Wednesday, November 18, 2020


Vivek Goel will be Waterloo's seventh president and vice-chancellor

Dr. Vivek Goel seated in a chair.

Vivek Goel, a distinguished scholar with extensive achievements in research, teaching and leadership across both public and private sectors, will become the seventh president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo.

Goel, who begins his five-year term on July 1, 2021, is recognized in Canada and around the world as a leading public-health researcher, health-services evaluation expert, and champion for the use of research evidence in health policy making.

 Goel has held several senior roles at the University of Toronto including Vice-President and Provost and most recently as Vice-President of Research and Innovation.

The public health physician currently serves as a scientific advisor on the federal government’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force and was the founding president and CEO of Public Health Ontario.

“With decades of experience and expertise as a university leader and champion of research and innovation, Dr. Goel will further strengthen Waterloo’s contribution to academic excellence, co-operative education, interdisciplinarity, industry focused research and entrepreneurship,” said Cindy Forbes, Chair of the University of Waterloo’s Board of Governors.

“Current global challenges remind us of our responsibility to prepare students and citizens to confront the many other challenges ahead,” Goel said. “Research-intensive institutions like Waterloo will create the biggest change and best solutions for our future, whether it is tackling public-health challenges, the growing climate crisis, or spurring economic recovery and growth.” 

“In Waterloo, I can see what a post-pandemic university looks like,” Goel said.  

The appointment represents the culmination of an almost yearlong effort by a 19-member presidential nominating committee comprised of students, staff, faculty and board governors, in consultation with stakeholders across campus and the broader community.

“The Presidential Nominating Committee sought a candidate who was renowned for their experienced leadership and commitment to the success of our world-class faculty, staff, students and alumni,” Forbes said. “We looked for an individual who will actively engage to foster equity, diversity and inclusion as well as a deep sense of community across our campuses.” 

“I look forward to working with Dr. Goel as he leads Waterloo on its transformational path and builds on the achievements of President Feridun Hamdullahpur.” 

Hamdullahpur has served as president and vice chancellor of the University of Waterloo since 2010 and will continue through June 2021. He has elevated Waterloo’s international profile, placed exceptional focus on student experience and wellbeing and set the ambitious course for the University’s 2020-2025 strategic plan.

“Waterloo is a place where business, community and governmental leaders come together to seek today’s solutions to tomorrow’s problems. I am confident that under the leadership of Vivek Goel, our community will continue to flourish and drive even greater impact around the world,” Hamdullahpur said. 

Goel obtained his medical degree from McGill University. He did his post-graduate medical training in community medicine at the University of Toronto, and obtained a master’s degree (MSc) in health administration from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree (MS) in biostatistics from Harvard University’s School of Public Health. 

Goel also currently serves on the boards of the Vector Institute, TRIUMF—Canada’s particle accelerator—and the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Co-operative and Experiential Education launches 2020-2025 Strategic Plan

CEE Strategic Plan banner featuring two students in a workshop setting.

A message from Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE).

Co-operative and Experiential Education is very pleased to share the CEE Strategic Plan 2020-2025: Talent Development for a Complex Future. This plan highlights five goals that will inform direction, decision-making and activities at CEE collectively over the next five years. The goals are:

  1. Demonstrate global leadership
  2. Advance research for global impact
  3. Future-proof students
  4. Future-proof employers
  5. Future-proof ourselves

Norah McRae, associate provost of CEE, says that the plan was developed with much collaboration and input from across CEE, leveraging staff ideas, feedback, and vision for creation of the plan.

“Over the next five years, as our economy recovers from COVID-19, this plan will help us strive boldly for work-integrated learning experiences for 100 per cent of our students,” says McRae. “It will help us equip our grads to be skilled, resilient and future-ready to lead the way for full-scale economic growth and rejuvenation.”

It also ensures the CEE visionmissionvalues and goals align with those of the University while they also uniquely embody the aspirations and culture within CEE.

You can read the report on the CEE associate provost website, or via the PDF version posted online.

Partnerships for Employment's first-ever virtual career fair in review

A computer screen with the P4E career fair website on it.

After 26 years of in-person career fairs, Partnerships for Employment (P4E), a partnership between the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Guelph and Conestoga College, held their first-ever virtual career fair on October 21. In doing so, P4E provided a virtual recruiting platform to connect students with employers across North America.

