On behalf of the University of Waterloo, I want to express my condolences to our Turkish and Syrian community. I see the devastation, fear and grief caused by the recent earthquakes and I mourn with you.
The beginning of February marks the start of Black History Month 2023. The University of Waterloo is pleased to celebrate the diversity of people of African descent in Canada and their importance to the history and prosperity of this country.
While Canada is the strong and thriving country it is today largely because of the incredible diversity of people residing here, there is no doubt that Black people have made, and continue to make significant contributions to the growth and development of our country.
The University of Waterloo acknowledges and stands in support of Wauzhushk Onigum Nation regarding the recent announcement of 171 plausible burials at the St. Mary's Indian Residential School.
A president emeritus of Waterloo and an alum and former member of the University’s Board of Governors have been appointed to the Order of Canada.
Feridun Hamdullahpur and John Lounds were named members of the Order of Canada on December 29, 2022. Hamdullahpur’s honour is in recognition of his groundbreaking research in mechanical and mechatronics engineering and his visionary leadership in academia. Lounds, former president and CEO of Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), was honoured for his substantial contributions to land conservation across the country.
As the days get shorter and we welcome the changing of the season, this time of the year is an opportunity to pause and reflect.
Reflecting on the past year, I am grateful for many things and many people—including every one of you in our community. Thank you for all your contributions through another challenging year. Your hard work and the diverse perspectives and knowledge each of you bring to our campuses every day make our community stronger.
On November 11th, we remember and honour all the individuals who have and continue to serve in Canada’s military services. While terms like values, freedoms and rights have recently been connected to the political rhetoric of our times, the basis of these definitions regardless of their interpretation are a result of the sacrifice and on-going contributions of many.
This fall, we welcome our graduands back to campus
Last week, I wrote to the University community to express my sadness and anger at the murder of Mahsa Amini at the hands of Tehran’s Guidance Patrol. Since Ms. Amini’s death, protesters in Iran, across the world, and right here on our campus have been bravely demanding change. Those protesters have often been students, and a few days ago, they were specifically targeted by Iranian police at several institutions, including Sharif University.
More than 650 attendees from the University of Waterloo community participated in the first President’s Forum of the academic year, held on Monday, October 3.
I was deeply saddened to wake up this morning to news of the death in Pakistan of a