On Thursday July 25th, 2024, students, instructors, and staff members from the University of Waterloo community joined the Wicked Problems of Precarity Symposium to celebrate and showcase the final research projects completed by undergraduate students enrolled in the course. Working in interdisciplinary teams, undergraduate students showcased their research findings on the complex nature of precarity and how it has manifested in the world we live in today. Posters covered topics on issues of homelessness and the inaccessibility of critical social supports such as healthcare and housing, as well as urban flooding, urban agricultural practices, and the benefits of social prescribing for addressing issues of precarity, among others.
The showcase included opening remarks from the three PhD student instructors of the course, Adebusola Adekoya (School of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health), Kevin Bonnell (School of Planning, Faculty of Environment), and Serena McDiarmid (Psychology, Faculty of Arts). Each instructor spoke about the enriching opportunity that co-designing and co-teaching the course provided them as well as the value of providing interdisciplinary learning options to undergraduate students studying complex problems requiring complex and multi-faceted solutions. Undergraduate students enrolled in the course also had the opportunity to speak about their experience as students in the course and reflected on the skills and new perspectives interdisciplinary learning provided them. Speeches were concluded by the Interim Managing Director of the TII, Kyle Scholz, and from Co-Associate Vice-President of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, Clarence Woudsma.
The event was hosted by the Teaching Innovation Incubator in the Black and Gold Room of the Student Life Centre. The room was filled with academic posters, fresh food and beverages, and networking amongst faculty, staff, and students about the issues of precarity and how interdisciplinary learning and collaborations between students across faculties to help to address the complex problems of today.
The Teaching Innovation Incubator is continuing its endeavor to create more opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in interdisciplinary courses. Graduate students are encouraged to stay connected with the Incubator to keep up to date about future interdisciplinary teaching opportunities.
Click on the photos below to read the captions, enlarge the images and toggle through the slideshow.
Undergraduate students presenting on their poster titled, "Immigrant Access to Healthcare in Canada". Presenters include Christine Yang, Zarina Dossa, Zoha Khan, Sahar Riyahi, and Alessia Tavares (names not listed in any particular order).
Students presenting their work on their poster titled, "Navigating the Housing Crisis in Waterloo, Ontario", Presenters include Justice Cormier, Mariam Malik, Daisy Martin, Sho Nguyen, Hassan Sadiq Chaudhry (not in any particular order).
Photo of Wicked Problem of Precarity Instructors providing opening remarks alongside an undergraduate student from the course.
Photograph of the Wicked Problem of Precarity Instructors. (Instructors listed from left to right: Adebusola Adekoya (School of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health), Kevin Bonnell (School of Planning, Faculty of Environment), and Serena McDiarmid (Psychology, Faculty of Arts).
Undergraduate students presenting on their poster on Food Insecurity in the GTA. Presenters include: Nabeeha Khan, Jaclyn Kwok, Navdar Dary, and Adrian Louisy.
Photo of attendees of the Wicked Problem of Precarity Symposium listening to the opening remarks.
Photo of attendees of the Wicked Problem Symposium networking.
