Thursday, March 21, 2019

Climate Action Plan open houses next week

Students, staff, and faculty are invited to share their thoughts and feedback on the development of Waterloo’s Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP).

The CEAP is the University’s first campus climate action plan, and will develop a roadmap and series of strategies and approaches to reduce Waterloo’s carbon emissions, aiming for the University to become carbon neutral by 2050.

The action plan will support several commitments made by the University of Waterloo, including:

• Objectives of the Environmental Sustainability Strategy
• Pledges through the Council of Ontario Universities
• Regulatory compliance requirements

Led by the Climate and Energy Working Group of the President’s Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability, a series of four Open Houses will take place across campus next week to provide background information on the plan, and encourage participants to share thoughts, ideas, and feedback on how to reduce emissions.

Open Houses will be held in the following locations:

• Monday, March 25, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: SLC Multipurpose Room
• Tuesday, March 26, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: DC Fishbowl
• Wednesday, March 27, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: EV3 Foyer
• Friday, March 29, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.: Dana Porter Lobby

For more information on the open houses, visit the Sustainability Office website.

Buildings start to add up for Math faculty

At the February 2019 meeting of the University's Board of Governors, the board approved, in principle, the site and budget of the proposed Mathematics 4 building.

The new, 120,000 square-foot building, with an estimated budget of $50M, will be located in a portion of the current L Parking Lot.

The proposed state-of-the-art mathematics building will host research institutes in vital fields such as fintech, data science, and cryptography, according to background information supplied by the Faculty of Mathematics to the University's Building & Properties Committee.

"Specifically, the building will accommodate Combinatorics and Optimization, Mathematics Business and Financial Technology as well as the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing which plays a key role in the Faculty’s outreach program. It will enrich student experience by creating new social and collaboration spaces. It will feature classrooms and collision spaces to encourage interaction and collaboration among our faculty, students, staff, and external partners. It will accelerate leadingedge math and computer science research as well as foster a culture of innovation and collaboration. By creating a vibrant and singular environment, the new building will help Mathematics attract more of the world’s top math and computer science talent."

Mathematics 4 will be located at the west end of L Lot, north of Mathematics 3 and east of BC Matthews Hall. The building "will feature prominently onto Ring Road to provide the Faculty of Mathematics with a highly visible presence next to the North Gateway." Intended to be 5 storeys tall, the building will feature a series of overhead links connecting it to Mathematics 3 through the Energy Research Centre.

The board's motion permits the University to proceed with selecting and recommending an architectural firm for the new construction.

Athletics staffer named Chef de Mission for 2019 Summer Universiade

Associate Director of Business Operations Ari Grossman has been selected to be the Chef de Mission for the 2019 FISU Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy.

“Ari has been a long-time supporter of the U SPORTS International Program and has been to five previous Universiades, including acting as Chef de mission for Canada at the 2017 Winter Games in Kazakhstan,” said Darren Cates, chair of the U SPORTS International Committee, and Canada’s Chef de Mission at the 2017 FISU Summer Universiade. “Ari has extensive knowledge of international sport, FISU and has built excellent relationships with representatives from other delegations which will benefit Canada tremendously at the 2019 FISU Summer Universiade. He is passionate about Canadian sport and is an exceptional leader for Team Canada.”

“I’m honoured to be selected to lead the Canadian delegation at the FISU Summer Universiade,” said Grossman. “Wearing the maple leaf and representing our nation is something that so few get to do and I’m thrilled to again have the opportunity to contribute to such a memorable experience for our Canadian student-athletes, coaches and staff. I’m excited to work with our incredible mission staff from across the country to provide our Canadian student-athletes with a great experience in Naples.”

Prior to moving to the University of Waterloo in December 2015, Grossman spent over 10 years at Wilfrid Laurier University in the sports information and marketing departments. 

