Recapping Reunion 2014

By Jennifer Bentley.

Reunion 2014 was a great success with almost 5000 attendees on campus for the day.

Reunion opened its doors to a larger audience inviting not only alumni but also students, faculty and staff and community members.

This year brought the addition of new events including a keynote lecture from alumna and two-time Olympic gold medalist Heather Moyse (BSc 2000) and international events in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Thank you to our volunteers. The day could not have been possible without you. Thank you to everyone who participated and we can’t wait to see you all next year!

For a full recap of the day, watch our video, visit the Reunion Storify and check out the photos.

 

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Professor named honorary Lieutenant Colonel

Based on a piece appearing on the St. Jerome's University news page.

At a ceremony in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories on September 29, Professor Whitney Lackenbauer, chair of the Department of History at St. Jerome’s University, was appointed the Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group. This is the largest military unit in Canada, comprising 1850 Canadian Rangers and 1600 Junior Canadian Rangers in Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, as well as Atlin, British Columbia.

“It is an absolute privilege to become the Honourary Lieutenant Colonel of the Rangers who act as our country’s eyes, ears and voice in the North,” Lackenbauer said. “The Rangers are one of our country’s great success stories in demonstrating sovereignty, security, and stewardship in a practical way that serves communities and our country as a whole. I have been honoured to travel with and learn from Rangers across the three territories, and the opportunity to serve this group of dedicated and patriotic Canadians is truly amazing.”

For the last fifteen years, Lackenbauer has been researching the Canadian Rangers – members of isolated northern and coastal communities who serve the Canadian Armed Forces in a unique organization that has existed since 1947. He has written numerous books, chapters, and articles on the Rangers, including Vigilans: A History of 1 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (forthcoming 2014), The Canadian Rangers: A Living History (2013), which was shortlisted for the Dafoe Book Prize earlier this year, and Canada’s Rangers: Selected Stories, 1942-2012 (2013).

“I look forward to continuing to promote the Rangers’ proud history and their ongoing contributions to protecting and building our country,” says Lackenbauer.

Professor Lackenbauer is pictured above receiving his appointment as Honorary Lieutenant Colonel from Major Craig Volstad, Commanding Officer of 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group.

 

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We went red for the United Way

This is the latest in a series of #UWCommunity weekly features that highlight Waterloo in the community.

October 1^st signaled the launch of Waterloo’s annual United Way workplace campaign and saw the University going red for the United Way. This year our fundraising goal is set at $250,000, and will include funds raised through individual donations, campus events, and activities lead by departments and groups at Waterloo.

The workplace campaign is one of many ways that Waterloo works to support the community. Funds raised during our campaign go directly to the United Way of Kitchener Waterloo and Area and support three focus areas: All That Kids Can Be, Healthy People, Strong Communities, and From Poverty to Possibility.

Learn more about the United Way Campaign and upcoming campus activities. For Storify highlights from the campaign kickoff, check out the Community Relations blog.

Photograph of Advancement staff sporting red by Emily Huxley Osborne.

Photograph of Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment (MUR) staff submitted by Lisa Brackenridge.

 

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Name that baby and other notes

The Office of the President and the Office of the Vice-President, Academic & Provost have gotten into the spirit of the United Way campaign with a fundraising campaign as cute as it is courageous. Here are the University's senior leaders, as you've probably never seen them before.

For $2 a guess, you can try to figure out which of the above baby pictures belongs to which members of the University's Executive Council. To make the guess, come on down to NH 3073 and support the United Way fundraiser. There are multiple prizes to be won!

Executive Vice President and Chief Actuary of Manulife Financial and Waterloo alumna Cindy Forbes (BMath '79) was on campus Wednesday to deliver a talk as part of the Actuarial Science Distinguished Practitioner Series, speaking to a full house of 100 faculty, alumni and actuarial science students.

She spoke of disruptive technologies and other trends and how they will impact the business of insurance and the actuarial profession.

 

Forbes oversees Manulife's worldwide actuarial function, which includes 1,200 actuaries, many of whom come from the University of Waterloo.

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