Thursday, October 10, 2024

Give your colleagues a 10 out of 10 today

A message from the University of Waterloo Staff Association.

To celebrate October 10—"10/10 day”—the University of Waterloo Staff Association asked members to share what they appreciate about their colleagues, and received nearly 100 entries applauding the great work staff are doing across our campuses.

In particular, people talked about co-workers who create a positive and inclusive work environment, are understanding and supportive of others, who share their expertise to help others learn and grow, and are generous collaborators.

Here are just a handful of the 98 submissions:

"The Arts Undergraduate Office Advising Team supported over 400 undergraduate students in academic advising appointments during the month of September. Thank you to this incredible team for continuing to encourage one another and providing an engaging student experience!”

Alison Zorian is “always organizing fun activities, coordinating outings, and celebrating other peoples' milestones. Alison is thoughtful and works hard to build community and liven up the office.”

“Cam Bartel works hard to ensure that the Graduate House is an inclusive, successful, and fun location for students and professors to hang out and get a bite to eat and a pint. He organizes events for staff and genuinely cares about their lives outside of the Grad House. Without Cam, the Graduate House would not be the place it is today.”

“The Health Promotion team does fantastic work in a kind, empathetic, and respectful manner!”

“Elysia Gallinaro is an active listener and an amazing supporter. She cares about the team’s makeup, proactively developing high performers. Her ability to discover and capitalize on each person’s unique strengths sets her apart.”

Follow the @uwstaffassociation on Instagram for more stories about the great work staff are doing throughout the month—and tell your colleagues what you appreciate about them today!

Remembering Geoff Malleck

A message from the Department of Economics.

Geoff David Malleck passed away on October 1, 2024. After nearly two decades in family business, Geoff pursued post-secondary education at Wilfrid Laurier University (Diploma in Business Administration, 1990) and Queen’s University (MBA, 1997). He held a variety of teaching positions between 1997 and 2008, in the Faculty of Engineering at UWaterloo, and also at other regional universities and colleges. In 2008, he became a Continuing Lecturer in the Department of Economics, and it was from this base in the Arts that Geoff taught strategy, marketing and entrepreneurship.

He was a major contributor to the Arts and Business program. Geoff possessed a supreme talent for working with young people, supporting their entrepreneurship ideas. Geoff served in many advisory capacities across campus and built a reputation as a remarkable citizen of UW. He retired on May 1, 2024.

Geoff’s own statement, written just before his passing, is available on the Henry Walser Funeral Home website.

10 years of catalyzing collaboration

This is an excerpt of an article originally featured on the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement website.

On Saturday, September 21, the International Day of Peace, the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement celebrated its 10th anniversary, marking a decade of commitment to fostering peace and collaboration within—and beyond—our community. This milestone event united a diverse group of attendees, including past and present staff with affiliate organizations, Grebel Peace Incubator alumni, Grebel staff, family, and friends, and representatives from our inspiration partner, Kindred Credit Union. 
 
There was much to engage with throughout the afternoon, with interactive elements including an exhibit of peace posters, conversation stations, and even a kids’ corridor. Marcus Shantz, the president of Conrad Grebel University College, was impressed by how attendees clearly valued the chance to connect and re-connect, demonstrating the vibrant community the Centre has cultivated over the years. Newer participants to the Centre enjoyed meeting past participants, and one attendee not directly affiliated with the Centre remarked that they “could feel that the Centre meant a lot to people."  

Interspersed throughout the event, remarks from eight speakers highlighted the importance of the Centre’s mission and represented various programs and initiatives of the Centre. For example, Cesar Jaramillo, Executive Director of Project Ploughshares, shared, "our participation with the Centre is more than just office space; it's about learning and connecting with a diverse group of people, and we are honoured to be collaborators." 

