Community

Unzila Shahzad, a University of Waterloo co-op student, recently wrote and published her own children’s book following a work term at SickKids Hospital. Shahzad’s book, Haseeb and Teddy: From Magic Boots to Magical Feet, adds a touch of magic to empower children with clubfoot while shedding light on the congenital condition. Clubfoot is present at birth which causes an infant’s foot to turn inward or downward because of a shortened Achilles tendon.  

On Tuesday, July 7, the Office of Indigenous Relations invited Waterloo President and Vice-Chancellor Vivek Goel and other campus community members for an event to celebrate the official launch of the Indigenous Strategic Plan 2023-2028. The purpose of this plan is “to assist in guiding the University of Waterloo towards its goal of indigenizing and decolonizing the institution,” according to Jean Becker, associate vice-president of the Office of Indigenous Relations.  

A transcript of President Goel's remarks from the June 29, 2023 Community Gathering that took place in the Arts Quad is below.

Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for gathering here with us today.

Our community was shaken by a disturbing hate-motivated attack related to gender expression and gender identity. If you need to take space from work or your studies right now, please do that. Your managers and instructors will do everything they can to support you. 

Campus community members who identify as Two-Spirit, trans, non-binary, queer, gender non-conforming and women may be disproportionately impacted by these events and should be centred in our healing. They may require additional space, support, time away, and accommodations at this time.

On Wednesday our community was confronted by hate-motivated violence.

In a shocking attack at approximately 3:40 p.m., a member of our campus community stabbed a professor and two students with a knife in Hagey Hall. All three people were taken to hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Growing up on a reserve, Amanda Michano’s (PharmD ’22) dream of working in health care was sparked by a visit from a pharmacist.

“I was in awe of the pharmacist who came to help me understand how to use my inhaler for my asthma,” Michano says. “It was in that moment that I knew I wanted to help teach people how to use their medication.”

Over the past year, the Faculty of Arts welcomed four new faculty members as part of the Black Faculty and Indigenous Faculty Cluster Hiring Initiative. Among the four new faculty members is Jay Havens, a multi-media Two-Spirit artist, educator, collaborator and proud citizen of the Mohawk (Kanien’kehà:ka) Bear Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River.