Wednesday, May 17, 2017

    Editor:
    Brandon Sweet
    University Communications
    bulletin@uwaterloo.ca


    $6 million awarded to Waterloo researchers

    This article was originally posted on the Office of Research website.

    Five University of Waterloo researchers have been awarded more than $6 million through the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) and Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF).

    The researchers named in the announcements are:

    • Chris Eliasmith (Philosophy & Systems Design Engineering) – CRC advancement from Tier 2 to Tier 1 in Theoretical Neuroscience ($1.4 million over seven years). Professor Eliasmith was also awarded $69,965 through CFI’s JELF for Computational and Robotic Infrastructure for Large-Scale Neural Simulation.
    • Laura Hug (Biology) – New Tier 2 CRC in Environmental Microbiology ($500,000 over five years). Assistant professor Hug was also awarded $50,000 through CFI’s JELF for Microbial Diversity and Function in Contaminated Sites.
    • Raafat Mansour (Electrical and Computer Engineering) – Renewed Tier 1 CRC in Micro and Nano Integrated Radio Frequency (RF) Systems ($1.4 million over seven years)
    • Janusz Pawliszyn (Chemistry) – Renewed Tier 1 CRC in New Analytical Methods and Technologies ($1.4 million over seven years)
    • Catherine Rosenberg (Electrical and Computer Engineering) – Renewed Tier 1 CRC in the Future Internet ($1.4 million over seven years)

    Celebration 2017 student design teams assembled

    An aerial view of the University's Arts Quad, the site of the Celebration 2017 initiative.

    As of the May 15 deadline, 32 student design teams have signed up to compete in the Celebration 2017 Legacy Project.

    Stenciled slogans advertise the Celebration 2017 initiative in the Arts quad.146 students from all six faculties have registered.

    Celebration 2017 seeks student proposals for a creative and innovative design for a campus space that inspires and captures the spirit of the University of Waterloo community. It involves a three-stage challenge will see interdisciplinary teams of Waterloo students compete to design an innovative and creative student space on campus.

    That space is the current Arts quad, bounded by the Dana Porter Library, the Arts Lecture Hall, and Modern Languages.

    The first stage of the design competition is now underway, with student design teams working on proposals that meet three general criteria:

    1. The proposal directly addresses one, or several, of the elements outlined in the overall Celebration 2017 project brief
    2. The proposal recognizes the general vision established by the Campus Master Plan
    3. If implemented within a budget of up to $210,000, the proposal will have a meaningful impact on the identity or function of the designated area.

    Teams are encouraged to put forward any idea that reflects the innovative spirit of the Celebration 2017 Challenge. The official stage one deadline for submissions is 4:30 p.m. on June 15, 2017.

    Now that the teams have been formalized, the steering committee will meet to discuss the criteria and process for the stage one reviews and confirm membership for the jury that will review and judge the second and third stage of the competition.

    The Celebration 2017 legacy project will embody the University of Waterloo’s image as a hub for innovation and celebrate Canada’s spirit of diversity and inclusion.

    Workshop looked at actuaries and climate change risks

    Participants in the READI Project workshop on stage.

    On May 9th the READI (Risk Management, Economic Sustainability and Actuarial Science Development in Indonesia) project held a workshop on “The Role of Actuaries in Assessing Risks Associated with Climate Change” in Jakarta, Indonesia.

    The READI project, which aims to support the development of Indonesia as a regional centre of excellence for actuarial science education, is funded by Global Affairs Canada, with co-funding provided by Manulife Indonesia and Sun Life Financial. The Government of Indonesia’s Financial Supervision Authority (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan) is the GoI counterpart.  The University of Waterloo serves as the Canadian executing agency for the project.

    The workshop, which hosted 200 participants, brought together representatives from the Society of Actuaries of Indonesia (PAI), the insurance industry, prominent Indonesian universities, various Government of Indonesia ministries, the Embassy of Canada, and international organizations to explore how actuaries, as specialists in risk management, can consider and assess the costs of climate change adaptation and mitigation and how to design financial products and packages to address climate change-related risks, and add value to fact-based policy decisions.

    The workshop also served as a vehicle to launch the READI Actuarial Science Applied Research Fund (ASARF), which will support targeted actuarial science and risk management research. 

    "The workshop served as an excellent platform for highlighting the importance of applying actuarial science tools and analysis to help address the significant economic impacts that climate change is likely to cause in the very near future," said a statement from READI.

    Occupational Health on the move; other notes

    This is a reminder that Occupational Health, currently located in Health Services, will be relocated to Room 115 in the COM beginning tomorrow. In order to facilitate the move, Occupational Health will be closing on Thursday, May 18 and will reopen in its new location on Tuesday, May 23 at 8:30 a.m.

    The UW Finance Association will be holding its first general meeting tomorrow evening. "The event is designed to introduce you to our association and our executives, as well as get you excited about a future in finance," says a note from the UWFA. "After a brief presentation we will be having a networking session where light refreshments will be provided."

    Attendees will have an opportunity to learn what UWFA is all about. The event takes place at 7:00 p.m. in EV3 1480. Registration is required.

    Beginning on May 23, a portion of the south commons pathway will be redeveloped, and Plant Operations has served notice that the Tatham Centre's parking lot as well as the east entrance and the west entrance of South Campus Hall will be closed off. A fence will be put up to mark the areas where work is being carried out.

    Employers on campus next week hosting employer information sessions include Autodesk, Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., Microsoft, Electronic Arts, WealthSimple, TimePlay, RBC Technology, PointClickCare, Wave Accounting, Inc., RubikloudTechnologies, and BlackBerry Limited. Visit the employer information sessions calendar for more details.

