Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
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Applications open for the AMTD Waterloo Global Talent Postdoctoral Fellowship
A message from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA).
Applications are open for the prestigious AMTD Waterloo Global Talent Postdoctoral Fellowship. Setting the gold standard for postdocs in Canada, this top-tier opportunity for recent PhD graduates was made possible through a multi-million dollar grant from alumnus Calvin Choi with the aim of developing global talent.
The program supports top scholars from around the world who have a disruptive research agenda. Applicants should propel revolutionary talent in research and scholarship for the betterment of society that resonates with the public both locally and globally. Applicants to this opportunity should be proposing novel research that boldly challenges and advances disciplines, is transformative and has global impact. Additionally, scholars should be “eager to be visible” and be able to demonstrate leadership by engaging with experts and non-experts both within and outside the academic environment.
Successful candidates will receive annual support that includes a $75,000 annual salaryplus a benefits package. Scholars will also receive a one-time engagement fund of $7,500 at the time of their appointment plus access to additional funds to create disruptive research dissemination opportunities. The maximum term of the appointment is 2 years and up to six positions will be granted in 2023, including specific funding for Black or Indigenous scholars.
Applicants must have support/endorsement from a University of Waterloo researcher prior to applying; the application deadline is December 1, 2022. For more details, including eligibility criteria, the endorsement process, please visit the AMTD web page.
Waterloo will remember Pearl Sullivan
The Faculty of Engineering invites the University community to join it in celebration of the legacy of the late Pearl Sullivan at an event on Thursday, November 10 in Engineering 7.
Dr. Sullivan was the first woman to lead the Faculty of Engineering and served as the faculty's eighth dean.
"Pearl was a tenacious and dynamic force for Waterloo Engineering as she championed the Faculty’s work to advance education, entrepreneurship and research with global impact," wrote Dean of Engineering Mary Wells in an invitation circulated to the Faculty of Engineering. "Her many significant contributions have grown and enhanced our position and reputation as a top engineering school worldwide."
"Throughout her distinguished career, Pearl worked tirelessly to ensure that every Waterloo Engineering student had access to the world’s best experiential education. Her leadership was instrumental in building the Engineering IDEAs Clinic – a first-of-its-kind facility where students use a hands-on, problem-based approach to explore engineering. The IDEAs Clinic has proven to be a vital component in educating the engineers who will shape our future."
"As part of this celebration, and in honour of Pearl Sullivan’s legacy, we invite you to support the Clinic and help us designate this inspirational space The Pearl Sullivan Engineering IDEAs Clinic," Dean Wells writes. "We hope you will join our Waterloo Engineering community and the Sullivan family as we reflect on and celebrate the life of Pearl Sullivan."
The event takes place on Thursday, November 10, with a formal program beginning at 5:00 p.m. and a reception at 6:00 p.m. The event will be held in the Engineering IDEAS Clinic in Engineering 7.
Wicked problems require collaborative solutions
By Jon Parsons. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.
A new pilot course on climate change is bringing together unique perspectives from across Waterloo’s faculties and inviting senior undergraduate students to register.
The course, called The Wicked Problem of Climate Change, is being taught by six PhD students, one from each of the University’s six faculties, to understand the multifaceted issues that make up the climate emergency.
“We know that interdisciplinary learning and teaching are key to helping us understand complex problems,” says Dr. Anna Esselment, associate dean of graduate studies for the Faculty of Arts and an associate professor in the Department of Political Science. “This is a truly unique upper-year course that will bring together a community of undergraduate students from across the University to understand the impact and outcomes of climate change through different lenses.”
The pilot course is being offered in Winter 2023 with an enrolment of up to 60 students — 10 from each faculty. The six PhD researchers who are teaching the course have been developing it through the Beta Teaching Innovation Incubator, an initiative stemming from the University’s strategic plan and partnered with Waterloo’s Centre for Teaching Excellence.
