Dear faculty, staff and graduate students,
As we approach National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, I encourage everyone to reflect on personal and collective actions toward reconciliation. As a Faculty, we renewed our commitment to indigenization and decolonization with a Polishing of the Feather ceremony on June 20. The University will do the same on September 29.
Since our first commitment ceremony in 2022, the Faculty of Health, with the Office of Indigenous Relations, has received $500,000 from the Provost’s Interdisciplinary Programs, Networks and Initiatives Fund to implement four initiatives at UWaterloo to address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. These initiatives are:
- Indigenous student engagement, including the creation of visuals in spaces on campus that are welcoming to Indigenous students
- Urban Indigenous land-based learning lab and gardens
- Indigenous graduate diploma program: Dr. Laura Williams will be assisting us with this initiative.
- Engagement of Indigenous-focused grant writers to leverage funding for the above activities
The proposal development team consists of Jean Becker, Myeengun Henry, Katherine Marshall, Dr. Hannah Neufeld, Dr. Bryan Grimwood, Dr. Rhona Hanning, Catherine Newell Kelly, Leslie Wexler and me.
Jean Becker, AVP of Indigenous Relations, recently reminded us of the importance of ensuring that "Impact comes from Indigenous-led initiatives supported by non-indigenous community partners.” We look forward to engaging the UWaterloo and surrounding communities and sharing future updates.
Best,
Lili Liu
News I Events I Did you know?
NEWS
Dr. John Hirdes named to Royal Society of Canada
Congratulations to Dr. John Hirdes (Public Health Sciences), one of five University of Waterloo researchers to be named to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) for their exceptional contributions in Arts, Social Sciences and Sciences. Hirdes (PhD ’89) is recognized for being a consistent leader in the fields of aging, mental health and health information systems.
Funding spotlight: Recent government awards
Congratulations as well to the following researchers: Dr. Mark Ferro (Public Health Sciences) on the renewal of his Canada Research Chair, Tier 2, in Youth Mental Health, worth $500,000 over five years; Dr. Heather Mair (Recreation and Leisure Studies) for a Partnership Development Grant worth almost $200,000 for Partners in Transforming Sports; and Drs. Diana Parry and Ryan Snelgrove (also Recreation and Leisure Studies) for Insight Grants. Parry received just over $240,000 to study dating apps in Canada, and Snelgrove (along with Dr. Laura Wood and Dr. Luke Potwarka) received almost $90,000 to research illness-based events as impactful spaces.
New UW Esports Interdisciplinary Network
Dr. Luke Potwarka is leading a new interdisciplinary initiative with the Faculty of Arts and Athletics and Recreation, called the UW Esports Interdisciplinary Network. The initiative will strengthen esports-related scholarship, curriculum development and student experiences, with the latter being led by RLS alumn Greg Mittler, now in Athletics. The initiative recently secured almost $500,000 in funding from the Provost's new Interdisciplinary Networks, Programs and Initiatives Fund.
Udani de Silva wins Sri Lankan research award
Udani de Silva, an MSc student in the School of Public Health Sciences, is part of a team that won a Sri Lankan President's Award for Scientific Research, which is given to the top 100 scientific publications with Sri Lankan contributors. De Silva worked on the paper on leptospirosis sero-epidemiology while at the University of Colombo, prior to starting her grad studies here. She now works with Dr. Shannon Majowicz.
New Dean's Office staff and faculty
Vivienne Hang has joined the Faculty of Health as student relations officer, replacing Josh Edmondstone, who is on a two-year secondment. Clare Stevens replaces Pam Hurvid as undergraduate recruitment coordinator. Sidra Ali has joined the Faculty as Dean's Office assistant (front desk), and Lakshay Arora is research finance assistant. Dr. Laura Williams, who was most recently Centre for Teaching Excellence liaison, is now a definite-term lecturer for a two-year term. Welcome, everyone!
October Wellness Bingo prize is $50 to KW Escape Rooms
Wellness Bingo is open to everyone in the Faculty in an effort to promote healthy habits and behaviours. When you complete a line, send a picture to health.wellbeing@uwaterloo.ca to be entered for a monthly prize draw. This month, it's a $50 gift card to KW Escape Rooms. Download the October bingo card here. Congratulation to the August winner,Gaby McInnis! Wellness Bingo is organized by the Dean’s Advisory Committee on Health and Well-being.
Nish Vibes podcast launches
>Elder Myeengun Henry has launched a podcast called Nish Vibes, with the first episode featuring Kevin George from the Office of Indigenous Relations. Check it out on YouTube!
Black and Gold Fest: September 30
Join alumni for this year's Black and Gold events, including Yoga in the Field House (10 a.m.), the Warriors Welcome Tent and facility tours (10:30 a.m.), and the Waterloo vs. Guelph men's football game at 1 p.m. For details, cost and registration, please visit the Black and Gold Fest website.
LITE Seed Grant applications: Due October 2
The next deadline for the LITE Seed Grant program is October 2. LITE Seed grants, valued up to $7,500, fund research projects that investigate innovative approaches to enhancing teaching and fostering deep student learning at Waterloo. See the Centre for Teaching Excellence site for details.
