Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Work-Learn Institute wins Best Paper award at WACE conference in Sweden

David Drewery, Dr. Karsten Zegwaard and Dr. Jenny Fleming at the WACE conference.

By Micaela Kelly. This article originally appeared on the Work-Learn Institute's website.

The Work-Learn Institute (WxL) earned the Best Paper Award at the 2024 WACE International Research Symposium.

Idris Ademuyiwa, research associate, Calahndra Brake, research assistant and David Drewery, associate director of the Work-Learn Institute, wrote the paper entitled Is our research aligned with the sustainable knowledge society concept? A thematic analysis of the International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning from 2018 to 2023.

The paper summarizes themes from 222 articles published in the journal and identifies opportunities for the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) community to explore as it works to create sustainable knowledge societies.

What is a sustainable knowledge society?

A knowledge society generates, shares and applies knowledge for the growth and well-being of its people A sustainable knowledge society must do so through equitable access and experience. In WIL, the knowledge society can help individuals develop skills to navigate a rapidly evolving world of work. The paper notes that building a sustainable knowledge society in WIL requires a focus on:

• Research on contemporary issues
• Promotion of inclusive learning
• Periodic evaluation of the WIL research agenda

Ademuyiwa, Brake and Drewery aimed to learn the contemporary issues in WIL research and how they align with developing a sustainable knowledge society.

About the paper

WACE evaluates papers for quality, empirical research and alignment with the theme of the symposium—WIL—and the sustainable knowledge society. This is WxL’s first time winning the Best Paper award. The authors analyzed 222 articles published from 2018 to 2023 and found eight common themes in 131 articles. The paper focuses on the eight themes and provides recommendations for how WIL practitioners could consider these themes when making strategic long-term decisions.

Check out the full list of themes on the WxL website.

Remembering Professor Geoffrey Power

A message from the Faculty of Science.

The Faculty of Science mourns the loss of Geoffrey Power, former Biology department chair and one of the department's founders. 

In his obituary, his family shared how his strong connection to the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Science shaped both him and the Faculty. He joined Waterloo in 1957 as the very first biologist on staff and over the next few decades he was instrumental in creating the Biology department curriculum, even serving as interim Chair of the department for four years. Although he held various leadership positions, at heart, he loved his work as a fisheries biologist the most.  

Geoffrey and his wife Ann also created the Ann & Geoffrey Power Award, a scholarship that awards $2,500 to an undergraduate Biology student. It is awarded to a student with great academic achievement combined with a demonstrated interest and/or extracurricular involvement in the study of vertebrates, their ecology and conservation. His memory is felt throughout the department and those he used to work with.

Some of those former colleagues shared their memories with us:

“Geoff was a fountain of wisdom and worked tirelessly with undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty colleagues to solve problems both large and small,” says Dr. John Thompson. “His interaction with students (whether or not he was their supervisor) was of the highest order. His interaction with colleagues, especially new faculty, was hugely beneficial and deeply appreciated. His research gained international recognition and he consistently brought honour and distinction to his department, his Faculty and the University of Waterloo over the years. He was an excellent colleague, researcher, teacher, and a wonderful friend. He will be deeply missed by a broad constituency.”

“Geoff was a good friend and mentor to me for over 50 years,” says Hamish Duthie. “I met Geoff in the UK when completing my PhD in early 1963 and his personality and enthusiasm convinced me that Waterloo was the place for me. In August 1963, I joined the four founding members of the Biology Department: Geoff Power, Paul Morrison, Ron Eydt, and Bill Innis. We taught a full slate of courses for nearly two years until Noel Hynes arrived as the first Chair of Biology in 1964. The University and the Faculty of Science owe a great deal to Geoff, who carried Biology in its early years and continued as a leading researcher, teacher, and mentor until his retirement.”

“Geoff’s extensive research record will always be associated with the Matamek Research Station in Northeast Quebec, starting in the late 60s,” Duthie continues. “The research focused on the Atlantic Salmon fishery in the region and the productivity of lakes and rivers that support the fishery. Geoff’s vision and leadership were instrumental in the research and training of many fishery biologists and limnologists, several of whom became leaders in their field and are still active to this day.”

Wednesday's notes

WUSA's Bike Centre will be hosting the final Bike101 Workshop of the term today from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the SLC Bike Centre. Participants will learn essential skills and get tips to keep their bikes rolling smoothly. If you're not two-tired from all the exam studying, that is.

Students are hitting the books for pre-examination study days, which are happening today and tomorrow.

Today is the last day to take the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility Web Accessibility User Survey, which is collecting feedback from persons with disabilities. Learn more about the short survey.

The Library is now operating with extended hours during the examination period, with Dana Porter open from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Monday to Friday and 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on weekends, and Davis Centre open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Check the Library's hours of operation website for more details. Extended hours of operation run from July 29 to August 16.

Stay on target: For those of you keeping score, Olympic archery competitor Eric Peters (BSc ’22) advanced through the men's individual archery bracket, beating opponents in two elimination matches yesterday. Next up for Peters is the 1/8 elimination round against Italian archer Mauro Nespoli, which will take place early Sunday morning.