Thursday, November 16, 2023


2023-2024 UWaterloo brand campaign launches this month

UWaterloo brand images including medical and transportation imagery

A message from Michael Dorr, Associate Vice-President, Marketing & Brand Strategy.

We are pleased to announce the 2023-2024 University of Waterloo brand campaign will launch this month with more great stories about Waterloo experts tackling today’s greatest challenges. This year’s campaign will extend the On It! concept, which resonated with audiences across the country last year and continues to perform well for the University.

Starting on November 16, you can expect to see that “Where there’s a problem, Waterloo is on it”. Watch for us on LinkedIn, in digital and video ads across a wide array of websites, in major newspapers (like the Globe & Mail), and on billboards, transit shelters, and digital displays.

New this year is an expanded campaign website designed to deliver a dynamic and extended experience for our audiences. Check out uwaterloo.ca/on-it to see the freshly revamped site, packed with easy-to-digest content on this year’s most exciting stories. The first “flight” of ads (November 2023 – February 2024) features extraordinary new innovations from Ribbit, Euclid, and Dr. Ming Li. A second flight of ads (March – April 2024) will showcase a new set of inspiring stories (more to come in Flight #2).

Thank you to the Marketing & Brand team (led by Oanh Kasperski) and the talented Creative Studio (led by Christine Goucher). And many thanks to the many other teams whose hard work and talents have made this campaign possible – I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s efforts in field. We'd love to hear about your encounters with On It! Please share and tag @UWaterloo on your social media channels when you see On It! ads in the wild.

Vote for your favourite photo that best captures the student international experience

A collage of photos taken by Waterloo students around the world.

A message from Co-operative and Experiential Education.

Voting for Co-operative and Experiential Education’s annual Where in the world?! photo contest has officially begun. Organized by the International Strategies Initiative team, the photo contest reflects the value of co-op work experiences abroad. Throughout the year, students submit photos from their work terms outside of Canada. The ten finalist photos, from more than 75 submissions, reflect students’ international experiences and the impact of their work.

Students, faculty and staff are invited to help choose the winner by voting for their favourite by Wednesday, November 22.

Reminder: building inclusive teams webinar coming up on November 23

An illustration of a diverse group of individuals putting their hands in for a "whoa, diversity!" cheer

A message from the Office of Research.

Are you planning to attend "The Foundation: Building Inclusive Teams (Virtual)" webinar on November 23? The session will be facilitated by Dr. Sharlee Cranston-Reimer, Senior Manager, Research Equity.

Research shows that building inclusive research teams promotes research excellence. This presentation will take researchers through the necessary steps to identify EDI barriers on their teams, make a plan to address the barriers, and to review the outcomes of the actions they have taken and plan for the future.

The presentation will take place on Thursday, November 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Please register to receive the Zoom link to participate.

Inclusive Research Resource Hub 

The Hub is a resource library of important documents focused on EDI to support the UWaterloo community as they integrate EDI into their research designs and teams. The Hub was created as part of the Inclusive Research Team’s commitment to ongoing development and capacity building to support equitable and inclusive research practices.

This Month’s Feature is a lab manual template created by Western University to support making key decisions in a research lab environment for effective management. We hope this resource can offer insights into how to create an inclusive research environment.

A Research Lab Manual Template – © 2021 BrainsCAN Western University

Resources 

For more information or questions, please reach out to our team at research.equity@uwaterloo.ca

UWinterloo: share the joy of the holiday season

UWinterloo banner with icicles.

A message from the Student Success Office.

Many international students at Waterloo will be experiencing their first winter away from family, comfort and connections. The Student Success Office’s (SSO) annual UWinterloo program is tailored to support them in feeling connected to Canada and other Waterloo Warriors during the holiday break. As a staff or faculty member, you can sign up to:

  • receive handcrafted holiday cards and write personalized messages that will be included in care packages for international students, and
  • be matched as a pen pal with an international student if you’re interested in fostering a deeper connection.

Sign up today to help the SSO add a spark of joy to the holiday season for international students!

Tech Horizons event enlightens business leaders

Tech Horizons event featuring speaker at podium.

The following is an except from an article originally published on UWaterloo News.

Equipping business leaders with valuable insights on how companies, governments and society are adapting to the rapid pace of technological change was front and centre at the inaugural Tech Horizons Executive Forum on Wednesday.

Hundreds of executives attended the sold-out event in Toronto with a unique, University of Waterloo-curated perspective that showcased the innovative lessons learned by business leaders managing the world of technological disruption.

The event – whose sponsors included Microsoft, Sun Life, the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, Gowling WLG, the Human Resources Professionals Association, and Appen – was hosted by WatSPEED, the University of Waterloo’s professional, corporate, and executive education arm.

Attendees took part in a slew of special presentations, ranging from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s discussion on the transformative power of artificial intelligence to Royal Bank of Canada CEO Dave McKay’s discussion about the challenges they face in tackling in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Other discussions dealt with advising businesses on the ever-expanding range of looming cyber threats and how Canada can emerge as a leader in the clean tech revolution.

Read the full article on Waterloo News

Link of the day

International Day of Tolerance

When and Where 

Warriors Game Day Tickets: Season Passes, Black and Gold Alumni Passes and Single Game Tickets now available for the 2023-24 varsity season. Purchase your tickets today!

The Student Health Pharmacy (located in the lower level of the Student Life Centre) is offering flu shots with no appointments needed daily from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call 519-746-4500 or extension 33784 for more info. COVID shots will be available beginning October 23. You can register online at studenthealthpharmacy.ca.

