Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
Student ventures will shine at GreenHouse’s Fall SIIT Demo Day
A message from GreenHouse.
Picture a room buzzing with ideas that could reshape communities and ecosystems. Got it? Great! That’s the energy of GreenHouse’s Social Innovators in Training (SIIT) Demo Day. On October 29, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., Alumni Hall (UTD 201) will host an event where students unveil ventures tackling real-world challenges.
Over the past couple of weeks, SIIT students have refined their projects through mentorship and hands-on iteration. Now, they invite the University of Waterloo community (that’s you!) to explore prototypes ranging from AI companions supporting mental wellness to circular-economy models transforming invasive species into sustainable materials. Attendees will interact with innovators, ask questions, and provide feedback that directly shapes these ventures’ next steps.
We feel Demo Day stands out because it bridges campus energy with community impact. You might discuss a financial literacy tool easing stress for young Canadians, a gallery channeling activism through public art, or a solar-powered framework helping farmers adopt climate-smart practices. Whether you’re passionate about equity, sustainability, or simply curious about student ingenuity, your perspective belongs here.
The event includes light refreshments, creating an open atmosphere for connecting with peers, mentors, and future collaborators. For our students honing their ventures, your insights could unlock new solutions. For everyone else, it’s a chance to see how Waterloo talent turns empathy into action.
Join us on October 29 to support the next wave of changemakers. Scan the QR code to register: It takes seconds, and your presence helps turn ideas into impact. We look forward to sharing this moment with you!
Based at United College, GreenHouse empowers University of Waterloo students and recent alumni to build ventures that advance social, environmental, and economic well-being. The SIIT program provides training, mentorship, and resources to transform early-stage ideas into meaningful action.
Exploring Identity: A new learning tool from EDI-R
A message from the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Office (EDI-R).
How do we talk about identity in ways that don't shut down conversation? The EDI-R office has created a new learning tool designed to do exactly that.
Rather than prescribing perspectives, this website tool invites you into the dilemmas themselves, helping us understand whether identity is something we discover or create; who has the power to define it; if we can reclaim identities once used to harm us; and if there are limits to what identity can explain? All in line with the educational direction the office has taken: “Like our infographics, we wanted to create a resource that doesn't tell people what to think, but introduces them to the problems and debates," says Dr. Karim Wissa, Director of Institutional Programs.
Each question includes brief introductions and carefully selected materials that strip away jargon while preserving depth, reflecting a commitment to making complex scholarship accessible and respectful of your time. You can move through a section in five minutes, read a few summaries, and gain meaningful insights. Whether you’re a student exploring these ideas for the first time, a faculty member designing a lesson or syllabus, or a staff member seeking resources, this tool equips you to engage thoughtfully with questions that shape our campus community.
As Dr. Wissa explains: "As a scholar who has worked in settings where theory meets urgent, real-world needs: prisons, high schools, and community programs. I've learned there are ways to make highly specialized academic knowledge broadly accessible to empower different audiences, if you know how to decode it and present it in a way that's relevant to people's struggles.”
This module on identity is the first of three modules being released: 1) identity 2) systems and structures, and 3) making change. Each topic is designed to open conversation rather than close it down.
Ready to explore questions that don't have easy answers? Visit the Identity: a Layered Journey website to begin.
Welcome back to Cybersecurity Awareness Month with The Goose & Friends
A message from Information Systems & Technology (IST).
Last week, The Goose’s password mistakes turned into a hard lesson about keeping accounts secure. This week, the tempo picks up. Notifications are flying, stress is high, and the next mistake could spread across campus in seconds. Good thing The Goose has backup. The University of Waterloo mascots are watching closely, ready to show how a little extra security can make all the difference when attackers turn up the pressure.
Tip # 3 – Secure your logins with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).
Deny unexpected pushes. Keep codes to yourself.
Remember, cybersecurity is not just a compliance requirement but an essential part of protecting our community.
Attend one of our upcoming Cybersecurity information sessions! Visit the event page for more information and to register for these sessions.
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October 23: Cybersecurity for staff and faculty
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October 30: Cybersecurity for students
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October 31: Halloween cybersecurity close-out (PDAG seminar)
Building Inclusive Research Capacity (BIRC) learning infographic now available
A message from the Inclusive Research Team.
The Inclusive Research Team is excited to share the Infographic Timeline: Building Inclusive Research Capacity (BIRC).
This infographic provides faculty and researchers with a streamlined way to access recorded sessions and materials that support inclusive research practices. It is designed with flexibility in mind and allows you to explore content at your own pace, making it easier to integrate inclusive practices into your research and teams.