Sara Matthews, a professor at Wilfrid Laurier University and the artist behind ‘The Cultural Life of Drones’ Grebel Gallery exhibit in 2019-2020 started by invited guests to engage with the current exhibit, ‘Signs of Peace’: "This exhibition demonstrates the Centre's investment in recognizing that aesthetic interventions are essential to the work of peacebuilding."   

Read the full article on the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement website.

Overcoming tragedy to achieve greatness

This is the latest in a series of articles featured in Waterloo Magazine.

Triumph after tragedy, loss and grief are perhaps all the core elements needed for a compelling sports movie script. But scoring a championship-winning shot with just two seconds to spare on the clock sealed the 1974-75 Warriors Men’s Basketball team’s legacy as one of the best ever to play.

After experiencing the unexpected loss of their star player due to illness, the 1974-75 Waterloo Warriors Men’s basketball team went the entire season undefeated, thanks to the incredible talent and uncontested tenacity of the student-athletes, Don McCrae, the head coach of the team and the incredible support of the Waterloo community.

Fifty years after their historic national championship, members of the Waterloo Warriors Men’s Basketball team share their reflections.

Revisit the memorable win in the Waterloo Magazine.

Cybersecurity conference today and other notes

The Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute’s annual conference is set to take place today, running from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Federation Hall. Sponsored by MasterCard, the theme of this year’s conference is “Tackling Canada’s Cybersecurity Challenges” and will focus on the issues of open banking, quantum technologies, elections security, and societal surveillance. The conference will feature CPI experts in conversation with leaders from industry and beyond. The conference is open to undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, entrepreneurs, startups, government, sponsors, and businesses. 

The Secretariat has announced the results of the recent Senate by-election. "Professors Hans de Sterck and Kevin Hare, both Faculty of Math, were recently elected as Faculty-at-Large Senators, with terms expiring April 30, 2027," says a note from the Secretariat. "Regular elections to Senate for terms beginning in 2025 will take place in the winter semester. Information can be found on the Secretariat website. Questions can be directed to secretariat@uwaterloo.ca and/or elections@uwaterloo.ca."

While we're on the subject of things democratic, WUSA has released the results of the recent undergraduate student referendum on Responsible Partnerships and Investments. On the first question, "Should the University of Waterloo sever its partnership with Technion-Israel Institute of Technology due to its role in the research and development of technology used by the Israel Defence Forces?" 5,942 students voted "yes" and 1,019 students voted "no." On the second question, "Should the University of Waterloo review its partnerships and investment portfolios to ensure alignment with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles and Amnesty International, to prioritize institutions that demonstrate a commitment to human rights, peace, and international law in a manner that is timely and transparent to the undergraduate student?" 5,957 students voted "yes" and 632 students voted "no."

The results will be sent to WUSA's board for ratification and will inform the student organization's advocacy efforts. Check out the full story on WUSA's website.

The Women’s Hockey Warriors take the ice in their home opener tonight vs. Toronto at 7:00 p.m. in the CIF Arena. There will be a McCaw Cup banner raising, Parent Day celebrations, and it's also Employee Day, whcih means a limited number of free tickets are available sponsored by Hilton. Email WarriorsTickets@uwaterloo.ca for coupon code). Buy your tickets!

Former UW Chaplain Valentine “Val” Hennig passed away on September 16. Born in Alberta in 1931, Reverend Hennig spent nearly 70 years in ministry across the country and from 1993 to 1999 served as chaplain at both the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University, representing the Lutheran denomination. At that time, there were eight chaplains representing various Christian denominations at the University. Times have changed for the UW Chaplains – they’re now known as the MultiFaith Spirituality Resource Team and include Anglican, Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Mennonite, Christian Reformed, Eastern Orthodox, Orthodox, Jewish, and Muslim faith traditions.

 A lifelong learner, Reverend Hennig began taking courses at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary—now Martin Luther University College—towards a second master’s degree in theological studies in 2000 at the age of 69, graduating in 2011 at the age of 80.