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University of Waterloo -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

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Monday, June 3, 1996

Parking fee goes down

The daily fee for using parking lot C, which was increased from $1 to $2 three weeks ago, has been reduced to $1.50, effective today.

UW security director Al MacKenzie said the change was made "after discussions with student leaders", who weren't happy with the doubling of the charge for use of C lot. (That's the big lot on the west side of Seagram Drive near the University Avenue entrance to campus. You pay when your car leaves the lot, not when you enter.) Making the fee $1.50 rather than $2 "does keep it more in line with the increases in the other lots", MacKenzie said.

Increases for monthly parking in other UW lots haven't been officially announced yet, but the current $14 charge is expected to go to $20 on July 1.

Saying goodbye to a vice-president

Friends from the local and Toronto business world, as well as UW-based colleagues, will gather tonight from 4:30 to 6:30 at the Waterloo Inn to say farewell to Roger Downer, cockroach researcher turned advancement professional. Downer, UW's vice-president (university relations), is SERPing out after 27 years of service here. Later this summer he will take up the post of president at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand.

Today's farewell tribute will draw a number of Downer's corporate and community associates on Campaign Waterloo, which has set sights on a new target of $100 million after topping the initial $89 million goal. (It now stands at just over $93 million.)

As part of the tribute, UW is establishing a student award in Downer's name. The Roger G. H. Downer Student Support Fund is a special endowment and donations will be accepted through the development office. "Over the 27 years of Roger's service to the university, clearly his roles in teaching and in support of students were always very near and dear to him," says Rudy Putns, executive director of development and alumni affairs.

Downer, a native of Northern Ireland, came to Canada in the late 1960s to join the faculty of science as a professor of biology and chemistry. He became one of Waterloo's most active researchers and was awarded several medals and honours, including a Distinguished Teaching Award and fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada. He authored or co-authored four books and more than 150 research publications.

In 1989 he became vice-president (university development), a title later changed to "university relations". In that post his biggest activity was spearheading the nation-wide Campaign Waterloo. He has also been active with the City of Waterloo's Cultural Development and Economic Development Committees, and the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery.

Picnic is tomorrow at noon

Music, games, $1 hot dogs and maybe just a few short speeches are on tap for noon hour tomorrow. The annual campus picnic will be a celebration of success for the Community Campaign, which has reached its $3 million goal for donations to UW from staff, faculty and retirees. (And now that the Campaign's over, it seems, things switch to an "annual fund" mode, as donations are still wanted.)

The picnic runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Davis Centre quadrangle. Rain location: Federation Hall.

Statisticians meet at UW

The Statistical Society of Canada is holding its 24th annual meeting at UW this week, with sessions on topics that range from "A Study on the Perception of Forces of the Thumb" to "Effects of Skidders on Two Types of Forest Soils". (You didn't think statisticians only look at census data, did you?)

This morning, the conference begins with the SSC Gold Medal Address, to be given by Irwin Guttman of the State University of New York at Buffalo. His topic:"A Bayesian Approach to a Reliability Problem -- Theory, Analysis, and Interesting Numerics". And right after that: Georges Monette of York University on "Is There a Role for Statisticians in Pay Equity?"

A number of Waterloo people are on the program, speaking on subjects ranging from arthritis treatment to process control. The conference, which runs through Wednesday, is drawing about 350 people, who are staying in the Village II conference centre.

Chris Redmond -- credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
(519) 888-4567 ext. 3004

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