Tuesday, January 2, 2018

It's the start of a new year and new term

Waterloo is back for 2018!

With the campus reopening after a holiday break, the co-op work term starting today, and lectures beginning tomorrow, we are up and running for the Winter 2018 term.

Campus operations are reopening their doors, including:

Campus Wellness offices, which opened at 8:30 a.m.

Most Food Services locations are back in action, with some operations opening later today, including:

• Subway in the Student Life Centre and The Market at UWP open at 11:00 a.m.;
• REVelation opens at 4:30 p.m. tonight.

A few operations come online tomorrow, including:

• Brubaker's in the Student Life Centre; and
• Tim Hortons in UWP;

Check the Food Services locations and hours page for details.

Athletics facilities are open from 7:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Monday to Friday, Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Sundays from 9:00 to 12:30.

Winter 2018 Extended Hours for Retail Services begin today. From Tuesday, January 2 to Thursday, January 4, the Book Store, Waterloo Store, and Write Stuff will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Retail Services' 2018 hours of operation are available on their website. 


The Dana Porter and Davis Centre Library locations opened at 8:00 a.m. today. Check the Library website for a full list of locations and hours.

Feds Used Books in the Student Life Centre is open today from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, with 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. hours on Friday, January 5,. A special Saturday opening from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. is also on the schedule for January 6.

Winter Orientation is now in full swing for all incoming students, including first years, exchange/study abroad, transfer and graduate students.

Collaborative water program brings grad students together

This is an excerpt of an article originally published on The Water Institute's website.

For one week in September, graduate students in the Collaborative Water Program (CWP) step outside of the classroom and gain hands-on learning experience from local water experts and community members in the Grand River Watershed. Bringing together graduate students from all six University of Waterloo faculties, the CWP provides a unique interdisciplinary learning environment for future water leaders.

The University of Waterloo’s CWP was launched in 2013-14 to promote interdisciplinary perspectives on water. Jointly offered by 11 University of Waterloo departments and schools, the CWP is the most multidisciplinary graduate program focusing on water in Canada.

“The Collaborative Water Program teaches you what interdisciplinarity is, and how to use interdisciplinarity in practice by solving real-world problems through collaboration with students from different disciplines," says Katrine Orland Led, an MASc candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering. "It also teaches you how different disciplines can contribute to solving water-related problems, how to understand their terminology, and how to successfully collaborate with them.” 

Collaborative Water Program students complete their specialist training in their respective home departments or schools, while working with students from a variety of disciplines such as science, engineering, economics, and governance, in two interdisciplinary courses (WATER 601 and WATER 602). These courses capture both theoretical and practical components, including in-class lectures, field-work, interdisciplinary group work and individual research seminars.

Read the rest of the article on The Water Institute's website.

Congratulating new retirees

A new year brings a new crop of University employees who are retiring, according to an announcement by Human Resources. Retirements effective January 1, 2018 include:

• Professor John Wright, who joined the University in May 1993 as a Manager/Research Engineering staff member in Mechanical Engineering, and who was named Associate Professor in October 1996, becoming a full Professor in July 2005.

• Professor Grzegorz Glinka, who started at Waterloo in April 1989 as an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, and received tenure in July 1992.

• Professor Satiprasad Bandyopadhyay, who began working at the University in July 1989 as an Associate Professor in the School of Accounting and Finance;

• Professor Robert Andre, who joined Pure Math in September 2000 as a Lecturer;

• Associate Professor Chrysanne DiMarco, who started with the David R.Cheritan School of Computer Science in January 1990;

• Nancy Curtin-Telegdi, who joined the University in March 2005 and retires as Educator and Field Co-ordinator in the School of Public Health & Health Systems;

• Mary McColl, who started working at Waterloo in May 1981 and retires as Assistant to the Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering;

• Dobrila Scheifley, who began working at the University in June 1989, retires as Research Financial Analyst in the Office of Research;

• Bonnie Oberle, who began her career at Waterloo in November 1985, retires as Associate Director, Leadership Giving in Advancement;

• Lidia Keta, who started at the University in August 2001, retires as Housekeeper in Housing and Residences;

• Brad Lantz, who began working at Waterloo in July 1988, retires as Residence Attendant in Housing and Residences;

• Wally Wojnowski, who started at the University in July 1994, retires as Residence Attendant in Housing and Residences;

• Gail Meyer, who began working at Waterloo in August 2007, retires as Office Administrator for the Canadian Water Network;

• Rita Bandyopadhyay, who started at the University in July 1990, retires as Admissions Officer in the Office of the Registrar

Congratulations one and all!

Cold, hard truths as the new year gets underway

There's nothing like starting 2018 off under the icy grip of a polar vortex to get one thinking about how to improve one's golf game.

The Warriors golf team is offering golf lessons to staff, students, and children 10 and up.

The cost is $100 for 4 one-hour lessons, and the price drops to $70 each if you and a partner sign up together. Clubs are supplied (if needed), and the lessons are taught in MC 2037's TERF room on the much vaunted UW Golf Simulator.

• Golf Lessons - Any Level - the first round of sessions are scheduled for Sunday, January 14, 21, 28 and February 4, or March 4, 11, 18, and 25. The time slots are 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.
• Learn to Play Golf - Session 1, Sunday, January 22, 29, February 5, 12, and Session 2, Sunday, March 5, 12, 19, 26. The time slots are 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.

The money raised will be used to help cover the team's expenses to play in Golf Canada's University/College championships in British Columbia in May.

To register, email golf coach Dave Hollinger at davehollinger@rogers.com   or call 519-886-1048 to reserve your preferred timeslot.

Natural gas will be shut off at the Columbia Icefield on Wednesday, January 3 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. as a temporary line is installed.

Senior administrators beginning their terms of office this month include Daniela O'Neill, who begins her role as Assistant Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs effective January 1, 2018.