Monday, June 17, 2024


W Store launches UW Retro Collection

Students in UW Retro Collection pose for a photo with a retro-style frame around it.

A message from W Store.

The W Store is launching the UW Retro Collection in collaboration with University Relations, the Library and Alumni Relations.

This collection is a nostalgic nod to the vintage spirit that has graced the University of Waterloo, affectionately known by many as “UW”. It all started when a W Store student model donned a vintage Waterloo jacket, sparking a wave of excitement and engagement on social media (pictured below). The overwhelming response and inquiries inspired us to bring back those cherished styles.  

Our UW Retro Collection features timeless designs and classic pieces that capture the essence of the past, blending retro vibes with contemporary comfort. Whether you’re a current student, alum, or a fan of the iconic UW brand, these pieces are perfect for showing off your Waterloo pride with a dash of nostalgic flair. Come and explore the collection that’s not just clothing, but a walk down memory lane!

Two images of a student model wearing a vintage UW jacket while showing off a tote bag.

The post that inspired the collection.

For this special collection, we asked interested UWaterloo staff and faculty that are proud alumni to meet with us to showcase the products and share something about themselves and their time as a Waterloo student. This included:

  • Adrienne Gilbert – first graduating class of Recreation and Leisure Studies in 1973. Received her M.A in Recreation Studies in 1981. Went on to become a professor for AHS in Therapeutic Recreation for her entire career before retirement.
  • Brent Gilbert – first graduating class of Kinesiology in 1971 and Captain of the UWaterloo football team. Recently inducted to the Football Ring of Honour.
  • Norm Klassen – B.A. Honours English in 1987 and now works at St. Jerome’s University as an English Professor.
  • Colin Jones – Started at UWaterloo in 1977, but did not complete his degree. He re-enrolled 2 years ago and is a student once again, aiming to finish what he started in ‘77! He is currently working at UWaterloo at the Centre for Extended Learning as an Examinations Specialist.
  • Maureen Jones – Graduated from the Faculty of Arts in 1983 and is now Director of Student Awards and Financial Aid. Colin and Maureen met at UWaterloo, started dating in 1978 and have been married 44 years.
  • Barbara Daly – Graduated in 1995 with her Bachelor of Arts. She is an Instructional Support Coordinator in Computer Science at UWaterloo.
  • Michelle Gilbert – Graduated with her B.A. in Applied Economics in 2003. She currently works at UWaterloo as an Undergraduate Awards Officer with Student Awards and Financial Aid. Michelle is the daughter of Adrienne and Brent.
  • Carry Derome – Graduated in 2017 with an Honours B.A. in Psychology and double majored in French. She is now Student Advisor, Co-operative and Experiential Education at UWaterloo.

 Maureen, Michelle, Brent, Adrienne, Colin, Barbara, Carry, Norm

Pictured left to right: Maureen, Michelle, Brent, Adrienne, Colin, Barbara, Carry, and Norm.

While this collection is a nostalgic nod to the past and the UWaterloo alumni who have paved the way, it was designed with current students in mind, to embrace their future. Blending timeless style with Waterloo pride to create new memories while honouring the rich history and spirit of “UW”.

A collage of two photos showing students modeling the retro-inspired sweaters and vests.

Special thanks to UW Library for providing the archival photos and unique vintage apparel from their collection, helping us bring the UW Retro Collection to life. Visit us in-store at W Store in South Campus Hall to view archival clothing items as well as the new UW Retro Collection. Follow us on Instagram to see more archived photos (like the ones below), product photos and interviews with UWaterloo alumni and current students!

A collage of four archival photos - the original bookstore with clothing for sale, students in leather jackets, cheerleaders driving in a Model T car, and international student Olatokunboh (Toks) Oshinowo wearing a leather jacket.

