News

The Faculty of Environment proudly welcomes Amanda St. Marie as the new Environment Indigenous Initiatives Manager. With a career spanning over a decade in marketing and communications across a variety of sectors including insurance, technology, and higher education, Amanda St. Marie is poised to assist the Faculty in creating their Indigenous Strategic Action Plan based on its commitment to truth and reconciliation. 

It was a winter break to remember for two University of Waterloo students. Emily Meissner and Millie Balmer are completing a placement in Kampala, Uganda, as part of the United College and Faculty of Environment run International Development (INDEV) program that sees students complete an eight-month overseas placement, facilitated by the World University Service of Canada.  

Congratulations to Kwaku Owusu Twum for successfully pitching his business idea at the Velocity Pitch Competition. He and his partner won $5,000 in funding to accelerate bridging the digital divide small-scale farmers experience.  

As 2023 winds down, I would like to take a moment to wish you all a wonderful December break. Sharing food is one of the cornerstones of this time of year, so this season I’d like to share with you one of my own recipes with the hope that it nourishes and brings a little happiness.

We are very excited to announce that applications are open for the new South Africa Field Course: Biodiversity, Climate Change and Social Justice (ENV 474)! This interdisciplinary field course integrates a range of science and policy perspectives and field-based interactions to understand South Africa’s Cape region as a dynamic and linked system of people and nature. Interested Faculty of Environment undergraduate students must apply by January 19, 2024 to be considered for the course. 

Bordering Lake Erie and extending to all of Norfolk County, the Long Point Biosphere is home to the world’s longest freshwater sand spit formation and a host of other unique natural settings. To explore collaboration in education, public outreach, and research on sustainability, conservation, and the protection of biodiversity, the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability and the Long Point Biosphere Region Foundation have signed a letter of intent setting out a framework to pursue new projects together.

Wondering what your classmates have been up to? Find out who's been promoted, launched a new project, published a book or started a family. Catch up, then submit an update of your own for the next issue of Class Notes. 

A new paper co-authored by experts from the University of Waterloo and presented at the United Nations climate conference (COP28) recommends leaders to support youth-led innovations, emphasizing the need to continue greening education systems and empower young entrepreneurs.

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Region of Waterloo, a regional municipality that epitomizes resilience and progress, we recognize the pivotal role of forward-thinking urban planning and environmental management in shaping the destiny of urban areas. Our Future Cities Initiative amplifies the importance of embracing cutting-edge solutions that seamlessly integrate technology, sustainability, and social inclusivity.

The Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA) has released its 2022-23 Annual Report, which celebrates champions of sustainability across the air transport sector.