Tuesday, September 5, 2023


Waterloo welcomes the 2023 cohort of Schulich Leaders

A collage of the 10 Schulich Leader Scholarship award winners.

A message from University Relations.

As the fall term begins, the University of Waterloo is pleased to welcome 10 new first-year students to its cohort, through the Schulich Leader Scholarships program. Awarded annually to 100 high school students across Canada, the Schulich Leader Scholarships are granted to exceptional students who show great entrepreneurial promise in the field of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).  

For 12 consecutive years, the University of Waterloo has been called “home” for budding STEM scholars who are recipients of this award. Each scholarship recipient can expect between $100,000 and $120,000, which allows them to focus on their studies, knowing that their financial needs are covered.  

Since 2012, Waterloo has welcomed nearly 70 Schulich Leader Scholarship students.  

Learn more about the latest class of Schulich Leader Scholarship winners.  

When there is no 9-1-1

An Emergency Response Africa ambulance patrols a street in an African city.

From the fall issue of the Waterloo Magazine: The New Entrepreneur

Folake  Owodunni Originally from Nigeria,  Folake  Owodunni  (MBET ’21) was compelled to create Emergency Response Africa to address the gaps in health services available to people living in Africa.  

In many parts of the continent, there is no consistent or reliable central emergency service to call when a person is in medical distress.  Owodunni’s  health-tech company is transforming the way medical emergencies are managed in Africa, beginning in Nigeria, by connecting communities to a large network of first responders, emergency vehicles and hospitals in minutes.   

Read what inspired Owodunni to launch her social enterprise, and her vision for the future of health care in Africa.  
 

IST announces new Director, Information Systems

Mike Gaspic

A message from Information Systems & Technology (IST).

IST is pleased to announce that Mike Gaspic has been hired as the Director, Information Systems, effective August 28. Mike is celebrating 20 years at Waterloo in 2023, having begun his career in 2003 as a Computer Administrator in the Registrar's Office before moving to the Information Systems group in IST in 2010. 

Mike has deep experience in the implementation and support of both enterprise and departmental information systems across Waterloo, as a Business Analyst, Project Manager, and Manager of both the Departmental and Campus Applications, and Enterprise Systems teams.  

Since 2021, Mike's leadership of the Enterprise Systems team in IST has focused on support of the HR and Finance ERP platforms, as well as Shopify eCommerce and Business Process Management.

Notes as the fall term begins

We're back for the fall 2023 term, with the co-operative work term beginning today lectures and classes starting up tomorrow. For now, Orientation continues unabated.

W Store will be open for extended hours on September 6 and 7 (9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.), as well as Saturday, September 9 and 30 (10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) and Saturday, September 16 and 24 (12 noon to 4:00 p.m.)

Warrior Recreation registration opens today beginning at 9:00 a.m. Students can sign up for clubs, intramurals, fitness, instructional, first aid, strength and conditioning and more. Find out more on the Athletics and Recreation website.

Many Food Services locations across campus are also back in action for the fall term after the long weekend. Exceptions include the CEIT Café, which remains closed until September 10, while a few other outlets open tomorrow, such as Rolltation HLTH, ML's Diner, H3 Café, and Chatime in the Davis Centre. Check the Food Services Locations and Hours page for more details.

The Health Services building as it appeared in October 1968.Finally, noted Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama died on Friday, September 1 at the age of 93. Famous for projects that included the Ontario Science Centre, the Bata Shoe Museum, the Toronto Reference Library, Science North in Sudbury, and the Canadian War Museum, his architectural legacy includes two buildings on the University of Waterloo's main campus: Minota Hagey residence exterior.the Health Services Building and the Minota Hagey Residence, both completed in 1968. The 10,253 square-foot Health Services Building was built to service a campus constituency of 9,000 students (sheesh, remember when the University had less than 10,000 students?). Named to honour the memory of Minota Hagey (1904-1965), wife of the University of Waterloo's first president Gerry Hagey, the Minota Hagey residence won Moriyama the Ontario Masons' Council Relations Award and was later the launch site for the University's Velocity student entrepreneurship incubator program. I have it on good authority that the Minota Hagey residence was intended as the first of four similar projects at Waterloo, but the remaining three were never built.

The atrium lounge area in the Minota Hagey residence circa 1968 with students lounging in a groovy setting.Moriyama partnered with Ted Teshima in 1970 to create Moriyama and Teshima Architects. Local projects include the Waterloo Region Museum, opened in 2011, the construction of which had strong links to Waterloo's Faculty of Engineering.

