Friday, July 10, 2026

Previous | Next

• Join the ripple effect with Two Row by the Grand
• Team Canada Head Coach Jess Roque looks ahead to July’s U17 Women’s World Cup, and beyond
• Social norms can accelerate or undermine climate action, new model finds

Join the ripple effect with Two Row by the Grand

By Julie Grant. A message from the Water Institute.

This summer, members of the University of Waterloo and Six Nations will come together for Two Row by the Grand, a new five-day cycling journey focused on reconciliation, relationship-building and learning along the Grand River.

Taking place July 15 to 19, the pilot ride follows the river from Cambridge to Port Maitland alongside the annual Two Row on the Grand paddling event. Led through a partnership between Water Cycles Expeditions, Two Row on the Grand and Six Nations Tourism, the initiative is grounded in the principles of the Two Row Wampum and the Silver Covenant Chain, emphasizing peace, friendship and respect while creating space for shared learning about water, culture and stewardship.

Participants will travel by bike alongside paddlers, sharing campgrounds, meals and daily cultural and environmental teachings that create opportunities for dialogue, reflection and deeper connections with the watershed and the communities who have cared for it for generations.

This inaugural pilot will be guided by Spring Carter of Six Nations Tourism and Dustin Garrick, professor in the Faculty of Environment and co-founder of Water Cycles Expeditions. Designed as the first step toward an annual learning experience, the initiative aims to strengthen relationships and foster collaboration across the Grand River watershed. On July 19, the public is invited to the free Paddlestock community celebration at Chiefswood Park, featuring live music, family activities and more. Community members can also support a new scholarship fund that will help reduce financial barriers and expand participation for both University of Waterloo students and members of Six Nations in future years.

Read more about the initiative.

Team Canada Head Coach Jess Roque looks ahead to July’s U17 Women’s World Cup and beyond  

Warriors Head Coach Jessica Roque huddles with her team. (Photo credit: Courntey Caird)

By Sam Bellerose. A message from Athletics and Recreation. 

For the second time in as many years, Warriors women’s basketball Head Coach Jessica Roque will be representing Canada on the international stage, and this time the spotlight is even brighter.  

Roque was announced as the Head Coach for Team Canada at the upcoming FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup back in March. It will be her first time leading the bench for Team Canada, after winning bronze at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2023 and silver at the FIBA U16 Women’s AmeriCup last summer, both times as an assistant coach.  

“It’s a great honour to represent Canada,” said Roque, who will head to Brno, Czechia with a nearly identical staff to the one Canada had at last year’s U16 AmeriCup, save for Fabienne Blizzard, whose head coaching role Roque now steps into.  

“It’s such a cool experience, to go to a different country, and especially a World Cup experience,” said Roque. “For any basketball coach, player, fan to go to a different country and see firsthand how basketball culture transcends other countries is really neat.”  

While the roster has yet to be announced, the selection camp roster included names like U16 AmeriCup all-star Avery Arije and standouts Ashley Vande Ven and Frances Vollett.  

“I really like this group. I think they're super talented,” said Roque. “It’s really exciting to be at the inception of these young people’s journeys.”  

That feeling is heightened by the recent and ongoing growth of women’s sports at the professional level, particularly in Canada, where the Toronto Tempo recently began their inaugural WNBA season as the league’s first team north of the border.  

Roque says this was the first season where she recognized some of the WNBA draftees as players she’d coached or coached against, and the tremendous opportunity she is helping make a reality for these players – now as Head Coach – is not lost on her.  

“We’re coaching future Olympians and future professionals at this age group,” she said. “Hopefully find some success this summer, and then we’ll see where their success leads further down the road.” 

 Social norms can accelerate or undermine climate action, new model finds

This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

A new mathematical model suggests that social norms may be just as important as economics in determining how the world responds to climate change. The research shows that efforts to reduce emissions in one region can unintentionally influence climate action elsewhere, with consequences that could either strengthen or weaken global progress.

The model divides the world into five culturally and economically distinct regions and simulates how social norms, perceived climate risks and economic pressures interact to shape climate action.

"Climate models often assume people are rational economic actors who always act in their own best interest," said Dr. Chris Bauch, professor of applied mathematics at the University of Waterloo. "Our model recognizes that people are also influenced by social norms, whether that's eating more beef or choosing reusable water bottles, and those behaviours can significantly affect climate change mitigation."

The model draws on existing data describing cultural values and behaviour across Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, OECD countries and the Reforming Economies of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. It models how social and economic factors influence mitigation efforts, which in turn affect global warming.

The researchers found that strategies that encourage climate action in one region may have the opposite effect elsewhere.

"We found that greater discussion about climate change often increases support for mitigation, but in some regions, it can also fuel anti-mitigation sentiment," said lead author Amrita Punnavajhala, who recently completed her PhD in applied mathematics at Waterloo. "The best approach depends on each region's unique social and economic circumstances rather than a one-size-fits-all solution."

The model also reveals how regional actions can create unexpected ripple effects.

"If Asia increases its mitigation efforts, global warming slows slightly, which can reduce the perceived urgency in OECD countries such as Canada and the United States," Bauch said. "That could weaken social pressure for climate action and create harmful long-term consequences."

"There are constant feedback loops between climate change and human behaviour," said Dr. Madhur Anand, professor of environmental science at the University of Guelph and adjunct professor in Waterloo's Department of Applied Mathematics. "Understanding those relationships will be essential to reducing emissions and building a more sustainable future."

The study, Implications of regional variations in climate change vulnerability and mitigation behaviour for social-climate dynamics, appears in Nature Communications.