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Waterloo Orientation turns uncertainty into belonging
This is an excerpt from an article that was originally in Waterloo News.
Before students attend their first lecture, write their first exam or join their first club, many are welcomed to the University of Waterloo through traditions that have connected generations of students to the University and to their faculty's history and culture.
When Remi Rotenberg arrived at Waterloo in 2022, she was excited to experience Engineering Orientation after hearing stories from her father (Meir Rotenberg, BASc ’89), a Waterloo Engineering alum. The experience included taking part in the long-standing purpling tradition and receiving the faculty's iconic yellow hard hats, symbols recognized by generations of Waterloo engineers. "Immediately I felt welcomed," says Rotenberg, now a fourth-year Civil Engineering student. "My leaders were so excited to have us there, and that made me excited to be there too."
In Arts, students learn the “Rowdy Arts Dance” (RAD) dance and earn the faculty's signature orange shades, traditions that celebrate creativity and faculty pride. “By putting on the orange shades, you're officially become a member of the Faculty of Arts,” says Gurman Johal, a third-year Accounting and Financial Management student. “Participating in Arts Orientation helped me feel more immersed into the experience and made me feel like I belonged at Waterloo.”
Mennonite Heritage Week 2026
This is an excerpt from an article that was originally on the Conrad Grebel website.
The second week of September heralds the arrival of Mennonite Heritage Week in Canada. As declared by the Canadian Parliament, this week is an opportunity to celebrate and learn about the history, culture, values, thought, and religion of Mennonites.
While the Mennonite story has 500-year-old origins, in 2026, the Conrad Grebel University College community is looking at more recent history. The Mennonite Archives of Ontario has curated an exhibit titled “Glenn Fretz: Graphic Design for the Mennonite Community.” This exhibit tells and shows the story of Glenn Fretz’s fifty-year career as a graphic designer and consultant, focusing on his work with Mennonite and non-profit organizations. The exhibit features reflections on process and pays tribute to his clients and the meanings they asked him to convey through design.
Read more about Mennonite Heritage Week.
Nature-inspired 3D printing could improve large-scale renewable energy storage
This is an excerpt from an article that was originally in Waterloo News.
Researchers have created a 3D-printed electrode that could help make it easier and safer to store large amounts of renewable energy generated by wind and solar farms.
Led by University of Waterloo professor Dr. Maxime van der Heijden, the research team drew inspiration from natural structures to redesign a key component of redox flow batteries (RFBs), a technology that can store electricity for later use. The new design helps battery liquid move more efficiently, allowing the chemical reactions that store and release energy to occur more effectively.
Redox flow batteries work differently from the lithium-ion batteries commonly found in phones, electric vehicles and many energy-storage systems.
These batteries use water-based electrolytes rather than the flammable materials found in lithium-ion batteries, making them a potentially safer alternative for large-scale energy storage.
Redox flow batteries are a complementary technology to lithium-ion batteries for large -scale energy storage applications. Their water-based electrolytes make them a safer option for storing renewable energy at the scale needed to supply, for example, communities and the electrical grid with continuous renewable energy.
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 Youth Swim Lessons, registration is now open for LTS Child/Youth Preschool 1 – Swimmer 9. Group and private lessons available. Register today!
UWSA Election Info Session, Wednesday, September 9, noon to 1 p.m., online
Safeguarding Science Webinar: Module1 - Safeguarding Science: Raising Awareness of Security Risks and Mitigation Tools in the Research Ecosystem, (English), Friday, September 11, 2026, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
Velocity Pitch Competition during Waterloo Tech Week, Saturday, September 12, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Science Teaching Complex (STC)
[NEW] Why Founders Waste Months on the Wrong Decisions and How to Avoid It, Monday, September 14, 6:20 p.m. to 8:20 p.m., Builders Club, 165 King Street West, Kitchener.
UWSA Election Info Session, Tuesday, September 15, noon to 1 pm, online
[NEW] Home Routes folk concert: Shawna Caspi, Thursday, September 24, 6 PM Potluck / 7PM Concert, Brubacher House - North Campus UW, Frank Tompa Dr, Waterloo
[NEW] BioBlitz 2026, Monday, September 21, 7 a.m. to Friday, September 25, 5 p.m., various locations across campus.
[NEW] Safeguarding Science Webinar: Module 8 - Protecting Knowledge: Research Security in Social Sciences and Humanities (English), Monday, September 21, 2026, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Teaching with Tech: A Practical ViewBoard Workshop - In Person (TII5010), Tuesday, September 22, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., LIB 329 (Tech Sandbox)
[NEW] P4E Job Fair, Wednesday September 23, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., RIM Park
[NEW] Science Grad School Fair, Tuesday, September 29, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., STC, Main Commons (by STC 1001 and Starbucks)
[NEW] WaterLeadership Certificate: Knowledge Mobilization 101, Wednesday October 7, 10:00-11:30am in E2-2350. Earn the certificate, gain transferable skills. All undergrads and grads welcome from all faculties. Space is limited, registration required
PhD oral defences
Kinesiology and Health Sciences. Nicholas Tibert, "Fall prevention exercise services in Ontario: Exploring context and evaluating a targeted behaviour change intervention in primary care." Supervisor, Dr. Lora Giangregorio. Email health.graduate.administration@uwaterloo.ca for a copy. Oral defence Wednesday, September 9, 10 a.m., BMH 3119 (hybrid).
Systems Design Engineering. Kevin Zhu, "Estimating human poses, muscle activations, and ground reaction forces from monocular video." Supervisors, Dr. John McPhee and Dr. Alexander Wong. Oral defence Thursday, September 10, 9:30 a.m., remote.
Physics and Astronomy. Estevao Vilas Boas de Oliveira, "Theoretical Studies on Dipolar Planar Rotors in a Linear Chain." Supervisor, Dr. Pierre-Nicholas Roy. Visit the Faculty of Science thesis submission notices website for details on requesting a copy to review. Oral defence Thursday, September 10, 2 p.m., remote via Microsoft Teams.
Biology. Gyana Gourab Mishra, "Characterizing the conserved role of palmitoylation in neurodegeneration using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster." Supervisor, Dr. Dale Martin. Visit the Faculty of Science thesis submission notices website for details on requesting a copy to review. Oral defence Monday, September 14, 1 p.m., remote via Microsoft Teams.
School of Public Health Sciences. Rhoda Omache, "Exploring the Experiences and Perceptions of African-Canadian Immigrants’ Cultural Food Practices within Waterloo-Wellington Region." Supervisor, Dr. Hannah Neufeld. Email health.graduate.administration@uwaterloo.ca for a copy. Oral defence Wednesday, September 16, 11 a.m., EXP 1686 (hybrid).
Upcoming service interruptions
Stay up to date on service interruptions, campus construction, and other operational changes on the Plant Operations website.