Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
There's still time to volunteer for move-in
A message from Campus Housing.
Move-in volunteer details
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Campus Housing move-in will take place between Thursday, August 28 and Sunday, August 31, 2025.
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Volunteer for a few hours or as many shifts as you’d like!
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View roles and shifts on the volunteer sign-up form.
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Tip: You'll first need to click Register if you don’t have an existing Vome account
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Wondering how move-in will work? Check out the new 2025 move-in guide for undergraduate students.
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Questions can be directed to movein@uwaterloo.ca
Highlights for volunteers
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If you sign up as a general volunteer, when you arrive for your shift you can let the team lead know how you are most comfortable supporting the event. Ways to support move-in range from helping students navigate campus, to welcoming students and families in parking lots, to supporting students with their belongings.
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Don’t want to volunteer alone? Sign up with a friend or even a group as a team-building activity.
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Similar to 2024, every parking lot will have a Campus Housing staff member in a team lead role to ensure every volunteer is supported throughout their shifts.
Fishing for family connections
This article was originally published on the Faculty of Environment news site.
Small-scale fisheries supply about two-thirds of the global fish for direct human consumption, and are facing increased vulnerability to climate change, biodiversity loss, and livelihood security. If these fisheries are to survive, they must be able to adjust their operations to take advantage of opportunities and avoid threats. This ability is known as adaptive capacity and includes social organization in both formal settings like fisheries cooperatives, and informal settings like families.
Farah El-shayeb, a Master of Environmental Studies student in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, worked with Dr. Jeremy Pittman on an undergraduate research project to determine the role of family in adaptive capacity.
Farah El-shayeb.
Using a long-term dataset of interviews and surveys from a yellow clam fishery in Uruguay, El-shayeb examined how families influence ties within the community, adaptive decisions and outcomes. The analysis found that strong family ties were a significant predictor of other important connections with the community.
Fishers with strong family ties were more likely to have connections to discuss issues related to management and governance of the fishery, labour sharing, and knowledge sharing of fishing practices. These ties also influenced the degree of change adaptation.
The results from this research show the complex relationship between fisheries and families and increase our understanding of how these communities function. For small-scale fisheries to build local adaptive capacity, these relationships must be at the forefront of governance and policy decisions and considered a unique strength that can be harnessed for building resiliency.
Completing an undergraduate research project helped strengthen El-shayeb’s knowledge of rural vulnerability, governance and adaptation. It also solidified her decision to pursue graduate-level research in the Faculty of Environment, where she will study climate adaptation and managed retreat in low-lying Indonesian communities.
“Being part of such a large, interdisciplinary team has connected me to a rich network of researchers, practitioners, and communities working at the forefront of climate resilience. The collaborative nature of the Faculty of Environment and its strong relationships with international partners were exactly what I was looking for as I aimed to pursue research with real-world impact. It’s a space where meaningful partnerships thrive and where research is deeply rooted in both theory and practice.”
The research, The role of family in shaping adaptation and adaptive capacity in small-scale fishing communities: The yellow clam fishers in Uruguay, authored by El-shayeb and others, was published in the Journal of Rural Studies.
Department-branded orange shirts available at W Store
A message from W Store
In preparation for this year’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, W Store is pleased to provide departmental and custom branding on Orange Shirts that feature the unique design from Alanah Astehtsi Otsistohkwa (Morningstar) Jewell of Morningstar Designs, from the exclusive collection developed in partnership with the Office of Indigenous Relations.
For an additional $2.50 per shirt, custom-branded Orange Shirts will be available to order until September 9. Custom branding is available in one colour on one sleeve. Please email wstore@uwaterloo.ca to place your orders. A minimum order of 12 shirts is required for customization.
A significant portion of the proceeds from the sale of these shirts will be directed to support the Indigenous Student Development Fund on campus, established to provide financial assistance to those Indigenous students who are most at risk of abandoning their education due to financial hardship.
Non-customized Orange Shirts are available for purchase at W Store located in South Campus Hall.
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.
Final examination period, Tuesday, August 5 to Saturday, August 16.
Technology Governance Summer School 2025, Monday, August 11 to Thursday, August 21.
Who are our Learners, Tuesday, August 12, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., MC 2036.
