Dear
colleagues,
A
year
ago,
I
talked
about
the
February
blues
and
how
our
moods
can
be
affected
by
environmental
factors.
The
global
effects
of
the
pandemic
are
life-altering.
Concurrently,
we
are
struggling
to
address
racial
injustice
and
the
calls
to
action
of
the
Truth
and
Reconciliation
Commission.
This
month
I
have
been
unsettled
by
members
in
our
Faculty
who
expressed
anger
and
frustration
at
the
slow
pace
of
campus
action
against
racism.
I
have
observed
staff
and
faculty
members
with
young
children
struggle
to
fulfill
their
academic
and
parenting
roles,
and
others
who
are
worried
about
the
mental
well-being
of
their
isolated
senior
relatives.
I
see
signs
of anxiety
among
our
students,
including
the
young
adults
I
live
with.
In
a
couple
of
weeks,
we
will
mark
the
one-year
anniversary
of
the
campus’
migration
to
online
learning.
When
I
am
overwhelmed
and
feel
helpless
to
address
the
frustrations
of
others,
I
try
to
heed
to
the
advice
of
an
ancient
philosopher:
“Watch
your
thoughts,
they
become
your
words;
watch
your
words,
they
become
your
actions;
watch
your
actions,
they
become
your
habits;
watch
your
habits,
they
become
your
character;
watch
your
character,
it
becomes
your
destiny.”
-Lao
Tzu
While
serving
in
ways
to
help
the
university
change
the
way
we
do
things,
on
a
personal
level,
I
am
working
on
my
own
thoughts,
words
and
actions
related
to
indigenization,
anti-racism
and
mental
health.
I
hope
that
by
watching
our
thoughts,
words
and
actions,
we
can
pave
a destiny
where
our
society
is
more
just
and
where
we
are
kinder
to
ourselves
and
each
other.
I
know
this
destiny
will
not
come
soon
enough
for
some
people,
but
I
do
see
change
happening
at
several
levels.
However,
I
believe
the
most
important
change
is
at
the
personal
level;
only
then
can
institutional
and
structural
change
be
effective.
All
the
best,
Lili
Liu
This
month
I Events I
Tips
and
reminders
THIS
MONTH
Kinesiology
researcher receives
New
Investigator
Award
Kinesiology
Professor
Kaylena
Ehgoetz
Martens
has
received
a
New
Investigator
Award
from
Parkinson
Canada,
worth
$90,000
over
two
years.
Ehgoetz
Martens
will
further
study
how
anxiety
contributes
to
freezing
of
gait
in
order
to
develop
technological
solutions
to
predict
its
occurrence
in
home
settings.
This
research
will
be
conducted
in
collaboration
with
Jen
Boger,
previously
in
Systems
Design
Engineering,
Arash
Arami
in
Mechanical
and
Mechatronics
Engineering
and
George
Shaker
in
Electrical
and
Computer
Engineering.
Two
retirements
in
the
Faculty
Researcher
Barbara
Riley
from
the
School
of
Public
Health
and
Health
Systems
and
Professor
Rich
Hughson
from
the
Department
of
Kinesiology
retired
in
January.
Hughson
receives
a
Professor
Emeritus
designation
and
will
continue
his
research
on
aging
with
the
Canada
Space
Agency
and
the
Schlegel-UW
Research
Institute
for
Aging.
CIHR
grant
for
aging
research
Speaking
of
Rich
Hughson,
he
recently
received funding
by
the
Canadian
Institutes
of
Health
Research
(CIHR)
to
study
the
effects
of
inactivity
in
older
adults
as
part
of
CIHR’s
Transitions
in
Care
Initiative.
The
study
will
examine the
effects
of
inactivity
and
bed
rest
in
adults
aged
55-65
by
comparing
their
actual
age
with
their
their
biological
age
(age
based
on
biomarkers
in
the
blood
and
physical
condition),
as
well
as
changes
in
cognitive
function
and
spiritual
well-being
before
and
after
long
stretches
of
inactivity.
John
Hirdes
on
Beyond
the
Bulletin
Professor
John
Hirdes
from
the
School
of
Public
Health
and
Health
Systems
was
featured
on
Beyond
the
Bulletin,
the
University's
podcast,
this
month.
