Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Masks now required for indoor academic activity on campus

A message from Vivek Goel, President and Vice-Chancellor and James W.E. Rush, Vice-President, Academic & Provost.

Before the start of this term, we wrote to you to confirm the University’s COVID-19 health measures for the Fall term. Since then we have continued to monitor the latest data from Public Health Ontario and the Region of Waterloo and remain in communication with colleagues in public health to inform our plans for the health and safety of our campuses. 

Recently, we have seen increases in COVID-19 hospitalization locally, and there are emerging trends from test positivity and wastewater that suggest increasing levels of COVID in the community now and in the near future. Taken together with higher rates of seasonal flu and other viruses, these trends mean we need to act now to protect our the most vulnerable in our community and to minimize disruptions to the end of term exam season.

Masks are now required for all indoor academic activity 

Starting November 9, this means that wearing a mask will now be a requirement for any indoor activity that is part of academic activity. This includes, but is not limited to lectures, seminars, tutorial, teaching labs, tests, exams and all other forms of academic instruction wherever it happens indoors. In certain other academic settings, such as office hours meetings, you may also be asked to wear a mask or ask other participants to wear a mask.  

Instructors who are teaching as well as students who are presenting may temporarily remove masks when speaking if they are physically distanced from others. 

We’re asking leaders in research labs where instruction happens to consider their circumstances and make their own decision about whether masks are required in the lab. Graduate students and other research staff can talk to their supervisor or the lab manager about the arrangements in their specific lab. 

While masks are only required for indoor academic activity, researchers undertaking research with human participants are encouraged to continue to wear tight-fitting, well-constructed masks for studies particularly those involving vulnerable populations, healthcare settings, or extended periods of close contact between researchers and/or participants. 

Wearing a mask is strongly encouraged for everyone at the University in all indoor spaces, though this will remain optional in non-academic settings and activities. When you are in close contact with others, please consider wearing a tight-fitting, multi-layer mask. A medical-style mask is best. We all have a role to play to protect the most vulnerable in our society.  

Masks continue to be available for pick up on campus in the Student Life Centre and through department heads for anyone who wants one. We are confident that everyone in the Waterloo community will continue to do what is necessary to stay safe and to protect each other.  

Students with a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask can contact AccessAbility Services to discuss their needs and apply for an accommodation from this requirement. 

This requirement will continue to be reviewed, but it will remain in place for the remainder of the Fall term. You can expect to hear more information about the Winter term before the break in December. 

Get boosted as soon as you are eligible 

Experts agree a that getting booster doses of a COVID-19 vaccination as you are eligible is important because vaccination continues to offer the best protection against the severe illness, hospitalization and death. Up to date vaccinations also reduce your risk of infection. You can book your booster dose on the provincial vaccination portal or by booking with Campus Wellness. We are no longer collecting information on vaccination status. The School of Pharmacy provides clear advice and FAQs on boosters.   

If you are sick, stay away 

As always, if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or think you were exposed to the virus you should complete the Ontario self-assessment to get advice on what to do and whether you should stay home.  

If you’re an undergraduate or graduate student who needs to miss classes you can self-declare your absence in Quest to let your instructors know what is going on. Please check the detailed guidance for declaring your absence. If you’re an employee, talk to your supervisor about arrangements for work if you need to isolate, and remember to log sick time in WorkDay. 

We know that more pandemic-driven change is unsettling and can be stressful. If you need any help coping, please know there is help available for you. Please reach out to one of the many resources for mental health on the Campus Wellness website. 

The COVID-19 information website continues to provide access to information and the University’s COVID-19 health and safety measures. 

Friesen Lecture with Dr. Lorne Tyrrell coming up November 17

A message from the Office of Research.

Waterloo faculty, staff, and students are invited to the Friesen Lecture where Dr. Lorne Tyrrell, recipient of the 2021 Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research, will present “Contributions to Viral Hepatitis: Vaccine Task Force and COVID-19” on Thursday, November 17 at 11:00 a.m.

Dr. David Lorne J. Tyrrell, OC, AOE, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRSC, FCAHS, is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Alberta with major interests in the prevention and treatment of viral diseases. His most celebrated lifesaving accomplishment in collaboration with Morris Robbins was the licensing of the first oral anti-viral drug for chronic HBV (Lamivudine) in 200 countries. This led to the establishment of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology in 2010 at the University of Alberta, where Dr. Tyrrell is its Founder and Director.

The Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research, established in 2005 by the Friends of Canadian Institutes of Health Research (FCIHR), recognizes exceptional innovation by a visionary health leader of international stature.

Registration is required to attend in person (as space is limited) or virtually.

