Monday, December 6, 2021

Waterloo hosts virtual remembrance ceremony today

Canada changed forever on December 6, 1989 when 14 young women were murdered in a gender-based act of violence at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal. This day is not only an opportunity to reflect and honour the lost lives of 14 young women, but to also consider and take action against violence that people who identify as women in our communities face to this day.

In honour of these and all victims of gender-based violence, the University of Waterloo, in partnership with the Canadian Federation of University Women Kitchener-Waterloo, is hosting a special ceremony of remembrance to honour the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

The event will be livestreamed on Youtube today, December 6 at 10:30 a.m. Speaking at the event will be:

• Vivek Goel, President and Vice-Chancellor
• Jean Becker, Associate Vice-President, Indigenous Relations
• Mary Wells, Dean of Engineering
• Anita Davis, President, Canadian Federation of University Women, KW
• Bardish Chagger, MP Waterloo
• Catherine Fife, MPP Kitchener-Waterloo

To join us, please visit https://youtu.be/mAXh0Myvalw.

Taking action to address gender-based violence

By Carol Truemner. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

Mary Robinson was a Grade 7 student standing in a hallway of her Ottawa school when she heard about the December 6, 1989 tragedy.

Only 11 years old at the time, Robinson recalls the “gut punch” she felt after finding out 14 women, mainly engineering students, were murdered during an anti-feminist rampage at École Polytechnique in Montreal.

“I was young, but it was still impactful for me,” she says. “It was really weird to think the women were killed because they liked science. But out of that feeling, I redoubled my determination to go into the field.”

After considering several career options, including becoming a veterinarian, Robinson decided to pursue chemical engineering at Waterloo where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Now an engineering lecturer, she served as associate director of first-year engineering for more than a decade before being appointed the Faculty’s first associate dean of outreach, equity and diversity earlier this year. One main focus of her position is helping build an inclusive culture that is free of barriers to allow everyone to reach their full potential.

Waterloo's 16 Days of activism

It was two years after the horrific murders and numerous injuries to both men and women at École Polytechnique in Montreal that 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence was launched as an international campaign focusing on the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.

In Robinson's new role, she worked with Waterloo Engineering's outreach department to organize its first 16 days of Activism designed for participants to learn more about gender-based violence and how to address it on campus and beyond. Multiple people and groups on and off campus contributed to or supported this year’s initiative.

Increasing visibility around gender bias 

Some of the 16 days activities and events include a virtual screening of Picture a Scientist, a documentary raising visibility around gender bias and racism in the sciences, learning how to use pronouns to correctly reflect a person’s identity and a panel discussion entitled Coming Out in Engineering hosted by EngiQueers.

Arden Song, president of EngiQueers, says the five panelists, a Waterloo Engineering department chair, a data solutions and research program manager, a professional engineer with 30 years of experience in the transportation sector and two recent alumni, will discuss their experiences with coming out as gay or transgender.

 “There are so many incidents in which queer people don’t feel comfortable coming out. And tied into the 16 days campaign, the reason some don’t feel comfortable is that people can get violent or have other very negative responses,” says Song, a management engineering student who identifies as transgender. 

"It’s important to talk about how educational and workplace environments can be safer and more welcoming so students and others can be themselves as much as possible,” Song adds.

The panel discussion was held on December 2 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. 

Everyone has a role to play

For Robinson, the meaning of December 6 has expanded over the years to focus on the importance of diversity.

“That includes the diversity of thought, the diversity of experience and the diversity of problem-solving techniques,” she says. “Everyone has a role to play.”

December 6 ceremony 

The University of Waterloo’s online ceremony to recognize the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women and honour the lives of the 14 young women killed in 1989 will begin at 10:30 on Dec. 6.

Speakers include Vivek Goel, the University’s president and vice-chancellor, Jean Becker, the University’s associate vice-president, indigenous relations, Mary Wells, dean of Waterloo Engineering, Bardish Chagger, member of parliament for Waterloo, Anita Davis, CFUW K-W president and Catherine Fife, member of provincial parliament for Waterloo. Registration is required.

