![[University of Waterloo]](/images/logobars/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Tuesday, February 1, 2005
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[Two pairs of scissors on red ribbon]](/images/2005/0201twodeans.jpg)
Math deans
future (Tom
Coleman) and present (Alan George) officiated at the opening of
the Centre for Computational Mathematics in Industry and Commerce on
January 19, two days after it was officially approved by UW's senate.
The
centre, directed by Wayne Oldford of the statistics and
actuarial science department, is a base in UW's faculty of
mathematics for interdisciplinary work in heavy-duty math as used in fields
"from basic science, to industrial manufacturing and design,
climate modeling, financial analysis, information security, data mining
and countless others". It's based on the third floor of the Davis Centre.
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One building would be a two-storey home for the Centre for Advanced Photovoltaic Devices and Systems Project, to be erected beside parking lot L, between Matthews Hall and the Central Services Building (powerhouse). "This will allow for a larger future building to the south which could be connected by an overhead link to the Math and Computer Building," says a project summary that's coming to the board from its building and properties committee.
Budget for the building is $3,225,000. "Funding is provided through research grants," the committee says.
The other building begins as a home for Sharcnet -- the Shared Hierarchical Academic Research Computer Network -- and "will provide space for approximately 2,000 interconnected computers which will be used to do very complex computing tasks", the committee's report tells the board. Sharcnet is based at the University of Western Ontario and involves ten other institutions, including UW.
The Sharcnet building would be a thin structure linking the Physics building and Engineering III.
"Due to the pressing need for faculty office space and graduate student offices," the report says, "the Faculties of Science and Engineering are pursuing a proposal to add two additional floors to the facility. The proposed 16,000 square foot structure would be the same height as Physics and would link Physics and Engineering 2 on the upper floors. The construction of all three floors would cost approximately $3,000,000 which would be shared between Sharcnet and the Faculties of Science and Engineering."
The building proposals come near the end of the agenda for today's board meeting, which starts at 2:30 in Needles Hall room 3001. Other agenda items include the possibility of a UW engineering campus in Kuwait; the report of the Provost's Task Force on Undergraduate Student Financial Support; final approval of the move of the architecture school from environmental studies to engineering; progress on the planned health sciences campus in downtown Kitchener; 2005-06 residence fees; and an "environmental scan" by president David Johnston.
Conestoga College, the universities of Guelph and Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier University will hold the job fair from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday at RIM Park. Organizers expect 4,000 students and alumni will attend -- resumés in hand -- as they seek full-time, part-time, contract, co-op and summer employment.
"The growing number of organizations is great news for the students and alumni," said Jan Basso, director of co-operative education and career services at Laurier. "Just as you have to be associated with one of our institutions to attend, the employers all have to be serious about hiring within the next six months."
The number of employers has climbed by almost 25 percent since last year, when 129 employers participated. That's a significant improvement since economic forces impacted hiring practices and the number dropped from record participation in 2001. Employers are coming from agriculture and forestry, consulting, financial services, retail and wholesale, government, manufacturing, health services, hospitality tourism, information technology, marketing and advertising, social services, sports recreation, telecommunications and transportation. Among them: Transfreight Integrated Logistics Inc., TELUS, Family & Children's Services of the Waterloo Region, Danier Leather Inc., Toyota Canada Inc., Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Toronto Police Service, Linamar Corporation, African Lion Safari, Ministry of the Environment, Manulife Financial and Scotiabank.
Shuttle buses will run from all four post-secondary institutions throughout the day.
Conestoga, Guelph, Laurier and Waterloo were the first four post-secondary institutions in Canada to jointly offer an annual job fair. The first one, in 1994, featured 50 employers. While a few combined job fairs are now held in other parts of the country, this one remains the largest.
SCALA is aimed at empowering and educating youth in the Philippines, some 12 million of whom are currently unemployed and out of school, EWB says. The agency has partnered with the Department of Social Welfare of the Philippines government to set up 15 computer training centres across the South Asian country.
![[Concentration]](/images/2005/0131scala.jpg)
"Currently," says the EWB news release,
"they are working on setting up an additional 12 centres and on
rendering them fully operational and sustainable. The SCALA project
overseas interns bring computer literacy and life skills to the
Filipino youth. This will greatly increase their chances of
employability and hence, chances for a better life. Hundreds of
Filipino youth have already been successful in finding jobs
after completion of this program (picture, left). . . . Its
astounding 97.5% graduation rate is one achievement; being
presented with the Global Knowledge Partnership Youth Education
award by the United Nations in Geneva is another."
