Friday, July 10, 2020

Markus Moos takes the lane as Director of the School of Planning

This article originally appeared on the Faculty of Environment's news site.

We are delighted to announce that Markus Moos is taking on the role of Director for the School of Planning in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo. He is replacing Clarence Woudsma who has been in the role for 12 years. The School of Planning community, Faculty of Environment, and university community thank Woudsma for his service and dedication over these years.

Moos has been a faculty member in Planning for the past decade. He is a passionate and engaging teacher and internationally respected researcher. Moos holds a joint-honours bachelor’s degree in economics and environmental studies (Waterloo), a master’s degree in planning (Queen’s) and a PhD in urban and economic geography (UBC). Moos is also a registered professional planner.

Moos’ research examines the economies and demography of cities, housing, changing suburbs, and the impacts of planning practice on environmental sustainability and social equity. He has been credited for developing, “youthification” as a new concept to help explain inner city change. He is widely published in academic and professional outlets. His research has been featured in the media including the CBC’s Lang & O’Leary Exchange, CTV News, The Globe & Mail, Atlantic Cities Magazine, CityLab, Spacing Magazine, Business Insider and UK’s Daily Mail.

Moos is also a seasoned administrator. He is currently an editor at Urban Studies, a leading journal in his field. Previously he has served on University Senate, liaised with the University of Waterloo Planning Alumni of Toronto committee, and as Associate Director of the School of Planning, among other administrative tasks.

Please read Moos' letter to the University of Waterloo Community for more perspective on what he plans to bring to the role. 

Waterloo Grad Ready launches for new graduate students

A message from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA).

The University of Waterloo will soon be welcoming over 2,000 new graduate students to our campus community. COVID-19 has greatly impacted our academic delivery model and the expectations our students may have had for their graduate student experience when they first applied. For many students, September will be their first experience with graduate studies and, for some, their first learning experience in Canada.

Our graduate colleagues and academic support units have come together to create Waterloo Grad Ready - a virtual program and space to support incoming graduate students as they begin their graduate program.

Waterloo Grad Ready provides students with opportunities to build community, resources to help with the transition to graduate life, information and orientation programming, and workshops to support students’ ongoing graduate experience.

“Grad Ready is an exciting new initiative through which our students can become better prepared academically, but also make important connections with faculty, staff and their fellow students,” says Jeff Casello, associate vice-president, graduate studies and postdoctoral affairs. “In light of the challenges that the world is facing, Grad Ready is one of many actions the University has taken to ensure that our students will have incredible learning experiences, in a safe and supportive environment."

A communication plan coordinated between Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) and the Student Success Office (SSO), along with Faculties and Departments/Schools, has been created and shared with our graduate colleagues. We have engaged with our campus partners to develop programming that will provide our students with the tools and knowledge they need to transition to graduate studies.

The research and critical inquiry of our graduate students have the potential for great change, especially in today’s world. We are committed to the continued development of our graduate studies community, both virtually and in-person.

Waterloo Grad Ready launched in LEARN on July 6 and our first live session will be held on July 9. The session will include information on online learning, transitioning to graduate studies, and an overview of campus resources and services.

For more information about Waterloo Ready, please contact Marta Bailey, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs by sending an email to marta@uwaterloo.ca.

Facing a crisis, fundraisers follow a new script

by Alyana Versolatto. This article originally appeared on the School of Accounting and Finance's website.

Philanthropy is an incredibly personal decision and Sheilaah Guthrie believes valuable networking opportunities and donations warrant in-person interactions. However, what do you do when that option is no longer possible or even safe?

Guthrie is the Associate Director of Advancement at the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) and has 20 years of fundraising experience under her belt. From that comes a breadth of knowledge, including consulting across Canada, raising money for equipment at Oakville Hospital and currently raising money for programs and scholarships at Waterloo’s School of Accounting and Finance (SAF). Guthrie says re-evaluating strategies, prioritizing needs and utilizing technology are what many organizations like the University of Waterloo will need to do to sustain their philanthropic footprint.

A large part of her team’s outreach efforts before COVID-19 were in-person events like awards celebrations and smaller community-building events that kept alumni connected. Now, Guthrie’s team is thinking about how they can make the switch to virtual events that are still engaging and foster a sense of community, as well as follow physical distancing restrictions as Canada gets back to the new normal.

Fundraising through virtual events

“Will we have a 350-person banquet every year?" says Sheilaah Guthie, associate director of advancement, SAF. "Will we have smaller events to honour our award winners, honourees and fellowship members? Can we get the same type of input at a smaller event or virtually? I’m not sure, but we have to try.”

One virtual event that the advancement team is strongly encouraging alumni to participate in is class reunions. Typically, reunions are held on campus because of the nostalgic memories it brings back, as well as showcases the physical changes made to campus since they were in school. However, this year they will be connecting virtually.

In addition to redesigning events, the team has focused on collecting impactful stories that showcase alumni who are stepping up and making a difference during the pandemic. Stories like Shikha Gandhi’s (MAcc ’04) and Vikram Somasundaran’s (MAcc ’11). Shikha is part of the leadership team at Purolator responsible for delivering thousands of critical personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospitals across the country and Vikram leads partnership development at Prodigy Game, an online game for grade 1 to 8 students to build math skills which were especially relevant during the school-year interruption.

Rising to the challenge to help students

Fundraisers like Guthrie are rightfully concerned about the economic downturn as many community members, donors and alumni have recently lost their jobs or a percentage of their portfolios. However, encouragingly just like recent stories, alumni and donors are still rising to the challenge to help students. For instance, the Student Emergency Support Fund that the university recently announced to help students get through this crisis raised $650,000 in only a few short weeks. Guthrie states, “It was an incredible outpouring of support for our community and the university as a whole.”

Advancement support like the Student Emergency Support Fund go a long way to helping students. For SAF, the regular priority lies in scholarships and supporting experiential learning programs like the Student Venture Fund, Student Investment Fund, Alumni Excellence Endowment Fund and International Study Program. In light of the pandemic, Guthrie and the SAF leadership team are re-evaluating priority projects based on urgency and student need.

While the current situation is challenging, an upside according to Guthrie, is that connecting with global alumni and donors could prove to be much easier now. Instead of setting up a visit to Hong Kong and getting on a 20-hour flight, she can quickly jump on a video call.

July employee workshops and other notes

While regular commutes into campus are currently on hold for most University of Waterloo employees, career development doesn’t need to be. Sue Fraser, Employee Career Advisor and Learning Specialist, encourages staff members to use this time to reflect on and continue working towards career goals. Book a virtual career appointment to discuss your career and explore professional development opportunities, or join Fraser for these upcoming employee workshops this month:

• Assessing your skills using SkillScan, Thursday, July 16, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Use the SkillScan assessment to identify your skills.
• Staying positive: Developing your career during these challenging times, Thursday, July 23, 1:00-2:00 p.m. Part of the Moving careers forward: Community of practice for women, during this online workshop Sue will discuss strategies for staying positive and building your happiness while simultaneously taking actions to grow and develop your career.
• Achieve your goals with 1 per cent effort, Tuesday, July 28, 1:00-2:00 p.m. Understand your why and learn a new way of goal setting, presented by Stacey Majaury, Conditioning Coordinator, University of Waterloo Athletics and Recreation.

The Concept $5K semi-finals are taking place over two days next week, virtually, of course:

• Concept $5K Semi-Finals: Night 1, Tuesday, July 14, 5:00 p.m.
• Concept $5K Semi-Finals: Night 2, Wednesday, July 15, 5:00 p.m.