Wednesday, November 16, 2022

2023 Global Engagement Seminar tackles energy at the crossroads

A message from the Faculty of Arts.

Our insatiable appetite for energy is one of the most pressing and contentious challenges facing humanity today. With technological, environmental, medical, economic, and political factors, societies everywhere have difficult choices to make in the pursuit of creative solutions. 

This winter term, Waterloo students will tackle this challenge in the annual Global Engagement Seminar, a course for undergraduates from all Waterloo faculties to explore the problem and possible solutions through an interdisciplinary lens. With the 2023 course theme, Energy at a Crossroads: Society, Technology, Environment, Health, co-instructors Dr. Angela Carter from Political Science and Dr. Magdy Salama from Electrical and Computer Engineering will encourage students to take creative risks beyond their disciplinary comfort zone. The emphasis is on innovative and collaborative problem-solving and will culminate in a Summit in early April where students share their ideas and projects with the university community and the wider public.   

Interdisciplinary by design

With course instructors specifically selected from different yet complementary disciplines, the seminar emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to real world challenges. Carter specializes in environmental policies and politics surrounding Canadian fossil fuel development and on new international approaches to climate policy, and she serves as a member of the Net-Zero Advisory Council, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Salama is a registered professional engineer whose research expertise includes distribution system planning and performance analysis, smart grid analysis, and renewable energy analysis. He developed the Power Quality, Electric Vehicle Power Electronics, Ultrasound Imaging, and the Sleep Staging lab at UWaterloo. 

Diverse mentorship

Six experts will join the course as guest lecturers and mentors to the students. Named after the seminar’s founding donor, the Jarislowsky Fellows contribute expertise from diverse areas that span academia, government, energy, healthcare, social justice, and climate activism. This winter term’s fellows include Dr. Tarek Abdel-Galil, an electrical engineer with extensive experience in renewable energy and power system planning; Dr. Courtney Howard, an emergency physician in Yellowknife and a globally-recognized expert on the impacts of climate change on health; and Melina Laboucan-Massimo, an expert in climate justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and women’s rights, founder of Sacred Earth Solar, and co-founder and director at Indigenous Climate Action.

Students can register for ARTS 450 Energy at the Crossroads via Quest. Learn more about the 2023 Global Engagement Seminar.  

CEE hosts students and employers at Waterloo Planning alumni event

Front from left: Jessica Nigh and Rosanna LePiane (Bousfields Inc.), Karen Vandenberg (University of Waterloo), Diane Schunk (University of Waterloo), Michaela Abatecola, Brent Orwein (WSP), Guest and Jimmy Petrie (City of Brampton). Back from left: Kate Dal Castel (University of Waterloo), Mirella Palermo (City of Brampton).

A message from Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE).

Last week, Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) participated in the University of Waterloo Planning Alumni of Toronto (UWPAT) 30^th anniversary dinner. The event, held on World Town Planning Day, took place in Toronto at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. 

As a ‘Friends of Alumni’ sponsor, CEE hosted valued employer guests at the networking event.  Waterloo’s School of Planning subsidized the cost for current planning students and CEE covered the balance for a table of students. The students who attended had the opportunity to build their network with Ontario’s planning, legal and land development professionals.  

Harshminder Sidhu is a third-year Planning student, and a communications and engagement associate in CEE, who attended the event.   

“The event was great for connecting with other students, recent graduates and professors,” says Sidhu. “It was an opportunity to speak and learn more from planning firms and individuals in the industry.”  

Dr. Samir K. Sinha, a clinician and one of Canada’s foremost health policy specialists, delivered the keynote speech at the dinner. Dr. Sinha shared important lessons from his most recent research including the intersection of the health outcomes of aging and the planning of communities in a post-pandemic society. 

Celebrating retirees from 2022's third quarter

Human Resources has announced the names of those employees who retired in August and September 2022.

