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Celebrate World Quantum Day with the Institute for Quantum Computing
A message from the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC).
Today, April 14th, is World Quantum Day!
April 14 (4/14) was chosen in tribute to Planck's constant, 0.00000000000000414 electron volts per second, or 4.14 x 10-15 eV/s. The discovery of Planck's constant is widely seen as the origin of quantum mechanics, and underlies all quantum research. It defines smallest possible amount of energy you can have for a particular colour of light, helps scientists understand the inner workings of atoms, and has also been used in the fundamental definition of a kilogram.
To celebrate, the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) will be in the SLC multipurpose room today from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with their traveling exhibit, introducing the basics of quantum. From Schrödinger’s cat to next-generation cryptography, don’t miss your chance to explore the quantum realm and learn something new. The first 414 people who stop by will get a free cookie!
Can’t make it in person today? We’re celebrating virtually too. Check out IQC’s Quantum 101 resources, catch John Donohue, IQC’s senior manager of outreach live on YouTube this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. as he joins Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants to explain quantum experiments, or follow along with IQC’s social media (@QuantumIQC) today for some fun quantum facts, get a sneak peek of the exhibit, and more.
Happy World Quantum Day, UWaterloo!
Waterloo breaks ground on Innovation Arena
From left: Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, local entrepreneur, angel investor and community leader Mike Stork, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo Vivek Goel and Member of Parliament for Waterloo Bardish Chagger stand before the new Innovation Arena in downtown Kitchener.
The University of Waterloo and Velocity officially expanded their presence in downtown Kitchener yesterday with a groundbreaking event at the new Innovation Arena building on Waterloo's Health Sciences campus.
The new site is part of Waterloo's expanding pipeline for health innovation in southwestern Ontario, thanks to funding from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Ontario's provincial government, the City of Kitchener and philanthropic gifts.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford attended the groundbreaking ceremony and announced the province's investment of $7.5 million in the Innovation Arena.
The Innovation Arena will feature collaborative spaces to inspire partnerships and facilitate exchanges between businesses, founders, researchers and community partners. The space will also be the new home of Velocity, Waterloo's signature entrepreneurship program. The new, purpose-built space will allow Velocity to streamline commercialization, fast-track entrepreneurs, and support the global economy.
"It's great to see the Team Ontario spirit in action with the University of Waterloo, the private sector and all levels of government coming together to build this world-class facility," said Premier Ford. "As we continue to grow our province's life sciences sector, the new Innovation Arena will accelerate the development and commercialization of made in Ontario innovations, create new jobs and help to attract investments to Kitchener and Waterloo."
"The Innovation Arena is driven by a community that has a common vision, a bold strategy and the talent, research and ideas to deliver on possibilities," said Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo. "Momentum in the Waterloo region and the city of Kitchener is building to support technology-inspired innovations in health care and delivery. The Innovation Arena will also play a crucial role in expanding the impact and scope of Waterloo's flagship incubator, Velocity."
The $10-million FedDev Ontario investment supports a new partnership between Velocity, Western University and Medical Innovation Xchange to build a southwestern Ontario Health Innovation network.
This partnership will strengthen the Canadian tech ecosystem, specifically in the health and medtech sector, by supporting innovators and entrepreneurs from start to scale, providing companies with business, clinical, regulatory, and fundraising expertise and access to labs, facilities, and equipment. Parts of the funding will be allocated to lab equipment for Waterloo's Innovation Arena.
"Today's groundbreaking celebration is an important step forward as we work to anchor innovative health tech firms right here in the Waterloo Region and southwestern Ontario," said the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Member of Parliament for Waterloo. "Our government will continue to support strategic partnerships like the southwestern Ontario health tech innovation cluster, which promotes economic growth and builds on our region's strengths while helping Canada remain a world leader in innovative health technologies."
The investment follows the City of Kitchener's announcement of $8.5 million and another $1.5 million from local entrepreneur, angel investor and community leader Mike Stork towards the construction of the Innovation Arena. The 90,000-square-foot facility, located within Downtown Kitchener's Innovation District, will co-locate start-ups and early scaling companies and create connections to local small/medium-sized enterprises and organizations that are part of the commercialization continuum.
The Innovation Arena is also expertly designed to foster collaboration with the core purpose of streamlining commercialization pathways for businesses and fast-tracking the delivery of health technologies and solutions for Canadians. The space will feature shared product development labs and collaborative office spaces to inspire partnerships and facilitate exchanges between businesses, founders, researchers and community partners.
"Innovation in health care to improve the quality of life of the residents we serve is a priority for the City of Kitchener and cities around the world, and that's why City Council's first major investment from Kitchener's Economic Development Investment Fund (EDIF) 2.0 was $8.5 million towards the University of Waterloo's Innovation Arena to support our growing health technology start-up and scaleup ecosystem," said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. "Today's groundbreaking for this new facility shows what is possible when all three orders of government work together with the private, not-for-profit and academic sectors to create new local businesses and jobs, expand the local innovation ecosystem, and create an investment environment that serves as a gamechanger for Kitchener, Ontario, Canada and beyond."
