Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
May is Sexual Violence Awareness Month
A message from the Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Office (SVPRO).
May is Sexual Violence Awareness Month, a time to bring visibility to an issue that often remains hidden in plain sight. On university campuses, where learning and community intersect, it’s especially important to foster environments grounded in respect, accountability, and care.
Throughout the month, our office will be hosting pop-up information booths designed to spark conversation, challenge harmful myths, and highlight pathways to support. These small moments of engagement can ripple outward, shaping how we understand consent, respond to harm, and support one another.
Sexual violence is not just an individual issue, it’s a community one. Prevention and response require all of us: students, staff, and faculty. We encourage you to take part in the trainings offered throughout the year, which explore topics like consent, bystander intervention, and building healthy relationships. These sessions are practical, thoughtful, and grounded in real-world scenarios.
Equally important is knowing where to turn. Whether you’re seeking support for yourself or looking to help someone else, our office is here as a confidential and compassionate resource. We can also connect you with trusted services both on campus and within the broader community.
Awareness is a starting point, not a finish line. This month is an invitation to learn, reflect, and take meaningful steps toward a safer campus for everyone.
Math 4's crane removal will lead to closures on Tuesday
This time for sure: the Mathematics 4 (M4) construction project is about to reach another major milestone with the dismantling of the tower crane now that the structure of the building is complete. Plant Operations reports that the crane will be dismantled and removed on Tuesday, May 12 from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. "Due to the dismantling of the Tower Crane for the Math 4 project, all adjacent pedestrian pathways will need to be closed for safety," says a note from Plant Ops. Here are the details.
- There will be no pedestrian access down William Tutte Way from Ring Road to the Math 3 building during the operation.
- The pathway from L-Lot to William Tutte Way between M3 and GSC will have no access to front doors of M3. L-Lot does not provide access to William Tutte Way.
- Math 3 will remain open, and the main entrance can be accessed by the BMH Green.
- The General Services Complex (GSC) will remain open and can be accessed from the main doors at the corner of Ring Road.
A rain day has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 13.
Crane your neck for one last glimpse of the Math 4 crane.
For more information about the closure, consult the Service Interruption Notice website.
Interesting in more information about Math 4? Check out the Faculty of Math's Mathematics 4 website.
Four reasons to attend the Turtle Island Indigenous Science Conference
By Sarah Fullerton. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on the Faculty of Science website.
The University of Waterloo will host the Turtle Island Indigenous Science Conference (TIISC), a three-day event focused on Indigenous Science, from May 24 - 26, 2026. The conference explores how Indigenous science engages with and transforms fields such as ecology, health, technology, and sustainability. By bringing together diverse voices and knowledge systems, TIISC invites learning from experts in their fields.
Here are four reasons you won't want to miss it:
1. It is the only event of its kind
TIISC is a grassroots effort bringing people together to discuss Indigenous science, and it is the only conference dedicated to exploring Indigenous pedagogical approaches to science in North America (Turtle Island). This is a unique opportunity to be immersed in a learning environment where Indigenous ways of knowing are shared and discussed across scientific disciplines.
2. Learn from Indigenous knowledge keepers and scholars
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn directly from Indigenous knowledge keepers and scholars who will share their expertise rooted in lived experience, land-based knowledge and academic research. Throughout the conference, there will be collaborative presentations from institutions in partnership with Indigenous communities.
In addition to learning from Indigenous knowledge keepers, attendees can explore how these principles are being applied within national research systems during a session by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). NSERC’s session, Innovation in peer review of Indigenous science proposals: Modelling Indigenous-led decolonization of research assessment at the federal funding agencies, will focus on how federal funding agencies are implementing processes to better recognize Indigenous knowledge systems in research.
MFA thesis work on display at UWAG
The University's Fine Arts department will be exhibiting the MFA thesis work of students James Malzahn and Elise Popa from Thursday, May 14 to May 30 at the University of Waterloo Art Gallery.
James Malzahn - The Victory Box
The Victory Box examines how powerful systems enter everyday life by appearing useful, convenient, entertaining, and reassuring. Presented as a modern domestic device for safety and public information, it carries the appeal of something new: a media object families could watch, gather around, and feel proud to own. While rooted in a mid-century setting, the exhibition speaks to contemporary concerns around artificial intelligence, networked surveillance, and persuasive media: tools with the potential to benefit society, but also to manipulate, misinform, observe, and control when placed in the wrong hands. Through documentary material, archival traces, domestic space, and electronic installation, the work asks how belief is created and how authority becomes part of ordinary life. Rather than treating innovation as inherently dangerous, The Victory Box encourages awareness and critical discussion, inviting viewers to consider how technology, trust, comfort, and convenience shape both private life and public belief.
