Tuesday, April 28, 2020

University launches lunchtime expert talk series

In the wake of COVID-19, many in the Waterloo community are overwhelmed with questions and uncertainty about the pandemic and its effects on our well-being, health and economy. University of Waterloo experts are available to share their knowledge and answer questions from the community.

Join your colleagues online for a series of free weekly community talks. Each Wednesday, for the next six weeks, Waterloo researchers will share information and answer your questions on important COVID-19 topics.

Community talks will be held online using a video link that will be provided before the talk. Registration is required. The schedule is as follows:

• Protecting our mental health featuring speaker: Christine Purdon, Professor, Department of Psychology, Wednesday, May 6, 12:00 p.m.
• Long-term care and our loved ones featuring speaker: John Hirdes, Professor, School of Public Health and Health Systems, Wednesday, May 13, 12:00 p.m.

• Social media and our quarantine life, featuring speaker: Shana MacDonald, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Arts, Wednesday, May 20, 12:00 p.m.

• Planning for retirement in uncertain financial times featuring speaker James Thompson, Professor, School of Accounting and Finance, Wednesday, May 27, 12:00 p.m.

• Quarantine boredom featuring Professor James Danckert, Department of Psychology, Wednesday, June 3, 12:00 p.m.

• In pursuit of a vaccine featuring Professor Roderick Slavcev of the School of Pharmacy, Wednesday, June 10, 12:00 p.m.

Check out the full schedule of talks on the Community Relations and Events website. Currently, registration is only open for the first three talks in the series. Anyone with questions is invited to contact Community Relations and Events at cre@uwaterloo.ca.

Bonnie Bender-Vargas retires after 40 years at Waterloo

A message from Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment in the Registrar’s Office.

February of 1980 was a busy time. The Winter Olympics were nearby in Lake Placid, NY. Pierre Trudeau’s Liberals ousted the Tories in an election. The song “Call Me” by Blondie was storming its way up the radio charts on the way to becoming Billboard Magazine’s Song of the Year. 

Here at the University of Waterloo, there was grumbling about a 7.5 percent tuition hike. Advertisements in Imprint for Bacardi and Yukon Jack spoke to the drowning of sorrows over the additional fifty or sixty dollars that students were going to have to pay. Fortunately, you could also still order an 8-slice pizza from Mother’s for less than four bucks.

And then somebody hired Bonnie Bender. At the time, Bonnie was probably spending some of her weekends singing a cover version of the aforementioned “Call Me”, in Waterloo Region venues where some of the aforementioned beverages were being served.

Despite her passion for music, it was not paying the bills. Bonnie had liked being a student at Waterloo and found a job with the Department of Psychology. Soon after, she became assistant managing editor, then managing editor of a journal in the Faculty of Environmental Studies. Three years after that, Bonnie joined the Registrar’s Office and she has been with us ever since. For a number of years, Bonnie was the editor of the print version of the Undergraduate Calendar (later on, print and web versions) along with co-ordinating the production of the University’s recruiting poster, Viewbook, Faculty brochures and similar materials. Bonnie’s last Undergraduate Calendar was the year 2005-06.

Most recently, Bonnie held the role of Co-ordinator, Communications and Liaison within Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment. She occupies a diverse and varied portfolio that spans activity connected with both the recruitment and communications portions of MUR. Bonnie is instrumental in booking and supporting the hundreds of Ontario high school visits that MUR recruiters conduct each year.

No one on our team would accuse Bonnie of being too quiet, which probably makes sense for a singer and musician. However, Bonnie has consistently applied her charm and vivaciousness towards making the whole team feel connected and included. Every year, MUR hires Liaison Officers to conduct most of those hundreds of high school visits in Ontario, and every year Bonnie makes those Liaison Officers feel welcome and part of the team. For those travelers, as well as the recruiters that we send across Canada and around the world, Bonnie has provided a consistent and caring “home base” while seamlessly taking care of the shipping and logistics needs for our recruiters on the road. To slightly misquote the great Gord Downie, “we are all richer for having [had her on our team]”. 

