Warrior defends bobsled gold at Sochi

by Christine Bezruki.

Heather Moyse and her longtime sled partner Kaillie Humphries made Olympic history in Sochi yesterday, becoming the first women to win gold medals in consecutive Olympics for the two-man bobsled event. The pair triumphed over their close competitors on the U.S. team in the final heats on Wednesday.

For Moyse, just being able to return for a second shot at gold is a victory in itself.

A brave comeback

When Moyse arrived at Canada’s national bobsleigh training facility for testing in August, expectations were low.

Less than a year before, the Waterloo kinesiology graduate had undergone surgery to repair a torn labrum in her right hip. The surgery left her unable to train for weeks, and jeopardized her ability to return to the sport at an elite level.

But with a 5.50 second-start that day, Moyse proved to herself and her coaches that not only was she back— but she was faster and stronger than before.

“I thought she’d come back easily because she’s so experienced but I didn’t anticipate her coming back so strong. None of us did,” national bobsled coach Tom De La Hunty said in a recent interview.

"It was a huge challenge, which made it all the more motivating. Sochi for me is a massive overcoming of an obstacle kind of thing.”

Grueling rehab schedule got her back on track

She credits fierce determination and a grueling rehabilitation schedule with her strong return.

“I had to start from scratch and build everything from the building blocks, which is probably why I'm doing better,” she said.

In the fall, Moyse posted a video of herself pushing her sister's minivan around a parking lot in Denver when she couldn’t make it to a gym. The five minute video chronicles her long road back to the sport.

“To be a really good brakeman requires an ideal combination of strength and speed,” Moyse said. “I wouldn’t call myself the fastest girl in Canada, but put me behind the sled and it’s different.”

All of us here at Waterloo extend our congratulations to Moyse and Humphries for their accomplishments.

Photo credit: The Canadian Olympic Committee.

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Physics prof awarded Sloan Fellowship

By Katharine Tuerke.

A Waterloo physicist whose theoretical research has resulted in a better understanding of the thinnest - yet one of the strongest materials known to man - has been awarded a prestigious fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Dmitry Abanin is the recipient of a Sloan Research Fellowship – an award given annually to promising scientists, mathematicians and economists from Canada and the United States who are at an early stage in their careers.

“For a society to really grow, it needs people who are pushing the boundaries of what’s known to make new progress,” said Abanin. “That’s why this kind of fellowship is important – it supports people who are probing the edges of knowledge. It will help me, my group, and our research go farther.”

Theories enrich understanding of the world

Abanin is a faculty member at the Perimeter Institute. He also holds an adjunct professorship in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Waterloo and is an Associate Faculty member of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing.

Abanin has been recognized for his ground-breaking theoretical research in condensed matter physics of unique materials, including graphene. Graphene, a single layer of carbon, is a newer crystalline material that is no thicker than a single atom but stronger than a layer of steel at the same thickness.

Condensed matter physics is the branch of physics that studies systems of very large numbers of particles in a condensed state, like solids or liquids.

Abanin’s work has resulted in a number of significant theories related to graphene. Several of his theoretical predictions have been confirmed experimentally, a remarkable achievement for a physicist so early in his career. Graphene has important applications for medicine, integrated circuits, solar cells and superconductors.

“Many of these ideas will enrich our understanding of the world, and some will really click and lead to something big,” said Abanin.

Worked with Nobel Prize winners

He joined Perimeter in 2013 following postdoctoral research positions at Harvard and Princeton universities. He has worked alongside Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov whose ground-breaking research on graphene was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Other avenues of Abanin’s research will contribute to a greater understanding of how nature works at the quantum scale, and might also lead to quantum information applications.

For more than a half-century, the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowships have been awarded annually to the rising stars of science in Canada and the United States, helping establish them as the next generation of scientific leaders in areas spanning physics, chemistry, biology, and related disciplines. Recipients receive $50,000 over the next two years to pursue any line of research they choose.

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Tax slips now available through myHRinfo

Human Resources is reporting that year-end T4 and T4A tax slips, as well as staff association fee letters, are now available for download through myHRinfo.

To access the forms, log on to myHRinfo and navigate to the menu item Self Service > Payroll and Compensation > View T4/T4A Slips.

To access the staff association fee letters, log onto myHRinfo and navigate to the menu item Self Service > Payroll and Compensation > Faculty/Staff Association Slip.

Click on the View/Print link next to the appropriate year.

More detailed instructions, including how to give consent to receive year-end tax slips, can be found on the Human Resources website.

Human Resources also makes these helpful suggestions: ensure you have a PDF reader on your computer, and set the security settings in your browser to allow pop-ups from the site.

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Obama aide talks leadership, other notes

The Arts Student Union is hosting former Obama personal aide Reggie Love for a talk entitled "Leadership Lessons" on Thursday, February 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the Humanities Theatre.

"Drawing from his coveted experience as President Obama's personal aide, Reggie Love shares timeless, yet timely, lessons on crisis management, collaboration and leadership in the 21st Century," reads the lecture's promotional material. "Humble, serious, and self-deprecating, he encourage audiences to realize their potential and become more politically active."

Tickets are $10 for arts students, $15 for non-arts students and can be purchased at the Arts Student Union office in AL 120. A meet and greet will be held after the keynote address.

The next phase in the University of Waterloo's visual identity has launched with an update to the header of the University's homepage. Featured in the header is the updated University of Waterloo logo.

The University of Waterloo is sponsoring an award at the Greater KW Chamber of Commerce's 2014 Business Excellence Awards gala. The Business Excellence Awards, presented by Cowan Insurance Group, were established "to encourage and recognize Chamber members who have made exceptional contributions through their involvement and leadership, making a clear difference and who act as role models in the community."

The University is sponsoring the Business of the Year Award (over 20 employees), and the nominees include Able-One Systems Inc., Brick Brewing Company Limited, Financial Horizons Group, Kitchener Rogers Radio Group, Lackner McLennan Insurance Limited, Larrek Investigations, M&T Printing Group, Madorin, Snyder LLP, Robertson Brown Health Services, Stahle Construction Inc., Sun Life Financial, and triOS College Business Technology Healthcare.

Other award categories include the Business of the Year Award (20 employees and under), Environment and Sustainability, Health and Wellness in the Workplace, Hospitality/Tourism, Innovation, the Michael R. Follett Community Leader of the Year, Non-Profit/Charitable, Professional Development and Workplace Training, Volunteer of the Year, and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. The awards ceremony will be held at Bingemans at 6:00 p.m. tonight.

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