Friday, March 31, 2017

Top co-op students honoured

Adnan Khan (Arts), Natalya O’Neill (Science), Baraa Hamodi (Engineering), Regan Zink (Environment), Pearl Zaki (Applied Health Sciences) and Alister D’Costa (Mathematics) received the 2016 University of Waterloo Co-op Student of the Year Award.

A Waterloo student who is helping to educate people about a serious medical condition is among six students the University is recognizing for their outstanding achievements in co-operative education.

Natalya O’Neill is the winner of the Faculty of Science’s Co-op Student of the Year Award. She spent two work terms with the hematology unit at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, where she created a medical alert card and educational booklet for patients with asplenia, or abnormal spleen function, and at high risk of infection. In addition to winning her Faculty’s Co-op Student of the Year Award, she also received an honourable mention for the Education at Work Ontario (EWO) Co-op Student of the Year Award.

“Our students never cease to amaze us,” said Peggy Jarvie, associate provost, Co-operative and Experiential Education. “The contributions they make on their work terms are truly remarkable. This year’s winners embody the world-class talent that the University has become known for over the past six decades.”

The following are the recipients of the 2016 University of Waterloo Co-op Student of the Year Awards for their contributions to co-operative education and their community. This is Waterloo’s top award for students in a co-op program.

Pearl Zaki – Health Studies (Faculty of Applied Health Sciences)

Zaki completed two work terms at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto as a clinical research assistant. Working in the palliative cancer centre, her various responsibilities included collecting data, managing various research databases, accruing patients to ongoing clinical trials, following up with patients and conducting several research projects. Zaki also wrote two manuscripts that will be submitted for publication in the peer-reviewed Journal of Pain Management.

Adnan Khan – Accounting and Financial Management (Faculty of Arts)

In his role as a business analyst and consultant at Deloitte’s Toronto office, Khan took on many leadership initiatives. He learned how to use an emerging data analytic software called Tableau, which allowed him to take the lead on building interactive dashboards for a client. Khan later presented on data visualization at two of Deloitte’s national learning and growth sessions. Khan also took on a pro bono consulting project for a not-for-profit organization and presented directly to the executive team. He was also heavily involved in the development of new co-op students at Deloitte where he developed a condensed training session for new hires.

Baraa Hamodi – Mechatronics Engineering (Faculty of Engineering)

Hamodi joined Facebook at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California as a front end engineer intern. He wrote code that displayed live election results on Facebook during the 2016 presidential race. His work reached millions of people worldwide. Hamodi was also a part of Facebook’s Messenger team, where he worked to bring new features such as group video calling and group polling to life. He made Messenger more accessible to users who are visually impaired by implementing components that screen readers can access.

Regan Zink – Urban Planning (Faculty of Environment)

During her work term with MHBC Planning’s Kitchener and Barrie locations, Zink was responsible for preparing up to 15 proposals for a variety of projects, securing more than $100,000 for the company. While on her work term, she also noted that there was a lack of documented guidance for co-op students, so she developed the MHBC Student Manual, which co-op students now receive when they join MHBC’s Kitchener office.

Alister D’Costa – Bioinformatics (Faculty of Mathematics)

D’Costa worked as a bioinformatics/biotechnology software developer at Cyclica Inc. in Toronto. Combining his academic knowledge of biology, chemistry and computer science, he developed and successfully launched an app that minimizes time spent in a laboratory by predicting the interaction of various compounds. The app takes a drug or compound of interest and checks whether that drug or compound would be able to interact with a specific target protein and its binding effect.

Natalya O’Neill –Materials and Nanosciences (Faculty of Science)

In 2016, O’Neill completed two work terms at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. In her role as a clinical research assistant in the hematology unit, working alongside physicians, pharmacists and patients, O’Neill led the development of a medical alert card and supplementary educational booklet for patients with asplenia attending the hematology clinics at St. Michael’s. In addition to enhancing the recognition and understanding of the condition, the work promoted preventative measures against infection in this patient population. O’Neill is working with pediatricians to implement the project at the Hospital for Sick Children. Her work earned her an honourable mention for the Education at Work Ontario (EWO) Co-op Student of the Year Award.

In addition, John Pagado (Applied Heath Sciences), Jona Cho (Arts), Karan Bir (Engineering) and Stephanie Chan (Science) received honourable mention. 

High school neuroscience competition this weekend

More than 100 high school students will test their knowledge about neuroscience this weekend at the University of Waterloo's annual Brain Bee competition.

Students in grades 9 to 12 will compete for prizes by answering multiple-choice questions using clicker technology. The first-place winner will take home $400 and qualify for the national Canadian Institutes of Health Research Brain Bee, held in the spring. Last year’s winner, Nooran AbuMazen, went on to win second place for Canada at the International Brain Bee in Copenhagen.

The event will also feature a brain exhibit and laboratory demonstrations following the competition. Graduate students from the Department of Kinesiology will showcase several brain specimens, including two full brains and a portion of a brain affected by Alzheimer's disease, and perform three other lab demos, including brain stimulation (transcranial magnetic stimulation). Photography of the brain specimens is prohibited.

