Friday, September 2, 2022

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• Welcoming new Warriors to Orientation
• Velocity helps students build companies with real-world impact
• First-year students win $30K Amazon scholarships
• Campus will remember Kish and Helena Hahn
• What's open and closed this long weekend

Welcoming new Warriors to Orientation

A message from the Student Success Office (SSO).  

Waterloo should feel a whole lot busier this week, as new undergraduate and graduate students start to make themselves at home on campus.  

• September 1 to 3: International students get settled and learn about life in Canada at International Orientation; 

• September 1 to 4: First-Year Orientation begins on students' campus residence move-in day;  

• September 4: First-Year Orientation begins for those living off-campus;  

• September 2, 3 or 4: Parent and Supporter Orientation runs in the Village 1 (V1) Great Hall;

• September 6: Graduate Orientation;  

• September 7: Classes begin; and 

• Saturday, September 10: Orientation wraps up with an action-packed day including the Black and Gold Day carnival, and a Warriors vs. Guelph Gryphons football game. 

Watch video on YouTube

Find out where students are headed next using the open Orientation schedule in Portal, or see it from students’ perspective by following the #UWOW22 hashtag. You can also join in on the excitement by volunteering to support move-in this weekend or other new student transition activities. Take a look at our list of current opportunities to learn more.  

Orientation at Waterloo is a team effort, made possible through a shared partnership between the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), the Graduate Student Association (GSA), the Student Success Office and all six faculties. 

Velocity helps students build companies with real-world impact

By Stephanie Longeway. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

You’re probably familiar with the University of Waterloo’s world-renowned incubator, Velocity, but did you know that Velocity also leads student programming and resources on campus? Students exploring entrepreneurship can get support from Velocity at every step of their journey in turning an idea into an early-stage business.

This fall, we will have even more on-campus opportunities with the re-opening of Velocity Science — set to welcome a new wave of student trailblazer’s with a passion for starting a science-based company. We’re also opening the Problem Lab HQ and Velocity Digital creator spaces, in addition to hosting a lineup of in-person events for all skill levels. Students can validate their ideas and develop business strategies through workshops, hackathons, networking, one-on-one coaching and grant funding competitions like the Velocity $5K and more.

Recent Velocity $5K (formerly Concept $5K) startups include The President Braids (spring 2022) and Cauchy Analytics (winter 2022) as well as Maesos Technologies winner of the winter 2022 Problem Pitch.

After winning $5,000 in funding from Velocity this past spring term, founder of The President Braids, Adanna Amechi is excited for what the future holds for her business. “Velocity has the most amazing coaches, they helped me understand what is required of me as a business owner and a startup. They have allowed me to realize that I have so much potential that has been sitting inside me all this time. Most of the things I’ve done this far have been on my own, I’m finally feeling like a part of a community where I’m able to get ideas from people, talk to people and network.”

Connect with our creator community

Velocity and the University of Waterloo startup community offer an inspiring network of talent that welcomes students form all backgrounds and life experiences.

“If you’re thinking of applying to Velocity, just do it,” says Cauchy Analytics founder James Lowman who plans on continuing his work in Waterloo. “This is an ecosystem that I do not just want to be a part of it, but I want to see it flourish.” Lowman adds, “I really do like this area that we are going to be housing Cauchy Analytics here in Waterloo for that exact reason that it has an incredible talent pool.”

Watch video on YouTube

Learn more at the Innovation Ecosystem event

With the excitement of a new academic year and more programming on campus, we’re welcoming students back in a big way at the University of Waterloo Innovation Ecosystem event on Tuesday, September 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Join us in the SLC and explore all that our entrepreneurial ecosystem has to offer through panel discussions, founder stories, Q&A opportunities, networking and more. Students will be able to connect with advisors and mentors from Velocity, Problem Lab, Zero, Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, GreenHouse (Social Impact Incubator), Grebel Peace Incubator and the Library.

Whether you have experience or not, exploring new ideas, or are looking to take the next step as an entrepreneur, Velocity is here for you.

“I truly believe there is nothing more powerful than a great idea,” says Iris Redinger (BAS ’21), a former Velocity $5K winner and founder of Material Futures. “A great idea not only answers a need for others, but also a need within yourself. Value your ideas. Follow them and visualize where they might lead.”