Top Left: The OG campus bookstore, then known as Open Door gift shop. Jan Blackburn, a staff member, reps some spirited sportswear in South Campus Hall, modelling one of the university’s many sweatshirts. (Photo provided by University of Waterloo Archives. Graphic Services fonds. University of Waterloo sweatshirts at gift shop. 90-01-22_001)

Top Right: Showing your school spirit by wearing Waterloo jackets has long been a tradition on campus as shown by these engineering students in Fall 1961. Excited for the opening of the new engineering building, Waterloo would see the first group of undergraduate engineers convocate in Spring 1962. (Photo provided by University of Waterloo Library. Special Collections & Archives. Kitchener-Waterloo Record Photographic Negative Collection. University of Waterloo. Engineering Building. 61-1425_011)

Bottom Left: Waterloo cheerleaders sit with the Athletics department’s Equipment and Facilities Manager, Donald Brown, in their uniforms, ready to cheer on the Warrior football team in 1968. Brown was a popular figure at games, dressing up as a Warrior, the team’s mascot, arriving in his 1914 Model T. (Photo provided by University of Waterloo Archives. Graphic Services fonds. Football mascot. 68-09-05_001)

Bottom Right: Engineering student Olatokunboh (Toks) Oshinowo (1939-2015). Formerly of Nigeria, Oshinowo served as President of the University of Waterloo Engineering Society and co-founded the International Student Association. Drawn to Waterloo because of its co-op and chemical engineering programs, he came to Canada in 1962. He graduated with a BASc in Chemical Engineering in 1967. (Photo provided by University of Waterloo Library. Special Collections & Archives. Kitchener-Waterloo Record Photographic Negative Collection. University of Waterloo, H&S Toks Oshinowo in Engineering Jacket. 63-1737_003)

The UW Retro Collection is also available to shop at wstore.ca.

Waterloo student shines on a national stage

Fiona Li delivers her presentation on stage.

This article was originally published on the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement website.

Fiona Li, a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies student at Conrad Grebel University College, and the winner of the University of Waterloo’s Map the System campus finals, earned the second-place prize at the Map the System Canada competition in Calgary on May 27.

Map the System is an opportunity for students to research complex social and environmental challenges using a systems thinking lens. Fiona partnered with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ontario to investigate the significant over-representation of Indigenous women in Canadian prisons.

The competition began with a semi-final round on May 26 hosted by the University of Calgary’s Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, where six out of twenty individuals and teams from across the country were selected to present the following day at the Bella Concert Hall at Mount Royal University. Watch the recording of Fiona’s presentation (17 minutes, starting at 2:22:18) and her receiving the prize (40 seconds starting at 5:06:00).

Fiona was awarded a cash prize of $3,000 for her efforts, and is also eligible for up to $10,000 in “apprenticing with the problem” funding from Map the System Canada.

The overall winner was a student from the Humber Institute for Technology and Advanced Learning; the third-place prize went to a team from the University of Sherbrooke. Additional prizes went to students from the University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, Centennial College, the University of Manitoba, Memorial University, and the University of New Brunswick.

Explore the Grand River with Water Cycles and other notes

Explore the Grand River with Water Cycles event featuring an illustration of the Grand River's tributaries.

"On Saturday, June 22, explore the hidden wonders of the Grand River by bike with a free guided tour from Water Cycles," says a note from the Sustainability Office. "The ~20km ride will start and finish at the University of Waterloo and is open to all rider levels, from families (kids must be over 10) to seasoned cyclists. This ride is in collaboration with the Sustainability Office for Waterloo’s annual Bike Month in June."

For more information and to register, visit the Waterloo Ride with WaterCycles event page.

The Sultans of String band pose for a group photo.As part of National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day, the Office of Indigenous Relations hosting an Indigenous Community Concert featuring Waking Through the Fire at Federation Hall tonight from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. "Walking Through the Fire" is billed as "a musical multimedia event unlike any other." It's the hottest ticket on campus this week as the show has been sold out for some time.

Information Systems & Technology (IST) has published the latest in its Atlassian Blog series, which is entitled Atlassian updates: Adding Issues to Epics.

Upcoming office closures

The Campus Housing Office in REV South will be closed for renovations from Thursday, June 13 to Tuesday, June 25. The team will still be available to answer inquiries by phone at 519-888-4567, ext. 42679 or by emailing housing@uwaterloo.ca.

The Centre for Teaching Excellence will be closed on Tuesday, June 18 for a staff Professional Development Day.

