Thursday, September 14, 2023

Faculty workshop will offer data and strategies on gender inclusion

A message from the Office of the Vice President, Research and International.

As part of the Building Inclusive Research Capacity (BIRC) Program for faculty, designed by the Inclusive Research Team, you are invited to participate in an evidence-based workshop on Gender Inclusion in Research, Hiring, and Training: Data & Strategies.

This interactive session, designed by and for scientists and engineers, examines empirical findings related to stereotyping and bias, along with strategies for increasing inclusion. Topics include organizational values, diversity in teams, overcoming barriers, and promoting a broadly inclusive culture through allyship in research, hiring, and training.

The session will be most relevant to faculty from engineering, physics, math, and other fields numerically dominated by men, but all Waterloo faculty are welcome.

Dr. Hilary Bergsieker, Waterloo Equity Fellow and Project RISE Co-Lead within the Engendering Success in STEM research consortium, will deliver this interactive workshop.

The workshop will take place on Wednesday, October 11, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (including a break for coffee and light refreshments) in E7 7303.

Please complete the registration form to confirm your participation. Please register by October 4. We hope you can attend. Please contact research.equity@uwaterloo.ca with any questions.

Trust in research, science and technology starts with conversations

By Jordan Flemming. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

In the first event for the Trust in Research Undertaken in Science and Technology Scholarly Network (TRuST), Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland, along with a distinguished panel of experts, delved into the various challenges researchers and practitioners across disciplines face in building trust with the public.

The evening event, Conversations on Trust in Science and Technology Lecture Series on Tuesday, September 12, centred on how as society faces crises like shifting geopolitical tensions, climate change and a strained health care system, it's vital to build public trust in research and the scientists who produce it.

Leading the event off with a public lecture on science as an economic driver and the need for better science communication, Strickland explained how the TRuST network came to be and what she hopes it will accomplish.

“I would really like the public to be aware of the impact science has on society, understanding the scientific process and the time scales of it,” Strickland said. “We must gain an understanding of the scientific review process, the extent of oversight involved, the impact of our mistakes, even if they are not published, and just how much trial and error is in science —this is why it takes time.”

“Given the complexity of scientific research, practitioners should enlist the help of other professionals to communicate their work. Journalists, playwrights, citizen scientists and other communicators are essential in the science communication process,” Strickland explained.

Read the rest of the article on Waterloo News

Applications open for healthtech advisory support through HaloHealth

A message from Velocity.

Velocity, in collaboration with Halo Health, is now accepting applications for new and exclusive advisory support. Through this offering, Waterloo health tech developers will receive a complimentary advisory package providing access to top specialty matched physician assessments, and a detailed report of their technology by a team of physicians and fellows, which is a necessary and often costly process for entrepreneurs to bring their health tech to market.

This new framework makes it easier for students and researchers working on healthcare projects to access necessary advisory and connections.  

Halo Health is a physician-exclusive angel investment group that advise, connect, and invest in disruptive healthcare ventures. They welcome any and all physicians who would like to join their exclusive community.

With a growing number of healthcare technologies in development at the University of Waterloo, the Velocity health stream continues to expand support to accelerate technologies to market, to advance Canadian entrepreneurship and improve Canadians’ quality of life. 

This opportunity will allow students, researchers and faculty to see what other healthcare projects are underway at the University of Waterloo and gain access to HaloHealth's Specialty Matched Physician Advisory Program.

The deadline to apply is 5:00 p.m. on September 28. There is a limited number of advisory spaces available. The approximate value of each advisory package is $6,000.

In search of Wicked Problems to solve and other notes

"Graduate students at the University of Waterloo are engaged in research that is advancing our understanding of – and developing solutions to – some of society’s most challenging problems," says a note from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs. "As part of the University’s strategic plans to develop talent for a complex world and focus on interdisciplinary scholarship, in fall 2022, with support from the Teaching Innovation Incubator, a team of PhD candidates came together to co-design a course related to the Wicked Problem of Climate Change. In winter 2023, a pilot, interdisciplinary undergraduate course was co-taught by these same PhD candidates, with a capstone symposium showcasing some proposed solutions to the wicked problem."  

"As planning begins for the next iteration of a Wicked Problems course, we need your input to decide which wicked problem we should address next.  Complete the Wicked problem course – topic title ideas form by September 21 to share your recommendation."

In other on-campus news, Print + Retail Solutions reports that W Print SCH will stay closed for the remainder of September. W Print GSC will remain open. W Print self-serve kiosks are also available at several on-campus locations for quick and easy print jobs.

The University of Waterloo Art Gallery (UWAG) is exhibiting the works of three artists starting today: José Luis Torres, Sharl G. Smith, and Natalie Hunter.

Material Culture by José Luis Torres.

Gallery One will feature the Material Culture installations by José Luis Torres, while Gallery Two will feature Shelter II by Sharl G. Smith and the UWAG East Campus Hall entrance will display Natalie Hunter's Crystal Image, a memory of leaves and light. 

The exhibition runs from Thursday, September 14 to December 9, 2023. The opening reception takes place tonight in UWAG at East Campus Hall from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Next week is National Postdoc Appreciation Week and Consent Awareness Week, but wait, there's more! "September 21 marks the first day of Peace Week, with peace-related events happening on and off campus, curated by Grebel’s Centre for Peace Advancement," says an announcement from Conrad Grebel University College. "All are invited to participate in various activities throughout the week that promote advocacy, awareness, and community. Check out the Peace Week calendar for the full lineup of events."