Dean's Update - October 2022

Dear faculty, staff and graduate students,

This month, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our Alumni Awards. We have awarded 18 Alumni Achievement Awards and 15 Young Alumni Awards since their inception. This year, we honour R. Harvey Lemelin (PhD ’04, Recreation and Leisure Studies), and Natasha Knier (BSc ’18, Health Studies) and we have created and awarded a new Alumni Volunteer Award to Michelle Morrissey (BSc ’80, MSc ’83, Kinesiology).

To mark this special anniversary, we held a reception in honour of our inaugural Alumni Achievement Award recipient, Dr. Cornelia (Nel) Weiman (BSc ’88, MSc ’91, Kinesiology). We were joined by representatives from the Indigenous community on campus, including students from the other Faculties and Elder Myeengun Henry. Kevin George from the Office of Indigenous Relations prepared a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork for Nel.
 
The next day, we held a dinner celebration to recognize our three newest award recipients and we were joined by seven past award recipients and two former deans of our Faculty. Nel acknowledged the outstanding achievements and contributions of past award recipients and expressed her appreciation for the Faculty’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.

She spoke about what it was like for her to be a child of the Sixties Scoop, to be told by peers she should not go to medical school, then to becoming the first female Indigenous psychiatrist. She now has a rewarding career as the deputy chief medical officer at the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) in British Columbia.
 
She was deeply touched to be reconnected with Elder Henry, whom she had known earlier in her career at McMaster University. Nel shared the life-changing impact of her experience at the University of Waterloo, where she obtained her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Kinesiology.
 
At convocation, as I greeted and watched graduands from the Faculty of Health cross the stage, I wondered which of these graduates we would be honouring for Alumni Awards in the years to come. Much like Nel Weiman, promising futures await them and I expect they will also contribute to a healthier world.

Best,
Lili Liu

News I Events I Tips and reminders

NEWS

Open Gym available to Faculty of Health members

Did you know? Faculty and staff in the Faculty of Health have access to the Manulife Wellness Centre, near Starbucks, during Open Gym times. The service is free, but only certain hours are available and you will need to sign a consent form first. Please email CCCARE fitness staff for the form and see the web page for times and details.

Health Hub alumni magazine now online

The theme of this fall's Health Hub alumni magazine is the Pursuit of Well-being, featuring three alumni who embody this idea in their respective careers: Dean Barnes (RLS) in the education sector, Ammar Bookwala (KHS) in primary care and Taryn Eickmeier (SPHS) in rehabilitation services. Please share with anyone you think might enjoy the issue!

Are you using the LEARN Quiz feature?

LEARN Help would like to hear from faculty members who are planning on using the Quiz feature in LEARN to administer your final exams for this coming winter 2023 and/or spring term. If you will be hosting a final exam this way, please email your CTE Faculty Liaison, Laura Williams.

New Inclusive Communication Guide

Recognizing the need to change communication practises so they are more inclusive of all audiences, a cross-campus team of communicators, including from the Faculty of Health, came together to develop an Inclusive Communication Guide. It is a flexible document that provides general guidelines and advice we can all use in our daily communications, so please share widely.

New Dean's Office staff members

Please welcome Miriam Rusu, who joined the communications team in September for a fixed term to help with website migration, and Irfan Mohammed, who will be filling in as social media specialist while Krystal Kowalski is on secondment. Both are Waterloo graduates and will be working on the second floor of BMH with other communications staff members.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Spook and Sip: October 31

Drop by the second floor of the Health EXP building for free hot chocolate, tea, cof

fee and Halloween treats from 12 to 2 p.m.! If you come dressed up, you may enter a raffle to win a Health sweatshirt! Open to staff, faculty and students.

Alumni Office Hours: November 1-3

There is one last week of Alumni Office Hours this term, featuring alumni Paige Piggott (BSc '17), occupational therapist, Nancy Spreitzer (BA '10), secondary school teacher, and Dr. Jade Egonia (BSc '09), chiropractor. This event brings together alumni and current students to talk about career paths. Students can register on the Alumni Office Hours website.

Research Horizons with Raed Kadri: November 2

The Research Horizons speaker series, hosted by the Office of Reserach, is ideally suited for faculty members, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Raed Kadri is vice-president, strategic initiatives, business development, for the Ontario Centre of Innovation, and he will be speaking November 2 at noon in the Enterprise Theatre, EC5 1111.

Fall Open House: November 5

This event for prospective students is a great opportun

ity to showcase our programs and facilities. If you know high school students who are interested in attending university next year, let them know to register for Fall Open House, which takes place Saturday, November 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They can drop in for certain sessions or make a day of it!

Spiritual Side of Treaties: November 7

Indigenous Knowledge Keeper Myeengun Henry will join the Indigenous Relations Office to talk about treaties, wampum belts and the spiritual significance of treaty relationships. All are welcome to attend this hybrid Spiritual Side of Treaties talk. Register for the Zoom event here, or to attend in-person event here.

Graduate Supervision award deadline: November 12

To be nominated as an outstanding supervisor is a true honour when it comes directly from students. The Award in Excellence in Graduate Supervision recognizes exemplary faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in graduate student supervision through being a mentor, advisor, role model, humanist and a strategist who exemplifies a high level of energy and ingenuity. Nominations are initiated by a current or former graduate student who is/was directly supervised by the nominee. They are due by November 12.

Exercise as health care with Dr. Paul Oh: November 15

Dr. Paul Oh, cardiologist and medical director of the

Cardiac Rehabilitation and Secondary Prevention Program at the UHN-Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, will join us for a Hallman Lecture to discuss the evolution and future of exercise as a key component of health promotion and care, particularly for people at risk for, or living with, chronic conditions. This hybrid event is in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the UW WELL-FIT program and will take place between 6 and 9:30 p.m. Please register in advance for Exercise as Health Care.

GRADflix feedback session: November 16

Now is the time to start planning for GRADflix, a research communication opportunity for graduate students. You create a video, moving slide show, or animation of no longer than 60 seconds that describes your research. Join the GSPA on November 16 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for a virtual GRADflix drop-in session to get feedback or ask questions about the competition and how to proceed. Registration to participate is due November 22 and submissions are due January 10.