    Occupational Health closed Thursday and Friday

    Occupational Health will be closed Thursday, May 18 and Friday, May 19 as it moves to its new location in the COM.

    If you have questions/concerns regarding sick leave during the closure, please contact Nellie Gomes, Disability Advisor in Human Resources at extension 32926

    Occupational Health will reopen for business on Tuesday, May 23.

    Link of the day

    International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

    When and where

    Living on the Precipice: Interdisciplinary Conference on Resilience in Complex Natural and Human Systems, Tuesday, May 16 and Wednesday, May 17, St. Jerome's University Conference Centre.

    Get a Job Using LinkedIn, Wednesday, May 17, 10:30 a.m., Dana Porter Library room 329

    UWRC Book Club, "The High Mountains of Portugal" by Yann Martel, Wednesday, May 17, 12:00 p.m., HH 357.

    Algorithms and Complexity seminar, “Genome matrices and the median problem,” Joao Meidanis, University of Campinas, Wednesday, May 17,  1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., DC 1304.

    Velocity Start: Find Your Kick A** Idea, “Brainstorm business ideas that rock,” Wednesday, May 17, 7:30 p.m., Velocity Start, SCH 2nd Floor

    German Language Film Festival, May 17, 24, 31, 7:00 p.m., Princess Cinemas. Waterloo Centre for German Studies for more information.

    Occupational Health moving to COM 115, Thursday, May 18.

    Accessibility Awareness Event and BBQ, Thursday, May 18, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Renison Great Hall Extension.

    Exploring Your Personality Type (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) Part I, May 18, 12:30 p.m., TC - William M. Tatham Centre room 1112

    CPA Ontario Networking for Success, Thursday, May 18, 6:00 p.m., Fed Hall.

    NEW - UWFA general meeting, Thursday, May 18, 7:00 p.m., EV 1408.

    WISE Public Lecture Series featuring Matthew Peloso, "Post-Net Metering for a Sustainable City," Friday, May 19, 10:30 a.m., DC 1302.

    Symbolic Computation Group seminar, “Computing canonical bases of modules of univariate relations,” Xuan Thi Vu, ENS-Lyon, Lyon, France, Friday, May 19, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., DC 1304. DC 1331. Please note the new location.

    Electrical and Computer Engineering seminar featuring Professor Arvind Easwaran, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, "Design and Analysis for Real-Time Mixed-Criticality Scheduling," Friday, May 19, 11:00 a.m., DC 1304.

    Victoria Day, Monday, May 22, most University operations closed.

    PhD seminar, “Reading garden: a case study of an in-classroom motivational game,” Diane Watson, PhD candidate, David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, Wednesday, May 24, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., DC 2310.

    Understanding our brand, Thursday, May 25, 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., EC5 1111.

    NEW - A conversation on leading a non-profit organization, Thursday, May 25, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Conrad Grebel Community Room.

    NEW - A Celebration of George Dixon to thank him for his contribution to research at Waterloo, Thursday, May 25, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., University Club. Please register by May 18.

    NEW - Global Prominence and Internationalization Mini Town Hall, Friday, May 26, 12:30 p.m., QNC 0101.

    Games Institute G.J. Jam, Friday, May 26 to Sunday, May 28, QNC 2502.

    Menstrual Hygiene Day, Friday, May 26, 11:30 a.m., Science Teaching Complex foyer.

    Retirement Celebration for Lynn Hoyles, Biology Greenhouse Manager after 39 years of service, Friday, May 26, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., EIT 3142.

    You @ Waterloo Day, Saturday, May 27.

    SHARCNET Summer School, Monday, May 29 to Friday, June 4, Mathematics & Computer Building (MC) 3003 and 3027.

    NEW - Retail Services Spring into Summer Sale, Monday, May 29 and Tuesday, May 30, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., South Campus Hall Concourse. 

    Special screening of Hidden Figures, Monday, May 29, 6:00 p.m., AHS Expansion Rm. 1689.

    Working with our brand guidelines, Tuesday, May 30, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

    Waterloo Women’s Wednesdays: “Mysteries of the Prime Numbers” lunchtime talk, Wednesday, May 31, 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Grad House.

    Velocity Start: Ain’t No Model Like A Business Model, “Learn how to create a lean business model canvas”,Wednesday, May 31, 7:30 p.m., Velocity Start, SCH 2nd Floor.

    Keystone Picnic, Friday, June 2, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., DC quad.

    Velocity Start: Setup Your Business Like A Boss, “Legal and accounting considerations that will affect your startup,” Wednesday, June 7, 7:30 p.m., Velocity Start, SCH 2nd Floor.

    PhD seminar, A biologically constrained model of semantic memory search,” Ivana Kajić, PhD candidate, David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, Tuesday, June 10, 11:00 a.m.to 12:00 p.m., DC 2310.

    Positions available

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

    • Job ID# 2017-1585 – Clinical Psychologist - Counselling Services, USG 10-13
    • Job ID# 2017-1607 - Manager, Client Services - Information Systems & Technology, USG 14
    • Job ID#2017-1634 - Manager, Environmental Services - Plant Operations, USG 12
    • Job ID# 2017-1636 - Nanofabrication Process Specialist/Engineer - Institute for Quantum Computing, USG 12
    • Job ID# 2017-1662 - Program Manager, Computing and Financial Management - School of Accounting & Finance, USG 8
    • Job ID# 2017-1641 - Research Finance Training and Compliance Manager - Office of Research, USG 12
    • Job ID# 2017-1650 - Supervisor, Custodial - Plant Operations, USG 8

    Internal secondment opportunities:

    • Job ID# 2017-1658 -                Client Support Assistant - Information Systems and Technology, USG 5

    • Job ID# 2017-1654 - Faculty Relations Manager - SSO-Learning Services, USG 10

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