Monday, July 31, 2017


IST announces campus network upgrade

A message from Information Systems & Technology (IST).

An upgrade to the campus network Ethernet switching and routing infrastructure will begin later this year. The current, aging equipment will be replaced with new enterprise-class hardware designed specifically for scalability, security, and energy efficiency. This will be the first upgrade of this equipment since IST assumed responsibility for campus wide network management in 2011.

This upgrade will provide, for the first time, a standardized deployment from the ground up with scalability, quality of service, performance, redundancy, and reliability at the forefront. This new deployment, designed by IST (Network Services), will be flexible, adaptable, and able to accommodate additionally complex and varying requirements that may arise through faculty, staff, and researcher initiatives. By using advanced hardware and feature-sets in combination with a flexible design this upgrade will offer a reliable and stable environment to support the campus community and their mission in the advancement of learning and knowledge.

While many users use wireless, a switched network environment still provides the foundation to support WiFi, servers, storage, desktop computing, research computing, VoIP telephony, and infrastructure services such as access control, surveillance systems, HVAC, and building automation; and with the advancement of the Internet of Things, their integrations.

For additional information, visit the IST news site.

Vanier scholar looks at the downside of building up

Vanier Scholar Robin Mazumder in the Hagey Atrium.

This is an excerpt of an article originally posted on the Faculty of Arts news site.

The research of PhD candidate Robin Mazumder will have important insights and implications for 21st century urban planning – especially for mitigating the negative effects of tall buildings on the wellbeing of citizens. His dissertation project, titled The Downside of Building Up: An Exploration Into the Stress Impact of Exposure to Skyscrapers in Urban Centres, has recently received a prestigious boost of confidence from a federally funded Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.

The scholarship, which is valued at $50,000 annually for three years, is awarded for academic excellence, research potential, and leadership ability. The Vaniers are distributed equally by the three granting agencies: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Mazumder, who holds a SSHRC-funded Vanier, joins three current Vanier Scholars based in the Department of Psychology.

"I'm very honoured and humbled to receive this award and to be in the company of the extraordinary members of the Vanier Scholar community. This award also signals that my research is seen as beneficial to Canadian society, and that means a lot to me", says Mazumder, whose supervisor is psychology professor Colin Ellard, an expert on the effects of natural and built spaces on movement, wayfinding, emotion and physiology.

Read the rest of the story on the Faculty of Arts news site.

Link of the day

30 years ago: The Lost Boys

When and where

Bridges 2017 Conference, Thursday, July 27 to Monday, July 31.

Bridges Conference and UWAG present PASSAGE + OBSTACLE, Thursday, July 27 to Sunday, July 30, East Campus Hall.

Examination period begins, Friday, July 28.

UWRC presents Mental Health in Childhood and Parenting, Friday, July 28, 12:00 p.m., STC 0040.

Bridges 2017 Formal Music Night, Saturday, July 29, 8:00 p.m., Humanities Theatre.

Bridges 2017 Family Day and Math-Art Expo, Sunday, July 30, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Davis Centre.

Conrad Grebel Peace Camp, Monday, July 31 to Friday, August 4.

Conversation Café, Monday, July 31, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., SCH 219.

More Feet on the Ground Mental Health training, Wednesday, August 2, 9:00 a.m., Counselling Services.

WISE Public Lecture Series featuring Mahdi Shahbakhti, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Tech, "Physics-based Control of Energy Systems Ranging from Smart Buildings and Power Grid to Smart Hybrid Electric Vehicles," Wednesday, August 2, 10:30 a.m., CPH 3681.

UWRC presents Advance Care Planning, Wednesday, August 2, 12:00 p.m., MC 5501.

Employee-Explore your personality type: Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Wednesday, August 2, TC 1113. - Please note, you must sign up for the session on July 26 as this is a follow up session to that one.

New Faculty Teaching DaysWednesday, August 9 and Thursday, August 10.

Ontario Mennonite Music CampWednesday, August 9 to Friday, August 25, Conrad Grebel University College.

Biomedical Discussion Group featuring Professor Patricia Trbovich, Academic Research Lead, UHN and Assistant Professor, U of T at University Health Network and University of Toronto, "Application of Human Factors to Quality Improvement and Patient Safety," Wednesday, August 9, 10:30 a.m., EC4-2101a. 

NEW - Retirement celebration for Kevin Oberle and Marg Stephenson, Wednesday, August 9, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Federation Hall. RSVP to Liz Doede - edoede@uwaterloo.ca.

Stargazing Party and Black Holes Lecture, Wednesday, August 9, 7:30 p.m. (lecture) to 10:30 p.m., OPT 347 and Columbia Fields 3 and 4. Register online.

Quantum Cryptography School for Young Students, Friday, August 11 to Friday, August 18.

UWRC Book Club presents The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy, Wednesday, August 16, 12:00 p.m., LIB 407.

NEW - Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing, Monday August 21, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Village 1 Green. Registration required to get eclipse glasses.

10th Annual St. Paul's Golf Tournament, Friday, August 25, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Glen Eagle Golf Club.

PhD oral defences

Computer Science. Areej Alhothali, "A Socio-mathematical and Structured Based Approach to Model Sentiment Dynamics in Event-based Text." Supervisor, Jesse Hoey. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Tuesday, August 1, 1:00 p.m., DC 2310.

Combinatorics & Optimization. Mehdi Karimi, "Convex Optimization via Domain-Driven Barriers and Primal-Dual Interior-Point Methods." Supervisor, Levent Tuncel. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Wednesday, August 2, 9:30 a.m., MC 6486.

Statistics & Actuarial Science. Kai Liu, "Effective Dimensionality Control in Quantitative Finance and Insurance." Supervisor, Ken Seng Tan. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Thursday, August 3, 9:00 a.m., M3 3001.

Applied Mathematics. Keegan Keplinger, "Persistent Oscillation in the Aplysia Bag Cell Network." Supervisor, Sue Ann Campbell. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Thursday, August 3, 10:00 a.m., MC 6460.

Philosophy. Peter Blouw, "Inferential Role Semantics for Natural Language." Supervisor, Chris Eliasmith. On deposit in the Arts graduate office, PAS 2428. Oral defence Thursday, August 3, 1:00 p.m., BSIA 1-23.