Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Waterloo staff member receives prestigious Technician of the Year award

A message from the Office of Research.

Jean Flanagan, a staff member in the Office of Research is the 2023 recipient of the PMI LabDiet® Technician of the Year Award.

According to Julie Joza, Director of the Office of Research Ethics at Waterloo, a longtime colleague and Jean’s current supervisor and author of the nomination letter, “[Jean’s] experience, knowledge, and willingness to support, teach, mentor, and coach others,” made her an excellent candidate for this award.

Each year the PMI LabDiet® Technician of the Year Award is bestowed on a Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science (CALAS) member to recognize and honour significant accomplishments, exemplary leadership and tireless commitment to Laboratory Animal Science.

“I am truly humbled by this award and still can’t believe I won,” says Jean, “The history of winners is so prestigious and includes many prominent people in our field like some outstanding veterinarians.”

As a long-standing member of CALAS and the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS), and certified as a manager of animal resources, and a lifelong learner, Jean has been working in the animal care field for nearly 33 years. She has held positions in both the U.S. and Canada, working her way up from Laboratory Animal Technologist, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to her current role as Senior Manager, Animal Research and Teaching Facilities at Waterloo.

“Jean has made incredible, impactful improvements in our animal facilities, and each day exemplifies our mandate to provide the best care possible for the animals we have the honour to work with. Jean positively impacts every person she meets no matter if they are a tenured faculty member, a first-year student, or a staff member from our plant operations department,” says one of her colleagues.

This is not the first time Jean has been honoured for her excellent work by CALAS. In 2014 Jean was given the Allentown Leadership Award.

“For me, the best part of my job, besides caring for the animals, is teaching. I enjoy training and coaching others and invite any opportunity to do this. I am here to assist them in any way I can, and I think they appreciate that,” says Jean.

As essential workers at the Waterloo, Jean and her team work diligently every day providing care for the animals while both personally and professionally living through more than two years of a pandemic.

“Jean rises above what anyone would expect, goes the extra mile, while always maintaining a cheerful outlook and positive approach,” continues Joza.

The award was presented to Jean at the Gala Celebration on May 9 at the 2023 CALAS/ACSAL Annual Symposium in Montreal, Quebec.

Leading by example

By Angie Docking. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

Naomie Seh Abomo, a fourth-year civil engineering student at the University of Waterloo, has been awarded Canada’s 3M National Student Fellowship Award. She is one of just 10 students from across the country to receive this prestigious national fellowship in recognition of her outstanding leadership and dedication to her community.

Seh Abomo is the first Waterloo Engineering student to receive this honour. Awarded by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STHLE), the fellowship honours students who embrace a vision of education that enhances their academic experience beyond the classroom. 

“Much of my academic journey has involved finding the best learning strategies for me, so I’m passionate about making learning accessible to all, and I try to incorporate that in all that I do,” Seh Abomo says. “To be named a fellow, where I’ll connect with nine other like-minded students who feel as passionate about education as I do, is truly an honour.”

As a 3M fellow, Seh Abomo will receive up to $15,000 in funding to complete a project on teaching and learning to be presented at STHLE’s annual conference in June. 

Making space for equity-deserving groups 

When Seh Abomo came to Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering, she was eager to find a community and committed to making this vision a reality.

In 2019, six Engineering students, including Seh Abomo and upper-year engineering student Yasmin Ahmed, founded the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Waterloo chapter. NSBE brings Black engineers together and creates spaces for them to connect, network and learn about professional and academic development opportunities. Seh Abomo served as vice-president and president during the organization's foundational years. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, NSBE has grown from its initial six founders to more than 500 members, including Engineering alumni and prospective students.

In less than four years, the organization has scored partnerships with Google, Stantec and Smith + Andersen to provide workshops, skill development sessions and job opportunities for students.

Seh Abomo also serves as a student equity consultant, which involves bringing an anti-racism lens to Waterloo’s co-operative education program to ensure students feel safe, supported and knowledgeable about their rights in the workplace.

“Naomie has a true passion for change, and she has the unique skills, empathetic nature and visionary drive to make it happen,” says Yonael Debebe, a Systems Design Engineering student who also served as NSBE’s president and nominated Seh Abomo for the award.

“She knows how to get things done and empowers those around her to be the best versions of themselves. Her vision and drive were integral to fuelling NSBE to change the narrative of what engineers can look like.”

Inspiring the next generation

As part of her community outreach work, Seh Abomo speaks to upper-year high school students within the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, encouraging them to pursue their dreams, believe in themselves and embrace the lessons failure can teach. She is also the creator of the online community Sehintific, where she produces videos encouraging people of all ages to engage in science.

Dr. Mary Wells, dean of engineering and Naomie Seh Abomo.

She credits her parents, high school math teacher Mr. Mac, civil engineering lecturer Dr. David Brush, fellow student Yasmin Ahmed and the whole NSBE team for their support and belief in her ability to make a difference.

Naomie has made the most of every minute of her time at the University of Waterloo, from her academic excellence in the classroom to her dedication to enriching the Waterloo Engineering community,” says Dr. Mary Wells, dean of Engineering.

“She is an impressive young woman who’s just getting started. We are so proud of everything she’s already achieved.”

SVPRO hosts events for Sexual Violence Awareness Month

A message from the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO).

May is Sexual Violence Awareness Month and the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office  (SVPRO)  will continue to host events and opportunities to create awareness around sexual violence.  

SVPRO, the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region (SASC), Athletics and Recreation, and our KW post-secondary partners are hosting an evening of discussion on creating a culture of consent in sports with former OHL and professional hockey player Brock McGillis.  

Brock is the first openly gay men's professional hockey player and a leading activist in LGBTQ+ sports spaces. His work to shift the conversation around sports and the LGBTQ+ community earned him recognition as one of The Hockey News's 100 most influential people in hockey for 2022. 

With many stories coming to light about sexual violence and other harms experienced in sports communities, we are bringing folks together to discuss how we can collectively do better. After a talk by Brock McGillis, a panel of community experts will share their perspectives on sexual and gender-based violence in athletics. 

In addition, this month the SVPRO is conducting virtual workshops on how to talk to children about consent, pornography and consent culture, and dating and neurodiversity.  

For more information and to register please see the  SVPRO events page. 

SVPRO supports all members of the University of Waterloo campus community who have experienced or been impacted by sexual violence. 

Connect with SVPRO at:  svpro@uwaterloo.ca.