Through this project, the University of Waterloo and its partners expect to create 730 skilled jobs, support the development and growth of 135 businesses and commercialize 150 new health-related products, services or processes. It will also help anchor a growing number of health-tech firms in southwestern Ontario, contributing to regional growth while attracting international start-ups to Waterloo.
Velocity's expansion to the Innovation Arena will deepen its ability to support health-tech, deep-tech and software companies and double the number of companies it can assist annually.
Velocity, which started as a dorm residence on the University of Waterloo campus in 2008, has seen its companies create over 5,000 jobs, with over 100 companies settling in southwestern Ontario. Velocity companies now have a total enterprise value of just over USD $26B.
A 2019 study by Deloitte found that the economic impact of the University of Waterloo's entrepreneurship programs included over $80 million to Waterloo Region's GDP in 2018/19.
University issues call for nominations for Chancellor
The University of Waterloo is searching for a Chancellor to succeed Dominic Barton, whose term will be completed on 30 June 2024, and has opened a call for nominations.
The position of Chancellor is voluntary and by agreeing to serve, the Chancellor is committing to a role of significant public service. The Chancellor holds office for a renewable three-year term.
The ideal Chancellor will reflect the values of the University and serve as an inspiration to the community. The Chancellor will be committed to Indigenization and Truth and Reconciliation and will have a strong desire to further the University’s commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. The Chancellor will act as an ambassador for the University, supporting engagement with the external community, building partnerships with a variety of stakeholders and rallying support for the University’s initiatives and priorities around the vision for Waterloo at 100.
The next Chancellor's term will run from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2027.
The office of Chancellor is established in the University of Waterloo Act, 1972. The Chancellor is elected by the University’s Senate and as titular head of the University, presides over Convocation ceremonies and confers all degrees.
Beyond their ceremonial roles, the Chancellor serves as a member of the University’s Board of Governors and Senate and plays an important role in the governance of the University. The Chancellor also serves as a key ambassador for the institution, connecting it with the broader community and advancing the University’s interests locally, provincially, nationally and internationally.
All members of the University community are invited to nominate outstanding individuals for this important role. Please forward nominations by May 1 to:
Chancellor Nominating Committee
University Secretariat
200 University Avenue West Waterloo, ON
N2L 3G1
All nominations will be treated in confidence.
Work-Learn Institute wins national award for best research paper
By Namish Modi.
The University of Waterloo’s Work-Learn Institute (WxL) is this year’s recipient of the Co-operative Education and Internship Association (CEIA) Ralph W. Tyler Award.
Judene Pretti, Anne Fannon and Dave Drewery receiving the CEIA Ralph W. Tyler Award.
CEIA recognized WxL on April 4th at a ceremony held in San Diego, California.
The national award recognizes excellence for outstanding and distinguished research in co-operative education, internships and work-integrated learning (WIL).
The winning article, titled The Work-Learn Institute: A Living Lab for Work-Integrated Learning Research, was authored by Katie Knapp, research associate at WxL.
Experience magazine, a publication of CEIA, published the article, which highlights some of WXL’s recent research.
With this award, CEIA recognizes WxL for being a one-of-a-kind research centre conducting meaningful and impactful research in the world of WIL.
"As we look toward the future of work, we strive to identify the ways that WIL can develop talent for a complex future," says Anne Fannon, Director of the Work-Learn Institute. "We are proud to receive this award from CEIA which highlights the importance of research in advancing the practice of WIL."
Key highlights from the award-winning paper
The paper focuses on the creation of the Future Ready Talent Framework (FRTF) and the AAA ★ quality framework.
As Governments provided funding to increase access to WIL experiences for post-secondary students, WxL created the AAA ★ WIL quality framework. The framework provides guidance for those planning and administering WIL programs. It is a research-informed tool to help ensure that organizations deliver quality WIL.
Another example of WxL’s research focused on the building blocks of relevant work experiences. Through their research, including interviews with co-op students, WxL identified four major factors that impact student experiences:
- Social integration
- Appropriate level of challenge
- Alignment with students’ field of work
- Acquisition of new knowledge and skills
Educators, employers, and WIL facilitators all benefit from these study results as they build WIL programs and experiences and consider the future of work.
The FRTF helps identify core competencies that are essential for the future of work. The evidence-based tool addresses crucial competencies for students, employers, and educators that will be in demand in the future workplace.
Originally founded in 2002 as the Waterloo Centre for Advancement of Co-operative Education, WxL is committed to establishing quality standards for meaningful, high-quality co-operative education and WIL programs and supporting stakeholders in the development and enhancement of WIL.
WxL is open to collaborative research and partnership opportunities with the industry and post-secondary colleagues.