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Students participate in IOI 2017 in Tehran
by J.P. Pretti. This article was originally published on the Faculty of Mathematics news site.
Troy Vasiga and I are proud to announce the accomplishments of the four contestants representing Canada at the International Olympiad in Informatics held in Tehran, Iran from July 28, 2017 to August 4, 2017.
This is an annual competition for high school students in algorithmic problem-solving and computer programming. It is an elite event representing just over 300 of the brightest students in this discipline from around the world
Congratulations to Jason Yuen and Brian Chau for earning gold medals. They finished in 13th and 17th place overall respectively. Jason will be joining the Faculty of Mathematics incoming class this September. Brian is just about to begin Grade 10 at Woburn Collegiate Institute in Toronto.
Leo Feng of Vincent Massey Secondary School in Windsor earned a silver medal and will begin studies abroad next term. Out of a possible 600 points, Joey Yu finished a mere 1.43 points shy of earning a bronze medal but is returning to Thornhill Secondary School for Grade 12 and a chance to represent our country again next year.
All four of these extremely talented students put in a tremendous amount of effort in preparation for IOI 2017 and as their leaders, we are very proud of the way they represented Canada and indirectly the University of Waterloo.
Management engineering students win CORS prize
This article was originally published on the Faculty of Engineering website.
For the third year in a row, management engineering students have captured the top prize at the Canadian Operational Research Society (CORS) student paper competition.
Alexandra Hayes, Christian Gould, Kevin Chu, and Srikajan Santhirakumaran came in first in the undergraduate category of this year's competition held recently in Québec City. Their paper, entitled "End-to-End Analytics: Wait Time Management of Ontario MRI Services", was based on the students’ Capstone Design project.
The team previously won a 2016 Baylis Medical Capstone Award and also captured the top prize at the 2017 Management Engineering Design Symposium. The project was supervised by Hossein Abouee Mehrizi, a management sciences professor.
In addition, Gizem Nemutlu, a management sciences doctoral candidate supervised by management sciences professor Fatih Safa Erenay, won second prize in the open category for her paper entitled "Optimal Vaccine Administration Policies Using Multi-dose Vials of Different Sizes."
The student paper competition recognizes the contribution of a paper directly to the field of operational research through the development of methodology or to another field through the application of operational research. The competition showcases the high quality of operational research education in Canada as well as the excellence of the new generation of operational researchers.
Music builds community at Waterloo
This is an edited excerpt of an article originally published on the Music Department's news site.
Students at the University of Waterloo are an incredibly diverse group, with interests spanning math, health, engineering, science, environment, and arts. Many of these students have spent hundreds of hours of their life learning a musical instrument and, instead of giving up their love of music while at university, they have found a collective place to express it. The orchestra@uwaterloo is a full-sized symphony orchestra whose players are students, staff, faculty, and alumni of Waterloo.
“Music plays a large role in many of our students’ lives before they come to Waterloo, and the orchestra is a perfect example of how we build community on such a large campus,” says Associate Provost, Students Chris Read. “Having an orchestra on campus that is open to anyone allows students to continue their musical passion. It is a place for those to connect that might not ever interact outside of the orchestra.”
Founded 12 years ago by professors Anna Lubiw and Romy Shioda alongside conductor Erna Van Daele, the orchestra has been run by volunteers and operated by an advisory council. May 2017 marked a change in this organization, when Conrad Grebel University College's music department assumed leadership of the orchestra.
“The orchestra@uwaterloo has given me an amazing opportunity to expand my performance practice in a new setting and it has assisted in my growth as a musician,” said piccolo player Tyler Reidy. “Orchestra@uwaterloo will definitely be one of my most memorable musical endeavors I've pursued throughout my undergraduate studies!”
“The new relationship with Grebel gives the orchestra a better chance of long-term survival, since it will no longer depend on individuals,” says Lubiw. “A Music Department is a proper home for an orchestra!”
On top of her role as Computer Science professor, Lubiw has been a driving force behind the orchestra since the beginning, devoting hours and hours of time to its operation, as well as playing violin in it every term.
“We are thrilled to welcome the orchestra@uwaterloo as a Music Department ensemble!” said Music Department Chair Laura Gray. “It is a great fit and the timing is right. Like our other six department ensembles, the orchestra@uwaterloo is inclusive so we already share a common mission to enrich both student life and the life of the broader community.”
The support from Grebel's music department – financially, administratively, promotionally, and in fundraising – will help to ensure the viability of the ensemble for years to come. As an official department ensemble, now students can either participate as an extra-curricular activity or receive course credit. They will have access to Grebel practice rooms, and can learn about studio courses and other musical opportunities.
Read the full article on the Music Department's news site.
Friday's Notes
The Arts Undergraduate Office will be closed Tuesday, August 29 from 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Weight Watchers at Waterloo. When you need a boost before the Brainstorm! 22 week session savings and sign-up: Tuesday, September 12, 12:00 p.m., EV3 4412 . Here’s the video of our At Work program in English & French. RSVP to tgneal@uwaterloo.ca for more information.