Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Distinguished Teacher Award winners named

The Distinguished Teacher Awards for 2022 will be presented to two faculty members, according to a report submitted by the DTA Selection Committee at yesterday’s meeting of the University's Senate. Associate Vice-President, Academic David DeVidi made the announcement to senators and highlighted the accomplishments of the award recipients.

Paul McKone

Paul McKone, Senior Design Instructor in the department of Knowledge Integration within the Faculty of Environment, has been described as a kind, humorous, and approachable instructor who always puts his students’ best interests first.  His teaching style embodies experiential learning methods at the University of Waterloo and utilizes hands-on learning, lively discussions, and collaborative projects to engage students.  He uses his eclectic background to create innovative course projects that engage students in real-world thinking—like an environmental design project for which students proposed designs to complement the new light rail system through Waterloo Park. Paul’s teaching style has also been described as consistent and inclusive. He provides clear background on the important components involved in projects such as project management, risk assessment, and stakeholder considerations. A former student noted that it never seemed as though he valued some knowledge over others: “He treated every activity in the program as a valuable learning opportunity, and he confidently presented all of what he had to share.”

Upkar Arora

Upkar Arora, a Lecturer at the School of Accounting and Finance, embraces a student centric mindset to create the conditions for active participation, reflection, curiosity and continuous learning by students, in and out of the classroom. His students admire his willingness to challenge them in the inclusive, interactive and innovative seminar series: Success Beyond the Classroom. Students are able to glean insights about diverse career paths beyond the typical accounting and finance roles, make more informed career choices relevant to them and navigate these with increased confidence. Faculty colleagues describe Upkar as “someone who has a vast amount of industry experience, who would take time to mentor countless students on a one-to-one basis.  He continually helped students through critical inflection points and continues to guide them throughout many challenges that they face in their careers.”  Upkar’s commitment to social and environmental justice, demonstrated by the work he is currently doing through Rally Assets, inspires students to explore the world beyond numbers and apply their knowledge, skills and energy to create meaningful positive impact.

Since its inception in 1975, over 155 Distinguished Teacher Awards (DTAs) have been awarded to exemplary instructors at the University of Waterloo. The DTA is awarded annually.

Check back in tomorrow's Daily Bulletin for the photos and citations of the winners of this year's Amit and Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching by a Student (AETS).

Waterloo joins Scholars at Risk Network

A message from Waterloo International.

The University of Waterloo is pleased to announce that it is joining the Scholars at Risk (SAR) Network, effective immediately. Waterloo thus joins this established global community of institutions and individuals whose mission it is to protect scholars and to promote academic freedom.

SAR arranges temporary research and teaching positions at institutions in its network and provides advisory and referral services for scholars forced to leave their communities for reasons including war, intimidation, and threats of violence. By joining, Waterloo will engage in–and contribute to–SAR’s two sets of activities:

• Protection: By arranging temporary academic positions at member universities and colleges, SAR offers safety to scholars facing grave threats, so scholars’ ideas are not lost and so that they can keep working until conditions improve and they are able to return to their home countries. Since its founding in 2000, SAR has arranged more than 1,200 positions for at-risk scholars.
   
• Advocacy and Learning: Scholars at Risk also provides advisory services for scholars and hosts, campaigns for scholars who are imprisoned or silenced in their home countries, monitoring of attacks on higher education communities worldwide, and leadership in deploying new tools and strategies for promoting academic freedom and improving respect for university values everywhere. Waterloo members will be able to join global peers on a variety of initiatives, and network with like-minded colleagues in working groups, workshops, and conferences.

“Academic freedom is fundamental to Waterloo’s mission to advance learning and knowledge through teaching, research, and scholarship,” said Professor Charmaine Dean, Vice-President, Research and International at Waterloo. “As a member of Scholars at Risk, we have reaffirmed our commitment to preserve and to promote the freedom to think, to question, and to share ideas, both locally and globally. Indeed, SAR will provide our institution with an important enabling mechanism for our support of academic leaders, educators, researchers, and students around the world who are intimidated and under threat of violence.”

