The Daily Bulletin is published by Internal and Leadership Communications, part of University Communications
Contact us at bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
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Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
By Joy Braga.
Today marks the 12th anniversary of National Indigenous History Month, which started in 2009 with the passing of a unanimous motion in the House of Commons. In June, we celebrate and honour the history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in Canada. Indigenous Peoples’ vast contributions, both past and present, shape Canada and this month is a time for all Canadians to learn about, appreciate and acknowledge these immense contributions.
This June it is particularly urgent for us to acknowledge Canada’s historic and ongoing colonial relationship with diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and actively work within our own spaces, communities, places of work, and families to advance the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.
On May 28, the remains of 215 children were found at the site of a Kamloops residential school. It is imperative that we acknowledge and honour the lives of each of these children — and thousands of others -—while acknowledging and addressing the ongoing impacts of these losses for communities across this country. Learn more about residential school systems in Canada, and their historic and ongoing impacts.
While the entire month of June represents an opportunity to learn about Indigenous history and culture, June 21st is especially important because it is National Indigenous Peoples Day (previously called National Aboriginal Day when it was announced in 1996). June 21st also marks the arrival of the summer solstice and the longest day of the year. This date has cultural, historical and spiritual significance for many groups around the world, particularly the Indigenous Peoples. While this day is recognized as a statutory holiday in the Northwest Territories and Yukon, it is not yet a statutory holiday in the rest of Canada.
As a non-Indigenous student at the University of Waterloo, I believe it is especially important for non-Indigenous people to commemorate this special month and take the time to learn about Canada’s treatment of Indigenous Peoples. Canada’s dark history of colonialism, racism and violence towards Indigenous communities continues to impact the lives of many today. With this in mind, we should also recognize the strength of Indigenous communities in present-day Canada as we work towards reconciliation and decolonization. Regardless of race or ethnicity, it is essential for everyone to learn about Indigenous history and culture so we can build a future based on equity, fairness and inclusion for all Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Whether you are learning for the first time or already have a deep understanding of these topics, I encourage you to explore new resources and attend the virtual events hosted by the Indigenous Initiatives Office this month.
The Indigenous Initiatives Office is excited to host a series of virtual events and resources to celebrate and give the University of Waterloo community the opportunity to learn more about National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day.
University events planned for the month include:
For more details, registration information and resources, visit the Indigenous Initiatives Resource Page.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo is capable of assessing the severity of COVID-19 cases with a promising degree of accuracy.
A study, which is part of the COVID-Net open-source initiative launched more than a year ago, involved researchers from Waterloo and spin-off start-up company DarwinAI, as well as radiologists at the Stony Brook School of Medicine and the Montefiore Medical Center in New York.
Deep-learning AI was trained to analyze the extent and opacity of infection in the lungs of COVID-19 patients based on chest x-rays. Its scores were then compared to assessments of the same x-rays by expert radiologists.
For both extent and opacity, important indicators of the severity of infections, predictions made by the AI software were in good alignment with scores provided by the human experts.
Alexander Wong, a systems design engineering professor and co-founder of DarwinAI, said the technology could give doctors an important tool to help them manage cases.
"Assessing the severity of a patient with COVID-19 is a critical step in the clinical workflow for determining the best course of action for treatment and care, be it admitting the patient to ICU, giving a patient oxygen therapy, or putting a patient on a mechanical ventilator," Wong said.
"The promising results in this study show that artificial intelligence has a strong potential to be an effective tool for supporting frontline healthcare workers in their decisions and improving clinical efficiency, which is especially important given how much stress the ongoing pandemic has placed on healthcare systems around the world."
A paper on the research, Towards computer-aided severity assessment via deep neural networks for geographic and opacity extent scoring of SARS-CoV-2 chest X-rays, appears in the journal Scientific Reports.
A message from Heather Mair, Tony Munro and Jim Frank, co-chairs of the Faculty, Staff and Retiree Giving Program.
From all of the entries showcasing the amazing talents of Waterloo faculty, staff and retirees, we’re excited to announce the winners.
In first place with 135 votes, Silvana Shamuon (Epic Kicks), from the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, scores a day off with pay. In second place with 113 votes, Alison Enns (7 Musical COVID Parodies), from Conrad Grebel University College, wins a $100 gift card for the W Store. Honourable mention goes out to Fulu Mao (Vocal Imitation: Swan Lake), from the Faculty of Environment, with 112 votes. Congratulations to our superstars.
