Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
How WATCOM transformed computing
James W. Welch, President of WATCOM Products Inc. with K. Ian McPhee, President of The WATCOM Group.
This is the latest article from the 2025 issue of Waterloo Magazine.
Dr. Don Cowan (MSc ’61, PhD ’65) and Ian McPhee (BMath ’73, MMath ’79) were pivotal figures in transforming the computing world through their work at Waterloo. Together, they developed the WATFOR compiler in the 1960s, revolutionizing computer education by making it accessible to thousands of students.
They later founded WATCOM, Waterloo’s first software spinoff, in 1981 that excelled in optimizing PC software. Notably, the WATCOM C/C++ compiler became essential in the gaming industry. Their innovations in database software led to WATCOM's acquisition by Powersoft and later SAP.
Learn more about Cowan and McPhee’s lasting legacy in computing technology.
Here's your chance to recognize outstanding students with a Volunteer Appreciation Award
A message from the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA).
It’s that time again… WUSA Volunteer Appreciation Award Nominations are officially open!
We all know someone who’s gone above and beyond this term — maybe a club exec, a passionate volunteer, or a behind-the-scenes superstar who made a huge difference.
This is your moment to say thank you to those who showed incredible commitment, hard work, and dedication.
Submit your nomination and check all the details on the WUSA website.
The nomination deadline is Monday, July 14, at 12 noon.
Let’s make some noise for the amazing volunteers who make our community what it is!
The soundtrack of your life could be the key to memory
Photo credit: Ivan Rodriguez Alba/Getty Images.
A news release from the Media Relations team.
Listening to familiar music can trigger vivid memories, and new research suggests that it isn’t just sentimental lyrics or clever rhymes that take us back in time.
Researchers from the University of Waterloo investigated which component of music is most powerful in evoking memories. They compared listener reactions to hearing only spoken lyrics or the produced songs. The team found that complete songs were most effective in taking the listener down memory lane because we connect them to specific times and emotions.
This is the first study to propose a reason for why songs can cue detailed memories of our past. It is part of an ongoing series looking at whether individuals with dementia could use playlists from their youth to aid recall of precious memories from their past.
“We found songs were more effective and often brought back personal memories from the time when the song was popular,” said Dr. Myra Fernandes, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Waterloo. “Music helps us remember by connecting memories to a certain period in our lives.”
Using a range of popular songs released between 2017 and 2020, the researchers asked 84 participants to listen to excerpts of pop songs and spoken lyrics. For each clip, they responded as soon as a personal memory came to mind and wrote about it. The researchers analyzed the recall speed, timeframe and the feelings that the participants reported for memories elicited by the songs and lyrics.
The results suggest that songs act as temporal landmarks, or timestamps, that help guide the brain’s search through memory banks.
The study revealed that more positive and upbeat songs were associated with greater likelihood of triggering positive memories.
“Remarkably, song cues also led to stronger feelings of re-living or re-experiencing an event. And this is particularly relevant for older adults who may have difficulty spontaneously recreating past events from their lives,” Fernandes said.
Dr. Pelin Tanberg and Dr. Ryan Yeung, who were PhD candidates working in the Cognitive Neuroscience Lab in the Department of Psychology at the time of this work, are co-authors of the paper. The study, Evidence of temporal and emotional alignment between song cues and their evoked autobiographical memories, appears in Memory & Cognition.
Upcoming office closure
The Science Undergraduate Office will closed today from 12 noon to 2.00 p.m.
Link of the day
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.
BioBlitz 2025 Guided Walks, Monday, July 7 to Friday, July 11.
BioBlitz 2025 Independent identification, Monday, July 7 to Friday, July 11.
Midterm Meltdown, Wednesday, July 9, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., SLC green space.
Startup 101: How Recent Grads Are Shaping the Future of Healthcare, Wednesday, July 9, 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., MC 2065.
Virtual WISE Public Lecture, “Ending Energy-Induced Poverty: The Search for Net Positive Use Value” by Clark A. Miller, Professor and Director, Center for Energy & Society, School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University, Thursday, July 10, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., via Zoom. Register today.
WIN Distinguished Lecture with Prof. Shuk Han CHENG | Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, “Curiosity-Driven Research on Nanomaterials Led to Unexpected Societal Impact”, Thursday, July 10, 2:00 p.m. QNC 1501
Practice Difficult Conversations with Ovation VR, Thursday, July 10, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Dana Porter Library, LIB 407. To register, email Lynn Long at l3long@uwaterloo.ca.
Bike Fair 2025, Friday, July 11, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Dana Porter Arts Quad.
Lunch and learn: Menstruation and Mental Health, Monday, July 14, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., online.
Buckthorn Pull, Tuesday, July 15, 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon, meet between Village 1 - South 3 Building and the forest.
