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Remembering Peter Jordan
Campus Housing has announced that retiree Peter Jordan passed away earlier this week.
Jordan joined the University in October 1985 as a Custodian and later moved to a supervisor position in 2000. From there, he held several leading roles in Residence Facilities and retired in September 2015 as Supervisor, Cleaning Services in Housing and Residences.
"Peter was well known for his ability to connect with people; and could always find something in common with others," wrote Manager, Residence Hospitality Experience Gwen teBoekhorst in a message to Campus Housing earlier this week. "Whether it was talking about his love of food, fishing and gardening, or asking where staff were traveling, he had a sincere interest in what others were doing. He always made an effort to follow up when he had the opportunity to reunite. Peter valued traditions and helped influence a strong team culture in REV."
"He was often seen playing jazz music on Fridays in the office, and took every opportunity to celebrate events by organizing staff potlucks, participating in United Way Functions or putting up his Christmas Tree every year," teBoekhorst writes. "Peter truly believed that investing in relationships made life more fulfilling, for himself and others. He also made the student experience memorable by highlighting all the benefits of living in REV and welcomed many parents into his office during move in. He valued taking the time to ensure they knew the building and staff who were going to take care of their children."
"Many staff remember Peter as the Supervisor who always finished lunch by 10:30 a.m. Peter was extremely empathetic, patient and was such a genuinely great person. He made sure that life at work was fun and filled with laughter and we will forever be grateful for the experience we’ve had to work alongside him."
Other colleagues wrote:
“Peter was well known across campus and within the department and quickly made connections with staff and students. He was always up for a chat about just about anything, wanting to share a good laugh and make connections with everyone. He would remember these conversations and bring them up with you, asking for updates and being genuinely interested in your hobbies, family and adventures. Peter’s roles changed as the department evolved allowing others across campus to have the pleasure of knowing him. He will be fondly remembered by many”.
A memorial visitation will take place today at the Graham Giddy Funeral Home at 617 King Street North in Waterloo from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. A memorial service will follow at 11:30 a.m. in the funeral home chapel. A reception to celebrate Peter's life will take place immediately following. Masks are mandatory for attending events at the funeral home.
Strengthening Waterloo's global collaborations
Ian Rowlands, associate vice-president, international, University of Waterloo, Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor, University of Waterloo, Vinod Subramaniam, president executive board (CvB/EB), University of Twente and Tom Veldkamp, rector magnificus/executive board member, University of Twente.
By Vivek Goel, President and Vice-Chancellor. This article was originally posted on Waterloo News.
The challenges facing humanity are increasingly global in scale and require a more interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to uncovering solutions. It is why we work hard to build and foster international collaborations with institutions around the world. Recently, I travelled to Europe with Professor Ian Rowlands, Associate Vice-President, International, to deepen and expand connections with key partners.
After more than two years communicating with our partners abroad through various online platforms, it was inspiring to exchange ideas and perspective in person. Our travels took us to Germany and the Netherlands for meetings with leaders and researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Tech, the University of Twente, and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). We discussed education, research, entrepreneurship, impact, and engagement and how to continue our engagements between researchers and students at our institutions. Our complementary strengths will serve as a strong foundation for impactful results in many areas including AI, robotics, automation, energy, health technology, pedagogy and commercializing deep tech.
The conversations and interactions that we had during our visits were richer and much more productive than what could have been accomplished online alone. Being able to engage with researchers in their facilities provided us with a deeper understanding of where we could all benefit moving forward. This isn’t to say that advancements in online collaborative technologies aren’t worthwhile. In fact, they must continue to play an essential role in how academia interacts. Strategically sequencing virtual and in-person engagement going forward will be critical to building impactful partnerships while reducing our carbon footprint.
These conversations were also a reminder that although our contexts vary, there are many similarities and opportunities for collaboration. Together, we are also focused on wanting our students to thrive, supporting researchers and working with our communities both locally and globally. Despite a pandemic and conflicts that continue to impact our world, post-secondary institutions continue to play an integral role in bolstering bilateral relationships.
