Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Lights, camera, action: GRADflix winners named

A message from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA).

Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs hosted its sixth annual GRADflix showcase on February 6 at Federation Hall. 15 finalists had their videos premiered to an audience of other graduate students, staff, faculty, friends, family, and community members.

Congratulations to this years winners, Paul Sherk (1^st), Liam Bursey (2^nd), Siyavash Izadi (3^rd), Nada Gohider (4^th), Emma Wegener (Social Impact), and Norman Ly (People's Choice).

You can view winning videos alongside other amazing submissions on YouTube and learn more about the competition on our GRADflix webpage. 

President's Office display of the einstein tile showcases the global impact of UWaterloo discovery

By Sam Toman.

The new sensation in the University of Waterloo President’s office display case has many names. Some call it the “einstein tile,” German wordplay for ‘one stone.’ Formally it’s known as an aperiodic monotile, but that hardly works on a marquee.

Its UWaterloo founders simply call it, “the hat,” as it resembles a fedora at first glance.

Whatever its name, it’s the latest UWaterloo achievement to grab the curiosity of the world, and a perfect reflection of UWaterloo’s genius showcased front and centre as high-profile visitors enter the Office of the President in Needles Hall.

When partners, donors, international delegations, visit the President in his office it serves as the ultimate conversation starter. What else better highlights the institution's commitment to innovation and academic excellence than showcasing ground-breaking research and inventions produced by students, faculty, and researchers?

The einstein tile solves a 60-year-old tiling problem by indefinitely tiling without repetition. Discovered by David Smith, a tiling enthusiast from Yorkshire, England, and validated by Professor Craig S. Kaplan at the University of Waterloo, is a single shape capable of indefinitely tiling a plane without repetition. This breakthrough reduces the shapes needed for tiling from thousands to one.

The tile made headlines around the world and made Time Magazine’s Best Innovations of 2023 list. It’s also been used to make a soccer ball, a beer can design, and more.

The President’s Office staff have also set up an interactive display where guests can arrange and rearrange the tile in any of the infinite ways the tile allows—serving as an ersatz Rorschach test for those with enough imagination.

While it clearly does look like a hat arranged one way, President’s Office Administrative Manager Carrie Jenks made a discovery of her own. “I think it looks like a cool t-shirt,” she said, flipping ‘the hat’ upside down.

It’s hard to argue with her assessment. And if it is indeed more t-shirt than hat, someone should call Queer Eye star Tan France, because in its t-shirt form it definitely has a French tuck.

Black History Month event takes place at the Kitchener Public Library tonight

There is still time to join the University of Waterloo for Inspiring Black Flourishing in Waterloo Region and Beyond, a free community talk and discussion tonight at the Kitchener Public Library from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Be inspired by University of Waterloo students, alumni and staff who are engaged in local and international community initiatives that aim to address barriers to Black flourishing or create opportunities for it.  

Speakers at tonight's event include:

• Jacky Beckford Henriques, Varsity Head Coach, Swimming, University of Waterloo;
• Darren Baine, Waterloo undergraduate student and entrepreneur; and
• Aaron Francis, Waterloo PhD candidate, Balsillie School of International Affairs.

The talk will be moderated by Josette Lafleur, multimedia journalist and associate producer, CBC Kitchener-Waterloo.

This event takes place at Kitchener Public Library at 85 Queen Street North in Kitchener and is held in partnership with the Kitchener Public Library and hosted by CBC Kitchener-Waterloo. Admission is free, but registration is recommended.