Vintage train rolls through campus

“You may have noticed our test runs,” writes Neal Moogk-Soulis, referring to the six-times-daily passage through campus of the Waterloo Central Railway’s 70-ton diesel engine, three passenger coaches and 1914-era red wooden caboose.

“We thank the UW community for keeping an eye out for the increased rail traffic and for waving to our passengers as we pass,” writes the former Imprint staffer, recent grad, incipient master’s student, and train enthusiast.

The WCR’s grand opening and “VIP day” takes place Saturday, 9 a.m., at the City of Waterloo Visitor and Heritage Information Centre at Erb and Caroline streets, which is also the Waterloo Station for the WCR. There will be refreshments and live entertainment, according to the railway’s news release, and “the VIP train will depart Waterloo at 10:00 with a special ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the arrival at the village of St. Jacobs at approximately 10:35.”

Through the summer (there will be a revised schedule in the fall), on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, trains will run along a six-mile stretch of the former CN spur line from Waterloo to St. Jacobs and back, three times each way, with a stop at the St. Jacobs market on each run.

The Waterloo Central Railway is operated by the Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society (SOLRS), an organization of volunteers. Moogk-Soulis is one of them. “For the moment, I'm creating the commentary that people will hear as the train rolls through the countryside,” he says. His spiel “includes a good dose of UW trivia, including pointing out the R&T Park, the School of Optometry, the Davis Centre, East Campus Hall and the proposed engineering buildings on the B lot, CPH, the founding of UW, and UW's 50th Anniversary.

“I ride the trains as an assistant conductor, and I've been involved with other aspects of getting the train rolling, including publicity. I'll shortly be in training to become a trainman or conductor and perhaps one day even become qualified to be the engineer or driver.”

He adds that SOLRS is looking for more volunteers, “particularly those who might have the mechanical and electrical expertise to help keep our 1950 diesel engine in top condition,” as well as people to help operate the trains and work on marketing and publicity. The group meets every other Thursday at the Waterloo station: next meeting is Thursday, July 19, at 7 p.m.

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Grants enhance undergrad learning

A memo from the Centre for Teaching Excellence

The Associate Vice-President (Academic), Geoff McBoyle, and the Centre for Teaching Excellence announce this year’s grant recipients of the Learning Initiative Fund (LIF) and the Program Initiative Fund (PIF).

LIF grant recipients include Peter Deadman, geography; Diana Denton, drama and speech communication; Paul Guild, management sciences; Carol Hulls, electrical and computer engineering; Christine McWebb, French studies; and Marcel O'Gorman, English language and literature.

The LIF program offers researchers up to $20,000 over a two year period to fund research projects that enhance undergraduate student learning. This year’s proposals highlighted ambitious plans such as improving the alignment of expectations and needs of students who select classroom versus web-based course delivery (Paul Guild), developing and testing of on-line tutorials to facilitate geomatics education (Peter Deadman), and pilot testing a service learning course (Diana Denton).

PIF grant recipients included Lois Andison, fine arts; Christine Dupont, biology; Doris Jakobsh, religious studies; Tracy Penny Light, St. Jerome's University; and Nancy Waite, pharmacy.

The PIF program offers departments, schools and faculties up to $20,000 over a two-year period to fund projects that support instructional changes linked to the outcomes of formal undergraduate academic program reviews.

This year’s recipients proposed projects such as creating mobile media workstations to facilitate teaching in Fine Arts (Lois Andison) and hiring an individual to design a longitudinal community service learning experience for pharmacy students (Nancy Waite).

More information about LIFs and PIFs is available from Vivian Schoner at vschoner@admmail.uwaterloo.ca, or online.

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And remember . . .

A reminder from Sharr Cairns about the Blood Clinic in the Student Life Centre: Appointment times are still open for today and tomorrow. “We should be able to accommodate more walk-in donors this week, so if anyone has the time to come out and donate for us, we'd really appreciate it.”

From human resources comes this: “Please visit http://www.hr.uwaterloo.ca/benefits/pension/contributions.html. It outlines the increase in required employee pension contributions that were communicated at the April 2007 public meetings and approved at the June 2007 Board of Governors meeting.”

From graphics: "It’s easy to forget during the lackadaisical spring term how quickly September is upon us. Instructors are encouraged to prepare their course packages for the fall and submit them as soon as possible. You can place your order by phoning Erin Smith at extension 33996, emailing courseware@uwaterloo.ca, dropping in to Graphics (COM building) between 8:30 and 4:30, Monday to Friday, or ordering online. Make sure materials are ready for the beginning of term by placing orders now!"

And from housing and residences: “Hiring for the fall ’07/winter ’08 grad don position at Columbia Lake Village, North Community. The job description and an application are available online. Applications are due next Monday, July 23.” Contact residence life co-ordinator Amy Endert at alendert@uwaterloo.ca for details.

Waterloo Home Support Services invites calls from good drivers with reliable vehicles who will volunteer to drive and escort “clients with visual or physical limitations for weekly grocery shopping.” For more information call Angie or Bianca at 519-579-6930.

John Reeve, a faculty member in electrical and computer engineering since 1967, died June 19, aged 70. His research dealt with the control and simulation of high-power electronic systems, and he consulted on, among other projects, the James Bay Quebec to Boston power system. He was a Fellow of the IEEE and received the IEEE Uno Lamm HVDC Award – the first Canadian to do so – in 1996, the year he retired under the Special Early Retirement Program. He was named Distinguished Professor Emeritus at UW’s fall 2006 convocation

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