Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Professors named to College of New Scholars

Two University of Waterloo professors are among the new members of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

Members are awarded this distinction in recognition of having reached a high level of achievement at an early stage of their careers. They represent the emerging generation of scholars and leaders in science and the arts across the country.

The Waterloo researchers among the newest members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists are:

Sarah Burch, Department of Geography and Environmental Management

"Sarah Burch, Canada Research Chair in Sustainability Governance and Innovation, is uncovering the pathways that communities follow as they transition toward resilient, low carbon patterns of development," says her citation. "She leads an international team of scholars exploring the governance of transformative change in urban spaces. Her widely cited research has influenced local, national, and international policymaking on climate change, biodiversity conservation, sustainability, and urban planning."

Frank Gu, Department of Chemical Engineering

"Frank Gu is internationally recognized for his pioneering contributions to nanotechnology engineering, particularly has they apply to targeted drug delivery and water treatment systems," says his citation. "A highly accomplished researcher and inventor, he pioneered the use of mucoadhesive nanoparticles for unprecedentedly high retention eye drops, demonstrated the first magnetically recyclable photocatalysts for water treatment, and developed stealth copolymers for targeted cancer therapy. He is now one of the foremost nanoengineering researchers in Canada."

Founded in 2014, the College is a handpicked selection of top mid-career scholars and artists in Canada. Together, the members of the College will address issues of particular concern to new scholars, artists and scientists, for the advancement of understanding and the benefit of society, taking advantage of the College's interdisciplinary approaches.

Professors Burch and Gu were among the 70 incoming members named by the Royal Society this morning. The presentation of this cohort, sponsored by the Université de Montréal, will take place on Friday, November 24 at the Fairmont Winnipeg Hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Go Abroad Fair: add international experience to your education

The skills and experiences students gain from traveling abroad can provide life-long personal and professional benefits and advantages. Through travelling, students encounter new languages, approaches, cultural norms and practices that can push them out of their comfort zone. Navigating these can be exciting, but also challenging – helping to build a students’ confidence, shape their communication skills and build cultural sensitivity.

Rachel, an exchange student from Australia, affirms this. “Exchanges are fantastic opportunities to grow in your independence and flexibility. You're taken out of your familiar environments and forced to develop new skills and be more adaptable. That's a skill that’s valuable, no matter what you plan to do in life.”

This Friday, September 15, the Go Abroad Fair will be taking place in the Student Life Centre (SLC) Great Hall. Both graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to drop by the fair, which runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

At the Go Abroad Fair you can:

• Talk to current exchange students about their home country and institution.
• Hear first-hand accounts from our own Waterloo students who have attended an exchange or studied abroad.
• Learn about international internships, service learning programs, and field trips.
• Learn about international groups and service clubs.
• Talk to co-op, faculty and department representatives about opportunities abroad.

Waterloo does well in PitchBook entrepreneurial rankings

Ranking season is upon us as organizations have begun publishing their annual listing of international universities.

The PitchBook 2017/2018 Universities Report is the latest to be released. PitchBook compiles a ranking of the world’s top 50 universities that produce venture capitalist-backed entrepreneurs.

This year, the University of Waterloo is ranked #20 in the world for the number of VC-banked entrepreneurs, and is the highest-ranked Canadian university, with the University of Toronto coming in at #31, McGill University at #32, the University of British Columbia at #49 and Queen’s University at #50. This measure ranks universities by most prolific producers of entrepreneurs with venture capital banking and includes companies that received a first round of venture funding between January 1, 2006 and August 18, 2017. Waterloo counted 390 entrepreneurs and 299 companies raising $7.06B. Waterloo's rank remains unchanged from last year.

In the category of top universities for “unicorns,” or the number of entrepreneurs founding companies that are valued privately at $1B or more, Waterloo is tied for fourth place (and again, #1 in Canada), with only Stanford, Harvard, and Cornell ahead of us. Waterloo is tied with the University of California at Berkeley. Waterloo’s top unicorns included Wish, Pivotal Software, Kuadi Dache, Instacart, and Storm8. Waterloo moved to fourth place from sixth place last year.

In the category of top companies by capital raised, Waterloo is ranked #20 (1^st in Canada), the same rank it achieved last year. Waterloo-connected companies listed in the ranking included Wish; Pivotal Software; Kuaidi Dache; Instacart; and Storm8.

Community Access Bikeshare rolls out on campus

Looking to get around campus a little faster? Need to travel off campus for a meeting, a bite to eat, or to make a transit connection? The University of Waterloo has partnered with the City of Waterloo and Community Access Bikeshare (CAB) to launch on-campus bike sharing stations to help you do just that!

Three on-campus bike hubs are now located outside the Dana Porter Library, Davis Centre, and Math and Computer buildings. Each station hosts five well-serviced bikes that can be rented out for short-term use through your smartphone. Users can ride the bikes around Waterloo or Kitchener and return them to any CAB station on campus or in the community.

Bike sharing has taken off in many major cities to support tourism efforts, enable active transportation choices, and connect with local transit networks.

“Bike sharing networks can help build cycling culture and increase the use of bikes as a sustainable mode of transportation,” says Mat Thijssen, Waterloo’s Sustainability Coordinator. “It can also help students and employees connect to busses and new transit infrastructure like ION, solving the ‘first and last mile’ challenge.”

Bike sharing also provides affordable access to bikes, which is important when students are coming and going for co-op terms. If the stations prove successful, there are hopes to expand to other areas of the University including residences, East Campus, and the David Johnston Research and Technology Park.

CAB stations will be in service from April through November, and are funded in partnership with the City of Waterloo. For more information, visit cabikeshare.org.

Tuesday's notes

Classical Studies Professor David Porreca, in collaboration with Professor Frank Klaassen of the University of Saskatchewan, are proud to present a new exhibit on the magical intersections between the medieval and modern worlds. Professor Porreca’s fellowship and the exhibit “Magic Ancient and Modern: Materials and Imagination” were funded in part through the support of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Culture and Creativity (ICCC) at the University of Saskatchewan.

Klaassen and Porreca have designed modern digital interpretations of eight historic examples of pre-modern magic and made them accessible to all for the next few months in Waterloo following a very successful run at University of Saskatchewan this winter.

The exhibit runs from September 11 to Nov 24 at St. Jerome’s University in the 2nd floor library.

The Centre for Teaching Excellence has updated its list of fall workshops and events and invites members of the University community to visit its events page for the full listings of workshops and for instructions on how to sign up. Don't forget to save the date for Focus on Teaching Week, which runs from October 2 to October 6.