Friday, March 17, 2017

Waterloo, Laurier to mark World Water Day

The University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University will mark World Water Day on Tuesday, March 22 with their eighth annual Graduate Research Fair and Water Celebration. As part of the event, UWaterloo will announce an exciting partnership.

The Water Institute at Waterloo will announce a three-year partnership with the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation involving its innovative AquaHacking initiative. AquaHacking challenges young digital designers and coders, aspiring water experts and entrepreneurs to develop applications that raise awareness about and provide solutions for water problems.

The United Nations established World Water Day in 1993 to increase global awareness of the importance of water to the environment, agriculture, energy, health and trade. Each year, the students from UWaterloo’s Water Institute and the Laurier Institute for Water Science co-host a full day of activities to highlight the breadth and depth of their water research. This year more than 60 students will be presenting details on their water-related research and it will be an excellent opportunity for researchers, practitioners and other stakeholders to share information with the community.

The keynote speaker for the World Water Day event will be Frank Wolf, a Canadian filmmaker, adventurer, writer and environmentalist who has canoed across Canada, cycled on the frozen Yukon River, and sea kayaked the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline and supertanker route from Alberta’s oilsands to the Pacific Ocean.

The day will also feature a panel discussion on achievements and challenges in Canada’s wastewater system, research poster presentations and a photo contest.

The student-organized celebration takes place Wednesday, March 22, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Lazaridis Hall, 75 University Avenue West, on Laurier’s Waterloo campus.

Key events include:

• 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., Opening and partnership announcement, main atrium;
• 10:30 a.m. – 11:20 a.m., keynote speaker Frank Wolf: “Wild Waters: Advocating for Wilderness Waterways Through Adventure.” LH1011;
• 1:00 p.m. – 2:20 p.m., panel discussion: “Achievements, Challenges and Opportunities in Canada’s Wastewater System.” LH1009.

For more information about the day and to register, please visit the event website. 

Remembering Graham Gladwell

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Graham Gladwell died March 11.

A native of Sevenoaks in Kent, England, Gladwell taught at University College London, the University of the West Indies, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Southampton before relocating his family to Elmira, Ontario in the late 60s.

Gladwell joined the University of Waterloo in 1969 as a professor in Civil Engineering. He was cross-posted to the Applied Mathematics department in 1979. 

His research focuses included mathematical methods, the theory of vibration, elasticity theory, and matrix methods. He gained international recognition as a researcher, lecturer, author and editor in three areas of applied mathematics: vibration analysis, inverse problems in vibration and contact problems in elasticity theory.

He was a champion of interdisciplinary research.

He was a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications, the American Academy of Mechanics, and the Royal Society of Canada.

He chaired the Solid Mechanics Division for many years.

In 1991, he was awarded the Canadian Congress of Applied Mechanics' CANCAM medal for his contributions to applied mechanics over a long and distinguished career.

He retired from Civil and Environmental Engineering in July 1999 and in 2001 was named Distinguished Professor Emeritus.

He is survived by wife Joyce and sons Graham Jr., Geoffrey, and Malcolm, the noted journalist and author who received an honorary degree from Waterloo in 2007. Among the younger Gladwell's many publications is a tribute to both his parents penned for the Washington Post in 1998.

Visitations are scheduled for Tuesday, March 21 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Waterloo North Mennonite Church on 100 Benjamin Road in Waterloo.

Professor Gladwell's funeral will take place on Saturday March 25 at 2:00 p.m. at Waterloo North Mennonite Church. 

Donations can be made to Mennonite Church Canada at the time of visitation and at the funeral.

Men's volleyball team makes national finals; other notes

The Warriors Men's volleyball team have spiked their way to the national championships, hosted by the University of Alberta. 

After a 9-8 season described as a "roller coaster", the Warriors went on a tear in the playoffs, knocking out the top-seeded York Lions and Guelph Gryphons before being stopped by the McMaster Marauders in the OUA gold medal game. The loss puts the Warriors in the lowest seed in the U Sports championship, facing off against the defending national champions, the Trinity Western University Spartans, in the game scheduled for Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. EST.

Athletics and Recreation has the full story on their website.

"The Federation of Students is hosting their spring General Meeting on March 29," writes Lisa Umholtz. "All undergraduate students are welcome and encouraged to attend the meeting at 5:00 p.m. in the Student Life Centre Great Hall."

"Feds hosts two General Meetings each year, one in October and one in March, where students can hear more about and vote on important updates that will affect their campus life. Topics covered will include projects involving the Executive, electing next year’s Board of Directors, and a number of other agenda items brought forward by their peers."

Students will have a chance to vote on agenda items at the General Meeting either in person or through proxy. The deadline to submit proxy forms is 4:00 p.m. on March 28.

To view the Agenda or for more information on General Meetings, please visit feds.ca.

Manager of the David Johnston Research + Technology Park Carol Stewart has been named Chief Executive Officer of the Association of University Research Parks. 

Stewart has been managing the research park on the University's north campus since 2004, spearheading creation, planning, and development of the park, among other responsibilities.

Stewart is the co-founder and immediate past-president of AURP Canada, the Arizona-based association's Canadian chapter and has been an active board member of AURP since 2010. 

“Throughout Carol’s career and during her time with AURP Canada, she has demonstrated her ability to foster collaboration and cultivate innovation amongst every level and type of partner and affiliate," says AURP President Mason Ailstock. "She empowers those around her and encourages a drive that is infectious. We are excited about our selection of Ms. Stewart as the next AURP leader to continue to move forward both the Association and research parks.”

Here's today's Nutrition Month "myth vs. fact" supplied by Health Services Dietician Sandra Ace:

Myth: Potatoes are bad for you.

Fact: The affordable, versatile and Ontario-grown potato is often scorned as being an unhealthy choice. While a handful of studies show that eating potatoes may increase your risk of obesity, heart disease or type 2 diabetes, the research doesn’t always consider how potatoes are prepared. The most common way to eat potatoes, of course, is French fries, which are high in calories and loaded with salt and other condiments like ketchup, sometimes even gravy and cheese curds. No wonder potatoes have a bad reputation!

In reality, a medium potato provides a third of the daily requirement of Vitamin C, has as much potassium as a banana, and is a source of Vitamin B 6, magnesium, fibre and other beneficial nutrients. While this starchy vegetable is more calorie-dense and higher in quickly digested carbohydrates than non-starchy vegetables like broccoli or greens, eating potatoes as part of a mixed meal with lean protein and other non-starchy vegetables is a balanced and tasty choice. A good portion for most people is a few small potatoes or one medium or ½ large one.

Limit your consumption of French fries or baked potatoes smothered in butter and sour cream to occasional treats. Enjoy the noble spud unpeeled, boiled and mashed with roasted garlic and milk or oven-roasted with olive oil and fresh or dried rosemary or other herbs. You won’t even miss the fries!