Community

In October, we launched the "Inspired by UWaterloo Contest" on Instagram to celebrate the Fall 2020 Convocation. With three prizes on the line, students and alumni took to the comments, sharing why a particular Waterloo community member inspires them. The result was over 500 entries of heartfelt and encouraging stories from individuals who had been supported by friends, class-mates, mentors, faculty and more. Read on to see the stories from four alumni about the inspirational impact that others made on their lives. 

Upkar Arora (BA '85, MAcc '85) understands just how powerful our investments can be.

He joins us to talk about his work at Rally Assets, an impact investment firm. Plus, he speaks about his personal investments to Waterloo as an alumnus, donor and committed volunteer. Why does he care so deeply about our University community? How does he hope these investments will impact the world? How can others make an impact too?

Many municipalities and tour sites struggle as tourism numbers have significantly dropped in 2020 because of COVID-19. One spinoff from the University of Waterloo, Driftscape, is helping promote activities for several destinations.

With the switch to online learning and working from home, many co-op student and workers alike have had to revisit how they network and build friendships, virtually. Just as many of us had polished our in-person salutations and office etiquette, we’re now needing to pivot to keep these same connections fresh and genuine. Here’s a few suggestions we’ve developed during our co-op terms at the University of Waterloo:

Getting to know your colleagues

On March 17, 2020, Queen’s Park declared a state of emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to protect the health and safety of individuals and families in Ontario. Among the measures was the cancellation of elective procedures — surgeries scheduled sometimes months in advance — to create capacity for hospitals in case they experienced a massive surge in COVID-19 patients.

Asif Khan is an expert in data. He’s made a career and company out of the ways our data is collected, stored and used.

If data mining creeps you out, watch our webcast with Asif. He offers some valuable insights about how our data can be used in positive ways — to provide you with better service, or to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Last Friday, President Hamdullahpur announced the full membership of the President’s Anti-Racism Taskforce (PART). Comprised of mainly Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) from the University community, the taskforce will present recommendations for widespread and tangible change at Waterloo with respect to anti-racism and diversity.

Need a little good news? We’ve gathered some of our most popular alumni stories from the past year, full of cool ideas, helpful tips and lots of Waterloo pride.

Keep your fitness resolutions with Rosalie Brown
Has pandemic life got you feeling sluggish? Recharge with these tips from one of Canada’s top fitness instructors.

Mary Wells considered herself an engineer rather than a woman in engineering when she graduated from McGill University in 1987.

It wasn’t until the December 6, 1989 killing of 14 women at École Polytechnique de Montréal that she realized the significance of her gender in the profession for the first time.

The University of Waterloo is pleased to recognize four outstanding community members as recipients of this year’s President’s Community Impact Awards.

In its fourth year, the President’s Community Impact Awards were created to celebrate the rich connections between the University and Waterloo region communities. 

Ambika Opal (BASc ’17)and Paul Parker receive the Community Leader awards for their outstanding volunteerism and community outreach.