SIEF Award Recipients

Sarah Howard is a Graduate Student Experience Specialist in Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs. She travelled to Northern Europe to gain insight into graduate student well-being and support mechanisms that are currently in place at various universities, while sharing the knowledge and experience she’s cultivated in her role at Waterloo.

Chantal Vallis is the Communications Office, Internationalization in the Student Success Office. She travelled to East Asia to broaden her understanding of communications strategies at some of the world’s most internationalized universities in order to enhance international programming and services at Waterloo and to gain a deeper cultural understanding of the international student population she serves at Waterloo.

Ryan Jacobs is the Director of Print + Retail Solutions. Ryan visited several institutions in the United Kingdom to share information and learn about changes and best practices in retail and print services within an academic setting. These discussions focused on store layout and traffic flows, merchandising strategies, product design and assortment planning, and customer service and training.

Angela Rooke is the Manager of Professional Skills and Postdoctoral Affairs in Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs. Angela visited several institutions in Australia to learn and share high-impact practices focused on various aspects of the doctoral student experience including work-life balance, professional relationships, public engagement and career preparation.

Robert Wagner is a Senior CNC Technician in Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering. Robert visited several institutions in England to learn and share information related to additive manufacturing and how best to integrate this emerging technology into an existing university lab while maintaining workflows, ensuring trouble-free installation and establishing safety and training protocols to protect all lab users.

Katherine Lithgow is the senior instructional developer for the Centre for Teaching Excellence. Katherine uses her expertise in integrative learning to work with instructors and help students succeed inside and outside of the classroom.

She travelled to Australia to visit Deakin University in Melbourne, Griffith University in Brisbane, and Macquarie University in Sydney to facilitate an exchange of innovative ideas about experiential learning, programs, and incentives.

Monica Vesely is an instructional developer for the Centre for Teaching Excellence where she designs and delivers instructional development programs and provides consultations for faculty members and staff instructors in course design, instructional skills, and evaluation.

She travelled to institutions in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to learn about teaching orientation strategies and approaches used at foreign institutions that have a large number of international faculty and students.

Adam Wlad is an information systems specialist for Information Systems & Technology’s Enterprise Resource Planning group. Through the SIEF, Adam travelled to the United Kingdom to further his knowledge of software solutions and learn how several universities manage web-based tools to amplify information systems and application software.

Adam supports Quest, the University core student information system. The visit to the University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, and University of Derby taught Adam about how they amplify information systems and application software related to themes within the Higher Education User Group.

Amanda McKenzie is the Director, Quality Assurance (academic programs) and oversees the Quality Assurance Office and the Office of Academic Integrity. Amanda works closely with international students and is interested in how perceptions and standards of academic integrity vary across the world.

She travelled to India to visit institutions in Mumbai, Indore, New Delhi, and Chandigarh, to meet with counterparts at institutions in all four cities to help her understand how students from India learn about citations and intellectual property. 

Kelly McManus is the Senior Director for Community Relations and Events. As part of her professional goals and Waterloo’s strategic plan, Kelly wants to expand Waterloo’s community relations from a regional level to an international level.

She travelled to Australia to visit institutions, including the University of Technology in Sydney and the University of Melbourne to learn about best practices in community engagement at a global level, and about partnership engagement frameworks, metrics, and community relations programs offered at Australian universities. 

Christine Kampen Robinson is a Career Advisor for graduate students in Co-operative Education & Career Action.

She travelled to institutions in Germany and the UK to bring back ideas, initiatives and best practices to change the conversation regarding career-path options for PhD students at Waterloo. She also shared Waterloo’s best practices with partner institutions to benefit from the knowledge and experience cultivated at Waterloo.

Jennifer is a Counsellor at the Counselling and Psychological Services department including satellite offices within housing and residences. Since the University of Waterloo’s student population is extremely diverse, with over 61% who report being a part of a visible minority, Jennifer regularly meets with students from diverse cultural backgrounds. 

Due to Waterloo’s unique student body, Jennifer visited Bilkent University in Turkey as well as Yeditepe University and Insitut Teknologi Bandung, in Indonesia to learn cultural competence, cultural sensitivity, and ethic sensitive practice when working with individuals who are challenged by mental health. 

Marina is the Administrative Co-ordinator for Arts Graduate Studies and Research in the Dean of Arts Office.

Marina visited the University of California (Berkeley and Davis), the University of Southern California, Georgia Tech, New York University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Massachusetts to investigate graduate programs and research involving the overlap of Arts and STEM disciplines to advance the Faculty of Arts’ graduate program administration and experience.

Susan Grant is the Assistant Director of Organizational and Human Development (OHD).

She visited the University of Melbourne, University of Tasmania and Macquarie University in Australia to gain insight into staff learning and development, lean practices, and Mentorship programs while gaining exposure to talent development practices in Australia.