Thursday, April 18, 2024

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• Inclusive research webinar coming up in May
• Waterloo applauds new federal investments in research, student financial aid, innovation
• Volunteer to help choose Employer Impact Award recipients
• Distinguished Teacher Award recipients named

Inclusive research webinar coming up in May

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

What is GBA+ Anyway?: An Introduction will take place on May 16 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) is an important tool for embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in every stage of research from design to sharing results and other outputs. But what is it, and how is it done?

This presentation will go over the basics of GBA+ including examples that highlight its usefulness, steps researchers can take, and questions they can ask themselves to start the GBA+ analysis of their research.  

Please register hereto receive the Zoom link to participate.

Upcoming webinars

June Webinar and Workshop for faculty only TBA.

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.

Waterloo applauds new federal investments in research, student financial aid, innovation

The University of Waterloo welcomes the federal government’s 2024 budget, announced earlier this week and containing new investments in research, graduate student support and new opportunities for entrepreneurs, particularly related to support for innovations in AI. 

The budget proposes a $1.8 billion investment in the tri-agency research funding programs over the next 5 years. The budget also provides $30 million over three years to support Indigenous participation in research, with $10 million each for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit partners. 

The value of master’s and doctoral student scholarships will also increase. This is a critical change which our sector has been advocating for over many years now. In combination with the increase to the value of post-doctoral fellowships, this change will ensure that we are keeping the next generation of brilliant minds in Canada to contribute their talents, skills and innovations to our national economy. 

“We are particularly pleased to see more funding for the next generation of researchers in this year’s federal budget,’ said Charmaine Dean, Vice-President, Research and International. “The increased funding for master’s and doctoral scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships is welcome news as Canada looks to bolster our workforce with a larger pool of highly qualified personnel. Recognizing the importance of talent development as a core component of Canada’s research strength will ensure our continued global competitiveness in cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs.”  

Budget 2024 also features announcements around innovation and entrepreneurship that we know will excite the budding inventors in our community. We’re particularly excited to see how to the new AI Compute Access fund and $200 million in support to AI start-ups will benefit companies on campus and at Waterloo’s start-up incubator, Velocity. 

“These investments will help Waterloo students, researchers and entrepreneurs reach their potential, and acknowledge the important role students and researchers play in growing Canada’s economy and tackling challenges like climate change and healthcare innovation,” said Eleanor McMahon, Vice-President, University Relations. 

There were also new announcements related to improving student financial aid, supporting the expansion of experiential education and tackling the country’s housing crisis. To read the full federal budget, visit the government’s website here. 

Volunteer to help choose Employer Impact Award recipients

A message from Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE).

Each year, Co-operative and Experiential Education hosts the Employer Impact Awards to recognize the outstanding employers who hire our co-op students. 

This year we’ve had the highest number of employer applications for the awards since we started the awards four years ago.  Now, we need YOUR help selecting the winners.

Volunteer to be a part of the Employer Impact Awards Selection Committee by Friday, April 19 at 4:30 p.m.

 As a selection committee volunteer your duties include:

• Joining the kick-off meeting - April 22 at 1 p.m. (the meeting will be recorded if you can’t attend).
• Reading applications from employers and rating their responses on a rubric – April 22 to May 10. 
• Meeting with other sub-committee members to discuss and determine the award recipients and honourable mentions – date to be determined.
• Meeting with all committee volunteers to discuss selections – date to be determined.

Why volunteer?

• It is a great opportunity to meet other staff across campus!
• You’ll learn more about the incredible work that employers do – both in their industries and for the co-op students they employ - it will inspire you!
• We’ll be very grateful for your time.

All University of Waterloo staff are welcome to volunteer, regardless of your role/department. We want a diverse selection committee representing different aspects of the University. If you have any questions, please contact Justin Bereczki. 

Distinguished Teacher Award recipients named

A message from the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE).

The recipients of the 2024 Distinguished Teacher Awards have been announced. 

Dr. Brenda Lee, Physics and Astronomy

Dr. Brenda Lee is a Continuing Lecturer, Associate Chair (Undergraduate Studies), and Undergraduate Advisor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Brenda's teaching philosophy focuses on creating a supportive learning environment.

One student mentioned: "I can tell that she genuinely enjoys what she does. She creates this comfortable safe zone where I don't have to pretend that I know what I'm talking about. She builds a place where I feel okay making mistakes.”

Brenda is also recognized for her efforts in fostering inclusive teaching environments. One colleague notes: “Brenda is a champion of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our department." As one example, she creates lecture notes with high colour-contrast to accommodate colour-blind individuals and full audio transcripts are made available to all students.

Yet another colleague remarks on her dedication: “Brenda is a master teacher, an exceptional colleague, a seemingly tireless faculty member who has dedicated her young life in service to our students, the Department, and the University.” 

Dr. Carol Hulls, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering

Dr. Carol Hulls is Associate Chair, Teaching and a Continuing Lecturer in the Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Department. Previously, she also received aBrightspace Innovation award in Teaching and Learning. 

Her dedication to joyful and ongoing improvement to learning and teaching is well known. As one student observed: “She believed in me in a time when I did not even believe in myself.”

A colleague has described Carol as “the most skilled instructor at Waterloo I have encountered. She is now the benchmark I use when reviewing and considering the skills of others.”

Carol is not only dedicated to teaching within the university classroom but is also passionate about off-campus initiatives. A colleague described her volunteer experiences at LEGO league: “Patient, fun, an amazing conflict manager, inspirational -- those are a few words that come to mind to describe how Carol contributes and guides judging sessions during our yearly events."

Dr. Cecilia Cotton, Statistics and Actuarial Sciences

Dr. Cecilia Cotton is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences. Cecilia has been teaching at the University of Waterloo since 2009 and has been committed to creating a supportive and empowering environment in the classroom. This commitment inspired students to endorse Cecilia as a distinguished teacher, a former student noted: “Her insightful thoughts and patient guidance helped me overcome numerous difficulties I encountered.“ One of Cecilia’s former students points out her strong commitment to educational innovation: “she also cares about students' feelings about her lectures and collects feedback from students to help her structure the lectures better.” Colleagues have also noted her devotion to leadership: “Cecilia’s dedication and care for her students’ learning and mental health, in her undergraduate classes, her graduate student supervision, and her faculty leadership make her an inspirational educator.” Another colleague mentions that “Prof. Cotton consistently delivers very well organized and clear lectures even when the material is inherently difficult and technical.” 

Dr. Jordan Hamilton, Faculty of Mathematics

Dr. Jordan Hamilton is a continuing lecturer with the Faculty of Mathematics. Jordan strongly believes in four guiding principles for supporting learning: organization, enthusiasm, approachability, and innovation. One of his students remarked: “He makes learning very complex topics and calculus seem like nothing thanks to his expertise and knowledge.” Adding to that, a former student has said “He is always open to suggestions and answers all the questions we pose.” One of his colleagues notes his creative excellence in teaching: “During the pandemic he organized an online version which effectively served thousands of students.” Moreover, Jordan’s colleagues have highlighted his educational leadership, with one colleague mentioning: “He regularly attends the Math Teaching Seminar, FYMSiC, and teaching conferences such as Learning and the Brain, Canadian Math Society, and the UWTL conference.” Jordan Hamilton is an extraordinary teacher who has left a positive long-lasting impression on his students.” 

The main criterion of the Distinguished Teacher Awards is a record of excellent teaching over an extended period at Waterloo, usually at least five years. Check the Daily Bulletin tomorrow for the list of 2024 Amit & Meena Chakma Awards for Exceptional Teaching by a Student.