IBPOC Student Writing Cafés, Tuesday, July 15, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., South Campus Hall (SCH 228F).
In-person Grad Writing Cafés, Wednesday, July 16, 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Student Life Centre (SLC 3216).
Integrated Accessibility Retreat (CTE7032), Thursday, July 17, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., MC2036.
University of Waterloo Choir end of term concert, Saturday, July 19, 7:30 p.m., Trillium Lutheran Church, 22 Willow Street, Waterloo. $5 students/$10 general, tickets available at the door.
Quo Vadis: Orchestra@UWaterloo,Sunday, July 20, 7:30 p.m., Knox Presbyterian Church, 50 Erb St. West Waterloo. Free admission.
Brave Space Conversations, A Care-Centered Approach to Navigating Difficult Dialogues Through an EDI-R Lens,Wednesday,July 23, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., online. Register.
The Co-op Workplace Simulation, Wednesday, July 23, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Dana Porter Library Learning Lab room 323.
Shad Waterloo 2025 Open Day Exhibits, Thursday, July 24, 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Conrad Grebel University Great Hall.
WIN Distinguished Lecture with Prof. Orlando Rojas | Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology | University of Waterloo, "The Role of Bio-Based Colloids in Gelation Technologies and Green Interfaces," Thursday, July 24, 2:00 p.m., QNC 1501.
Positions available
This week's list from the human resources department is viewable through the Careers website or through Workday's new recruitment module. To access Workday Recruiting, login to Workday, and navigate to the Jobs Hub from the left side menu.
- Job ID# 2025-00015 - Director, Labour Relations - Human Resources, USG 16
- Job ID# 2025-00107 - Business Systems Analyst – Finance, USG 11
- Job ID# 2025-00113 - Graduate Studies Coordinator - MMSc Programs - Faculty of Engineering - Management Science and Engineering, USG 05
- Job ID# 2025-00118 - Custodian I x2 – Facilities, P02
- Job ID# 2025-00120 - Supervisor, Fire and Compliancy – Facilities, USG 11
Secondments and internal temporary opportunities
- Job ID# 2025-00085 - Co-op Advisor - Co-operative and Experiential Education, USG 08
- Job ID# 2025-00097 - Admissions Officer - Office of the Registrar, USG 08
- Job ID# 2025-00098 - Admissions Officer - Office of the Registrar, USG 08
- Job ID# 2025-00105 - Research Administrative Assistant - Office of the Vice-President, Research and International, USG 06
- Job ID# 2025-00117 - Executive Assistant, Engagement - Advancement and External Relations, USG 07
Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo opportunities
Visit the Affiliated and Federated Institutions current opportunities page
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:
-
Psychology, Anthropology, and Sociology (PAS) building southeast corner exterior stair closure, Friday, June 20 to Friday, July 18, exterior stair to the 2nd floor podium/seating area will be closed for the duration of the shutdown, pedestrian access will be directed around the construction activity.
-
Modern Languages washroom closure, Saturday, June 21 to Friday, August 1, washrooms ML-112 and ML-118 will be temporarily closed for upgrades, please use the nearest available washrooms located at ML-251 and ML-252.
-
MC second floor closure (NE Corner: Loading Dock 2039, Corridor 2078, 2097), Monday, June 23 to July 28 (approximately)
-
E2 (building 002, office wing only) steam shutdown, Wednesday, July 9, 5:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., steam will be shut down to accommodate a meter installation, steam and hot water will not be available for the duration of the shutdown.
-
ESC, B1, B2 domestic water shutdown, Wednesday, July 9 at 6:00 p.m. to Thursday, July 10 at 7:00 a.m., no domestic water available during the shutdown.
-
RCH steam shutdown, Thursday, July 10, 5:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., there will be a steam shutdown to accommodate meter installation, steam and hot water will not be available for the duration of the shutdown.
-
Needles Hall steam shutdown (addition portion of building only), Wednesday, July 16, 5:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., there will be a steam shutdown to accommodate meter installation, steam and hot water will not be available for the duration of the shutdown.
-
Needles Hall steam shutdown (original portion of building only), Thursday, July 17, 5:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., there will be a steam shutdown to accommodate meter installation, steam and hot water will not be available for the duration of the shutdown.
-
Engineering 2 (E2) and Engineering 3 (E3) electrical shutdown, Monday, July 21, 1:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., all power will be off in E3 except for the GAIA Lab, 600v power will be off in E2, all air handling units in E2 will be affected during the shutdown.
-
Engineering 2 (E2) and Engineering 3 (E3) electrical shutdown, Wednesday, July 30, from 1:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., all power will be off in E3 except for the GAIA Lab, 600v power will be off in E2, all air handling units in E2 will be affected during the shutdown. Please note the new date.