Faculty of Health Book Club: October 4
The next Faculty of Health Book Club will be held October 4. It is open to anyone in the Faculty during lunch hour in BMH 3119. The group will be discussing Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. For more information, please contact Gaby McInnis.
United Way Kick-off event: October 4
To kick off this year's United Way campaign, faculty, staff and students are invited to wear red on Wednesday, October 4, and join us for a walk around Ring Road at 11 a.m. Meet at the BMH doors facing Ring Road. This year's campaign will focus on affordable housing, food insecurity and mental health and addictions. Donations can be made to the United Way Campaign or at Dean's Office reception.
Gender inclusion workshop for faculty: October 11
Faculty members are invited to the Faculty Workshop on Gender Inclusion in Research, Hiring, and Training: Data and Strategies session on October 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. in E7-7303. Designed by and for scientists and engineers, the workshop examines empirical findings related to stereotyping and bias, along with strategies for increasing inclusion. Registration is required.
Instructional Innovations Week: October 16-19
In celebration of evolving teaching practices, the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) has created Instructional Innovations Week, a series of sessions devoted to the core themes of scholarship of teaching and learning, EdTech and generative AI, student engagement and wellness and sustainability. Over four days, Waterloo colleagues will deliver 13 sessions. Registration is free and all are welcome to attend. See the detailed schedule for sessions and registration.
European research funding session: October 17
Faculty members, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students are welcome to attend the DAAD, Horizon Europe and Euraxess Research Funding information session on October 17 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. This virtual session will provide an overview of the European research landscape and details on opportunities and funding programs for research collaborations with Europe. Registration is required to receive a link for the session.
Grad Info Night: October 18
If you have undergraduate students who might be interested in pursuing graduate studies, invite them to the Faculty's Grad Studies Info Night on October 18 from 4:30 to 6:20 p.m. Please ask them to register for Grad Studies Info Night as a light meal will be provided.
United Way book sale: October 19
Join us for a book sale on October 19 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to raise funds for the 2023 United Way Campaign. Please bring in new and gently used books that you would like to donate. Drop them off with Gabrielle McInnis in BMH 3106 or directly to EXP 1686 on the day of the event.
Fall Convocation: October 20
Faculty members are encouraged to participate in the Faculty's fall Convocation ceremony, which takes place at 2:30 p.m. on October 20. The special guest speaker will be SPHS graduate Margaret Mutumba (PhD '23). Kendra Fortin (RLS) was a University Finalist for the 2023 Alumni Gold Medal (master's) and Dr. Jackie Zehr for the doctoral. Both graduated in spring.
Ontario Universities' Fair: October 21-22
The province's largest undergraduate recruitment event is taking place October 21 and 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Toronto. Thank you to faculty and staff who will be there to answer questions and provide information about our programs to prospective students.
Connector event with the City of Waterloo: October 24
Faculty members are invited to attend a Connector Event for Collaborative Partnerships in Sustainability on October 24 from 9 a.m. to noon in E7-7303. This event will provide a valuable networking opportunity to exchange ideas on potential projects of mutual interest to the University and the City of Waterloo. Themes include: New building construction and building retrofits, transportation and community greening. Please register by October 13; space is limited.
United Way bake sale: October 25
Join the Faculty of Health for a bake sale on October 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Health Expansion building foyer to raise funds for the 2023 United Way Campaign. Baked goods and a cup of coffee or tea will be $2 each, or $3 for a baked good and coffee or tea together. Get more information about how to donate to United Way.
CAG networking breakfast: October 27
We would like to cordially invite researchers and students to network at a casual breakfast on Friday, October 27, during the Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG) conference. The event, hosted by the Faculty, the Network for Aging Research and the Research Institute for Aging, will be held from 7 to 7:50 a.m. at Lost Coffee in Chefs Hall at 111 Richmond St. W., Toronto. Join us for breakfast and network with UWaterloo and RIA researchers, staff and students before starting your day at CAG. Please register via Eventbrite by October 6.
DID YOU KNOW?
Piano coming to Health Expansion building
An upright piano has been donated to the Faculty and it will be placed in the Health Expansion building, by the Starbucks area, for anyone to play. It is scheduled to arrive by October 6 and will be tuned soon after. A small event to celebrate the donation will be held later this term.
Midterm support and resources
At this point in the term, it is important to check in with your students to hear how the course is going. Consider collecting midterm student feedback to determine what is or is not working, and use the feedback to inform any changes that might be implemented moving forward. If you have any questions about collecting feedback, or any other inquiries related to teaching and learning, please reach out to Natalie Chow, Centre for Teaching Excellence faculty liaison.
Annual employee equity census
Please take a few minutes to fill out the University's annual employee equity census, a link to which was emailed to your uwaterloo account. You may opt out of certain questions, but the goal is to continue a confidential collection of socio-demographic data to better understand the composition of the UWaterloo community and to inform equity initiatives across the institution.
University Club has reopened
The University Club reopened September 27 after having been closedsince May 2022 for infrastructure renovations. The culinary team will be led by Chef Richard Cramm, and the menu will feature locally sourced ingredients. Please email theclub@uwaterloo.ca for reservations.
Do you have a news item to share? Please email it to Eugenia Xenos Anderson.