Thursday, May 30, 2024

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• Internet pioneer Vint Cerf to deliver distinguished lecture
• Engineering Society works to innovate the accessibility of student events
• OHD launches new leadership programming for spring 2024
• Leaders and alumni honoured at Women of the Year event

Internet pioneer Vint Cerf to deliver distinguished lecture

Vinton G. Cerf,Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google, will deliver a Cheriton School of Computer Science Distinguished Public Lecture on Tuesday, June 11 entitled Internet: Past, Present and Future.

"We will cover about 70 years of past and future Internet “history” — beginning with the Arpanet and moving along the terrestrial Internet trajectory, present and emerging policy and technical challenges and finally move to the interplanetary Internet project," says the talk's abstract. "Along the way, we will encounter anecdotes and personal recollections of the Internet’s evolution and projections for the future. If there is time, we’ll touch on AI and heterogeneous and quantum computing. The Internet is more than a technology. It is a social and economic eco-system with many institutions created at need. It has brought to global attention the importance of accountability as well as personal privacy."

Vint Cerf is the co-designer of the TCP/IP protocols and the architecture of the Internet. He has served in executive positions at ICANN, the Internet Society, MCI, the Corporation for National Research Initiatives and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. A former Stanford Professor and former member of the US National Science Board, he is also the past President of the Association for Computing Machinery, Emeritus Chairman of the Marconi Society and serves in advisory capacities at NIST, DOE, NSF, US Navy, JPL and NRO. He earned his B.S. in mathematics at Stanford and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in computer science at UCLA. He is a member of both the US National Academies of Science and Engineering, the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists and the Worshipful Company of Stationers.

The lecture will take place in the Humanities Theatre from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event is free but registration is required.

Engineering Society works to innovate the accessibility of student events

A message from the Disability Inclusion Team. National AccessAbility Week is May 26 to June 1 and is just one opportunity to share initiatives that advance accessibility and disability inclusion. Share your initiative at Accessibility and Disability Inclusion Initiatives.

The Waterloo Engineering Society (A) has launched an innovative project to enhance event accessibility that focuses on continual improvement and responding to student needs. After student feedback called for more accessible and inclusive events, Engineering Society member Claire Thompson designed an advertising icon guide that could describe the accessibility of each unique event. This guide became part of the equity initiatives led by Maya Baboolal, VP Academic (A) in Winter 2024 and Fall 2024.

These icons are used on the bottom of advertising to help set attendee expectations. Each icon communicates an accessibility feature of the event, including activities to expect, food availability, and the energy requirements of attendees. A respective icon legend allows student attendees to know what to expect and meaningful decide how the accessibility of the event will support them.

With the support of Maia Tse, VP Communications (A), the icon guide was rolled out in advertising across social media and physical bulletin boards. While still a new project, student feedback has already led to changes to improve certain icon legibility and the wording of the legend. This feedback further highlights the crucial role of clear communication in event planning.

Maya described the Engineering Society’s future projects as an “iterative process of continually responding to students, especially as we grow the icon guide and develop instructions on how to label events to ensure accessibility and inclusion is a collaborative approach [throughout all Engineering Society roles]”. Another Engineering Society (A) member, Paige Ackerman, is already hard at work developing webforms to guide student leaders in selecting appropriate accessibility features for diverse events.

OHD launches new leadership programming for spring 2024

  A message from Organizational and Human Development (OHD).

You’re invited to explore Organizational Human Development’s (OHD) new Leadership Lab series, an opportunity for Waterloo staff to join a comfortable and supportive space for people leaders (managers with direct reports) and emerging leaders (project leaders or those growing their leadership skills) to co-create informal peer communities. Using the Circles of Influence Framework to guide the conversation, participants will reflect on their leadership style and practices, identify where their control and influence lies with respect to a pre-selected issue, and learn from each other on how to approach arising challenges.   

Each in-person meeting will focus on a specific theme connected to the University community. The themes for our June offerings are:  

• June 17: Emerging Leadership -  Personalizing Institutional Direction  

• June 19: People Leadership - Making Meaning out of Institutional Direction  

Refreshments will be provided at each gathering. Register on Portal for the date and theme that resonates with you.

Leaders and alumni honoured at Women of the Year event

By Jennifer Ferguson. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

For almost 50 years, Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest has recognized the achievements of local women with the Rogers Women of the Year Awards.

Following a sold-out ceremony on the evening of May 23, 2024, Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest announced the winners and their accomplishments. This year’s recipients include a senior leader at the University of Waterloo, three alumni and a former member of Waterloo’s Board of Governors.  

“On behalf of the University of Waterloo, I’m pleased to congratulate my colleague Nenone Donaldson and all the inspiring women from our university community on their well-deserved awards and nominations,” said Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “I commend their passion and contributions to their respective fields and to our community.”

Professional 40+: Nenone Donaldson

Nenone Donaldson is the vice-president of advancement at the University of Waterloo. She brings over two decades of fundraising expertise to her pivotal role. Focused on advancing the University's mission, Nenone leads a dynamic team of over 120 professionals, spearheading comprehensive alumni engagement initiatives. Her strategic leadership fosters enduring partnerships crucial to the University's mission, driving a sustained fundraising strategy aligned with academic priorities. Through her focus on transformative gifts and collaboration, she empowers her team to exceed expectations. Nenone's dedication ensures Waterloo's continued leadership in education and innovation.

Read the rest of the article on Waterloo News