Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
How do we make our cities more livable for all? Find out at the Global Engagement showcase
A message from the Faculty of Arts.
The Global Engagement Seminar welcomes all members of the University of Waterloo community as well as friends and colleagues beyond campus to join us on the evening of Wednesday, April 2 for the 2025 Desmarais Family Summit.
The Summit is an annual interactive exhibition where students from the Global Engagement Seminar—an interdisciplinary course offered annually—showcase their research projects exploring this year’s theme: Finding our Future City: Health, Housing, and Humanity.
About the 2025 Global Engagement Seminar
Students in Engineering, Arts, and Environment collaborated in interdisciplinary groups to look at not only what Future Cities within our lifetime could look like in terms of our individual and collective sense of being and belonging, but the ways in which we need to think creatively about how we can best ensure healthy and sustainable homes and communities at the local, national, and global levels. In this collaborative environment, students were encouraged to embrace innovative problem-solving and take creative risks. Led by co-instructors Dr.Leia Minaker (School of Planning, Director of the Future Cities Institute) and Dr. Robin Mazumder students in the class also benefited from the insights, experience, and guidance of six leading experts and practitioners in the field, the seminar's Jarislowsky Fellows.
The Fellows worked collaboratively with the coordinator and teaching faculty/researchers to facilitate the students in considering the ways in which the world is urbanizing more rapidly than ever before in human history. Each Jarislowsky Fellow shared their expertise and community- based experiences as advocates, activists, and practitioners in a series of lectures over the term, which were open to the public to attend and engage with the learning.
Our Summit will begin at United College’s Alumni Hall at 6:45 p.m. with a smudging ceremony where all are welcome to attend. We will experience a panel discussion at 7:00 p.m. with Jarislowsky Fellows Tai Huynh, Juanie Pudluk, and Helen Kerr followed by interactive student projects from 8:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Please register to join the Global Engagement Desmarais Family Summit on Wednesday, April 2. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Brooke Barnes. We hope to see you there!
Computer Science students show off their creativity with public art show
Students from the course CS 889: Human-Computer Interaction for Art and Creativity will be giving a public exhibit of their final projects – a collection of computational artworks and creativity tools that is open to the University community.
The course is taught by Computer Science Professor Dan Vogel. CS 889 investigates the intersection of computing, artistic expression, and creative practice. Throughout the term, students have explored how computational systems can support, enhance and generate art through weekly student-led seminars and hands-on programming exercises.
The exhibition takes place Tuesday, April 1, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Flex Studio in ECH 1237.
Global Business and Digital Arts Capstone Project Showcase set for Friday
A message from the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business.
You're invited to our 4th Year Project Showcase on Friday, April 4. Students will be displaying their work and sharing how they approached the challenge and what they created. It will be a great opportunity to get a better understanding of the GBDA program and to see firsthand the skills our students develop and the types of knowledge they are exposed/immersed in.
Students had the opportunity to participate in the 2025 Service Design Challenge, an international student competition that pushes the boundaries of service design by encouraging a transdisciplinary approach to solving a prevalent global issue in their local context. This year, our students worked with mentors from IBM to design better products and services, contributing directly to global efforts toward sustainable development and equitable progress. By taking this inclusive approach, we can develop exciting new service experiences that contribute value to people, the planet, and the public.
We hope you will join us on April 4 to be inspired by our students and celebrate their solutions.
Monday's notes
The Faculty of Health, via the Dean’s Advisory Committee on EDI-AR and Ginhawa: Gatherings for refuge, relief, and restoration, is hosting an end-of-term session entitled Making Sacred: Practices of Story-telling and Story-listening today from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in EXP 1686.
"Celebrate International Poetry Month in community, engaged in a relaxed practice of storying," says the note from the Faculty of Health. "Join Shelly Grace, Toronto-based spoken word poet, for a session on practices of free story-writing, story-telling, and story-listening. Participants will practice free-writing and listening-to-listen, not respond. Giana Tomas, a PhD Candidate in Recreation and Leisure Studies, will open our session with a description of the Kuwentuhan talk-story method to welcome and invite different cultural textures to our discussion of storying practices."
"Sharing is optional. No experience with poetry or preparation is needed. All comrades welcome. Light refreshments will be available."
There's still time to register for this afternoon's event.
Karrot, a local secondhand marketplace app and co-op student employer, is hosting a friendly competition between University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University students to make move-outs easier and more student-friendly. Students can join their school’s private group on the app to buy and sell items directly with each other. Anyone who lists 5 or more items gets a $10 Amazon gift card, and one student from the winning school will be randomly selected to receive a month of rent covered. The event runs until end of April.
More details are available in the app, which is available to download for free.
Upcoming office closures
Sustainable Transportation will be closed Tuesday, April 1 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for a staff meeting.
The Office of the Ombudsperson will be closed from Tuesday, March 25 to Wednesday, April 2.
Link of the day
From Dr. Kildare to King of the Miniseries: Richard Chamberlain dead at 90
When and where
The Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey is now open. Graduate students should check their @uwaterloo email for a link to participate. Students who submit their responses will receive $5 on their WatCard as well as a chance to win one of ten $150 shopping sprees. The survey is open until April 25.
