New students in the School of Planning attended an "induction ceremony" Saturday in the Theatre of the Arts, and are seen at a critical moment as they're addressed by the school's director, Clarence Woudsma. "Planning students are not like ordinary university students," said the invitation to Saturday's event, "and the School of Planning is not like other University programs. Ours is an accredited professional school that provides the educational foundation necessary for students to ultimately earn the designation of RPP — Registered Professional Planner. To celebrate and mark the occasion of the start of your educational experience through the School of Planning, you and those who will help support you through your time at Waterloo are invited to this Induction Ceremony." Refreshments were served in the atrium of the new Environment 3 building.

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Four more spinoff firms flying on their own

a news release from the Accelerator Centre

The Waterloo Accelerator Centre, an award-winning and world-renowned centre for the cultivation of technology entrepreneurship, celebrates its fifth anniversary this month with the graduation of four more technology start-ups from its award-winning Accelerator Program. The Program, which serves start-ups located at the Accelerator Centre and the Communitech Hub, supports entrepreneurs and early-stage technology companies in their growth, development and success and has directly contributed to Waterloo Region becoming Ontario’s fastest-growing tech ecosystem.

“Since opening our doors to early-stage companies in 2006, the Accelerator Program has operated with a simple goal:  to accelerate the success of technology companies within Waterloo Region.  And we are proud to say we have more than achieved on our objective,” says Accelerator Centre CEO Tim Jackson. “Today we mark a major milestone in the Centre’s history by graduating the largest number of companies on one day to date.”

The Accelerator Program offers one-stop shopping for early-stage companies and entrepreneurs looking to take their company to the next level. Serving clients located at the Accelerator Centre in the David Johnston Research + Technology Park and the Communitech Hub in Kitchener’s historic Tannery District, the program offers a complete menu of services, including office facilities, coaching and mentoring, education, connections to capital, networking, R&D support and outreach, talent recruitment, technology transfer assistance and commercialization expertise.

Here are a few of the milestones achieved by the Accelerator Program and its start-up clients over the last five years:

• 15 graduate companies from the Accelerator Program
• $27,000,000 in revenue generated by client companies
• 65 companies served to date with a current 45 client companies in residence across two facilities
• 1,200-plus hours of educational services delivered
• 12,000 hours of mentorship provided by in-house executives and mentors
• $52 million in external funding flowing to client companies
• 500-plus jobs created by client companies (and growing)

The Accelerator Program also announced the successful graduation of four additional companies. This brings the total number of graduates to 15. Another cohort of companies is expected to graduate in the December timeframe. The latest graduates:

Bayalink is a leading innovator in smartphone application virtualization and a member of the BlackBerry Alliance Program. The company’s product, Bayalink Liberty, is a virtualization solution for BlackBerry smartphones from Research in Motion, providing users with a virtualized presentation of BlackBerry smartphone applications. Bayalink has been a client of the Accelerator Program at the Accelerator Centre since April 2007.

Client Outlook is building innovative IT solutions that provide healthcare professionals with secure access to information they need at the point of care. The company’s initial offering, eUnity, is a Health Canada and US FDA-approved server-based product that allows clinicians to access diagnostic quality medical images through their favourite web browser using eUnity’s zero-footprint client. Health professionals access the most up-to-date medical data from any location and with no client software to install or manage. Client Outlook has been an Accelerator Program client at the Accelerator Centre since April 2009.

Homick Labs joined the Communitech Hub as an Accelerator Program client in 2011, and is the second company to graduate from the facility.

PerspecSys Inc. provides data privacy, residency and security solutions that enable cloud adoption by the enterprise while controlling and protecting sensitive data. In 2010, PerspecSys was named a “Cool Vendor” in the Cloud Security Category by leading industry analyst firm, Gartner. PerspecSys has been an Accelerator Program client at the Accelerator Centre since January 2010.

“We continue to be amazed at the calibre and quality of the companies flowing through our doors,” says Tim Ellis, COO of the Accelerator Centre. “The Accelerator Program has had the privilege of fostering some of Canada’s newest technology success stories, and we look forward to watching these companies grow, prosper and contribute to Waterloo Region and to Ontario’s economic prosperity.”

