UW makes MaRS landing tomorrow

"The University of Waterloo is bringing its well-known expertise in the mathematical and computational sciences to the heart of Ontario's advanced research in health care and medicine," a news release from the media relations office says. "UW's faculty of mathematics is opening offices in the MaRS Discovery District."

MaRS is a complex of offices and labs for medical and biological research, based in the former Toronto General Hospital complex adjacent to the University of Toronto main campus. "The 'UW @ MaRS' facility," says the release, "will add the resources of North America's only faculty of mathematics to the MaRS project. UW researchers will lend their expertise to solving health-care related challenges. Initial projects under discussion include building mathematical modelling tools to address health-care waits and hospital bed allocation."

Says UW president David Johnston: "The University of Waterloo wants to expand its reputation as an international centre for excellence and innovation in the application of mathematics and computer science in health settings. This new facility will allow us to build strategic partnerships with leading organizations."

And Tom Coleman, dean of mathematics: "The application of mathematical and computing research affects many of the things in the world around us. It underlies all our technology and modern developments — and now is playing a more major role in medicine and health care. Behind every new cure and improved medical procedure lies models, clinical studies, software and databases. University of Waterloo researchers are making an impact."

The 'UW @ MaRS' facility includes a conference room, a private office and 10 workstations. It will be a base for Waterloo experts — post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and visiting faculty — to tackle complex problems along with faculty in Waterloo. They will help bring UW's diverse knowledge in operations research, data mining, statistical consulting, mathematical modelling, surveying, image processing and cryptography to the Toronto research community.

MaRS Discovery District is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 2005 "to improve commercial outcomes from Canada's foundation of science and technology innovation," the release says. "MaRS connects and fosters collaboration between the communities of science, business and capital through co-location in the MaRS Centre and more broadly through catalytic programs, structured networks and the MaRS web portal."

The faculty of mathematics will host an official opening for the centre on Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the MaRS Centre atrium, 101 College Street in downtown Toronto.

Back to top

Higher ed IT experts gather this week

Some 450 technology staff from universities across Canada are in Waterloo this week for CanHEIT 2007, the annual Canadian Higher Education Information Technology conference, which has grown to three times its original size since it was first held in 2003.

After introductory social events last night, the conference gets rolling this morning with a keynote address by Richard Katz, vice-president of Educause, which has a membership of some 2,000 universities and other institutions, mostly in the United States. A second major talk, scheduled for Wednesday, will come from Richard Spencer, "senior IT strategist" at the University of British Columbia, who is known for his work in major administrative computing systems.

Along the way, participants will attend sessions on such topics as network security, "virtualization", information technology governance, "Building a Campus Portal through Collaboration", identity management, mobile computing, game-based learning, the work of help desks, and project management.

Speakers from Waterloo will include Richard Crispin of the psychology department ("Wireless Telephony in Residence"); Trevor Grove of computer science ("Virtualization: Methodologies, Strategies and Experiences"); Gordon Agnew, electrical and computer engineering ("Network Security"); Erick Engelke of engineering computing and Reg Quinton of information systems and technology ("Windows Security"); Lisa Tomalty-Crans of IST and Christine Jewell and William Oldfield of the library ("From Electronic Theses to an Institutional Repository"); Bob Hicks of IST ("Collaboration Using Sharepoint Services"); and Peggy Day of IST ("IT Help Desk Challenges and Lessons Learned"); Patrick Matlock of IST and Walter Tautz of computer science ("Deploy This"). And Sean Van Koughnett of UW Graphics will make a presentation on the "Media and Mobility Network Project" that's expected to bring dramatic changes to the computing and communications environment for UW students, starting with those in residence, within the next year.

UW is hosting the conference, but it's being held on the campus of Wilfrid Laurier University because a suitable facility at UW wasn't available, according to conference chair Roger Watt. He retired this spring as director of the Network Services group in IST, but has returned on a volunteer basis to see the conference through (and he says, to make sure that he'd be able to attend in spite of his retirement). Other staff from UW, with one from WLU, made up the organizing committee.

Four major high-tech companies — Apple, Cisco, IBM and Sun — have signed on as "premier" sponsors of the conference, with other corporations involved at lesser levels. Dinner tonight at the Revolution Night Club and Oktoberfest tomorrow at the Concordia Club will be part of the CanHEIT agenda, and conference activities wind up at midday Wednesday.

Back to top

Athletics names manager, 2 coaches

The UW department of athletics announced three new appointments last week, including the arrival of Beth Ali from the University of Toronto to take the new position of Interuniversity Sport Manager.

Ali has served in a similar position with Toronto’s Varsity Blues athletic program for the past three years, a statement from athletics said. “Beth has also been a program manager for the University of Toronto in various roles since 1998. She has a very solid understanding of the business and sport practices of the OUA and CIS and will be a tremendous asset to the Waterloo Warriors staff. She will be responsible for the management of intercollegiate sport, all the coaches and programs, and liaison for the OUA and CIS.”

According to athletics director Judy McCrae, “This is a new position for us and much needed. In Beth, we are getting a very knowledgeable and experienced Intercollegiate Manager. She brings a wealth of elite sport management and coaching to us as well as a rich intercollegiate administrative background. She will be a valuable asset to the department."

Ali also brings a wealth of coaching and sport administration expertise from the world of field hockey, as she was the head coach of the Varsity Blues women’s team in that sport for 12 seasons. She served as Women’s High Performance program director from 1998 to 2003 for Field Hockey Ontario, and as program manager and assistant coach for Field Hockey Canada from 2000 to 2006, and currently holds the position of High Performance director for the national program.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Warrior staff,” said a statement from Ali. “The reputation of the University of Waterloo and Department of Athletics and Recreational Services is excellent and I am excited to be a contributing member of such a fine team.” She’ll start work on June 1.

New coaches named to head Warrior teams — both in part-time positions — are Chris Lawson for men’s volleyball and Jeff Slater for men’s and women’s swimming.

“Chris brings a solid background of coaching volleyball on several levels,” the announcement said. “He has over 15 years coaching experience with OVA and club teams, 20 years coaching senior high school (men’s and women’s), and over 25 years of volleyball camp leadership. Chris has also coached with the Team Canada youth program, Team Ontario Men, and the Ontario Summer Games team for several years.

“Chris is a NCCP level III coach. He is currently involved in administrative roles with Volleyball Ontario including Provincial Team Coach Selection Committee and LTAD Implementation Committee. Chris has received numerous high school and provincial coaching awards in his career to date.”

At poolside, Slater succeeds Brian Cartlidge, who will be retiring after 17 years coaching with the Waterloo swimming program. “Jeff returns to Waterloo from the University of Guelph,” the announcement said, “where he has served as head coach of the Gryphon swimming varsity program since 2003. Jeff is an alumnus of UW, obtaining his BA in history in 1990. Jeff began his coaching career with the men's waterpolo team and then men's and women's swim teams in 1989-90.

“Jeff is a NCCP level III coach. He has also coached in Victoria, B.C. (Island Swimming), the University of Calgary, and with the Nepean Kanata Barracudas. In addition to his solid coaching resume, Jeff has been successful setting up fundraising programs for the University of Guelph and various community initiatives. He is also the present vice-chair of the Ontario Swim Coaches Association, overseeing the operation and representation of 500 Ontario swimming coaches.”

Slater said he is “thrilled” to be coming back to Waterloo. “I know the department and the school are dedicated to seeing swimming as one of the leading teams at Waterloo."

CAR

Back to top