Tuesday, June 17, 2025

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• Congratulations, Class of 2025!
• Interdisciplinary capstone project finds potential efficiencies in HR
• An Afternoon with Kai Potts: Reminder

Congratulations, Class of 2025!

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

Spring 2025 Convocation was a spectacular celebration of dedication, resilience and triumph. As graduates crossed the stage, their hard work and perseverance shone brightly after navigating some of the most challenging times in recent history, including beginning their degrees during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Across five days and 14 vibrant ceremonies, Waterloo’s campus came alive with the cheers of proud families, friends, faculty and staff — all gathered to honour the incredible accomplishments of our graduating students. 

“I was truly inspired by the remarkable accomplishments of our graduates,” says Dr. Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “As each new graduate transitions to Waterloo’s remarkable alumni community, they are poised to tackle global challenges and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future for humanity and our planet.”   

Behind the scenes, the magic was made possible by a dedicated team of 207 staff and alumni volunteers, 94 student ambassadors and seven retirees. From ambassadors and ushers to stage support and accessibility assistants, these incredible individuals ensured that every moment ran smoothly for thousands of graduates and their loved ones. 

A total of 230 PhD, 957 master’s and 6,155 undergraduate degrees were conferred to new alumni during Spring 2025 Convocation. Here are some of the memorable moments from the ceremonies.   

‘Curiosity is my own superpower’ 

Dr. Jagdeep Bachher

In the chancellor’s address to the Class of 2025, Dr. Jagdeep Bachher (BASc ’93, MASc ’94, PhD ’00) encouraged graduates to unlock new possibilities by remaining curious and embracing the changes occurring around them.  

“Waterloo is a place of change, innovation and new, bold beginnings. ‘What supercharges new beginnings?’ Curiosity,” he said. “That means asking audacious questions of yourself and of others.” 

Bachher further encouraged graduates to be steadfast in their values in the face of injustice and external pressures.  

“What makes me proud to be your chancellor is your courage. The courage to stand up for what’s right, to challenge the status quo, to be kind when it’s easier not to be, and to choose inclusion, humility and decency … even when the world doesn’t reward those things. These are my Sikh values, these are Canadian values, these are human values,” he shared.

Read the full story on Waterloo News

Interdisciplinary capstone project finds potential efficiencies in HR

From left to right: Omar Al-Iriani , Noah Sutton, Ryan Mark, Chief Human Resources Officer Michelle Hollis, Chief Financial Officer Sarah Hadley, Regan Blair, and Joseph Ma.

By Ryan Mark.

An interdisciplinary student capstone project has identified significant potential cost savings by improving process efficiency and reducing high-volume inquiries through streamlining several processes within Human Resources using AI.

This year marked the first interdisciplinary capstone at the University of Waterloo that featured collaboration between engineering and non-engineering students. While the interdisciplinary stream was introduced to Environment and Business classes last year, cross-faculty teams had not yet been formed. This year’s team brought together Ryan Mark and Joseph Ma (Mechatronics Engineering), Noah Sutton (Environment and Business), Regan Blair (Legal Studies), Fabien Michel (Computer Science), and Omar Al-Iriani (Computational Math).

The project originated through a request from the Faculty of Engineering to internal colleagues about collaboration opportunities between student teams and academic support units.  Initial discussions with Professor Derek Rayside from Electrical and Computer Engineering, the student team, Finance, HR and IST led to all expressing a strong interest in collaboration. Momentum quickly built, and the team chose to focus on HR.

Over the span of six months and countless meetings, the team produced weekly content working closely with Benjamin Miller from HR Operations. Having strong champions within the University was instrumental to our progress. Their support enabled us to navigate challenges effectively and deliver two impactful projects.

Duplicate student profiles in Workday

Our team partnered with the University to tackle the issue of duplicate student profiles in Workday, which results in extra time and action to ensure the integrity of the data. By streamlining the hiring process and preventing duplication at the source, the proposed solution enhances operational efficiency. Developed in collaboration with HR and IST, the project has been tested in a simulated environment and further planning will occur to determine ability to deploy to production.

Automating Tier 1 HR email responses

Associate Professor Derek Rayside and Dean of Engineering Mary Wells with project team members Joseph Ma and Ryan Mark.

The HR team receives thousands of repetitive Tier 1 emails annually. We collaborated with HR teams across North America—particularly Serge Olivier from the University of Ottawa—to explore automated response systems. The University of Ottawa approach achieved a reduction of more than 75 per cent in email volume, offering a model that can be adapted for Waterloo.

Joseph Ma, drawing on his prior work experience at TextQL as an AI lead, helped build the core technology for the capstone with Ryan Mark and Omar Al-Iriani. Both solutions were tested and deployed in a simulated environment.

The presentation and deliverables were finalized in March and shared with senior University leadership, including Dean Mary Wells from Engineering; faculty representatives from other departments; as well as Sarah Hadley, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer, Michelle Hollis. The team was proud to present the results and highlight the value of interdisciplinary collaboration.

"The iCapstone project was an incredible collaboration that brought together students, staff, and faculty to tackle real operational challenges,” says Benjamin Miller. “It proved that when we combine unique perspectives with institutional experience, we can create meaningful solutions. Ryan was instrumental in leading this effort, guiding the team with clarity, purpose, and a commitment to impact."

“It was inspiring to see and hear about the capstone student team’s work - they applied technical skills, communication skills, collaboration, problem solving, and energy to their project,” says Sarah Hadley, Chief Financial Officer. “These students will make amazing contributions to their future employers and communities.”

“We hope to see more collaborations in the future to enrich both the school and larger society,” says a statement from the student team.

Kai Potts event reminder

Space is running out for anupcoming special event with Kairyn (Kai) Potts, a Two-Spirit Nakota Sioux storyteller, advocate, and digital media creator. An Afternoon with Kai Potts is an exclusive event in recognition of Indigenous History Month and Pride Month, the Office of Indigenous Relations and the Keeping Well at Work (KW@W) program.

Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Location: Student Life Centre (SLC), Black and Gold Room

Kai will share stories and lived experiences that explore the intersections of Indigenous identity, gender, sexuality, and mental health. This is a unique opportunity to hear from a leading voice in Two-Spirit advocacy and youth empowerment.

The afternoon will offer space for reflection on visibility, resilience, and how we can support more inclusive and healing spaces for Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

Event schedule

• 1:00 p.m. – Mingling and networking
• 1:30 p.m. – Welcome and Elders’ prayer
• 1:40 p.m. – Conversation with Kai Potts
• 2:20 p.m. – Q&A with Kai Potts
• 2:30 p.m. – Event ends

This event is hosted by the Office of Indigenous Relations in partnership with KW@W and supported by WUSA.