Fall newsletter

Welcome from our Executive Director

The future of digital – where the left brain meets the right
 

Ginny Dybenko (right) and Alan Quarry present "Networking 101" to MDEI students

Worldwide, leaders of companies big and small are understanding more about the power of strengthening their brand through digital media. With customer experiences delivered more and more through digital channels, companies are often providing a less than stellar experience, which consequently reflects negatively on their brand.

These companies need strategies for success in mobile, social, web, and digital content. Market data shows that a positive user experience will encourage more engagement, enhance the brand and ultimately, result in more revenue. This area of focus has become so popular of late that a new term has been coined: User Experience or UX.

UX requires part creative, part business, part technology and 100% digital. And that's where we come in. 

We understand the successful knowledge workers of the future must employ both sides of their brain: the creative and the rational. That's why we have created programs that adopt a user-centered approach to design and business, at a campus that's fast becoming known as Canada's UX Centre of Excellence. 

We look forward to connecting students with researchers and industry partners as they begin to transform the world - digitally.

Ginny Dybenko
Executive Director, University of Waterloo Stratford Campus

News around campus

Academic notes
 

Christine McWebb (left) and Brandi Gillett strike a pose at GBDA Orientation 2014

With the new academic year upon us, I'm excited to welcome all of our new and returning Bachelor of Global Business and Digital Arts (GBDA)  and Master of Digital Experience Innovation (MDEI) students to the Stratford Campus. I also want to congratulate our most recent graduates from MDEI - they join our growing network of alumni who are applying their skills in a range of industries throughout Canada and beyond.

This year will be a particularly exciting one as we welcome the first cohort of third-year GBDA students to the campus full-time. It will be wonderful to see the campus even more full of life. These students will complete coursework, major projects, and will then head off on their first internship in the spring.

As we continue to grow, I am also excited to welcome new faculty members and staff who will support our students as they embark on these new activities – it promises to be a stimulating and fruitful year.

Christine McWebb
Director, Academic Programs

Faculty highlights

Our professors are immersed in research that advances our understanding of a range of disciplines including fine arts, new media and much more. Read more about their achievements.

Cameras and tablets and mic's oh my!

Given our focus on digital media, it's important that the Stratford Campus be equipped with the latest tools and technologies. Our tech team stays on top of the latest digital trends, and ensures that our students and faculty have access to the equipment they need for teaching, research, and commercialization activities. Our list of gadgets and gizmos grows each year - check out the list of our gear (click the thumbnail to enlarge).

New faces around campus

To support our growing teaching and staffing needs, a number of new members have also joined our team this year including:

• Philip Boyle
• Jennifer Whitson
• Susan Cole

Celebrating success

Here we grow again

September is always an exciting time at the Stratford Campus – it marks new beginnings, and continued growth. We welcome 27 new MDEI students who began their journey with "bootcamp," a two-week intensive workshop focused on team building, technical design and project management. They join 128 1st year GBDA students who arrived in force on September 4 to take part in a day-long Orientation that challenged them to explore Stratford and create a unique film to document their day.

These new students bring our total enrollment in our undergraduate and graduate programs to 350 students – growth that's exceeded all expectations!

They came. They coded. They conquered.
 

(L-R) Jason Ernst, Tony Clement, Carlos Saavedra

The Stratford Campus was host to hackers of all ages during the inaugural Canadian Open Data Experience (CODE) Hackathon in February 2014. Teams were given 48 hours to build an app, using federal government data made available for the first time through the Canadian Open Data Portal. Hundreds across the country competed and submitted their work – finalists were then chosen to present their idea in Toronto to an esteemed panel of experts, including Treasury Board of Canada President Tony Clement.

In the end, Electric Sheep, a team comprised of MDEI candidate Carlos Saavedra and his partner, Jason Ernst from the University of Guelph, took home the top prize of $25,000 for newRoots, an app designed to connect new Canadians with the cities that will give them the best possible start in Canada. Check out our Storify to see how it all unfolded!

A competitive edge

What do you get when you throw together creative talent, novel technology and a healthy dose of competition? That question was answered as industry and community partners asked GBDA students to put their design skills to the test in two major student competitions.

The Stratford Perth Community Foundation tasked students with designing content to display on the 3-storey Christie MicroTiles^® wall during the annual Mayor’s Gala hosted at the Stratford Campus. Armed with technical specs and a creative brief, students were invited to submit their best design work. Ethan Pelletier (pictured at right) was the chosen winner for his submission that best demonstrated vision and creative talent.

Christie Digital Systems Canada also developed a competition for first year GBDA students, with a focus on creating digital content for a range of displays housed at Christie's headquarters. Submissions were assessed by a panel of judges, and those with the highest level of innovation were awarded $3,000 in prizes and eternal bragging rights.

