Wednesday, April 15, 2026

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• Waterloo Staff Conference recordings and feedback

• Office of Research releases new strategic plan

• CPI Talks public lecture series returns with Susan Lindsay

• Fine Arts thesis works on display and other notes

Waterloo Staff Conference recordings and feedback

A message from Organizational and Human Development (OHD).

Thank you to everyone who attended and volunteered for the 18^th annual Waterloo Staff Conference! With a vast array of topics, workshops and experiences, we hope the past two days sparked new ideas, deepened your learning, and created space for meaningful connections.

At the heart of this year’s conference were the stories that shape us – shared in our keynotes, in the sessions, and in the moments in between. It’s through these stories and connections that learning truly comes to life, strengthening our community and inspiring the way we work and grow together.

Conference recordings

The keynotes from April 7 and 8 and Day Two employee-led session recordings, along with additional conference content and resources, are now available on the OHD resources site. Log in with your WatIAM credentials to view these captured conference moments. Note: the keynote recordings are available until Friday, May 8.

Conference feedback

Help us continue to improve the Waterloo Staff Conference experience by filling out our feedback survey. Complete the survey by Thursday, April 30 to enter a draw to win one of two keynote prize packs or a $50 W Store gift card.

See you at the 19^th annual Waterloo Staff Conference in April 2027!

Office of Research releases new strategic plan

A message from the Office of the Vice-President, Research and International.

Waterloo’s new 2026–2030 Research Strategic Plan showcases the distinctive strengths, bold approaches, and diverse research community that position the University as a leader in addressing today’s complex challenges and emerging opportunities.

Developed in alignment with the long-term vision of Waterloo@100 and the Global Futures, the plan encourages researchers to continually embrace the unconventional spirit that shaped the University’s origins — championing research that delivers impact far beyond traditional boundaries.

Explore the strategic themes and goals that will drive Waterloo’s research and innovation momentum over the next five years in the full report, now posted on the additional reports webpage.

CPI Talks public lecture series returns with Susan Lindsay

A message from the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute

CPI is pleased to announce the return of CPI Talks — a public outreach lecture series. This month's talk features Susan Lindsay from the Law Commission of Ontario on Intimate Images, Deep Fakes, and the Law, and will take place Thursday, April 23, 2026, at the Enterprise Theatre in EC5 on campus from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

How can the law help victims recover from the harm of intimate images being distributed without their consent?  Advances in synthetic image technology “deep fakes” have made the problem of non-consensual sharing of explicit material more widespread and urgent.  Ontario stands out as the only common law province without a civil statute dealing with the non-consensual creation, alteration, and distribution of intimate images. This presentation considers how provincial legislation or policy could be modernized to respond to these harms. 

Register now on the CPI website to secure your spot! 

About Susan Lindsay

Susan Lindsay is counsel at the Law Commission of Ontario, where she leads the Intimate Images and Deep Fakes project and the AI Regulation and Human Rights project.  As part of a joint initiative with the Ontario Human Rights Commission and Canadian Human Rights Commission, Susie led the design of a human rights AI assessment tool for developers, adopters and administrators of AI systems to identify, assess, minimize or avoid discrimination throughout the lifecycle of an AI system. Susie is the principal author of the LCO’s report Accountable AI.  Before joining the Commission, Susie spent twelve years practising litigation. Susie is a Fulbright Scholar, has a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School and was a fellow at the Berkman Klein Centre for Internet & Society at Harvard University.

About CPI Talks

CPI Talks feature experts speaking on cybersecurity and privacy topics that concern the general public as a whole. The talks are intended for people from all walks of life and thus will be designed so that they are accessible to members of the general public without any pre-requisite background or knowledge in cybersecurity and privacy. In our increasingly digital world, cybersecurity and privacy concerns affect everyone. Everyone is therefore welcome to attend CPI Talks.

Fine Arts thesis works on display and other notes

The Fine Arts department and the University of Waterloo Art Gallery (UWAG) will be exhibiting the works of MFA candidates Sandra Jabbour and Maddie Lychek beginning this week.

Sandra Jabbour

Ahsan Hdeyeh 3ana

Maddie Lychek

Could Be a Person or Multiple Hotdogs

Could Be a Person or Multiple Hotdogs subverts dominant narratives surrounding racialization, diaspora, and queerness by a refusal to flatten the artist’s multiple identities (Filipino, Slovak, masculine, lesbian) in ways that align with broader institutional narratives of inclusion. This crude multiple projection installation peels back the layers of identity but does not settle them. Instead, you witness the entire anxious, calm, shameful, prideful, solitary, collective, familial, and vulgar—whole.  

The exhibition culminates with Dyke Clothing Swap, a gathering to exchange used clothes and facilitate intergenerational connection during the last day of the exhibition on Saturday, May 2 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Maddie Lychek is a visual artist born and raised in Southern Ontario. Her work has been exhibited at venues like InterAccess, Xpace Cultural Centre, Ken Seiling Museum, Union Gallery, and Struts Gallery. She served as Program Director of Ed Video Media Arts Centre on the Board of Directors of Independent Media Arts Alliance. Her research has been supported by the Social Science and Humanity Research Council of Canada. 

The exhibition runs from April 16 to May 2.

The exhibition's opening reception takes place on Thursday, April 16, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the University of Waterloo Art Gallery in East Campus Hall.

The Math4 tower crane lives to, er, crane another day.

Plant Operations is reporting that today's scheduled crane removal operation at the Mathematics 4 construction site has been cancelled, to be rescheduled later. For more information, consult the Service Interruption Notice website.

Just a reminder that the Performance Development Program information session takes place today from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. via MS Teams. "With access to the Workday Talent launching on May 1, these information sessions offer your best opportunity to understand what’s changing, what to expect, and how the new approach will support you in your role," the workshop descriptions states. "We will take a look at Workday Talent, and the resources designed to help you navigate the transition."