Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
Faculty of Arts takes the Convocation stage today
The Faculty of Arts will have three ceremonies beginning this morning and ending this evening. 1,328 undergraduates, 178 Master's, and 23 PhD candidates will receive their degrees.
Morning ceremony
The first ceremony takes place at 10:00 a.m. Watch the livestream.
Michael Klein will sing the national anthem.
Carrying the mace will be Dr. Anindya Sen.
Dr. John Ravenhill will be named Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Dr. Ravenhill joined the University of Waterloo in 2013 as the director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs, recognizing his leadership and world-class research in global politics and international political economy. His service continued in 2019 as chair of the Department of Political Science. Ravenhill has published more than 25 books and over 200 articles and book chapters. Among many distinctions, he has received the International Political Economy Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Studies Association and is an elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. He has also taught at the universities of Virginia, Sydney, and Edinburgh, and at the Australian National University.
Viren Pandya will deliver the valedictory address.
Afternoon ceremony
The afternoon ceremony takes place at 2:30 p.m. Watch the livestream.
Michael Klein will sing the national anthem.
Dr. Grit Liebscher will carry the mace.
Dr. John English will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. Dr. English is one of Canada's most acclaimed, best-selling historians and experts in international relations. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and has the Order of Merit of Germany. Dr. English was the Member of Parliament for the federal riding of Kitchener from 1998 to 1997, serving with distinction as the parliamentary secretary to the minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo, and was for four decades an outstanding member of Waterloo's history department and founding executive director of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). He is now a Senior Fellow at Trinity College at the University of Toronto and chairs the Canadian International Council.
Daisy Burch will deliver the valedictory address.
Evening ceremony
The evening ceremony takes place at 6:30 p.m. Watch the livestream.
Michael Klein will sing the national anthem.
Dr. Efrim Boritz will carry the mace.
Tim Jackson will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. Jackson is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, not-for-profit leader and community builder. He is the president and chief executive officer of Shad, Canada's premier high school student summer program. He co-founded Tech Capital Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm and led the Accelerator Centre, an incubator for technology startups. He was the executive-president at the MaRS Discovery District, one of the world's largest urban innovation hubs. As a University of Waterloo Accounting graduate, Jackson has a long history of service at Waterloo. He held the position of Vice-President, University Relations in addition to five years on the Board of Governors and seven years as chair of the Student Venture Fund investment committee. Jackson was recognized with the prestigious title of Fellow Chartered Public Accountant for his exceptional service to the profession and his community.
Dr. Ranjini Jha will be named Distinguished Professor Emerita. Dr. Ranjini Jha retired from the School of Accounting and Finance in 2024, following a 26-year career at the University of Waterloo. She was an outstanding researcher, an exemplary educator, a catalyst in experiential finance education particularly for young women, and a wise governance advisor to our pension and benefits committee. As a trailblazer in experiential finance education, Jha founded the Student Investment Fund in 20 12 (public equity) and the Student Venture Fund in 20 17 (venture capital). Jha has received numerous awards, including the Faculty of Arts 20 23 Excellence in Service Award, and the Outstanding Performance Award in 2013, 2010 and 2006.
Matthew Jones will deliver the valedictory address.
A number of awards and medals will be handed out to outstanding graduands today, including:
Megan Olivia Kelly will be named the University Finalist for the Governor General's Gold Medal at the doctoral level.
Aparajita Bhattacharya, who graduated in fall 2024, will be named the University Finalist for the Governor General's Gold Medal at the Master's leve.
Calla Mueller will receive the University of Waterloo President's Award of Excellence for highest standing in an undergraduate degree program.
Julia Alison Nicolaisen will receive the University of Waterloo Alumni Gold Medal for outstanding academic achievement.
New cohort attends the Waterloo Academic Leadership Academy at Stratford Campus
From May 7 to 9, a cohort of Department Chairs, School Directors, Associate Chairs and Associate Deans attended the Waterloo Leadership Academy, an intensive in-person leadership retreat which provides executive education and networking opportunities to participants across campus.
A message from the Office of the Associate Vice-President, Academic.
The second annual Waterloo Leadership Academy for academic leaders was held in early May 2025, seeing a diverse group come together to develop their leadership skills and foster connections with colleagues across campus. A similar Leadership Academy for senior staff was held in December.
