Wednesday, November 29, 2023

10th annual Eco Summit celebrates major achievements

Jason Amri, co-founder of 3cycle, Maya Morton Ninomiya, undergraduate representative, Curriculum Integration Working Group, Celine Isimbi, co-founder, Climate Justice Ecosystem and Evan VanderMeer, Indigenous entrepreneurship coordinator, United College. 

By Darren McAlmont. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

Waterloo’s Sustainability Office hosted its tenth-annual Eco Summit on November 22, 2023, to showcase sustainability achievements, celebrate progress and build connections with our campus community.  

The summit focused on how we can — and must — continue to accelerate sustainability action in our teaching and research activities. Action is also required in how we operate our campus, and in the ways we engage with one another as departments and individuals. 

In his opening remarks, Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor, underscored the devastation that many climate events continue to cause across every continent on the planet. “These events will not stop on their own. Not unless we collectively take action to make it better, and to support those who will be disproportionately harmed by the impacts that are already locked in,” he said. “As a community of curious, collaborative, innovative and entrepreneurial problem-solvers and leaders, we have an opportunity to make a difference.”  

Reflecting on the evolution of sustainability on campus over the last decade, similar sentiments were echoed by Mat Thijssen, director of sustainability, who explained “Our annual Eco Summit is an important opportunity to reflect on the sustainability efforts we have taken as an institution over the past year, to recognize the successes we have had and to catalyze further action.”  

Director of Sustainability Mat Thijssen speaks at the Eco Summit.

Thijssen provided a summary of the key facts in the 2023 Environmental Sustainability Report and emphasized that sustainability considerations will increasingly shape many decisions across society. “As an institution with key strengths in innovation and experiential learning, as well as deep roots in environmental education, Waterloo can be a significant part of our local and global transitions,” he said. “Eco Summit is one opportunity to come together and accelerate that progress on campus.”  

The event featured two panel discussions, the first of which was moderated by Francesca Girmenia, communications and outreach assistant in the Sustainability Office, and explored the various ways students are pushing sustainability forward. The panel consisted of third and fourth-year undergraduate students Jason Amri, co-founder of 3cycle, Celine Isimbi, co-founder, Climate Justice Ecosystem, Maya Morton Ninomiya, undergraduate representative, Curriculum Integration Working Group and Evan VanderMeer, Indigenous entrepreneurship coordinator, United College.  

Read the rest of the article on Waterloo News

Antagonistic Responses to Science and Technology in the Academy event today

This is a reminder that the second entry in the Antagonism and Intimidation in Academia Speaker Series, entitled Antagonistic Responses to Science and Technology in the Academy, will take place today from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in EC5 1111. This event is open to all faculty, staff and students.

Today's event will feature a panel discussion on topics such as opposition to science and technology solutions for sustainable agriculture, what it means to be a public-facing healthcare expert during the pandemic, and the anxieties and antagonisms surrounding Artificial Intelligence, and more. Speakers at the event include Dr. Trevor C. Charles of the Faculty of Science, Dr. Lai-Tze Fan of the Faculty of Arts. Dr/ Kelly Grindrod of the Faculty of Science, and Dr. Maura R. Grossman of the Faculty of Mathematics. Moderating the event will be Dr. Kirsten Müller, Professor and Chair of the Department of Biology.

Due to a great deal of interest in this event, in-person registration has reached capacity. You can still join the conversation online by registering to receive a livestream link.

Pride Goose collection now available at W Store

A message from W Store.

The great gaggle of Waterloo now has their very own collection available at W Store. You’ve seen these colourful friends all over campus since June, when The Great Gaggle (an original art installation by Waterloo grad Rachel Jung), became a campus-wide art installation. It featured rainbow-coloured versions of the geese being displayed on campus lawns during Pride month.

In collaboration with University Relations, W Store has developed a merchandise line featuring the Pride Goose on a selection of items, including a tote bag, water bottle, pin and sticker. 20 per cent from the sale of each item will be donated to Glow Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity, which offers a wide range of supports such as discussion groups, social events, advocacy opportunities, awareness campaigns, resources and peer support, run entirely by dedicated student volunteers.

You can find the entire Pride Goose Collection at W Store in SCH and MC and at wstore.ca.

New course seeks strategies for postponing the end of the world

The Centre for Society, Technology and Values is coming up with ideas to postpone the end of the world.

In the 2024 winter term a new course will be taught by Dr. Matt Borland of Systems Design Engineering and Jessica Rumboldt (CTE Indigenous Knowledges and Anti-Racism). The course, STV201: Pluriversal Alternatives: Ideas to Postpone the End of the World, takes its title from Indigenous activist Ailton Krenak's 2019 book, Ideias para Adiar o Fim do Mundo, and will introduce the concept of the "pluriverse" using an art-based workshop teaching approach. The course is in the Special Topics course category and can be taken as an elective.

"Students will learn about design and technology's relationship to colonialism, neoliberalism, and capitalism through a critical pluriversal lens," says a note from Scott Campbell, Director of the Centre for Society, Technology and Values. "They will also explore their relationship with the natural world through a variety of creative mediums. Sessions will include printmaking, music, and poetry, with students in the course co-creating their own art-workshops to help each other engage the main topics of discussion." 

"Underpinning the whole course is the Zapatista idea that this is a "world of many worlds" where Indigenous autonomy and sovereignty are fundamental. Arturo Escobar's book, Designs for the Pluriverse, will also provide scaffolding for the concepts explored in STV201." 

"Enroll today to make sure you get a seat for W2024. The course does not require advanced technical knowledge and encourages students of all faculties to enroll."

Remembering Dr. Brian Schram

Flags on the University campus were lowered this morning in memory of Dr. Brian Schram, special sessional faculty member in the Sociology and Legal Studies department in the Faculty of Arts, who died on Saturday, November 25 at the age of 35.

Dr. Schram was a Waterloo alumnus who received a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Anthropology and obtained a PhD in Sociology and Legal Studies in the spring of 2023. His dissertation research explored the intersection between surveillance and new media, and specifically how software has come to structure identity politics and activism both online and off. In September 2023 he was appointed Special Sessional Faculty member in Sociology and Legal Studies. 

Dr. Schram was the recipient of an Ontario Graduate Scholarship, a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Grant, the Iris Yuzdepski Memorial Graduate Award, the Arts Senate Research Grant; and the President’s Graduate Scholarship.

In accordance with the University's flag-lowering guidelines, flags on campus will remain at half-mast until this evening.

If you are struggling with this news please know that support is available:

• Students: If you feel overwhelmed or anxious and need to talk to somebody, please contact Counselling Services at Campus Wellness: 519-888-4096. In-person and virtual supports are available.
• Employees: Our Employee and Family Assistance Program is available 24/7 for counselling, coaching and support. Call 1-800-663-1142 or visit Homeweb.ca.