Friday, November 3, 2023

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• John Lewis appointed Director, Indigenous Faculty Relations
• Plant-based isn't just about burgers anymore
• Stratford campus to host visionary conversation
• Winter Holiday Project
• Warriors celebrate 395 student-athletes named to the 2022-23 President's Academic Honour Roll
• Friday's notes

John Lewis appointed Director, Indigenous Faculty Relations

The Office of Indigenous Relations is pleased to welcome Dr. John Lewis in the role of Director, Indigenous Faculty Relations.

Dr. Lewis has been appointed to a two-year renewable term in this position, and will assist the University in achieving its goal of Indigenizing and decolonizing the institution. He will lead Indigenous faculty relations in collaboration with relevant stakeholders on campus, including members of the Indigenous Advisory Circle, as well as external Indigenous communities to build long-term relationships rooted in respect and reciprocity. Dr. Lewis will also be leading oversight initiatives and projects associated with the implementation of the Indigenous Strategic Plan 2023-2028.

“Offering faculty leadership and guidance in the process of reconciliation, decolonization, and the reclaiming of Indigenous identity and culture across the University is key to realizing our institutional goals. Dr. Lewis will provide critical perspectives and insights while working with our community in the implementation of our Indigenous Strategic Plan,” remarks Jean Becker, Associate Vice-President, Indigenous Relations. “We are thrilled to have his experience and expertise in this role.”

Dr. Lewis is a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario. He has over twenty years of practice and research experience in environmental and community planning and has published academic research that focuses on the visualization of landscape change based on his doctoral research at the University of British Columbia. Through his research, he has documented the history of landscape change both prior to and during British Columbia’s colonization and explored the cultural significance of landscape change among Indigenous and settler communities in northwestern British Columbia. He is currently an associate professor in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo where he teaches courses in visual communication and community design. He spends much of his free time away from teaching and research in his family’s ancestral territories in northern Ontario fishing or hunting with his wife and two young adult children.

Plant-based isn't just about burgers anymore

A team of University of Waterloo researchers has created smart, advanced materials that will be the building blocks for a future generation of soft medical microrobots.

These tiny robots have the potential to conduct medical procedures, such as biopsy, and cell and tissue transport, in a minimally invasive fashion. They can move through confined and flooded environments, like the human body, and deliver delicate and light cargo, such as cells or tissues, to a target position.

The tiny soft robots are a maximum of one centimetre long and are bio-compatible and non-toxic. The robots are made of advanced hydrogel composites that include sustainable cellulose nanoparticles derived from plants.

Watch video on YouTube

This research, led by Hamed Shahsavan, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, portrays a holistic approach to the design, synthesis, fabrication, and manipulation of microrobots. The hydrogel used in this work changes its shape when exposed to external chemical stimulation. The ability to orient cellulose nanoparticles at will enables researchers to program such shape-change, which is crucial for the fabrication of functional soft robots.

"In my research group, we are bridging the old and new," said Shahsavan, director of the Smart Materials for Advanced Robotic Technologies (SMART-Lab). "We introduce emerging microrobots by leveraging traditional soft matter like hydrogels, liquid crystals, and colloids."

The other unique component of this advanced smart material is that it is self-healing, which allows for programming a wide range in the shape of the robots. Researchers can cut the material and paste it back together without using glue or other adhesives to form different shapes for different procedures.

The material can be further modified with a magnetism that facilitates the movement of soft robots through the human body. As proof of concept of how the robot would maneuver through the body, the tiny robot was moved through a maze by researchers controlling its movement using a magnetic field.

"Chemical engineers play a critical role in pushing the frontiers of medical microrobotics research," Shahsavan said. "Interestingly, tackling the many grand challenges in microrobotics requires the skillset and knowledge chemical engineers possess, including heat and mass transfer, fluid mechanics, reaction engineering, polymers, soft matter science, and biochemical systems. So, we are uniquely positioned to introduce innovative avenues in this emerging field".

The next step in this research is to scale the robot down to submillimeter scales.

Shahsavan's research group collaborated with Waterloo’s Tizazu Mekonnen, a professor from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Professor Shirley Tang, Associate Dean of Science (Research), and Amirreza Aghakhani, a professor from the University of Stuttgart in Germany. They published their results last month in Nature Communications.

