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In 2023, National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) is from May 28 to June 3. The Government of Canada established NAAW to celebrate the contributions of disabled people, promote accessibility and recognize efforts to remove barriers.

“Inclusion is a core value at the University of Waterloo,” says Dr James Rush, vice-president, academic and provost. “We value diversity and recognize that everyone has strengths and challenges, regardless of their abilities. Our goal is to build a culture of inclusion where all members of our diverse community feel like they belong.” 

Grand River Hospital Foundation’s Care Never Stops Week (from May 23 to May 28) featured a Health Innovation Challenge in partnership with the University of Waterloo’s Velocity Incubator, a free public talk with Tomi Poutanen, CEO and Co-founder of artificial intelligence-driven health company Signal 1, and a grand finale Rally for Health, with a free public concert. 

The University of Waterloo is offering a full tuition waiver to all qualifying students from two First Nations communities on whose traditional territory the University is situated. 

Tina Roberts (BSc ’80) dedicated her career to Waterloo and its community. Her career spanned more than 40 years and made a significant impact on the University's marketing and recruitment efforts. 

A proud Waterloo graduate, Tina began her career in 1981 as a liaison officer and academic advisor in the Faculty of Human Kinetics and Leisure Studies, now the Faculty of Health. She was one of the first on campus to champion an evidence-based approach to marketing post-secondary institutions and recruiting undergraduate students. 

It was only a year ago that Raphael Anammasiya Ayambire celebrated his own graduation from the University of Waterloo. He first received his PhD in Planning before accepting a post-doctoral fellowship directly afterwards. Now a professor at the University of Manitoba, he returned to the University of Waterloo as a Faculty of Environment alumni speaker to congratulate the newest cohort on their achievements and recognize their success.

The University of Waterloo welcomed Prince Hussain Aga Khan and Princess Fareen Aga Khan to campus. Prince Hussain visited Waterloo for a special presentation of his exhibition, The Living Sea – Fragile Beauty, which focuses on the beauty and majesty of the oceans and the critical importance of ocean ecology.

An esteemed conservationist, Prince Hussain is a photographer of ocean life and promotes ecological values and consciousness. His exhibitions aim to inspire admiration for wildlife and the desire to protect it.

Waterloo Engineering alum Amy Charette (BASc ’94) was going to be an astrophysicist. Her ambition shifted gears on the day she met her first ever mechanical engineer through her high-school’s astronomy co-op program.

“I can’t remember her name — yes, the first mechanical engineer I happened to meet was a woman,” says Charette. “But I hung onto her every word and just knew that mechanical engineering was what I wanted to do.”

On May 16, Velocity kicked-off a partnership with the Grand River Hospital Foundation (GRHF) as part of their Care Never Stops campaign by presenting the Health Innovation Challenge.  The student hack-a-thon with a twist provides an opportunity for University of Waterloo students to take part in designing solutions to health care challenges being experienced within our local c

“Most of my work is in making VR more accessible for people with motor disabilities or impairments by using the input devices they already have rather than potentially inaccessible VR controllers,” Wentzel says.