Dear faculty, staff and graduate students,
I hope that you are transitioning into the spring term well and enjoying the seasonal change to warmth and sunshine. By now, many of you have received your first vaccination, and it is comforting to see our students getting theirs.
Anti-racism initiatives are also starting to roll out after a period of extensive consultations, including an announcement by the Provost to support the recruitment of 10 Black and 10 Indigenous tenure-track faculty members to the University of Waterloo. All Faculties are participating in this initiative. Our three academic units have prepared a joint description of our areas of priority to be included in the advertisement for our cluster hires, and we are hoping to recruit about three faculty members.
Next month, the Equity Data Advisory Group will launch its first survey. The data will help us identify systemic barriers, ensure employment equity, improve student experience, assist with academic programming, create scholarship opportunities and understand trends. Check out the new Catalyst Anti-Racism Newsletter for updates from the President’s Anti-Racism Taskforce.
Within the Faculty of Health, 30 faculty members and graduate students are completing the San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training (ICS) program, a 10-hour, eight-week online course. Our new Student Relations Officer, Josh Edmondstone, has started a weekly Healthy Conversations series that will include guests and topics that align with a student-led FOHcus podcast called Let’s Talk: Anti-Racism, hosted by Veronica Domet, a Kinesiology student on co-op. The School of Public Health and Health Systems has launched new SPHHS resource web pages on equity, diversity and inclusion, and Recreation and Leisure Studies continues their development of anti-oppression initiatives and resources.
Also in the near future: We are committed to recruiting expertise to support members of our Faculty of Health community in incorporating Indigenous world views, equity, diversity and inclusion in our teaching and learning, service and research. Finally, our Strategic Plan Implementation Committee will be tabling their plans in the coming months. Stay tuned for updates.
Yours sincerely,
Lili Liu
This month I Events I Tips and reminders
THIS MONTH
Sherry Dupuis named University Research Chair
Sherry Dupuis (Recreation and Leisure Studies) has been appointed a University Research Chair, effective July 1. Her research program focuses on culture change in dementia and long-term care, and she co-leads Partnerships in Dementia Care Alliance with Carrie McAiney. The University established University Research Chairs to recognize exceptional achievement and pre-eminence in a particular field of knowledge.
Governor General's Innovation Award
David Hammond (School of Public Health and Health Systems), along with principal investigator Geoffrey Fong (Psychology) and Mary Thompson (Statistics and Actuarial Science), was awarded a 2021 Governor General’s Innovation Award for the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Project. The ITC Project conducts research into effective tobacco control policies such as graphic health warnings, smoke free laws, advertising bans and tobacco taxes. The award was one of six given out in Canada.
Leeann Ferries reappointed Associate Dean
Leeann Ferries, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies, has been renewed for another five years as of July 2. Ferries is known for her thoughtful and compassionate approach to the administration of undergraduate studies and is a great asset to the Faculty. She also teaches in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies.
Sharon Kirkpatrick wins Faculty of Health Teaching Award
Sharon Kirkpatrick (School of Public Health and Health Systems) is the 2021 recipient of the student-nominated Faculty of Health's Teaching Award, which celebrates teaching excellence. Nominators highlighted Kirkpatrick's innovative approaches to course delivery and her passion for helping students advocate for themselves.
New definite-term appointment
Tyson Beach, a Waterloo alumnus, joined the Department of Kinesiology this month on a definite-term appointment until April 2023. Beach comes from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, where he directed research in the Biomechanics and Sports Medicine Laboratories and facilitated exchange and transfer of knowledge between academic, sport and recreation programs. He has also been involved as a researcher at the University of Waterloo’s Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD).
Mitacs grant awarded to SPHHS grad student
Gustavo Betini, a PhD student in the School of Public Health and Health Systems, has received a Mitacs grant to work with Mental Health Research Canada under John Hirdes' supervision. They will be studying the mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Betini is also a recipient of the Ontario Graduate Scholar award for his research on the ecological determinants of mental health.
PhD student receives gerontological nursing award
Adebusola Adekoya, a PhD student in the School of Public Health and Health Systems, is the recipient of a 2021 Ann C. Beckingham Scholarship from the Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association. Adekoya, who is supervised by Lili Liu, is a registered nurse who studies the rights of older adults to receive quality care and maintain optimal quality of life.
PhD student recognized for health data research
Bon Egbujie, a PhD student who works with John Hirdes in the School of Public Health and Health Systems, has received a scholarship from the Waterloo Artificial Intelligence Institute (Waterloo.ai) for his interRAI research in advanced quantitative analytics of health data. Specifically, he is applying supervised learning to complex continuing care datasets with millions of observations in order to evaluate rehabilitation outcomes and predict functional outcomes among frail residents.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Please note that all in-person events have been cancelled or postponed until further notice.
Alumni Weekend and Fireside Chat: June 5
Join Dean Lili Liu for an engaging Fireside Chat called “Looking at the new normal,” featuring John Hirdes, Marina Mourtzakis and Troy Glover. Looking at the new normal also means assessing how to move our lives forward in the COVID-19 pandemic. With significant changes to mental health, fitness, nutrition and social connectedness caused by the pandemic, how do we stay positive and look ahead? Please register for the Fireside Chat here.
Faculty of Health convocation: June 18
Everyone is invited to join graduands for an online Faculty of Health ceremony on June 18 at 1 p.m. Please RSVP on the Convocation page to celebrate with our hard-working students and wish them well as they begin this next chapter of their lives.
TIPS AND REMINDERS
Automated approval process for Office of Research
All three academic units are now using an automated approval process when submitting cover sheets to the Office of Research. Check out the instructions for completing a cover sheet when applying for grants, contracts, research agreements, awards and prizes.
Confronting Anti-Black Racism course
Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to take an online course called “Confronting Anti-Black Racism,” offered by the Office of Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion. It is based on Christopher Taylor’s Arts 130 course, and provides an opportunity to learn how to take anti-racist action in our own lives: at work, at home and in our communities. You can work through the course at your own pace, or take it at set times.
School of Public Health Sciences logos
Faculty, staff and students may start using the new School of Public Health Sciences name and logos as of June 1, when the School's website will reflect this change. Updated logos will soon be available from the Waterloo Brand site, and you can also find recommendations on what to include in email signatures on the Brand site as well. Social media and new e-letterhead will be updated in the coming weeks, and signage will be adjusted in the coming months. The new name will not be fully in effect until later in the year, but most instances should be complete by September 1.
Do you have a news item to share? Please email it to Eugenia Xenos Anderson.