Friday, August 9, 2024

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• International Experience Centre opens August 12
• Remembering Professor Eric Roy
• Watch the skies! Perseid meteor shower, public lecture on Monday
• Ontario Mennonite Music Camp kicks off this weekend and other notes

International Experience Centre opens August 12

A message from the Student Success Office.

Soon immigration consulting appointments, international student programs and supports, intercultural skills training and opportunities to study abroad will be offered through the International Experience Centre (IEC). You can find the IEC in Needles Hall, conveniently located across from the Centre.   

"The IEC represents a significant milestone in our mission to promote intercultural understanding and enrich the overall experience of international students,” shared director Pam Charbonneau. “We are thrilled to provide a welcoming space where students can connect to community and explore new possibilities." 

There will be no interruption in services at the Student Success Office or IEC during this transition, however some appointments will be offered in a virtual-only format until August 9. 

Learn more about what the IEC has to offer.

Remembering Professor Eric Roy

A message from the Faculty of Health.

The Faculty of Health mourns the loss of Dr. Eric Roy, Professor Emeritus, former Coordinator of the Neurobehavioural Assessment Option and an important person in building the neuroscience area of the department’s program.

In his obituary, his family shared that he will be remembered for his dedication to his work at the University of Waterloo, his passion for research and developing his students and for his great sense of humour and caring manner.

He joined the University in 1976 and retired as associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences in 2017, cross-appointed with Psychology.  Eric was a member of the first graduation class in Kinesiology, completing his undergraduate degree and later his PhD at Waterloo.

His research focused on neurologic disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer's Disease, Down syndrome and Parkinson's Disease. Eric was a Past President of the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology and was appointed a Fellow of the Society in 2013. The Society promotes the study of motor control, motor learning, motor development, and sport psychology in Canada.

“Eric's work on movement disorders is legendary as well as testimony to the potential in the first BSc Kinesiology program,” said Ian Williams, retired professor and former associate chair of the department. “The catalyst of course was Eric himself, a brilliant independent scientist.”

His memory is felt throughout the department and those he used to work with. 

Read Eric Roy’s obituary.

Watch the skies! Perseid meteor shower, public lecture on Monday

A message from the Faculty of Science.

Explore the night sky with astronomers from the Faculty of Science and Royal Astronomical Society of Canada on Monday, August 12. The Perseids meteor shower will be at its most spectacular, so let's gather to learn something and then enjoy the view! We will meet first at 7:30 p.m. in the nearby Optometry building for a short lecture by the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics' Dr. Liza Sazonova entitled "300,000 Years of Looking Up!"

"Humans have looked up at the sky for as long as we have existed," says the talk's abstract. "Planets and stars have been by our side, seemingly almost within reach, taunting us to get closer. They were our first guides in the dark thousands of years ago, and continue to drive us to leave our planet and explore others. What are they? What makes up our Universe? Where did we come from?"

"These questions remained at the heart of astronomy for centuries, and as we learned more about how vast and distant celestial objects are, we too reached deeper into space with our knowledge. I will talk about the history of astronomy: from the first recorded observations of the night skies to the modern breakthroughs in our understanding of how the Universe was billions of light-years ago. And of course, the mysteries we are still yet to solve!"

This is a family-friendly event, but if your kids will have trouble sitting through a lecture, you're welcome to join us on the Columbia Fields around 8:30 p.m. for the stargazing portion of the evening.

Note that if the skies are cloudy, the lecture will still take place on August 12, but we will not gather on the fields for stargazing. Please register so that we can keep you updated.

Parking is available in Lot X ($7) near the lecture venue, and in the OpenText lot (free) on Frank Tompa Drive, north of Brubacher House. It is an easy walk between both parking lots, the lecture, and the fields. Please do not park in the small gravel lot adjacent to the field, as your car lights interfere with our stargazing.

Ontario Mennonite Music Camp kicks off this weekend and other notes

The Ontario Mennonite Music Camp (OMMC) is set to begin on Sunday, August 11 and will run to Friday, August 23 at Conrad Grebel University College. OMMC is "a place where youth develop and enrich relationships, faith, musicality, and leadership in a fun and supportive summer camp environment," says an announcement from Conrad Grebel. "OMMC provides an exciting summer opportunity, pairing exceptional musical instruction with traditional camp activities!" The OMMC provides an in-person, overnight camp adventure for 12- to 17-year-olds.

Order up: The University of Waterloo Food Services Recruitment Fair is set for Saturday, August 10 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Federation Hall. "Bring your resume, and there's the option to be interviewed on the spot based on interviewer availability," says a note from Food Services. "Casual Part Time positions are available. and no experience is necessary!"

Information Systems & Technology (IST) has published the latest in their Atlassian Blog Series today entitled Get Ready for Atlassian’s Fall 2024 Drop-In Sessions.