Friday, May 8, 2026

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• Double or even triple your impact this Giving Day!

• DNA matches identify four more sailors from the Franklin expedition

• Communications collateral and campaigns celebrated with citations

• Meet WUSA’s 2026-27 Board of Directors and other notes

Double or even triple your impact this Giving Day!

A message from the Office of Advancement.

UWaterloo Giving Day has officially launched!

Whether you champion students through your work every day, or are cheering them on from the sidelines, you’re part of what makes this place extraordinary. If you’re thinking about making a gift this year, you can support any area on campus that matters to you — from a Faculty, School or College, to a program or other initiative shaping the Waterloo experience.

All gifts made between now and May 21 count toward Giving Day totals. And giving early has its rewards: eligible donations up to $1,000 will be matched dollar for dollar while matching funds last. That means your support can go twice as far in helping students reach their goals.

If you’re looking for a fun way to get involved, tap into your competitive side with our Giving Day game — a light-hearted way to cheer on the areas you care about. Try it now!

Thank you for the countless ways you lift up our students. Giving Day is a celebration of your collective impact, and we’re grateful you’re part of it.

DNA matches identify four more sailors from the Franklin expedition

Dr. Douglas Stenton, anthropologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo, excavating the bones of Franklin sailors at Erebus Bay.

This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

Researchers have identified four more members of Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition, one of whom was the subject of great debate lasting for more than a century.

Anthropologists from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Waterloo led the work that analyzed DNA samples extracted from skeletal remains and found matches with DNA donated by living descendants. These new discoveries bring the total number of identified sailors of the Franklin expedition to six. 

In April 1848, after the two Franklin expedition ships Erebus and Terror were frozen in Arctic ice for nearly two years, 105 survivors attempted to save themselves by walking and dragging boats on sleds along the west coast of King William Island, Nunavut. All 105 died trying to escape. Remains of expedition members have been found on King William Island and the Adelaide Peninsula since the mid-19^th century.

The additional identifications deepen our understanding of events that occurred during the final stages of the Franklin expedition and solve a 166-year-old mystery about the identity of one of the sailors.

“Three of the sailors we have identified are from HMS Erebus, and they all died at Erebus Bay. The fourth, the only sailor from the HMS Terror to be definitively identified by DNA analysis, was found 130 kilometres away,” said Dr. Douglas Stenton, Adjunct Assistant Professor of anthropology at Waterloo.

That lone sailor was identified as Harry Peglar, Captain of the Foretop on HMS Terror. Peglar’s identification resolves confusion dating back to 1859 when a body was found carrying Peglar’s personal documents but wearing clothing that did not match his rank.

“It was interesting to conclusively identify this sailor because the body was found with almost the only written documents from the expedition ever found,” said Dr. Robert Park, Professor of anthropology at Waterloo and co-researcher with Stenton. Dubbed the "Peglar Papers,” they were found with his seaman's certificate and included poetry and apparent descriptions of some events from the expedition.

The researchers identified the three other expedition members as William Orren, Able Seaman; David Young, Boy 1st Class; and John Bridgens, Subordinate Officers’ Steward.

Their identification confirms that the three were among the crew who survived the first three years of the expedition and attempted to escape the Arctic. 

Read the full story on Waterloo News

Communications collateral and campaigns celebrated with citations

A message from the Creative Studio.

We are proud and excited to share that several recent initiatives that have received international recognition at the 32^nd Annual Communicator Awards - one of the world’s largest awards programs recognizing excellence in communication, design, video, marketing, and creative storytelling. The competition includes submissions from agencies, brands, publishers, production companies, and in house creative teams from around the world.

The Creative Studio led the design work on the following projects that are being recognized for their storytelling, editorial design, experiential campaigns, recruitment marketing, and donor communications.  Congratulation to everyone who worked on this following:

• 2025 Report on Giving: created in collaboration with Advancement, the 2025 Report on Giving project combined editorial storytelling and design to celebrate donor impact across the Waterloo community. 
   
• Living Our Values at Waterloo: this cross-campus initiative, led by OHD and University Relations, brought Waterloo Values to life through storytelling, design, video, and community engagement experiences. 
   
• Waterloo Magazine – Final Issue: the final issue of Waterloo Magazine was recognized for its editorial storytelling and print design, celebrating the Waterloo community through feature writing, photography, and alumni stories. A collaboration between Alumni Relations and University Relations.
   
• Find Your Path at Waterloo: the Find Your Path recruitment campaign, led by MUR, combined storytelling, digital engagement, design, video, and campus activation to help prospective students explore their future at Waterloo.
   
• Math Impact Report: developed in collaboration with Advancement, the Math Impact Report used visual storytelling and editorial design to showcase donor impact within the Faculty of Mathematics. 
   
• Waterloo is On It Campaign: the Waterloo is On It brand campaign (led by Marketing & Brand, University Relations) was recognized for its strategic storytelling and communications approach highlighting Waterloo’s impact, leadership, and global reputation.

A sincere thank you to our campus partners for their creativity, trust, collaboration, and willingness to think differently alongside us. It’s exciting to see this work recognized on an international stage.

Kudos to everyone involved.

Meet WUSA’s 2026-27 Board of Directors and other notes

"The Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA)’s 2026-27 Board of Directors officially started their term on May 1!" says a note from WUSA. "The Board of Directors represents Waterloo undergrads both through governing WUSA on their behalf and advocating for them to the university level as well as federal, provincial, and municipal governments. They set the strategic direction of WUSA, ensuring the organization is set up to accomplish this important work."

Learn more about the student leaders elected to shape the direction of WUSA on the WUSA website.

St. Jerome’s University is hosting a public lecture alongside the Canadian International Council (CIC) featuring P. Whitney Lackenbauer on Tuesday, May 12 entitled “Canada’s Arctic is Under Threat: Clarifying Security Threats Through, To, and In the Arctic.”

P. Whitney Lackenbauer is one of Canada’s foremost experts on Arctic history and contemporary Northern policy. His research explores the evolution of Canada’s domestic strategies for the North and its international relationships with other Arctic and non-Arctic states. He is Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in the Study of the Canadian North at Trent University and the Network Lead for North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN).

The event takes place on Tuesday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m. in SJU’s Notre Dame chapel. The event is free and refreshments will be served.

Just a reminder that the registration deadline for the upcoming From Research to Policy: A panel session on enhancing research impact in the policy arena, which will be held on Thursday, June 4, is May 21. Seating is limited.

The Critical Minerals and Materials Connector Event scheduled for June 11 has been postponed, and will be rescheduled to a later date.