. Oral defence Monday, July 4, 1:00 p.m., EIT 3142.

Computer Science. Hassan Khan, "Evaluating the Efficacy of Implicit Authentication under Realistic Operating Systems." Supervisor, Urs Hengartner. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Wednesday, July 6, 1:30 p.m., DC 2310.

Computer Science. Adedamola Adepetu, "Agent-Based Model Framework for Energy Policies." Supervisor, Srinivasan Keshav. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Friday, July 8, 9:00 a.m., DC 2314.

Computer Science. Aiman Al-Harbi, "Studying Relevance Judging Behaviour of Secondary Assessors." Supervisors, Mark Smucker, Charles Clarke. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Friday, July 8, 9:30 a.m., DC 2310.