Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Distinguished Professor Emeritus receives Wish of a Lifetime

Professor Emeritus Jiri Cizek with long-time friend Eva Ladik

by Melanie Scott.

Through a unique program for seniors, Applied Mathematics Professor Emeritus Jiri Cizek was granted a wish of a lifetime. After a life-changing health crisis, Professor Cizek wanted to reconnect with old friend Eva Ladik, the widow of a close friend and early colleague, but was unable to travel because of his health. Instead, he spoke with Eva on the phone two to three times a week.

But through Wish of A Lifetime Canada and Chartwell Retirement Residences, the 80-year-old had the opportunity to reconnect with Eva in person. The last friend linking him to his homeland Czechoslovakia and the roots of his notable career, Eva, who now lives in Germany, was flown in to visit for two weeks so that the friends could reminisce, discussing both past and present, in one another’s company.

“It really gave him the will to live,” his daughter Katerina Cizek said of her father, a fondly-remembered teacher and mentor to many students at the University.

In 1968, after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, Cizek moved to Canada to join the Department of Applied Mathematics at Waterloo as an Associate Professor. He was promoted to Professor in 1975 and was cross-appointed to the Department of Chemistry in 1973. He was a member of the Guelph-Waterloo Centre for Graduate Work in Chemistry since its inception and served two terms on the University’s Senate (1977–80, 1985–88).

Professor Cizek received numerous honours for his work in the areas of quantum theory and his contributions to scientists’ understanding of the electronic structures of atoms and molecules. In 1976, he was the first Waterloo faculty member to receive the Laureate from the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science, an internationally respected body of scientists that includes several Nobel Prize winners. He also received the Sloan research fellowship, served on the editorial board of the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, and, in 1988, was inducted as a Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada. In 1997, Cizek was named Distinguished Professor Emeritus.

Wish of a Lifetime Canada seeks to shift the way society views and values the oldest generations by fulfilling seniors’ dreams and sharing their stories to inspire those of all ages. The wishes they grant connect seniors to people, purpose and passions to eliminate feelings of isolation and help them live vibrant, purposeful lives.

Ron Baird's "pickle forks" find a new home on campus

This is an excerpt of an article originally published on the Faculty of Arts news site.

They've been decorated, climbed and pranked. They graced the Hagey Hall courtyward for almost 44 years before disappearing into limbo (or rather, a UWaterloo storage facility) to await their fate. Now the beloved “pickle forks” are enjoying the sunshine once again, just in time for the start of the new academic year.

These iconic sculptures were a part of the Arts landscape until April 2015 when they were removed to make way for the Hagey Hub. In the interim, artist Ron Baird worked with Plant Operations to reimagine their arrangement to what has been described as “a single Swiss-Army-knife-like sculpture”.

Some feared the pickle forks had suffered the same fate as “David of Sossoun”, which disappeared never to be seen again. But on Friday, July 27, the new multi-tool made its appearance, thanks to the care and hard work of Plant Operations (and a crane).

Read the rest of the article and view a photo gallery on the Faculty of Arts website.

Human Resources hosts training sessions

A message from Human Resources.

In preparation for the upcoming Fall 2019 start of term, HR will host multiple information sessions for one-time payments, hiring and onboarding. These sessions will focus on end to end processes including updates on enhancements to each process. There are 2-3 sessions for each topic, please register for the session that aligns with your availability.  

Onboarding

Onboarding sessions are intended to support students and employees on campus who hire students and support onboarding processes. The session will also cover how to troubleshoot issues and other relevant information related to the overall onboarding process in Workday.

One-time payments

The one-time payment processes are now streamlined based on campus feedback. This session will focus on reviewing different types of one-time payments and the process for each one.

Hiring  

Hiring sessions are informative sessions for managers, campus partners, and individuals who support hiring processes in Workday on campus. The session will cover processes from initiation to approval of hires and act as a refresher to support the upcoming start of term.

General Workday Support

In addition to the targeted information sessions, HR will be available for drop-in support in EC1-1021 every Tuesday effective August 6 during the following hours: 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..

Additionally, there will be 4 Pop-up events where HR representatives will be available to support and answer any questions. These events will take place on September 9^th, 11^th, 16^th, and 18^th and they will be held in different locations on campus to provide easier access for employees and students.    

Further details and information on the exact locations and timing will be communicated closer to September.

If you have any questions, please contact hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca