Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Inspiring inclusion at Waterloo

By Angelica Marie Sanchez. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

“International Women's Day is a celebration of ideals such as diversity, equity and inclusion, and it is a celebration of the achievements of all women,” said Vivek Goel, University of Waterloo’s president and vice-chancellor, in his opening address at the International Women’s Day (IWD) breakfast event held at Federation Hall. 

IWD is marked globally on March 8 each year, and celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political accomplishments of women. The half-day event at Waterloo welcomed more than 300 guests from campus and the community and recognized the many exceptional faculty, students, staff and alumni. 

Goel invited Eleanor McMahon, vice-president of University Relations, to the stage as the host and moderator for the event’s panel discussion.  

Vice-President, University Relations Eleanor McMahon.

“Today, we salute in a special way to all the women who came before us and paved the way to advance equality and opened the doors for all of us. Each and every one of us has walked through those doors and opened them behind us for everyone else to follow,” McMahon said. 

“This year's theme is ‘inspire inclusion’ and is intended to collectively forge a more inclusive world. Because when we inspire women and others to understand and value women's inclusion, we can make our communities, our countries and our world a better place … and when women and adults are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment.” 

As McMahon introduced each of the panellists, she encouraged the audience to think about the women in their lives that has inspired them, and how we as individuals and as a community can continue paying-it-forward in supporting women on campus and beyond. 

Read the rest of the article on Waterloo News

Engineering students exhibit innovative design projects

A message from the Faculty of Engineering.

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 28 at the University of Waterloo.

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 13| 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Civil, Environmental and Geological Engineering, Monday, March 18 | 1 to 5 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Management Science & Engineering, Wednesday, March 20 | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Mechanical Engineering, Wednesday, March 20 | 1 to 4 p.m. | Student Design Centre Engineering 5;
• Systems Design Engineering, Thursday, March 21 | 12 to 4:30 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Biomedical Engineering, Thursday, March 21 | 12 to 4:30 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Nanotechnology Engineering, Friday, March 22 | 1 to 5 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Chemical Engineering, Friday, March 22 | 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Mechatronics Engineering, Monday, March 25 | 1 to 4 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Software Engineering, Tuesday, March 26 | 1 to 4 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Interdisciplinary Capstone Symposium, Wednesday, March 27 | 4 to 7 p.m. | Engineering 7;
• Norman Esch Capstone Pitch Competition, Thursday, March 28 | 1:30 p.m. | Engineering 7.

On March 28, watch as 12 outstanding Capstone teams pitch to win one of six $12,000 or six $5,000 prizes. These teams were shortlisted from over 50 entries representing most programs in the Faculty of Engineering. The Esch Awards support creative and entrepreneurial students in the pursuit of research and development and its commercialization for the benefit of Canada.

Free Store pop-up events coming in March and April

A message from the Sustainability Office.

It’s that time of year when many of us are starting to embark on a ‘spring cleaning’ spree. The Sustainability Office encourages you to consider donating your gently used items to the Free Store, an initiative that helps to rehome items to those that want and need them on campus, free of charge. In particular, the Free Store is looking for kitchenware (e.g. mugs, dishes, cookware), home goods (e.g. organizers, plant pots) and school supplies (e.g. notebooks, backpacks), though we gladly accept many other items as well!

Donations can be dropped off to the Sustainability Office in CPH 2385 or at an upcoming pop-up event in the SLC. Please see the Free Store webpage for a full list of accepted items and donation guidelines.

Please note that University-owned assets cannot be donated to the Free Store.

Students invited to go on an adVENTURE

Co-operative and Experiential Education is coordinating a workshop for students who are looking for a career path that places them on the frontlines of innovation, championing social and environmental causes while achieving financial growth. That's right, a career in Venture Capital (VC).

The Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA) is the voice of Canada’s private capital industry and works with investors behind some of the biggest innovations fueling the Canadian economy. The CVCA and the University are partnering to offer EMBARK ON YOUR VC adVENTURE, an opportunity for students to learn more about this exciting career path.

It's a combination Ask Me Anything (AMA), networking, and VC investment simulation event taking place on March 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in STC 0020.

There are limited space available, and students can sign up now online. 

Professor produces podcast on anti-Asian racism, other notes

Department of Religious Studies Professor Jeff Wilson has produced an academic podcast that explores the intersection of Asian North American history, Buddhist ritual, racialized violence, and community healing. May We Gather is a 38-minute podcast developed as a resource for courses on North American religion, Asian American Studies, Buddhism, and similar topics.

The podcast was produced as part of the Learning From Charlottesville seminar put on by the Religion, Race and Democracy Lab at the University of Virginia, the host of the project. You can listen to the podcast on Soundcloud.

Dr. Wilson is a professor of Religious Studies and East Asian Studies at Renison University College.

“It was a new sort of project for me, which took a lot of work learning podcast technologies, doing interviews in the field, editing and mixing sound files, and more,” Dr. Wilson writes..” But it was highly fulfilling to create this resource for students, instructors, and the general public.”

The Noon Hour Concert series continues today with Storytelling through the Ages with the KW Wind Quintet. The KW Wind Quintet will present a concert for all ages, with a mix of familiar melodies and sprightly new tunes. The concert takes place today at 12:30 p.m. in the Conrad Grebel University College chapel.

"Tax season is here and AFSA is back with its free Tax Clinic for 2024!" says a note from the Accounting and Finance Student Association. "A group of trained volunteers will provide free tax return services for low-income individuals and families." AFSA is part of the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program with the Canada Revenue Agency and boasts over 200 volunteer tax filers who are willing to file tax returns for low-income families at no cost on March 23, 24, 30 and 31. 

"To see if you qualify for our free services, please visit the tax clinic website today," says the note from AFSA.