Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Paul Fieguth, Christine McWebb named AVPs in the Office of the Provost

"I am pleased to announce the appointments of Dr. Paul Fieguth as Associate Vice-President, Academic Operations and Dr. Christine McWebb as Associate Vice-President, Faculty, Planning and Policy within the Office of the Vice-President, Academic & Provost," wrote Vice-President, Academic & Provost James Rush in a memo circulated to campus yesterday. "Dr. Fieguth’s appointment begins on March 27, 2023 and Dr. McWebb begins her appointment on April 1, 2023. Both appointments are for a five year term."

Dr. Paul Fieguth studied undergraduate Electrical Engineering at the University of Waterloo and graduate engineering degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has been a faculty member at Waterloo in Systems Design Engineering since 1996, where he has served as Associate Chair Undergraduate and Department Chair. Since 2019 he has been Associate Dean for Resources and Planning in the Faculty of Engineering.  

His research interests include statistical signal and image processing, hierarchical algorithms, data fusion, machine learning, and the interdisciplinary applications of such methods. He has significant pedagogical interests in the area of complex systems, specifically developing a much deeper understanding among engineering students on the impact of complex systems in many areas of engineering decision making. He is the author of three textbooks.

"In this AVP role, Dr. Fieguth will be accountable for advancing the University’s academic mission by fostering relationships and alignment of resources and plans with the academic priorities of the University, and will provide oversight for understanding the infrastructure and capital planning needs of Faculties, Waterloo’s campuses, and partnered institutions," Rush writes.

As the founding director of the University of Waterloo Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, Dr. Christine McWebb was instrumental in developing the School’s strategic vision and set the stage for its continued growth and success. She also served as interim Associate Vice-President, International Operations in Waterloo International in 2020 as well as in numerous other administrative roles at the University of Waterloo and the University of Alberta, where she worked prior to joining Waterloo in 2003.

Dr. McWebb is full professor at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business with a cross-appointment in the Department of French Studies. Her research focuses on the digital humanities and late medieval French literature. She has published extensively in the areas of late medieval literature/culture, the interaction between text and iconography, scientific discourse in literature, and digital humanities. Her teaching spans undergraduate and graduate courses in digital cultures, digital experience innovation, and French literature and culture.

"In this AVP role, Dr. McWebb will be accountable for processes and practices related to faculty, and the distinctive elements of faculty life and lifecycle at the University, and will provide advice, support, and direction on Faculty Hiring Plans and issues arising from challenges and opportunities," Rush writes.

"Building out the newly created portfolio for faculty planning and policy is an exciting new opportunity," says Dr. McWebb. "I very much look forward to working with campus stakeholders and the campus community as we establish and shape this portfolio in line with the University’s Strategic Plan and the ‘Waterloo at 100’ draft vision paper. Leading the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business from a very small start-up operation to a fully established campus taught me the importance of collaboration and community-oriented leadership; this will also inform my approach to the AVP, Faculty Planning and Policy role."

"I would like to thank the members of the advisory committee for their time and dedication to this appointment process," the provost's memo continues. "Committee members include Marilyn Thompson (Special Advisor to the Provost on Organizational Strategy), Jeff Casello (Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs), Jennifer Kieffer (Interim Associate Provost, Integrated Planning and Budgeting), Bruce Frayne (Dean of Environment), Jacinda Reitsma (Vice-President, Administration and Finance) and Jenny Flagler-George (Director, Strategic Initiatives)."

"Please join me in congratulating Paul and Christine on their appointments and welcoming them to their new roles," Rush concludes.

Engineering students exhibit innovative design projects

The next big breakthrough in Canadian technology could be among the engineering student projects on display at the annual Capstone Design symposia running until March 30 at the University of Waterloo.

Final-year engineering students will showcase their range of projects including a performance-enhanced lithium battery for colder climates (Nanotechnology Engineering – March 17) and a proposed design for a green long-haul freight corridor along Highway 401 (Environmental Engineering – March 23).

Around 1,500 students in 14 programs will present more than 300 projects they have spent months designing and building.

“Capstone Design challenges students to advance their innovative ideas and synthesize the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom and on co-op work terms,” says Dr. Mary Wells, dean of engineering. “The symposia provide a tremendous opportunity to see first-hand the creative technologies and work of our talented engineering students as they near graduation.

Symposia dates and times:

• Electrical and Computer Engineering, Wednesday, March 15 | 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Management Engineering, Friday, March 17 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Mechanical Engineering, Friday, March 17 | 1 to 5 p.m. | Engineering 7 and Engineering 5;
• Nanotechnology Engineering, Friday, March 17 | 1 to 5 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Biomedical Engineering, Tuesday, March 21 | 12 to 4 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Systems Design Engineering, Tuesday, March 21 | 12 to 4 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Civil, Environmental and Geological Engineering, Thursday, March 23 | 1 to 4:30 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Mechatronics Engineering, Friday, March 24 | 1 to 5 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Chemical Engineering, Monday, March 27 | 12 to 3:30 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Software Engineering, Tuesday, March 28 | 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. | Engineering 7; and
• Norman Esch Capstone Design Awards, Thursday, March 30 | 1:30 p.m. | Engineering 7.