PhD students, one from each of the University's six faculties, in an ideation and course design session. The unique interdisciplinary course, titled The Wicked Problem of Climate Change, is being co-taught by six students: Donovan Allum of the Faculty of Mathematics; Débora Andrade-Pereira of the Faculty of Science; Shehryar Khan of the Faculty of Engineering; Shahan Salim of the Faculty of Health; Jerika Sanderson of the Faculty of Arts; and Kayleigh Swanson of the Faculty of Environment.
“The challenging part about teaching a complete course about addressing climate change is that it requires people who normally don’t communicate with each other to do just that,” says Donovan Allum, a PhD student in the Department of Applied Mathematics and one of the six developing the course. “We expect students to come to class with a diverse set of perspectives based on a combination of their academic and personal backgrounds.”
For example, an arts perspective on climate change may explore responses to climate change in literature and popular culture, as well as strategies for identifying and addressing climate change misinformation, whereas an engineering perspective on climate change may bring up issues related to any technical capacities to minimize CO2 emissions or build resilient infrastructure.
Similarly, perspectives from health and biology may focus on the ramifications of an already-changing climate on the proliferation of infectious diseases and pest invasions, whereas a mathematical perspective may focus on issues related to global climate models and what can be learned from computer simulations of possible future scenarios.
The new course is open to senior undergraduate students and is an initiative of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs. It was developed with the support of the Beta Teaching Innovation Incubator through Waterloo's Centre for Teaching Excellence.
“Our goal through this interdisciplinary course is to give students opportunities for conversations and collaborations across disciplines so that they will gain insight from new perspectives,” says Jerika Sanderson, a PhD student in the Department of English Language and Literature.
Debora Andrade-Pereira, a PhD student in the Department of Biology, adds that “by challenging students to reflect on the roles and limitations of science for understanding the fundamentals of climate change, predicting impacts, proposing solutions and dialoguing with traditional knowledge, we will encourage students to develop their own stance on the Wicked Problem of Climate Change.”
Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) is looking to develop further Wicked Problems courses that take up other key issues facing Canada and the world. For now, the pilot course on climate change is inviting undergraduate students to register. More details about the course are available on the Wicked Problem of Climate Change webpage.
Simply Voting replaces WatVote web voting tool
A message from Information Systems and Technology (IST).
Simply Voting, which launched November 1, 2022, has replaced WatVote as the campus web-based online voting system supporting the official online voting needs on campus. The previous voting tool, WatVote, was a Drupal-based electronic voting system that will not be supported in the new Waterloo Content Management System (WCMS) 3 environment.
There will be a small overlap where active elections in WatVote will be allowed to complete before decommissioning the system, but WatVote requests will no longer be available as campus transitions to Simply Voting.
More information is available on the IST Service Catalogue on how to set up an account or get support with your election.
Questions can be submitted via the IST Jira Help portal. Use the drop-down options to choose what you need support with:
- “Simply Voting – account" to receive access to hold an election, or
- “Simply Voting – help” to receive help with an election.
Review the IST Knowledge base article on alternatives for other types of votes or surveying, Qualtrics Online Surveys, Microsoft Forms, and WCMS Web forms.
Link of the day
International Day to End Impunity For Crimes Against Journalists
When and Where to get support
Students can visit the Student Success Office online for supports including academic development, international student resources, immigration consulting, leadership development, exchange and study abroad, and opportunities to get involved.
Instructors looking for targeted support for developing online components for blended learning courses, transitioning remote to fully online courses, revising current online courses, and more please visit Agile Development | Centre for Extended Learning | University of Waterloo (uwaterloo.ca).
Instructors can access the EdTech Hub to find support on Waterloo’s centrally supported EdTech tools. The Hub is supported by members of IST’s Instructional Technologies and Media Services, Centre for Teaching Excellence, Centre for Extended Learning and subject matter experts from other campus areas.
Supports are available for employees returning to campus. Visit IST’s Hybrid Work and Technology guidelines and workplace protocols to assist with the transition.
Students with permanent, temporary and suspected disabilities and disabling conditions (medical conditions, injuries, or trauma from discrimination, violence, or oppression) can register with AccessAbility Services for academic accommodations (classroom accommodations, testing accommodations, milestone accommodations).