The resource includes clickable links to:
- Recorded videos on core topics:
- How to navigate the Inclusive Research Resource Hub
- Building Inclusive Research Teams
- Identifying Barriers to Inclusion
- Gender-Based Analysis+ (GBA+)
- Presentation slides
- Contact information for follow-up questions
- A direct link to the Inclusive Research Hub
To access the infographic or download it to your desktop, please visit the SharePoint site.
If you have questions or would like further support, please contact us at research.equity@uwaterloo.ca.
Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute, WatSPEED team up for AI webinar
A message from the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute (CPI)
Learn practical strategies to make AI systems more secure, fair, and resilient from CPI's very own executive director, N. Asokan.
Join our free webinar on Friday, October 24, from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. in collaboration with WatSPEED at the University of Waterloo. Through this session, you will deepen your understanding of trustworthy AI and safeguard your systems against emerging threats.
Who should attend
- Cybersecurity professionals seeking to understand the emerging threat landscape specific to AI systems.
- Data scientists, ML engineers, and AI practitioners who want to build models that are robust and resilient to adversarial behaviour.
- IT and infrastructure managers responsible for safeguarding critical systems in healthcare, finance, energy, transportation, and national security.
- Business and technology leaders who must understand the organizational risk involved with AI systems.
- Academics and researchers exploring the intersection of trustworthy AI, adversarial machine learning, cybersecurity, and privacy.
It's Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Canada! Let's get cyber safe to secure our digital future. Register at no cost today.
View full webinar details on WatSPEED's website.We would also appreciate if you could spread the word to potentially interested parties.
About N. Asokan
N. Asokan is a professor of computer science at the University of Waterloo where he holds a David R. Cheriton Chair and serves as the executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute. Asokan's primary research theme is systems security broadly, with emphasis on hardware-assisted security, and the interplay between security/privacy and AI. He is also an ACM Fellow, an IEEE Fellow, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Link of the day
Diane Keaton, 1946-2025When 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 shots 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.
The Waterloo Eye Institute optometry clinics in Waterloo and downtown Kitchener offer comprehensive eye exams and eyewear, including glasses and contact lenses, with the Waterloo location offering various specialized services including urgent eye care. Discounts apply for University of Waterloo students and employees. The Waterloo Clinic is at a nearby interim location, 419C Phillip St, during construction at the School of Optometry and Vision Science. The Kitchener Clinic remains at the Health Sciences Campus, 10B Victoria St. S. Book online or by phone at 519-888-4062.
WUSA Stock the Bank food drive registration period, Wednesday, October 1 to Friday, October 31.
Fall Reading Week, Saturday, October 11 to Sunday, October 19.
Ontario Universities' Regional Fair, Thursday, October 16, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., CIF Field House.
Practicing Difficult Conversations (in-person session), Friday, October 17, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., to register, email Lynn Long at l3long@uwaterloo.ca.
Instructional Innovations Week, Monday, October 20 to Friday, October 24.
GIS Speed Run Sessions: Every Map is Wrong!, Monday, October 20, 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., online.
Together in Community: A Collaborative Mural Painting Event, Monday, October 20, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., DC 1301 Fishbowl.
University Senate meeting, Monday, October 20, 3:30 p.m., NH 3407 and online.
Anti-Racism Reads - "Never Whistle at Night," Tuesday, October 21, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Dana Porter Library, Room 338. Register now.
NEW - Chemistry Seminar: Kinetic Simulation of Electrochemical Degradation- battery fade and alloy corrosion featuring Penghao Xiao, Professor, Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Tuesday, October 21, 11:00 a.m., C2-361 Reading Room.
NEW - Home Routes Folk Concert - Viento South, Tuesday, October 21, 7:00 p.m., Brubacher House - North Campus.
NEW - WaterLeadership Workshop | Knowledge Mobilization 101, presented by Elanor Waslander, Knowledge Mobilization Specialist, part of the Water Institute's WaterLeadership training series, Wednesday, October 22, 10:00 a.m., DC 1304.
Community Well-being Fruits and Veg Market, Wednesday, October 22, 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. (while supplies last), Engineering 7 first floor (by the Robohub) and Health Expansion Building first floor foyer.
Accessibility Ally Network virtual presentation, "Data as a tool for accessibility and inclusion," Wednesday, October 22, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
NEW - Grebel Gallery DRAFTS 6: Mapping Diasporic Identities launch event, Wednesday, October 22, 7:30 p.m., Conrad Grebel Gallery.
UWSA Annual Meeting, Thursday, October 23, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., PHY 313 or online.
WaterTalk - Beyond the Storm: Water Insecurity and Community Resilience in Puerto Rico, presented by Dr. Anaís Delilah Roque, Professor of Environmental Justice, Duke University, Thursday, October 23, 11:00 a.m., DC 1302.
WIN Distinguished Lecture with Prof. Hideo Ohno, “Spintronics at the Nanoscale: Enabling Green Information Processing," Thursday, October 23, 11:00 a.m., QNC 1501.