The Universiade is an international multi-sport competition that takes place every two years. The event, which is second only to the Olympics in number of participating athletes and countries, is open to competitors between the ages of 17 and 28 in the year of the games who are full-time students at a post-secondary institution (university, college, or cegep) or have graduated from a post-secondary institution in the year preceding the games.

Photograph courtesy of U SPORTS.

Student experience review moving forward

The University of Waterloo is engaging in a holistic student experience review of the undergraduate and graduate experience.

As part of this review process, four external reviewers will be on campus today and tomorrow to engage with members of the campus community, including senior leadership, academic advisors, student service providers, and students, to gather information and record perceptions of Waterloo’s current strengths and opportunities. 

The goals of the review include:

• to assess overall student experience at the University;
• to situate the findings of this review relative to other data sources and external rankings; and
• to provide direction for future investigations and interventions to build upon successes and address identified challenges.

The terms of reference of the student experience review can be found on the Provost's website and outline the review's 3 main foci as:

• Quality practices in teaching and learning (including in-class experiences, experiential programs and opportunities and research opportunities)
• Student support (including non-academic interactions with the university and academic support activities)
• Student wellness (including student physical and mental health, sense of community).

Feedback or questions about the review can be sent to Associate Provost, Students Chris Read.

Thursday's notes

"The message is simple: You are the hero of your own story". Ben Fanelli (centre) and the panelists at yesterday's Heroic Minds "Redefining Toughness" event in the Humanities Theatre. 

The Centre for Security Governance is hosting the Waterloo Symposium on Technology and Society at the Balsillie School of International Affairs on April 16 and has announced the symposium's first speaker, futurist and New York Times best selling author, Martin Ford.

Ford's keynote lecture, “Disruptive Technology — Do Robots want Your Job?” will explore ways in which AI and automation (robots) are outpacing humans in a range of sectors, from education to law, agriculture to healthcare, management and beyond. Ford will discuss the implications of a new industrial revolution and role of basic, guaranteed income as automation displaces a human workforce.

For more information, visit the CSG website, or reserve a ticket.

Here's the latest Nutrition Month "myth vs. fact" supplied by Health Services Dietitian Sandra Ace:

Claim: Eating eggs increases the risk of heart disease.

Evidence: Just when it seemed that the question of whether eggs are good for you was laid to rest for once and for all, another study makes the headlines and sparks a new debate. There has been more controversy about this issue than just about any other nutrition topic. Twenty years ago, in 1999, a satirical newspaper called The Onion published a short piece titled “Eggs Good For You This Week” and urged readers to “increase egg consumption immediately, as eggs may be unhealthy again as soon as next Monday.”

This witty bit of sarcasm foreshadowed things to follow. Several major studies and many headlines later, the controversy was again rekindled with the recent release of a new report published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association). This large U.S. study followed almost 30,000 adults for an average of 17.5 years and found that increasing egg consumption was linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. But don’t give up on your Saturday morning omelette just yet. It was an observational study, which does not prove cause and effect but only reflects an association between risk factors and findings. Dietary intake was measured only once, at the beginning of the study. No further dietary intake data was collected for the remainder of the study although some participants were followed for up to 30 years. Food intake was collected by self-reported dietary recall which may also have some limitations. It’s important to consider these findings in the broader body of research, including this study which concluded that moderate egg intake is not associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease in healthy women and men.

What most people really want to know is how many eggs are recommended? For adults without a history of heart disease or diabetes, evidence suggests that consuming one whole egg per day does not increase the risk of heart disease. Adults with high blood cholesterol, diabetes or existing heart disease should limit whole eggs to two per week or as advised by their healthcare provider. Eggs are nutritious, affordable and easy to prepare so you can continue to include them as part of a balanced diet. The recommendations for a heart healthy diet remain the same: emphasize vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, fish, lean protein, low fat dairy and plant oils while lowering intake of sugar and saturated fats from meat and full fat dairy. Plant-based proteins should be included more often. For more recommendations on heart healthy eating, visit UnlockFood.ca or get advice from a Registered Dietitian.