Friday, June 14, 2024

Faculty of Science ceremonies take place today

The Faculty of Science hosts two convocation ceremonies today as 900 undergraduates, 60 Master's and 39 PhD candidates cross the stage. You can watch the Convocation livestream on the Convocation website.

Morning Ceremony (10:00 a.m.)

Michael Klein will sing the national anthem.

Savannah Sloat will bear the mace.

Guest speaker Yvonne Stevens will address convocation. Yvonne Stevens graduated from the University of Waterloo with a BSc in 1995 and an MSc in 1998 and attributes her graduate research in molecular plant biology for sparking her passion for molecular methods in manipulating DNA, and the wealth of possibilities such research could unleash. Stevens went on to research HIV treatments at the University of Washington’s Primate Research Centre before joining In Bios International, specializing in FDA-approved diagnostic kits for infectious diseases like West Nile and Dengue Fever. After 10 years, she transitioned to quality control at Juno Therapeutics (later acquired by Bristol Myer Squibb) and played a key role in immunotherapy advancements. Currently, Stevens is the director of quality control at Lyell Immunopharma in Seattle, a clinical-stage T-cell reprogramming company advancing cell therapies for patients with solid tumours.

Justen Wilmot will deliver the valedictory address. Read more about Justen in Waterloo News.

Afternoon Ceremony (2:30 p.m.)

Michael Klein will sing the national anthem.

Brian MacNamara will bear the mace.

Scott Tremaine will receive a Doctor of Science, honoris causa, and address convocation. Dr. Scott Tremaine is an acclaimed Canadian astrophysicist, known for establishing the theory that supermassive black holes are at the core of galaxies. A graduate of McMaster University and Princeton University, he has held pivotal roles, including founding director of the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics and Chair of Astrophysics at Princeton University. Tremaine’s seminal textbook, Galactic Dynamics, is a cornerstone in astrophysics. His honours include fellowships in the Royal Society of Canada, the Royal Society of London, and the American Astronomical Society, reflecting his profound influence on the field.

Olla Mohamad Ahmed Obied will deliver the valedictory address. Read more about Olla in Waterloo News.

Engineering convocation begins Friday evening

At 6:30 p.m., the first of four Faculty of Engineering ceremonies will take place. You'd need four convocation ceremonies too if you had 1,581 undergraduates, 476 Master's and 78 PhD candidates lining up to get their degrees!. You can watch the Convocation livestream on the Convocation website.

Julie-Anne Desrochers will sing the national anthem.

Sanjeev Bedi will bear the mace.

Jeff Casello, Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, will provide a territorial acknowledgement, and welcome the Indigenous opening.

Murray Zink will be named Honorary Member of the University. Murray Zink recently retired after more than 15 years of service as an instructional support co-ordinator at the University of Waterloo. He earned his BASc and MASc in Mechanical Engineering at Waterloo before going on to complete a BEd at Brock University. From collaborating with campus initiatives to diverting thousands of pounds of waste, Zink has cultivated a campus-wide ethos of repair and resourcefulness. He is the driving force behind 4Repair KW, a grassroots movement fostering repair culture in Kitchener-Waterloo. Zink’s passion for repairing comes from early experiences fixing machinery on his family’s farm.

Shahed Saleh will deliver the valedictory address. Read more about Shahed in Waterloo News.

Convocation concludes with Engineering ceremonies Saturday

As convocation moves into its endgame, the Faculty of Engineering will host three ceremonies tomorrow, June 15. You can watch the Convocation livestream on the Convocation website.

Morning Ceremony (10:00 a.m.)

Julie-Anne Desrochers will sing the national anthem.

Douglas Wilhelm Harder will bear the mace.

Claudette McGowan will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa and will address convocation. Claudette McGowan is a global I T leader, excelling in digital transformations, service enhancements and cyber security. She has driven innovation at Deloitte, the Metropolitan Police, BMO and TD Bank. At TD, she was the global executive officer for cyber security. She is now CEO of Protexxa and co-founder of The Firehood network for women in tech. McGowan holds a BA from Lakehead University and an MBA from Athabasca University. She has been named as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Torontonians by Toronto Life magazine and was featured in the Women’s Executive Network’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada.

Karim Al-Atrash will deliver the valedictory address. Read more about Karim in Waterloo News.

Afternoon Ceremony (2:30 p.m.)

Julie-Anne Desrochers will sing the national anthem.

Marc Aucoin will bear the mace.

David Kibble will be named Honorary Member of the University. David Kibble has played a central role in the evolution of information technology at the University of Waterloo. After earning his BSc in Chemical Engineering in 1983 from Waterloo, he joined the university as a programmer and analyst. Through various roles, including director of information systems and later strategic consultant, Kibble spearheaded transformative initiatives, including the University’s Data as a Strategic Resource program. His leadership helped usher in pioneering systems like Quest and WatIAM. His dedication extended to mentoring, committee service, and sharing expertise across disciplines.

