Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
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A legacy of student connection
By David Tubbs (BA ’08). This article was originally published in Waterloo Magazine.
“Hold on. I want to go over and say hi.”
So began one of the most memorable moments I had working with the University of Waterloo’s sixth president.
We’d been walking through campus on a gorgeous September afternoon, talking about our visit to a first-year lecture. Before I knew it, President Feridun Hamdullahpur was bounding over to speak with two students playing an outdoor piano in the Peter Russell Rock Garden.
He didn’t know them. He simply wanted to chat.
Love for classical music and students
We were on our way to another meeting. Back-to-back appointments are very common for the busy president, but that didn’t stop him from going over to chat with two very surprised students. There in the picturesque rock garden, Feridun leaned against the piano, asked the students what they were playing (the president is an avid fan of classical music), how they were enjoying the term and if they had any questions or concerns.
I hung back, listening, and snapped a photo. What happened that day wasn’t a staged event. It wasn’t an organized meet-and-greet. It was a leader caring about his students.
I had the privilege of working closely with Feridun for nearly a year by that time and had already seen the passionate, caring and truly funny person he is. Every day I witnessed him work for our talented students, trying to find new ways to enable their success.
Developing student resiliency
Feridun wanted to build the resiliency of Waterloo and its students, especially in the face of an increasingly disruptive world. A University of Waterloo education is designed to push you to the next level, build new knowledge and skills to solve problems. Feridun never shied away from this. But he also knew our students needed to be supported and engaged.
He thrived on engaging with students and fellow researchers, answering questions in a room full of undergraduate students. I’ve seen him break off from a lab tour to ask a quiet graduate student about his research—so focused on the conversation that I had to be the bad guy and pull him away. He even continued to supervise PhD students throughout his time as president and personally presented them with their degrees at convocation.
The tangible impacts of that approach are obvious. Feridun nearly doubled the number of faculty positions during his tenure, strengthened mental health supports, created the Student Success Office, expanded co-op and research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, significantly increased the number of new study spaces and added the first new residence building on campus in nearly 20 years.
Nobel Prize presser to scavenger hunts
In the three-and-a-half years I worked with the president, I saw him give keynote addresses to 1,000 people, sit down with national and international government leaders, take part in a live global press conference for the 2018 Nobel Prize and even sit down with a few celebrities.
But it is the small moments with students that resonate most.
Whether it was one of the thousands of selfies he took with students, discussions following a town hall or being part of a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt, those moments speak to what he cared most about as president: the happiness and success of his students.
I waited for about 10 minutes in the rock garden as the president spoke with those two students by the piano. He returned smiling, saying:
“I know, we’re late, but that was worth it.”
David Tubbs (BA ’08) worked as the president’s associate director of executive communications from October 2017 until March 2021.
Learn more about President Hamdullahpur's impact
New hires will help Plant Operations with infrastructure resiliency
Plant Operations has hired a new Energy Manager as well as a new Associate Director, Infrastructure. Both positions have been developed to help strategically maintain the resiliency of the University’s infrastructure.
The Energy Manager is “almost a new position,” says Stepanka Elias, executive director, facilities. “It existed several years ago and was later combined with the Manager, Mechanical Services role due to operational and financial pressures.” With the reinstatement of the position, Chris Ford has accepted the role.
Ford has a B.A.Sc and M.A.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and experience working in the HVAC field, building automation controls, and energy management. “Chris is the ideal candidate not only for his technical skills, but also for his steady leadership and passion for environmental sustainability,” writes Elias. Ford begins in his new role on June 1, 2021.
The Associate Director, Infrastructure is a new secondment position that was created to support, champion, and fight for changes that will improve infrastructure resiliency on the University campus. Jonathan Hyde is stepping into this role. Hyde has been on campus since 2013 working in the Electrical Engineering Group managing projects, supporting design and providing strategic advice to the Office of Research in various CFI/JELF grant applications. “Jonathan is known and respected across campus for his knowledge, dedication, and diplomacy working with our academic clients,” writes Elias. Hyde starts in his new role on June 1, 2021.
“Please join me in congratulating Chris and Jonathan in their new roles,” writes Stepanka Elias.
Resilient Warriors are taking a Mulligan on 2021
With golf courses still off-limits during the provincial shutdown, the annual President's Golf Tournament has organized a Resilient Warriors Virtual Panel that will take place today from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.
