Friday, October 10, 2025

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• Faculty invited to take survey as part of national AI consultation

• Waterloo breaks ground on cutting-edge laser facility

• Collaborative mural painting event on October 20

• What's open and closed as the long weekend and Reading Week beckon

• Daily Bulletin marks 8,000 issues and other notes

Faculty invited to take survey as part of national AI consultation

"The Government of Canada is undertaking a "30-day national sprint to shape a renewed AI Strategy,"" writes Vice-President, Research and International Charmaine Dean. "This is a pivotal moment to help influence the Government of Canada's Artificial Intelligence strategy."

More information about this opportunity can be found on the Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada website. This work is also being informed by the AI Strategy Task Force, on which Mary Wells, Dean of Engineering, serves.

"The government is inviting founders, researchers, workers, creators, students, public servants, and community voices to weigh in," Dean writes. "Thank you for taking the time to help shape the future of Canadian innovation."

Take the survey.

Waterloo breaks ground on cutting-edge laser facility

This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

The University of Waterloo has broken ground on WaterFEL, the Infrared Free Electron Laser (IR-FEL) facility scheduled to open in 2028. The new facility will be the only one of its kind in North America and will revolutionize research with its capabilities to address global challenges, from understanding and treating complex health conditions to creating pathways for a healthier environment.

From left to right: Nenone Donaldson, Vice-President, Advancement and External Relations; Deepak Anand, MPP for Mississauga–Malton and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security; Dr. Scott Hopkins, professor, Department of Chemistry, Dorothy McCabe, mayor of Waterloo; Dr. Charmaine Dean, vice president Research and International and Dr. Chris Chris Houser, dean, Faculty of Science gather to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Infrared Free Electron Laser facility at the University of Waterloo. 

The Canadian Free Electron Laser project received $10 million from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), $6.4 million from the Ontario Research Fund (ORF), $3.6 million from the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund, and $7.5 million from the University of Waterloo. The project consists of the IR-FEL at Waterloo and a complementary broad-based terahertz light source being built at TRIUMF, Canada’s national particle accelerator laboratory in Vancouver.

“The IR-FEL will offer an unprecedented level of detail in analyzing molecular and material structures,” Hopkins explains. “The potential impact of the IR-FEL is enormous. It opens new possibilities for developing innovative treatments and improving personalized medicine.”

WaterFEL will be adjacent to the new Waterloo hospital announced in 2024, which will create an environment for collaboration between research and health care professionals. This proximity will facilitate the rapid application of fundamental research findings to clinical practice. In 2025, Hopkins was awarded $250,000 from the Cancer Digital Intelligence’s Grand Challenge to use AI combined with infrared laser technology to improve treatment options for brain and spine cancers.

Hopkins’s research team aims to identify contaminants, including hazardous PFAS species known as “forever chemicals.” Despite the sophisticated tools available, many molecules remain unidentified, which poses challenges to effective management or treatment.

“Our research aims to push the boundaries of detection and analysis,” Hopkins says. “With FEL’s advanced technologies, we will be able to identify and understand these puzzling molecules.”

Waterloo’s interdisciplinary expertise in physical sciences, engineering, computer science and artificial intelligence positions it as a leader in this groundbreaking research. WaterFEL will also play a vital role in training future scientists and equipping them with skills applicable across various fields.

At Waterloo, we envision a future where we have conquered the challenges of metabolic diseases and turned the tide on cancer treatments. A future where clean water and soil are free from pollutants and forever chemicals, and where scientists can follow their curiosity, connecting the chemistry of the universe to their experiments in the lab. Help us position Waterloo at the forefront of laser technology and scientific innovation.

For those inspired to help make the IR-FEL a reality, we invite you to connect with Meaghan Middleton, Director of Science Advancement, to learn how your generosity can transform innovation, collaboration and discovery.

Collaborative mural painting event on October 20

A message from the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Anti-Racism (EDI-R).

What does community look like to you? This fall, you’ll have the chance to put a brush to the canvas and show us. Join the Libraries and the Office of EDI-R in creating a vibrant mural that celebrates connection, belonging, and the many voices that uplift our campus.