August 1, 2022

• Murray Zink, who joined the University in July 2007, retired as Instructional Support Coordinator in CEE - WIL Programs;
• Gini Kennings, who started at Waterloo in March 1991, retired as Administrative Assistant to the Chair in the Department of Management Sciences;
• Craig McDonald, who began his career at the University in January 1997, retired as Information Technology Specialist in the Faculty of Health;
• Tammy Neal, who started working at Waterloo in January 1991, retired as Program Manager in the Department of Psychology;
• Pat Kadwell, who joined the University in April 2001, retired as Network Services Supervisor in Information Systems and Technology (IST);
• Cathy Spencer, who started at Waterloo in Julyu 2015, retired as Administrative Coordinator, Graduate Studies in the Psychology department;
• James Baleshta, who joined the University in May 1980, retired as Design Engineer in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering;
• Deb Comeau, who started working at Waterloo in November 2003, retired as Account Coordinator in Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE);
• Armand Chiasson, who joined the University in January 2015, retired as IT Specialist in Plant Operations;
• Carolyn Hudson, who started her career at Waterloo in August 2000, retired as Executive Assistant in Advancement Strategy;
• Janet Mary McPherson, who began working at the University in May 1999, retired as Writing and Communication Advisor, Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows in the Writing and Communication Centre;
• Marion Reid, who joined Renison University College in June 1989, retired as Administrator and Student Services Manager;
• Nancy Gibson, who started at the University in January 1989, retired as Senior Animal Health Technician  Coordinator in the Office of Research;
• Jane Forgay, who began her career at Waterloo in August 1991, retired as Liaison Librarian in the Library; and
• Hilliard Murdock, who started at the University in January 2008, retired as Custodian in Plant Operations.

September 1, 2022

• Dragan Miskovic, who started working at Waterloo in June 1992, retired as Instructor and Advisor in the Biology Department;
• Dr. Lorne Dawson, who began working at the University in July 1992, retired as Regular Faculty in Religious Studies;
• Ron Koelewijn, who joined Waterloo in August 1989, retired as Area Manager, Operations in Food Services;
• Gwenyth Graper, who started at the University in September 1985, retired as Assistant Registrar, Admission in the Office of the Registrar;
• Paul McKone, who began working at Waterloo in October 1983, retired as Senior Design Instructor in the Department of Knowledge Integration;
• Brenda Avery, who joined the University in August 1994, retired as Housekeeper in Campus Housing;
• Allan Douglas, who started at Waterloo in March 2003, retired as Electrician in Plant Operations;
• Linda Beaulieu, who began working at Waterloo in April 1999, retired as Information Support Coordinator in the Engineering Dean's Office;
• Loron Pellowe, who started her career at the University in July 2007, retired as Manager, Student Financial Services in Finance;
• Mary Brubaker-Zehr, who began working at Conrad Grebel University College in July 1996, retired as Director of Student Services;
• Ian McKenzie, who joined the University in August 1973, retired as Programs Administrator in the Geography department;
• Sue Brubacher, who started at St. Jerome's University in November 2009, retired as Director of Alumni Development;
• Dr. Daniel Miller, who began working at Waterloo in September 1991, retired as regular faculty in Electrical and Computer Engineering;
• Alejandro Rodriguez, who started at the University in January 2012, retired as Custodian in Plant Operations;
• Jim Buchholtz, who started at Waterloo in November 1995, retired as Electrical Helper in Plant Operations; and
• Dr. Francine Vinette, who began working at Waterloo in January 2014, retired as regular faculty in the Mathematics Undergraduate Office.

Congratulations on your retirement, everyone.

Quantum Quest Seed Fund Round 11 open and other notes

"Transformative Quantum Technologies (TQT) is excited to announce that the 11^th round of the Quantum Quest Seed Fund (QQSF) is now open," says a message from TQT. "This fund is intended to develop new ideas and applications for quantum devices. This opportunity is open to all tenured and tenure-track faculty at the University of Waterloo. Proposals are encouraged that articulate the use of quantum properties in existing systems including superposition, tunneling, entanglement in applications, and the development of new systems that display quantum properties."

The application deadline is Monday, December 5 at 5 pm ET.

For more information, please visit Quantum Quest Seed Fund. For any questions regarding the fund, please contact tqt@uwaterloo.ca.

The Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement is hosting an information session about the Map the System competition on Thursday, November 17. "If you're interested in Map the System competition in Winter 2023, this is a great opportunity to meet our campus lead Elham and ask questions," says a note from the Centre for Peace Advancement. Attendees will learn about what Map the System is all about, have an opportunity to hear from past competition participants, and get more information about the 2023 competition.

The event will be a hybrid online and in-person session with a light lunch provided at 11:45 a.m. The event runs from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. at Conrad Grebel University College.

"Come out in person if you can, especially if you're on the look out for a topic or team mates," says the Centre for Peace Advancement. "We will meet in the Community Education Room across from the Grebel Reception."

Registration is required for either the zoom link or sandwiches at the in-person event. Register here for this free event.