The event takes place on Saturday, April 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with the competition happening from 10:30 a.m. to noon, in the AHS expansion, room 1689.

The Department of Kinesiology hosts the event. Interested students can register on the event website.

Grand River Transit workers set to strike Monday - updated

Update as of 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 2: The Region of Waterloo has announced that a tentative agreement has been reached with Unifor Local 4304, delaying any strike action until 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 5. Buses will be running on Monday morning.

A Grand River Transit labour disruption is looking likely for Monday, April 3, beginning at 5:00 a.m.

Unifor Local 4304, which includes GRT operators, dispatchers, mechanics and service attendants, did not ratify the terms of a new contract that had been recommended by the Unifor bargaining committee. Read the announcement on the GRT site.

According to the Region of Waterloo, the following services will be affected:

• Grand River Transit and Bus Plus Service – No buses will be running in Waterloo Region beginning at 5:00 a.m. Monday.
• MobilityPLUS – “Every effort will be made to provide transportation for pre-scheduled dialysis trips only,” says the Region. Scheduled trips for work, medical (including clinics), and recreation are cancelled.
• The TaxiSCRIP program will be available and is not affected by the service disruption. Specialized transit service provided by Kiwanis Transit is not affected.
• Bus Terminals – Transit terminals on Charles Street and Ainslie Street will be closed. 


Inter-city bus services are not affected. Greyhound will maintain regular scheduled pick up and drop off service, except that these services will be on the corner of Queen and Weber Streets. GO bus and Coach Canada service in Cambridge will pick up at the GRT stop on Ainslie and Dickson Streets. Bus operators will be selling fares on their buses.

Students, faculty and staff are advised to consider alternative transportation arrangements.

There are a number of campus transportation resources available, including:

• Commuting tools on the Sustainability website
• Parking Services carpooling information
• Student Life Centre commuting resources
• Federation of Students off-campus shuttle services
• University of Waterloo Rideshare on Facebook

The University has access to free carpool matching software through its membership in the Region of Waterloo TravelWise program, which can help employees and students share rides to campus.

Using TravelWise, drivers with spare capacity in their vehicles can get matched with peers and colleagues, and people in need of rides can see what rides are available. Users can also get matched for rides with people from neighbouring organizations like Wilfrid Laurier University, OpenText, Sun Life and Equitable Life.

• Register as an employee
• Register as a student

For updates on public transit service, you can monitor local media, call the GRT information line at 519-585-7555 or visit the GRT website.

ION pathway closures and other notes

In addition to the potential transit woes beginning on Monday, there’s good news and bad news for on-campus transit. GrandLinq is going to be preparing and pouring sidewalks around the ION track crossings at Engineering 5 and the service road at the Mathematics roadway beginning next week, but the bad news is that this is going to require the temporary closing of pathways and crossings between Engineering 5 and the Ring Road.

The main ION crossing at Engineering 5 will be closed, as well as the pedestrian pathway that runs parallel to the Ring Road and the ION tracks right to the east campus service road.

Grandlinq will install signs detouring pedestrians to the appropriate crossings—the second crossing closer to the plaza, University Avenue and the east campus service road—and the work is expected to take 2 to 3 weeks. For further updates, check the ION-related travel disruptions website.

Friends and colleagues of Sandra Hayes are invited to her retirement celebration on April 18 at 3:30 p.m. in HR, EC1 as she prepares to retire from the University.

Sandra joined the University of Waterloo in 1978 as a Benefits Clerk. In 1980 she moved to the Placement Department  where she started as a Placement Specialist and became a Placement Advisor in 1984. Sandra began her career in Human Resources in July 1987 and has spent the last 30 years supporting clients across campus.

"Please join us to say thanks to Sandra for her many contributions to campus life," says a message from HR. Attendees can RSVP online.

Here's the final Nutrition Month "myth vs. fact" supplied by Health Services Dietician Sandra Ace:

Myth:  Dietitians will tell you to stop eating foods you love.

Truth:  Registered Dietitians help you to plan a healthy eating pattern that includes a balance between your nutrition “needs” and “wants.” Most RDs have a love of food that comes with the territory, and we are believers that any food can fit when you learn how much and how often. Not only do we believe it, but we practice it on a daily basis. Staff with whom I work know that when special occasion treats appear in Health Services, I will happily indulge in a serving. Visitors to my office may notice that I maintain a supply of small, individually-wrapped dark chocolate squares which I am happy to share and that I personally enjoy on a daily basis, right after my lunch. Indulgences are balanced against appropriate portions of varied, healthy meals and snacks and a regular exercise schedule that I look forward to about 5 days a week. Registered Dietitians aren’t food police; we are regulated health professionals who help clients identify targeted, measurable and sustainable changes that are steps towards fulfilling personal health goals. This typically means focusing a great deal on what foods to add, not what you need to give up!

"Thank you for taking the time to read my take on the some of the realties, controversies, challenges and pleasures of food and nutrition," writes Sandra Ace. "I hope you have learned something, but if I missed your question, you can ask the dietitians at EatRight Ontario throughout the year. I look forward to connecting again during Nutrition Month next March, if not sooner!"