Friday, October 25, 2019

Celebrating Convocation

Nearly 2,400 students will be eligible to graduate at four ceremonies over two days beginning today as the University of Waterloo celebrates its 119^th Convocation. In front of friends, family and special guests, graduating students will receive their academic hoods and be presented with their official diplomas as they cross the Convocation stage in ceremonies that mark the pinnacle of the academic year.

Organizers predict that more than 1,500 of those eligible to receive their degrees and diplomas will return to campus for Convocation.

Applied Health Sciences, Science, Environment and Mathematics ceremonies today

The faculties of Applied Health Sciences, Science, Environment, and Mathematics will celebrate their newest graduates today at two ceremonies: one this morning at 10:00 a.m. and one this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in the Physical Activities Complex.

Friday, October 25, 10:00 a.m. - Applied Health Sciences and Science

Convocation kicks off today with a ceremony for graduands from the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences and the Faculty of Science. 332 undergraduates, 247 Master's, and 39 PhD candidates will receive their degrees. Watch the livestream.

Bearing the mace will be Associate Provost, Students Chris Read. Jule-Anne Desrochers will sing the national anthem.

Professor Anne Innis Dagg will be presented with an Honorary Doctor of Science and will address Convocation. Dagg received her PhD from the University of Waterloo in 1967, after completing B.A. (Honours Biology; 1955) and M.A. (Genetics; 1956) degrees at University of Toronto. Her remarkable record includes seminal contributions to the fields of animal biology, behavior, and sociobiology, as well as tireless advocacy and analyses of gender bias in academia. She was the first person to study animals in the wild in Africa, and her body of work has laid the foundation for notable progress in her discipline, and the advancement of a generation of women scholars.

Sandra Jean Olney will receive the Applied Health Sciences Alumni Achievement Award.

Brittany Lindsay Baechler will be named the University Finalist for the Alumni Gold Medal at the Doctoral level.

Grace Hoi Lum Tang will receive the Applied Health Sciences Alumni Achievement Award.

Friday, October 25, 2:30 p.m. - Environment and Mathematics

At 2:30 p.m., 557 undergraduates, 251 Master's, and 38 PhD candidates from the Faculty of Environment and the Faculty of Mathematics will receive their degrees. Watch the livestream.

Bearing the mace will be Professor Barbara Csima, associate chair, graduate studies and member of the Faculty of Mathematics. Birgit Moscinski will sing the national anthem.

Vic DiCiccio will be named Honorary Member of the University. DiCiccio graduated from Waterloo with a BASc (1976) and MASc (1979) in Electrical Engineering. He was instrumental in founding the Institute for Computer Research (ICR), a multidisciplinary institute supporting collaborations across the university and with other university and corporate partners in the areas of computing, communications and other aspects of information technology. When digital media research was in its early days, DiCiccio capitalized on opportunities for Waterloo to expand its activities in this field. DiCiccio also promoted Waterloo researchers’ increased participation in Ontario and Canadian research networks, and created several large grant proposals which were awarded to Waterloo researchers and their teams.

Professor Chris Godsil will be named Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Godsil earned his PhD in Mathematics from the University of Melbourne in 1979. He joined Simon Fraser University as Assistant Professor in 1981, and was promoted to Professor in 1985. In 1987, he moved to Waterloo and joined the Department of Combinatorics and Optimization. He has served as department chair, and several times as associate chair for graduate affairs. Professor Godsil is a world leading authority in the field of Algebraic Combinatorics, especially Algebraic Graph Theory. His scholarly work has been profoundly influential on the development of the subject, impacting the work of many researchers in Mathematics and beyond.

Donald Lemmen will receive an Honorary Doctor of Environmental Studies and will address Convocation. After receiving his PhD from University of Alberta in 1988, Donald Lemmen dedicated over 30 years to studying and publishing on climate and environmental change. With Natural Resources Canada, he led the development of national assessments of climate change impacts and adaptation that have served as benchmarks for policy and program development in Canada. He has represented Canada as a leader on international climate change science and policy through the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including four years as co-chair of the Adaptation Committee, the global advisory body to the 193 member countries.

Joanna Ting Yuan will receive the K.D. Fryer Gold Medal.

André Linhares Rodrigues will receive the Alumni Gold Medal at the Doctoral level.

