I was humbled to receive, on behalf of the Faculty, an eagle feather, the highest honour bestowed by an Elder. We also witnessed a pipe ceremony and were entrusted with a Two-Row Wampum Belt. In accepting these honours, our Faculty commits to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and to respect Indigenous values, and we commit to it beyond our five-year strategic plan.
We also celebrated Pride Month, which has a longer history here at the University. I visited the Glow Centre and felt pride to know that this is the longest-running queer and trans student organization in Canada. While members of our community should feel safe and welcomed anytime of the year, I am thankful for having a month dedicated to profile the importance of diversity in gender identities.
I am grateful to those of you who take time from your busy schedules to reflect on and celebrate diversity in our Faculty. We still have work to do in many areas, but I believe we are committed to this path.
Sincerely,
Lili Liu
This month I Events I Tips and reminders
THIS MONTH
New Associate Dean, Research
Sincere thanks to Rich Staines (pictured here) for his many years of service as Associate Dean, Research. Bill McIlroy will step into the role on July 1 for one year, then Marina Mourtzakis will take over next July 1 upon her return from sabbatical. Her term extends to June 30, 2026.
2021 Outstanding Performance Award recipients
Congratulations to Jack Callaghan, Mark Ferro, George Heckman, Ellen MacEachen, Monica Maly and Katie Misener for receiving Outstanding Performance Awards from the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Provost for 2021. These awards were established in 2005 to reward faculty members for outstanding contribution in teaching and scholarship.
SPHS teaching and supervision awards
Congratulations to Zahid Butt for receiving the 2022 School of Public Health Sciences (SPHS) Supervision Award, and to Scott Leatherdale and Ashok Chaurasia for receiving the 2022 SPHS Teaching Awards. These awards exemplify excellence in mentorship and learning.
Funding spotlight: Lili Liu
Federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair was on campus this week to announce $2.1 million over three years from the Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund for a project led by Dean Lili Liu. Called "Managing risks of going missing among persons living with dementia by building capacities of SAR personnel, first responders and communities," the project will build capacity within the search-and-rescue (SAR) community and among care partners to work with this population, build partnerships and increase coordination.
Funding spotlight: Warren Dodd
Warren Dodd (School of Public Health Sciences) received a SSHRC Insight Grant worth almost $180,000 for "Interrogating different pro-poor policy approaches in the context of intersecting social-ecological crises in the Philippines." His team includes Craig Janes and others in the School, as well as researchers across Canada and in the Philippines.
Climate change course is looking for PhD students
If you are a Health PhD student engaged in climate change research, you are encouraged to join colleagues from across the University to apply to teach an interdisciplinary climate change course. As part of a new 'Wicked Problems' initiative, a team of PhD students will come together to design, develop and offer this course, which is open to senior undergraduate students from across the University. See the GSPA website for details. The deadline to apply is July 12.
Displaced Ukrainian students join Faculty
Four students from Ukraine will be studying in our Faculty as part of 34 who are joining Waterloo after their studies were interrupted by the ongoing war in their country. Three of the students are in their third year of a BSc, and one in their second year of a PhD. All are being supervised by faculty in the School of Public Health Sciences. Please make them feel welcome if the opportunity arises.
New amenities in Faculty spaces
Thanks to the Advisory Committee on Health and Well-being, two new amenities are now available in our main buildings. A sunscreen dispenser is located on the BMH Green for those hot, sunny days, and free menstrual products are available in all washrooms of BMH, LHI and EXP, since not all people who menstruate are women.
Our 2022 incoming undergraduate class
The June 23 confirmation report shows 607 new undergraduate students, as well as three in the Bridge to Academic Success in English (BASE).To everyone who supported our online recruitment activities: thank you! And thank you in advance to all those working hard to welcome and support our new students in September. Here is the breakdown of incoming year-one students by program, not including BASE:
Learning Circles: July 6, 19, August 4
Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Myeengun Henry will offer Indigenous Learning Circles for staff, students and faculty members on July 6 at 2 p.m., July 19 at 11 a.m. and August 4 at 2 p.m. Join him on the BMH green or (EXP 1686 in case of rain) for traditional Indigenous teachings.
Trivia Night and BBQ: July 12
Another Faculty-wide Trivia Night is being organized for July 12 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. on the BMH Green (EXP 1689 in case of rain). Faculty, staff and all students are welcome!
Waterloo Assessment Institute (WAI) sessions: July 13, 20
WAI Inspired Wednesdays are sessions based on the Centre for Teaching Excellence's two-day Waterloo Assessment Institute (WAI) course. “Enabling the uptake of feedback” is on Wednesday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and “Redesigning assignments from a remote offering to flipped course" is on Wednesday, July 20 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: July 13
Come hear SoTL Stories from colleagues at the University who have conducted their own Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research and the teaching and learning problems they tried to solve. Wednesday, July 13 from 1 - 2 p.m. Hosted by the Centre for Teaching Excellence.
PIvot-RP training: July 26
The next virtual Pivot-RP workshop for faculty members and graduate students is scheduled for Tuesday, July 26 from 2 - 3: p.m. Hosted by the Office of Research, there will be a live demo covering topics such as claiming your profile, searching for funding, tracking, sharing and exporting funding opportunities and highlighting available resources. For more information and to register for this workshop, visit the Pivot-RP training web page.
TIPS AND REMINDERS
Entrepreneurial PhD Fellowship available
The University is awarding Entrepreneurial PhD Fellowships to support outstanding business-minded Waterloo doctoral students who are interested in commercializing their research. Successful fellowship applicants will be enrolled in the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business’ Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) part-time program. Recipients can complete the three-year part-time program alongside their regular doctoral studies, tuition-free. Ten fellowships for fall 2022 will be awarded, with one assigned to the Faculty of Health. See the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business website for details. Deadline to apply is July 18.
Ericsson innovation competition open to students
The Ericsson Innovation Awards (EIA) competition is open to university students who use innovative technology to solve global challenges. This year, Ericsson is challenging teams to “Impact our Sustainable Future.” Visit the Ericsson website for more information on the EIA competition and to register. Submissions will be accepted until August 5.
Membership with Community-Based Research Canada
A one-year membership with Community-Based Research Canada is now available to all faculty, staff and students. The mission of CBRC is to advance community-based research excellence in Canada by strengthening partnerships, bridging capacity, mobilizing knowledge and championing community-based research among individuals, communities and institutions. Please contact Sara Anderson or Nadine Quehl if you have questions.
Read about Waterloo's commercialization framework
A new agency created by the Government of Ontario, Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON), will provide Intellectual Property knowledge, advice and services to support innovators, researchers, businesses and entrepreneurs in Ontario. A new Commercialization Mandate Agreement framework also applies to publicly assisted colleges and universities, which are expected to establish practices to support the proactive management and commercialization of intellectual property. Read about the University of Waterloo’s Commercialization framework for information on engaging in commercialization activities.
Do you have a news item to share? Please email it to Eugenia Xenos Anderson.