Thursday, April 11, 2024

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• Reminder: Inclusive Research webinar coming up
• A call for Convocation Ambassadors
• W Store and W Print offering custom branded merchandise
• Remembering Marg Kerr-Lawson
• Green Labs program to run during Earth Week, other notes

Reminder: Inclusive Research webinar coming up

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

The Foundation: Building Inclusive Research Teams webinar will take place on April 18. Are you planning to attend?

The Foundation: Building Inclusive Research Teams, April 18, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Research shows that building inclusive research teams promotes research excellence. This presentation will take researchers through the necessary steps to identify EDI barriers on their teams, make a plan to address the barriers, and to review the outcomes of the actions they have taken and plan for the future. Please register hereto receive the Zoom link to participate.

April: Inclusive Research Resource Hub

The Hub is a resource library of important documents focused on EDI to support the UWaterloo community as they integrate EDI into their research designs and teams. The Hub was created as part of the Inclusive Research Team’s commitment to ongoing development and capacity building to support equitable and inclusive research practices.

This month’s feature highlights a resource from the Universite de Sherbrooke: Managing a Diverse Team

Upcoming webinars:

What is GBA+ Anyway?: An Introduction: May 16, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Resources

• Inclusive Resource Hub
• Our website

For more information or questions, please reach out to research.equity@uwaterloo.ca or  Indigenous.Research@uwaterloo.ca with any questions.

A call for Convocation Ambassadors

A message from Community Relations and Events (CRE).

Join the growing group of staff and faculty who help bring convocation to life!

By becoming a convocation ambassador, you not only help create a meaningful experience for graduates and guests, but you also help build the Waterloo community – connecting staff and faculty from across campus. We consistently hear from returning ambassadors how much they enjoy being part of convocation, and how meaningful it is to connect with our grads.

Become an Ambassador!

Staff and faculty are encouraged to promote this opportunity to your teams, providing new professional development opportunities and the chance to grow your network across campus. There are 14 ceremonies that will be hosted from Tuesday, June 11 – Saturday, June 15, with a variety of roles and shifts to choose from. We offer orientation and training by seasoned ambassadors who will make your experience great.

Visit the convocation website to learn more about the roles and to sign up!

W Store and W Print offering custom branded merchandise

A message from Print + Retail Solutions.

Have you ever thought about custom branded items to support or promote your department? W Store and W Print offer a personalized experience to help you find exactly what you are looking for with quick, reliable and convenient service.

Our customer service experts are available to facilitate your orders and offer advice and support to find the best fit for you. We carry a diverse selection of innovative products as well as the ability to create and order custom branded products for your department or faculty.

The W Store Custom Team can assist in quoting on any items to support your department. Popular custom items this term include:

• Soft Shell Jacket: starting at $65.00 for 12+ (3-4 week turnaround time.)
• Sublimated Lanyard: $3.60 for 250-499 (2-3 week turnaround time)
• Basic 1-Colour Screen Print T-shirts: starting at $7.70 (3-4 week turnaround time)
• Branded Colourful Pens: starting at $1.10 for 300+ (2-3 week turnaround time)
• Department Quarter-Zip Sweaters: starting at $40.00 (4-6 week turnaround time)

W Print offers hassle-free business cards, brochures, custom notepads and banner stands for events, and much more!

Look no further than W Store and W Print for everything you need, whether retirement gifts, tokens of appreciation for special guests, custom swag, bulk orders, stationery favourites, essential technology, and so much more. Our experts will make the process as easy as possible by sourcing from the best vendors with preferred pricing and ensuring quick turnaround. Avoid the hassle of having to coordinate with external suppliers directly and let us do the work!

Note that all purchases from P+RS made by internal account number are tax-free, and in-stock UWaterloo-branded items charged to an internal account at W Store (SCH or MC) are eligible for a 15% discount (some exclusions apply).

If you’re looking for custom items before the end of the term, now is a good time to start the process! Don’t know where to start? Email wstore@uwaterloo.ca or wprint@uwaterloo.ca, and we’ll connect you with the right person for the job.

Remembering Marg Kerr-Lawson

A message from the School of Optometry & Vision Science.

We were sad to hear of the recent passing of Marg Kerr-Lawson, who worked at the School of Optometry from 1980 until her retirement in 1995. Between 1976 and 1980, she was on staff at the University of Waterloo’s graduate office.

With a background in nursing, Marg started off as clinic administrator, then became the School administrator. Three former School directors wrote in with their fond memories of her.

“She once described herself as acting as the School’s ‘Den Mother,’” said Dr. Bill Bobier. “I found that a very suitable description not only for the event she was describing but overall, for the diligent and caring way she looked after all members of the School. She was a truly wise and lovely person.”

“In addition to being an excellent den mother, Marg was the consummate cat herder,” said Dr. Graham Strong. “In her capacity as clinic administrator, Marg was faced with the oft futile task of trying to control and manage six categorical entities that were inherently uncontrollable: regular faculty, clinic faculty, part-time clinic faculty, school staff, and optometry students. She managed to do this admirably and I’ve often speculated how.”

“In a way, it was an extension of her nursing career, only she nursed a whole school instead of single patients in a hospital,” said Dr. Jacob Sivak. “No one was more devoted to the welfare of the School of Optometry than Marg.”

Marg was married to late math professor Dr. Angus Kerr-Lawson and they had two daughters, Leslie and Kate. During sabbatical leaves in Kyoto, Japan, Marg came to embrace Japanese culture.

“I remember how strongly Marg was influenced by living in Japan,” said Strong. “’Shikitogai’ is a Japanese philosophy that describes the ‘four virtues of conduct’ that are considered essential for leading a life of integrity, compassion, and excellence. These virtues are wisdom, benevolence, courage, and sincerity. They are believed to be interconnected and interdependent, and one cannot exist without the others. In retrospect this describes the magic behind Marg – her wisdom, benevolence, courage, and sincerity – and the key to her cat-herding prowess.”

Read Margaret Kerr-Lawson’s obituary

Green Labs program to run during Earth Week, other notes

"Come one, come all!" says a note from the Sustainability Office. "The Green Labs program is running an Earth Week event from April 22 to April 26, inviting labs across campus to participate in the chance to win prizes!"

Each day will focus on a different theme, such as energy conservation, waste diversion, water and more. Participate in groups with up to 5 people.

To learn more, visit the Green Labs Earth Week event page or email the Green Programs Coordinator. Enrollment into the Green Labs program is not necessary.

Do you have a pair of eclipse glasses left over from this week's eclipse? Rather than toss them in the trash or let them languish in your junk drawer until the next eclipse event several decades from now, why not consider sharing them with the parts of the world that will experience an eclipse in October 2024? Daily Bulletin reader Cathy Wessels shared an article on how to do so. This article from the CBC also describes how to safely dispose of your used glasses or donate them to organizations like Astronomers without Borders. Imprint has an article as well that offers some creative ideas.

The final examination period has begun. For those of you about to file into the Physical Activities Complex to write your exams, we salute you. The final examination period runs until Thursday April 25.

Lastly, double-check your inboxes this morning because Wednesday's Daily Bulletin e-newsletter inexplicably didn't send on schedule. I have sent it out yesterday's e-newsletter issue this morning, and it will be followed later this morning by today's e-newsletter issue, if that makes any sense. I apologize for the confusion.