Grebel installs its new president

The new president of Conrad Grebel University College, Susan Schultz Huxman, will be officially installed in a service on Sunday afternoon, but she’s been hard at work for more than three months already, a news release from the college makes clear.

“From the moment she arrived in Waterloo, appropriately on Canada Day,” says the release, Huxman (left) “has been meeting as many key Grebel stakeholders and community leaders in southern Ontario as she can. These one-on-one visits have revealed how Grebel has touched lives with defining moments for alumni, purpose-driven careers for staff and faculty, and hope for future generations for donors.”

Huxman came to Grebel from Wichita State University in Kansas, where she held various administrative posts since 1990, serving most recently as director of the Elliott School of Communication. An active scholar in the field of rhetoric, media literacy, and corporate communication, Huxman has published two dozen scholarly articles and book chapters.

She says now: “Because communication is my discipline, I wanted to meet 100 key stakeholders in 100 days. I know that one can learn so much more about an institution and its special character by engaging in individual conversations. The connections I’ve made and the stories I’ve learned have been tremendous. What a huge reservoir of goodwill exists toward Grebel!”

From board members, faculty and staff, donors, alumni, and student council, to leaders in the Mennonite Church Canada and the Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, the Kitchener-Waterloo business, education and non-profit community, the new president “has been hopping from offices, schools, churches, restaurants, farms, boardrooms, game rooms and homes to learn more about the institution she now leads,” the news release says.

Fred Martin, the director of development at Grebel, has accompanied Huxman on some of her visits with key supporters. “Since Susan is from Kansas,” he says, “she recognizes that she doesn’t come with many instant connections to the church and Ontario communities.  This is a great way for her to turn a challenge into an opportunity. Like me, she recognizes that her best work for Grebel will be done outside her own office.”

Carol Lichti, the president’s administrative assistant, has been in overdrive scheduling all the appointments: “We anticipate being over 130 by October 9, the 100th day, ” she said early in the fall term.

The presidential inauguration service will be held on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at Floradale Mennonite Church, a half-hour drive north of Waterloo. Everyone is welcome join the celebration.

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Fair impression for next year's students

Waterloo will have a big presence at the Ontario Universities Fair in Toronto this weekend, where thousands of next fall’s first-year students will form their first impression of the university.

The fair, running Friday to Sunday in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, is the largest post-secondary fair in North America, with more than 130,000 visitors last year and at least as many anticipated for 2011.

Says Barb Trotter of the marketing and undergraduate recruitment office: “About 450 Waterloo staff, faculty, and students are involved in this year’s plans to welcome prospective undergraduate students from the Greater Toronto Area and their families to Waterloo’s new booth (photo above). Launched last year to rave reviews, the booth also won a Gold CCAE award and a Grand Gold CASE award.

“The booth was the product of the impressive and ground-breaking collaboration of a number of areas on campus along with the talents of our students and graduates. Designed by recent architecture grads Diana Zepf and Steve Burrows, it is intended to be a physical representation of both our campus and our reputation as Canada’s most innovative university. Colours, fonts, and, indeed, the evolution of the booth itself are strong representations of our new brand and visual identity.”

She says visitors are greeted by a customer service team stationed around the perimeter, symbolizing the ring road, and colour-coded interior “pavilions” house representatives of the faculties, the university colleges, and campus life. “The signage and matching T-shirts worn by the boothers have proven to be an effective tool for helping visitors locate the people who can answer their questions.

“The corner towers also assist with wayfinding by displaying Christie MicroTiles, programmed this year by Terry Sin and Jamie Usas, Waterloo architecture students, with colour-coded video images to identify the faculties and university colleges.”

Says Trotter: “Our successful participation in the OUF — one of the largest annual undergraduate recruitment events — would not be possible without the enormous effort contributed by the many Waterloo people involved.”

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Engineering dean lists award winners

an announcement from dean of engineering Adel Sedra

It is my pleasure to announce the winners of the Waterloo Engineering Awards presented to faculty, staff and alumni at the annual Faculty of Engineering dinner held on October 6.

The Faculty of Engineering Teaching Excellence Award was presented to Christine Moresoli of chemical engineering, Bob McKillop of civil and environmental engineering and Ehsan Toyserkani of mechanical and mechatronics engineering.

There were four Faculty of Engineering Research Awards presented this year. The En-hui Yang Engineering Research Innovation Award was presented to Alexander Penlidis of chemical engineering. The Engineering Research Excellence Award in the assistant professor category was received by Zhongwei Chen of chemical engineering; the Engineering Research Excellence Award in the associate professor category was awarded to Hany Aziz of electrical and computer engineering; and the Engineering Research Excellence Award in the professor category was received by Wayne Brodland of civil and environmental engineering.

Donna Woolcott (right) of the School of Architecture and Robert Kraemer (left) of the Engineering Machine Shop were honoured with the Faculty of Engineering Outstanding Staff Award. Woolcott was recognized in the award’s administrative staff category and Kraemer in the technical staff category.

The Friend of the Faculty Award, two Young Alumni Achievement Medals, two Alumni Achievement Medals and one Team Alumni Achievement Medal were also presented.

The Friend of the Faculty Award was presented to Conestoga-Rovers and Associates in recognition of the company’s strong support of Waterloo Engineering through the ongoing hiring of graduates and co-op students, as well as the generous financial contributions to student scholarships, teams and outreach programs.

The Young Alumni Achievement Medal was received by Sheldon Fernandez (BASc ’01, computer), co-founder and director of Infusion Development Canada, a leader in the emerging technologies industry, and chief technical officer of AuditionBooth, Infusion’s spinoff company; and Kurtis McBride (BASc ’04, MASc ’08, systems design), co-founder and CEO of Miovision Technologies, a provider of automated traffic data collection system, and a board member of the Accelerator Centre.

The Alumni Achievement Medal in the professional achievement category was awarded to Steve Matusch (BASc ’91, systems design), founder and president of Ionic Engineering, a leader of industrial automation in the mining industry, and the founding director of SudburyROCKS!!! Race, Run or Walk for Diabetes.

The Alumni Achievement Medal in the community service category was presented to Nityanand (Nitya) Varma (MASc ’64, civil; MASc ’70, management sciences) in recognition of his numerous community service roles over the past 45 years that have strengthened professional, social, cultural, religious and charitable organizations in Ottawa, Nepean and other Ontario communities. 

The Team Alumni Achievement Medal was received by Brigitte Shim (BES ’81, BArch ’83) and Howard Sutcliffe (BES ’83, BArch ’83), co-founders of Shim-Sutcliffe Architects that has been honoured with every major Canadian design award, including an unprecedented 11 Governor General’s Medals, the highest award for design in Canada.

CAR

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