Monday, March 20, 2023

Register for the next Research Talks about sustainable urban environments

A message from the Office of Research.

Join the next Research Talks on Tuesday, March 28, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. where a panel of experts will discuss environmental sustainability and innovative sustainable design. The speakers are:

• Mohamad T. Araji, Director of Architectural Engineering, Associate Director of Research, and Associate Professor in Architecture, University of Waterloo (High performance architecture: Towards a zero-carbon mandate for environmental sustainability)
• Amelia Clarke, Professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED), University of Waterloo (Reaching net-zero: Climate mitigation at the city scale)
• Matthew Day, Community Energy Program Manager, WR Community Energy (Energy in the built environment)
• Alex Tedesco, Partner and certified building scientist, LGA Architectural Partners (What is the future of “building” communities and where are we now?)

The event will take place at Four Fathers Brewing Co. in Cambridge and is open to Waterloo faculty, staff, students and the general public. Please register as seating is limited.

W Store's Annual Clearance Event runs this week

A message from Print +Retail Solutions.

The Goose is Loose and they’ve marked down so many items at W Store! Starting Monday, March 20, be ready to shop in-store for items marked down to $20, $30 and $40!

Come shop the event from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in South Campus Hall across the hall from W Store. Don’t miss out on some great deals on select apparel, technology accessories, and stationery, while supplies last. Stop by to pose in our photobooth and on Thursday and Friday, spin the wheel for even more giveaways and discounts. But don’t wait – popular styles go quick.

Follow us on Instagram for more details and product reveals.

A candid discussion with Dr. Laura Mae Lindo

By Tracelyn Cornelius. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

Women face significant barriers when it comes to achieving equity, particularly in politics. Dr. Laura Mae Lindo, the Kitchener Centre Member of Provincial Parliament, addressed these issues at a recent event, as part of an International Women's Day (IWD) series, hosted and organized by the University of Waterloo, in collaboration with the Women in Communications and Technology Waterloo Region Chapter (WCT WR).

Speaking at the March 1 discussion called Barriers to equity: Women, political representation & family, Lindo shared personal experiences of being a Black, single parent involved in politics.

She highlighted that identifying and addressing barriers to equity for women is particularly timely and relevant as Canada strives to create a more equitable society, not just for women, but for everyone.

“Women face various barriers when it comes to achieving equity,” she said. “There is a need for a deeper understanding of the barriers that prevent racialized women from advancing in the system. This involves collecting and analyzing data on why women fail to advance, recognizing the intersectional identities of women and having meaningful conversations about these issues.” 

Lindo recently announced that she was leaving politics in July to join the University of Waterloo as a faculty member in the department of Philosophy in Fall 2023. Addressing her reasons for resigning, Lindo revealed that while she did experience racism as Kitchener’s first Black MPP, a lack of childcare was the primary reason for her resignation.

Lindo emphasized that childcare is not just a problem for women or racialized women, but an every-person problem that needs to be addressed. She encouraged people to face barriers publicly, saying that the more they do so, the more likely change will happen. 

“While research shows that Black single women face significant barriers due to childcare, a lack of affordable childcare is a barrier to advancement for everyone,” she said. “I hope that by raising awareness about childcare as a barrier, real change can happen.”

Lindo also emphasized the need to transform education and pedagogy. She said that she will be bringing a deep equity lens to her new role as a philosophy professor at Waterloo. The incoming professor is a Black Cluster hire, an initiative created to increase the representation of Black faculty members to address the systemic underrepresentation of Black scholars at the University and to be more representative of the student body being served. 

Before entering politics in 2018, Lindo was a former director of Equity at Wilfrid Laurier University. She also holds a Masters and a PhD in Education from York University. 

In December 2021, the MPP tabled Bill 67, The Racial Equity in Education Systems Act, which would recognize the existence of systemic racism and discrimination in schools and post-secondary institutions and require educational institutions to create racial equity plans. Lindo re-tabled the Bill in August 2022 with co-sponsors MPP Lise Vaugeois and MPP Jill Andrew. 