On March 30, 10 qualifying teams will compete for $60,000 in a pitch presentation funded by the Esch Foundation. The winner of the Sedra People's Choice Award will receive an additional $6,000 in funding.

Celebrate Registered Dietitian Day

By Nicole Pin, MAN RD and Courtney Wilson, MScFN RD.

March is nutrition month and today is Dietitian’s Day. This day is dedicated to Registered Dietitians (RDs) across Canada and celebrates the many ways RDs support healthy living for Canadians. Here at the University of Waterloo we have a dietitian in our Health Services team, Courtney Wilson, and in our Food Services Department, Nicole Pin. There are also dietitians in our academia and research streams on campus.

Dietitians work in diverse settings including, but not limited to: health teams, hospitals, grocery stores, food operations, research, academia, athletics and sport, public health and government agencies, to business & industry. Throughout these settings, you’ll see RDs using their knowledge and expertise in many different capacities. This could look very different from setting to setting but might include the following roles: supporting clients with health concerns, developing menus, managing food systems to provide safe and nutritious meals, consulting with food manufacturers, conducting research to move nutrition science forward, and delivering nutritional education and skills programs. Today, we celebrate all that RDs do.

To learn more about the role of dietitians, visit the Nutrition Month 2023 website or the Dietitians of Canada website.

Special Collections & Archives launches Oral History Hub

A message from the Library.

Special Collections & Archives (SCA) at the University of Waterloo Library has launched an Oral History Hub on the Waterloo Digital Library, providing access to interview recordings, including transcripts, that actively document Waterloo’s history through the lived experiences of our staff, faculty and students.

SCA is excited to announce that it has partnered with the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism for a second round of interviews to continue adding to the Oral History Hub in the next year.

Learn more about the project on the Library’s website.

Desk chair of the future blends real and virtual worlds

Computer science researchers at the University of Waterloo have created a smart desk chair that can intuitively respond to the user’s movements, such as projecting important information on an office wall when the user swivels away from their desk or suggesting regular breaks for mental and physical health. 

The project is part of research into spatial augmented reality— technology that merges the real and virtual worlds by superimposing computer-generated content onto surfaces using one or more digital projectors. 

“Say you’re leaning forward in your office chair,” said Nikhita Joshi, a PhD candidate in the Cheriton School of Computer Science at Waterloo and the lead researcher on the project. “Leaning forward suggests you’re engaged in a task or meeting with a co-worker. A spatial augmented reality system could detect your sitting posture and the location of the chair in the office, then use these inputs to project on the wall zoomed-in digital content you’re discussing with a co-worker.”

The desk chair prototype includes sensors on the seat, back, and arms, a camera to track the chair’s position, a moving projector to display data onto surface, and a miniature built-in computer to process all the information. 

The technology can do a lot to make office work more efficient and intuitive. It could display notifications and alerts, project grids or diagrams onto whiteboards during brainstorming sessions, or even encourage the user to do a deep-breathing exercise when it senses them leaning back for a physical break from their monitor. 

A spatial augmented reality chair could also be useful in other situations, said Daniel Vogel, professor of computer science at Waterloo. “A doctor’s chair could be instrumented to project a patient’s medical records or the results from diagnostic tests on the wall when the physician makes certain movements in the chair.”  

A paper detailing the research was recently published and won the Best Paper award at the 2022 ACM Spatial User Interaction Symposium. 

Quantum Shorts and other quick cuts on the Ides of March

The Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) will be hosting a screening of the Quantum Shorts festival tonight at the Apollo Cinema.

The Quantum Shorts Festival celebrates independent short films inspired by quantum mechanics. Using ideas like the uncertainty principle and many-worlds interpretation, filmmakers from around the world have created five-minute wonders.

"As a scientific partner of the festival, IQC is proud to host a screening of this year's finalists in partnership with the Apollo Cinema in Kitchener," says a note from IQC. "Each will be introduced by a quantum expert and you'll be able to vote for your favourite for the People's Choice prize. Entry is free and concessions will be available."

The festival is organized by Singapore's Centre for Quantum Technologies.

Conrad Grebel University College's Noon Hour Concerts series continues today with Steelpan Jazz. The concert features The Joy Lapps Project, a steelpan-led ensemble exploring Afro and Latin-Caribbean Jazz, with a hint of R&B and soul. Joy Lapps-Lewis will share repertoire from her most recent release Girl in the Yard and also explore new arrangements of a few covers we know and love.

Did you or your team create a publication, campaign, video or other piece of communications collateral that you're particularly proud of? Consider nominating it for the CASE Circle of Excellence Awards.

The CASE Circle of Excellence Awards, offered by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, recognize top achievements in alumni affairs, public affairs, communications, recruitment, marketing, fundraising, and other initiatives that support the progression and advancement of higher education.

The CASE awards opened on January 11. Please register for an account with your UWaterloo email address to submit your entry if you are not already a CASE member.

"Submissions to this award provide a great opportunity to have creativity, hard work, and strategic planning recognized on a national and international level, while bolstering Waterloo’s reputation for innovation and action," wrote Daniella Cross of the Office of Advancement in a recent email to campus communicators.

Submissions are due by March 15 at 11:59 p.m.