Waterloo among top 25 universities in the world for founders

by Melanie Scott. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

The University of Waterloo is ranked 22^nd in the world for universities that produce the most successful entrepreneurs, according to the 2021 PitchBook rankings of top 50 colleges for founders. 

PitchBook is a financial data and software company whose annual rankings uncover which colleges and universities produce the most successful entrepreneurs. The global rankings are based on undergraduate and MBA programs that have venture capital-backed founders among their alumni. The 2021 rankings take into account companies that have received a first round of venture funding between January 1, 2006 and October 31, 2021. 

President Vivek Goel says the University of Waterloo is proud to hold this position among so many esteemed colleges and universities around the world. “At Waterloo, entrepreneurship is in our DNA. We are focused on nurturing talent by creating an environment that removes barriers and allows imagination and impact to lead the way,” Goel says. “With our unmatched programs for entrepreneurs, our role in supporting the Toronto-Waterloo Tech Corridor and our focus on nurturing the next generation of talent, Waterloo will continue to be a university that positions founders for success.”  

Waterloo is the highest ranked Canadian university on the PitchBook undergraduate list. Its startup incubators and entrepreneurial support programs include Velocity, Concept and GreenHouse, at Waterloo’s St. Paul’s University College. Waterloo alumni have gone on to become leading entrepreneurs and have founded unicorn companies like Faire, ApplyBord and Clearco. Velocity, Waterloo’s flagship incubator, has played a key role for influential companies like Vidyard, Embark and Brink Bionics. 

“Waterloo’s support for undergraduate and graduate students interested in entrepreneurship and innovation has a multiplier effect on the Canadian economy,” says John Dick, director of Velocity on-campus programs, including Concept, the Problem Lab and Zero Experience. “Many alumni directly cite Waterloo and Velocity’s programs as critical steps to their entrepreneurial success.” 

Dick says Waterloo equips students with the tools and confidence to make an impact in the world through a variety of extracurricular programs and incubators as well as courses in entrepreneurship. “Waterloo produces the largest share of venture-backed startup founders in Canada,” Dick says. “Many alumni use what they have learned to drive meaningful change as business owners and help transform industries by bringing innovative mindsets to established companies.” 

In 2021, Velocity saw alumni and residents collectively surpass $2.4 billion USD in funding, a 40 per cent increase from the end of 2020. Waterloo companies, many who got their start at Velocity, have helped fuel the Toronto-Waterloo startup ecosystem, which was listed as one of the fastest growing ecosystems in the world in the 2021 Global Startup Ecosystem Report. Eight companies founded by Waterloo alumni were recently ranked in the Deloitte 2021 top 50 fastest growing tech companies and Waterloo was ranked most innovative University in Canada in the Macleans 2022 ranking.  

The top three positions on the PitchBook undergraduate top 50 list are held by Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley and Harvard University. Other Canadian universities that made the cut include the University of Toronto, McGill University and University of British Columbia. Other ranking categories from PitchBook include the Top 25 MBA programs, the Top 25 undergrad programs for female founders and the Top 25 MBA programs for female founders. McGill University was the only Canadian university to rank in the other three categories, ranking 16^th in a tie with the University of Southern California in the top undergrad programs for female founders. 

Participants needed for visual acuity study

A message from the School of Optometry & Vision Science.

Researchers at the School of Optometry & Vision Science are currently seeking adults between 18 to <40 years of age to participate in a study on visual acuity (detailed vision). They have developed a new, more accurate, test of visual acuity designed for young infants called the Waterloo Differential Acuity Test (WatDAT) and are comparing the results of this new test with other clinical tests that are currently available. So that they can see how good the new test is to differentiate between people with normal or reduced vision, they are seeking participants with normal vision or reduced vision with glasses or contact lenses in one or both eyes. They are particularly interested in recruiting people with reduced vision at this time. This study will include two in-person visits of 80 minutes to one hour.  

Eligible participants will receive $20 per visit at each visit. For more information, please contact Victor Opoku-Yamoah, University of Waterloo at vopokuya@uwaterloo.ca.

This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Committee.