Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
Meet the multi-million-dollar medievalists
Principal Investigator Steven Bednarski with an illuminated manuscript.
This is an excerpt of an article originally published on the Faculty of Arts news site.
The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, announced new funding for social sciences and humanities research last week, including a significant $2,500,000 Partnership Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for a project led by Steven Bednarski, professor of medieval history based at St Jerome’s University.
The work builds on a long-term research partnership Bednarski has led between Waterloo and Queen’s University, including the Bader International Study Centre (BISC) at Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex.
Herstmonceux castle in East Sussex, the site of much of the historical research in the project.
A seven-year interdisciplinary project, “Environments of Change: Digitizing Nature, History, and Human Experience in Late Medieval Sussex” will investigate how emerging digital technologies can help to reveal the historical relationship between climate and culture in the late Middle Ages, offering insights on contemporary climate-culture interactions.
The project will establish the first digital humanities lab for the study of historical climate and culture. The objective is to see more clearly how humans impact the natural world and vice versa: the Medieval Digital Research in Arts and Graphical Environmental Networks Laboratory, or DRAGEN Lab. Along with a newly-built Science Lab at the BISC, these spaces provide unique training grounds to form the next generation of digitally-minded environmental humanists.
“To represent the climate-culture symbiosis objectively,” explains Bednarski, “we focus on another time and place of immense environmental and cultural change: southern England, 1000-1550—which coincides with the gradual end of the Medieval Climate Optimum and the onset of the Little Ice Age.”
Along with St. Jerome’s University, Waterloo’s faculties of Arts (including the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business), Science, and Environment, the Games Institute, the Office of Research, and the Office of the Provost all provide essential support to the project.
Read the rest of the article on the Faculty of Arts news site.
Centre for Extended Learning receives national awards
Left to right: Dr. Sheila LeBlanc (University of Calgary), Marie Lippens (University of Waterloo), Aldo Caputo (University of Waterloo), Carolyn Young (Western University)
The Centre for Extended Learning (CEL) received multiple awards at the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE) annual conference, which was hosted this year in Hamilton by McMaster University. CAUCE is a professional association of deans, directors, senior administrative personnel and practitioners with professional careers in university continuing education. This year’s conference, entitled “Forging Ahead to a Brighter Future”, included two keynote speakers and explored themes such as diversity and partnership in continuing education and the importance of lifelong learning.
Waterloo representatives were pleased to accept awards for excellence in programming, as well as design and marketing. The MOAT Onlinecourse won the Program Award for Non-Credit Programming Under 48 Hours. The course, created by Jeff Nagge from the School of Pharmacy and CEL uses artificial intelligence to teach pharmacists, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners how to effectively and safely manage oral anticoagulation therapy under a medical directive. Working with partner Ametros Learning, the team developed a roster of simulated patients for learners to interact with.
The Myths of Online Learning video won both the Broadcast and Video Award and the Best in Show Award. The video targets adult and/or non-traditional learners considering attending post-secondary education in an online environment. It seeks to bust myths about online learning. The misconceptions addressed in the video were uncovered during conversations, surveys and focus groups with adult students.
The awards were accepted at a luncheon ceremony during the conference where Waterloo staff members were congratulated for their contributions to quality in continuing education and lifelong learning.
Co-operative Education launches new website for students
Co-operative Education launched a brand new website for co-op students today. Though the URL remains the same (uwaterloo.ca/co-operative-education), the site has a new look and feel.
Check it out and provide your feedback.
Flags lowered for Pat Mihm today
In case you were wondering why the flags at the University's north and south campuses are at half-mast today, today is the date of the visitation and funeral for Pat Mihm, a 30-year employee and Honorary member of the University, who recently succumbed to cancer. Mihm worked tirelessly to encourage campus engagement and spirit and his contributions to Keystone, the Matthews Golf Classic, and the Hagey Bonspiel inspired many others to get more involved on campus.
Office closure
The Writing and Communication Centre will be closed on July 25 and 26. Drop-ins will still be open at the Dana Porter and Davis Centre libraries on these dates.