SAR has more than 600 members worldwide, including 28 (now 29) in Canada. 

“Membership in SAR provides Waterloo members with multiple opportunities to engage internationally,” said Professor Ian Rowlands, Associate Vice-President, International at Waterloo. “The insights offered by the vast experience and significant expertise contained in the Network will serve to enrich our community immediately. Similarly, our own members will bring their knowledge and perspectives to enhance the global dialogue. Moreover, the opportunity to build an infrastructure locally to support hosting a scholar is another way in which Waterloo members will be able to become involved.”

With Russia’s continued attack on Ukraine displacing scholars in that region, and similar brutal and repressive conflicts raging across the world, Waterloo’s membership comes at a critical time for the preservation and advancement of important scholarship.

Waterloo’s membership in the SAR Network will contribute to advancing several of Waterloo’s strategic priorities, including the ways in which we strengthen sustainable and diverse communities. More specifically, as Waterloo aims to broaden its members’ understanding of, and engagement with, global communities, participation in the SAR Network will offer additional opportunities.

More information about Scholars at Risk can be found at its website. Waterloo International will be leading the university’s involvement, engaging in the kinds of activities listed on SAR’s ‘Get Involved’ website. Updates will be posted on Waterloo International’s International Opportunities page.

If Waterloo members have any questions or comments about our membership, they can contact Jessica Denenberg, Associate Director, International Relations at Waterloo International at jessica.denenberg@uwaterloo.ca.

School of Pharmacy launches new program to address gender gap in pharmacy leadership

Members of the new alumni mentorship program completing a workshop with their mentors.

A message from the School of Pharmacy.

In Canada, people who identify as female make up 60 per cent to 70 per cent of pharmacy staff but are underrepresented in leadership positions. This gender gap in leadership roles has been documented nationally and internationally.

This April, the School of Pharmacy launched the Women in Pharmacy Leadership to address this gap. The initiative has two components: a by-application alumni mentorship program, and an events and networking series open to all members of the Waterloo Pharmacy community.

The first of these events took place this month where an audience of students, faculty, staff, alumni and more heard from health-care executive and entrepreneur Amy Oliver. Oliver, who is a mother and trained as a pharmacist, unpacked gender equity as a human rights issue and gave the audience tools to work towards equity, no matter their role in an organization.

The alumni mentorship program was also unveiled at this event. The program received over forty applications from School of Pharmacy alumni and matched nine talented young women with mentors and leaders in the pharmacy field.

Read more about the program launch on the School of Pharmacy website.

St. Jerome's University inviting 2020, 2021 graduates to Homecoming celebration

A message from St. Jerome's University.

St. Jerome’s University (SJU) is welcoming home its 2020 and 2021 Graduates on Saturday, April 30, at a Homecoming event taking place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The celebration serves as a substitute for the Graduation Ceremonies that were cancelled for these students, due to the pandemic.

“The pandemic made it impossible for us to honour our annual tradition of hosting a Graduation Ceremony for our 2020 and 2021 graduates,” says SJU’s President and Vice Chancellor Peter Meehan. “We are looking forward to celebrating them in a way that is appropriate and are grateful that it is now safe to invite them back to campus.”

Graduates have been invited to attend a private and informal ceremony hosted by the president and vice chancellor, which will include a toast to the graduates, and acknowledgement of the university’s 2020 and 2021 academic and community award winners. The brief ceremony will be followed by a meet and greet with SJU faculty, Contract Academic Staff, and staff, refreshments, and activities taking place around campus.

“While we cannot replace a full ceremony in the traditional format, we are looking forward to connecting with our 2020 and 2021 Graduates in this more informal way,” says Meehan. “I look forward to welcoming them back to their SJU home.”

Invitations for Homecoming have been emailed directly to 2020 and 2021 SJU Graduates with registration information. Graduates are asked to register their participation by Friday, April 15, 2022. COVID-19 protocols remain in place on campus until May 1, 2022, and will be followed at this event. Enquiries may be directed to info@sju.ca.