These relationships are a win-win for students and partners alike – students have the opportunity to develop their design skills, while partners gain access to unique creative talent.

Campus initiatives

Technology that's not just fun and games

If you ask around, the Engage Lab might be voted one of the most fun spots on campus – but it's a space with serious goals and objectives. The lab provides industry, students and faculty with the opportunity to increase and enrich audience and user engagement through research and exploration in the fields of User Experience (UX) design and gamification. Featuring a range of technologies (including virtual reality head-mounted displays, gesture-based devices, a Sony 4K camera and more), for those who have specific research or commercialization projects in mind. 

Creating connections
 

Industry connections have played a key role in the development of our programs. In our first year of existence, we asked organizations to mentor students in our fledging graduate program – and the response was overwhelming. Since that time, our list of partnerships has grown exponentially, and we are amazed by the creativity and resourcefulness that these interactions inspire. Over the coming year, we are excited to provide even more opportunities for industry to connect with our graduate and undergraduate students. Learn more. 
 

Winners of The Source project, (L-R) Kelly Ward, Ryan West, Ariel Jing, Martin Ma)

Brush With Art

You can't visit the Stratford Campus without noticing the remarkable art that adorns our walls. The pieces are compliments of Brush With Art, a volunteer-based program where an elected student group coordinates and curates exhibitions of student work at the University of Waterloo on- and off-campus locations. The program promotes art in the community and provides artists the chance to exhibit and sell their work free of charge. All the work in our building is done by students in Fine Arts at Waterloo – you can drop by Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 4:30 to see the entire installation. Here are just a few examples of their amazing work:

   

Community connections

Town and Gown

As more students make Stratford their home, the City and the university have worked together to create the Stratford Town and Gown Advisory Committee. With representation from City Council, university administration, students and residents, the committee serves as a forum for the exchange of information, open discussion and communication among constituent groups. It's built on efforts across the province to engage municipalities where post-secondary institutions exist in order to create safe, happy and cohesive communities.

Cans for a cause

Members of the Stratford Campus came together to support the university-wide CanBuild competition with items collected at the Stratford Campus supporting the Stratford House of Blessing. Not satisfied with an ordinary food drive, organizers challenged teams to create a structure made entirely of the food items collected. So, what do people at a digital media campus build out of cans? A working camera of course! Aptly named the "CANera" the structure was equipped with a Sony camera that wirelessly transmitted images to an iPad for display.

By the end of the competition, more than 780 cans and hundreds of 'selfies' were collected. Watch how the design unfolded.

Heart Burn Day

Staff and students rolled up their sleeves for the annual Heart Burn Day in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The annual chili cook-off featured over 40 chili dishes, music and fun for the whole family. The Stratford Campus entry was dished up by Stephenie Koerne, a College Station transplant, who unveiled her "Texas Red" recipe to the Great White North. Guests who stopped by the Stratford Campus booth also had the chance to try an Oculus Rift virtual reality system featuring a responsive 3D animation in the event theme "under the big top" (BEFORE they sampled chili!).

Big Bike

Staff from the Stratford Campus took to the streets to ride the Big Bike to benefit the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Together, we raised $1,740 for this worthwhile cause. Read more.

Music Monday

Created to celebrate the positive impact of music education, Music Monday is a nation-wide event held across Canada on the first Monday in May. This year, students from Hamlet Public School and Anne Hathaway Public Schools (pictured at right) in Stratford converged at the Stratford Campus to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the event. Read more.

Reunion 2014 – Rediscovering Arts

Alumni, staff and students were on hand at the University of Waterloo to mark Reunion 2014 this past weekend. The Faculty of Arts hosted a special open house that honoured teaching in the 21^st century, with several departments displaying projects including an interactive "Thirst Games" challenge created by GBDA students.

Equipped with iPads installed with Layar, an augmented reality app, users scanned images and followed clues to navigate through the building. It was a chance for guests to learn about emerging mobile technologies, and to see how students are using them to explore their creative and commercial potential.

 

CBC's Cross Country Checkup visits campus

Do libraries still matter in the age of Google? Special guest host Peter Mansbridge posed this question to panelists, audience members and callers from across Canada as CBC Cross Country Checkup visited the Stratford Campus for a special remote broadcast. See how it all unfolded on event day, view comments from across the country, listen to the audio recording, or watch the livestream.

Impact of giving

Supporting students

Students studying at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus are supported by faculty, staff and industry mentors. At the same time, Stratford community members and friends of the university have been playing an essential role in the education or our students: donating the funds necessary to create scholarships and awards. Read more.
 

Rotary Club of Stratford Award recipient, Rebecca Mendes,
third year GBDA student.