Instructors can visit AccessAbility Services' Faculty and Staff web page for information about the Instructor/Faculty role in the accommodation process. Instructors/Faculty members are legally required to accommodate students with disabilities. AccessAbility Services (AAS) is here to help you understand your obligations, and to offer services and resources to help you facilitate accommodations.
The Writing and Communication Centre has in-person and virtual services to support grad and undergrad students, postdocs and faculty with any writing or communication project. Services include one-to-one appointments, drop-ins at Dana Porter Library, online workshops, writing groups, English conversation practice, and custom in-class workshops.
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 (CCA) has services and programs to support undergrads, grad students, postdocs, alumni, and employees in figuring out what they value, what they’re good at, and how to access meaningful work, co-op, volunteer, or graduate/professional school opportunities. Questions about CCA's services? Live chat, call 519-888-4047, or stop by our front desk in the Tatham Centre 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Drop-in to in-person Warrior Study Halls on Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in DC and DP. Join a Peer Success Coach to set goals and work independently or in groups each week.
Renison's English Language Institute continues to offer virtual events and workshops to help students practice their English language skills.
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 is here to help, both in person and online. Our spaces are open for access to book stacks, study space, computers and printers, and the IST Help Desk. For in-depth support, meet one-to-one with Librarians, Special Collections & Archives and Geospatial Centre staff. Access our resources online for anywhere, anytime learning and research. Full details on current services and hours are available on the Library’s COVID-19 Update webpage.
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 Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) supports all members of the University of Waterloo campus community who have experienced, or been impacted, by sexual violence. This includes all students, staff, faculty and visitors on the main campus, the satellite campuses, and at the affiliated and federated Waterloo Institutes and Colleges. For support, email: svpro@uwaterloo.ca or visit the SVPRO website.
The Office of Indigenous Relations is a central hub that provides guidance, support, and resources to all Indigenous and non-Indigenous campus community members and oversees the University's Indigenization strategy.
The Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre, based at United 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 - Click on one of the links to book an appointment either in person or online for the term.
Food Support Service food hampers are currently available from the Turnkey Desk 24/7 in the Student Life Centre. Drop-off locations are also open again in SLC, DC, DP, SCH, and all residences.
Co-op Connection all available online.
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.
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.
GSA-UW supports for graduate students:
The Graduate Student Association (GSA-UW) supports students’ academic and social experience and promotes their well-being.
Advising and Support - The GSA advises graduate students experiencing challenges and can help with navigating university policies & filing a grievance, appeal, or petition.
Mental Health covered by the Health Plan - The GSA Health Plan now has an 80 per cent coverage rate (up to $800/year) for Mental Health Practitioners. Your plan includes coverage for psychologists, registered social workers, psychotherapists, and clinical counselors.
Dental Care - The GSA Dental Plan covers 60 to 70 per cent of your dental costs and by visiting dental professionals who are members of the Studentcare Networks, you can receive an additional 20 to 30 per cent coverage.
Student Legal Protection Program - Your GSA fees give you access to unlimited legal advice, accessible via a toll-free helpline: +1-833-202-4571. This advice covers topics including housing disputes, employment disputes, and disputes with an academic institution.
The Graduate House: Open Monday to Tuesday 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday to Friday 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. We’re open to all students, faculty, staff, and community members. The Graduate House is a community space run by the GSA-UW. We’re adding new items to the menu. Graduate students who paid their fees can get discounts and free coffee.
When and Where
Warriors vs. Laurier Blood Donation Battle. Join our “Waterloo Warriors” team on the Blood.ca website or app. #ItsInYouToGive
Warriors Game Day Tickets and Season Passes, on sale now. Cheer on your Warriors W/M Basketball, Football W/M Hockey and W/M Volleyball teams at home during the 2022-23 season. Purchase today.
Free Staff Workouts, Tuesdays and Thursdays until December 22, 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. Bootcamp-style classes in the CIF Field House and PAC. Open to all staff and supported by the Staff Excellence Fund. Find out more/register now.
Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) for International Students, Wednesday, November 2, 9:00 a.m.
