Yesterday, many of us across Ontario exercised our democratic right to vote in the provincial election. It can be easy to take this simple, recurring action for granted, but in recent years we have been reminded just how precious this fundamental right is and the importance of our civic duties.
You may have noticed that at University of Waterloo events, we begin with a land acknowledgement that recognizes that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. We also highlight that our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. I often expand upon the acknowledgement by personally encouraging attendees to deepen their own understandings of Indigenous cultures and histories.
For graduating PhD students, completing their dissertation defence is a significant milestone and convocation is an exciting time to celebrate their accomplishments with friends and family.
Six exceptional graduating PhD students have been chosen to share about their academic journey filled with innovation, resilience and passion. Read their stories below.
Convocation is a special time to celebrate a significant milestone. These ten students have been selected by their peers, in recognition of their social and academic contributions to the Waterloo community, to represent the graduating class of 2022.
Ola Idris
The University of Waterloo and the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) are hosting their 50th anniversary banquet on June 2, 2022, to celebrate their partnership and accomplishments.
Convocation is a time for celebration, reflection, and inspiration. It’s a time to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of students and to celebrate accomplishments. It’s a time to reflect on unforgettable moments that shaped growth and direction throughout university life. And it’s a time to be inspired to action, to make a positive impact beyond the campus of the University of Waterloo.
Karina Sukhina
Karina Sukhina woke up to the sound of the first bomb that landed on Kyiv at five a.m. February 24.
While at first uncertain about what she’d heard, Sukhina and her boyfriend Nazarii Kulyk were soon packing their bags and heading for safety.
“It was an awful time,” she says. “I can’t stop thinking about the morning Kyiv was bombed. We were so stressed for the next couple of weeks.”
The end of every academic year is an opportunity for students at Waterloo to bid farewell as they move on with optimism to explore life after school. For some, the experiences they had during their program will shape the life they lead after graduation.
Ashley Rose Mehlenbacher
Professor, Department of English Language and Literature
> Canada Research Chair in Science, Health, and Technology Communication
>Member, Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change
>Member, the Water Institute
This weekend many of us will have watched and read the news from Buffalo of another devastating mass murder motivated by racial hatred and an ideology of white supremacy.
To anyone in our community that is affected by this senseless tragedy, please know we are here to support you, and we have resources you can draw on to help you cope.
Events like these force us all to confront the horrible reality of gun violence in the United States, but most importantly the reality that racialized people, particularly Black people, face every day.