![[University of Waterloo]](/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Tuesday, July 8, 2003
|
Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
No matter where their lives take them in the future, both students see themselves staying linked to UW and their department through the Health Mentorship Program they helped to launch last year.
Designed to "create connections in health studies between first-year and upper-year students and ease the transition into the program," the mentorship program has evolved into an opportunity to create links in a broader sense, both within and beyond the department, Opadiran says.
Not only has the mentorship initiative helped on-campus students, staff and faculty get to know each other better, adds Thacker, but an alumni event this spring helped "open up ideas about career opportunities," as well as a chance for students to mingle and network with grads. At "Healthy Futures," health studies graduates talked about their work experiences with current students. A highlight of the evening, says Opadiran, was learning how those jobs "relate to our studies."
Another event this spring, "If I Only Knew," allowed first- and second-year students to discuss with upper-year students things they would have been better off knowing sooner. Among the hot topics: "what we really think about the value of a co-op degree, advice on courses that you will or should take, health-related jobs on campus, and why you may want to consider doing a thesis, independent study course, or the exchange program."
There are plans to make the alumni night an annual occasion, and more such events are planned -- "with amazing support from staff and faculty," she adds. With that help, a web site is being developed for the Health Mentorship Program which will provide information on events, academic and career planning, housing and textbook services, and allow students to share information about health-related job and volunteer experience. Included are job listings, alumni links, and information on post-degree professional programs.
While Opadiran and Thacker will hand control of the mentorship program over to new leaders, they -- along with founders Christina Lui and Helen Hsu and scores of other volunteers -- have helped chart the direction for the future.
"This year we held events to create opportunities for informal links," explains Opadiran. "With the double cohort (which arrives on campus in September), we plan to link new students with upper-year students on a more formal basis."
The new institute is a trans-disciplinary research collaborative aimed at advancing health through the discovery and development of new health informatics concepts and tools. It's the first university-approved institute dedicated to health informatics research in Canada, and one of few in North America.
WIHIR brings together faculty from all parts of the university to work on addressing major information-related challenges to an efficient, effective and sustainable health system. WIHIR works with health organizations, private industry, government and experts at other academic centres.
Health informatics is the discipline that investigates how information management and communications technology can support and advance health and the health system. Examples of WIHIR projects already underway include studies of the economics of information technology in the health system and research on techniques of ubiquitous computing applied to population interventional health.
"This institute positions the University of Waterloo to make its next major contribution to the future of the health system," says Paul Guild, vice-president (university research). About 50 faculty members from 15 departments and schools make up the research team.
![[Covvey]](/images/2003/0304covvey.gif)
"Our belief
in the value of the institute is based on the excellence of our researchers
and their track records," says Dominic Covvey (right), who proposed
the institute earlier
this year and is now founding director of WIHIR. "Our members are highly
productive, as demonstrated by their publication and funding records. What
the institute does is to 'braid' these performers together and bind them
through exchange, collaboration and collective research projects in areas
that are natural extensions of their strengths."
The institute's research places special emphasis on the fact that informatics systems exist in and depend on the human context. Through the involvement and leadership of the faculty of applied health sciences, says Covvey, WIHIR addresses the broad area of health, not just the acute health care system. This strength in population health, public health and health promotion lets WIHIR bring health informatics into areas that have great societal impacts but that have received relatively little attention so far.
Mainframes and Linux will be the topic of discussion at 4 p.m. today. The speaker is Jim Elliot, Linux Advocate for IBM Canada. He'll be speaking in MC 2065.
There will be a GSA council meeting this evening at 5 p.m. in NH 3004. Also this evening, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Grad House, a meeting of the Grad House wine club. The wine club is open to all Grad House members -- sign up for the club by attending a meeting. There is a minimal fee to cover the cost of samples. Tonight's topic: Gewurztraminers.
Looking ahead to tomorrow, plant operations advises that there will be a utility shutdown causing hot water to run cold in the student life centre tomorrow from 7 to 9 a.m.
C&PA