Now called Bill 16, the Racial Equity in the Education System Act was scheduled to be debated in November 2022, but Lindo’s father passed away that same month and the Bill was rescheduled. Lindo, whose resignation as MPP comes into effect in July looks forward to the debate being rescheduled. 

The discussion on Barriers to equity: Women, political representation & family was moderated by Dr. Jasmin Habib, Chair of the Political Science Department at the University of Waterloo. 

Building on the collaboration established during the IWD 2021 and 2022 WCT WR is partnering with community organizations to present IWD events throughout the month of March 2023 that focus on the theme:& Embrace Equity.

To learn more about more and to register for other events, please visit the IWD Waterloo Region events page. 

Waterloo Centre for German Studies to host a talk on Einstein's Brain

A message from the Waterloo Centre for German Studies.

Join us on Friday, March 31, for an evening with the award-winning Austrian author and playwright Franzobel. The author will be reading from his new book Einsteins Hirn (Einstein's Brain), based on the true story of Thomas Harvey, the pathologist who removed Einstein's brain after the physicist's death in 1955. 

 When: Friday, March 31, 2023 

• 6:30 p.m. - Light reception with finger foods and non-alcoholic drinks 
• 7:00 p.m. - Reading in German and English 

Where: Multi-purpose Room 1-42 in the Balsillie School of International Affairs (67 Erb St. W., Waterloo, Ontario). Free parking is available.

This event is free and open to all. Please visit our website for more information and registration.

Nutrition Month: how to access Registered Dietitian services

March is Nutrition Month! This month is a time to celebrate the diverse field of nutrition and the many ways that Registered Dietitians (RDs) strive to help Canadians understand the connections between food, nutrition, and health. The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘Unlocking the potential of food: Find a Dietitian.”

So far this month, we have introduced what RDs are, what they do, and how they can help to support your nutrition and overall health. You can catch up by reviewing the previous posts, here and here. This week, let’s focus on how you can seek out RD services for yourself and/or your family.

RDs can be accessed in many ways:

• Looking for general guidance about healthy eating? Ontario residents can access free RD support for general questions by calling 811. For more information, visit the Health Connect Ontario website
• Family Health Teams (FHTs) – is your family doctor a member of a FHT? RDs are often members of the interdisciplinary team in this setting. Ask your doctor if there is an RD available on your health team and if a referral can be made.
• Community Health Centres (CHCs) – is there a CHC in your region? RDs are often on CHC teams and may offer individual and/or group sessions near you (programs and services vary by region and eligibility criteria may be in place). A listing of CHCs in Ontario can be found here. 
• If the above listed options are not available to you or if you have needs that would best be met by an RD with a specific area of expertise, a private practice RD may be the best fit for you
  • RDs working in private practice are often self-employed and will bill you for services provided
  • These services can be eligible for reimbursement under health insurance plans, including Green Shield Canada, depending on the terms of your plan
  • Take some time to review what is covered by your insurance plan (or collective plans) to determine if this would be of benefit to you!

Stay tuned for next week where we will share some tips for seeking out private practice support.

Spring has sprung but the grass is not yet riz

It's the first day of spring today, and the Persian community will mark Nowruz, the start of the Persian New Year. The Iranian Students Association celebrated with a party at St. George's Hall on Sunday night.

If you're looking for the exact time of the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, apparently it's set for 5:24 p.m. this evening.

While we're on the topic of things green and grassy, GreenHouse’s Social Impact Showcase will take place on Wednesday, March 22 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., UTD 201 – Alumni Hall at United College. Be there or be square.

The voting period has opened for the staff representative election to the University's Board of Governors. All full-time staff members are eligible to vote in this election, which will see a staff representative sit as a Governor for a term running from May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2026.

The voting period for regular full-time staff (non-union and OPSEU) runs from today until Friday, March 24 by electronic ballot. Each regular full-time staff member will receive an email with a direct link to the ballot. The voting period for CUPE full-time staff runs from today until Friday, March 31 by paper ballot. Each regular full-time union member will be sent a paper ballot through campus mail.

Visit the Board of Governors - Staff Election Guidelines page for information on nomination, campaigning, and voting.