Lunch & learn series: Let's Talk about Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder!, Thursday, November 16, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m., Zoom.

WaterTalk: Achieving SDG safely managed sanitation services and its implicationspresented by Dr. Caetano Dorea, Thursday, November 16, 11:00 a.m., DC 1302, lunch reception to follow in DC 1301.

Rock Your Thesis 3: Revise and submit, Friday, November 17. Registration required.

Women’s Entrepreneurship Day: Women Entrepreneurs Improving Women’s Health, Friday, November 17, 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Conrad School Hub, E7.

Consultation on copyright and AI, Friday, November 17, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Zoom. Register now.

Addressing Climate Complexity with Two-Row Learning: Indigenous and Western KnowledgesFriday, November 17, 2:30 p.m. to 3:50 p.m., location TBA.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Gender Equity Lecture Series Faculty of Environment session: Beyond the "Pipeline": Evaluations, Values, and Allyship in Academia, Friday, November 17, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Gender Equity Lecture Series | Faculty of Environment: Beyond the "Pipeline": Evaluations, Values, and Allyship in Academia, Friday, November 17, 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., EV3 1408.

Warriors Basketball vs. Nipissing, Friday, November 17, 6:00 p.m., Carl Totzke Court PAC. “Shoot For Change” Game, Employee Day (email Warriors Tickets for free ticket code sponsored by Homewood Suites St. Jacobs). Free tickets for UW students. Purchase tickets.  

Celtic Fiddle Workshop + Jam Session with Emerald Rae, Friday, November 17, 7:00 p.m., Brubacher House - North Campus.

Young and Restless social entrepreneurship event, Saturday, November 18, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Home Routes Folk Concert - Emerald Rae, Saturday, November 18, 7:00 p.m., Brubacher House - North Campus.

End of Term Concert: Orchestra@UWaterloo: From Warsaw to the Rhineland, Sunday, November 19, 7:30 p.m., Knox Presbyterian, free admission.

First Nations principles of OCAP® virtual workshop Part I, Tuesday, November 21, 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Register today.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Gender Equity Lecture Series Faculty of Science: Epistemic Injustice, Personal Responsibility, and Gender Equity in Academia, Tuesday, November 21, 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Theatre and Performance presents She Kills Monsters, Tuesday, November 21 to Saturday, November 25, student matinees Wednesday, November 22 and Thursday, November 23, Theatre of the Arts, Modern Languages. Tickets are $15 for general public, $10 students and seniors, $5 for high schoolers.

Eco Summit 2023: Accelerating Action, Wednesday, November 22.

UW Staff Board Foundations Workshop, Wednesday, November 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 

Noon Hour Concert: The Phoenix Trio, Wednesday, November 22, 12:30 p.m., Conrad Grebel University College Chapel. Free admission.

Retirement celebration for Mary Burden, Wednesday, November 22, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Graduate House.

NEW - GreenHouse’s 30th Social Impact ShowcaseWednesday, November 22, 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., UTD 201 (Alumni Hall).

First Nations principles of OCAP® virtual workshop Part II, Thursday, November 23, 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon.

NEW - QPR Mental Health Training for Faculty and Staff, Thursday, November 23, Virtual on Microsoft Teams – Register on Portal 

PhD in Entrepreneurship and Organization info session, Thursday, November 23, 5:00 p.m. to  6:00 p.m., Zoom. Register today.

NEW - Warriors Volleyball vs. Trent, Friday, November 24, 6:00 p.m., Carl Totzke Court, PAC. Women’s Home Opener, Alumni Day, Warriors Day (first 10 youth teams to rsvp to Warriors Tickets to receive free team tickets).Free tickets for UWaterloo students. Purchase tickets.

Balinese Gamelan Ensemble Concert, Friday, November 24, 7:30 p.m., Knox Presbyterian, free admission.

End of Term Concert: Three Choir Concert: Grebel’s 60thAnniversarySaturday, November 25, St Matthews Lutheran Church, 54 Benton Street, Kitchener. Tickets are $10 general admission/$5 students, and are available at the door or from choristers.

Antagonistic Responses to Science and Technology in the Academy, Wednesday, November 29, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., EC5 1111.

When and Where to get support 

Check out the support listings for faculty, staff and students.

PhD oral defences

Psychology. Martin Turpin, "Dazzled and Confused: Bullshitting as a Strategic Behaviour." Supervisor, Dr. Jonathan Fugelsang. Available upon request from the Faculty of Arts, Graduate Studies and Research Officer. Oral defence Friday, December 1, 10:00 a.m., PAS 2464.

Applied Mathematics. Donovan Allum, "Simulations of Radiatively Driven Convection and Spatially Heterogenous Solar Radiation Intensity in Ice-Covered Lakes." Supervisor, Dr. Marek Stastna. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Friday, December 1, 10:00 a.m., MC 5479.

Physics and Astronomy. Amber Hollinger, “Assessing the Accuracy of Cosmological Parameters Estimated from Velocity – Density Comparisons.” Supervisor, Dr. Michael Hudson. Please visit the Faculty of Science Thesis Submission Notices website for details on requesting a copy. Oral defence Friday, December 1, 2:00 p.m., Physics Building (PHY) Room 352 and remote.

Applied Mathematics. Maxwell Fitzsimmons, "Properties of difference inclusions with computable reachable set." Supervisor, Dr. Jun Liu. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Friday, December 1, 2:30 p.m., MC 6460.