Oh hai: Alison Boyd, associate director in Alumni Affairs, snapped this image of an inquisitive hawk perched on a wall outside EV2 on Friday. Let's face it folks - it's this bird's campus, and we're all just squirrels trying to get a nut.

And while we're on the subject, bonus points to alumnus Steve Ryder (Drama & Speech Communication '08) who identified the name of the Muscovy duck that used to live near Health Services as Millie.

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Grads win commercialization fellowships

this article is based on a piece that appears on the Office of Research website.

 

Waterloo graduates Armen Bakirtzian, JS Rancourt, and Ryan Denomme (right) have each been awarded a Scientists and Engineers in Business (SEB) Fellowship, enabling them to launch a business in the high-tech or STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) areas. The trio were awarded the $60,000 fellowships in the first round of this new initiative for entrepreneurially-minded graduates.

Two more rounds of fellowships will be awarded in the next eight months.

The Ontario Scientists and Engineers in Business Commercialization Fellowship is a new University of Waterloo initiative for promising entrepreneurs, with support from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). The program offers fellowships to Waterloo graduates and recent alumni who have earned their Waterloo degree within the last five years in a STEM program who want to commercialize their innovation and start high-tech businesses.

Bakirtzian is co-founder and chief executive officer of Avenir Medical Inc., founded around the concept of intelligent instrumentation to be used in hip replacement surgery.

Rancourt is president of Hockey Robotics, a fourth-year engineering project that he and his partners have turned into a business, providing testing services to hockey manufacturers.

Denomme is chief executive officer of Nicoya Lifesciences, a company based on his development of a unique home diagnostics technology that can monitor a wide range of medical conditions and illnesses.

Over the next two years, up to 15 of these one-year fellowships will be available to Waterloo graduates and recent alumni. The funding allows entrepreneurs to hire staff, set up offices, further technology development, and spur additional funding.

 

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Spots still open for "Retail Therapy 101"

 

The University of Waterloo Staff Association's 8th Annual Weekend Shopping Trip to Erie Pennsylvania will take place from Friday, November 9 to Sunday, November 11.

There are still some spots available for the trip, which organizers describe as "a great time to meet other staff members from around campus." More information about the shopping excursion can be found online.

The preliminary itinerary includes stops at Prime Outlets in Grove City, Millcreek Mall and Summit Town Centre, and Erie Market Place. The cost (found on the registration form) covers bus transportation and hotel for two nights with complementary breakfast bar.

Non-Staff Association members are welcome, but will be charged an additional $10 per person. The trip is hosted by Peggy Day (pday@ uwaterloo.ca) and Sue Fraser (fraser @uwaterloo.ca).

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Monday's notes

 

Today marks the start of a new term loan period. The due date for term loans has changed from September 15, 2012 to January 15, 2013. Library patrons can start renewing their books after today for the Fall term.

The Graduate Studies Office will be closed on Tuesday, August 21 from 10:00 a.m. until 12 noon.

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