Monday, May 13, 2024

Building connections for Black flourishing

By Jordan Flemming. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

The Inter-Institutional Forum Scarborough Charter 2024 took place May 9 and 10 — bringing together scholars, leaders and advocates from signatories of the Scarborough Charter on anti-Black racism and Black inclusion for a dialogue on Black experiences, challenges and achievements within higher education.

Hosted jointly by the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University, this two-day event was an amiable and energetic gathering of intellect, activism and community building.

The forum began at Waterloo's Federation Hall with a business meeting, convening executive heads, chief academic officers, and institutional equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) leads from partner institutions. The meeting allowed leaders to discuss policy, progress and strategy to meet the institutional obligations outlined in the Charter.

The winner of the Scarborough Charter Logo Design Opportunity competition was also revealed at the business meeting. Of the top five submissions from different universities, Mary-Ann Adebayo, a Global Business and Digital arts student from Waterloo, submitted the winning brand identity for the Scarborough Charter initiative.

Mary-Anne Adebayo received the first-place award ($1,500) for the Scarborough Charter Logo Design Opportunity and her design is now the official logo for the Forum, Secretariat and Steering Committee.

Dr. Anita Taylor, acting associate vice-president, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism at University of Waterloo, commenced the afternoon sessions.

“This morning, we convened with leaders from various institutions to reflect on our journey, acknowledging the progress made, the obstacles overcome, and the emerging challenges ahead,” Taylor said. “We are so pleased to have you all here today as we work together on this very necessary and very important work.”

Dr. Debra Thompson, professor of political science and Canada Research Chair in Racial Inequality at McGill University, delivered a keynote address titled "Blackness and Belonging in the Academy," which resonated with audience members as they could see their own lived experiences shared — setting the tone for the compelling discussions had throughout the day.

Dr. Debra Thompson, professor of political science at McGill University, delivered the keynote address.

“Universities are pivotal in the battle against racial inequality and in creating a sense of love and belonging for Black individuals. Seeing themselves in the institutions, from Black studies programs to mentor groups for Black students, they are all essential for their success,” Thompson said. “However, systemic racism often prevents Black students from receiving the love and acceptance they seek from these institutions, which are incapable of loving them back.”

Read the rest of the article on Waterloo News

Waterloo Math's "Hidden Figure"

By Melodie Roschman. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

“I decided to do mathematics out of defiance,” Marian Forster says, chuckling and leaning forward in her chair. “I pretty much got a message from society, my school, and my family that I was not very smart, and that I should take typing in Grade 10 and become a typist like my mother. And then that would be it.”

Forster (BSc ’64) was one of the first female math students at the University of Waterloo, and an essential part of Waterloo’s computing group following her graduation in the mid 1960s. However, unlike many of her male peers, Forster’s contributions have largely been forgotten.

“I worked with Wes Graham for two-and-a-half years,” she says, “and I don’t have a single photo of my time there. I guess you can call me something of a ‘hidden figure.’”

Forster grew up in Brampton, Ontario, in an era when less than 10 per cent of women attended university. “Expectations for women were so different,” she says. “Even the guidance counsellor discouraged me from going to university. ‘Your highest marks are in math, but I don’t know what you’re going to do with it,’ he said.”

Without financial support from her family, she worked long hours in a variety of jobs every summer during university. “I was very fortunate,” she says, “because again and again I encountered both men and women in those offices who were so supportive of my desire to go to university.”

Overcoming barriers

Forster did the first year of her three-year degree at Western University, then transferred to the fledgling University of Waterloo in 1962 because tuition was much lower. There were only a handful of female students in the sciences, and no female professors. “The first time I walked across campus, a male student stopped me and said ‘Who are you? Where did you come from?’ That’s how few women there were back then! We really stood out.” Her male classmates, she says, would frequently accuse female students of flirting or having an unfair advantage if they asked professors for help.

“I liked math because the answers weren’t subjective,” she says. “When I got it right, they had to give me the marks.” Forster did find community on campus: she was a cartoonist for the yearbook and the student newspaper, and she took judo lessons for self-defence. She also had some professors who were supportive: chief among them, computing pioneer Wes Graham. 

Read the full article on Waterloo News

Celebrating the career of Diane Bandura, the 'Core' of CORE

This article originally appeared on the School of Optometry & Vision Science's website.

Over the last 35 years, Diane Bandura hasn’t just punched a clock at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, specifically at the Centre for Ocular Research and Education (CORE). She has made deep friendships, felt supported through the ups and downs of life, and grown as a professional.

Now that she’s retiring, she’ll miss the place, the people and even the oft-unpredictable challenges of work. At the same time, she’s looking forward to having more time to sit in her backyard, read and spend time with her group of School-connected girlfriends, most of whom are now retired – they’re taking her to Stratford soon to celebrate her new freedom.

Bandura grew up in the Waterloo region and completed a one-year optometric secretarial program at Conestoga College after high school. It was a path recommended by her guidance counsellor following aptitude tests – that or dental assistant.

Not that she has any regrets about her career, but she wonders if the recommendation might have been different today – after all, she had good marks and was interested in healthcare. But it was 1979 and the 17 students in her optometric secretarial program were all female, while the students at the University of Waterloo School of Optometry, as it was then known, were very predominantly male. As a result, Bandura and her classmates were invited to parties at the School.

The parties were far from their only visits. As part of their program, the Conestoga students regularly came to the School for lectures and labs where they learned about the anatomy of the eye, optics, optometric terminology, and skills such as how to verify lens prescriptions and order spectacles. Often it was the director or former director of the School who taught them.

Even back then, Bandura thought it would be interesting to work at the School, but an opportunity came along to work with a new grad establishing a practice in London. She ended up working with Dr. Alfred Dick (OD’79) for nearly a decade. A few years ago, she attended his retirement celebration.

In 1989, though, on a visit to her parents in St. Agatha, Bandura wondered again if she might be able to work for the School. She dropped off a resume, which landed her a job as the receptionist for what was then known as the Centre for Contact Lens Research (now CORE). After only a few months, the research coordinator position opened up, so Bandura took on that role, which evolved into her current administrator role.

“I loved every minute of it,” says Bandura. “I feel I’ve had a front-row seat to the groundbreaking research that goes on at CORE. It’s been very fulfilling to see the new products that have come onto the market as a result of CORE’s work. We’ve come a long way on the international stage and that’s been a testament to the hard work the members of CORE have put in.”

The camaraderie, family atmosphere and lack of hierarchy have made it a special place to work, says Bandura.

“We’re a close-knit group of people and we all know everyone has an important role in achieving CORE’s goals. Personally, I’ve had a chance to grow from being the receptionist to taking on a more responsible role. I had a great relationship with Des Fonn, our founding director, and now Lyndon Jones, as well as other members of our senior administration team and CORE in general.”

Now, though, Bandura is glad she’ll have more time to spend with her cats, friends and mother, who’s in long-term care. She anticipates projects around the house, Jays games with her Toronto-based son, and perhaps some travel.

“It’s time,” she says about retirement. “Time for this place to have some new blood too.”