We all have different ways of giving back, whether giving our time and skills or making a charitable donation. However, the reason is often the same — you want to help make a difference.
Dr. Sara Konrath (BA ’02)
When I was in second-year engineering in Mexico, we had a course dedicated to the slide rule (there were no pocket calculators in those days). I had an innovative teacher, Dr. Leonardo Rapoport, who decided we needed to learn about computers. He managed to get machine time for us on an IBM 650, where I first learned about programming.
In the 1960s, the University of Waterloo was already gaining international attention for its Computer Science program. I first learned of the University in the pages of the Journal of the Association for Computing Machinery.
“Across sectors, whether you work in government, industry or academia, we need to rethink how we work,” said the University of Waterloo’s Chancellor Dominic Barton in his opening remarks at the Waterloo Innovation Summit on April 25.
The former head of McKinsey & Company elaborated that, “as I get older, I’m convinced that the changes we are seeing in the world today are truly historic.” Barton pointed to the economic power shifts playing out globally, as well as technological transformations and climate change that are fundamentally shaping the way we will live and work.
Many engineering students choose the University of Waterloo for co-operative education and academic rigor. But as first-year students arrive on campus, they soon discover that it’s not all work and no play.
Although academic success is important, a meaningful and memorable student experience is also built through friendship and fun. Over the years, many Faculty of Engineering traditions have bolstered camaraderie and built a valuable sense of community.
One of the traditions that always brings a smile to the faces of students and alumni is Engineering Day.
Growing up in a family where money was scarce, Floyd Marinescu (BMath ’02) saw firsthand the impacts of working class poverty. “Money was a source of a lot of conflict in my house,” he said. “I knew that if there was financial security, it would have been a lot better for my family.”
A fan of Star Trek, Marinescu yearned for the egalitarian, poverty-less society depicted on the show, often wondering, “How do we get to that future?”
Dr. Troy Glover (PhD ’00) has dedicated his career to exploring transformative placemaking, which he describes as the aspirational efforts to convert urban spaces into meaningful places. These initiatives aim to encourage positive social interactions and enhance the quality of community life.
A lack of connectedness and loneliness can severely affect people’s health. “Research reveals the mortality impact on lonely and disconnected individuals is comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day,” Glover said.
From transforming peacebuilding with technology to developing AI-powered tools for mental well-being and championing inclusivity in STEM, these innovators illuminate new paths to joy.
When Zain Bandali (BES ’20) was growing up, he discovered a love for mehndi, the ancient living art form of henna tattoo. The tradition is popular in South Asia but was considered something only women and girls could do.
Despite encountering discouragement early on, Bandali, an Ismaili Muslim Queer artist of Indo-Tanzanian heritage, became the only boy at his local Jamatkhana (the place of worship and community centre for Ismaili Muslims) doing mehndi for the elders and kids in his community.
Velocity, the University of Waterloo's largest entrepreneurship program, has released its first edition of Momentum. The publication showcases strong engagement from entrepreneurially minded students and the achievements of those students and other startup founders.