The UW chapter is searching for the funds and resources necessary to support a UW student to work on the project in the Philippines. The chapter is also launching a three-part interactive workshop series about "Information and Communication Technologies" for development.
UW volunteers are looking for donations of 65 computers to be shipped overseas. Computers must be at least 300MHz with 64 MB RAM and have a CD drive. Donation of computer parts such as monitors, printers, and scanners are also welcomed. Charitable tax receipts for up to $200 can be provided for donated equipment. Financial donations are also welcomed, as the UW chapter strives to meet a fundraising goal of $15,000 by April.
Engineers Without Borders calls itself Canada's fastest growing not-for-profit organization, with nearly 10,000 members having joined since its founding by two Waterloo students in 2000. With a mandate of promoting human development through access to technology, it has sent hundreds of volunteers around the world to assist with a variety of international development projects.
Those interested in getting involved can contact Sonya Konzak, chapter president: sonya.konzak@gmail.com. E-mail about equipment donation should go to gotcomputers@gmail.com.
| WHEN AND WHERE |
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Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System 90-minute
training session today 10:00 or Thursday 2:00, Davis Centre room 1304.
Career workshops: "Letter Writing" 3:30, "Resumé Writing" 4:30, Tatham Centre room 1208. 'Fun with Unix' sponsored by Computer Science Club, 4:30, Math and Computer room 2037. New employee safety orientation Wednesday 10 a.m. Davis Centre room 1304. Waterloo Institute for Health Informatics Research presents Kevin Leonard, University of Toronto, "What is the Value Proposition of IT in Healthcare?" Wednesday 12 noon, Davis Centre room 1302. Diana Fitzgerald Bryden reads from her second book of poetry, Wednesday 4 p.m., St. Jerome's University room 3014. UpStart Festival of short plays, sponsored by UW drama department, February 2-5 and 9-12, details online. Perimeter Institute lecture by Leonard Susskind of Stanford University, "The Black Hole Wars", Wednesday 7 p.m., is fully booked, information online. Winfield Fretz, founding president of Conrad Grebel University College, memorial service Thursday 12:30, Grebel chapel. FASS 2005 Thursday and Saturday 8 p.m., Friday 7 and 10 p.m., Humanities Theatre. Chinese Spring Festival party sponsored by Chinese Students and Scholars Association, Saturday from 7 p.m., South Campus Hall, ticket information online. |
Graduate students in UW's Certificate in University Teaching have been warned against plagiarism, after an outbreak of such dishonesty in the "response papers" that CUT students write about various teaching issues. "Even trying to re-use parts of a previous response paper in a subsequent submission is considered plagiarism," says Donna Ellis, acting director of the teaching resource office, in a reminder memo to CUT students. "You can only submit work once for credit." She notes that, of course, only a minority of students are trying to do such things -- but for them the price can be high, with associate deans being called in as they are on all disciplinary issues. "As academics, we also need to serve as role models for our students," Ellis comments. "Also note that we have a workshop on March 2 on Professionalism in the Classroom; academic integrity will be one issue under discussion." Sooner than that -- this Friday -- there's a CUT workshop on "Teaching Dossiers"; details are on the teaching resource web site.
Organizers of the Launchpad 50K New Venture Competition send a reminder: the deadline for groups to sign up for the project is this Friday at noon. Launchpad "is designed as a catalyst for individuals actually wishing to launch businesses", a memo notes. "It is a creative approach to helping individuals pursue a dream." It's jointly sponsored by UW and Wilfrid Laurier University.
The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, which isn't part of UW but has close ties, is branching out a little beyond theoretical physics, with the launch of its Event Horizons series of cultural events in "the incomparable intimacy of our 205 seat theatre. Then after the show, hang out with the artists in our Black Hole Bistro -- where science, culture and community collide." On the schedule tonight is a performance by the Kronos Quartet, "one of the most celebrated and influential ensembles of our time". Violinist Susanne Hou follows on February 18. Ticket information: 883-4480.
"The UW Call Centre raised $901,888 last term," reports Bob Copeland, senior director of development and alumni affairs, summing up recent giving by alumni and other friends of UW (not including "major" donors). . . . The UW bookstore is holding a "huge book sale" today through Thursday, 8:30 to 4:30, in the South Campus Hall concourse. . . . The Federation of Students election campaign is under way, and I understand that one of the teams seeking executive office will begin its campaign with a noontime visit to the Architecture building. . . .
The registrar's office has just announced that Quest will be shut down February 18 to 28 for a major upgrade. There's information online, and I'll be saying more about the plans here in the next few days.
CAR
Heart Month