James Malzahn is an interdisciplinary artist and MFA candidate at the University of Waterloo whose background in technology shapes a practice rooted in the belief that technological systems should benefit humanity. Working across traditional and digital media, installation, custom-built electronics, and code, he creates immersive environments that generate critical conversation about the real and potential misuses of technology and the ways these systems can harm society, perception, and public trust.
Elise Popa - A Fallow Year
A Fallow Year tells the story of Popa’s own fallow season, encapsulated through an intuitive skating practice and the building of an ice rink on a farm just outside Stratford, Ontario. The documentation that follows the process of making the rink explores how the physical labour and repetitive maintenance tasks mirror the efforts needed to support the artist’s recovery and self-determination post heartbreak. The performance-for-camera works, in which a first-person body-mounted camera is worn, explores drawing and intuitive movement as a form of embodied agency. Through using the analogy of an agricultural fallow season, the exhibition portrays a regenerative year of self-healing and renewal after loss.
Elise Popa is an interdisciplinary artist and long-time figure skater from southern Ontario. She graduated from Brock University’s Bachelor of Arts Studio Art program in 2022, where she began exploring kinetic art practices. As a Master of Fine Arts candidate at University of Waterloo, Popa has developed her intuitive movement practice while embracing failure as a methodology: creating work that articulates movement on skates (inline or figure) as a form of becoming.
The opening reception takes place on Thursday, May 14, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at UWAG in East Campus Hall.
Notes as classes and lectures begin
Students have returned to campus as lectures, classes, labs and seminars kick off today. Today's the official start of the co-operative work term, although actual start dates vary widely based on the employers.
The University of Waterloo Campus Community Survey is now open, according to a note from the Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit. All students are invited to fill out the survey, and an email containing survey links has been sent to @uwaterloo email addresses.
Students who submit their responses will be entered into a draw to win a grand prize of an iPad Mini or 1 of 20 $250 W Store gift cards. The survey is open until May 29.
Here's a follow-up to a piece posted on Friday about Waterloo initiatives receiving recognition at the 32nd Annual Communicator Awards - one of the world’s largest awards programs recognizing excellence in communication, design, video, marketing, and creative storytelling. The Faculty of Science's 60 Seconds of Science series won an award in the "Social Content Series-Schools & Universities" category. Congratulations to the Faculty of Science's communications team for the award! You can view the playlist on YouTube.
Register for a Budget Q&A session
Two in‑person Q&A sessions will be held to discuss the 2026/2027 operating budget and related initiatives in May. Both sessions will be livestreamed. Please register for one of the following sessions:
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Q&A Session 1, Thursday, May 14, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m, Humanities Theatre
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Q&A Session 2, Friday, May 15, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
For more details, visit the Waterloo Budget Plan website.
Link of the day
When and where
The Campus Wellness Student Medical Clinic offers healthcare visits with Physicians and Nurse Practitioners to current undergraduate and graduate students. Services include: vaccinations, immunity testing, naturopathic services and more. Counselling Services offers appointments with counsellors in person as well as via phone and video. Students can book appointments for these services by calling Campus Wellness at 519-888-4096.
The privately-run Student Health Pharmacy (located in the lower level of the Student Life Centre) is now offering new COVID booster shots and flu shots. Covid booster shots are available by appointment only – please call ext. 33784 or 519-746-4500. The Student Health Pharmacy’s summer hours are Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Naloxone kits are still available – pick them up in the pharmacy at no charge.
The Waterloo Eye Institute optometry clinics in Waterloo and downtown Kitchener offer comprehensive eye exams and eyewear, including glasses and contact lenses, with the Waterloo location offering various specialized services including urgent eye care. Discounts apply for University of Waterloo students and employees. The Waterloo Clinic is at a nearby interim location, 419C Phillip St, during construction at the School of Optometry and Vision Science. The Kitchener Clinic remains at the Health Sciences Campus, 10B Victoria St. S. Book online or by phone at 519-888-4062.
Warriors Summer Youth Camps, registration is now open for multi-sport and games, baseball, basketball, eSports, football and hockey camps for boys and girls ages 5 to 18. Register today!
Warrior Rec registration open, Tuesday, May 5 to Tuesday, May 19, 1:00 p.m. (intramurals) and Thursday, May 21, 12 noon (all other programming).
Lectures and classes begin, Monday, May 11.
Co-operative work term begins, Monday, May 11.
