Another highlight of today's convocation will be the presentation of Distinguished Teacher Awards to two people: Susan Cash of the dance department (she was featured in a recent Gazette) and Jean Andrey of the geography department (look for her in the June 7 issue). David Winter, retired from the kinesiology department (and also the subject of a big Gazette article not long ago), will be given the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus.
Today's convocation address will be given by Andrew Sarlos, financier and multi-term member of UW's board of governors, who has made fortunes, lost fortunes, built them up again, and done much to develop trade and other relationships between Canada and his native Hungary. Sok szerencset! Sarlos will receive an honorary degree, and so will Kenneth Murray, retired executive of J. M. Schneider. He's currently an acting vice-president of the University of Guelph, and his UW connections include generous financial sponsorship of the Alzheimer's Disease research project.
The gold medal for the applied health sciences faculty goes to Johann Friesen; for the environmental studies faculty, to Ted Michael Sheridan. Departmental awards "for distinguished academic achievement": Heidi Ruston (dance), Katherine Lepp (health studies), Samantha Casmey (kinesiology), Johann Friesen (recreation and leisure studies), Ted Sheridan (architecture), Markus Viirland (environment and resource studies), Brenda Hachey (geography), Nancy Hackett (urban and regional planning).
Attached to the memo was a little poster, "This Voter Supports an Investment in Higher Education", that can be placed in house windows to forewarn candidates as they do their door-to-door campaigning. The faculty association office (ext. 3787) has extra copies.
Also promoting higher education as an election issue, the Federation of Students held a news conference last week on behalf of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. The theme there: "When universities work, Ontario works."
"The economic prosperity of our province is directly linked to the investments we make in higher education," says Jane Pak, president of the Federation. Says an OUSA flyer: "When you cast your vote on June 8, think hard about which party will promote higher funding, which party will set higher standards, and which party will reach for higher goals."
A questionnaire was distributed to candidates in the Waterloo North riding a few days ago from the UW faculty association, with a little help from my office. The responses will be sent out to association members shortly and will be published in the June 7 Gazette.
The UW Shop in South Campus Hall is featuring a variety of art work from the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery during Convocation Week, May 24 to 27. Proceeds from sales support Canadian artists working in ceramics, glass, stained glass and enamel as well as the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, says manager May Yan.
Electrical power (as well as heating, cooling and ventilation) will be turned off in the Chemistry 2 building from 6:00 to 10:00 tonight. "Some emergency power will be available," the plant operations department says. "Computer equipment should be shut down in an orderly fashion, particularly Unix systems."
Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
(519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca