Thursday, November 6, 2025

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• Honouring the legacy of Dr. Pearl Sullivan and the future of education

• WatSPEED recognized with CASE District II Award for Tech Horizons Executive Forum

• Cheriton School of Computer Science Distinguished Lecture will feature Erol Gelenbe

• Remembering Professor Emeritus William John Gilbert
• Thursday's notes

​Honouring the legacy of Dr. Pearl Sullivan and the future of education

Frank Baylis, Dean Mary Wells and Valerie Baylis. Photo credit: Light Imaging. 

By Charlotte Danby. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

University of Waterloo alumni Frank Baylis (BASc ’86) and Valerie Baylis (BA ’86) visited campus to announce the Gloria Baylis Foundation’s philanthropic contribution of $20 million to the Faculty of Engineering. 

The gift honours former Waterloo Engineering dean, the late Dr. Pearl Sullivan, who prioritized students’ educational experiences with indomitable energy. Under Sullivan’s leadership, the Faculty’s flagship building, Engineering 7, was built to give students and researchers greater access to leading technologies, labs, experiential learning hubs, workspaces and more.  

With gratitude to the Gloria Baylis Foundation, the Faculty is proud to announce the renaming of Engineering 7 to the Pearl Sullivan Engineering Building.  

Gloria Baylis, a nurse, entrepreneur and civil rights advocate, founded Baylis Medical, a Canadian company known for its health-care innovations. Her son Frank Baylis, co-executive chairman of the board at Baylis Medical Technologies and president of the Gloria Baylis Foundation, and his wife Valerie Baylis, director of the Gloria Baylis Foundation, established the foundation in Gloria’s name to continue her work in support of community-focused education and health-care initiatives. 

“Like my mother Gloria, Pearl’s drive and vision expanded opportunities for people to realize their potential,” Frank says. “Pearl’s career and achievements deserve celebration, and this space is a testament to her work in advancing education.” 

Waterloo Engineering dean Dr. Mary Wells remembers Sullivan with admiration and affection. 

“Pearl was a force of nature,” Wells says. “She was laser focused on making Waterloo Engineering the best not just in Canada but the world. She was an empathetic leader, a passionate educator and a bold dean who made things happen quickly and decisively. Engineering 7 is thanks to Pearl; she even chose the colour of the stairs — red, the colour of prosperity in her culture. It was always Pearl’s building and now it’s official. I am grateful to the Gloria Baylis Foundation for honouring her incredible legacy this way, it means so much to me and to our community.” 

"When I think of my mom as a dean at Waterloo, I think of someone who was in their element," says Michael Sullivan, Pearl Sullivan's son.

The gift extends to supporting the Waterloo at 100 vision — the University’s mission to focus its work on addressing the wicked problems facing the world through innovative research and interdisciplinary education by its 100th anniversary in 2057. 

One of society’s biggest challenges is transforming health care so that more people can access and receive better services. Advanced technologies and engineering innovations are essential to making health care work better for everyone. In recognition of this, an initial impact of the gift will support the Faculty in establishing a prestigious Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Health Engineering and Technology with recruitment for the position currently underway.  

“Waterloo is constantly evolving to remain ahead of its peers,” Valerie says. “Our goal with this gift is to support the University’s culture of embracing positive change and its drive to make a real impact in the world. This aligns perfectly with the Gloria Baylis Foundation’s goals for improved access to better health care and education for all.” 

Valerie and Frank met during their Waterloo student days. Frank and his business partner of more than 40 years, Kris Shah (BASc ’86), co-executive chairman of the board at Baylis Medical Technologies, met on their first Waterloo co-op work term as electrical engineering students.  

“Two of my most important and life-changing partnerships were forged at Waterloo,” Frank says. “The University also encouraged my interest in entrepreneurship; it excels in that area. And we, including Kris, have daughters who studied engineering at Waterloo. The place and its people gave me an incredible foundation to build from, and we want to ensure that by investing in the future of education, such opportunities remain available and accessible to as many talented people as possible.” 

The gift goes beyond Waterloo, highlighting, as Frank points out, the role philanthropic foundations can play in maintaining and advancing higher education as a cornerstone of a prosperous society.  

Dr. Vivek Goel, University of Waterloo president, agrees, saying “Philanthropy challenges us to do more, helping us drive impactful change within the University, our broader community and beyond. Thank you to the Gloria Baylis Foundation for investing in education, in Canada and the world’s future, simultaneously honouring two extraordinary, trailblazing leaders — Dr. Pearl Sullivan and Gloria Baylis.” 

Watch this moving tribute to former dean Pearl Sullivan and meet her grandson Dean who was named after her.

WatSPEED recognized with CASE District II Award for Tech Horizons Executive Forum

A message from WatSPEED.

WatSPEED’s Tech Horizons Executive Forum has been recognized with a CASE District II Award for Best Special Event: In-Person (Single Day). 

Presented by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the award celebrates excellence in higher education advancement across the Mid-Atlantic region. The honour highlights Tech Horizons’ innovative approach to connecting leaders from academia and industry to explore emerging technologies shaping the future of work and learning. 

“Tech Horizons reflects WatSPEED’s commitment to creating experiences that connect industry and academia in meaningful ways,” said Aaron Pereira, Executive Director, WatSPEED. “This recognition underscores the creativity and collaboration behind our executive learning programs.” 

This year’s Tech Horizons Executive Forum, hosted in partnership with CIBC, takes place Monday, November 10, bringing together senior leaders and innovators to discuss the technologies transforming business and society. 

Learn more about Tech Horizons.   

Cheriton School of Computer Science Distinguished Lecture will feature Erol Gelenbe

A message from the Cheriton School of Computer Science.

Remembering Professor Emeritus William John Gilbert

This article was originally published on the Faculty of Mathematics website.

Dr. William John Gilbert, professor emeritus of Pure Mathematics, passed away in Kitchener on October 25, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. He was 84 years old.

Gilbert was born in Exeter, England, in March 1941. After spending a few years in Deep River, Ontario, where his father was the lead nuclear physicist at Canada’s first nuclear reactor, the family returned to England and settled in Manchester.

He completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees in mathematics at Cambridge University, and a PhD at Oxford University. His dissertation, “Some problems in algebraic topology on Lusternik-Schnirelmann categories and cocategories,” has been cited hundreds of times.

He joined the newly created Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo in 1968, and remained there until retirement in 2004.

“Will has been a fixture at various department events ever since his retirement,” says Dr. David McKinnon, chair of Pure Mathematics. “Those of you who knew him will remember his wry sense of humour and his cheerful demeanour. I can personally testify that he was a terrific colleague and a good man.”

During his tenure at Waterloo, he rose to full professor and served as department chair of Pure Mathematics from 1995 to 1999. His scholarly contributions were significant and diverse, exploring the interplay between algebra and geometry. His research encompassed fractal geometry, complex bases, dynamical systems and algebraic topology.

He authored several influential textbooks, including An Introduction to Mathematical Thinking and Modern Algebra with Applications. He was part of 54 academic publications, and has been cited over 800 times. His research and teaching sabbaticals took him all over the world, sharing his love of mathematics in Australia, New Zealand, and China.

In his free time, he was known for his warm smile, gentle presence, and wry sense of humour. A film buff and wine connoisseur, he also loved British comedy, sailing, skiing, and travelling.

Dr. Gilbert is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Ruth Gilbert (née Horning), as well as his cherished children, grandchildren and extended family.

Cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life open house will be held Sunday, November 16 in the afternoon. Please email willcelebrationoflife@gmail.com for more information and to RSVP. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada as expressions of sympathy. Messages and condolences may be left at 519.772.1237 or www.tricitycremations.com.

​Thursday's notes

This is a reminder that the Lectures in Catholic Experience at St. Jerome's University continues tonight with Father Tim Uniac, CR, who will deliver remarks entitled “I have seen the Lord” The Transforming Power of Mary Magdalene’s Proclamation. "Father Tim Uniac, CR, will uncover the transforming power of the story of Mary Magdalene, asking the questions about her life that often lie unanswered," says a note from St. Jerome's University. "A lady of such significance in Jesus’s journey, yet someone whose profound story is so little mentioned, acknowledged, or understood."

Father Tim Uniac is a member of the Congregation of the Resurrection, the founding Congregation of St. Jerome’s University. Following graduation from St. Jerome’s he went on for graduate studies leading to his ordination to the priesthood. Father Tim’s priestly ministry, spanning forty years, has included parish ministry in both Canada and the United States.

The lecture will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Notre Dame Chapel in SJ1 and will also be livestreamed. The event is free, but registration is required. To learn more or to register for Father Tim Uniac’s lecture visit the Ticketfi website.

Mark Morton, longtime staff member at the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE), was announced as one of the winners of the Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy for his novel "The Headmasters." The award is granted by the Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) and recognizes "excellence in Canadian children's speculative fiction." Morton's novel was one of seven literary award recipients.

The announcement was made at the annual CCBC Book Awards in Toronto on October 27. Morton is currently heading towards retirement at the end of 2025 after two decades at Waterloo, so this award is a great start for his next chapter as a writer, author, and communicator. Congratulations on both counts, Mark!