Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
Celebration of Life for Siv Sivaloganathan will be held May 5
The University of Waterloo community is invited to join the Faculty of Mathematics in a celebration of the life and career of Professor Siv Sivaloganathan on Monday, May 5.
Professor Sivaloganathan, former chair of the Department of Applied Mathematics, passed away on March 2 after a brief illness.
The event will be held on Monday, May 5 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in M3-1006. RSVP today.
Anyone who knew Professor Sivaloganathan is invited to contribute a short tribute message (password: tribute), including anecdotes, stories, testimonials and so on about his life, work, and influence. You can also upload any photos with Dr. Sivaloganathan you would like to share.
In addition, members of the community can also contribute to the Siv Sivaloganathan Memorial Scholarship, which will fund graduate studies in Dr. Sivaloganathan’s area of mathematical medicine research. “Your support will be a lasting tribute to Prof. Sivaloganathan’s impact and will inspire and uplift future students in the field of mathematical medicine,” says a note from the Faculty of Mathematics. Donate today.
Organizational changes in University Relations to support leaner leadership model
Changes are coming for the department responsible for communications, marketing, community and government relations, according to a memo from President Vivek Goel circulated to the University’s Executive Council and other leaders across campus.
“The roles of Vice-President, University Relations and Associate Vice-President, Government Relations will be formally discontinued,” President Goel writes. “This decision reflects our commitment to reducing the overall size of the senior administration by pursuing a more efficient leadership structure and allows us to achieve necessary budget reductions in the University Relations unit. These changes allow us to maintain a high level of strategic focus while leveraging shared services across Advancement and UR to streamline administrative support.”
“Since January, Nenone Donaldson has served as Vice-President, Advancement and interim lead of the University Relations portfolio,” the president writes. “I am pleased to share that this expanded responsibility is now permanent. Nenone’s new title is Vice-President, Advancement and External Relations.”
“In this expanded role, Nenone will continue to lead the University’s crucial advancement work while providing strategic oversight of the University Relations portfolio, which includes communications, marketing and brand strategy, government relations, and community engagement.”
Those Daily Bulletin readers with longer memories will recall that the University’s advancement and alumni affairs operations and the central communications unit were once under the same vice-presidential portfolio, that of the Vice-President, External Relations. In 2012, one Vice-President became two with the establishment of the Vice-President, University Relations, and the Vice-President, Advancement.
Until recently the University Relations had four Associate Vice-Presidential portfolios: University Communications, Marketing and Strategic Initiatives, Community Relations and Events, and Government Relations. President Goel announced that Nick Manning’s role and mandate as Associate Vice-President, Communications will expand to Associate Vice-President, Communications and Institutional Relations. “Nick will now oversee government relations and he will manage key institutional relationships with sector partners such as the U15, Council of Ontario Universities and Universities Canada,” Goel writes. “By working more closely with the President and the Vice-President, Research and International who will also increase their support to government relations work, this new structure enables stronger connection between our communications and advocacy, ensuring a cohesive and effective voice for Waterloo in both internal and external conversations.”
“Michael Dorr and Kelly McManus will continue in their respective roles as Associate Vice-President, Marketing and Brand Strategy, and Associate Vice-President, Community Relations and Events,” the president’s memo continues.
“Importantly, these changes precede the findings of our ongoing functional review of marketing and communications,” Goel writes. “By acting now, we are putting the right leadership in place to respond swiftly and effectively to the recommendations that we will pursue from that review. Our goal is to ensure that we are best positioned to implement a streamlined, coordinated and high-impact model for fundraising, communications, marketing and stakeholder engagement across the institution.”
Funding the future of optometry
Cassidy Roberts and Nina Yan are students in the University of Waterloo's School of Optometry and Vision Science.
By Beth Bohnert. This is an excerpt of a story originally published on Waterloo News.
“My wife hasn’t seen my eyes in five years,” the patient told University of Waterloo student Nina Yan on her first day working in an optometry practice. After suffering a concussion, the man was forced to wear dark sunglasses constantly to alleviate the pain of extreme light sensitivity.
“My supervisor and I put some prism lenses and a blue tint in his glasses,” Yan recalls, “and immediately, you could see the release in his shoulders. He started crying with relief. He was able to go about his day almost like before his concussion.
“That experience put into perspective just how important optometry can be.”
As Canada's population gets older and more people develop vision problems, the need for skilled eye care professionals is growing. Waterloo donors are helping train students like Yan and her classmate Cassidy Roberts through their contributions to the Waterloo Eye Institute (WEI) at the School of Optometry and Vision Science.
New tools mean new learning opportunities
The WEI, set to open in late 2026, aims to become Canada's leading centre of excellence in optometry, enhancing patient care and serving as a national resource for optometric education and research. It has been made possible, in part, thanks to more than 900 donors who have contributed to equipment and programs. This support helps Waterloo optometrists advance eye and vision care and provides students with hands-on learning opportunities.
Read the full Impact Story on Waterloo News
Employer Impact Conference today and other notes
The third annual Employer Impact Conference, organized by Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE), takes place today from 12 noon to 4:30 p.m. online via Zoom. This year's theme is "The Power of Change Makers."
