Former AHS dean gives to keep UW healthy

An online profile provided by the Keystone Campaign

It can be hard to find retired Dr. Robert Norman these days. The country retreat of the former dean of applied health sciences is just outside of Alma, Ontario, nestled in a magnificent wilderness. Peace and serenity surround, but Bob happily gushes enthusiasm and pride for the University of Waterloo.

UW is the place that nurtured his career for more than 35 years. It gave him the opportunity to develop his particular area of interest as a bio-mechanist as he helped develop the Department of Kinesiology. Dr. Norman is also proud that his two children attended as students in the 1990s. Today, Dr. Norman is keen to give back to UW — the place that gave him so much.

To what projects have you designated your gift?

I choose to designate my funds and invest in social service programs that link to the community and offer research-based service capacity. One of the programs I am proud to support is the Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP). Started in the early 1990s, this program does wonderful things for caregivers and people living with Alzheimer's. I feel a responsibility to contribute to programs such as MAREP so that it continues to make a difference to Canadians.

I'm also passionate about donating to the Well-Fit physical fitness program. Dedicated to improving the quality of life for people undergoing cancer treatment, it's an inspirational community initiative and I want to do my bit to make sure the work can continue.

Personal hobbies

I love being a barbershop singer! I've been a member of the Twin-City Harmonizers — a 50-man singing unit — for 14 years, and I also sing in the Classic Chordsmen Quartet. We raise money for the 'Harmonize for Speech' charity and have a great time performing.

Funniest UW moment

Back in the '70s, I was taking a bunch of students for a skiing break at Blue Mountain. On the chairlift in front of me were two novice skiers. They had never skied before and it showed — they were covered in snow from beards to toes. Once they figured out they could put the lift-bar down, they hung on for dear life. I saw it unfolding before my eyes as we approached the 'prepare to dismount' sign. The boys panicked, of course, and managed to somehow dismount but not without a ridiculous scene that ended with them piled in a heap under the chairlift shack. The image still makes me laugh!

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German studies receives largest donation

UW Media Relations press release

A $1.5-million donation will help the Waterloo Centre for German Studies based at the University of Waterloo become one of the best in the world.

The late Fred Stork, a successful Kitchener-area entrepreneur of German heritage, and his wife Ruth (pictured, second and third from left, with President David Johnston recently), donated $1.5 million in support of Germanic studies at UW. The gift goes to the Waterloo Centre for German Studies, with $500,000 to support student exchanges including academic, cultural and work placements in Germany.

"The gift was very close to his heart," said his son, Mike Stork. "Although a true Canadian, he never lost his love for his mother country, Germany. He was an engaged, community-minded citizen and a generous philanthropist."

The centre plays a key role in supporting the mission of UW's Germanic and Slavic studies department, which is to offer courses in language, linguistics, literature, film and culture, including applied language courses such as German for business purposes. As well, it provides students with the opportunity to visit and work in German-speaking communities.

"This gift is the largest the Waterloo Centre for Germanic Studies has received and will position the centre and the department of Germanic and Slavic studies among the very best in the world," said Ken Coates, dean of arts. "Over the past 15 years, the University of Waterloo has become one of the major centres in North America for the study of Germanic language and literature."

The centre and department have received several major donations, bringing private and institutional support to a total of $10 million. These gifts have helped to establish the Right Honourable John G. Diefenbaker Memorial Chair in German Literary Studies and allowed UW to recruit a world-class scholar, professor Alice Kuzniar (right), to join the department.

Founded in June 2004, the centre has become a major hub for German studies in North America. It focuses on research into all aspects of German-language culture and provides outreach programs to raise public awareness of the rich Germanic culture in Waterloo Region.

Besides hosting conferences and lectures, the centre supports the archiving of specialized library materials to complement existing collections of historical papers. It also produces publications to engage scholars and community members alike, and links scholars around the world.

The centre is located in Canada's most prominent area of German settlement. Built by German settlers and immigrants, Kitchener-Waterloo is a significant German heritage site and home to the greatest density of German-Canadians in the country. As a result, a large body of knowledge about German-Canadian culture exists in the area.

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News and notes: events on the move

The Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP) at the University of Waterloo is hosting a workshop in Toronto this afternoon to unveil A Changing Melody Toolkit, which shows how to plan and implement forums drawing on the perspectives of persons with early-stage dementia. "With this tool kit, people can learn how to develop forums specifically designed by and for persons with early-stage dementia and their family partners in care with a focus on creating partnerships in dementia care and support," said Sherry Dupuis, MAREP director. The goal of these forums is to provide people living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias as well as their family members with information and strategies for planning ahead and living a meaningful life with dementia. The workshop, which is part of a Changing Melody forum, will take place at 89 Chestnut Conference Centre, 89 Chestnut St. in downtown Toronto, across from the Metropolitan Hotel. More Information is available online.

This week, the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs began its much-anticipated move to a new information system, Blackbaud's Raisers Edge Enterprise. Training for development and alumni officers in the faculties and staff in ODAA is now underway. On Thursday, the department began ramping down usage of the old legacy Benefactor system and database conversion activities. The anticipated live date for the new system is December 10, with users in various areas of the university being phased in thereafter. Questions can be directed to the management team which consists of Maryann Gavin and Nigel Henriques of ODAA, or David Kibble and Lynn Johnson of IST. More information will also be available at the upcoming WatITis conference on December 2.

This notice comes from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research: "CIHR welcomes applications from individuals or teams working in Canada in the health field, including: health researchers; health professionals; administrators and those involved in public health or public policy.  Applications will also be accepted from Canadians working abroad.  This new competition will recognize Canadian health research achievements that have had a significant impact on health, health care, and health research by improving our understanding of health and human diseases, tackling health challenges, and improving our health system.  CIHR has partnered with the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) to showcase significant Canadian achievements.  The Top Health Research Achievements as selected by an independent review committee will be considered for publication in the CMAJ.  Applications must be submitted to CIHR by December 31, 2008. For more information about the competition or the application process, please refer to the Top Canadian Achievements in Health Research. You may also contact CIHR at 613-952-8965 or by e-mail at geoffrey.hynes@cihr-irsc.gc.ca."

David DeVidi, president of the UW Faculty Association, writes in the new issue of the association’s newsletter that vice-president Shelley Hulan, of English Language and Literature, “is heading up a working group on FAUW revitalization. The first goal of the group is to continue the work begun last year to revitalize our Council of Representatives. . . . FAUW Treasurer George Freeman, of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is heading up a working group undertaking a review of the FAUW Constitution. In addition to some long-overdue housekeeping to eliminate outdated clauses, the group will review our existing committee structure so that our committees match the current needs of faculty and FAUW. . . . Former FAUW Vice-President Melanie Campbell, of Physics and Astronomy, also continues to work on a report on how our Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee should be reorganized.”

Kathryn McIntosh of Housing and Residences sends word that the second part of the Rez Video Contest has begun. Students created short videos promoting some aspect of residence life in the spring term. The videos can be viewed here, and students can vote for their favourite until Thursday, November 20, 11:59 p.m. The student who made the winning video wins $500.

CPA staff

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