I was proud to represent the University of Waterloo community internationally. Our institution’s reputation continues to grow, and we see increasing numbers of institutions and industries around the world wanting to partner with us. This international interest is a reflection of the work that our faculty, students and staff undertake every day.
The University of Waterloo was founded by local community leaders to meet the many challenges of the day and to propel the region, and our nation, forward. Since then, the scope has grown further to reflect a truly global context, and I am proud to see existing and new global collaborations that are pushing innovation forward.
In order to build upon our reputation and develop new international collaborations, we need to continue to connect with partners around the world and to engage in person at key points. We need to be innovative in the way we approach the challenges that continue to impact humanity, and we need to take the time to listen, learn and share ideas.
GreenHouse announces spring term winners of the Social Impact Fund
A message from GreenHouse.
The Social Impact Showcase celebrates the amazing work that GreenHouse students have accomplished throughout their social innovation journeys. This term, each of the six student teams that pitched were awarded funding to support their ventures from the Social Impact Fund, established by St. Paul’s University College.
Students focused their ventures on air monitoring technology, medical miscommunications, climate-related emergency readiness, wellness, modernizing the landfill site assessment process, and disposing of 3D printing waste.
Spanish department to offer courses in English
A message from the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies.
The Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies is now offering special topic courses in English. The courses are accessible to every UWaterloo student, whether they master Spanish or not.
This Fall, our Special Topics in Hispanic Studies is bound to make you do a double-take the next time you hear Latin music on the radio. SPAN 344 – A Soundtrack of Contemporary Social Movements in Mexico and Beyond takes a deep dive into the revolutionary potential of music. Historically, music has been an ever-present part of social movements in Latin America. Often written to denounce injustices, la Nueva Canción kindled the spirits of the fight for democracy in the region. Today, this is a tradition continued by the rhythmic beats of Salsa, Reggaetón, and Rock and Roll. Take a listen to the course’s playlist here: tinyurl.com/v3tbbkaa. For more information about SPAN 344, reach out to Jorge Castaneda Ochoa, j3castanedaochoa@uwaterloo.ca.
SPAN 290 Approaches to Translation is another opportunity you can’t miss. This bilingual and interdisciplinary course is an introduction to translation that puts practical experience front and centre. You will participate in community experiential work, and work on a short translation for a non-profit organization in the KW area. During the term, you will learn a skill that can be used practically in the real world and equip you with the tools to begin pursuing a career in translation, taught by a seasoned Translator who can answer your questions along the way. SPAN 201A (Intermediate Spanish) or equivalent is required. For more information about SPAN 290, reach out to David Rozotto, drozotto@uwaterloo.ca.
Mario Boido, Undergraduate Advisor (mario.boido@uwaterloo.ca) and Yessenia Guerrero, Admin Manager (yguerrero@uwaterloo.ca) are also available to answer any questions about our program and our courses.
Virtual summer camp prepares to take FLIGHT
A message from Women in Computer Science (WiCS).
This summer Women in Computer Science (WiCS) at the University of Waterloo in partnership with BrainSTEM Alliance are running the second iteration of the FLIGHT (Future Leaders Innovating to Go Higher in Technology) Summer Camp. The FLIGHT summer camp targets specifically girls ages 13 to 18 who self-identify as Black and other underrepresented minorities and is open to students in Ontario as well as the Caribbean.
The goal of FLIGHT is to give underpresented female minds of tomorrow an introduction to Tech Entrepreneurship by teaching them about ideation, prototyping tools, and pitching their idea, as well as networking and career planning. We have industry speakers and coaches from local organizations such as Vidyard, Connected, and Durrell Communications, larger organizations such as Nike, Amazon, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as well as FEMSTEM Bahamas, Black Business Ventures Association (BBVA), and Bahamas Engineering and Technology Advancement Camp (BETA).
FLIGHT will be running from August 2 to 13, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily on Discord. Please note that August 13 is a shortened showcase day.