Course Dynamics and Engagement, Tuesday, August 12, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., MC 2036.
Perseids Sky-watching Party and Astronomy Lecture 2025, Tuesday, August 12, 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., OPT 347.
Course Design Foundations, Wednesday, August 13, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., MC 2036.
Get your GROOVE on! Wednesday, August 13, 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon, PAC Studio 1.
Assessment as Learning, Thursday, August 14, 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon, MC 2036.
OHD Lending Library drop-in event, Thursday, August 14, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., EC1-2004 (OHD training room). Registration isn't required, but sign up on Portal for a reminder.
Course Outline Builder, Thursday, August 14, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., MC 2036.
Navigating the Archives — Research Strategies & Treasures, Tuesday, August 19, 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon.
The Emotional Effects of Retirement, Thursday, August 21, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Research Impact Canada’s Dr. RIC, "Challenges to Reciprocal Storytelling in Indigenous Engagement" and "Challenges and Opportunities: Community Compensation & Recognition in Community-Based Research (CBR)," Thursday, August 21, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. If interested, please contact Nadine Quehl for the Zoom link.
PhD oral defences
Statistics & Actuarial Science. Ziyue Shi, "Insurance Pricing and Distributionally Robust Optimization." Supervisors, Dr. Fangda Liu, Dr. David Landriault. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Thursday, August 14, 9:00 a.m., online.
Earth and Environmental Sciences. Sabastien Dyer, “High-Temperature Metamorphic Reactions from the Macro-Scale to the Micro-Scale.” Supervisor, Dr. Chris Yakymchuk. Visit the Faculty of Science Thesis Submission Notices website for details on requesting a copy, Oral defence Thursday, August 14, 11:00 a.m. EIT 2053 and remote via MS Teams.
Sociology and Legal Studies. Jen Olenewa, ““Jails are not the shelters battered women need”: A Feminist Genealogy of Domestic Violence Criminal Legal Interventions in Ontario from 1980 to 2000.” Supervisor, Dr. Andrea Quinlan. Available upon request from the Faculty of Arts, Graduate Studies and Research Officer. Oral defence Thursday, August 14, 12 noon, remote.
School of Pharmacy. Antoine Hakim, “Design and Evaluation of Targeted mRNA Delivery Systems to the Retina.” Supervisor, Dr. Marianna Foldvari. Visit the Faculty of Science Thesis Submission Notices website for details on requesting a copy, Oral Defence Friday, August 15, 10:00 a.m., PHR 7007 and remote via MS Teams.
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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PAS Corridor 1122 partial closure, Tuesday, August 5 to Wednesday, August 20, corridor will be closed for two weeks, access to the CMHRT will be available from the loading dock.
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Engineering 2 and 3, Davis Centre, Math & Computer fire alarm testing, Monday, August 11, 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
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Aberfoyle - BioRem fire alarm testing, Monday, August 11, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
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Fire Research Facility fire alarm testing, Monday, August 11, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
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Engineering 2 and 3 electrical shutdown, Tuesday, August 12, 10:00 p.m. to Wednesday, August 13, 7:00 a.m., all power will be off in E3, except for the GAIA Lab, and the 600V power will be off in E2. All air handling units in E2 will be affected.
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Physical Activities Complex, Student Life Centre, RAC 1 and 2, Federation Hall fire alarm testing, Wednesday, August 13, 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
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Hagey Hall (original building) steam shutdown, Wednesday, August 13, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., steam and hot water will not be available during the shutdown to accommodate a meter installation.
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MC exterior door replacement, Monday, August 18 to Thursday, August 21, no exit at MC 1106 stairwell door during the replacement.
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Engineering 6 air supply and exhaust fan shutdown, Wednesday, August 20, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (rain date Thursday, August 21), there will be no air supply or exhaust air during this period of preventative maintenance, this will primarily affect fume hoods, and if the outdoor temperatures are extremely high the indoor temperatures will also climb.
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Annual steam shutdown affecting all buildings within Ring Road, Village 1, Engineering 5 and 7, Monday, August 18 at 12:01 a.m. to Friday, August 22 at 12 noon. There will be a utility steam shutdown affecting domestic hot water, heating and steam, domestic hot water will run cold during the shutdown.