The virtual platform allowed students to research employers including the positions they are seeking talent for, prior to the live event. Students were able to personalize their profiles by adding their school and program details, as well as uploading their resumes, cover letters and portfolio samples.

P4E logo.“Our P4E Career Fair has always been such a positive space for students and employers to network and discuss job opportunities,” says Ross Johnston, executive director of Co-operative Education. “It’s exciting that we’ve been able to seamlessly transition the event to a digital landscape because it establishes a new and evolving way for students and employers to engage – and continues to enable them to strengthen their professional connections.”

On the day of the fair, almost 800 students logged on to the digital platform to connect with the 94 organizations who attended. Representatives from each company were eager to answer questions about their company’s culture, current job listings, and even provided tips for making your application stand out from the others.

P4E invites students and employers to attend their next virtual event, Job Fair, on February 2, 2021. For more information, please visit the Partners for Employment website.

Wednesday's notes

The Waterloo AI Institute is hosting a webinar on "Preparing Your Organization to Leverage AI at Scale" on Thursday, November 19. The webinar is targeted towards managers and executives. The session will be recorded and will be posted on the Waterloo.ai Youtube Channel for access to the AI/Machine Learning community at the University.

Waterloo.ai aims at providing practicing professionals with the opportunity to deepen their understanding and strategies in AI through intensive short courses with top instructors in the field, and to do so in a practical way so they can bring those skills back to their companies and put them to immediate use.

More details about the webinar series can be found on the registration website.

Here's what’s happening at the Centre for Career Action(CCA):

See CCA’s offering of virtual programming online. Students can register on WaterlooWorks.  

CCA virtual drop-in advising hours for November are as follows:

  • Résumé, cover letter, and interview drop-ins for UG and Masters students are offered 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST Monday to Friday as well as 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST Monday to Thursday.
  • Career Consult and work search drop-ins for UG and Masters students are offered 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. and 12:00-1:00 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday
  • Further Education drop-ins are offered: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST Monday to Friday
  • PhD and Postdoc drop-ins are offered: 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. EST, Monday to Friday

Students can book all virtual drop-ins through WaterlooWorks. Online registration begins at 8:00 a.m. daily.

Link of the day

40 years ago: Heaven's Gate

When and Where to get support

Students can visit the Student Success Office online for supports including academic development, international student resources, leadership development, exchange and study abroad, and opportunities to get involved.

Instructors can visit the Keep Learning website to get support on adapting their teaching and learning plans for an online environment. The following workshops are current offerings from the KL team (CTE, CEL, ITMS, LIB):

Independent Remote Course Design Essentials. Self-directed, continuous self-enrollment course in LEARN.

Remote Course Design Essentials, beginning Wednesday, November 11. 

Assessment Design Cafe, Friday, November 20, 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Employees can access resources to help them work remotely, including managing University records and privacy of personal information. Here are some tips for staying healthy while working from home.

Stay informed about COVID cases on campus by consulting the COVID case tracker

The Writing and Communication Centre is rolling out virtual services and programs for fall term: 

  • Undergrad students -- work with us to brainstorm, draft, revise, and polish assignments by meeting with our writing advisors in virtual appointments. Chat with our friendly and knowledgeable peer tutors in our virtual drop-ins and PJ-friendly writing groups. Or experience an online workshop at your own pace. 
  • First-year Warriors! Check out Waterloo Ready to Write to build your skills for writing success.
  • Graduate Students -- meet with an advisor in a virtual appointments, take an online workshop,  join the grad writing community at our Virtual Writing Cafés and #WaterlooWrites groups, develop your academic voice at Speak Like a Scholar, or make progress on your thesis at Dissertation Boot Camp.
  • Instructors and faculty -- Request and access WCC workshops for use in your courses, join a virtual writing group, or speak with a writing advisor about a writing project.

We understand that these circumstances can be troubling, and you may need to speak with someone for emotional support. Good2Talk is a post-secondary student helpline based in Ontario, Canada that is available to all students. If you feel overwhelmed or anxious and need to talk to somebody, please contact the University’s Campus Wellness services, either Health Services or  Counselling Services. You can also contact the University's Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment.

The Library has published a resource guide on how to avoid information overload.

The Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo (FAUW) continues to advocate for its members. Check out the FAUW blog for more information.

The University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA) continues to advocate for its members. Check out the UWSA blog for more information.

The Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre facilitates the sharing of Indigenous knowledge and provides culturally relevant information and support services for all members of the University of Waterloo community, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, staff, and faculty.

WUSA supports for students:

Food Support Service food hampers are currently available from the Turnkey Desk on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Student Life Centre. If you have any questions please email us at foodsupport@wusa.ca.

The Bike Centre – Now open by appointment for your bicycle repair and rental needs in the Student Life Centre. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please go to: https://wusa.ca/bikecentre

Centre for Academic Policy Support - CAPS is here to assist Waterloo undergraduates throughout their experience in navigating academic policy in the instances of filing petitions, grievances and appeals. Please contact them at caps@wusa.ca. More information at http://wusa.ca/caps

WUSA Commissioners who can help in a variety of areas that students may be experiencing during this time:

WUSA Student Legal Protection Program - Seeking legal counsel can be intimidating, especially if it’s your first time facing a legal issue. The legal assistance helpline provides quick access to legal advice in any area of law, including criminal. Just call 1-833-202-4571

Empower Me is a confidential mental health and wellness service that connects students with qualified counsellors 24/7. They can be reached at 1-833-628-5589.

When and Where (but mostly when)

Healthy Warriors at Home. Free programming including Online Fitness, Health Webinars, Personalized Nutrition and more from Warriors Athletics and Rec. Open to students, staff, faculty and alumni. Register today.

Renison English Language Institute continues to offer virtual events and workshops to help students practice their English language skills.

Warriors vs. Laurier Blood Donation Battle, until December 2020. Join your fellow Warriors, donate blood and help us win the Blood Battle against Laurier for a second year in a row. Set up a profile or add the PFL code: UNIV960995 to your account if you have a blood.ca account already. Questions? Contact WarriorsInfo@uwaterloo.ca.

Portfolio & Project Management Community of Practice (PPM CoP) session, "How to create time to reach a goal," Wednesday, November 18, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Register for this event.

Noon Hour Concert: Mozart & Chopin, a Hunt & a Mermaide, Wednesday, November 18, 12:30 p.m., online, free.

UWRA special virtual lecture featuring Professor Emeritus Stuart McGill, “Back pain as we ripen into older adults,” Wednesday, November 18, 2:00 p.m. Register online.

Portage-Global Water Futures Research Data Management webinar series (Water Quality Data in Canada): “Our Common Water Future: Open Data Sharing to Advance Research and Environmental Stewardship,” Wednesday, November 18, 1:00 p.m. Registration details are available here.

Concept Intro Session: Building a Team-Who Do You Need, Wednesday November 18, 5:00 p.m., Virtual Event.

Faculty of Mathematics, Waterloo Women’s Impact Network Webinar Series, “How Females Are Growing the Start-up Landscape,” Wednesday, November 18, 7:00 p.m. ET, virtual event.

Proteus Innovation Competition, Thursday, November 19. Register by November 18.

International Workshop on Nanotechnology for a Sustainable Future, Thursday, November 19 and Friday, November 20, online via WebEx.

Waterloo.ai - AI for Managers and Executives Webinar Series, "Preparing Your Organization to Leverage AI at Scale," Thursday, November 19, 11:30 a.m.

Fireside Chat with 2020 Faculty of Environment Alumni Award Recipients, Thursday, November 19, 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m., Zoom.

The Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology presents: “Ethics and Regulations, Conducting Research in Clinical Settings: A focus on Specific Cases with Carla Girolametto,” Thursday November 19, 2:00 p.m., Online via Webex. Please [register] to receive the link.

Grad Student Community and Conversation Circle, Thursday, November 19, 3:30 p.m., Online – Register on GoSignMeUp.

Positions available

On this week's list from the human resources department, viewable on the UWaterloo Talent Acquisition System (iCIMS):

  • Job ID# 2020-5957 - Administrative Manager - Sociology and Legal Studies, USG 7
  • Job ID# 2020-5942 - HR Project Coordinator - Human Resources, USG 7 - 8
  • Job ID# 2020-5961 - Intake Specialist - Campus Wellness, USG 7
  • Job ID# 2020-5857 - Senior Equity Training Specialist - Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion, USG 10
  • Job ID# 2020-5928 - Technical Support Specialist - CEE - Co-operative and Experiential Education Business Services, USG 7

Internal secondment opportunities

  • Job ID# 2020-5894 - Program Intake Manager - Centre for Extended Learning, USG 10