Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Jason Coolman heading to Laurier

Jason Coolman, Associate Vice President, Development and Alumni Relations in Advancement will be joining Wilfrid Laurier University as its Vice President, Advancement and External Relations this summer, according to a message circulated yesterday to Executive Council. 

“This is a natural evolution in Jason’s impressive career in Advancement and I am extremely pleased that he will continue be a part of our vibrant, local community as a leader in post-secondary philanthropy,” says Joanne Shoveller, Vice President, Advancement. “Since 2000, Jason has provided valuable leadership and strategic relationship management to our 205,000 alumni and donors in 150 countries. Jason has also become a thought leader on alumni engagement, presenting on the topic in North America and Europe and helping to create international alumni metrics benchmarks, bolstering Waterloo reputation around the world.”

Coolman will remain at Waterloo until June 30, starting his new role at Laurier on August 1.

“On behalf of the Office of Advancement and all Waterloo colleagues, alumni and donors, we wish Jason all the best in his new position,” says Shoveller.

Seek and ye shall find: temporary changes to web search features

The University of Waterloo website search function has been temporarily replaced with a simplified, interim search tool, according to an announcement from Information Systems and Technology (IST).

The Google Search Appliance, a hardware/software package that went live on University websites in 2012, is being wound down by Google, necessitating a replacement.

“IST is working on implementing an updated website search tool, scheduled to go live in July 2019,” says the announcement from IST. “However, the license for the current search tool expires on Monday, May 6 at 3:00 a.m. An interim solution is required to ensure this functionality remains available until the updated solution is in place.”

The interim search tool was deployed on Sunday, May 5.

The tool is a central “search” page, and WCMS site users who click on the magnifying glass icon will be redirected to that central page. The searches will display results from all University of Waterloo websites – it will not be possible to limit results to a specific site.

Additionally, Javascript will need to be enabled on the user's browser in order for the search function to work. 

IST notes that the temporary search tool does not support Internet Explorer. They recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge as an alternative browser. 

Anyone with questions can contact the IST Service Desk by sending an email to helpdesk@uwaterloo.ca or by calling ext. 44357. 

Convocation awards will celebrate faculty, staff

The Spring Convocation ceremonies in June 2019 will include a number of people who will be named Honorary Member of the University and Distinguished Professor Emeritus, two prestigious awards that recognize outstanding service to the University.

At the Environment ceremony on Tuesday, June 11 at 2:30 p.m., Ed Jernigan will be named Honorary Member of the University. Jernigan came to the University over four decades ago as an Assistant Professor in the nascent Department of Systems Design Engineering. During his career at Waterloo, he rose to the rank of full professor, maintaining a research group in pattern recognition that resulted in over 100 journal and conference papers. Beyond research, his real passion was for teaching and inspiring a new generation of graduates who would think differently about the world—a passion which was recognized in 1986 when he was awarded the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Jernigan’s vision for education went beyond the classroom, however, and his greatest impact has come through nearly two decades of administrative service within the University and its extended community of learners. Through his role in the design, creation, implementation, and leadership of the Shad, Waterloo Unlimited, and Knowledge Integration programs, Jernigan played a key role in the University’s effort to shape the great change makers of tomorrow.

Also on Tuesday, June 11, Ellsworth LeDrew will be named Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Ellsworth LeDrew’s scholarship is recognized internationally for his innovative research in three interrelated themes. The first is the study of climate-cryosphere processes in Polar Regions. The second is the development of procedures and best practices in polar data management. The third is analysis of tropical coral reef stress from remotely sensed data which grew out of interest in the implications of climate stress on marine ecosystems such as El Niño.

In connection with the second area of research, LeDrew developed the Canadian Cryospheric Information Network and built the Polar Data Catalogue, which was identified as the official metadata repository for Canadian IPY scientists. Throughout his career, Ellsworth LeDrew consistently translated his research into mentoring and development of undergraduate and graduate students. In his undergraduate teaching, Ellsworth LeDrew developed innovative techniques in the classroom in an effort to bring the geography field work perspective into a large class setting. LeDrew’s service to his profession nationally and internationally has been significant, serving on or chairing numerous committees, panels and symposia. His service at the University has also been extensive, including terms as interim dean of the Faculty of Environment; associate dean, undergraduate studies and educational liaison; associate chair, undergraduate studies, department of geography; and graduate officer, department of geography.

On Wednesday, June 12 at the Faculty of Arts ceremony held at 10:00 a.m., Judi Jewinski will be named an Honorary Member of the University.

In 2017, Jewinski retired after 47 years of service to Renison University College and the University of Waterloo. A Waterloo alumnus, over the course of her career Jewinski made significant contributions to the benefit and credit of Renison and the University of Waterloo. A passionate educator and dedicated administrator, her service and accomplishments are too numerous to list in their entirety, however, they include: acting as the first manager of the University of Waterloo's Writing Clinic (1978-81); establishing the regional affiliate of TESL Ontario, a professional federation of English as a Second Language teachers of all levels (1979); launching WordsWork Associates (1986), which is a writing and writer-training business; launching and promoting Renison’s English Language Institute (1994); developing English programs for Distance Education (now Centre for Extended Learning); writing and editing several books and articles for publication; being seconded to the Office of the Provost (University of Waterloo) as Special Advisor on English Language Competency (2013-2015); and serving as Administrative Dean of Renison University College (2008-2017). Jewinski is described as a trailblazer at the University and across Canada for her work in developing and delivering innovative approaches to the teaching of English as a second language. Her work in China was instrumental in reinforcing Waterloo’s connections to China; her work across several Faculties to support their efforts to recruit and retain international students helped advance internationalization at Waterloo.  

At the Faculty of Engineering's 6:30 p.m. ceremony on June 15, Ioannis (John) Chatzis will be named Distinguished Professor Emeritus. 

Chatzis completed his B.A.Sc. (1974), M.A.Sc. (1976) and PhD (1980) in Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Following graduation, he worked for two years as a research engineer and adjunct assistant professor at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, New Mexico Petroleum Recovery Research Centre. He returned to Waterloo in 1982 as an assistant professor in the department of chemical engineering, where he progressed through the ranks to associate professor (1988), and full professor (1994). He retired from the University of Waterloo in 2014.

During his career, Chatzis established a distinguished record of scholarship, teaching and service to his department, the Faculty and the university. His achievements as a scientist and engineer have been exceptional in their extent and impact. His pioneering contributions to porous media studies have advanced fundamental understanding of fluid transport in these crucial materials and influenced development of practical applications in the energy and environment fields. Recipient of the International Society of Core Analysts’ Lifetime Technical Achievement Award, Chatzis raised the profile of the Faculty and University within the international community and, in doing so, has established an outstanding training environment for our students. He has demonstrated a strong commitment to graduate student supervision and education, with the majority of his former PhD students now holding academic positions of their own. In all, Chatzis has supervised more than 50 graduate students, representing a substantial contribution to the careers and capabilities of Waterloo Engineering students, but also to the nation’s skilled resource of engineers.

Chatzis’ service to the University and to his profession has been extensive, having served variously as Chair of the Chemical Engineering Department and on several important committees at the Faculty and University levels. In these roles, he has played an integral part in guiding the strategic direction and building capacity in research, graduate enrollment, and education on campus.