Thursday, January 16, 2025

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• Register for the Friesen Prize Lecture with Dr. Gordon Guyatt on February 5

• From co-op to world-class research expert

• Announcing the 2025 GRADflix finalists

• Antagonism and Intimidation Speaker Series continues today and other notes

Register for the Friesen Prize Lecture with Dr. Gordon Guyatt on February 5

A message from the Office of Research.

University of Waterloo faculty, staff, and students as well as the general public are invited to attend the Henry G. Friesen Prize Lecture on Wednesday, February 5.

The Friesen Prize is given in recognition of an individual’s contributions to the advancement of health research. More information about the prize and a list of previous winners is available on the Friesen Prize website.

Featuring Dr. Gordon Guyatt, recipient of the 2024 Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research awarded by Friends of CIHR, the lecture is titled “The Past, Present and Future of Evidence Based Medicine.”

This in-person only event will also include a panel session with Dr. Guyatt and researchers from across Waterloo faculties to discuss an interdisciplinary approach to evidence. This in-person lecture will be followed by a Meet and Greet with Dr. Guyatt.

Event schedule

• 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon - Panel discussion
• 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. - Lecture by Dr. Guyatt
• 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. - Meet and Greet

Please register to attend as seating is limited. More information about the Friesen Prize lecture is available on the registration page.

From co-op to world-class research expert

By Darren McAlmont. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

When Dr. Mihaela Vlasea’s (BASc ’08, PhD ’14) high school teacher encouraged her to apply to Waterloo’s inaugural mechatronics program, she didn’t imagine that less than 20 years later, she’d be a renowned expert in additive manufacturing (3D printing). 

“I didn't really know what mechatronics was, and there was nothing to base my enthusiasm around at that time,” she says, “but I was really intrigued that Waterloo had put this together because every time they put a new program together, it skyrockets into success.” 

Taking full advantage of Waterloo’s world-class co-op program, Vlasea completed a few work terms in the automotive sector trying to figure out where she might fit as an engineer after graduation. In her fourth year at Waterloo, Dr. Ehsan Toyserkani, professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering, invited her to do a co-op term in his lab, which sparked Vlasea’s passion for research.  

This led her to consider medical school to become an orthopaedic surgeon. However, after sharing a master’s project where Vlasea got the opportunity to work with orthopaedic surgeons making printed implants for animal and eventually human trials, Toyserkani persuaded her to continue her academic journey at Waterloo.

Dr. Mihaela Vlasea.

“I really learned about what it takes to actually be a surgeon in that field, and I really fell in love with 3D printing and additive manufacturing,” she says. “So, I was grateful for that directional change because I think it was a better fit with my background and enthusiasm for research and for manufacturing.” 

Vlasea shares that one of the biggest lessons learned during her undergraduate degree was to keep an open mind to different possibilities, learn as much as possible and make the best of every experience. Living by these rules enabled her to flourish in different situations.   

After graduating with a PhD in mechanical and mechatronics engineering, Vlasea moved to the U.S. to work at the National Institute for Standards and Technology, where she collaborated with a team on a new printing machine with laser-based processes — a new class of technology than the binder-based processes she was used to. 

In 2015, there was a massive amount of interest in 3D printing and additive manufacturing, which led Vlasea to where she is today.  

“I kept my mind open and thought I would love to go back to academia because that's where I thought I could innovate and learn at the same time,” she says. “A lot of times in industry, you can innovate, but you're always giving back, as opposed to continuously learning.” 

After considering multiple offers from across different industries and research institutions, Vlasea returned to Waterloo to nurture the existing ecosystem of additive manufacturing technologies. “I'm glad I was able to help put important bricks in the already-strong foundation in place at Waterloo and grow it from there, along with my colleagues,” she says. 

Read the full story on Waterloo News.

Announcing the 2025 GRADflix finalists

A message from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA).

After receiving fantastic submissions for the 2025 GRADflix competition, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs is pleased to announce the finalists whose videos will be featured at the upcoming GRADflix Showcase.

GRADflix is a research communication competition inviting graduate students from across campus to create a 60-second video showcasing their research. These videos highlight the students’ ability to combine research and creativity while enhancing their communication and creative skills, expanding their networks, and gaining visibility for their research.

We invite all finalists, along with their friends, family, supervisors, and the entire Waterloo community, to join us on February 4 at Federation Hall for the GRADflix Showcase. Attendees will enjoy the premiere of the finalists’ videos and celebrate the awarding of prizes ranging from $250 to $750. For the first time, the showcase will also include a Finalist’s Choice award, where finalists will vote for their favorite video created by a peer.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our judges—Tania Del Matto, Angela Rooke, Siyavash Izadi, and Pamela Smyth—for their expertise and thoughtful evaluations in selecting the winners from an exceptional pool of applicants. Award winners will be announced during the showcase.

Antagonism and Intimidation Speaker Series continues today and other notes

Speakers at the event include Dr. Laura Mae Lindo, Dr. Dax D’Orazio of the University of Guelph, and moderator Dr. Emmett Macfarlane.

The first event in the Antagonism and Intimidation in Academia Speaker Series 2.0 takes place this afternoon. Entitled Freedom of Expression and Inclusive Engagement, panelists from the University of Waterloo and the University of Guelph will explore the tensions between freedom of expression and protection from harm, and the antagonisms inherent in drawing expressive limits.

Registration is closed but attendees can join in-person in E7-2409 and via Zoom.

Also today, You Don't Know What You Don't Know with Ela Smith, a workshop hosted by the Office of Indigenous Relations, will be held online today from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This is the first in a three-part workshop series that will take place in January, February and April.