The Accelerator Centre in Waterloo’s Research + Technology Park is a world-renowned, award-winning facility dedicated to developing and commercializing technology start-ups. Through its Accelerator Program, early-stage companies located at the Accelerator Centre and the Communitech Hub receive seamless support services, including access to office facilities, coaching and mentoring, education, connections to capital, networking, R&D support and outreach, talent recruitment, technology transfer assistance, and commercialization expertise, enabling technology start-ups to move to market faster, create jobs and stimulate economic activity.

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Other notes at the tail end of summer

Okay, here's the news everybody has been waiting for. You remember the much-celebrated "lipdub" that a group of student enthusiasts is preparing to spring on an eager world? October 1, Saturday of next week, is the day. "The event is running from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.," says one of the team, Michael Overmeyer. "Everyone is meeting in the ML Theatre to begin." Background: "A lipdub is a single video shot that includes one or more songs, with people lip-synching the lyrics. They have been very popular with North American universities since UBC posted theirs back in April. They showcase the spirit and creativity of the school and the students that attend the school. Be a part of history!" Registration is online.

The graduate studies office is holding its fall Graduate Studies Fair today, from 11 to 2 in the Student Life Centre, to tell potential grad students what might be available to them at Waterloo. "Faculty members, administrators and students will be available to chat about the Master and PhD programs available at Waterloo," says a web page. "Staff from the Graduate Studies Office will be on-hand to discuss funding opportunities for graduate students. Discover the services and workshops available to you from the Centre for Career Action." Academic units expected to be represented range from A (anthropology) to V (vision science), and include familiar departments as well as the likes of Digital Experience Innovation, Theological Studies, Global Governance, Public Service, Social and Ecological Sustainability, Health Informatics, Public Health, Quantitative Finance, and Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology.

You might have noticed some cheerful signs along the ring road yesterday, proclaiming "Anti-Idling Week". They're the work of the student-run UW Sustainability Project, which explains that it's "encouraging students to promote anti-idling and sustainable methods of transportation. Look out for our anti-idling air fresheners that Parking Services has been distributing along with student parking passes. September 19-21, check out our Anti-Idling booth located in Vendor Alley of the Student Life Centre! UWSP will be handing out informational pamphlets about our services as well as more information about how you can sign up and join to become a UWSP volunteer. September 22 is uWaterloo's Car-Free Day! Turn off your engines and bring out your bike, rollerblades, bus pass, skateboard and/or feet."

A "feminist teaching and learning discussion group" is being organized, with the first gathering set for October 4 (two weeks from today) at noontime. Carla Fehr of the department of philosophy extends this invitation: "Are you interested in ways that your own gender, race or sexuality influence the challenges you face, or the successes you experience, as a teacher? what it means to be a feminist teacher or learner? strategies for effectively teaching feminist content? how to incorporate the work of women and members of minority groups into your syllabi? how to implement feminist pedagogical methods in your classroom? sharing ideas for assignments, syllabi and classroom activities? developing strategies for balancing excellent teaching, with your research program, service work and all of the other things that make life good? There is no need to work on answering questions like these alone. The feminist teaching and learning discussion group is an opportunity for new and experienced teachers alike to join a fun, informal and supportive community of faculty members who share an interest in gender and teaching excellence." For information, she can be reached by e-mail, carla.fehr@ uwaterloo.ca.

A delegation of high school principals from Colombia visited the campus on Friday — "a wonderful opportunity", according to Michelle Burlock of the marketing and undergraduate recruitment office, "to learn more to learn more about the education system in Colombia as well as to promote many of our programs here at the University of Waterloo. It was also a great way to start off my recruitment visits to Latin America." She'll be in Colombia, Ecuador and Guyana this week. And she notes that an article focusing on Waterloo is to be published in the next issue of the Conexiones magazine, published by the Ecuadorian-Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

And . . . in yesterday's Daily Bulletin, Ishan Sutar was rather vaguely identified as a "final-year accounting and finance student". To be specific, he's graduating this fall (Convocation is scheduled for October 22) from the Computing and Financial Management program.

CAR

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