David Cornfield and Linda Archer Cornfield will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, and address convocation. David and Linda Archer Cornfield are passionate advocates for education who believe in supporting initiatives focused on finding solutions for global challenges. David, hailing from Toronto, holds a BASc in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo. Linda, a Cincinnati native, earned her BS in Applied Science from Miami University and an MS in Management from MIT Sloan School of Management. Following successful careers at Microsoft, they chose to pursue their shared interests of sailing, curling, travel, philanthropy and technology ventures. Dedicated environmentalists, the Cornfield’s work aims to find pragmatic, sustainable approaches to better stewardship of the earth.

Matthew Kee will deliver the valedictory address. Read more about Matthew in Waterloo News.

Evening Ceremony (6:30 p.m.)

Scott Wallbridge will bear the mace.

Neil Thomson will be named Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Dr. Neil Thomson, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University
of Waterloo, has made important contributions to a diverse range of fields throughout his career. Formerly chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Dr. Thomson has expertise spanning more than 30 years in subsurface contaminant fate and remediation. As leader of the Soil and Groundwater Remediation Engineering Group, his work covers emerging technologies such as chemical oxidants and functional nanoparticles. Thomson has earned recognition including multiple outstanding performance awards and the Sir Sanford Fleming Teaching Excellence Award for commitment to the development and enrichment of engineering education at Waterloo.

Bruce Kuwabara will receive a Doctor of Engineering, honoris causa, and address convocation. Bruce Kuwabara is one of Canada’s most outstanding architects, recipient of the RAIC Gold Medal and the OAA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2012, he became an Officer of the Order of Canada. Born in Hamilton, he graduated from the University of Toronto. He is chair of the Board of Trustees for the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal. A founding partner of KPMB Architects, he is the designer of Canada’s National Ballet School, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the TIFF Bell Lightbox, and many others across Canada and the United States. His influence is felt locally as the designer of Kitchener City Hall, the Balsillie School of International Affairs and the Grand Valley Institution for Women. He has taught at the Waterloo School of Architecture and has been generous in his support of its initiatives.

Dominic Nguyen will deliver the valedictory address. Read more about Dominic in Waterloo News.

And with that, the University's 128th convocation ceremonies will come to a close after five days an 14 ceremonies. To all students, staff and faculty who volunteered to make Convocation a success, a heartfelt thank-you, and to 7,250 graduands, their families, and supporters, I say congratulations!

Join a LEARN pilot group for new student engagement tool

A joint message from Instructional Technologies and Media Services (ITMS) and the Teaching Innovation Incubator (TII).

As part of the LEARN improvements project, Instructional Technologies Media Services (ITMS) in collaboration with the Teaching Innovation Incubator (TII) is investigating new features in the LEARN platform to enhance teaching and learning at the University of Waterloo. Among the features being investigated is Creator+, a LEARN tool that is designed to amplify student engagement through the integration of interactive course content. With Creator+, instructors can weave in practice exercises, interactive bits, and video recordings directly into the LEARN system, making learning more dynamic and accessible to all students.

Case studies from other universities indicate that students and instructors alike benefit from the Creator+ tool. Instructors report spending less time on course development, while students report achieving higher grades on course assignments. That is why we are piloting the Creator+ tool, aiming to uncover how it can enhance teaching and learning experiences here at Waterloo.

If you are a faculty or staff member interested in exploring Creator+, please complete the expression of interest form to be considered to join the pilot. Priority will be given to those teaching in the Fall 2024 term. Once selected to join the pilot, you can expect to receive documentation, resources, and training on the Creator+ tool.

For more information about the Creator+ pilot and roles and responsibilities for participating in the pilot please visit the Creator+ pilot participation expectation document.

If you have questions related to the Creator+ Evaluation project, please contact Pam Fluttert, Director of Instructional Technologies and Media Services for more information.

Forever black and gold: Alumni reminisce at Reunion

They're gonna party like it's 1999: Members of the Class of 1999 pose for a group photo at Federation Hall as they celebrate their 25^th grad-iversary.

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

Former classmates reunited and celebrated graduation anniversaries at Reunion on May 31 and June 1, 2024.

The University of Waterloo’s campus was buzzing with activity from more than 30 events including campus tours, family activities and faculty receptions featuring updates on the latest news and visions for the future. This year, some alumni travelled long distances to return for Reunion — alumni from nine countries were represented.

Graduation milestones bring classmates together

At the Forever Black and Gold Luncheon, a signature Reunion event, alumni commemorated graduation milestones of 25, 50, 55 and 60 years. Class photos were taken with each cohort of alumni, who revelled in the opportunity to relive their years as students by browsing through old photos and artifacts displayed by Library’s Special Collections & Archives (SCA). Many alumni wore their favourite UWaterloo clothing or brought special items with them to the luncheon to add to the nostalgia.

Alumni enjoyed a buffet lunch at Federation Hall for the Forever Black and Gold Luncheon.

Read the rest of the story and view the photo gallery on Waterloo News.