Environment

The thrill of same-day delivery, binging Netflix or having food delivered straight to your door is satisfying and a perfect dopamine hit in the digital age. It is also a form of happiness rooted in consumerism, where convenience is everything. However, these quick fixes come at a cost: our deeper well-being and the collective health of society and the environment.

Traditionally, the faculties at Waterloo can seem quite siloed in terms of their organizational structure, but last year the faculties of Environment, Engineering and Math teamed up to break the mold. Together, they offered the first interdisciplinary undergraduate capstone project at the University of Waterloo.

Panama is considered a water-abundant nation, but last year a severe drought caused the Panama Canal to run out of fresh water. This crisis had critical consequences and forced officials to cut operations that disrupted worldwide shipping. The shortage underscored the complexities of water management in Panama during the age of climate change and raised important questions about water security that graduate students in the Faculty of Environment were looking to unpack.

As she prepares to cross the stage at Spring 2024 Convocation, she smiles broadly recounting how her interest in geography has taken her to so many unique places around the world in pursuit of her degree.

Rainbow crosswalks have become both a symbol and a battleground of queer visibility. While some hail them as beacons of safety and inclusivity, others see them as a symbol of tokenism in lieu of more important allyship.