Community

On Thursday October 26, the Faculty of Health celebrated Organ Donation Awareness day with a pop-up event that shared inspirational information for campus community members. The event was led by Alumni Council member and donor ambassador for the Trillium Gift of Life Network, Eric Celentano (BSc '79), in partnership with the Faculty of Health. 

According to the World Health Organization, by 2050, those aged 60 years and older will number approximately 2 billion, a significant rise from 900 million in 2015. In response to the aging global population, health-care systems confront the immense challenge of catering to the requirements of older adults, presenting challenges for individuals, health-care providers, caregivers and the institutions serving them.

Influenza, also commonly known as the flu, is an infection caused by a virus. Symptoms affect each person differently, ranging from mild to severe and include a high fever to aching muscles and a sore throat.

It’s cold outside but the view of Hudson’s Bay is beautiful from the Churchill Health Centre (CHC), where dozens of patients got their eyes examined this week, some for the first time in years, thanks to state-of-the art equipment donated through the University of Waterloo School of Optometry & Vision Science.  

The eye clinic, which took place from October 23 to 25 in the northern Manitoba town of about 900 people, was the first to pilot an initiative co-led by the School, the Manitoba Association of Optometrists (MAO) and the CHC. 

On November 2 the Faculty of Mathematics will host the second-ever Research Discovery Days, an event that showcases cutting-edge faculty and student research and facilitates partnerships with industry leaders and the larger community.

Drawing on deep experience in entrepreneurship and investing, community leaders Neil Murdoch and Mike Stork shared their knowledge on how to establish a successful startup to University of Waterloo students at a Founder Fireside Chat event, hosted by Velocity in collaboration with the University's Office of Advancement.

On October 25, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) premiered their eight-part documentary series, Black Life: Untold Stories that reframes the rich and complex histories of Black experiences in Canada spanning more than 400 years. 

Mothers everywhere know how hard it can be to take time for themselves. For Faduma Nur, a mother of six daughters, swimming lessons provided a chance to connect with her daughters but also allowed her to focus on something outside her family responsibilities.  

New ideas, insights and discoveries are constantly being cultivated in higher education. While academic debate between opposing points of view is at the heart of the search for knowledge, professors and students may experience targeted attacks by those who feel threatened by their work and its impact on society.

At the intersection of data privacy, open science and public health, the University of Waterloo has initiated a collaborative effort with several Canadian government agencies to explore the use of synthetic data for research and analysis.

Dr. Helen Chen, a professor in the Faculty of Health and director of the Professional Practice Centre in Health Systems is leading the initiative.