Thursday, June 15, 2023

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• Oh, the Humanities! Faculty of Arts convocation takes place today
• Restorative justice in education event coming up
• WatITis conference issues initial call for proposals
• Thursday's notes

Oh, the Humanities! Faculty of Arts convocation takes place today

The Faculty of Arts will host three convocation ceremonies today. 1,238 undergraduates, 221 Master's, and 20 PhD candidates will receive their degrees.

You can watch the Convocation livestream beginning at 10:00 a.m. today.

10:00 a.m.

Seana Bridget McKenna will receive an Honorary Doctor of Letters and address convocation. McKenna is a Canadian artist and director in theatre, television, and film. She has been a member of the Stratford Festival for 30 seasons, performing in over 50 roles. McKenna is a Member of the Order of Canada and is the recipient of three Dora Awards, a Jessie Award, and a Genie Award. McKenna shows great versatility in her roles and has challenged conventional Shakespearean theatre norms as one of only a few female performers to take on the roles of Richard III, Lear, and Julius Caesar. She has also received the Tyrone Guthrie Award in recognition of her contributions to mentorship.

Sharon Lamont will be named Honorary Member of the University. A Waterloo alumna, Sharon Lamont’s (BA, ’80) career spanned four decades, culminating in a Library senior leadership position and other noteworthy University-level achievements. During her career, Sharon’s leadership and contributions to the Library, community and philanthropy advanced the University’s progress toward building a culture of inclusivity and excellence. Lamont’s leadership extended across campus, notably with the Waterloo Staff Association, United Way staff campaign and Joint Health and Safety Committee. One of her key achievements was leading the Library to Silver Certification from Excellence Canada. Sharon retired in May 2021 after nearly 40 years of service.

Valedictorian Thomass Muir will deliver the valedictory address.

Sabrina Rose Romano, Bachelor of Global Business and Digital Arts, Honours Global Business and Digital Arts graduate, will receive the Governor General's Academic Silver Medal, which is awarded to students with the highest standing in an undergraduate degree program.

2:30 p.m.

Dr. John Borrows will receive an Honorary Doctor of Letters and address convocation. Dr. Borrows is a member of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation in Ontario and is professor and Loveland Chair of Indigenous Law at the University of Toronto. He is an internationally recognized scholar of Indigenous legal rights. Borrows is an Officer of the Order of Canada. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a Trudeau Fellow, and a Killam Prize and Molson Prize recipient. He also received the Indigenous Peoples Counsel designation from the Indigenous Bar Association for honour and integrity in service to Indigenous peoples, the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in Law and Justice, and the Governor General’s Innovation Award.

Dr. Joanne Wood will be named Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Dr. Joanne Wood retired as professor from the Department of Psychology after 33 years of service. Wood is recognized as one of the foremost experts in the world for understanding how personality influences relationships – particularly how self-esteem and agreeableness in one partner affect interpersonal interactions and relationship quality. She is also an expert on self-disclosure. In recognition of her work, she has received the Faculty of Arts Award for Excellence in Research and two University of Waterloo Outstanding Performance Awards. She is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, the American Psychological Association – Division 8, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.

Dr. Lorne Dawson will be named Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Dr. Lorne Dawson retired as professor from the departments of Religious Studies as well as Sociology and Legal Studies. During his tenure at Waterloo, he served as Chair for each department. Dawson is a Research Fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and a Senior Associate at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (University of Toronto). He is best known for his contributions to the fields of sociology of religion, and more recently, for his work on terrorism and the process of radicalization that leads to violence. In 2012, he co-founded the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security, and Society, funded by SSHRC and several government agencies.

Valedictorian Arjun Jain will deliver the valedictory address.

6:30 p.m.

Dr. Debra Pepler will receive an Honorary Doctor of Letters and address convocation. Dr. Pepler received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Waterloo and is a registered psychologist in Ontario. She is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Psychology at York University and a Senior Adjunct Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children. As a clinical and research psychologist, she has contributed to psychology through her groundbreaking work in bullying, aggression, and other forms of violence experienced by marginalized youth. Her work has changed how professionals understand the frequency, intensity, and impacts of children’s experiences of aggression and violence, helping to shape and inform Canadian public policy on violence reduction within schools.

Valedictorian Ammar Kamran will deliver the valedictory address.

Restorative justice in education event coming up

Join Conrad Grebel University College and Renison University College for a community gathering to connect and reflect on Restorative Justice in schools and classrooms, and to celebrate the launch of Renison University College professor Dr. Crystena Parker-Shandal’s most recent publication, Restorative Justice in Education: Liberating Students’ Voices Through Relational Pedagogy.

The event will take place Tuesday, June 20 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., with doors opening at 4:00 p.m. in the Conrad Grebel University College Great Hall.

The event will feature restorative justice practitioners, educators, academics, community members, and students to discuss restorative justice in education—focusing on kindergarten through grade 12, higher education, and the community.

Complimentary parking and refreshments provided. 

RSVP by Friday, June 16 at this registration page.

WatITis conference issues initial call for proposals

A message from the WatITis conference organizers.

We are pleased to announce the annual WatITis conference will be held on Wednesday, December 6. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the University of Waterloo systems, projects, and business initiatives enabled by technology. Do not miss it!

2023 marks the 20^th anniversary of the conference, and we hope to have a special session to commemorate the occasion.  

We encourage and invite all staff members at Waterloo to actively participate as a speaker, or panel participant. This conference is made  for  you, by you! 

You may be asked to attend a brief speaker meeting prior to the conference to discuss presentation materials, expectations, and logistics.  

For the hybrid format of the WatITis conference this year, we will continue to follow public health guidelines set by the University. We expect most of the participation to be in person based on feedback and past attendance.  

Submission deadline   

Please submit a brief synopsis of your topic or idea for a presentation or panel by July 7 to the conference website. 

Questions?  

If you have any questions, please contact the conference organizers at watitis@uwaterloo.ca. 

To learn more about WatITis, please visit the conference website .  

Thank you and we look forward to your participation! 

Thursday's notes

"Speak like a Scholar starts today!" says a note from the Writing and Communication Centre. "Here are some tips to get you started!"

"Don’t start in PowerPoint! Instead, spend some time thinking about who your audience is and what you want them to do, understand, or believe by the end of the presentation. For most presentations, you can really only get one big idea across, so take the time to figure out which message is the most important to you and your audience. 

Additionally, the WCC helpfully notes that there's only one day until Rock your Thesis: Plan your project begins. "Finishing up your coursework and starting to think about your thesis or dissertation?" WCC asks. "Start preparing for your thesis or dissertation with us tomorrow!"

Check out the registration link