In
the
interview,
Hirdes
discusses
a
study
that
checked
in
with
Canadians
several
times
during
the
early
months
of
the
pandemic
and
yielded
some
surprising
results
about
our
mental
health,
and
whose
was
hardest
hit.
New
postdoctoral
opportunity
If
you
are
an
early-career
scholar
with
a
research
plan
focused
on
the
social
determinants
of
health,
particularly
at
the
intersections
of
health,
society
and
technology,
you
may
be
interested
in
a
new
postdoctoral
opportunity:
the
Lupina
Foundation
Postdoctoral
Research
Fellows
program,
out
of
the
Faculty
of
Arts.
Two
fellows
will
begin
in
September
under
the
supervision
of
a
faculty
member
in
Arts.
The
deadline
to
apply
is
March
28,
2021.
UPCOMING
EVENTS
UWaterloo-Canadian
Nutrition
Society:
March
18
This
year's
University
of
Waterloo-Canadian
Nutrition
Society
(CNS)
event
will
focus
on
the
social
and
environmental
factors
that
shape
eating
patterns.
Organized
by
CNS
student
representative
Cindy
Wei
(Kinesiology)
and
CNS
faculty
advisor
Sharon
Kirkpatrick
(School
of
Public
Health
and
Health
Systems),
the
event
will
feature
Catherine
Mah
from
Dalhousie
University.
Students,
postdocs
and
faculty
members
are
welcome.
March
Virtual
Open
House:
March
20
If
you
know
any
Grade
12
students,
please
let
them
know
about
the
University’s
March
Virtual
Open
House
on
March
20
from
10
a.m.
to
2
p.m.
There
will
be
general
and
academic
sessions
throughout
the
day,
and
incoming
students
can
expect
to
participate
in
presentations
covering
programs,
co-op,
student
life,
finances
and
housing.
Conference
on
aging,
COVID and
technology:
March
24-25
The
virtual
Conference
on
Aging,
COVID
and
the
Adoption
of
Technology
will
examine
the
promise
and
limits
of
technology
to
promote
successful
longevity
by
featuring
a
diverse
group
of
leaders
from
all
over
the
world.
The
conference
will
take
place
over
two
afternoons,
with
Hallman
Lecture
Panels
on
March
24,
and
the
William
Forbes
Lecture
on
March
25.
It
is
hosted
by
the
School
of
Public
Health
and
Health
Systems,
the
Network
for
Aging
Research
(NAR)
and
the
Centre
of
Bioengineering
and
Biotechnology
(CBB),
and
supported
by
the
Hallman
Foundation
and
the
Office
of
Research.
Everyone
is
welcome.
Spring
Catalyst
Grant
deadline:
March
29
The
Network
for
Aging
Research
has
launched
a
call
for
the
2021
Spring
Catalyst
Grant
and
invites
researchers
from
the
University
to
submit
applications
for
exploratory
research
or
new
aspects
of
current
research
across
a
variety
of
aging-related
domains.
Funds
of
up
to
$50,000
are
available
to
fund
multiple
catalyst
grants
up
to
a
maximum
of
$10,000
each.
Please
apply
by
Monday,
March
29
at
4
p.m.
TIPS
AND
REMINDERS
Dean's
Office
staffing
changes
Welcome
to
Josh
Edmondstone,
a
Recreation
and
Leisure
Studies
alumnus
who
steps
in
as
the
new
Student
Relations
Officer,
and
Jenn
Bentley,
a
Kinesiology
alumnus
who
is
now
the
Alumni
Advancement
Officer.
Jenn
will
be
starting
March
8.
Also,
welcome
back
to
Jasmin
English,
who
returns
from
a
secondment
to
be
Graduate
Studies
Marketing
and
Recruitment
Specialist.
The
Dean’s
Office
would
like
to
wish
all
the
best
to
Becca
Cordick,
Leanne
Zonneveld
and
Karry
Kwan,
who
have
moved
on
to
other
opportunities.
Do
you
have
a
news
item to
share?
Please
email
it
to
Eugenia
Xenos
Anderson.
