Renate Donnovan (she/her)

In her first year of her undergraduate degree, Renate Donnovan became obsessed by the questions, “Why do some people bounce back from adversity more easily than others?” and “Can resilience be learned?” She has dedicated most of her life answering to those questions. Renate has worked in the area of resilience and coping for most of her career through a variety of roles. She has designed and instructed credit programs/courses for post-secondary students, as well as delivered corporate training sessions in the areas of well-being, coping and resilience to industry, government and first responders. In addition to her position as the Community Well-being Officer for the Faculty of Engineering, Renate is also a certified Life Coach and part-time PhD student in the University of Waterloo, School of Public Health. Her research focus is resilience, coping and well-being. Warning! Renate is passionate about well-being. If you ask her about it, she WILL talk about it (sometimes for hours)!

Renate supports initiatives and activities related to the Faculty of Engineering Well-being Framework, as well as provides wellness consulting and support for faculty, staff, and students in departments that do not have a dedicated wellness coordinator. If you can't find what you are looking for, email her and she help you find what you need.