Attendees will join top industry leaders and rising stars for an afternoon of bold ideas, inspiring conversations and actionable workplace strategies via a series of sessions and presentations. The keynote speaker is Mark Chapeskie, Vice President of Program Development at Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) whose remarks are entitled "Navigating the future of work with collaboration and innovation."
Research Impact Canada’s "Dr. RIC" event takes place today from 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon via Zoom.
"On the agenda, we have a presentation by Ron Harpelle from Lakehead University entitled ResearchTV: The World Through an Academic Lens, followed by a second presentation by Eli Friedland and Prem Sooriyakumar from Concordia University: Collaborating on Narrative CV Support," says a note from Nadine Quehl. "We will then open two breakout rooms at the same time and attendees will choose which breakout room they would like to attend to take a deeper dive into the topics with the presenters for the Q&A session. We will then conclude with a quick, wrap-up plenary."
If you're interested, please contact Nadine Quehl for the Zoom link.
Upcoming office closures
The School of Environment, Enterprise and Development office will be closed today from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for its annual retreat for all School faculty and staff.
The Centre for Teaching Excellence will be closed Thursday, May 1 for the annual Teaching and Learning Conference.
Link of the day
Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare
When and where
The Campus Wellness Student Medical Clinic offers healthcare visits with Physicians and Nurse Practitioners to current undergraduate and graduate students. Services include: vaccinations, immunity testing, naturopathic services and more. Counselling Services offers appointments with counsellors in person as well as via phone and video. Students can book appointments for these services by calling Campus Wellness at 519-888-4096.
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.
Vision Science Graduate Student Conference 2025, Monday, April 28, 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and Tuesday, April 29, 8:40 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Optometry Room 1129. Please register.
Climate and Disaster Risk Boot Camp, Tuesday, April 29, 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon, Pearl Sullivan Engineering Ideas Clinic (E7-1427).
Employer Impact Conference, Tuesday, April 29, 12 noon to 4:30 p.m.
University of Waterloo Teaching and Learning Conference, Wednesday, April 30 (online) and Thursday, May 1, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Science Teaching Complex.
Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) Day, Thursday, May 1, 9:00 a.m., QNC 0101.
NEW - Abortion, Authoritarianism, and Reproductive Justice, Thursday, May 1, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Balsillie School of International Affairs Room 142 and online via Zoom. Register today.
Co-operative work term begins, Monday, May 5.
Lectures and classes begin, Monday, May 5.
Office of Indigenous Relations and SVPRO presents “Red Dress Reflections - Transforming Tomorrow,” Monday, May 5, 10:30 a.m., EXP 1686.
Buckthorn Pull, Wednesday, May 7, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m., meet between Village 1 - South 3 Building and the forest.
Fair Trade Celebration, Monday, May 12, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m., SLC Green.
Anti-Racism Reads: See No Stranger, Tuesday, May 13, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., LIB 323.
Spring Tree Planting, Tuesday, May 13, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m., meet between Village 1 - South 3 Building and the forest.
Velocity Innovation Open House, Tuesday, May 13, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., South Campus Hall.
Seedling Swap, Wednesday, May 14 and Thursday, May 15, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., EV3.
Computational Materials North 2025 (Day 1), Thursday, May 15, 9:00 a.m., QNC 1501.
NEW - Master of Taxation Virtual Information Session, Thursday, May 15, 12 noon.
Science in the City - Aging, Thursday, May 15, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Lancaster Smokehouse.
Lectures in Catholic Experience presents Fr. Gregory Boyle, Thursday, May 15, 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., SJU2 atrium.
NEW - Safeguarding science webinar – Module 6: Travelling safely: Protecting your research while travelling abroad (English), Friday, May 16, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
NEW - Computational Materials North 2025 (Day 2), Friday, May 16, 8:30 a.m., QNC 1501.
NEW - Julia Cunningham and Anthea Feaver concert, Friday, May 16, 7:00 p.m., Brubacher House, North Campus.
Register for Centre for Extended Learning (CEL) "Getting Ready to Facilitate Online Courses: TA Training – Spring 2025" course, registration closes Tuesday, May 20.
Shaw-Mannell Award and Lecture, Thursday, May 22, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., AHS EXP 1621.
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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Physical Activities Complex Building (PAC) domestic cold and hot water shutdown, Tuesday, April 29, 12:30 a.m. until 6:00 a.m., domestic cold and hot water will be affected during this time.
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Student Life Centre annual testing of building backflow preventer, Tuesday, April 29, 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., there will be no water to the entire building during this time.
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Minota Hagey Residence electrical shutdown, Tuesday, April 29, 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., an electrical shutdown that will affect all normal power within the building to accommodate metering installation.
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Modern Languages fire alarm testing, Wednesday, April 30, 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
- QNC semi-annual PM of rooftop fans, Saturday, May 3, 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a rain date of Sunday May 4. This will affect all exhaust fans, air make-ups, and exhaust fans.
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Modern Languages, Earth Science Chemistry/Chemistry 1, Biology 1, Arts Lecture, Environment 1, Biology 2, Minota Hagey Residence, Hagey Hall/School of Accounting, Psychology Anthropology and Sociology, Environment 2, Science Teaching, Environment 3 electrical shutdown, May 8, 10:00 p.m. to 12 midnight. Normal power will be off, emergency lighting will be on, atrium elevator at Hagey Hall, one elevator at Science Teaching and one at Environment 3 will be operating.