Monday, March 22, 2021

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• Plant Operations launches work request portal
• Conserving Arctic char with Western science and Indigenous knowledge
• New partnership promotes Arts and Math students for Work-Integrated Learning Month
• Next week, take the Earth Month challenge
• Senate meets today and other notes

Plant Operations launches work request portal

Plant Operations has announced the launch of its Archibus Workplace Portal. The new system will allow Waterloo employees to submit work requests directly to Plant Operations online and monitor the status of the requests. 

"Users can easily access the Archibus Workplace Portal using their WatIAM credentials and are encouraged to bookmark the URL for future reference," says the memo from Rex Coffin, director, business operations. "The portal can also be accessed by linking to it via the Plant Ops website, where a user guide, training videos, and FAQs are all available to help you to use the system easily and successfully." 

What requests should be submitted through the portal?

All non-emergency Plant Ops service requests: everything from maintenance and grounds, to custodial and waste can be submitted through the portal. "You will be encouraged to use the system rather than call or email, to ensure we can provide the benefits noted above – communication, transparency and progress updates," Coffin writes. "For all operational emergencies, please call our dispatch at extension 43793, which is monitored 24/7."  

"Thank you for your cooperation in helping us to provide better support to you - our UWaterloo campus community. As always, we welcome your feedback and will be happy to answer any questions: pltops.maintenance@uwaterloo.ca." 

Conserving Arctic char with Western science and Indigenous knowledge

By Rose Simone. This article originally appeared on Waterloo News.

PhD student Spencer Weinstein is using research techniques from fundamental biology and ecology to determine if the Arctic char fish population near Kugluktuk, Nunavut is declining.

But Weinstein knows that to gain a holistic understanding of the changes that are occurring, she must also incorporate the knowledge and stories shared by the Indigenous people who live there. 

“In addition to telling us that the fish are declining, the community is also saying that the fish look different. They are calling some of the fish that look different by different names,” says Weinstein, a Waterloo Biology student who recently won a prestigious 2020 Vanier Scholarship. “We should be listening to the people who have lived in these communities and fished in these waters for generations.”  

Bridging science and stories to understand Arctic char 

Weinstein is working with the Kugluktuk Hunters and Trappers Organization to incorporate their knowledge into the research project so we can all better understand what is going on in the Coppermine River. 

Weinstein wants to determine if the char are declining and whether another fish species might be moving in and competing with the char, and she is looking for indications of hybridization and genetic changes in the fish.  

One would never guess Weinstein would end up working with an Indigenous community in the far north. Originally from New Jersey, Weinstein did her master’s degree in Texas, studying rainbow trout.  

But during her undergraduate studies, she participated in an experiential learning trip to a Cree community in Quebec. That sparked a deep respect for Indigenous communities, their knowledge and relationships with the land.   

Answering questions that are important to the Indigenous community 

A key principle of the work done under the supervision of Heidi Swanson, a Waterloo associate professor in Biology and Research Chair in Fresh Water Ecology, is that it should focus on questions the community wants answered, Weinstein says. “We want to know from the get-go that what we're doing is important to them.” 
 
The partnership with the Kugluktuk Hunters and Trappers Organization is critical because the fish samples come from local fishers, rather than setting up nets and taking additional fish out of the river.  

The partnership has been especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Typically, Weinstein would be in the community taking photographs of the fish and getting samples of the fins for genetic analysis. In 2020, because of the pandemic, she couldn’t be there, but the community came through. 

“We have incredible community partners who got things mobilized and were able to collect all of the samples for us. We're incredibly grateful for that. Hopefully, when travel is allowed again, I'll be able to go there again to interview elders and fishers for the traditional knowledge component.” 

Is climate change driving changes in Arctic char? 

Part of Weinstein’s work attempts to quantify the decline of the char and whether climate change is a driver. More than any other freshwater fish, char are adapted to cold water. It is possible, because of warmer waters, other species are moving in and competing for resources, making it harder for char to survive, she says. 

The long-term effects of climate change on Arctic char populations are unknown. “But we need to do everything we can to maintain and restore habitats and populations,” she says.  

Arctic char is an important food source for the Indigenous population, both culturally and in practical terms. “Most food in the grocery store is imported and is cost-prohibitive for a lot of people. Many people depend on fishing and on other traditional foods.” 

Her research will inform a long-term management and habitat restoration plan to help the community maintain a sustainable fish supply. “The ultimate goal is conserving the fishery,” Weinstein says. 

Climate change is most visible in the North right now, Weinstein adds, but “eventually it is going to affect all of us.”  

New partnership promotes Arts and Math students for Work-Integrated Learning Month

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

Leading technology association TECHNATION has partnered with Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) to showcase the talented Arts and Math co-op students working in the tech and digital space. This partnership is meant to raise awareness about experiential education for work-integrated learning (WIL) month which takes place every March.

TECHNATION works with Canadian technology companies that are changing the world through innovation, creativity and ingenuity. The organization provides the Government of Canada’s Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) funding to their partners through the TECHNATION Career Ready Program. The program was created to support the growth and development of talent in the tech sector, and helping students gain real-life work experiences and organizations to scale.