As part of Together in Community, participants will each paint a hexagon tile reflecting their own perspectives and experiences. These pieces will come together to form a collaborative mural to be unveiled at the Davis Centre Library in Winter 2026.

The project kicks off with a Campus Groups Painting Session on Monday, October 20 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., followed by a Campus Painting Day on Thursday, November 20 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., where everyone is welcome to join. Snacks, supplies, and inspiration will be waiting; you just need to bring yourself (and maybe a friend).

Together, we’ll create something lasting, meaningful, and uniquely ours. Register to let us know if you can make it!

What's open and closed as the long weekend and Reading Week beckon

The Thanksgiving long weekend and Fall Reading Week are upon us, and there will be operational changes on campus to note as turkey is consumed, thanks are given, and books are read. Some highlights:

The Dana Porter Library and the Davis Centre Library will both be closed on Monday, October 13, and will be open during Reading Week. Check the Libraries' Locations and Hours page for more details.

Food Services locations will mostly be closed on holiday Monday and during the Reading Week break with a few exceptions:

• Brubakers in the Student Life Centre will be open, at least Subway and Quesada, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday next week, but will be closed Friday, October 17 and over the following weekend.
• The Market at UWP will be open Thanksgiving Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and will remain open during Reading Week from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.
• Tim Hortons in the SLC will be closed Monday but will be open Tuesday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Mudie's in Village 1 will be open Thanksgiving Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and will remain open during Reading Week from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.

Check the Food Services locations and hours page for more details.

The Physical Activities Complex and the Columbia Icefield Arena will be open on Saturday, October 11 but closed Sunday, October 12 and Monday, October 13. Check the facility hours page for more details.

W Store in South Campus Hall and W Print in the General Services Complex will be closed on Monday, October 13. W Store Essentials in Mathematics & Computer will be closed from Monday, October 13 to Friday, October 17 for Reading Week. Check the Locations and Hours page for more details.

The Student Life Centre, SLC Turnkey Desk and the Flock Stop convenience store are open all weekend and all next week, but the Turnkey@DC will be closed.

While we're on the subject of the SLC, there is a power shutdown scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 11, from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The building itself will remain open during the electrical shutdown, and the Turnkey Desk will be open with limited services, but the Flock Stop will close on Friday, October 10 at 10:00 p.m., reopening at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 11. In the meantime, the Turnkey@DC will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday to compensate.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Daily Bulletin marks 8,000 issues and other notes

Today marks the 8,000^th time the Daily Bulletin has been published since founding editor Chris Redmond first typed "there is simply no news" on May 11, 1993. If you figure an average 2,000 word count for an online publication produced between 246 and 248 times a year, that works out to about 16 million words. It adds up, doesn't it? I've been fortunate to serve as editor for 3,441 of those 8,000 issues since taking on the Daily Bulletin's editorial duties in November 2011, but the really fortunate thing is that readers like you keep showing up to read it, one issue at a time. And so, thank you for reading!

Marcin Jakubowski and Open Source Ecology are visiting campus today to investigate possible partnership projects with Waterloo students, faculty, and staff for an event called "Future Builders Academy: Building an open-source, P2P civilization: A crash course in building, fabrication and design" that kicks off at 4:30 p.m. tonight in E5-6004.

"This particular talk is about the new phase of Open Source Ecology," writes event organizer Dr. Stephen Quilley of the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability. "With serious funding, they are hoping to kickstart low-cost house-building using fast, distributed and open-source technologies and forms of cooperation — The Future Builders Academy will give people the skills whilst producing houses for low-income households." Here's Marcin Jakubowski on Instagram talking about the project in his own words.

The event is intended to spark conversation and lead to the establishment of a local chapter of the Future Builders Academy on campus or in the local community. All are welcome.

Register for the event online.

Information Systems and Technology has published the latest in the Atlassian Blog Series entitled Understanding Jira’s Mail Handler: Turning Emails into Actionable Issues.