Thanks for taking part in the virtual talent showcase. We hope you had as much fun as we did. If you haven’t already joined the Faculty, Staff and Retiree Giving community, you can make your gift online now.
Our heartfelt thanks for your dedication throughout the year.
The University's Board of Governors meets virtually today at 1:30 p.m. Among the agenda items:
The Board will also receive a report from the Office of Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion regarding sexual violence prevention and response.
Take your bike for a spin and win: Join the Sustainability Office for Bike Month 2021. With the warm weather here to stay, hop on your bike to enjoy the many benefits that biking has to offer (and help the planet while you're at it).
"Between June 1 and June 30, take part by sharing a cycling photo or your favourite cycling story for a chance to win some great prizes," says a note from the Sustainability Office. "Visit the Bike Month 2021 webpage for full terms and conditions and follow along on social media (@uwsustainable) for tips and resources throughout the month. Stay safe and happy cycling."
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.
Course templates are available within your course in LEARN to help you build and edit your content and assignment pages quickly.
The following workshops, webinars, and events are offered by the KL team (CTE, CEL, ITMS, LIB):
Mobius Q&A, Friday, June 4, 10:00 a.m.
Introduction to PebblePad: What is PebblePad and Why Would I use it? Thursday, July 15, 10:00 a.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 has virtual services and programs to help undergrads, grad students, postdocs and faculty members with academic writing.
Co-op students can get help finding a job and find supports to successfully work remotely, develop new skills, access wellness and career information, and contact a co-op or career advisor.
The Centre for Career Action assists undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, staff, faculty, and alumni through navigating career services that are right for them. You can attend a one-on-one appointment or same day drop-in session at the CCA for assistance with cover letter writing, career planning and much more. You can also book an appointment online or visit our Live Chat to connect with our Client Support Team. The CCA is here to help you.
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. Good2Talk is a post-secondary student helpline available to all students.
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 Indigenous Initiatives Office is a central hub that provides guidance, support, and resources to all Indigenous and non-Indigenous campus community members and oversees the university Indigenization strategy.
The Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre, based at St. Paul’s University College, provides support and resources for Indigenous students, and educational outreach programs for the broader community, including lectures, and events.
WUSA supports for students:
Peer support - MATES, Glow Centre, RAISE, Women’s Centre - Visit https://wusa.ca/peersupport to book an appointment
Bike Centre – Open via Appointments and Rentals
Campus Response Team, ICSN, Off Campus Community and Co-op Connection all available online. Check https://wusa.ca for more details.
Food Support Service food hampers are currently available from the Turnkey Desk on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Student Life Centre. If you have any questions please email us at foodsupport@wusa.ca.
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 is available.
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.
Healthy Warriors at Home (Online Fitness)
Drop-in to Warrior Virtual Study Halls on Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Come together in this virtual space to set goals and work independently or in groups each week.
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. 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.
NEW - Bike Month, Tuesday, June 1 to Wednesday, June 30.
Board of Governors meeting, Tuesday, June 1, 1:30 p.m.
Deadline to submit expression of interest to participate in the Universities Canada Global Skills Opportunity, Tuesday, June 1, 4:00 p.m. Send expressions of interest to Aisha Shibli, manager, international funding opportunities.
Concept Intro Session: What's YOUR Problem? Tuesday, June 1, 5:30 p.m., virtual event.
NEW - De-Escalating Difficult Student Situations, Wednesday, June 2, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
NEW - Concept Working Session: Researching Like a Pro, Wednesday, June 2, 5:30 p.m., virtual event
Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence, Part 2: Thursday, June 3, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
NEW - Alumni Weekend, Friday, June 4 to Saturday, June 5.
NEW - Concept Intro Session: Conversing with Confidence, Tuesday, June 8, 5:30 p.m., virtual event
NEW - W4: Waterloo Womxn + Nonbinary Wednesdays Workshops, Wednesday, June 9.
NEW - More Feet on the Ground Mental Health Training, Wednesday, June 9, 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon.
The Daily Bulletin is published by Internal and Leadership Communications, part of University Communications
Contact us at bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
Submission guidelines
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.