Thursday, July 24, 2025

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• Cathy Newell Kelly to retire at the end of the year
• Be You pride tee now available at W Store 
• Disproportionately more opioids prescribed in poorer areas
• Did you know ePark could do that?

Cathy Newell Kelly to retire at the end of the year

Cathy Newell Kelly, who has served as Registrar since 2017, will be retiring at the end of the year, concluding a distinguished career that has spanned almost three decades.

Cathy has been a dedicated member of the University community since 1989, when she started as an Economics and Computer Science student who embraced the opportunities of Waterloo’s co-op program. From those early days as a co-op student in the Arts Computing Office to her current role as Registrar, Cathy has exemplified what it means to lead with vision and integrity.

After earning her MBA in 1995, Cathy returned to Waterloo in 1996 to join the Distance and Continuing Education department. There, she played a pivotal role in transforming the delivery of education from cassette tapes and notes to fully online courses. She was instrumental in supporting the launch of the original Quest system and in building a more connected and accessible student experience through streamlined services.

In 2005, Cathy was appointed Director of the Centre for Extended Learning (CEL), where she championed the University’s investment in online learning and the unique opportunities it provides in accomplishing Waterloo’s mission to deliver world-class education. During this time, Cathy was also integral in working with the province and Council of Ontario Universities (COU) to shape the creation of eCampusOntario, and was the inaugural co-director for one year.

As the University’s fifth Registrar, Cathy continued to drive meaningful change. “Under her leadership, the University has continued to evolve to meet the changing needs of both students and staff. From modernizing systems and launching The Centre as a one-stop shop for all student academic needs, to shaping institutional strategy through her work on key committees and associations, including the hiring of two Provosts and President Goel, Cathy has been integral in creating an exceptional student experience across every touchpoint in their journey at Waterloo,” wrote Interim Vice-President, Academic and Provost Tom Duever in a memo recently circulated to Executive Council.

“Please join me in thanking Cathy for her many years of commitment to the University, and in wishing her all the best in this next chapter,” Provost Duever’s memo concludes.

Be You Pride tee now available at W Store

A message from Campus Wellness, Health Promotion and W Store.

The Be You initiative highlights the connection between authenticity and mental well-being and has most recently launched the Be You Pride tee. These shirts represent embracing who you are while showing pride and solidarity with the campus community. 

In support of the initiative’s focus on student well-being, 20% of net sales from the t-shirts will go towards the Student Wellness Fund. The Student Wellness Fund supports student mental health and well-being at the University of Waterloo by funding impactful programs and initiatives. It helps students navigate university life by improving access to physical and mental health resources, expanding wellness programs, enhancing peer support, and connecting students to services on campus and in the community. This support makes a lasting difference throughout their Waterloo journey. 

T-shirts are now on sale at W Store and online. Purchase yours today and let’s create a campus where everyone feels safe, seen, and supported - one tee at a time! 

If you are looking to work together to foster a supportive campus environment that celebrates every student, please reach out to Grace Wong Chong, student mental health coordinator from the Campus Wellness team with any questions or ideas for collaboration.  

Disproportionately more opioids prescribed in poorer areas

This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

Despite an overall decline in prescribed opioid use in Canada over the past decade, a recent study found that people in poorer areas receive three times the prescriptions for opioids than those in wealthier areas.  

Researchers from the School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo analyzed prescription records in seven provinces’ public drug plans from 2010 to 2018, the most recent data available. British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba shared comprehensive data across all age groups, and Alberta, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island provided data for individuals aged 65 and older. Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia do not submit data to the federal entity that collects these records.  The research team cross-referenced prescription patterns with census data on household income and sex to support their analysis.

Canada remains the world’s second-highest consumer of opioids. In 2024 alone, opioid-related harms averaged 67 emergency room visits, 99 emergency responses, 15 hospitalizations and 20 deaths per day, according to a report from the Government of Canada.

“Despite the perceived success in the reduction of opioid prescribing, inequalities persist,” said Dr. Wasem Alsabbagh, a professor in Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy. “Our findings confirm that among lower socio-economic areas, women overall receive more opioid prescriptions. Among men, those with lower incomes received more prescriptions than their counterparts in the higher income brackets.”

The researchers say the gap in opioid use between communities raises important concerns, and the problem affects everyone. They hope the findings will inspire health-care providers to take additional steps towards mitigating the risks of opioid misuse and support more equitable care.

“Pharmacists are an essential part of the primary care team,” Alsabbagh said. “They can provide guidance to prescribers on individual prescriptions, appropriate dosages for each patient, inform policy decisions to address inequities and connect patients to support services, if necessary.”

Future research will expand on gathering more data from the private health-care sector to add to this research on prescribing patterns.

The study, Income-Based Disparities in Opioid Prescription Dispensing Among Public Drug Plan Beneficiaries in Canada from 2010 to 2018: A Population‑Based and Sex‑Stratified Retrospective Study, appears in Drugs Real World Outcomes.

Did you know ePark could do that?

A message from Sustainable Transportation.

Sustainable Transportation is excited to announce a new feature in ePark. What is ePark, you ask? It's your UWaterloo Parking account where you can view your parking permit(s) and see which vehicles are linked to your permits. You can also use your ePark account to pay or appeal parking tickets, access the AMP mobile website app, and more.

Now, you can add or remove vehicles tied to your permit. To modify your account vehicle(s), simply log in to ePark using your WatIAM credentials. Please note: A maximum of two vehicles can be associated with a permit at any time. Ensure all vehicle information is up-to-date and accurate to avoid any parking issues.

For questions about how to use ePark, please contact Sustainable Transportation by email or in our office (GSC 1112) Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.