Monday, July 10, 2023


Waterloo students win national evaluation case competition

The five members of the winning student team - Summit Consulting.

The winning team, Summit Consulting.

A message from the Faculty of Health.

Congratulations to the two finalist teams from the School of Public Health Sciences who were awarded free travel and registration to the Canadian Evaluation Society national conference, where they competed in the final round of the competition. One of them, Summit Consulting, won the national competition.

Made up of grad students Jiselle Bakker, Amanda Demmer, Sarah Sousa, McKenna Szczepanowski and Thepikaa Varatharajan, Summit won first place and is eligible to compete in the World Evaluation Case Competition in the fall. Summit Consulting’s presentation style and understanding of the complexity of the case put them ahead of their competitors.

The other team, Encompass Solutions, was made up of Tasha Lake, Karolina Kaminska, Maria Ramirez Prieto, Laura Peach and Ying Zhu. Both teams were coached by Professors Kelly Skinner and Jennifer Yessis in the School of Public Health Sciences.

“Kelly Skinner and I are exceptionally proud of both of the SPHS UW Case Competition Team finalist teams,” said Dr. Yessis. “They both represented Waterloo in ways that made us proud. Bringing home the top prize was icing on the cake!”

International microrobotics community gathers to celebrate 20 years of groundbreaking research

Southern Ontario Medical MicroRobotics Symposium (SOMMeRS) banner showing microrobots in a blood vessel.

The Southern Ontario Medical MicroRobotics Symposium (SOMMeRS) will bring together researchers and scientists at the University of Waterloo tomorrow. This symposium marks a significant milestone, celebrating more than two decades of medical microrobotics research.

Medical microrobotics is a multidisciplinary field where small robots, often less than one millimetre in size, are used for diagnosing, monitoring and treating health conditions. The emerging field has great potential to transform medical interventions for non-invasive surgery and highly targeted drug delivery. 

The symposium will showcase cutting-edge research from leading experts. Topics of the featured talks include opportunities for cancer treatment, advances in power generation, and innovations in fabrication using biomaterials and soft robotics.  

SOMMeRS is organized Dr. Veronika Magdanz and Dr. Hamed Shahsavan, both from the Faculty of Engineering at Waterloo. The symposium runs from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Engineering 7. Registration is closed.

Save the date for upcoming community forums; other notes

Following the recent hate-motivated attack related to gender expression and gender identity on the main campus, President Vivek Goel and Vice-President, Academic & Provost Jim Rush are hosting two community forums to hear University community members’ concerns and address questions about how to make campus safer and more inclusive, promote well-being, and move forward together. 

The forums will be held on Monday, July 17 in the Theatre of the Arts in Modern Languages, with an employee forum running from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., and a student forum from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Both events will be livestreamed.

Registration information will be sent to the University community today via email, so watch your inboxes for more info.

Friends and colleagues of Bernie Rutter are invited to join in celebrating his retirement at the Grad House tomorrow from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The drop-in event celebrates Bernie, who has worked as IT Specialist in Mapping, Analysis and Design in the Faculty of Environment for the past 18 years. 

The Office of Indigenous Relations is hosting its You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know Part 1 and 2 virtual workshop series beginning this week.

"This is a two-part virtual workshop that journeys through First Nations, Inuit, and Métis relations with settlers," says the event's background material. "As the title indicates, you don't know what you don't know so everyone is welcome. You will be introduced to the concept of Miskasowin (wholistic self-evaluation) that will define content, context, and relationship promoting further action, accountability, and responsibilities as a treaty person in this land now known as Canada." Part 1 takes place on Thursday, July 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., with Part 2 scheduled for Wednesday, July 26 from 1:00 p.m. Part 1 is a prerequisite for Part 2, so register for both sessions separately on GoSignMeUp. There are limited spaces available, so sign up today.

Link of the day

Yo ho, yo ho: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl at 20

When and Where 

Waterloo Warriors Youth Camps. Spring and Summer camps available for Boys and Girls ages 5-18. Baseball, Basketball, Football, Volleyball, Hockey and Multi-Sport and Games. Register today.

Half Price Climbing and Fitness Membership for the remainder of the term. Purchase now.

Student Health Pharmacy in the basement of the Student Life Centre is now offering Covid booster shots (Pfizer and Moderna) and flu shots. Call 519-746-4500 or extension 33784 for an appointment. Walk-ins always welcome.

Dissertation Boot Camp, Tuesday, July 11, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

SOMMeRS: Southern Ontario Medical MicroRobotics Symposium, Tuesday, July 11, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Engineering 7 second floor.

WUSA Student Life Tours, Tuesday, July 11, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m.

NEW - Drop-in retirement celebration for Bernie Rutter, Tuesday, July 11, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Grad House.

Introduction to Spoon carving (Green Woodworking), Tuesday, July 11, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

WUSA July Special General Meeting, Tuesday, July 11, 5:00 p.m., Student Life Centre.

Engineering Day 2023, Wednesday, July 12, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., CPH courtyard.

Food Truck Wednesday brought you by UW Food Services, Wednesday, July 12,  11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Arts Quad.

Finding Funding for Your Social Venture Part 2, Wednesday, July 12, 12 noon.

R+T Park Pop-Up Beer Garden, Wednesday, July 12, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., 375 Hagey Blvd.

Part-Time Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) Information Session, Wednesday, July 12, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., online.

WUSA’s Ice Cream Social, Thursday, July 13, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m., SLC Patio.

NEW - You don't know what you don't know Part 1 (virtual workshop), Thursday, July 13, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

2023 Consensus @ Waterloo trivia competition, Saturday, July 15, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

United College 60th anniversary celebration, Saturday, July 15, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., UTD Green.

NEW - UWaterloo Community Forum (employees), Monday, July 17, 9:30 a.m., Theatre of the Arts and online.

NEW - UWaterloo Community Forum (students), Monday, July 17, 2:30 p.m., Theatre of the Arts and online.

WUSA Student Life Tours, Tuesday, July 18, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m.

CIHR Public Community and Population Health (PH) Information Session, Tuesday, July 18, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., virtual. Register.

Systems Design Engineering Alumni Virtual Roundtables, Wednesday, July 19, 12 noon to 1:15 p.m., Zoom.

Velocity $5K Finals, Wednesday, July 19, 12 noon to 2:30 p.m., Theatre of the Arts.

Land Skills for Wellness and Sustainability Project, Nature Weaving, Sunday, July 23, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Food Truck Wednesday brought you by UW Food Services, Wednesday, July 26,  11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Arts Quad.

Shad Waterloo 2023 Open Day Exhibits, Thursday, July 27, 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Conrad Grebel Great Hall.

CAUGHT: Film screening and community building reception, Thursday, July 27, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Historical Inquiries: Illuminating the Past Through Student Symposium, Thursday, July 27, 5:00 p.m., HH 117 (MacKirdy Reading Room) or via Zoom. View the sign-up sheet.

Systems Design Engineering Alumni Virtual Roundtables, Thursday, July 27, 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., Zoom.

When and Where to get support 

Check out the support listings for faculty, staff and students.