Monday, September 21, 2026

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• Dean of Health Nominating Committee
• Celebrating Postdoc Appreciation Week
• Students sweep national steel design competition
• Bike registry marks first year at Waterloo with 350+ bikes registered to help prevent theft
• Waterloo comes together for the United Way March of 1,000 Umbrellas

Dean of Health Nominating Committee

A nominating committee has been created under the terms of Policy 45 and has begun the search process for the Dean of Health. The current Dean of Health, Dr. Lili Liu, will be ending her term on June 30, 2027.

Over the coming weeks, the Committee will consult broadly. Your input and feedback will be very important in shaping the position profile and informing the direction of the search.

The committee seeks your input and feedback, and especially invites you to consider the following points in providing such:

• key issues, challenges and opportunities facing the Faculty of Health;
• priorities the new Dean, Faculty of Health should be focused on in their first year in the role;
• advice for the search committee as to the background, credentials, qualifications, and leadership style that should be sought in the next Dean;
• information about the Faculty of Health and the University of Waterloo that is important for candidates to know when considering this opportunity; and
• suggestions for potential candidates the Committee should consider.

How to provide input

As one form of engagement, you are encouraged to convey your views on matters concerning the Dean of Health search to consultant, Dr. Laverne Smith by clicking here. You may also reach out to any member of the committee to share your input directly.

The Committee has engaged in specific training and discussion on implicit bias and asks that those who submit feedback review this resource, Important Biases to Consider, to reflect on implicit bias in the feedback process prior to that submission.

Comments are requested no later than October 1, 2026, and will be held in confidence within the committee.

Dean of Health Nominating Committee

Thomas Duever, Interim Vice-President, Academic and Provost (chair)

Alicia Nadon, staff member

Bonnie Bishop, staff member

Bryan Grimwood, faculty member

Laura Williams, faculty member

Lirshani Konesapillai, undergraduate student

Lora Giangregorio, faculty member

Mary Wells, senior faculty member from outside the Faculty of Health

Pershia Norouzian, graduate student

Sean Meehan, faculty member

Shannon Majowicz, faculty member

Troy Glover, faculty member

Celebrating Postdoc Appreciation Week

Held annually in September and started by the National Postdoctoral Association, Postdoc Appreciation Week (PAW) recognizes the contributions postdoctoral scholars make to research and innovation. Since 2016, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) has hosted events to celebrate and support Waterloo postdocs. This year’s lineup includes networking opportunities, a panel event, and other activities designed to foster connection and recognition.

Postdoctoral scholars—commonly called postdocs—are individuals who have earned a doctoral degree and are pursuing further research training as they prepare to become independent researchers, whether in academia, industry, or other sectors. Postdocs play a vital role in advancing research projects and mentoring students, while continuing to grow professionally.

The University of Waterloo is home to over 350 postdocs across all faculties, with strong representation from Engineering, Science, and Mathematics. Nearly 60% of our postdoc population is international, contributing to the global perspective and diversity of our research community. Learn more about Waterloo’s postdocs by reading postdoc profiles. 

Beyond their research and mentorship contributions, postdocs engage in various aspects of campus life. For example, Postdoc Engagement Liaisons collaborate with GSPA to enhance the postdoc experience through community-building initiatives, advocacy, and peer support.

If you work with postdocs in your area, take a moment this week to wish them a happy Postdoc Appreciation Week, thank them for their valuable contributions to the University, and encourage them to attend PAW 2026 events.

Students sweep national steel design competition

A rendering of Resonance, the Award of Excellence-winning design by Waterloo students James Miller and Luke Carone, which evokes the movement of seabirds along the coast for this year's CISC Architectural Student Design Competition (Canadian Institute of Steel Construction).

This is an excerpt from an article that was originally on the Engineering website.

Three teams from the University of Waterloo have swept the podium at a national student design competition, taking all three top prizes for their creative use of exposed structural steel.

James Miller and Luke Carone earned the Award of Excellence — the competition's top honour — for their project Resonance. Yuxuan Peng and Jiachen Li placed second with Thirteen Ascents, and Jai Singh and Carissa Perrella took third with UBC Tropical Conservatory. All three projects were recognized in the 2025-2026 Architectural Student Design Competition, hosted by the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC).

Miller, Carone, Peng and Li are students in the School of Architecture, supervised by Professor Terri Meyer Boake, a specialist in architecturally exposed structural steel whose students have placed among the competition's top finishers in past years. Singh and Perrella are students in the Architectural Engineering program, offered jointly by the School of Architecture and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and were supervised by Professor Cory Zurell.

Now in its 25^th year, the CISC competition challenges architecture and engineering students from across Canada to design with exposed structural steel; this year's jury singled out Resonance for its light touch on an ambitious scale, Thirteen Ascents for its handling of light and shadow along a suspended walkway, and UBC Tropical Conservatory for its interplay of structure and greenery.

Go to Resonance, Thirteen Ascents and UBC Tropical Conservatory for more on each project, and see the full list of 2025-2026 CISC winners for competition details.

Bike registry marks first year at Waterloo with 350+ bikes registered to help prevent theft

More than 350 bikes have been registered at Waterloo in the first year of the University’s partnership with Project 529, a global bike registration and recovery program designed to deter theft and help recover stolen bikes.

For more than a decade, Project 529 has been helping communities combat bike theft through partnerships with law enforcement agencies, universities, bike shops, and cycling communities worldwide. The local partnership between Sustainable Transportation, Special Constable Services, and Waterloo Region Police Service launched just over a year ago and has quickly built a growing network of registered bikes across campus.

Cyclists can register their bike for free on the 529 Garage app or on the website using basic information such as the bike’s serial number, photos, and proof of ownership. For added protection, registered users can apply a tamper-resistant 529 Garage shield decal to their bike, providing a unique identifier that helps deter theft and assists police in tracing stolen bikes. If a bike is stolen, owners can update its status in the app, alerting the Project 529 community and helping local law enforcement identify, locate, and return the bike to its owner. 

Looking to register your bike and get your free 529 Garage shield decal? Bring your bike and join us at one of our registration rallies this term, or contact Sustainable Transportation for more information.

Registration rallies (weather dependent) - Bring your bike:

• Wednesday September 23: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm at Bike Centre (SLC)/Ring Road
• Wednesday September 30: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm at QNC/MC bike racks (by the overpass)
• Thursday October 1: 8:30 am - 10:30 am at QNC/MC bike racks (by the overpass)
• Tuesday October 6: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm at SLC Green (in conjunction with WUSA Bike Auction)
• Wednesday October 7: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm at CPH/Ring Road

 Waterloo comes together for the United Way March of 1,000 Umbrellas

The University of Waterloo joined community members from across the Waterloo Region for the annual United Way March of 1,000 Umbrellas on Thursday, September 17. A group of 15 staff and students took part in the 3 km walk from Waterloo City Hall to Carl Zehr Square in Kitchener, helping to kick off the United Way Waterloo Region Communities’ fundraising campaign.

Dressed in black and gold and carrying Waterloo umbrellas, the UW team once again showed our Warrior pride and community support. The march was a great opportunity to connect with colleagues, enjoy some time outdoors and show our support for the United Way and its work across the region.

The University of Waterloo’s 2026 United Way campaign will officially launch October 1. We hope you’ll join us in supporting the United Way and the important work it does to strengthen our community! Now is a great time to start planning your campus fundraising events. Visit our United Way website for some tips and suggestions: https://uwaterloo.ca/united-way/