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Researcher honoured at Rideau Hall for wireless work
Slim Boumaiza, right, head of the Emerging Radio Systems Group (EmRG) at Waterloo Engineering, has won a prestigious NSERC award for his work on wireless networks. Photo: Martin Lipman/NSERC
A version of this article originally appeared on the Faculty of Engineering news site.
Waterloo Engineering professor Slim Boumaiza was honoured at Rideau Hall in Ottawa yesterday for his research on wireless communications networks with two industry partners.
Boumaiza, an electrical and computer engineering professor who heads the Emerging Radio Systems Group (EmRG), is one of 20 scientists and engineers recognized at a ceremony attended by Governor General Julie Payette and other dignitaries.
He is receiving a $200,000 research grant as the winner in one of four Synergy Awards for Innovation categories sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for outstanding examples of industry-academia collaboration.
The award recognizes Boumaiza’s work with Ericsson Canada Inc. and Keysight Technologies Canada Inc. to find ways to build energy-efficient radio-communications systems that minimize the environmental impacts and operational costs of 4G infrastructure.
A citation by NSERC notes his research is paving the way for 5G, or fifith-generation, wireless networks, which involve “a combination of ingenuity and enterprise that can only be achieved by collaboration between industry and academia.”
In addition to setting the stage for 5G networks, it notes, Boumaiza and his industry partners are helping train the new engineers who will be at the forefront of wireless communications research and development in the future.
'Critical thinking and creativity'
Ericsson is described as an industry leader with networking equipment that serves almost 40 per cent of mobile traffic in the world.
Keysight produces electronic design automation software and test and measurement instrumentation used in almost two-third of all radiofrequency communication hardware design.
The event at Rideau Hall honoured the winners of NSERC’s six national prizes totalling $3.72 million.
“NSERC award winners have demonstrated their critical thinking and creativity to produce breakthrough findings in response to new but also timeless research questions,” said B. Mario Pinto, president of the council.
Executive actions at Generation SDG and beyond
It’s Wednesday, May 2. Do you know where your president is?
It’s a big world out there. Here is a non-exhaustive list of President Hamdullahpur's recent activities on and off campus and a look ahead at what's on his calendar.
The Waterloo Global Science Initiative (WGSI) Generation SDG Summit brought researchers from across Canada together from April 22-25 to determine what resources, strategies and accountability structures are needed in Canada for us to reach our UN Sustainability Development Goal targets. As Chair of the WGSI, President Hamdullahpur was there to open and close the four-day summit.
To recognize the hard work of our staff and faculty celebrating loyalty anniversaries of 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 years of service, the President honoured nearly 160 staff on April 23 for their dedication to our University at the 25-50 Year Dinner. This year was particularly special as our first 50-year anniversary member, Professor John North, was honoured for his impressive milestone.
Continuing the celebration on April 25, the President joined in recognizing the tremendous work of our staff, faculty and students at the Arts Awards Ceremony. The event recognized the dedication of those in the Faculty of Arts who have shown excellence in areas of service to the Faculty, teaching and research.
President Hamdullahpur hosted an expert panel at PointClickCare in Mississauga on Thursday, April 26 for a thought provoking alumni event called “Where UWaterloo Meets AI – Ethics”. Moderated by Professor Kate Larson, who was joined by Professor Maura Grossman and MA candidate Leah Govia, the event tackled important questions on how artificial intelligence will impact our society through the lens of ethics.
What’s next on the President’s schedule?
Upcoming on Saturday, May 5, President Hamdullahpur will attend the Ontario Global 100 annual symposium, this year hosted at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus. This will be a wonderful opportunity for the University to welcome some of the province’s top CEOs and business leaders to our campus.
On Monday, May 7 the President will be launching the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) of Canada location right here at the University of Waterloo. To kick off this event, Professor Jeffrey Sachs from Columbia University and Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the Sustainable Development Goals, will be joining us for a special public lecture. This is a free event and lecture, so be sure to register for SDSN Canada Launch event.
Third Age Learning series celebrates 30 years
A long-running academic lecture series aimed at retirees and seniors is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2018.
"Thirty years ago a number of community members approached some of us at the University of Waterloo about the possibility of organizing a lecture series for retirees to learn about and discuss areas of topical interest drawn from professors’ research," writes Kenneth McLaughlin in the Spring issue of WATtimes, the University's retiree newsletter. "From the beginning, UWaterloo Retirees took an active part and participated in Third Age Learning."
Third Age Learning KW (TAL-KW) is a non-profit, independent organization operated by a board of volunteer directors, which arranges lectures by professors and community experts.
University of Waterloo retiree Pat Aplevitch, current President of Third Age Learning KW, has written an article in the latest issue of WATtimes that describes the history of the organization.
"University of Waterloo faculty figured prominently from the beginning and continue today to share their expertise by giving lively, informative lectures," Aplevitch writes. "The first two lectures were presented to about 100 seniors in the Teaching Theatre of the Kitchener Auditorium in spring 1988. The topics were Free Trade and Waterloo City Heritage delivered by University of Waterloo faculty members John McKenzie Wilson and Ken McLaughlin respectively. Lectures continued in that location until the fall of 2002 when TAL-KW moved to the larger RIM Park facility in Waterloo (now the Manulife Financial Sportsplex and Healthy Living Centre)."
"From 2002 to 2013, TAL offered lecture series in one half of the Forbes Family Room at RIM Park which could accommodate 350 members. With demand rising, the TAL Board voted in 2013 to expand the lecture space to the full size of the Forbes Family Room - 650 seats - at a cost of approximately $15,000.
"As a result, TAL-KW can now accommodate up to 650 members per lecture and has sold out several times since expansion."
Professors who have given lectures in recent years include Sheila Ager, Eric Haldenby, Chris Eliasmith, Paul Thagard, Whitney Lackenbauer, and David Seljak.
"Since 1992, TAL-KW has used its surplus funds to support bursaries awarded to graduate students in gerontology at the University of Waterloo. In 2010, TAL-KW opened a similar bursary fund at Conestoga College and in 2014 at Wilfrid Laurier University.
"TAL-KW is grateful for the enthusiastic participation of faculty members at the Universites of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier and the University of Guelph without whose support the lecture program would not have the enormous success that it has had for 30 years."
Read the full article in the Spring issue of the WATtimes newsletter (PDF).
Wednesday's notes
The 2018 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship program has launched! Faculty members are asked to encourage highly competitive postdoctoral candidates to apply. The prestigious Banting PDFs are valued at $70,000 per year (taxable) for two years. Please direct prospective international and domestic applicants to visit Waterloo’s Banting PDF website for institutional timelines and processes.
Interested applicants must complete preliminary applications by June 14, 2018. Questions may be directed to Heidi Mussar in Graduate Studies.
UWaterloo Jacket Day is coming up on Wednesday, May 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Waterloo Store in South Campus Hall. This is an opportunity for students of all faculties to show their Waterloo pride, while saving $60 off the regular price of a custom leather jacket. Mens and ladies sizing available. Faux leather options are also available. More information can be found on the Waterloo Store website.
Employers on campus next week hosting employer information sessions include Accenture Inc., VueReal Inc., Connected Lab, TribalScale, TunnelBear, Datadog, Rubikloud Technologies, Accedo, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Wish, SnapTravel, and Flexport. Visit the employer information calendar for more details.