Wednesday, October 26, 2016

    Editor:
    Brandon Sweet
    University Communications
    bulletin@uwaterloo.ca


    It's Mental Health Wellness Day today

    A basket of orange Mental Health Wellness Day shirts.

    A message from Health Services.

    Today is Mental Health Wellness Day at the University of Waterloo. Mental Health Wellness Day is an awareness campaign to remind students, staff and faculty that many people will be affected by mental illness and that the University is a caring community and a safe place to ask for help.

    An overwhelming number of students, staff and faculty responded to the request to be in the 2016 Mental Health Wellness video. The video showcases support, acceptance and unity for each other with the key messages “you are not alone” and “we’re together”. Enjoy!

    Mental health matters and is a priority on our campus. This unified awareness campaign highlights the mental health support that happens on our campus 365 days a year and aims to reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health support.

    There are many on- and off-campus resources and helplines available to students, staff and faculty.

    Reach out for support and talk to someone if you are feeling mentally unwell. We want you to be well and do well at University of Waterloo.

    Bringing comfort to campus one quilt at a time

    A student wrapped in a traditional quilt walks along a campus pathway.

    by Whitney Albright

    Here is a small way you can make a personal and important contribution to Mental Health Wellness Day. Take a quick look at the Caring Quilts Project.

    Caring Quilts are traditional, handmade Mennonite quilts that are distributed through Counselling Services to struggling students to remind them that they are not alone. The quilt has special significance as a symbol of warmth and protection. A "UW Cares" label sewn into each quilt offers a comforting message to its recipient, who can keep the quilt as a memento from the Waterloo family.

    Waterloo professors Greta Kroeker and Sally Gunz are leading fundraising efforts to expand the Caring Quilts campaign. To ensure that these beautiful quilts can be offered to even more students, charitable gifts in support of the project are very much appreciated. If you have spare fabric suitable for quilting, please contact Greta gkroeker@uwaterloo.ca or Sally sgunz@uwaterloo.ca.

    Photograph by Ramona Leitao/Imprint.

    Employed! P4E Career Fair 2016 was a success

    Participants at the P4E fair.

    Over 2,200 students and alumni attended the annual Partnerships for Employment (P4E) Career Fair on Wednesday September 28. Attendees had the opportunity to network with more than 200 Canadian and international employers in hopes of finding their perfect career match. With hundreds of booths to visit, Career Fair is the largest event of its kind in the country.

    P4E Career Fair is jointly organized by the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Guelph, and Conestoga College. The Fair features organizations from various sectors including financial, healthcare, IT, manufacturing, telecommunications, government, food and hospitality, oil and gas and many more. Sought-after employers included, but were not limited to, General Motors, Bell, 3M, Toyota and the Royal Bank of Canada.

    Dressed to impress, over 46 percent of attendees downloaded and used the P4E app to learn more about the organizations that piqued their interests. The app also helped students navigate their way to booths throughout the venue. Daniel Kerney, an Arts and Business co-op student from Waterloo, expressed his enthusiasm for the networking possibilities at Career Fair. “Talking with some of these companies gave me the confidence to keep trying to broaden my horizons and to always keep expanding on current skills,” said Kerney. “This fair was a dose of motivation to keep moving forward.”

    Employers were also able to connect with highly-skilled students that could become assets to their companies. “Career Fair is a great opportunity for employers because they can meet potential job candidates all while reducing time, effort and recruitment costs,” said Michelle Radman, a University of Waterloo representative on the P4E committee.

    P4E’s next event is Job Fair which will be taking place on February 1, 2017. Students often wonder about the difference between Career Fair and Job Fair. In short, the upcoming Job Fair is suitable for current students who are looking for temporary jobs – either co-op or summer employment. Career Fair, on the other hand, seeks graduating students and alumni for full-time positions.

    Students and alumni can download the P4E app for Android devices or iPhone.

    Velocity Garage grand opening on Friday

    The Velocity Garage space in use.

    Velocity is inviting members of the University community to join them in celebrating the official grand opening of the Velocity Garage, the largest free startup incubator in the world. The ribbon-cutting event takes place on Friday, October 28.

    Guests will have the opportunity to visit the renovated 37,000 sq. ft. space in downtown Kitchener, complete with a new science lab, workshop, assembly space, and workspace for up to 120 software, hardware, science, and social entrepreneurship startups.

    Refreshments and guided tours of the space will be available.

    Speaking at the event will be President Feridun Hamdullahpur, Director Jay Shah, Daiene Vernile, MPP for Kitchener Centre, and Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener.

    The Velocity Garage grand opening will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday, October 28. RSVP if you plan to attend. Parking information is available online.

    Wednesday's notes

    The University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA) Annual General Meeting takes place tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in Needles Hall 3001.

    Coffee and treats are available beginning at 8:45 a.m.

    Employers on campus next week hosting employer information sessions include Wish, Imagine Communications, Natural Resources Canada, TJX Canada, Conexsys Communications Limited, and Cognizant Technology Solutions. Visit the employer information sessions calendar for more details.

    Arts Undergraduate Office closed this morning

    Arts Undergraduate Office will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. this morning.

    Link of the day

    Disarmament Week

    When and where

    Complete the Annual Travel Survey, Monday, October 24 to Friday, November 4.

    Mental Health Wellness Day, Wednesday, October 26.

    Research Seminar: Working the body for brain health featuring Dr Laura Middleton, Wednesday, October 26, 11:00 a.m., Pharmacy 1012.