Stratford campus to host visionary conversation

The University of Waterloo's Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business will be hosting CBC IDEAS: Visionaries in Conversation on November 16. Billed as "an opportunity to explore how we reshape the future of our tech-driven world," the event will feature speakers Cory Doctorow and Vass Bednar.

"Immerse yourself in an insightful discussion moderated by CBCIDEAS host Nahlah Ayed, accompanied by renowned science fiction writer and tech visionary, Cory Doctorow. Joining this compelling lineup is tech policy entrepreneur and incisive analyst, Vass Bednar. Together, they will embark on a thought-provoking journey, delving into the pivotal interplay between imagination, public policy, and advocacy," says a note about the event. "Discover how these driving forces empower us to seize control of our technology, instead of ceding power to formidable external influences. This isn't just a conversation; it's an opportunity to explore how we reshape the future of our tech-driven world -- an exhilarating exploration of possibilities!"

This event, co-presented with CBC IDEAS and the University of Waterloo Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, is taking place as part of the larger Provocation Ideas Festival.

The event will be held Thursday, November 16 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Stratford School on St. Patrick Street. The event is free, but registration is required. Register for the event via Eventbrite.

Winter Holiday Project

The University Winter Holiday Project (formerly the University Christmas Project) is seeking sponsors for 2023’s gift-giving initiative.

“Since the 1980s, Co-operative and Experiential Education has had an annual tradition of working with the Region of Waterloo Home Child Care,” writes Abigail Wybenga. “Each year, staff across the University sponsor children from working low-incoming families and donate gifts on their wish lists.”

“We are still in need of sponsors for around 32 children and would greatly appreciate anyone who is able to appreciate. We ask that anyone who is interested please fill out the Holiday Project Survey as soon as they can. Please note that wrapped and labelled gifts must be delivered to the Tatham Centre on Monday, December 11.

“A huge thank you to anyone who has already sponsored a family!” Wybenga writes.

Anyone with questions can contact Abigail Wybenga at arwybeng@uwaterloo.ca.

Warriors celebrate 395 student-athletes named to the 2022-23 President's Academic Honour Roll

Submitted by Athletics

On Wednesday, 395 student-athletes from the 34 Warriors varsity teams came together to commemorate their academic accomplishments as part of the 2022-23 President's Academic Honour Roll. Student-athletes who have maintained an average of 80% and above while competing for a varsity team are awarded this prestigious recognition. The University of Waterloo has one of the highest rates of Academic All-Canadian student-athletes in the country annually.

Four student-athletes were recognized for their exceptional academic achievements. Claudia Heeney a third-year Kinesiology student, received the top undergraduate award for her stellar performance, with an impressive average of 97%. Heeney is also a dual athlete, participating in both Track & Field and Cross Country teams. 

Noah Rogozynski, a Biology student and a five-time all-academic swimmer for the Warriors, also earned a remarkable score of 97%, claiming the top male academic average. 

Heeney and Rogozynski were among the recipients of the Fairfax Financial Award, along with Jackie Heitzner, a third-year Psychology student and a member of the Fencing team, who earned her first nod for the Fairfax award, in addition to being named one of the top four academic achievers. 

In recognition of his academic excellence, James Hinsperger, a Civil Engineering student and a linebacker for the football team, received the Fairfax Financial Award for the second consecutive year. 

Learn more

Friday's notes

Today, the Black Faculty Collective in collaboration with the Black Studies Program presents “Underlying Conditions,” featuring Dr. Elaine Richardson, beginning with a reception at 11:30 a.m. followed by the performance at 12 noon and a Q&A sessions at 1:00 p.m. "This show uplifts lives of women and girls of color lost during the pandemic and features spoken word poetry, monologues, and music," says a note from the organizers. 

The performance takes place in Hagey Hall Studio HH180. Tickets are free.

"Join a Pan-African Literary Movement!" says a note from EDI-RO. "From September 25 to November 24, UWaterloo’s Sankofa Network for Transformative Community Research (SNTCR), in partnership with the University of Waterloo Library, is hosting a book drive to bolster the inventory of the Sankara Pan-African Library. Participation is easy! Simply purchase a book from the Sankara Library's wish list and drop it off at either the Dana Porter or Davis Centre library in the bins located at the entrances. You can also have it shipped to the Commissary building on Waterloo Campus (COM 105 - 200 University Ave W, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1). The Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Office will ship the books directly to the Sankara Pan-African Library."