Samuel Erik Jaques, who graduated in Spring 2019, is recognized as the recipient of the University of Waterloo Alumni Gold Medal for the Master's level. Similarly, Diamir de Scally, who graduated in the spring, is recognized as the University Finalist for the Alumni Gold Medal at the Master's level.

Matthew Gaudreau will be named the University Finalist for the Alumni Gold Medal at the Doctoral level.

Anton Mosunov and Xiaojing (Caelen) Wang will receive the Amit and Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching by a Student. Mosunov, a PhD student in Pure Mathematics, is highly recognized for his dedication to learning and teaching. When asked about Mosunov’s impact on student learning, one undergraduate student explained that “he made the content interesting and easy to follow for every student. Not only did he provide great lectures, he also provided course notes and class videos to. . . ensure that we fully understood the material outside of class.” Another student wrote that “at office hours, Anton was always helpful. Whether I had a question about the course content itself, or things beyond the scope of the course, he was always enthusiastic in answering, and recommended further reading to me which allowed me to learn much more than one course could teach.” In addition to his students’ support, a faculty member highlighted that “in all cases, he went well beyond what was expected of him and was an essential contributor to the success of the course.” His support serves as a testament to this recognition.

Wang, a PhD candidate in the department of Combinatorics & Optimization, is recognized for her teaching strategies, dedication and passion in teaching. A student remarked that Wang “works hard and goes beyond what she is required to ensure the well-being of her students” and is highly present and engaged in her students’ learning. When asked about Wang’s teaching, a student replied that “her teaching was exceptional because she always went above and beyond to help, constantly tried to improve her teaching, and ultimately made the course much more understandable.” Caelan continues to look for learning opportunities to grow in her teaching, as well as in others by mentoring graduate students in their teaching through the Centre of Teaching Excellence as a Graduate Instructional Developer and a recipient of the Fundamentals of University Teaching Certificate. A graduate student whom Caelan had worked with reflected that their “teaching skills have greatly benefited from [Caelan’s] advice and support.” Wang is also a mental health advocate and part of the Women in Mathematics Committee as a Graduate Student Representative. 

Arts, Engineering ceremonies on Saturday

Two Convocation ceremonies will be taking place on Saturday, October 25 in the Physical Activities Complex.

Saturday, October 26, 10:00 a.m. - Faculty of Arts

The first begins with the Faculty of Arts at 10:00 a.m. 261 undergraduates, 252 Master's, and 13 PhD candidates are eligible to cross the stage and receive their degrees. Watch the livestream.

Bearing the mace will be Associate Vice-President, Academic David DeVidi. Michael Klein will sing the national anthem.

Ginny Dybenko will be named an Honorary Member of the University. Dybenko has been a technology and education leader since graduating from the University of Waterloo (MMath, 1972). Career highlights include her appointment as founding President and CEO of Bell Advanced Communication and Dean of the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics. At Waterloo, she served as Executive Director of the newly-launched Stratford Campus, contributing to its enormous growth and success. Ginny has served on many boards, including TV Ontario, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the Kitchener and Waterloo Chamber of Commerce. She was identified as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women and, in 2012, was honoured with a Waterloo Barnraiser Award.

Derek Besner will also be named Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Besner received his PhD from Reading University in the United Kingdom, following which he spent 37 years as a professor at University of Waterloo.  As a cognitive psychologist, his expertise is in the domain of attention and basic processes in reading, a field in which he is an internationally recognized leader.  He has been elected Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, The Psychonomic Society, and the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive Science.  He has had continuous grant funding from NSERC throughout his career.  At Waterloo, he was recognized for his stellar scholarship with an Arts Research Award in 2017.

Erik Woody will be named Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Woody earned his PhD from Duke University and spent 36 years as a professor at the University of Waterloo.  As a clinical psychologist, his leadership in the accredited clinical psychology graduate program was crucial to the continuing success of that program.  He has served terms as Associate Chair, Graduate, for the Department and twice as Director of Clinical Training.  He was elected Fellow of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis in 1993, and received the Society’s highest honour, the Henry Guze Award, in 2011.  At Waterloo, he was recognized with the Distinguished Teacher Award in 2006 and with two Outstanding Performance Awards.