Link of the day
When and Where
Chemistry Seminar featuring Zhen Liu, Professor, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, “Advanced Molecularly Imprinted Materials for Affinity Separation, Disease Diagnosis, Single-Cell Analysis, Bioimaging and Cancer Therapy, Thursday, July 25, 10:00 a.m., C2-361 (Reading Room).
FAUW Indigenization Reading Circle, Thursday, July 25, 10:30 a.m., HH235.
WISE Public Lecture featuring Mohamed Elkadragy, Battery Technical Center, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, “Li-ion and Hybrid Battery Storage Systems Technical Highlights and Off-Grid Utilization Aspects: Using Case Studies Within Africa and North America,” Thursday, July 25, 11:45 a.m., Evolv 1 building, R+T Park.
Pension Lunch and Learn session, Thursday, July 25, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., DC 1351.
Shad Waterloo 2019 Open Day Exhibits, Thursday, July 25, 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Conrad Grebel Great Hall.
Management Consulting as a Career Option, Thursday, July 25, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., TC 2218.
Fairy Tales and Legends: orchestra@uwaterloo, Thursday, July 25, 7:30 p.m., Knox Presbyterian Church, 50 Erb Street W, Waterloo.
Instrumental Chamber Ensembles Concert, Sunday, July 28, 7:30 p.m., Conrad Grebel University College Chapel.
Tsinghua-Waterloo Joint Forum on Advances in Energy and Environmental Technologies, Monday, July 29 to Thursday, August 1, Engineering 7.
NSERC Discovery Grant drop-in sessions for faculty, Monday, July 29, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Student Teaching Complex, Room 2002.
Networking at Conferences – graduate, Tuesday, July 30, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., TC 2218.
NEW - CBB Biomedical Discussion Group with Dr. Diego L. Guarin, “Deep Learning for Objective Assessment and Diagnosis of Neuromuscular Diseases” Tuesday July 30, 2:30 p.m., EC4-2101a.
Retirement celebration for Mary Ann Vaughan, Tuesday, July 30, 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., University Club.
Environment 101 Day - Wednesday, July 31.
LGBTQ+ Making Spaces, Wednesday July 31, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., NH 3308.
Waterloo Women's Wednesdays: Summer Picnic & a Walk, Wednesday, July 31, 12:00 p.m.
Webinar: Copyright for Teaching, Wednesday, July 31, 12:00 p.m.
KidsAbility Discovery Lab, Wednesday, July 31, 4:00 p.m., 500 Hallmark Drive, Waterloo.
Coping Skills Seminar - Challenging Thinking, Wednesday, July 31, 4:00 p.m., HS 2302.
Graduate Student Stress Management Group, Thursday, August 1, 3:30 p.m., HS 2302.
New Faculty Teaching Days, Wednesday, August 7 to Friday, August 9.
Coping Skills Seminar - Challenging Thinking, Wednesday, August 7, 4:00 p.m., HS 2302.
Graduate Student Stress Management Group, Thursday, August 8, 3:30 p.m., HS 2302.
Quantum Cryptography School for Young Students, Friday, August 9 to Friday, August 16.
Eating Disorder Support Group, Tuesday, August 13, 4:00 p.m., NH 3308.
Webinar: Authors' Rights, Wednesday, August 14, 10:00 a.m.
Quantum Key Distribution Summer School, Monday, August 19 to Friday, August 23.
PhD oral defences
Physics & Astronomy. Bohdan Kulckytskyy, "Probing universality with entanglement entropy via quantum Monte Carlo." Supervisor, Roger Melko. On deposit in the Science graduate office, PHY 2013. Oral defence Wednesday, July 31, 10:00 a.m., B1 266.
School of Public Health and Health Systems. Mahmood Gohari, "Understanding youth trajectories of alcohol use: evaluating the impact of a policy authorizing alcohol sales in select grocery stores in Ontario." Supervisor, Scott Leatherdale. On display in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, BMH 3110. Oral defence Wednesday, July 31, 1:00 p.m., AHS 1686.
Physics & Astronomy. Seyed Faroogh Moosavian, "Some Applications of Hyperbolic Geometry in String Perturbation Theory." Supervisors, Davide Gaiotto, Jaume Gomis. On deposit in the Science graduate office, PHY 2013. Oral defence Thursday, August 1, 2:00 p.m., PHY 352.