Daily Bulletin

A study in blue Can you guess what this blue and white thing is? Stained glass? Ceramic tile? Actually, it's a histochemical stain of a cross-section of human skeletal muscle. Jerome Fan of kinesiology guessed it right and won $25 on his WatCard by playing Vague Visuals on the new web site for UW Graphics. "The contest has been very successful," says Yvan Rodrigues in graphics, who's running the weekly contest. "Although this first one was rather difficult we had many entries. The next one is not as difficult, in my opinion." So, he says, perhaps you could be next week's winner.

Convocation today and tomorrow

Here are a few highlights as UW's 76th Convocation continues to delight the hearts of graduates, parents, friends, caterers and florists:

Friday afternoon: 479 graduates in science. Honorary degree recipients: Peter Fulde, founding director of the Max Planck Institute for Physics of Complex Systems in Germany; Walter Lewis, biology, Washington University of St. Louis, senior botanist at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Distinguished Teacher Award: Emil Frind, earth sciences.

Alumni gold medal: Sanjeev Seahra, physics. Dean of Science awards for top graduate students: Yvonne Stevens and Sansun Yeh, biology; Lan Cao and Susan Clugston, chemistry; Rebecca Jacksteit, earth sciences; Levi Waldron, physics. W. B. Pearson Medals: Kristin Schirmer, biology; Michelle Parent, chemistry; Kerry MacQuarrie, earth sciences; Jean Giannakopoulou Creighton and Alan Scott, physics.

Saturday morning: 485 graduates in mathematics. Honorary degree recipient: William Kahan, Canadian-born mathematician and computer scientist prominent in the field of numerical analysis over the past 40 years.

Dan Dodge, who's receiving the Graham Medal on Saturday morning, will give a special lecture today on "Embedded Applications: Technology for the Real World". He'll speak at 2:30 p.m. in Davis Centre room 1350.

Computer innovator Dan Dodge, president of QNX Software Systems, will receive the J. W. Graham Medal in Computing and Innovation.

Alumni gold medal as top BMath graduate: Robert Bridson, computer science and pure math.

Saturday afternoon: 667 graduates in engineering. Honorary degree recipient: Keith Miller, mechanical engineering, University of Sheffield in Britain, a leader in the field of fatigue and fracture of engineering materials.

Honorary Member of the University: George Soulis, former engineering professor and associate dean, and now prominent figure in the UW retirees' association: "As founder and first chair of the Department of Design (now the Department of Systems Design Engineering), Professor Soulis was creator and driving force of an entirely new program, unique in North America, whose interdisciplinary nature and emphasis on design and creativity in engineering continues to be a model for engineering education. As head of the Institute of Design, he directed the department's Expo '67 project which brought early recognition and acclaim to the University of Waterloo. . . . Professor Soulis is one of our founders. His contributions are many and substantial."

Governor General's Gold Medal: Todd Veldhuizen, MASc, systems design engineering, as top graduate student of this year. Alumni gold medal as top BASc graduate: Kevin Thomson, mechanical engineering.

About the Grad House fee

Those who are in this situation can retrieve their $10 at the Grad House on the following two days: June 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; June 10 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Graduate students who wish to get their $10 back, must bring their spring fee statement, which indicates whether the fee was paid or not, and their WatCard for identification. "No money can be returned without these two items," an announcement says. "Also, these will be the only two days during which the fee can be reclaimed."

The money raised from the fee is to be used for "much needed capital and operational improvements at the Grad House", says the GSA's vice-president (operations), Daniel Piche. "The current plans include a patio in the front of the House, as well as improvements to our food services area, washroom facilities, improved handicapped access to the House, and other general renovations.

"On behalf of the Board I urge all members to help us support the Grad House, and to consider their choice very carefully before reclaiming the fee. The goal is for the changes to allow the House to become self sufficient. In this way, the GSA fee that graduate students pay each term could be used more for other services, and less for subsidizing the losses of the House, as it currently must."

Other news and events

The Humanities Theatre continues to get heavy use by local dance schools; the Moree School offers performances Saturday night at 7 and Sunday afternoon at 1 ("Cinderella and So Much More").

The career development seminar series continues Monday, with "Interview Skills: Selling Your Skills" at 2:30 p.m. in Needles Hall room 1020.

And looking ahead to the winter term 1999, preregistration for undergraduate students will take place June 3-5, which is next Wednesday through Friday.

CAR

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca | (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
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