Stephanie and Joseph Mancini will receive honorary doctorates and will jointly address Convocation. The Mancinis are graduates of the University of Waterloo, with B.A.s in history (St. Jerome’s, 1980 and 1981, respectively), and an M.A. in history for Joseph (Waterloo, 1982).  Soon after graduation, they founded the Working Centre to offer practical job search support to the unemployed, followed by St. John’s Kitchen in 1985, to serve hot meals to those in need. They continue to develop community-based projects to help marginalized communities in downtown Kitchener. The Mancinis were recognized in 2014 with the Bene Merenti Medal, a Papal honour, and in 2016 with the Order of Canada.

Agata Natalia Nowak will receive the James D. Leslie Prize.

Marc Hall will receive the Arts Young Alumni Award.

Dianne Carmichael will receive the Arts Alumni Achievement Award.

Clare Bermingham, who graduated in Spring 2019, will be recognized as the University Finalist for th Alumni Gold Medal at the doctoral level. Similarly, Agata Natalia Nowak, who graduated in the spring, will be recognized as the winner of the James D. Leslie Prize.

Mia Yang will receive the Accounting Alumni Award for Excellence in Accounting.

Saturday, October 26, 2:30 p.m. - Faculty of Engineering

Convocation concludes with a final ceremony at 2:30 p.m. for the Faculty of Engineering. 121 undergraduates, 229 Master's, and 52 PhD candidates will cross the stage. Watch the livestream.

Bearing the mace will be Jeff Casello, associate vice-president, graduate studies and postdoctoral affairs. Distinguished Professor Emeritus Reinhold M. Schuster will sing the national anthem.

Mary Soulis will be named Honorary Member of the University. Soulis’ long history with the University of Waterloo began at the age of seven when her father was hired as a professor in Engineering at the still new University of Waterloo. Mary joined Waterloo herself in 1971 as an Earth Sciences student, later completing her Masters in Civil Engineering at Waterloo in 1978.  Mary joined Institutional Analysis & Planning in 1981, and over the course of her 35 year career in IAP, both the university and the broader post-secondary education sector across Ontario and Canada benefited from Mary’s keen analytical mind and methodical and creative solutions to challenging problems.

Pearl Sullivan, dean of the Faculty of Engineering, will address Convocation. 

Kevin Joseph Goorts, who graduated in Spring 2019, will be recognized as the University Finalist for the Alumni Gold Medal at the doctoral level.

Pumpkin patch painting and other seasonal suggestions

Want to unleash your inner artist? Join your colleagues at the Davis Centre Library on Tuesday, October 29 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. to recreate this canvas. Through generous sponsorship of the Library’s Health, Safety, and Wellness committee, the cost for this event is only $20. All proceeds will go to the United Way. There is limited seating. Please email Carmen Peters to register in advance for this event, which takes place in DC 1568.

"As of Monday, October 28, the Centre for Teaching Excellence (East Campus 3 south entrance) will be closed daily from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.," says a note from CTE. "If you need to access our office during this time, please use the main East Campus 3 north entrance and contact our staff through the telephone and directory by the 2^nd floor hall door."

Peace and Conflict Studies alumnus Katie Gingerich, who graduated in 2015, is featured on Ashoka U’s website as a changemaker. Gingerich runs The Ripple Effect Education (TREE) in Waterloo and works out of Conrad Grebel’s Centre for Peace Advancement. Ashoka U is an advocacy organization that promotes the idea of embracing changemaking both as an educational framework and as a strategy for institutional change for post-secondary institutions.

The School of Optometry and Vision Science's Centre for Sight Enhancement has organized a charity concert at the Registry Theatre on Sunday. This is a fundraising concert to raise funds for the centre's community vision care fund, a charitable care program for people who cannot afford services or devices and have demonstrated financial need. Entitled Share the Gift of Sight & Sound, this fundraiser features faculty members from the renowned Beckett School of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University’s prestigious Faculty of Music. The Beckett School’s Marlin Nagtegaal, an accomplished organist, and Music Director at St. John’s Anglican Church in Kitchener, has created an exciting programme featuring his faculty colleagues from The Beckett School. Featured musicians include guitarist Dan Beackock, pianists Rebekah Jordan Miller, Nichole Robertson, Marnie Van Weelden, and Peter de Sousa, percussionist and vibraphone player Dave O’Neill, and Danielle Beck, who teaches saxophone, flute and clarinet. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased through the Registry Theatre’s website or at the door. The concert takes place at 3:00 p.m.