Register to attend the Innovation Ecosystem event

First-year students win $30K Amazon scholarships

(l-r) Jadiha Aruleswar, Mairah Hashmi, Hewan Amare and Ayaan Daba have won $30,000 scholarships.

This article was originally published on the Faculty of Engineering news site.

Four incoming students at the University of Waterloo are backed by $30,000 scholarships through an Amazon program that was created to boost diversity in technology fields.

Hewan Amare, Jadiha Aruleswar, Ayaan Dada and Mairah Hashmi are among 10 first-year students across the country announced today as winners of Amazon Future Engineer Canada scholarships.

Waterloo has more winners than any other university in Canada in the second year of the annual program, which provides financial support to graduating high school students from underserved and underrepresented groups to help them cover their tuition over four years.

The ultimate goal of the program, which selects winners based on academic achievement and leadership in school, work and community activities, is to increase diversity in computer science, engineering and related technology fields.

Focusing on studies, not finances

“At Amazon, fostering diversity in the Canadian tech sector starts with ensuring that students from all backgrounds are able to discover computer science and pursue postsecondary education, focusing on their studies instead of financial concerns,” said Susan Ibach, the head of Amazon Future Engineer Canada, in a media release.

In addition to financial support, scholarship winners are offered paid summer internships at one of Amazon’s Canadian Tech Hubs.

Amare, who went to high school in Stratford, and Hashmi, of Toronto, will be studying computer engineering. Aruleswar, of Scarborough, and Dada, of Mississauga, are respectively enrolled in systems design engineering and computer science.

Watch video on YouTube

Campus will remember Kish and Helena Hahn

A message from Systems Design Engineering.

Kish and Helena Hahn arrived at the University of Waterloo in 1962 and long careers with the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Science respectively followed. They played an important role in shaping the University of Waterloo that we know today. Helena worked in many roles across science and served as the President of the University of Waterloo Staff Association. Kish was a founding professor of the Systems Design Engineering Department and worked for years as the admissions director of the program.

Together with their families, we invite you to celebrate Kish and Helena’s lives, work and contributions to the University of Waterloo on October 5 at 2:00 p.m. Celebrations will include a memorial tree unveiling on campus with a light reception to follow so we can remember them both.

If you can join us, please register at https://ticketfi.com/event/4697/remembering-kish-and-helena-hahn.

If you have questions about the celebration, please reach out to stephanie.smith1@uwaterloo.ca.

What's open and closed this long weekend

Somehow, September is already upon us with Move-in and Orientation in full swing. Amid all the hard work of gearing up for the fall term falls Labour Day, a holiday that occurs on the first Monday in September. Many University operations will be closed or operating under modified hours over the long weekend.

W Store | South Campus Hall will be open from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4, but will be closed on Monday, September 5. For other locations and hours check out the Print + Retail Solutions website.

Food Services locations that are open Monday, September 5 include The Market at UWP (8:30 a.m to 10:30 p.m.), Tim Hortons SLC (7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), Mudie's (8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.), and REVelation (9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.).

Food Services locations that are closed Monday, September 5 include Brubaker's food court, DC Bytes, Starbucks STC, Tim Hortons DC, Browser's Café, CEIT Café, Chatime DC, Ev3rgreen Café, Eye Opener Café (closed until September 11), Jugo Juice - CIF (closed until September 18), Jugo Juice - SLC, Liquid Assets Café, South Side Marketplace (closed until September 11), Starbucks HLTH, and Tim Hortons SCH.

Check the Food Services locations and hours page for detailed information.

Library locations will be closed Monday, September 5. Check out the Library website for hours of operation on Saturday and Sunday.

Athletics and Recreation facilities, including the Physical Activities Complex and CIF, will be closed on Sunday, September 4 and Monday, September 5. 

The Student Life Centre and SLC Turnkey desk will be open 24/7 on Monday, September 5, while the DC Turnkey will be closed Monday.

As always, there are a few essential University services and stalwart operations that never shut down:

• UW Special Constable Service, reachable at 519-888-4911 or extension 22222; and
• The Plant Operations maintenance emergencies hotline at extension 33793.

And while we're on the subject of closures, be aware that there will be several road closures, turning and parking restrictions on some local streets this weekend as thousands of students converge on the University District to move in and get ready for the fall term.

Have a great long weekend everyone. The Daily Bulletin will return on Tuesday, September 6.