Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Today is Giving Tuesday!

A message from Nenone Donaldson, Vice-President, Advancement.

On this Giving Tuesday, I offer my heartfelt thanks for your support of UWaterloo. Your generosity has made a real difference, helping our students and faculty pursue meaningful work, discoveries and advancements that benefit our communities and our world.

Today, we invite you to join us in giving back — whether through your time, talent, treasure or testimony. This year, members of our Advancement team have been volunteering with local charities, lending a hand to those in need. I thought you might like to read about one of our stories and perhaps even consider lending a hand to a non-profit organization in your own community.

While we’re grateful for your support every day of the year, today is special. If you’re inspired to make a financial gift to Waterloo, know that you can direct your support to the area you care about most, fueling the projects, programs and dreams of our students and faculty.

On this Giving Tuesday and all year through, thank you for being such a special part of UWaterloo.

A vision to educate more optometrists

This article was originally published on the School of Optometry & Vision Science website.

The University of Waterloo and Mount Royal University have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the creation of a school of optometry in Alberta. A new school of optometry would be the first in Western Canada and only the third nationally.

The University of Waterloo is currently home to the only English-language school of optometry in Canada. Without sufficient seats in Canada, many qualified candidates go to the U.S. to study – and this presents barriers for many potential optometrists.

Doctors of optometry take a leading role in eye and vision care as well as general patient health and well-being. As primary healthcare providers, optometrists have extensive and ongoing training to examine, diagnose, treat and manage ocular disorders, diseases and injuries and systemic diseases that manifest in the eye.

The memorandum of understanding between the two universities is a strategic partnership to address the increasing demand for vision care stemming from an aging and growing population.

An important goal of this partnership is to better address ocular and systemic diseases – such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, hypertension and diabetes – that are prevalent in rural and Indigenous communities. The partners therefore aim to improve access to optometric education particularly for qualified applicants from these communities.

“We’re delighted to partner with Mount Royal University as it seeks to expand access to optometric education in Alberta,” said Dr. Stanley Woo, director of the University of Waterloo School of Optometry and Vision Science. “What’s unique about this initiative is the recognition that a partnership model leveraging the respective strengths of two reputable institutions with aligned values may be the key to recruiting a diverse optometry student body including talented candidates from underrepresented groups.”

The School of Optometry and Vision Science has roots more than 100 years old and has been located at the University of Waterloo since 1967. It ranks third in North America – and fifth in the world – in research impact for schools of optometry and is seen as a national resource to provincial and national optometric associations and colleges. It is in the process of building the Waterloo Eye Institute, a major expansion and renovation of its clinical space that will also allow it to increase enrolment at its Waterloo campus.

“Mount Royal University is pleased to undertake this exploration with the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry and Vision Science to increase access to optometry education for Albertans,” said Dr. Chad London, provost and vice-president, academic at Mount Royal University. “We are especially excited about the opportunity this could present in reducing barriers for Indigenous students.”

Mount Royal University, located in Calgary, is one of Canada's top destinations for undergraduate education. It provides students with the critical skills and practical experiences that will prepare them to contribute to, and succeed in, an increasingly complex and ever-changing world.  

The emerging partnership between the University of Waterloo and Mount Royal University is supported the Alberta Association of Optometrists and the Alberta College of Optometrists.

“For more than 100 years, the Alberta Association of Optometrists’ members have been advocating for and providing exceptional vision and eye health care to Albertans,” said Dr. Sophia Leung, president of the Alberta Association of Optometrists.
 
“This partnership supports a crucial step forward to ensuring there are proficient optometrists ready to serve Alberta’s growing population, including those living in rural and remote areas, in accessing the comprehensive eye care they need and deserve. The time has come for Alberta to be an educational leader and move forward with the first school of optometry to serve students in this province while supporting those in Western Canada.”

