Friday, June 11, 2021

A new house for Feridun Hamdullahpur

This article originally appeared on the Impact Stories website.

During Feridun Hamdullahpur’s early years at the University, he and his wife Cathy lived in Waterloo’s graduate student housing off Columbia Street while their new home was under construction. On nights when he stayed up late to finish work, he would look out to see lights on in other townhouses where future graduates were studying. Seeing those lights, he said, felt like coming home.

But he knew that not everyone felt that way about campus. Waterloo’s sixth president would watch students line up for buses to take them back to the GTA on the weekends. Little kept them at the University beyond classes and exams. So, Feridun vowed to give students more opportunities to build strong connections to Waterloo and each other.

He championed the expansion of co-op opportunities, new academic programs and spaces for student activities, including the Student Life Centre-Physical Activities Complex (SLC-PAC) expansion and the new Field House. The Field House was a particular passion of his, and when Waterloo celebrated its grand opening in September 2019, Feridun beamed as he served burgers, threw Frisbees and booted soccer balls with students and other members of the community.

Roly Webster (left), Director of Athletics and Recreation, presents Feridun with a personalized jersey.

Space to make memories on campus

Open to all Waterloo students, the Field House offers a place to play and build lasting friendships. It’s also available for community bookings when conditions allow.

“What I like most about the Field House is that so many different organizations and teams can benefit from using it,” says Gordon Lam, a member of the Warriors football team who studies recreation and leisure.

Miranda Hunter, a kinesiology student and member of the Warriors field hockey team, likes that she can “train in comfort — especially during those cold October 6:00 a.m. practices,” she adds. “Being indoors makes them all the more enjoyable.”

Field House renamed as Feridun’s tenure concludes

Feridun’s tireless commitment to student experiences made this facility possible. To celebrate his decade-long tenure as President and Vice-Chancellor, the University has renamed the beloved building in his honour: the Feridun Hamdullahpur Field House.

“I’m truly touched,” said Feridun at a celebratory event in his honour. “Seeing our students practice in the Field House has been a tremendous joy, and watching them excel in both athletics and academics has been a beautiful gift. Thank you for this great honour.”

How you can build on Feridun’s decade of impact

As we wish Feridun well in the next phase of his career, we invite you to make a gift to students in his honour. You can direct your contribution to one of three areas:  

• Catherine and Feridun Hamdullahpur Graduate Scholarship: Awarded annually to a student registered full time in any graduate program at the University of Waterloo
• Waterloo Fund: Provides Waterloo with the ability to fund the current year's most pressing needs
• Student Wellness: Supports student success by ensuring students have access to resources that promote their physical and mental well-being

We hope you will join us and help Warriors thrive for generations to come.

Celebrate Feridun's Decade of Impact by supporting students 

ESQ outreach program for kids wins federal funding

This article was originally published on the Faculty of Engineering website.

An outreach program at the University of Waterloo that gets kids interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through hands-on activities has been awarded almost $325,000 in federal funding over three years.

The money will be used by Engineering Science Quest (ESQ) to support full-time staff and a free workshop program designed to reach more girls, disadvantaged youths, Indigenous youths and youths with disabilities.

Funding will be provided through the PromoScience program, which was created by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to support organizations that promote an understanding of STEM subjects among young people and help build the next generation of scientists and research leaders.

ESQ aims to reach over 10,000 youths a year, including more than 3,000 in-depth interactions that lead to lifelong interests and confidence in STEM fields.

Launched in 1990, ESQ has grown to offer multiple summer camps for children entering grades one to nine, as well as March Break, Winter Break and after-school programs, and in-school and community programming.

At its core is a belief that the best way to create interest in STEM is by actively involving participants. Activities are created and delivered by post-secondary and high school students.

ESQ is run through the Waterloo Engineering Outreach department with support from the Faculty of Science.

Across the country, $12 million in PromoScience grants were announced for 81 recipients to offer summer camps, science centre programming, after-school programs and other initiatives.

“By inspiring young Canadians’ interests in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, great teachers and leaders across our country are making a real difference,"  François-Philippe Champagne, the federal minister of innovation, science and industry, said in a media release. "They are opening Canada’s most creative minds to new possibilities, sparking enthusiasm and building a culture of curiosity."

WatITis 2021 proposal submission deadline extended

A message from the WatITis committee.

The WatITis proposal submission deadline has been extended until Thursday, July 8, 2021.

WatITis is a one day conference for those involved in IT planning, support and decision-making at the University of Waterloo. It is an opportunity to see what others are doing on campus in information technology, to exchange ideas, and make new contacts.

If you are interested in presenting at WatITis, please submit a brief synopsis of your presentation idea to https://uwaterloo.ca/watitis/call-for-papers. 

There are resources for presenters available on the WatITis website.

We encourage and invite all staff members at UWaterloo to actively participate as a speaker or panel participant. This conference is made for you, by you.

Waterloo now part of Ontario vaccine second dose acceleration program

The Province of Ontario announced yesterday that Waterloo is among one of seven regions where people will be able to book their second dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine earlier than originally scheduled, due to the spread of the delta variant of concern.

"Beginning Monday, June 14, 2021, individuals who live in areas of high Delta prevalence in Halton, Peel, Porcupine, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph and York public health units and also received their first dose on or before May 9, 2021 will be eligible to book their accelerated second dose appointment," says a statement from the Ontario government. "These individuals will be able to book through the provincial booking system, directly through public health units that use their own booking system, and through participating pharmacies."

According to this CBC story, this accelerated timetable does not include those Ontarians who got their first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Currently, those who received their first AstraZeneca dose must wait "at least 12 weeks between shots, whether they opt for a second dose of AstraZeneca or an mRNA vaccine like Pfizer and Moderna."