"From Targeting in Academia to Promoting Trust and Understanding" conference registration extended

Registration for the From Targeting in Academia to Promoting Trust and Understanding” conference has been extended until June 18. The conference, which takes place on June 27 and June 28 at Federation Hall, will feature 48 local, national and international presenters. Conference registration includes two light breakfasts, two full lunches, refreshments, and snacks. 

Link of the day

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

When and Where

The Student Health Pharmacy (located in the lower level of the Student Life Centre) is offering flu shots with no appointments needed daily from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call 519-746-4500 or extension 33784 for more info. COVID shots will be available on appointment basis only. You can register online at studenthealthpharmacy.ca.

Warriors Youth Summer Camps. Basketball, Baseball, Football, Hockey, Multi-Sport and Volleyball. Register today!

Safeguarding Science workshop and more, throughout May and June. Public Safety Canada invites faculty, staff and students to attend a series of virtual event via MS Teams. Register to receive a link.

Food Truck Wednesday, Wednesday, May 8 to Wednesday, July 24, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Arts Quad.

Spring 2024 Student Experience Survey open, Sunday, June 2 to Friday, June 21.

NEW - WatITis 2024 call for proposals, Saturday, June 15 to Friday, August 30.

Indigenous Community Concert | Sultans of String "Walking Through the Fire", Monday, June 17, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Federation Hall.

WISE Public Lecture, “Overview of Electricity Market Operation” by Dr. Hong Chen (Principal Engineer, PJM Interconnection ) and “Toward a Sustainable and Resilient Grid Transformation” Dr. Jay Liu (VP of Transformation, EXUS Management Partners)., Tuesday, June 18, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Centre for Environmental & Information Technology (EIT)), Room 3142., in-person and on Zoom. Register today!

Active Bystander Intervention Training for Staff and Faculty, Tuesday, June 18, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., online.

Board of Governors meeting, Tuesday, June 18, 1:30 p.m., NH 3407 and Zoom.

How to Disconnect from Work (for staff), Tuesday, June 18, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., online.

Knowledge Gathering and Sharing Consultation Sessions: 2STNBGNC+ employees (staff and faculty) with disabilities, Tuesday, June 18, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., virtual. Register here.

Talking to Children about Consent, Wednesday, June 19, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., online.

Knowledge Gathering and Sharing Consultation Sessions: 2STNBGNC+ employees (staff and faculty) with disabilities, Wednesday, June 19, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in-person. Register here.

A Trauma Informed Lunch and Learn: Supporting the campus communities on the 1 year Anniversary of June 28th, Wednesday, June 19, 12 noon, in-person. Register on Portal.

Subway Never Miss a Lunch, Thursday, June 20, Subway will donate $1 per cookie sold on June 20 to Food Banks Canada.

CPI Talk - Characterizing Machine Unlearning through Definitions and Implementations, Thursday, June 20, 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon, Arts Lecture Hall 113.

Bike Fair, Thursday, June 20, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.,  Peter Russell Rock Garden. Please note the new location.

WaterTalk: Putting People at the Centre: Towards transforming climate risk assessment for water security and delivery, Thursday, June 20, 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon, DC 1302.

Queering Research: A Panel Discussion, Thursday, June 20, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EC5 1027. To register, please email your full name to researchoffice@uwaterloo.ca.

Exploring Turnitin’s Artificial Intelligence detection tool (CTE7545), Friday, June 21, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., online.

Menstrual Equity Project Reusable product distribution drop, Friday, June 21, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., EC5 second floor.

Inclusive Menstruation: Understanding Trans Experiences, Friday, June 21, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m.

A Trauma Informed Lunch and Learn: Supporting the campus communities on the 1 year Anniversary of June 28th, Monday, June 24, 12 noon, online. Register on Portal.

How to Prepare a Strong SSHRC Insight or Insight Development Grant Application, Tuesday, June 25, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., virtual. Please register by June 18.

Knowledge Gathering and Sharing Consultation Sessions: 2STBNGBC+ employees (staff and faculty) who also identify as Black, Indigenous, or racialized,Tuesday, June 25, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., virtual. Register here.

