As we complete spring classes and approach the last month of summer, I encourage you to block time for vacation to rejuvenate yourselves if you haven’t done so. Many of us have already begun transitioning back to in-person activities on campus. In meetings and events, the experience has been richer than online and these gatherings have sometimes lingered beyond scheduled times.
I see this as a sign that we are appreciating what we once took for granted: an ability to socialize, share food and laughter, without fear of what COVID can do to us. Slowly, I see our campus coming back to life, even as COVID remains part of the equation.
Actions, reactions, interactions – all are more meaningful when we can share physical space and see each other in person. I hope that for the remainder of the summer, you will find ways to slowly transition back to in-person and enjoyable activities so that in the fall, we will be ready to return to life on campus. We may still need to take appropriate steps to protect ourselves and our families, but it feels so much more fulfilling to be able to return to shared experiences with others.Sincerely,
Lili Liu
This month I Events I Tips and reminders
THIS MONTH
Clark Dickerson named CBB interim executive director
Clark Dickerson (Kinesiology and Health Sciences) has been appointed interim executive director for the Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology (CBB), reporting to the VP Research and International for an 18-month term. Please email Clark Dickerson to connect about research at the intersection of society, health and technology at CBB.
Welcome to new faculty members
Several new faculty members have joined the Health community, including Michelle Ogrodnik, who started a new definite-term faculty appointment on July 1 in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, and Geoff Bardwell and Charity Oga-Omenka, who were appointed assistant professors in the School of Public Health Sciences, also as of July 1. Welcome!
Welcome to new staff members
Please also welcome Aiysh Rajendram as administrator, Faculty Graduate Studies, filling in for Tracy Taves, and Laura Williams, Centre for Teaching Excellence liaison, filling in for Natalie Chow while she is on parental leave. Rajendram has worked as a program assistant in Recreation and Leisure Studies (RLS) since September 2021 and has a master’s degree from RLS. Williams has taught in health science-related courses at multiple Canadian universities, and holds a BSc, MSc and PhD in Kinesiology from Waterloo.
Winter Teaching Assistant Awards announced
The Faculty of Health Teaching Fellows have awarded three graduate student teaching assistants with the Teaching Assistant Award for the winter 2022 term. The winners are: Amanda Demmer (Public Health Sciences), Logan Reis (Public Health Sciences) and Kendra Fortin (Recreation and Leisure Studies). Don’t forget to submit your nominations for spring term courses, whether it's the Faculty of Health Teaching Award for professors and instructors or the Faculty of Health Teaching Assistant Award for graduate student teaching assistants.
Funding spotlight: Laura Middleton, Ewa Neichwiej-Szwedo
Two Faculty of Health researchers were among
three from the University of Waterloo to be awarded funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Project Grants Program. Laura Middleton received more than $566,000 for "The Lifestyle, Exercise and Diet (LEAD) trial: A virtual, lifestyle approach to improve cognitive function" and Ewa Niechwiej-Szwedo received almost $448,000 for "Hidden binocularity and visuomotor function after congenital cataracts." See details on the Office of Research website.
Funding spotlight: Lora Giangregorio
A team led by Lora Giangregorio (Kinesiology and Health Sciences) received one of eight Collaborative Catalyst pilot grants from the Canadian MSK Rehab Research Network, worth $25,000 each. The project is titled "Virtual Intervention for Vertebral Fracture (VIVA)" and aims to evaluate the feasibility of a virtual rehabilitation program for people with spine fractures.
Grad spotlight: Pamela Hopwood, Tauhid Hossain Khan
PhD candidates Pamela Hopwood and Tauhid Hossain Khan (Public Health Sciences) each received an S. Leonard Syme Training Fellowship from the Institute of Work and Health. The 12-month fellowships are for early-career researchers at the master's or doctoral level intending to study work and health. Hopwood's fellowship will support her research on caregivers who work via digital platforms, especially from a feminist perspective. Khan's research is focused on self-employed workers and health. Both are supervised by Ellen MacEachen.
Celebrating four outstanding retirees
The Department
of Kinesiology and Health Sciences (KHS) recently commemorated the retirement of four exceptional long-time staff members: Janet Coulter, Laurie Jones, Denise Hay and Jing Ouyang (not pictured). Together, they worked at the University for more than 130 years, with 110 of them in KHS! Read more in the Daily Bulletin.
Learning Circle with Myeengun Henry: August 4
Please join Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Myeengun Henry for his next Learning Circle: Kinnomaage Mushkiki: Medicine Knowledge. It will be held on the BMH Green at 2 p.m., or EXP 1686 in case of inclement weather.
Virtual tour of residential school: August 9
Please join us in the SunLife Auditorium or from your own workstation for a virtual tour of the former Mohawk Institute Residential School. We will look at the history of the school from when it opened in 1831 until it closed in 1970. You will visit different rooms in the school and have the opportunity to ask questions or share comments with a cultural interpreter. Please see details and register for the event on the Residential School event page.
New Faculty Days: August 9-12
This Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) event is for all new faculty who have arrived since September 1, as well as any new faculty who were unable to attend our sessions last year or are new to their current teaching assignment. We also welcome any new faculty who arrived during the last two years and would value these sessions in person. Register before August 2 in Go Sign Me Up (GSMU). If you have not used GSMU before, set up an account first. For details, visit CTE's New Faculty Teaching Days.
Getting Started in LEARN: August 30, September 8
CTE is also hosting two workshops for Getting Started in LEARN. There is an in-person event happening on Tuesday, August 30 from 1-3 p.m., and an online event on Wednesday, September 8 from 1-3 p.m. Registration is required through Go Sign Me Up.
TIPS AND REMINDERS
Graduate student survey
Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) is inviting graduate students to share their perspectives on graduate student programming and potential areas of support through a short graduate student survey. The results will be used to understand graduate student needs and will inform future program delivery at GSPA.
Tri-agency call to join Dimensions review committee
Scholars and administrators who self-identify as a member of an equity-deserving group (women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities/racialized groups and members of 2SLGBTQ+ communities) are encouraged to submit an expression of interest to join the Dimensions review committee by August 19. The Dimension program will recognize post-secondary institutions seeking to increase equity, diversity and inclusion in their environments and reviewers will help assess these applications. Contact DimensionsEDI@nserc-crsng.gc.ca with questions.
Maintenance disruptions
The stairs at Manulife Wellness Centre are being demolished for tunnel repairs this month and are scheduled to be reinstated in September. Also, an annual steam shutdown will take place between August 15 and 19, which means hot water, heating and steam will not be available in all University buildings.
Consider The Conversation Canada
The Conversation Canada is looking for academics who can write data-driven opinion pieces for the general public. Because the articles are picked up by media across the world, the impact can be quite good. Please sign up and pitch the article idea and let Eugenia Xenos Anderson know if it's accepted. If you have questions about The Conversation Canada, please reach out to Pamela Smyth in the central media relations office.
Do you have a news item to share? Please email it to Eugenia Xenos Anderson.