Moriyama and Teshima Architects were recently retained as the prime consultants for the design of the Mathematics 4 building.

Link of the day

All Star: Smash Mouth's Steve Harwell dead at 56

When and Where 

Warriors Game Day Tickets: Season Passes, Black and Gold Alumni Passes and Single Game Tickets now available for the 2023-24 varsity season. Purchase your tickets today!

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.

Fall Orientation, Saturday, September 2 to Saturday, September 9.

Co-operative work term begins, Tuesday, September 5.

Management Sciences seminar featuring Margot Racat, IDRAC Business School, “Haptics and Need for Touch in Retail Environments: Bringing Back Tangibility to Consumers?” Tuesday, September 5, 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon, CPH 4335.

Warrior Rec Registration opens, Tuesday, September 5, 9:00 a.m. Clubs, Intramurals, Fitness, Instructional, First Aid, Strength and Conditioning and more. Find out more.

Warrior Rec Aquatics Swim Lesson registration opens, Wednesday, September 6, 12 noon. Find out more.

Free Try-It Week, Wednesday, September 6 to Wednesday, September 13. Free fitness classes, clubs and more. Find out more.

Lectures and classes begin, Wednesday, September 6.

Music Ensemble Auditions start on Wednesday, September 6. 

WUSA’s First Year Fair, Thursday, September 7, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Student Life Centre Great Hall.

WISE Public Lecture, “Decoding Energy Access Challenges, Integrating Attainment of UN SDGs,” featuring Sankaran Ramalingam, President, Energy & Fuel Users' Association of India, Thursday, September 07, 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon, CPH 4335., In-person and on Zoom. Register today.

Warriors Football vs. Windsor, Saturday September 9, 1:00 p.m., Warrior Field. Black and Gold Day, Orientation Carnival & Punt, Pass, Kick for $5,00 sponsored by RBC (if no previous winner). Free admission for UW Students. Purchase tickets.

Conrad Grebel 60th Anniversary Alumni Picnic, Sunday, September 10, 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Conrad Grebel main building (outside).

Deadline to register for Centre for Extended Learning (CEL) "Getting Ready to Facilitate Online Courses: TA Training – Fall 2023" course, Monday, September 11.

WUSA Welcome Week begins, Monday, September 11.

ESports Experience, Monday, September 11, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., SLC Black & Gold Room.

WUSA’s Pancake Brunch, Monday, September 11, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., SLC and BMH greens.

WUSA Trivia Night, Monday, September 11, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., SLC student lounge.

Conversations on trust in science and technology (TRuST lecture), Tuesday, September 12, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Engineering 7 second floor event space and online. Register now.

WUSA’s Sex Toy Bingo presented by PinkCherry, Tuesday, September 12, 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Federation Hall.

WUSA June 28 staff debrief sessions, September 12 and 27, 12 noon, in-person and online offerings.

UWSA Election Info Session: The President’s Role, Wednesday, September 13, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., online.

Fast Track Your Tech Career, Wednesday, September 13, 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., online.

ECE distinguished lecture/IEEE EPS seminar: "Soft Electronic and Microfluidic Systems for the Skin", Wednesday, September 13, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., Engineering 7 room 7303/7363.

CAUGHT 2.0 Film screening and Community Building, Wednesday, September 13, 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m, Theatre of the Arts, Modern Languages.

WUSA's Carnival, Wednesday, September 13, 6:00 p.m. to midnight, BMH Green and M3.

United Way Waterloo Region Communities' March of 1,000 Umbrellas, Thursday, September 14. Join your colleagues for this 3 km walk from Waterloo City Hall to Kitchener's Carl Zehr Square where you'll enjoy lunch by Borealis Grille & Bar and entertainment. Register for $15 and help us fill the route with black and gold; meet at the UWaterloo sign in Arts Quad at 10:30 a.m.

Quantum For Environment – Ideation Forum, Monday, September 18, 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., QNC 0101.

Kinesiology Lab Days, 50th anniversary, registration opens September 19, 2023.

UWSA Election Info Session: Being a Director, Tuesday, September 19, 12:00–1:00 p.m., online

Seeing Beyond 2020 campaign cornerstone event, September 19, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m., School of Optometry & Vision Science.

Innovation Challenge: Imagining the Future of Finance, Tuesday, September 19 to Tuesday, October 1.

NEW - Math+X Inter-Faculty Research Workshop, Wednesday, September 20, 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., DC 1301/1304.

When and Where to get support 

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