Monday, January 9, 2017

Ryan Jacobs named Director of Retail Services

"I am pleased to announce the hiring of Ryan Jacobs in the role of Director, Retail Services," writes Associate Provost, Students Chris Read.

"Ryan brings a successful track record in retail leadership back with him to the University of Waterloo, where he completed his Bachelor of Arts," Read writes. "Ryan has extensive experience in both private and not-for-profit sectors." 

Jacobs recently spent more than 5 years serving in senior roles at Ten Thousand Villages, a national multi-site, multi-channel nonprofit fair trade retailer - first as Director of Finance and Operations and then as Chief Executive Officer. 

Prior to that, Jacobs worked for at the University of Waterloo in the Office of Development in a marketing and communications capacity from November 2006 to February 2011.

Since leaving Ten Thousand Villages in the fall of 2016, he helped launch a family business with his wife, Tracy: Cafe Joy, a small grab-and-go restaurant and gourmet chocolate shop in downtown Kitchener.

"As a proud University of Waterloo alumnus, Ryan has remained connected with the University in various ways since graduating," writes Read. "Ryan also served as a member of Senate, a course instructor at Conrad Grebel, and an occasional guest speaker on social entrepreneurship."

Jacobs begins his new role today.

Omega-3 supplements can prevent childhood asthma

Taking certain omega-3 fatty acid supplements during pregnancy can reduce the risk of childhood asthma by almost one third, according to a new study from the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC) and the University of Waterloo.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that women who were prescribed 2.4 grams of long-chain omega-3 supplements during the third trimester of pregnancy, reduced their children’s risk of asthma by 31 per cent. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are found in cold water fish, and key to regulating human immune response.

“We’ve long suspected there was a link between the anti-inflammatory properties of long-chain omega-3 fats, the low intakes of omega-3 in Western diets and the rising rates of childhood asthma,” said Professor Hans Bisgaard of COPSAC at the Copenhagen University Hospital. “This study proves that they are definitively and significantly related.”

The study used rapid analytical techniques developed and performed at the University of Waterloo to measure levels of EPA and DHA in pregnant women’s blood. The University of Waterloo is one of a few laboratories in the world equipped to run such tests.

“Measuring the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in blood provides an accurate and precise assessment of nutrient status,” said Professor Ken Stark, Canada Research Chair in Nutritional Lipidomics and professor in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at Waterloo, who led the testing. “Our labs are uniquely equipped to measure fatty acids quickly, extremely precisely, and in a cost-efficient manner.”

The testing also revealed that women with low blood levels of EPA and DHA at the beginning of the study benefitted the most from the supplements. For these women, it reduced their children’s relative risk of developing asthma by 54 per cent.

“The proportion of women with low EPA and DHA in their blood is even higher in Canada and the United States as compared with Denmark. So we would expect an even greater reduction in risk among North American populations,” said Professor Stark. “Identifying these women and providing them with supplements should be considered a front-line defense to reduce and prevent childhood asthma.”

Researchers analyzed blood samples of 695 Danish women at 24 weeks gestation and one week after delivery. They then monitored the health status of each participating child for five years, which is the age asthma symptoms can be clinically established.

“Asthma and wheezing disorders have more than doubled in Western countries in recent decades,” said Professor Bisgaard. “We now have a preventative measure to help bring those numbers down.”

Currently, one out of five young children suffer from asthma or a related-disorder before school age.

AVP Marketing, Strategic Initiatives starts today

Terry Rice begins his role as Associate Vice-President, Marketing and Strategic Initiatives in University Relations today.

Rice will lead the development of market research, strategy and tools that build and strengthen Waterloo’s global brand and reputation, supporting the University in its goal to be recognized as one of the most innovative universities in the world.

Rice has over sixteen years of communications experience in the post-secondary education sector, coming to Waterloo from Western University where he most recently led the marketing and communications function as Director of Marketing and Creative Services.   

In 2012, he led the creative work in re-positioning and rebranding Western, which included a completely new visual identity, new and consistent graphic standards and a new brand architecture. Western won an award for Best Institutional Branding from the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) that year.

At Waterloo, Rice will lead a team that includes marketing and brand communications, digital communications and Creative Services. Rice reports to Vice-President, University Relations Sandra Banks.

Beyond 60 anniversary lecture tonight

The University's 60^th Anniversary celebrations kick off tonight with Beyond 60, a special anniversary lecture that features leaders who challenge the status quo and connect us with the potential of tomorrow.

"To change the future, we must first understand the great challenges and opportunities ahead," the lecture's promotional material says. "The intersection of the human condition with new technologies — from quantum computing to artificial intelligence — has the world teetering on the brink of a wild new frontier, where the private can become public at the click of a button, and lines between person and machine are increasingly blurred."

Keynote speakers and panelists include:

• Edward Snowden (via video-conference), who sparked a global debate over mass surveillance, government secrecy and the balance between national security and information privacy;
• Kate Darling, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab research specialist and fellow at the Harvard Berkman Center, whose research examines the intersection of technology and society;

• Beth Coleman, associate professor, Experimental Digital Media, Department of English Language and Literature;

• Dana Kulic, associate professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering;

• Michele Mosca, professor of combinatorics and optimization as well as a quantum cryptography expert, Faculty of Mathematics.

The event begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Humanities Theatre. Viewing parties at the Student Life Centre and Stratford Campus are sold out, but there are still spots available at the School of Pharmacy.

Monday's notes

Professor John Yeow of Systems Design Engineering has been named a Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE Nanotechnology Technical Council (NTC).

"The IEEE Nanotechnology Council (NTC) is a multi-disciplinary group whose purpose is to advance and coordinate work in the field of Nanotechnology carried out throughout the IEEE in scientific, literary and educational areas." says an IEEE statement. "The Council supports the theory, design, and development of nanotechnology and its scientific, engineering, and industrial applications.”

Yeow holds a Canada Research Chair in Micro/Nanodevices.

Colleagues of four Kinesiology professors are organizing a retirement celebration this month. The event will honour Professors Jim Frank, Eric Roy, Stu McGill, and Richard Wells on January 17 at Fed Hall at 3:30 p.m. RSVP to Cheryl Kieswetter by sending an email to ckieswet@uwaterloo.ca or calling extension 32968.

Winter Welcome Week begins today. Events include a Warrior Breakfast starting at 9:00 a.m. in the Student Life Centre Great Hall, the annual Sex Toy Bingo event at the Bombshelter at 7:00 p.m., and later in the week there will be ice skating, laser tag, a Campus Life Fair, Clubs and Societies Days, and new this year, a video game tournament with a $125 gift card grand prize.