“This partnership marks a transformative step in elevating patient care across Alberta,” said Dr. Kim Bugera, registrar and CEO of the Alberta College of Optometrists. "A new school of optometry will not only address our province's growing need for skilled optometrists but also ensure that diverse communities—particularly in rural and underserved areas—have improved access to essential vision care and comprehensive health support.”

Power list includes UWaterloo women in STEM

This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

Three accomplished women with strong ties to the University of Waterloo and careers in STEM fields were named to a list of the most powerful women in Canada.

The Women’s Executive Network (WXN) recently released 2024 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winners, and a Waterloo educator and researcher and two alumni appear on the list that recognizes women across Canada for their leadership and impact.

“Through transformational research, experiential education and entrepreneurship, the University of Waterloo is committed to finding future-focused solutions and training our students to be leaders in careers with tremendous impact,” says Dr. Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor of Waterloo. “I’m so pleased to see these three women acknowledged for their impactful work and the inspiration they provide to others. Congratulations to them and everyone honoured.”

Dr. Andrea Edginton is the Hallman director of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo. In addition to leading Canada’s most innovative pharmacy school, she is a professor and researcher who studies how the body interacts with medications with application in personalized medicine. Dr. Edginton is recognized in the Executive Leaders category, for women who exemplify leadership in their organizations and communities and knock down barriers for the next generation of leaders.

“Being a leader brings me the greatest joy when I can remove barriers to others' success and encourage them to make their desired impact," Edginton says. "Thank you to the Women’s Executive Network for honouring me alongside such outstanding women.”

Read the full story on Waterloo News.

Celebrate the career of Bev Raimbault

A message from the Faculty of Environment.

Friends and colleagues of Beverly Raimbault, Ecology Lab Coordinator, are invited to a retirement drop in open house in her honour on Tuesday, December 10 in the Ecology Lab (EV1 134) from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Bev has been an incredibly dedicated staff member of the University of Waterloo, from teaching students to supporting the many Faculty of Environment courses, ensuring students succeed in their lab and field experiences. Before Bev began working in the Ecology Lab, she was a student in the Faculty’s Environment and Resources Program where she graduated with a Master’s of Environmental Studies. Her career in the Ecology Lab began soon after as the Ecology Lab’s Coordinator and Lab Manager over the years. Her passion for the outdoors quickly integrated in her daily work. From teaching students how to identify plants, to examining our natural world through water and soil analysis. She is intensely dedicated to providing students with a positive outdoor learning experience, creating field labs and entire courses dedicated to learning about our natural world. Bev introduced and led many outreach programs, from making natural soap and beeswax food wraps to growing mushrooms and garden tours.

Bev has played an integral role in incorporating experiential learning in the many ENV courses that now utilize the Ecology Lab. She maintained the naturalized wild spaces around the ENV buildings and taught our community about their importance to wildlife and pollinators.

As Bev moves towards her new life after UW, you can find her hiking and skiing our local trails, camping in our parks, taking plant inventories in our forests or simply gardening on her naturalized property. Please join us in this retirement celebration!

Notes as classes come to a close

Fall term lectures and classes end today, with pre-examination study days set for Wednesday and Thursday this week. The examination period begins on Friday, December 6. WUSA's Mates service will be hosting a Hot Chocolate Booth today, serving up hot chocolate and tea, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the SLC Marketplace.

WUSA will also be hosting a holiday dinner for undergraduate students tomorrow in the SLC's Black and Gold Room from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A WatCard is required for entry to this free event.

If you're in need of some stocking stuffers, remember that the Winterfest Handmade Market takes place today and tomorrow from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the SLC Multipurpose Room. Drop by and check out goods made by local vendors.

Climate Con 2025 has issued a call to undergraduate and graduate students to submit a proposal to present a poster at the Student Showcase at Climate Con on Friday, February 7, 2025. The deadline to submit a poster proposal is Monday, December 9 at 11:59 p.m. There are prizes available. Submit today!