Honorary doctorate recipient Judge Albert Wong (BSc ’80, Kinesiology) on Servant leadership: Reflections and lessons learned from 49 years of service to Canada, Thursday, October 23, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., LHI 1621 (Sun Life Auditorium). Please register in advance.
NEW - 2025 University of Waterloo Gem and Mineral Show, Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25, CEIT building.
Webinar | Towards Trustworthy AI: Cybersecurity and Privacy Concerns, Friday, October 24, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., online.
We All Belong Here community lunch, Friday, October 24, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Conrad Grebel University College parking lot.
NEW - Kids' Science Open House 2025, Saturday, October 25, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Science Teaching Complex.
NEW - Computer Museum Open House, Saturday, October 25, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Davis Centre.
UN-Habitat Quality of Life Hackathon, Sunday, October 26, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., E7-1427. Register online.
i2I: Invention to Innovation Grad Student and Post-doc Networking Event, Monday, October 27, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Grad House upstairs lounge.
Responding to a student in distress training sessions: Virtual sessions to feel more confident when supporting students in distress, Tuesday, October 28, 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Register on Portal.
W3+ Yoga Nidra: Guided Relaxation for Better Sleep with Kimberley Luu, Wednesday, October 29, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m.
Noon Hour Concert: Ryan Baxter, Piano Music from Sea to Summit, Wednesday, October 29, 12 noon, Conrad Grebel University College Chapel. Free admission.
Showcasing Success: Tracking research and departmental impact with SciVal, Wednesday, October 29, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Teams, Register now.
Social Innovators in Training (SIIT) Demo Day, Wednesday, October 29, 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. United College Alumni Hall (UTD 201).
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# 2025-00692 - Director, Strategic Procurement – Finance, USG 15
Secondments and internal temporary opportunities
- Job ID# 2025-00681 - Instructional Digital Media Developer, STEM - Associate Vice-President, Academic Programs, USG 9
Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo opportunities
Visit the Affiliated and Federated Institutions current opportunities pageUpcoming service interruptions
Stay up to date on service interruptions, campus construction, and other operational changes on the Plant Operations website. Upcoming service interruptions include:
- Tunnel between South Campus Hall and the Tatham Centre closure, Friday, September 19 to November 1, access to the A3 section of the tunnel between SCH and TC will be restricted due to construction work, there will be no entry to the tunnel and pedestrians will need to use alternative routes.
- School of Optometry temporary washroom closures, Thursday, September 25 until further notice, washrooms in Rooms 2023, 2026, and 3040 are out of service.
- RAC-1 southeast stair closure, Monday, September 29 to Monday, October 20, stair "A" will be entirely closed during the renovation period.
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Carl Pollock Hall, Douglas Wright Engineering, South Campus Hall, Rod Coutts Hall, Grad House fire alarm testing, Wednesday, October 15, 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
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Earth Science Chemistry domestic hot water shutdown, Wednesday, October 15, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., no hot water to sinks during shutdown to accommodate metering installation.
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Pedestrian pathway closure, Wednesday, October 15, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., pathway between Lot N and Laurel Trail to be closed from Ring Road to Laurel Trail, due to the repair of electrical equipment pedestrian traffic and cyclists will be detoured via Laurel Trail or Ring Road, signage will be posted.
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General Services Complex, Commissary, Central Plant fire alarm testing, Wednesday, October 15, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
- Engineering 3 domestic hot water shutdown, Thursday, October 16, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., no hot water to sinks during shutdown to accommodate metering installation.
- School of Architecture fire alarm testing, Friday, October 17, 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
- Mathematics 3 electrical shutdown, Saturday, October 18, 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., all normal power within the building will be affected during metering installation, emergency power not affected.
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Centre for Environmental & Information Technology domestic cold water shutdown, Saturday, October 18, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., domestic cold water will be shut down to accommodate metering installation, no water to sinks and toilets.
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Engineering 3 domestic cold water shutdown, Saturday, October 18, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., domestic cold water will be shut down to accommodate metering installation, no water to sinks and toilets.
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South Campus Hall domestic cold water shutdown, Sunday, October 19, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., domestic cold water hard shutdown to accommodate metering installation, there will be no water to sinks and toilets.
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Commissary domestic hot water shutdown, Thursday, October 23, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., domestic hot water shutdown to accommodate metering installation, there will be no hot water to sinks.
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General Services Complex domestic hot water shutdown, Thursday, October 23, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., domestic hot water shutdown to accommodate metering installation, there will be no hot water to sinks.
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Commissary domestic cold water shutdown, Saturday, October 25, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., domestic cold water hard and soft shutdown to accommodate metering installation, there will be no water to sinks and toilets.