WIN Distinguished Lecture with Arben Merkoçi, "Coupling Nanomaterials with Sustainable Platforms for Next-Generation Point-of-Care Nanobiosensors," Tuesday, May 12, 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon, QNC 1501.
Performance Development Program: A Manager's Overview, Tuesday, May 12, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., EC1 1023.
Public Lecture by P. Whitney Lackenbauer, “Canada’s Arctic is Under Threat: Clarifying Security Threats Through, To, and In the Arctic,” Tuesday, May 12, 7:00 p.m., Notre Dame Chapel, St. Jerome’s University. Refreshments will be served.
Seedling Swap Drop-Off, drop off on Wednesday, May 13, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Thursday, May 14, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., CPH 2385.
WICI Complexity Day: From Particles to Markets: Complex Systems Across Disciplines, Wednesday, May 13, 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., PSE 7303.
SEE Canada Grant information session, Wednesday, May 13, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., online.
Hallman Lecture featuring Clara Hughes: Open Heart, Open Mind, Wednesday, May 13, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Humanities Theatre, Hagey Hall.
Faculty of Arts presents The Gaza Doctrine: Implications for International Law and the future of the Middle East featuring guest speaker Neve Gordon, Wednesday, May 13, 7:00 p.m., Fed Hall and online. Please register.
The Life and Legacy of the Athabasca Glacier interactive art exhibit, Thursday, May 14 to Saturday, May 16, 12 noon to 5:00 p.m., The Artery Gallery, ECH 1207.
Seedling Swap, Thursday, May 14, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m., EV3 Foyer.
Spring Athletics & Recreation Open House, Thursday, May 14, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., PAC/SLC Atrium.
Anti-Racism Reads Series: Algorithms of Oppression, Thursday, May 14, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., Dana Porter Library Room 338.
Celebration of Life for Professor Wayne Chang, Thursday, May 14, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., PSE event space. RSVP.
The Life and Legacy of the Athabasca Glacier interactive art exhibit opening reception and artist panel, Thursday, May 14, 3:30 p.m., The Artery Gallery, ECH 1207.
Performance Development Program: A Manager's Overview, Friday, May 15, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., EC1 1023.
Take Teaching Outdoors!, Tuesday, May 19, 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., EV3 lobby.
NEW - Distinguished Lecture Series featuring Margaret-Anne Storey, Canada Research Chair in Human and Social Aspects of Software Engineering, University of Victoria, How Generative and Agentic AI is Disrupting Software Development, Wednesday, May 20, 10:0 a.m., DC 1302 and online.
From Research to Policy: A panel session on enhancing research impact in the policy arena registration deadline, May 21.
PhD oral defences
Pure Mathematics. Christine Eagles, “Contributions to the model theory of algebraic differential Equations.” Supervisor, Dr. Rahim Moosa. Thesis available from MGO – mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Wednesday, May 20, 10:00 a.m., MC 5479.
Recreation and Leisure Studies. Juliet Yeboah, "Beyond the Tourist Experience: An Exploration of Social Capital Among Local Tourism Businesses at Cape Coast and Elmina, Ghana" Supervisor, Dr. Heather Mair. Email Health Graduate Admissions for a copy. Oral defence Monday, May 25, 9:30 a.m., EXP 1686 and hybrid.
Physics and Astronomy. Sayan Gangopadhyay, “Towards Indistinguishable Photon Generation from Nanowire Quantum Dots.” Supervisor, Dr. Michael Reimer. Visit the Faculty of Science Thesis Submission Notices website for details on requesting a copy to review. Oral defence Tuesday, May 26, 10:00 a.m., remote via MS Teams.
Physics and Astronomy. Adrian Lopez, “Categorical 't Hooft Expansion and Twisted Holography.” Supervisors, Dr. Robert Mann, Dr. Davide Gaiotto. Visit the Faculty of Science Thesis Submission Notices website for details on requesting a copy to review. Oral defence Thursday, May 28, 11:30 a.m., PHY 352.
Upcoming service interruptions
Stay up to date on service interruptions, campus construction, and other operational changes on the Plant Operations website. Upcoming service interruptions include:
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REV South-East Quads water tank replacement, Wednesday, May 6 to Friday, August 14, hot water will not be available in the south-east quad affecting washrooms.
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Engineering 2 and 3, Davis Centre, Mathematics & Computer fire alarm testing, Monday, May 11, 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
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Math 4 crane dismantling, Tuesday, May 12, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (rain day Wednesday, May 13), William Tutte Way between Ring Road and Math 3 will be closed to pedestrian traffic.