    School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability research seminar featuring Helena Shilomboleni, “The African Green Revolution and the Food Sovereignty Movement: Sustainability Challenges for Meeting Food Security in Southern Africa,” Wednesday, October 26, 11:30 a.m., EV1 354.

    Noon Hour Concert Series featuring Amy Waller Prince, Wednesday, October 26, 12:30 p.m., Conrad Grebel Chapel.

    Chemistry Department Seminar Series featuring Dr. Peter Bernath, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion University, Virginia USA and Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, “Monitoring Greenhouse Gases from Orbit”, Wednesday, October 26, 2:30 p.m., C2 361.

    Student Success Office presents Study Strategies - Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Wednesday, October 26, 4:00 p.m., SCH 108A.

    Conrad Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology Centre presents Hult Prize @ UWaterloo Kick-off event, Wednesday, October 26, 5:00 p.m., QNC 1506.

    Velocity Start presents Do People Want Your Sh*t?, Wednesday, October 26, 7:30 p.m., Velocity Start, SCH 2nd Floor.

    UWSA Annual General MeetingThursday, October 27, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Needles Hall 3001.

    Hallman Lecture Series featuring Dr. Laura Punnett, Distinguished University Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell, “Safe patient handling: highlights of current research and US public policy efforts to improve safety,” Thursday, October 27, 2:00 p.m., Sun Life Financial Auditorium, LHI 1621. RSVP to Betina Butler, bbutler@uwaterloo.ca, extension 33513.

    Federation of Students Annual General Meeting, Thursday, October 27, 5:00 p.m., Student Life Centre Great Hall.

    School of Architecture author event featuring Nathan Storing, “Vital Little Plans: Jane Jacobs on Cities, Economics and Ethics,” Thursday, October 27, 6:30 p.m., Cummings Lecture Theatre, School of Architecture. Part of the Arriscraft Lecture Series.

    Bridges Lecture: Pattern Finding- popular expression of transcendent ideas, Wednesday, October 26, 7:30 p.m., St. Jerome’s University. Please register online.

    Velocity Garage grand opening, Friday, October 28, 10:00 a.m. to noon, 151 Charles Street W., Kitchener.

    Knowledge Integration seminar, “CS798 Games for Health: Lessons Learned and Research Outcomes”, featuring Dr. Chrysanne Di Marco, Artificial Intelligence Group, Cheriton School of Computer Science, Friday, October 28, 2:30 p.m., EV3-1408

    University Club Hallowe'en Luncheon, Friday, October 28 and Monday, October 31, 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

    Gem and Mineral Show, Friday, October 28, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 29, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Earth Sciences Museum, CEIT.

    Civil Engineering and Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology Graduate Poster Symposium, Friday, October 28, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sedra Student Design Centre, E5. RSVP to Jessica Rossi.

    Waterloo Game Jam, Friday, October 28 to Sunday, October 30.

    Lectures in Catholic Experience;Families, Love, and Justice: The Vision of Pope Francis featuring Julie Hanlon Rubio, Friday, October 28, 7:30 p.m., SJ2 1004.

    Science Open House - Hands-on science activities for kids, Saturday, October 29, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., CEIT.

    Women in Mathematics presents Professor Piper Harron, “How to Become a Liberated Mathematics in 13 Painful Years,” Monday, October 31, 4:00 p.m., DC 1302.

    Waterloo Centre for German Studies author event with Christopher Kloeble, “Almost Everything Very Fast,” Tuesday, November 1, 7:00 p.m., Kitchener Public Library’s central branch, Kitchener.

    The Faculty of Mathematics and HeForShe present a public lecture by Brianna Wu, “Gamergate and the War Against Women in Tech,” Wednesday, November 2, 3:30 p.m., location TBD.

    Men’s Hockey Battle of Waterloo at the Aud, Wednesday, November 2, 7:15 p.m., Kitchener Auditorium.

    SJU HeForShe lecture featuring Erin Wunker, “Confessions of a feminist killjoy,” Thursday, November 3, 2:30 p.m., SJ1-3014.

    Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (I.B.M.B.) Seminar Series featuring Dr. John Katsaras, Senior Scientist Biological Systems, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, “Model Membranes, Living Organisms and Lateral Membrane Organization” Friday, November 4, 10:30 a.m., QNC 1501.

    Chemistry Department Seminar Series featuring Professor Jason Hein, Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, “Looking Deeply into Catalytic Systems: Mechanism and Optimization using Laboratory Automation,” Friday, November 4, 2:30 p.m., C2-361.

    Positions available

    On this week's list from the human resources department, viewable on the UWaterloo Talent Acquisition System (iCIMS):

    • Job ID# 2016-1290 – Finance Officer, Advancement – Advancement Services, USG 11
    • Job ID# 2016-1274 – Intermediate Animal Health Technician – Office of Research, USG 6
    • Job ID# 2016 -1249 – Librarian, Copyright and Licensing – Library, USG 8 -13
    • Job ID# 2016 – 1294 – Stationary Engineer 3rd Class – Plant Operations – Central Plant, USG 11

    Internal secondments:

    • Job ID# 2016 – 1291 – Development Officer, Family Campaign – Advancement-Annual Giving, USG 9-11
    • Job ID# 2016 – 1215 – Library Communications Officer – Library, USG 8

    You can also browse the list of federated and affiliated institution job opportunities