The privately-run Student Health Pharmacy (located in the lower level of the Student Life Centre) is now offering new COVID booster shots and flu shots. Call for appointments to register for the vaccination at 519-746-4500 or dial extension 33784. Walk-ins are welcome.
Awakening the Language: A Celebration of Haudenosaunee Language Revitalization, Monday, March 31, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., EC5 1111.
NEW - Making Sacred: Practices of Story-telling and Story-listening, Monday, March 31, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., HLTH 1686.
Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) Seminar: Part 2, Tuesday, April 1, 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., QNC 0101.
Virtual WISE Public Lecture, “Climate data to support the design of climate resilient, low carbon buildings integrated with nature-based solutions in Canada” featuring Abhishek Gaur, Associate Research Officer, Team Leader, Buildings and Climate Interface, National Research Council Canada (NRC)., Tuesday, April 1, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., via Zoom. Register today.
NEW - CS 889: Human-Computer Interaction for Art and Creativity public exhibit, Tuesday, April 1, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., ECH 1237 Flex Studio.
Velocity Pitch Competition: All-Stars, Tuesday, April 1, 7:00 p.m., Theatre of the Arts. Register to attend.
Budget Information Forum, Wednesday, April 2, 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., online.
Non-binary Lives in Divided Times, Wednesday, April 2, 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Zoom.
NEW - Global Engagement Desmarais Family Summit, Wednesday, April 2, 6:45 p.m., United College Alumni Hall.
Recipes made Radical: Kitchentales of Survival and Resistance, Thursday, April 3, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., online via Zoom.
Transparency in animal research with Dr. Michael Brunt, Thursday, April 3, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Please register to attend.
A Discussion with Author Tess Chakkalakal, Friday, April 4, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., Waterloo Public Library main branch.
2025 Capstone Showcase and Grad send off, Friday, April 4, 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Stratford Campus.
NEW - Louder than words: University Choir, Friday, April 4, 7:30 p.m., Trillium Lutheran Church, 22 Willow Street, Waterloo. $5 students/$10 general, tickets available at the door.
Quest will be down for scheduled maintenance, Saturday, April 5, 6:45 a.m. to 12 noon.
2025 Staff Conference, Tuesday, April 8 and Wednesday, April 9, Hagey Hall and online.
NEW - Chemistry Seminar: Accelerating Discovery of Substrate Promiscuity in Biocatalyzed Oxidations featuring Joelle N. Pelletier,Professor, Department of Chemistry, Université de Montréal, Tuesday, April 8, 11:00 a.m., C2-361 Reading Room.
NEW - Art-full Restoration, Tuesday, April 8, 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., HLTH 1686.
Townhall with NSERC President Alejandro Adem, Wednesday, April 9, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., QNC 0101.
Master of Taxation Virtual Information Session, Thursday, April 10, 12 noon.
Upcoming service interruptions
Stay up to date on service interruptions, campus construction, and other operational changes on the Plant Operations website. Upcoming service interruptions include:
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Physics domestic cold water (hard) shutdown, Monday, March 31, 12:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., domestic cold water (hard) shutdown to accommodate metering installation, domestic hot water will still be available during this time.Note: this has been cancelled. - Tatham Centre electrical and domestic cold water shutdown, Tuesday, April 1, 12:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., electrical shutdown will affect all normal power within the building starting from 12:00 a.m. until 7:00 a.m., domestic cold water shutdown will start from 3:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m., domestic hot water will still be available during this time.
- Needles Hall (original building) domestic water shutdown, Wednesday, April 2, 12:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., there will be a domestic water shutdown to accommodate a metering installation.
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School of Pharmacy, Integrated Health Building, Innovation Arena (OSC) fire alarm testing, Wednesday, April 2, 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
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University Club, Bauer Warehouse, Avril fire alarm testing, Wednesday, April 2, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
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Needles Hall domestic hot water shutdown, Thursday, April 3, 12:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., domestic hot water will be shut down to accommodate metering installation, domestic cold water will still be available.
- Arts Lecture, JR Coutts Engineering Lecture Hall, Douglas Wright Engineering, Carl A Pollock Hall, South Campus Hall, Engineering 2, Engineering 3, Biology 1, Biology 2, Earth Science Chemistry, Physics emergency power electrical shutdown, Thursday, April 3, 7:00 p.m. to Friday, April 4, 3:30 a.m. Shutdown will affect various buildings, emergency power will be unavailable during the duration of the shutdown but normal power will be available during this time as an old transfer switch is replaced.
- Needles Hall - (addition) domestic cold water shutdown, Friday, April 4, 12:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., domestic cold water will be shut down to accommodate metering installation, domestic hot water will still be available.
- Physical Activities Complex (PAC) domestic water shutdown, Friday, April 4, 12:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., domestic hot water shutdown to accommodate metering installation, domestic cold water will still be available.
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Needles Hall perimeter heating shutdown, Friday, April 4, 7:00 a.m. to 12 noon, all perimeter heating will be off for approximately 4 hours.
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Douglas Wright Engineering Building electrical and domestic cold water shutdown, Friday, April 25, 12:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., domestic hot water will still be available during this time.