Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Convocation honorees announced

Three eminent women, including an award-winning journalist who has written on the struggle for women's rights, a top scientist who works to raise the profile of women in science, engineering and technology, and a Waterloo alumna recognized for outstanding contributions to the profession of statistics, are headlining the list of recipients of honorary doctorates at the University of Waterloo's spring convocation ceremonies next week.

Barbara Ehrenreich, a writer and political activist, has authored 20 books, numerous magazine articles, and is respected among scholars for her effective advocacy for social justice. She has received two National Magazine awards, a Guggenheim fellowship, and a MacArthur Grant, among others honours. Ehrenreich will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters from the Faculty of Arts on June 10 at 2:30 p.m.

Professor Anne Glover is a microbial biologist who commercialized biosensor technology to diagnose environmental pollution and provide solutions for pollution cleanup. She is a Commander of the British Empire. Glover will receive an honorary Doctor of Science from the Faculty of Science on Thursday, June 11 at 2:30 p.m.

Professor Nancy Reid, a graduate of Waterloo's Faculty of Mathematics, has made several groundbreaking and influential contributions to statistical theory, and her work has had broadimpact in statistical sciences, physics, genomics and health research. She will receive an honorary Doctor of Mathematics on Friday, June 12 at 2:30 p.m.

In May, the University of Waterloo announced its commitment to HeForShe, the United Nations' initiative for gender equity.

The University will award the other honorary doctorates at the following ceremonies:

Professor Wallace S. Broecker, a geochemist, oceanographer, paleoclimatologist and father of the concept of abrupt climate change who coined the term global warming, will receive an honorary doctor of science on Thursday, June 11 at 10:00 a.m.

Professor Noga Alon, one of the world’s most prominent researchers in combinatorics, who has also made many important and seminal contributions to computer science, will receive an honorary Doctor of Mathematics on Friday, June 12 at 10:00 a.m.

This is also Tom Jenkins' first convocation as chancellor. Jenkins holds an honorary doctorate from Waterloo. He is Chairman of the Board of OpenText, which began as a University of Waterloo spin-off company. Prem Watsa, chair of Fairfax Holdings, will become chancellor emeritus.

Jenkins' installation as chancellor will take place Tuesday, June 9 at 10:00 a.m.

For more information, please visit the website for Spring Convocation 2015.

Faculty, staff will be honoured at ceremonies

Faculty and staff members will also be honoured at the convocation ceremonies in a week's time. 

Geoff Wall of Environment, Wendy Mitchinson and Mark Zanna of Arts, Niels Bols and William Taylor of Science, and Reinhold Shuster of Engineering will be named Distinguished Professor Emeritus.

William Coleman of Arts and Bill Cook of Mathematics will be designated University Professors.

During the Mathematics convocation ceremony at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 12, Trevor Grove will be named an Honorary Member of the University, and at the Engineering convocation ceremony on the afternoon of Saturday, June 13, Pat Mihm will be named an Honorary Member of the University. Mihm, who worked for 30 years in Plant Operations, is the first CUPE Local 793 member to receive this recognition.

Celebrating 20 years of water education

by Katharine Tuerke, Science Communications. This is the latest in a series of #UWCommunity stories that feature Waterloo in the community.

Last week thousands of elementary students from Waterloo, Kitchener, Guelph, and Cambridge discovered the importance of water in their lives and how their actions impact water sources around them.

Celebrating its 20^th anniversary, the Waterloo Wellington Children’s Groundwater Festival (WWCGF) brought together industry, government, community groups and educators, including the University of Waterloo, for a week of hands-on activities focused on the significance of water conservation, protection, science, and ecology.

“The WWCGF is a vital partnership for reaching a broad school-age audience and addressing key water messaging. There is no other way we could possibly reach 5,000 students in a single week with extended hands-on learning,” says Dan Meagher, Region of Waterloo, Water Services.

This year, our Faculty of Science’s Earth Sciences Museum, a proud partner since the Festival’s inception in 1994, along with the Ecohydrology Research Group and Groundwater, Geochemistry and Remediation Group, organized a series of nine hands-on water activities and displays. These activations covered water related topics such as: wetlands and erosion, the Great Lakes, aquifers and aquitards, motion of the ocean, porosity and permeability, snow rocks and the Then & Now exhibit – an exhibit made up of 200 recycled plastic bottles showing how many litres of water the average person uses in a single day.

“The groundwater festival is full of hands on activities where students and adults learn about all aspects of how we use, protect, conserve and manage water. The Then & Now exhibit shows the impact of how public collaboration and education through groups like the WWCGF can help create positive change in our region.” says Earth Sciences Museum Curator Corina McDonald.

Turning two environmental spills and fines into an opportunity for outreach, a small group lead by Waterloo Science alumnus Peter Gray (B.Sc., ’87) with the support of the University of Waterloo, two initial industrial companies, drillers, regional and provincial government, health units, environmental consultants local businesses, conservations authorities and staff from the Agricultural Museum in Milton created the first Canadian Children’s Groundwater Festival.

After two years, the idea has spread to communities in Waterloo, York, Durham and Peel Regions. Now, heading into its 21^st consecutive year, there are festivals in more than 27 communities across Ontario.

“This [festival] couldn’t have happened without the support and leadership of our partners or the strength of our volunteers,” says Peter Gray, President of the Children’s Water Education Council.

The WWCGF has reached more than 80,000 participants, with the help from 9,000 plus volunteers and more than 50 hands-on, engaging and fun activities.

“After 20 years, elementary student participants have come back as volunteers, and after graduating university and working in the water or environmental fields, return as members of the local festival steering committee,” says Gray.

Now that’s full circle – just like water makes its way through the water cycle!

Our university’s Earth Sciences Museum received a commemorative poster for their partnership and involvement with WWCGF. Curator Emeritus Peter Russell and Science alumnus Peter Gray were both honoured for their 20 years of volunteer work with the WWCGF with a 2015 Volunteer Service Award from the Ontario Government.

The 2015 WWCGF ran from Monday May 25^th to Friday May 29^th at the Waterloo Region Museum.