Thursday, November 2, 2023

Appointment of Chief Risk Officer

Jon Mason has been appointed as the first Chief Risk Officer of the University of Waterloo, effective December 11, 2023. Jon is currently Executive Director, Governance & Risk at Conestoga College.

Jon started his career in risk management working in TMX Group, Algonquin Power and Utilities Corporation, and Metrolinx. In 2018, he moved to the post-secondary education sector to become the Manager, Enterprise Risk & Insurance at Sheridan College where he developed and implemented an enterprise risk management framework, managed the corporate insurance program, and developed an ongoing strategic risk assessment process for all business units and teams at the college.

Since 2021, Jon has been working at Conestoga College where he has implemented a highly effective enterprise risk management program. He also managed various other functions, including risk, insurance, records and information, and legal and governance processes.

Jon holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Roanoke College, in Virginia and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Wilfrid Laurier University. Jon is also a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) with the Institute of Internal Auditors and a Certified Risk Management Professional.

With over 15 years of experience working in risk management including compliance, governance, records and contract management, privacy, and insurance programs, Jon is well positioned to provide the University of Waterloo with a broad range of risk, audit, compliance, and emergency response expertise.

New Math video series has students answer 7+3.14 questions

A message from the Faculty of Mathematics.

The University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Mathematics may not initially seem to have much in common with the fashion magazine Vogue – but the two might be more similar than you think!

That’s the hope behind the new video series “7+3.14 Questions,” a playfully pi-themed riff on Vogue’s popular “73 Questions” series. In the Vogue series, a celebrity guest answers 73 questions in a single take. In the new series, co-produced by the Dean of Mathematics office and Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, a Math student answers a more reasonable 10 questions – or rather, 7+3.14 questions – in a single take.

In the first episode, recent Computer Science and BBA Double Degree graduate Fayk Chaudhry strolls across campus while giving expert advice as to why people should study Math at Waterloo, the benefits students can gain from a degree here, and ways in which Math expertise is relevant to current society. “You’re given the necessary toolset to succeed, should you pick them up and truly apply yourself,” he says.

Watch the video below to hear Chaudhry’s answers to all 7+3.14 questions!

Norovirus, hepatitis A and E are current leading causes of foodborne illness worldwide

By Jenna Braun. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

Foodborne viruses are a worldwide health concern, with types, severity and impacts of illness changing over time and across communities and countries.

Dr. Shannon Majowicz, associate professor in the School of Public Health Sciences, joined  the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Rome, Italy last month for a Joint FAO/WHO Expert meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) of viruses in foods.

During the meeting, the expert committee conducted a global review, looking at the frequency and clinical severity of viruses associated with foodborne illnesses in humans. They highlighted that norovirus was the leading cause of viral foodborne illness, followed by hepatitis A and hepatitis E.

“Norovirus is not only highly contagious, but you can also get sick from a very small amount,” says Majowicz. “Data from 2010 told us that there are about 125 million cases each year worldwide, with 35,000 deaths. The World Health Organization’s Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group is now working on updating these estimates with data from more recent years.”

When looking at clinical severity alone, hepatitis A and E are ranked highest.

“Hepatitis E is not as big of an issue in Canada as it is in some other countries,” says Majowicz. “The virus that causes the most foodborne illness will vary by country and over time.”

Hepatitis E differs in that it is a zoonotic pathogen, meaning it can be passed from animals to humans. While the virus can be transmitted through contaminated food and water, it is also associated with animal products. Experts concluded the foods with the current highest global public health risk of hepatitis E are pork and wild game.

“One of my main areas of expertise is disease burden, which means to understand how big of a problem foodborne infections like these viruses really are,” says Majowicz. “This includes not only how many cases or fatalities, but any lasting health consequences, short- or long- term. For example, one of the long-term impacts of hepatitis A for some people is liver problems.”

While there are currently no approved vaccines for hepatitis E or norovirus in Canada, hepatitis A is highly preventable with the hepatitis A vaccine.

Before joining Waterloo, Majowicz worked with the federal government for more than 10 years in the public health sector and has been a member of the WHO’s Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group since 2021. She runs the Foodborne Disease Epidemiology Group at Waterloo. She is one of two Canadians on the panel of 23 experts from around the world.

The committee recommends all member countries continue to adopt methods for detecting viruses in foods with the hope of enhancing knowledge on food attribution and risks.

Read the meeting summary here.

Majowicz explains that both norovirus and hepatitis A are spread by food and water contaminated with infected feces. The committee found that the foods with the highest global public health risk associated with these two viruses include prepared food, frozen berries and shellfish, with substantial differences by region.

Learning Management System (LMS) review project recommendation announced

A message from the Learning Management System (LMS) Review project team.

After careful review and analysis of the Learning Management System (LMS) project findings, the project team has recommended continued use of LEARN (D2L’s Brightspace), with a focus on improving the platform as it relates to the learning experience. A new 5-year contract has been negotiated with D2L and is effective as of October 31, 2023.

Working to enhance LEARN and the learning experience

Findings indicate there are concerns with LEARN related to a combination of Waterloo processes/workflows/policies; Brightspace functionality and/or configuration; and knowledge gaps on current functionality that need to be addressed. LEARN was configured over a decade ago based on requirements that were specifically for academic credit courses. Since that time, there have been changes to pedagogical and learning methods and goals and the use of LEARN has expanded to encompass community groups, professional development, and training/workshops. 

Projects to prioritize and address opportunities for improvement will be initiated based on the LMS Review findings. The final review report and information on the initial projects will be shared within the next few months. Continued engagement with campus stakeholders will be critical to successfully modernize our LMS platform to meet the needs of learners in 2023 and beyond. Visit the project page to read more about the recommendation.

Project background

The LMS review was initiated to understand Waterloo’s satisfaction with LEARN, and expectations of an LMS now and in the future. Surveys and consultations with faculty, staff, and students to understand current and perceived future needs, review of market trends and other LMS solutions, and conversations with peer institutions were essential in formulating the recommendation on Waterloo’s future LMS direction.  

Please contact Pam Fluttert, fluttert@uwaterloo.ca with questions or concerns.

Five ways AI will change the future of work

A message from Co-operative and Experiential Education

On October 24th, employers, students and faculty participated in a discussion about tactics to tackle artificial intelligence at work.

How will artificial intelligence (AI) impact the future of work? Panelists at Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE)’s Talent Evolution Series explored how employers, students and institutions are tackling the question of how AI will impact the future of work.

Watch the event recap and learn about the five main insights shared at the event