Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Construction set to begin on new residence in Parking Lot A

A message from Plant Operations.

The University is preparing to break ground on the next student residence building on campus.

Melloul-Blamey Construction Inc. has been engaged to construct the new 510-bed mixed-year student residence on a portion of Lot A and the green space adjacent to the ION light rail. At approximately 170,000 square feet, the proposed 12-storey building has two floors of amenity space with ten floors of residential above, and is designed to connect to the existing Carl Pollock Hall bridge, with a new bridge connection proposed over the LRT tracks to the existing Claudette Millar Hall (CMH) residence.

The amenity floors focus on enhancing student experience and include an 80-person seminar room, media room, music room, multi-faith room, events space, open and closed study areas along with administration and reception spaces. Food Services operations and other support spaces are available in CMH with easy access from the new bridge. The residence floors, starting at level three, support a variety of bedroom types for first year, upper year and graduate students.

You will see activities this week as the general contractor is setting up the construction site. Parking Lot A will be operational, albeit with reduced capacity. Laurel Trail continues to be open to the community. Please note that the Carl Pollock Hall bridge will be closed during construction, and that pedestrians will have to cross University Avenue at grade in order to access Parking Lot A or the main University campus.

Gardening venture nurtures community

By Rebecca Wagner. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

Some of the leading solutions that tackle pressing challenges in our society started with an idea.

At the core of addressing gaps and challenges in Waterloo Region are University of Waterloo students, alumni and researchers, who are known for thinking unconventionally and working collaboratively for the betterment of humanity and our planet.

Youth-led gardening venture Nurture started as an idea between co-founders Sriranjini Raman (BES ’24) and Jackie Kinney (BES ’23), through their involvement with United College’s social impact incubator GreenHouse. The pair’s singular objective was to empower youth to grow their own food.

Launched in 2022, Nurture facilitates installation programs of youth-designed and tended gardens at local schools. This summer, they will support 75 youth-led gardens at 15 elementary and secondary schools across Waterloo Region.  

Growing local gardening capacity

Recognizing the importance of addressing challenges in their own backyard and collaborating locally, Nurture, now housed within the Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab,  strives to build capacity and partnerships at the local level. 

Community partnerships are critical to ensuring student projects outlive the length of a university degree. “If we can put students’ ideas out into the world and tie them to a local organization that is already well-rooted, the ideas have a greater chance of becoming sustainable and having a lasting impact,” says Erin Hogan, programs manager at GreenHouse.   

Rooted in the University of Waterloo and GreenHouse’s unconventional approach to addressing local and global challenges, Nurture gives young people the tools they need to caretake gardens and food forests at their own school over the summer. Students are also empowered to be active participants in finding climate change solutions and creating a sustainable future for their planet. 

“Everyone wants to protect the planet, but that personal connection to nature and land stewardship is often missing,” Raman says. 

Taking root in the community

Waterloo’s Centennial Public School is one example of a local school that is proud home to a Nurture gardening program.      

This summer, five local elementary and high school students are volunteering their time to support the Centennial food forest. Food grown in the garden will be donated back to the community via a local non-profit, the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Circle. 

In addition, a team of GreenHouse staff are volunteering as garden mentors at Centennial, acting as supports, helping students build capacity and encouraging them to nurture ideas of their own.  

Hogan views the relationships with local schools as reciprocal. “Sharing resources, ideas, and time enhances the capacity of both our programs,” she says. “GreenHouse can offer guidance and support to youth keen to make an impact and Nurture can provide the context where students can get their hands dirty tackling real-world challenges.”  

Read the full story on Waterloo News

Computer Science professors awarded $1.1M in NSERC grants

This is an excerpt of an article originally published on the Cheriton School of Computer Science website.

Several Waterloo Computer Science professors were recipients of the 2024 Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada's (NSERC) Discovery Program.

This year, the federal government invested $693.8 million to fund R&D and outreach projects in Canada. These initiatives include the Canada Research Chair Program, the John R. Evans Leaders Fund, the College and Community Innovation Program, and the PromoScience Program. Their largest initiative, the NSERC Discovery Program, received more than $554 million. Its goal is to support researchers, amplify international collaborations, and attract R&D talent to Canada.

“Canada’s science and research sector is solving some of the world’s greatest challenges, all while driving innovation, growth and productivity,” says The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “Research programs like Discovery give researchers the flexibility to explore the most promising avenues of research as they emerge to ensure Canada remains a world leader in science and new technologies. Congratulations to all exceptional researchers receiving support, we look forward to learning of your successes.”

Nineteen Cheriton School of Computer Science professors received NSERC grants, amounting to $1,055,131.00.

Check out the full list of recipients on the School of Computer Science website.

Wednesday's whys and wherefores

Today marks the last installment of the summer season's Food Truck Wednesdays series (weather permitting of course). El Milagro and Conestoga College will be parked in the Arts quad over lunchtime. Thanks go out to Food Services and all the vendors who participated.

Today is Biomedical Engineering and Technology Research Day, with events happening in the Engineering 7 event space and in DC 1302. A poster showcase will take place in E7 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and the keynote address is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

The WUSA Women's Centre will be hosting a Women's Trivia Night tonight from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Student Life Centre's student lounge (formerly the Bombshelter Pub). "Dive into trivia themed around notable women and their remarkable achievements," says a note from the Women's Centre. "Test your knowledge, win exciting prizes, and enjoy delightful light refreshments throughout the event."

Tomorrow, the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism is hosting an Afternoon Art Social for Students, which runs from 12 noon to 2:00 p.m. in the Student Life Centre's mutipurpose room. The event "has been designed to provide a relaxed atmosphere where students can meet new people and make connections while having fun with art," says a note from EDI-RO. "It’s the perfect opportunity to connect with other students, share ideas, and form lasting connections." All materials will be supplied for regular painting, or to create your own custom tote bag. The event is open to all students.