Researchers discover security loophole allowing attackers to use WiFi to see through walls

This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

A research team based out of the University of Waterloo has developed a drone-powered device that can use WiFi networks to see through walls.

The device, nicknamed Wi-Peep, can fly near a building and then use the inhabitants’ WiFi network to identify and locate all WiFi-enabled devices inside in a matter of seconds.

The Wi-Peep exploits a loophole the researchers call polite WiFi. Even if a network is password protected, smart devices will automatically respond to contact attempts from any device within range. The Wi-Peep sends several messages to a device as it flies and then measures the response time on each, enabling it to identify the device’s location to within a metre.

Dr. Ali Abedi, an adjunct professor of computer science at Waterloo, explains the significance of this discovery.

Professor Ali Abedi tests out Wi-Peep.

“The Wi-Peep devices are like lights in the visible spectrum, and the walls are like glass,” Abedi said. “Using similar technology, one could track the movements of security guards inside a bank by following the location of their phones or smartwatches. Likewise, a thief could identify the location and type of smart devices in a home, including security cameras, laptops, and smart TVs, to find a good candidate for a break-in. In addition, the device’s operation via drone means that it can be used quickly and remotely without much chance of the user being detected.”

While scientists have explored WiFi security vulnerability in the past using bulky, expensive devices, the Wi-Peep is notable because of its accessibility and ease of transportation. Abedi’s team built it using a store-bought drone and $20 of easily purchased hardware.

“As soon as the Polite WiFi loophole was discovered, we realized this kind of attack was possible,” Abedi said.

The team built the Wi-Peep to test their theory and quickly realized that anyone with the right expertise could easily create a similar device.

“On a fundamental level, we need to fix the Polite WiFi loophole so that our devices do not respond to strangers,” Abedi said. “We hope our work will inform the design of next-generation protocols.”

In the meantime, he urges WiFi chip manufacturers to introduce an artificial, randomized variation in device response time, which will make calculations like the ones the Wi-Peep uses wildly inaccurate.

The paper summarizing this research, Non-cooperative wi-fi localization & its privacy implications, was presented at the 28^th Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking.

CIHR virtual information session coming up

A message from the Office of Research.

You are invited to a Health Services Evaluation and Interventions Research (HS) Information Session on Wednesday, November 23, from 12:00 pm to 1:30 p.m. The purpose of this virtual information session is to give potential applicants to the HS Peer Review Committees of the CIHR Project Grant program an opportunity to hear first-hand about the committee ‘culture’.

This session will cover what sort of proposals are regularly seen in the three HS committees, what aspects are generally well-received by reviewers, what factors are considered particularly important, how the committees’ mandate is interpreted, what types of proposals are transferred to or from other committees, and how the 3 committees are different.

The current Chairs, Drs. Paula Rochon (HS1), Robyn Tamblyn (HS2) and Andrea Gruneir (HS3) will be available to make comments on these issues and to interact with potential applicants on their questions. Please register.

IST is going Pro and other notes

Information Systems & Technology (IST) has announced that they have procured an Adobe Acrobat Pro enterprise licence for full-time employees, which will allow all full-time employees to use the software for free. 

What do users need to do? Full time permanent employees are automatically granted a license. Temporary full-time employees, can request a license using Software & Applications - Information Systems and Technology - Jira Service Management (atlassian.net) and selecting ‘Adobe Acrobat Request’ for the topic you require assistance with. 

"Adobe Acrobat Pro has been deployed to IST Managed Windows computers in Academic Support Units," says the announcement from IST. "Once a user has been assigned a license, they will need to sign into the application. Employees working in a faculty should check with their Faculty IT group regarding deployment to faculty managed computers."

See the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC - IST Knowledge Base - Confluence (atlassian.net) for login instructions, download information for unmanaged computers, and other information. Staff and faculty with previous Adobe accounts (VIP, personal, Creative Cloud (through a faculty or WStore) should follow the login instructions in the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC - IST Knowledge Base - Confluence (atlassian.net).

To learn how to use Adobe Acrobat Pro, see Acrobat tutorials | Learn how to use Adobe Acrobat.

The Associate Vice-President, Academic has sent a memo to faculty and instructors advising them of the recent labour disruption affecting all GO bus services. The disruption began yesterday at 12:01 a.m. and GO trains remain operational and stations are open.

"The UWaterloolife team has shared this information with students via social media and directed them to make alternate arrangements," the memo from David DeVidi says. "We are asking you to be mindful of the difficulty some students may face if they contact you as a result of this disruption. Please visit the GO website for service updates."

Flu shots are available for employees and students at the Student Health Pharmacy located in the SLC. No appointments are necessary. The flu shots are available daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, call 519-746-4500 or dial extension 33784.