CEE has worked with TECHNATION to highlight two of their employers who are utilizing Waterloo co-op students in the digital space. The first feature is Remitbee, a Canadian online money transfer and currency exchange service who has hired Arts students in multiple roles such as business/financial analysts, digital marketers and social media marketers.

The second feature Hockeystick Inc, a medium-sized startup that uses AI to find funders and partners that match an organization’s needs. Hockeystick has hired Math students for roles such as product management analyst, software engineer, quality assurance automation engineer and data analyst.

This partnership has been in effort to promote the increased number of jobs that will be needed to support Waterloo’s Arts and Math students. You can visit our websites to learn more about hiring arts and math students.  

Next week, take the Earth Month challenge

A message from the Sustainability Office.

Join the Sustainability Office for the Earth Month 2021 challenge, happening from Monday, March 29 to Friday, April 23. This four-week challenge will encourage you to take action on four different weekly themes: sustainable food, waste reduction, connecting with nature, and promoting wellness. Here’s how you can participate:

1. Register for the challenge to stay in the loop
2. Take action each week from a list of five themed actions
3. Track your impact through the weekly reporting form
4. Get rewarded by contributing to collective impact and being entered into the grand prize draw

For more information and to register, please visit the Earth Month 2021 challenge webpage and help us promote on social media using the hashtag #EarthMonthUW. Let’s see how many meaningful actions we can take together as a campus community.

Senate meets today and other notes

The University of Waterloo's Senate meets virtually today at 3:30 p.m. Among the agenda items:

• A report on the revised Policy 14 – Pregnancy and Parental Leaves;
• A motion for Senate to endorse first the development of calendar language that reflects the Undergraduate Communications Outcomes (UCO) as an institutional academic priority and that such language be brought forward for approval through appropriate academic channels; and second the implementation of a process for reviewing and approving new or revised UCO curricular items.

This motion is in relation to a 2015 Dean's Council statement saying that all undergraduate students will have achieved communications outcomes in comprehension, conceptualization, and contextualization, ideally, at the end of their first year of study at the University of Waterloo.

• Senate will also be asked to recommend that the Board of Governors approve the 2021/22 Operating Budget for the University. 

This motion will follow a presentation on the University's Operating Budget for 2021/22.

• Ian Rowlands, associate vice-president, international, will deliver a presentation on Internationalization at Waterloo.
• Senate will also vote on a motion to revise the June 2021 convocation dates from June 15-19, 2021 to June 17-19, 2021. "In a continuous effort to pivot during the pandemic, a different approach to the convocation celebrations is being undertaken that requires only one ceremony per faculty," says the motion's rationale statement. "As such, only three days – and not five days – will be needed for June 2021 convocation."
• Senate will also hear the names of the Distinguished Teacher Award (DTA) and Amit & Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching by a Student (AETS) award recipients.

Today is World Water Day, and Waterloo's Water Institute has organized a series of virtual World Water Day events taking place throughout the day today including a Water2Me Workshop, a presentation on Anishinaabek N’Bi (water) Pedagogies, and a keynote speech.

Tomorrow is the last day to register for Employee Wellness Session entitled Beyond Stigma – Increasing Our Understanding of Mental Health in the Workplace, which is taking place Friday.

Offered by the Employee and Family Assistance Plan and Homewood Health, the workshop is set for Friday, March 26 from 12:30 p.m to 1:30 p.m. If you can't attend this session, don't worry - it will take place again in April.

Here's the latest Nutrition Month Myth vs. Fact supplied by Health Services Dietitian Sandra Ace:

Myth:  Eating chocolate is a guilty pleasure.

Fact:  If you enjoy eatingchocolate, it shouldn’t make you feel guilty.

Store shelves are brimming with Easter chocolates and I suspect I am one of many shoppers who enjoys buying my favourite seasonal treats. What’s interesting about chocolate is that, unlike other types of confectionary, there may be some health benefits associated with eating it. The cocoa solids present in dark chocolate contain beneficial plant phytonutrients including flavanols, naturally occurring antioxidants that help the body repair damaged cells. Some studies have concluded that consuming cocoa products may provide cardiovascular benefits, such as small effects on lowering blood pressure. The researchers in this recently published analysis reviewed five decades of studies on chocolate and coronary artery disease and found that eating chocolate at least once per week was linked with a lower risk of heart disease, concluding that chocolate helps to keep the blood vessels in the heart healthy. 

Much more research needs to be done before chocolate can be considered a “health food.” Chocolate, whether milk or dark chocolate, is a calorically dense food that contains both saturated fat and some sugar. It is best enjoyed in small to moderate portions. More importantly, though, avoid assigning a good food/bad food rating to food, which only makes us feel guilty about enjoying treats, and leads to a greater likelihood of overeating them.

Chocolate doesn’t need to have a health halo - it’s ok to eat it just because it tastes good. Any food can be part of a balanced diet, even if it’s something we include simply because of its flavour. Plan to eat balanced meals at consistent times throughout the day but don’t feel guilty about leaving a little space for enjoying foods like chocolate. Being overly restrictive or judgmental can make it hard to have a good relationship with food and makes eating much less pleasurable.