Tuesday, July 14, 2026

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• Administrative Professionals Community of Practice annual gathering celebrates growth
• New Awards Directory now available
• Smoke season is back

Administrative Professionals Community of Practice annual gathering celebrates growth

(Left to Right) Steering Committee members Marlene Coulter, Seyra Kraal, Michelle DeHaan, Deb Iler, Lisa Kessig, Victoria Lehmann, Jenn Gervais, and Gillian McKenzie-Yorke.

By Deb Iler, Michelle DeHaan and Jenn Gervais. This article that was originally published on Co-operative and Experiential Education's website.

The University of Waterloo's Administrative Professionals Community of Practice held its second in-person event this spring in the Pearl Sullivan Engineering building. Since launching a hybrid event in the Tatham Centre in April 2025, the community has continued to grow, bringing together 60 staff members at this year's gathering.

“Following the overwhelmingly positive feedback from our launch event, additional volunteers were invited to join the steering committee and preparations for 2026 began shortly thereafter. Our funding request to the staff excellence fund was approved, enabling the steering committee to move forward with planning a robust event,” said Deb Iler, Chair of the Community of Practice and Executive Assistant in Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE).

The in-person session coincided with Administrative Professionals Day (the last Wednesday in April) with the theme “Focus on us”. The group celebrated years of service, professional achievements and contributions across the University. For attendees, a highlight of the day was the interactive session hosted by certified coach and educator Jan Vilaca. Vilaca’s session featured practical tips to help administrative professionals to work smarter, leave earlier and lead with authority.

Jan Vilaca takes a selfie with Community of Practice attendees

Building on the success of the first two gatherings, the steering committee aims to make this an annual event. The Community of Practice would like to offer more continuous learning and connection through future events and resource-sharing initiatives. For example, the group recently attended an informative in-person session about Artificial Intelligence for administrative professionals led by Pavol Chvala, Director of AI Innovation and Systems Development in Information Systems & Technology.

“One of the things I value most about the Administrative Community of Practice is the sense of connection it creates,” said Patience Silas, academic administrative assistant at St. Jerome’s University. “It has introduced me to colleagues across campus, provided opportunities to learn new skills and reminded me of the strong network of administrative professionals who are willing to share knowledge and support one another.”

The Community of Practice extends thanks to the Staff Excellence Fund for the financial support that helped make this event possible. Administrative professionals who would like to get involved, suggest topics or join the community of practice can contact ceed.admin@uwaterloo.ca.

New Awards Directory now available

A message from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (co-ordinated with The Centre).

The University of Waterloo has launched a new centralized Awards Directory. The new Awards Directory brings together information from three previously separate databases — the Undergraduate Entrance Awards Database, the Undergraduate Awards Database, and the Graduate Funding and Awards Database — into one directory. This consolidation makes it easier to find and access award information in a single, consistent place.  

To access the new Awards Directory and find step-by-step instructions on how to use it, visit www.uwaterloo.ca/awards-directory.  

Smoke season is back 

This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

As Canada heads into the 2026 wildfire season, Canadians should expect smoke-filled skies to become a more regular part of summer, even in communities far removed from active fires. 

New insights from the University of Waterloo highlight how wildfire smoke is evolving into a widespread public health concern, with impacts that are harder to predict and increasingly difficult to avoid. 

“Wildfires have historically been a major driver of harmful air pollution in Canada. Under climate change, that influence is expected to grow,” says Dr. Rebecca Saari, an Associate Professor of civil and environmental engineering at Waterloo and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Global Change, Atmosphere and Health. “Other work shows in recent years that wildfire smoke has caused annual health damages ranging from around half a billion to over $6 billion dollars a year in health-related damages.” 

Recent modelling work from her lab, examining how climate-driven conditions like hotter temperatures and stagnant air allow pollution to build, aligns with projections showing a rise in unhealthy air days. What were once occasional air quality alerts may become a recurring feature of summer. 

Wildfire smoke adds another layer to that challenge by increasing the concentration and variability of fine particulate matter in the air. 

For Saari, the issue is not just how often air quality warnings appear, but how they are beginning to reshape daily life. 

“If we don’t reduce emissions, if we allow unabated climate change, we found that many in the United States would experience poor air quality as the norm in the summer,” Saari says. “It could become something sensitive people have to plan their days, and even their summers, around.” 

That shift is already becoming visible in Canada, where smoke can transform air quality rapidly and without much warning. 

As a result, Canadians may need to rethink what “normal” summer air quality looks like. Hazy skies, the smell of smoke and repeated air quality advisories may become more common, even in regions without nearby fires. 

Saari says this new reality underscores the importance of paying closer attention to air quality forecasts and public health guidance. 

“We’re entering a period where we want to encourage people to be aware of air quality and take steps to protect themselves and vulnerable people in their care,” she says. “Making a routine of checking the Air Quality Health Index and looking for air quality alerts in their area will help them adjust activities accordingly to reduce their risks from wildfire smoke.” 

Read the full story on Waterloo News.