Research Horizons: Cementing Ontario’s leadership in the global automotive mobility sector with Raed Kadri of Ontario Centre of Innovation and Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network, Wednesday, November 2, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. Please register to attend in person or virtually.
Road to COP27, Wednesday, November 2, 2:45 p.m., EC5 1111.
Crisis vs. Opportunity: Spotting and Addressing the Problems of the Future, Wednesday, November 2, 3:00 p.m., SLC – Black and Gold Room.
Warriors Men’s Hockey vs. Laurier, Friday, November 4, 7:00 p.m., CIF Arena. Battle of Waterloo, Alumni Day. Purchase Tickets.
Warriors Women’s Hockey vs. York–Sunday,November 6, 2:30 p.m., CIF Arena, Employee Day (free Staff and Faculty tickets sponsored by Homewood Suites; email WarriorsTickets@uwaterloo.ca for coupon code), The Alliance “We Are One” Game. Purchase tickets.
When Memes Go to War Against Russia: A Conversation with Christian Borys of Saint Javelin, Tuesday, November 8, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Hagey Hall 1104 (SAF wing).
Office hour with Roy Unny (BASc ’93, MASc ’96), Technical Director on Transportation Lessons from Australia, Wednesday, November 9, 10:30 a.m., E7-4433.
Applied Mathematics Undergraduate Lecture, “How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls,” David Hu , Georgia Tech Mechanical Engineering and Biology, Wednesday November 9, 5:00 p.m., STC 0020. Undergraduate student registration link.
Positions available
On this week's list from the human resources department, viewable on the UWaterloo Talent Acquisition System (iCIMS):
- Job ID# 2022-9370 - Senior Construction Coordinator - Plant Operations, USG 8 – 9
- Job ID# 2022-9431 - Assistant Manager, Maintenance and Security Services - Campus Housing, USG 7
- Job ID# 2022-9198 - Contest Administration Specialist - Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC), USG 6
- Job ID# 2022-9423 - Coordinator, Student Development Programs (Leadership) - Student Success Office, USG 7
- Job ID# 2022-9202 - Program Coordinator MMT and Mathematics/Teaching - Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC), USG 6
- Job ID# 2022-9410 - Supervisor-Graduate House - Graduate Student Association, USG 5
- Job ID# 2022-9374 - Data Processing Coordinator - Centre for Ocular Research & Education, USG 5
- Job ID# 2022-9429 - Graduate and Research Studies Co-Ordinator and Student Advisor - School of Optometry and Vision Science, USG 6
- Job ID# 2022-9208 - Project Manager – IST, USG 11 – 14
- Job ID# 2022-9421 - Communications Officer, The Water Institute - The Water Institute, USG 9
- Job ID# 2022-9417 - Engineering Student Machine Shop Instructor - Sedra Student Design Centre, USG 8
- Job ID# 2022-9327 - Information Technology Specialist, Research - Institute for Quantum Computing, USG 10
- Job ID# 2022-8985 - Associate Vice-President, Development Programs – Advancement, USG 19
- Job ID# 2022-8984 - Associate Vice-President, Engagement – Advancement, USG 19
- Job ID# 2022-9415 - Administrative Assistant - Physics & Astronomy, USG 6
Secondments/Internal temporary opportunities
- Job ID# 2022-9386 - Electrical Engineer, Electrical Safety Program - Plant Operations, USG 11 – 13
- Job ID# 2022-9409 - Manager, Finance & Budgets - Plant Operations, USG 12
- Job ID# 2022-9414 - Information Systems Specialist (Web Analyst) – IST, USG 10 – 11
- Job ID# 2022-9413 - Information Systems Specialist - Centre for Extended Learning, USG 8 – 11
- Job ID# 2022-9420 - Manager, Undergraduate Students and Peer Tutor Programs - Writing and Communication Centre, USG 12
- Job ID# 2022-9405 - Research Finance Coordinator - Institute or Quantum Computing, USG 7
- Job ID# 2022-9419 - Space Coordinator - Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN), USG 4
- Job ID# 2022-9425 - Student Advisor - West Region - CEE - Co-operative Education, USG 8 - 9
Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo opportunities