Knowledge Gathering and Sharing Consultation Sessions: 2STBNGBC+ employees (staff and faculty) who also identify as Black, Indigenous, or racialized, Wednesday, June 26, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in-person. Register here.

SCA Pride Zine Workshop, Wednesday, June 26, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., online. Register on the SCA website.

From Targeting in Academia to Promoting Trust and Understanding, Thursday, June 27 and Friday, June 28, Federation Hall.

Unlearning the Binary, Thursday, June 27, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Canada Day holiday, Monday, July 1, most University operations and buildings closed.

PhD oral defences

Electrical & Computer Engineering. Lizhi Liao, "Addressing Performance Regressions in DevOps: Can We Escape from System Performance Testing?." Supervisor, Dr. Christopher Nielsen. Thesis available via SharePoint - email eng.phd@uwaterloo.ca to request a viewing link. Oral defence Wednesday, June 19, 12 noon, remote.

School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability. Augustine Kwame Osei, Assessment of soil carbon storage and greenhouse gas emissions in perennial bioenergy crops on low productive agricultural land in southwestern Ontario, Canada”. Supervisor, Dr. Maren OelbermannThesis available upon request from the Faculty of Environment, Administrator, Graduate Studies. Oral defence Friday, June 21, 12 noon.

Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering. Eugene Li, "Anomaly Detection in CNC Milling Machines using Transfer and Incremental Ensemble Learning of LSTM Autoencoder Networks." Supervisors, Dr. Sanjeev Bedi, Dr. William Melek. Thesis available via SharePoint - email eng.phd@uwaterloo.ca to request a viewing link. Oral defence Monday, June 24, 9:00 a.m., remote.

Statistics and Actuarial Science. Alexandra Bühler, "Estimands in Randomized Clinical Trials with Complex Life History Processes." Supervisor, Dr. Richard Cook. Dr. Jerry Lawless. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Tuesday, June 25, 10:00 a.m., hybrid.

Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering. Ramin Manouchehri, "Predicting Energy Savings Associated with Falling-Film Drain Water Heat Recovery Systems in Residential Buildings." Supervisor, Dr. Michael Collins. Thesis available via SharePoint - email eng.phd@uwaterloo.ca to request a viewing link. Oral defence Tuesday, June 25, 2:00 p.m., E3 4117.

Upcoming service interruptions

Stay up to date on service interruptions, campus construction, and other operational changes on the Plant Operations website. Upcoming service interruptions include:

  • MC to QNC Pedestrian Bridge temporary closure, Monday, June 17 to Friday, September 27, no access to bridge between QNC to MC due to construction.
  • Engineering 3 LP-1BH electrical panel shutdown, Monday, June 17, 7:00 a.m., power and lighting in rooms 2103,2107,2118, 2118A-H,2129,3107 will be off for 30 minutes.
  • Douglas Wright Engineering, Rod Coutts Hall, South Campus Hall, Carl Pollock Hall, Graduate House fire alarm testing, Monday, June 17, 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., fire alarm will sound, building evacuation is not required.
  • Central Services Building, General Services Complex, Commissary fire alarm testing, Monday, June 17, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., fire alarm will sound, building evacuation not required.
  • Physics, Earth Science and Chemistry, Chemistry 2 fire alarm testing, Tuesday, June 18, 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., fire alarm will sound, building evacuation not required.
  • Science Teaching Complex hot water maintenance, Tuesday, June 18, 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., no hot water in washrooms or kitchens during this time. Cold water will still be functional.
  • School of Optometry, Columbia Icefield, University Daycare fire alarm testing, Wednesday, June 19, 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., fire alarm will sound, building evacuation not required.
  • UWP-Eby Hall, UWP-Wellesley Court, UWP-Wilmot Court, Claudette Millar Hall fire alarm testing, Wednesday, June 19, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., fire alarm will sound, building evacuation not required.
  • Biology 1 - south end by greenhouse crane operation, Thursday, June 20, partial closure of the main pathway for crane setup and operation. Pedestrian access will not be affected.
  • NH 1st floor non-essential lighting and receptacles electrical shutdown, June 25, 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., electrical power will be terminated to most 1st floor lighting and receptacles.