The three-day intensive retreat was held at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, with attendees staying in Stratford and spending evenings together with the aim of building community. Participants joined from across the institution, with leaders from all six Faculties in attendance. Sessions focused on leadership competencies including negotiation, group decision making and generating trust. The curriculum was developed and facilitated by Mark Weber, Special Advisor to the Provost on Leadership Strategy and Development, with Martin Cooke, Assistant Vice President, Academic Leadership and Strategic Initiatives. Activities also included a welcome and Q&A session with Provost and VP Academic Dr. Jim Rush, and a closing session on lessons for academic leaders from Dr. Mary Wells, Dean of Engineering.
Waterloo’s Leadership Academy, along with the Academic Leadership Program (ALP) administered through the AVPA office, is part of the focus on leadership development recommended by the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Building a Resilient University of Waterloo. Academic leaders interested in attending the 2026 Academy (May 6–8, 2026) or learning more about the ALP can express their interest by completing the 2026 registration form or can reach out to the ALP team via email (ALP@uwaterloo.ca).
Stay tuned for an announcement in the Daily Bulletin about the ALP kick-off event being hosted in September 2025.
MFA thesis work on display at UWAG
The Department of Fine Arts is showcasing the MFA thesis work of student Breanne Jeethan from June 12 to June 28 at the University of Waterloo Art Gallery.
The System is Broken
The System is Broken is a body of work based on the artist's experiences as a worker in the Emergency Department of a hospital. The series represents abstract scenes of the clinical workspace and is a response to the fast-paced, stressful environment that is rife with trauma, high emotions, and anguish. Working between the emergency room and her studio, the artist uses the symbiotic relationship between the two workplaces as a fuel to create her work. By manipulating and distorting found imagery created by various medical technologies, abnormalities in the imagery are created to signal the bureaucratic structures and power imbalances that undermine healthcare. The resulting series speaks to both the artist’s continuous navigating of her state of in-betweenness, but also to the overarching hierarchical nature of the medical system.
Breanne Jeethan is a multi-disciplinary artist and healthcare worker based in Mississauga/Toronto, Ontario. Her experience in graphic design has projected her practice in a mix of analogue and digital printmaking. Her practice explores themes of the body, medicine, and trauma with the use of internal imagery like X-rays, ultrasound scans, and angiogram brain scans. She has displayed her work at Durham Art Gallery, Durham; Xpace Cultural Centre, Toronto; Northern Contemporary Gallery, Toronto; and Small Arms Inspection Building, Mississauga. She is the recipient of the Sylvia Knight Award in Fine Arts (2025).
The opening reception takes place on Thursday, June 12, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Thursday's notes
"Faculty members are invited to join colleagues for an informal Grad House event on June 12 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to learn about Heterodox Academy (HxA)," says a note from Professor Kelly Anthony. "HxA's mission is to 'advance open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement across higher education – the foundations of our universities as truth-seeking, knowledge-generating institutions. HxA empowers members to organize on their campus, educates academics on the importance of our principles, and advocates for policies to protect open inquiry across higher education.' Several local universities have HxA chapters; a founding member from University of Toronto HxA will attend to discuss the creation of a UW HxA chapter. Join us for pizza, nachos and scintillating conversation!"
Upcoming office closures
The Arts Undergraduate Office (AUO) will be closed today.
Link of the day
God only knows what we’d be without him: Brian Wilson dead at 82
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. Covid booster shorts are available by appointment only – please call ext. 33784 or 519-746-4500. The Student Health Pharmacy’s summer hours are Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Naloxone kits are still available – pick them up in the pharmacy at no charge.
Convocation, Tuesday, June 10 to Saturday, June 14, Physical Activities Complex.
North Campus community garden clean up, Thursday, June 12, 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon, Columbia Lake greenhouses.
MFA thesis exhibit opening reception, Thursday, June 12, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., University of Waterloo Art Gallery.
UW Matthews Golf Classic - faculty and staff golf tournament, Monday, June 16.
Table Talk Series: Collecting and Understanding Queer, Trans and Non-Binary Data, Monday, June 16, 12 noon, - Office of EDI-R, EC5 2nd floor or online.
