Tuesday, April 21, 2026

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• St. Jerome’s University establishes institute named for Pope Francis

• Here's what happened at Board last week

• Joint Legal Studies seminar examines sexual violence in a data-driven era
• Remembering Professor S.T. Ariaratnam

St. Jerome’s University establishes institute named for Pope Francis

Pope Francis walking by Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

A message from St. Jerome’s University.

To honour Pope Francis on the first anniversary of his death, St. Jerome’s University is announcing the creation of a new hub for learning, dialogue and leadership formation. The Pope Francis Institute will be the world’s first initiative of its kind dedicated to advancing the legacy of the late pontiff.

Centred on the St. Jerome’s campus, yet with a global reach, the Institute will be guided by the core themes of Francis’ pontificate. These include amplifying voices on the peripheries, advocating for migrants and refugees, caring for our common home, and healing the social fragmentation of our digital age.

Recognizing the existential questions underlying today’s global crises, St. Jerome’s imagines a new kind of space for public engagement. The endeavour will assemble academic, ecclesial and community voices by leveraging St. Jerome’s unique position—a federated institution with the University of Waterloo, a leading member of Canada’s network of Catholic colleges and universities, and a longstanding collaborator with the Diocese of Hamilton and religious orders, including the Canadian Province of the Society of Jesus. An Advisory Committee of local and international experts is supporting the development of the Institute and planning its initial activities.

The Institute will host a diverse range of programs, each rooted in the spirituality of Francis and the educational tradition of his Jesuit order:

• Engaging public lectures that foster authentic dialogue across difference;
• Immersive retreats and workshops that inspire mercy and radical solidarity;
• Professional development and microcredentials that equip leaders in the non-profit and faith-based sectors, particularly those serving the most vulnerable; and
• Groundbreaking research that explores the intersection of faith and modern life.

The Pope Francis Institute will officially launch with a public event in the 2026-2027 academic year. St. Jerome’s is grateful for the support of an Advisory Committee of local and international experts as the Institute’s development continues. For the latest details as they are announced, visit the Pope Francis Institute website.

Here's what happened at Board last week

A message from the Secretariat.

The University of Waterloo Board of Governors is comprised of 36 voting members, including external members (mayors and regional chair, community at large, and Lieutenant Governor in Council appointees) in addition to the president, faculty, staff and students. This governing body of the institution is the highest authority on corporate matters and meets regularly to discuss topics such as financial well-being, institutional reputation, university policies, building and properties, and human resource matters. 

At the Tuesday, April 14 meeting, the following items were approved:

• Policy 19 – Student Academic Disability Accommodations Policy
• Updated tuition rates for the 2026-2027 academic year
• The 2026-2027 operating budget
• Guidelines for the use of confidential and in camera sessions during meetings of the Board and its committees
• Annual Bill S-211 report on forced labour and child labour in supply chains

Additional updates received by the Board included:

• Update from the President on a range of matters, including community event highlights and post-secondary education sector developments
• The inaugural annual report of the Office of the Ombudsperson
• Extending congratulations to the 2026 recipients of the University Professor Designation:
  • N. Asokan (Cheriton School of Computer Science)
  • Randy Harris (English Language and Literature)
  • John McPhee (Systems Design Engineering).
• The reappointment of Community-at-large Board member Linda Blair, for a term to begin September 1, 2026.

Please refer to the open session Board meeting agenda package for related material and complete information. The meeting minutes form the official record of the meeting, and will be available following approval at the Board’s next meeting on June 23, 2026.

Joint Legal Studies seminar examines sexual violence in a data-driven era

Members of the campus community are invited to join Sociology and Legal Studies and St. Jerome’s University for the Spring 2026 Joint University of Waterloo – St. Jerome’s University Legal Studies Seminar on Thursday, April 23.

Dr. Elaine Craig will be speaking on the topic of “Law, Technology and the Platformization of Sex: Sexual Violence in a Data-Driven Era.”

“The business model for mainstream porn has changed. It now relies for its success on the mass popularity and consumption of free online porn,” says the talk’s abstract. “Similar to other types of social media, it is data driven, quasi-interactive and communal. These changes have shifted the social impact and role of mainstream porn today, which has implications for the promotion and protection of our sexual integrity. Not all of these implications are harmful, but some of them certainly are - particularly in relation to women and girls. To date, law and policy makers have failed to adequately regulate and hold accountable the large, monopolistic corporations responsible for the platformization of porn.”

The seminar takes place on Thursday, April 23 at 1:00 p.m. online via Zoom. Register online.

Dr. Craig is a professor of law at Dalhousie University. She teaches constitutional law and criminal law courses and researches in the areas of evidence law, law of sexual assault, feminist legal theory, and criminal law ethics. 

For more information, please contact Drs. Honor Brabazon, Allison Chenier, and Andrea Quinlan with any questions.  

The Joint Legal Studies Seminar Series features biannual seminars showcasing a range of legal studies scholarship.  The series is hosted by the Departments of Sociology and Legal Studies at the University of Waterloo and St. Jerome’s University.  

Remembering Professor S.T. Ariaratnam

This article originally appeared on the Faculty of Engineering news site.

Waterloo Engineering is mourning the loss of Dr. Sinnathamby Thambithurai (S.T.) Ariaratnam, one of the earliest members of the Department of Civil Engineering. He passed away on April 2, 2026. He was 92.

Ariaratnam joined the University of Waterloo in September 1962, recruited as one of the institution's first engineering professors when it was only a few years old. He taught in the department for nearly four decades until his retirement in 2001, and was named Distinguished Professor Emeritus in 2002.

Born in Madduvil, Sri Lanka, Ariaratnam was educated at Drieberg College in Jaffna and earned a first-class honours degree in engineering from the University of Ceylon. He went on to earn first-class honours in mathematics and a master's degree from the University of London, before completing his PhD at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1960.

His research interests included random vibration and stability, continuum mechanics, the plastic theory of structures, nonlinear mechanics and dynamic plasticity. He held visiting professorships at University College London, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ariaratnam served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Applied Mechanics, Solid Mechanics Archives, and Dynamics and Stability of Systems, and was a Fellow of the American Academy of Mechanics. Those who knew him remembered a man of principle and quiet generosity who treated everyone he met with dignity and respect, and who never lost touch with his Sri Lankan Tamil roots.

Ariaratnam is survived by his wife, Ariarani; his four sons, Samuel, Daniel, Michael and Joel; and his grandson, Anton.