After retiring at the end of April, Bonnie will continue to record her original music, rescue and help animals, play piano in nursing homes (once they reopen to visitors), work on writing the 3 books she has started, and continue to spend time with family and friends. It’s entirely possible that Bonnie will be busier still in retirement than she was at work.

“I will always remember how much I enjoyed working with many people at the University,” Bonnie says. “I will be leaving with a smile on my face but also with a heavy heart because many of my colleagues have also become good friends. Hopefully distance (a good word these days) will not keep us apart.”

Masculinity survey seeks participants

Professor Diana Parry, associate vice-president, human rights, equity and inclusion is leading a research team from Recreation and Leisure Studies that is seeking participants for a new research project aimed at identifying campus-specific needs, supports, and constraints for developing a tailored Male Allies program designed to prevent and reduce the incidence of sexual and gender-based violence at the University of Waterloo.

The research team is looking for volunteers 18 years and older who identify as male and are interested in speaking about the culture of masculinity on a university campus. Participants in the study will be asked to participate in a one-to-one interview about your experiences with masculinity, gendered violence, and messages about consent on a university campus.

For more information about this study, or to volunteer for this study, please contact Eric Filice at efilice@uwaterloo.ca. This study has been reviewed by, and received ethics clearance through a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Committee.

I spy with my little eye some Good Buddies of the University

"This is a picture of our Lab named Karpus posing in front of my new 'office,'" writes Professor Sibel Alumur Alev of Management Sciences. "He certainly helps us keep sane in these difficult times. It’s very challenging both for him and us to have almost 3-yr-old twin boys at home all day."

"This is one of my “office mates” Leia," writes Lisa Weber, administrative officer in the Faculty of Science. "She is always close-by and happy when I take a break from working for a hug.  As much as she is enjoying us working from home, there are days when she wishes our exercise wasn’t so focussed on taking her for more and longer walks – it cuts into nap time."

And after Leia, it's only fitting that the next Good Buddy in line is:

"This is Luke Skywalker," writes Melinda Recchia, administrative coordinator, graduate studies and research in the School of Pharmacy. "When I first started working from home he was a bit confused but we have now both settled into our new normal. Before, he would lounge the days away on the living-room couch. Now he spends most of his days lounging on the bed next to me, as as I work from my designated home office space in the spare bedroom. When I need a break I give him hugs and belly rubs and then all feels right in the world." 

"This is Copper," writes Kimberley Snage, director, HR projects, technology and analytics. "He is a solid right hand and never leaves my side in my home office.  He waits patiently between conference calls for a quick snuggle but at times can be disruptive if he hears a sound he cannot identify which can make conference calls interesting!"

"Here (at my feet) is where you will find Foxy Cleopatra (Cleo) “supervising” my work day at home," writes Tanya Pompilio, scheduling, examination & resource specialist in the Registrar's Office. "She is but a short jump to the window where she spends her days barking loudly at birds feeding on the seeds we leave out on the porch. Cleo believes strongly in “if I fits – I sits”, much like a cat to a shoe box. We’ve had this small dog bed for years and can’t swap it out without her rejecting the new bed! Ah well, she’s loving not being in her crate nor away from the mom she thinks birthed her!"

"I am fortunate enough to have two feline home office helpers to supervise my work throughout the day," writes Carrie MacKinnon Molson, institutional analyst in Institutional Analysis and Planning. "Ash (tabby) and Bandit (tuxedo) ensure that I keep my desk space clean by swiping off any stray objects. They chatter quietly to keep me aware of the bird situation outside my window and politely doze during meetings."

"This is one of my furry cats Bauer (my two sons play hockey and they named him)," writes Elizabeth Monachan, expense analyst in Finance. "When working from home, Bauer often sleeps on the job. However, when he’s awake, he reminds me to take a break by bringing me Nerf bullets to play fetch with! He seems to be a dog stuck inside a cat’s body."

"Bailey and Rocky, our 3 year old Olde English Pocket Beagles, always make sure they get equal time for work break snuggles," writes Deanna McLaren, records coordinator in the Registrar's Office.