Menopause Café, Tuesday, June 17, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., DC Fishbowl. No registration required.
Queer Life Fair, Tuesday, June 17, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., SLC Great Hall.
WUSA Thrift Sidewalk Sale, Wednesday, June 18, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., location TBA.
Community Wellbeing Fruit and Veg Market, Wednesday, June 18, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., E7, 1st floor by the C&D.
An afternoon with Kai Potts, Wednesday, June 18, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., SLC Black and Gold Room.
Enhancing Accessibility in Teaching and Learning Series: Student Experiences with Assistive Technology (CTE7040), Wednesday, June 18, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., online.
National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration, Thursday, June 19, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., BMH Green.
Buckthorn pull, Thursday, June 19, 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon, meet between Village 1 South 3 building and the forest.
Master of Taxation Virtual Information Session, Wednesday, June 18, 10:00 a.m. Thursday, June 19, 12 noon. Please note the new date and time.
Juggling Institutional Priorities: Strategies for Instructors - Online (CTE7700), Thursday, June 19, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., online.
Inuit Identity: Who Is Resilient Inuk by Resilient Inuk, Thursday, June 19, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., East Campus 5, Room 1111 and Zoom.
Libraries Indigenous Mural Unveiling, Friday, June 20, 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Dana Porter Library lobby.
Engineering the Future: design, build & maintain your workforce, Tuesday, June 24, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., online.
Engineering Graduate Studies Fair, Tuesday, June 24, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Engineering 7 2nd floor event space.
IBPOC Student Writing Cafés, Tuesday, June 24, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., SCH 228F.
Campus Plan drop-in open house, Wednesday, June 25, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., SLC multipurpose room.
In-person Grad Writing Cafés, Wednesday, June 25, 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., SLC 3216.
The future of care starts before you're sick: How a WRHN team is changing the game in heart health, Friday, June 27, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., online.
Glow at the Toronto Pride Parade, Sunday, June 29.
University holiday, Monday, June 30, most operations and businesses closed.
Canada Day, Tuesday, July 1, most operations and businesses closed.
In-person Grad Writing Cafés, Wednesday, July 2, 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., SLC 3216.
IBPOC Student Writing Cafés, Tuesday, July 8, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., SCH 228F.
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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Village 1 localized steam shutdown, Monday, June 2 to Friday, June 13, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., steam to the various portions of the building will be isolated at the beginning of each day, impacting equipment serviced downstream, including AHUs, space heating will still be available at wall radiators.
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Villages Road sidewalk repair, Friday, June 6 to June 18, the sidewalk along Villages Road (around V1 West section) will be closed for construction, pedestrians are advised to find alternate routes around the construction zone, the road to the V1 loading dock will remain open with minor bottlenecks where construction equipment is active, vehicles on the construction side of the road will be expected to yield to oncoming traffic. A contractor flag person will be on-site to coordinate traffic where required.
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CSB electrical panel shutdown, Thursday, June 12, 4:00 a.m. to 4:15 a.m., electrical panel shutdown will affect CSB and steam boilers.
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Carl Pollock Hall replacement of backflow preventer, Thursday, June 12, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., water will be turned off to the building during this time, domestic hot and cold will not be available as the backflow presenter is replaced on the fire suppression system.
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Environment 1, 2 and 3, Modern Languages, Dana Porter Library, Needles Hall fire alarm testing, Friday, June 13, 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
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East Campus 4 and 5 fire alarm testing, Friday, June 13, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
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Math & Computer partial second floor closure to create fire-rated emergency exit, Monday, June 16 for approximately four weeks, access to MC at Loading Dock Entrance 2039 will be closed, access to corridor 2078 will be closed, women's washroom 2040 will be closed, access to 2nd floor from elevators 2079 and 2080 will be closed, exit from stairwell 2077 to 2nd floor will be closed.
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Physical Activities Complex, Student Life Centre, RAC 1 and 2, Federation Hall fire alarm testing, Tuesday, June 17, 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
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Ring Road between the Commissary (COM) building and the General Services Complex (GSC) building road closure, Tuesday, June 17, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., one lane will be closed, vehicle traffic may be backed up within this section of Ring Road throughout this time.