Thursday, February 28, 2019

Waterloo makes its mark in World University Rankings

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

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) released their 2019 World University Rankings and once again Waterloo finds itself standing amongst the best universities at home and around the world. Building momentum in several subjects and subject areas Waterloo has five subjects ranking among the top 50 universities in the world.

Waterloo ranked at the top globally in Computer Science, 22nd in the world, Hospitality and Leisure Management, 32nd, Mathematics, 43rd, and Engineering and Technology — a broad subject area including chemical, civil, electrical engineering and more — ranked 46th.

“This is one of the most extensive evaluative exercises we conduct, offering universities and their stakeholders alike authoritative insight into the quality of an institution’s capacity to foster outstanding academic standards, research impact, and graduate employability,” said Jack Moran, official QS spokesperson. “The University of Waterloo’s strong record of innovation is well-evidenced here.”

QS, the world's largest international higher education network, ranks the world’s top universities on 48 subjects based on factors like academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, student-to-faculty ratio, proportion of international faculty, and proportion of international students.

“I am pleased that these rankings show the wide range of excellence in teaching and research that has made the University of Waterloo one of the world's most innovative universities,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor. “We will continue to ensure our students receive a world-class education from extraordinary researchers who are making a global impact."

Once again clinching first place in all of Canada — a place it’s held three years running — is the Recreation and Leisure Studies program, categorized by QS as, Hospitality and Leisure Management. Globally, it came 32nd among more than 1,100 universities ranked by QS.

"Recognition as the top-ranked Canadian university in the subject area of hospitality and leisure management continues to underscore the remarkable and inspiring work of students and faculty in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies,” said Troy D. Glover, professor and chair of the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies. “I’m truly delighted to know our ongoing and persistent efforts to create, explore and push boundaries position us as one of the world’s top universities in our growing field of inquiry.”

Computer science at Waterloo made a significant jump from 31st to 22nd place in a highly competitive category.  

“The QS ranking recognizes the exceptional research and education being delivered by our faculty. It rightly places Waterloo computer science in a league with the most innovative institutions in the world of computing, with an extensive impact in academia and industry,” said Mark Giesbrecht, professor and director of the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science.

Domestically, computer science also did exceptionally well, placing 2nd in Canada.

Read the rest of the article on Waterloo Stories.

Staff member stars in play about Canadian civil rights movement

Flex We Talent Theatre Company members (from left to right): Lisbeth Haddad, Aaron Haddad, Anandi Carroll-Woolery, Kevin White, Joan Blackwood, Lannois Carroll-Woolery.

by Anne Galang.

It’s no secret that the University of Waterloo is full of talented and passionate staff, as we see every day at the office. Lannois Carroll-Wollery, a manager in Institutional Analysis and Planning, is also flexing his talents outside of the workplace.

He is starring in an original play written by local playwright Aaron Haddad and performed by local theatre group Flex We Talent. The play, “My Place is Right Here: Hugh Burnett and the Fight for a Better Canada,” explores the story of Hugh Burnett, who fought against racial segregation in his hometown of Dresden, Ontario in the 1940s and 1950s.

Carroll-Woolery plays Burnett in the production.

“Lannois' volunteerism and artistic skill have come together in an awesome way to help give life to the story of Hugh Burnett, and in so doing, move audiences to think, feel, and I hope, remember,” says Haddad, who also directed and choreographed the play. “Lannois has made the words come to life. For this, I am very grateful!”

Carroll-Woolery explains that to prepare for the play, the group met with Burnett’s first wife, Beatrice, and four of his five children. “The more I learned about the character and the circumstances, the more I realized that it wasn’t an ‘Afro-Canadian’ or ‘Black’ story, but a Canadian story.”

Burnett was instrumental in bringing about legislative and legal victories for civil rights at the provincial level. He led the National Unity Association in a campaign that led to the passage of Ontario’s Fair Employment Practices Act (1951) and Fair Accommodation Practices Act (1954), which laid the groundwork for subsequent human rights legislation in Ontario and nationally.

James Walker, a professor in the University of Waterloo’s History department who spearheaded a campaign to gain Burnett official recognition, was consulted during the writing of the play’s script.

“Professor Walker was instrumental in providing us with not only historical context, but also character insight, as he knew Hugh Burnett quite well,” says Haddad.

While the play was featured as part of a Black History Month Story series in Kitchener, Haddad stresses the importance of Burnett’s story all year round: “The story was written for all people, all times of the year. We paced our preparation for February knowing that's when the iron is most hot as far striking.”

Flex We Talent is small group of friends with professional backgrounds and roots in the Caribbean who have been coming together for years to make amateur theatre. The group has performed four shows this month in Waterloo Region and Guelph. Additional shows have been scheduled in Kitchener in March, and in Dresden in May, with more to be scheduled soon.

Registration now open for 2019 Hagey Lecture

John Borrows, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law, will deliver the 2019 Hagey Lecture, “Living Indigenous Law in Canada,” at the University of Waterloo on March 25. Tickets for this free public event are now available.

Borrows' forthcoming book, Law’s Indigenous Ethics, examines how Indigenous law can shed light on Canadian law's approach to treaties, Aboriginal title, legal education, and the continuing legacy of residential schools. The Anishinaabe legal lens for this event is organized around seven grandmother/grandfather teachings: love, truth, bravery, humility, wisdom, honesty and respect. Anishinaabe stories, language, theories and practices are blended with detailed analysis of Canadian case law, statutes, policies and constitutional practices to illustrate the possibilities and limits of the grandmother/grandfather teachings.

A catered reception will follow the lecture, during which some of Borrows' books will be available for purchase.

Borrows is the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law at the University of Victoria Law School in British Columbia. His publications include Recovering Canada: The Resurgence of Indigenous Law (2002), Canada's Indigenous Constitution (2011), and Freedom and Indigenous Constitutionalism (Donald Smiley Award for the best book in Canadian Political Science, 2016). He is the 2017 Killam Prize winner in Social Sciences. John is Anishinaabe/Ojibway and a member of the Chippewa of the Nawash First Nation in Ontario, Canada.

Waterloo's premier invitational public lecture series since 1970, the Hagey Lectures—named after the university's first president—are co-sponsored by the Faculty Association and the University of Waterloo. The annual lectures are intended to challenge, stimulate and enrich not only the faculty, staff and students of the University, but all members of this community.

Celebrating Science alumni and other notes

On Friday, February 8, the Faculty of Science celebrated the successes and accomplishments of four outstanding alumni. Over 100 family, friends, colleagues, and members of the university community attended the event. 

Two Young Alumni Award recipients, Martha Breithaupt Oner and April Pawluk, were honoured for their extraordinary professional accomplishments and contributions to society. Robert Myers and George Pinho, notable for their high-impact and far-reaching achievements, received Distinguished Alumni Awards.

Words of support and congratulations by President Hamdullahpur expressed pride to not just the awardees, but all Waterloo alumni. “We are not measured by the number of buildings we have, the number of students we teach, or our rankings.  We are measured by the impact our students, faculty, and alumni have on the world.”

The Electrical & Computer Engineering department will be holdings its annual bake sale in support of National Cupcake Day today beginning at 9:30 a.m. across from the reception desk, next to the big ECE display screen.

 National Cupcake Day™ is a coordinated Canadian event to support local animal shelters, SPCAs, and Humane Societies. In 2018, animal lovers across Canada raised over $700,000 in support of their favourite Societies. The campaign has raised $3.15 million to date.