Tuesday, October 21, 2025

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• Aaaaaand action! Announcing the 2026 GRADflix competition

• You're invited to the October 2025 Collaborative and Connected Research Panel

• Two Waterloo alumni recognized at Fall 2025 Convocation

• Registration open for WaterLeadership training series
• 2025 Hagey Lecture set for November 4

Aaaaaand action! Announcing the 2026 GRADflix competition

A message from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA).

The 2026 GRADflix competition has now launched! GRADflix is a research communication competition for University of Waterloo graduate students, where participants create a 60-second video to share their research with a non-specialized audience. The competition fosters storytelling skills, builds confidence in communicating to diverse audiences, and showcases the breadth of graduate research across campus.

By participating in GRADflix, graduate students have the opportunity to learn how to share their research in a new way, expand their professional network, and gain greater visibility for their work.

Top entries will win cash prizes: $1,000 for first place, $500 for second, $300 for third, and $200 for the Finalist’s Choice Award. All finalists will also receive a movie night out package, and may be offered future ambassador opportunities, such as being featured in news stories or invited to speak on panels.

GRADflix is run by Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) and supported by the Graduate Studies Endowment Fund (GSEF).

For full eligibility requirements and competition details, visit the GRADflix webpage.

You're invited to the October 2025 Collaborative and Connected Research Panel

A message from the Office of Research.

University of Waterloo faculty, staff, and graduate students are invited to the October panel of the Collaborative and Connected Research Panel Series which will highlight the development of sustainable research collaborations and interconnections occurring within and beyond departments.

The panelists, who are current and former department Chairs, will discuss the various ways in which collaborative perspectives and synergies rely on a diverse array of participants to enhance innovation, knowledge, and networks, shape current research and teaching endeavours, and help solve complex world problems. The panelists are:

• Dr. Andrea Edginton, Professor and Hallman Director of the School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo
• Dr. Kirsten Müller, Professor and previous Chair of Biology, and Associate Vice-President, Research Grants and Infrastructure in the Office of Research
• Maya Przybylski, O’Donovan Director and Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture and co-founder of DATAlab

The panel will be moderated by Dr. Jennifer Whitson, Associate Professor in the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business. Professor Suzan Ilcan, Sociology and Legal Studies, is lead organizer of the panel series.

The event will take place on Wednesday, October 29, 3 to 4:25 p.m. (panel), 4:30 to 5 p.m. (reception) in the Davis Centre (DC), 1302.

Please register to attend as seating is limited and registration will close when capacity is reached.

Two Waterloo alumni recognized at Fall 2025 Convocation

This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

The University of Waterloo recognizes outstanding individuals with honorary doctorates at convocation each year, the highest honour conferred by the University. 

These honours celebrate individuals who embody Waterloo’s core values and demonstrate the leadership, innovation and impact that inspire our students to shape a better future for society, health, economies, technology and the environment. This fall, Waterloo is proud to recognize two alumni whose work strengthens communities and addresses global challenges with meaningful solutions. 

“Our honorary doctorate recipients represent the very best of what it means to be part of the Waterloo community,” says Dr. Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “Their leadership and commitment to making a positive difference in the world reflect the values we strive to instill in our students. We are proud to recognize their remarkable accomplishments and lasting impact on society.”

Learn more about this year’s honorary doctorate recipients and their remarkable achievements: 

Cindy Forbes (BMath ’79) 

Doctor of Mathematics, honoris causa 

Cindy Forbes holds a Bachelor of Mathematics in Actuarial Science from the University of Waterloo. She is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. She has been a transformational force in modernizing the Canadian insurance industry, namely through various executive roles held with Manulife Financial for more than 35 years, including chief actuary, global chief analytics officer and executive vice-president. From 2017 to 2022 she was chair of the Board of Governors at the University of Waterloo, and a special advisor to the Premier of Ontario from 2021 to 2022. 

Albert Wong Kah Seng (BSc ’80) 

Doctor of Laws, honoris causa 

Albert Wong began life in Canada as a young immigrant in Sudbury, Ontario, where he learned the values of hard work and community service. As a member of the Canadian Armed Forces for 39 years his service included public affairs in Afghanistan, peacekeeping missions in Ethiopia and Eritrea, and domestic operations in the Canadian Arctic. As a UN peacekeeper, he witnessed the profound impact of diplomacy and collaboration in maintaining peace and security worldwide. A citizenship judge since 2014, Wong has welcomed more than 300,000 new Canadians, helping them integrate into our multicultural society. 

Registration open for WaterLeadership training series

A message from the Water Institute.

The Water Institute’s annual WaterLeadership training series is available to graduate and undergraduate students engaged in research or inquiry-based learning in all six faculties across campus. 

The workshop series cultivates future young professionals through the development of skills in knowledge mobilization, research communication, leadership, and innovation. Participants gain practical strategies and tips that enhance the impact of their research through clear writing, engaging presentations, and effective message development. 

 Participants can sign up for individual workshops or complete the entire program to earn the WaterLeadership Certificate. 

Learn more and register. 

This is the sixth year that we are running this workshop series. It has been extremely well received by former participants with 100% of past cohorts saying they would recommend it to fellow students.  

Workshop Schedule in DC 1304 

• Knowledge Mobilization 101 – Wednesday, October 22 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• Sharing Science: Effective presentations – Wednesday, November 19 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• Sharing Science: Clear language writing - January 2026 
• Building a Research Career - February 2026 

Hagey Lecture set for November 4

Dr. Edward Doolittle, associate professor of mathematics at First Nations University of Canada will deliver the 2025 Hagey Lecture on the topic of Indigenous Mathematics: Foundations on November 4.

"To develop Indigenous Mathematics as a coherent subject distinct from mathematics, ethnomathematics, and Indigenous studies, we must consider the discipline’s foundations," says the lecture's abstract. "As with global mathematics, Indigenous mathematics is founded in logic, philosophy, and culture, but differs in detail. Indigenous logic allows for the coexistence of contradictory statements: Indigenous philosophy is grounded in creation and the land; Indigenous culture is inextricably bound with spirituality, ceremony, and oral tradition. Efforts to “Indigenize” mathematics will fail without taking these differences into account."

Edward Doolittle is Kanyen’kehake (Mohawk) from Six Nations in southern Ontario.  He earned a PhD in pure mathematics (partial differential equations) from University of Toronto in 1997.  From then until 2001, he worked for Queen’s University’s Aboriginal Teacher Education Program, helping to administer the program and teaching Indigenous mathematics education, and from 2000 to 2001 he studied the Mohawk language in immersion with Onkwewenna Kentsyohkwa (Our Language Group) on Six Nations.  Since 2001, he has been on the faculty of First Nations University and University of Regina, currently as associate professor of Mathematics and associate dean, Research and Graduate Programs.  He is a Fellow of the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS), a recipient of the Adrien Pouliot Award from the CMS in recognition of significant contributions to mathematics education in Canada, and recipient of a Governor General’s Gold Medal.

The lecture will take place on Thursday, November 4 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Humanities Theatre.

Waterloo's premier invitational public lecture series since 1970, the Hagey Lectures — named after the University's first president — are co-sponsored by the Faculty Association and the University of Waterloo. The annual lectures are intended to challenge, stimulate and enrich not only the faculty, staff and students at the University, but all members of this community.