"Even though we are unable to be together in person for our President's Golf Tournament this year, we hope you will join us to re-connect and raise funds to support our student-athletes," says a message from the event organizers. "Once again, funds raised will be split between the "Warrior Excellence Fund", which provides support for student-athletes and teams when competing at national and international competitions, and the 'Women's Sport Initiative Fund", which provides support for female student-athletes and coaches. This year more than ever, we need your support for those initiatives mentioned as well to keep the momentum going towards a bigger than ever celebration in 2022."
Tickets are free for students, faculty, staff and alumni, and are $25 for members of the community.
Purchase/Reserve your ticket
The evening will feature a panel of past and present Warriors, including:
Panel Moderator - Mike Farwell (BA '97) Host, 570 News
Mandy Bujold, Olympic Boxer, Former UWaterloo Undergraduate Student
Mandy Bujold is an Olympic Boxer for Canada who is looking forward to competing in her second Olympic Games this summer in Tokyo. Bujold won a gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games and in 2014, claimed the bronze at the Commonwealth Games. Now an Eleven-time national champion, Mandy successfully defended her Pan American title in Toronto in 2015, defeating American world #1 Marlen Esparza in final. Mandy went to earn her Olympic berth with a gold medal at the American Continental Qualifier that took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina in March 2016. Mandy studied Liberal Arts at the University of Waterloo from 2010-2016 before putting her undergraduate degree on pause to focus on growing her family.
Kim Dawson (PhD, Kinesiology) Mental Performance Consultant, Mind2Achieve
Dr. Kim Dawson is a professor of Sport Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University and a Mental Skills Consultant with Mind2Achieve. Kim helps athletes to effectively execute mental control over their skill execution. By addressing individual differences and facilitating group dynamics, teams are able to meet their full competitive potential. Dr. Kim has now been with the Warriors for four seasons and she is also an alumna of UWaterloo, receiving her PhD in Psychomotor Behavior from the Department of Kinesiology.
Tre Ford, Fourth Year Football Student-Athlete
Tre Ford is in his fourth year with the Warriors football team and has been a key part of the programs turn around. In his first season with the Warriors (2017), Ford was named both the OUA and U SPORTS rookie of the year. He followed that up in 2018 with a dominating sophomore season, and was named the OUA MVP. In 2019, he kept the pedal to the medal with yet two more awards, earning second-team all-star status at both the provincial and national level. Tre is enrolled in the Recreation and Sport Business undergraduate program at UWaterloo.
Garrett Rank (BA, Economics), NHL Referee, Canadian Amateur Golfer
Garrett Rank was a member of the Warriors men's hockey team and most notably the golf team winning back-to-back OUA individual titles in 2010 and 2011. Rank was also named the 2012 Totzke Trophy winner as Waterloo's Male Athlete of the Year. Rank has gone on to have incredible success both on the links as an amateur golfer (competing for team Canada until 2014), and in the hockey world, becoming a referee in the NHL. Rank made his officiating debut on January 15, 2015 and has been a regular in NHL arenas across North America ever since. Garrett is a proud UWaterloo alumnus, graduating from the Department of Economics in 2012.
"There will be a silent auction as well as an opportunity for us to recognize and thank Feridun Hamdullahpur as his term as Vice-Chancellor and President at the University of Waterloo comes to an end," organizers say. "Please join us for this exciting virtual event as we take a mulligan on 2021 and look ahead to 2022." Bid on the auction items.
Fore more information about the event, visit the Athletics and Recreation website.
Test of the campus emergency communication system June 2
A message from Information Systems & Technology.
A test of the University’s emergency communication system is scheduled for Wednesday, June 2 at 11:00 a.m. Test activation and deactivation messages will be sent using the below channels:
- Tweets to @UWaterloo and @WatSAFEapp
- WatSAFE mobile app
- The ‘WatSAFE Desktop Notification’ on-screen pop-up for desktops and laptops
- Portal alerts and push notifications
In the event of a real emergency during this test, please contact Police Services at 519-888-4911, or ext. 22222.
Be sure to install the WatSAFE app on your device and WatSAFE Desktop Notification tool on your desktop/laptop to receive this test message, and more importantly, to stay informed of campus emergencysituations. Visit the WatSAFE website for more details.