Thursday, January 26, 2017

GSA running survey on graduates' vital signs

The GSA-UW 2016-2017 Executive Team: top left to bottom right: Max Salman, External Affairs Officer – OGSA; Sondra Eger, External Affairs Officer – CASA; Indi Madar, Communication and Marketing Officer; Norman Kearney, Student Affairs Officer; Robert Bruce, President; Jessica Brake, Vice President).

The Graduate Student Association (GSA-UW) is moving towards being a more data- and member-driven organization. As part of this move, they are working to establish a step-by-step plan to improve their services and the overall graduate student experience. Their findings will also benefit the next generation of graduate students at Waterloo.

The GSA is using a variety of tools and consulting several groups to develop this plan, including a survey of graduate students, the Grad Life: Vital Signs survey.

It asks about the graduate student experience at the University of Waterloo thus far. "Your participation will help us enhance your and future graduate students’ social and academic experiences," says a statement from the GSA.

Survey respondents will be entered into a draw to win one of three $100 gift cards in their Faculty.

The deadline for responding to the Grad Life: Vital Signs survey is 5:00 p.m. on Friday February 3rd, 2017.

Photo credit: Henry Ensley

Waterloo WIMIn ideathon takes place this weekend

The Waterloo Women: Ideas, Makers, and Innovators ideathon takes place this Saturday and Sunday at the University of Waterloo.

Waterloo WIMIn is focused on inspiring University of Waterloo students, alumni, and faculty from multiple disciplines to collaborate in developing world-changing ideas that could lead to potential products, businesses, and a shift in mindset on pressing social issues. Building off the success of WWIMIn 2016, this year’s event will leave a direct and sustainable impact in supporting and connecting women to become trailblazers in cutting edge environments.

Attendees will participate in idea-generation workshops and learn about the process of creating great ideas that are worth growing. They will have the opportunity to talk to entrepreneurial women from around campus about where they got their ideas. 

The keynote speaker is Shelley Martin, founder of Arts Abound, an inclusive children’s arts studio in St. Jacobs. Check the WIMIn website for a full list of speakers, panellists, and judges.

Just a reminder: WIMIn is exclusively for women attendees.

Premier visits the Bomber and other notes

On Tuesday evening, the Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, stopped by campus for meet and greet event hosted at the Bombshelter Pub. Close to 100 students and members of the community turned up to discuss issues facing their daily lives including the price of tuition and jobs after graduation.

In support of Alzheimer Awareness Month, Waterloo's Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP) is hosting a free public lecture and panel discussion today on developing Ontario’s dementia strategy. 

Michael Robertson, director of the Capacity Planning and Priorities Branch with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, will give a keynote address on the status of the strategy and plans to move it forward.

Following the lecture, three individuals living with dementia and a family partner in care will share their thoughts on the strategy in a panel discussion. The afternoon will conclude with the presentation of the Kenneth Murray Partnership in Dementia Award and a reception.

The event takes place at 1:00 p.m. in Luther Village on the Park on Father David Bauer Drive.

A Master of Taxation Open House will take place on Saturday, January 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at 220 Yonge Street, Unit 115 in Toronto.

The Master of Taxation (MTax) program is "an innovative graduate program, that reaches across the learning spectrum connecting skills and knowledge from each course, the program as a whole, and work-related activities," according to a statement on the program's website. "It is designed using an exclusive learning model to foster the development of unique strengths and qualities that distinctly position our graduates as valued professionals in the Canadian tax community."

All classes in the program are held in downtown Toronto.

The MTax program is offered by the School of Accounting and Finance.

Think you're a diamond in the rough? Waterloo iGEM is hosting an open house this Saturday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in M3 1006.

The intent of the event is to recruit "enthusiastic indvidiauls for positions that span from working in the wet lab on the Lab and Design team, looking at the ethical issues in synthetic biology on the Policy and Practices team, modelling biological systems on the Math Modelling team and beyond."

Applications to iGEM open on January 28 and will close on February 6.

The Waterloo iGEM team is one of the top performing teams of its kind in North America and participants will be able to compete alongside 280 teams from around the world.