Waterloo represents at Pride parade

By Jacqueline Martinz, communications coordinator, Federation of Students

Clad in yellow and black t-shirts, 62 students, staff, and alumni marched in the 2012 Toronto Pride Parade on Sunday, July 1. The trip was organized by the Federation of Student’s One Waterloo Campaign and student-run service The Glow Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity. Participants met in the Davis Centre before boarding two buses at 9:30 a.m. to Toronto’s downtown core.

“Everyone was waving their Pride flags, cheering ‘water water water loo loo loo’ and having a great time,” said Nicole Joron, student program coordinator for the Federation of Students. "We had 41 more marchers than last year."

According to reports, over 1.2 million spectators lined the streets to watch the colourful floats, flashy costumes, and spectacular props brought by nearly 30,000 marchers.

“The official theme of the parade was Celebrate and Demonstrate, and our theme was uWaterloo Black and Gold. The t-shirts, flags, and sunglasses were provided for all ticket-holders, and ensured we stood out,” said Joron.

One highlight for the group was being joined by the Cabarettes Club, who dressed in Rocky Horror theme attire and led them in a dance routine to The Time Warp, which played multiple times throughout the parade. The excitement lasted even after the parade ended, and shouts of “Pride is awesome” were echoed on the buses as they returned to campus.

One Waterloo aims to create unity and celebrate diversity. The Glow Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity offers events, programs, and resources to the queer and trans community.

Photograph courtesy of the Federation of Students.

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Vanier grad scholarship winners announced

a news release from the media relations office

Ten graduate students from the University of Waterloo today received prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships that will help them pursue and complete doctoral degrees and conduct significant research.

The awards recognize top academic achievement and leadership skills, and were announced yesterday. The awards include Vanier scholarships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of (SSHRC) and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

“We know Waterloo is home to some of the best and brightest students in the country,” said Sue Horton, associate provost, graduate studies at Waterloo. “We are delighted to see the Vanier scholarship results recognizing the high calibre of these young scholars.”

The following Waterloo students received Vanier scholarships:

• Ahmed Abdel Aziz, NSERC Vanier: He is in his second year of his doctoral program conducting research in nano electro-mechanical system. He has demonstrated excellence in the areas of applied engineering and theoretical and experimental physics. Aziz’s research has been published in top journals and conference proceedings such as IEEE MEMS conference.
• Wilson Brenna, NSERC Vanier: He is pursing a Master’s degree in the Department of Physics & Astronomy. When he begins doctoral studies in the fall, his research will involve the study of modifications to Einstein’s theory of relativity.
• John Doucette, NSERC Vanier: He is currently completing his Master’s degree at the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science. He will begin his doctoral program in the fall and begin his research on resource allocation in multi-agent systems. He began his post-secondary education at Dalhousie University at the age of 15. He is a recipient of the NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship, an Ontario Graduate Scholarship and a David R. Cheriton Graduate Scholarship.
• Kent Fisher, NSERC Vanier: He is near completion of his Master’s program in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He is researching linear optics quantum channels at the Institute of Quantum Computing, and he plans to begin doctoral studies in the fall. Fisher has published and submitted papers in peer-reviewed journals, including in Nature Physics, a top physics journal.
• Tanya Jonker, NSERC Vanier: She is pursuing her PhD in the area of cognitive neuroscience in the Department of Psychology. She completed her Master’s program in only nine months and received the NSRC Canada Graduate Scholarship. Her degree of volunteerism shows an exceptional and deep commitment to helping others in need.
• Laura Sauder, NSERC Vanier: She is pursing her PhD in the Department of Biology. Her research involves investigating the ecology of microorganisms responsible for ammonia detoxification in sewage treatment plants. Her work will help improve efficiencies in wastewater treatment. She has received the NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship, an Ontario Graduate Scholarship and several other awards.
• Paul Seli, NSERC Vanier: His research involves investigating the behavioural instability that accompanies sustained attention failures with the goal of providing better understanding of the basic cognitive mechanisms underlying such failures. He is currently involved in a number of research projects spanning a wide range of areas in psychology.
• Lana Vanderlee, CIHR Vanier: She is pursuing her PhD in Health Studies and Gerontology. She is conducting groundbreaking research on the impact of nutrition labeling on menus. She has in the past received the Ontario Graduate Scholarship and the CIHR Banting and Best graduate scholarships.
• Mohit Verma, NSERC Vanier: As he begins his pursuit of his PhD in the Department of Chemical Engineering in May 2012, he will conduct research involving engineering nanoparticles for enhancing drug delivery to the back of the eye. He has held three NSERC grants as an undergraduate student.
• Tracey Wagner-Rizvi, SSHRC Vanier: She is in a doctoral program in the Department of Global Governance. Her research examines the dimensions of the power of transnational advocacy networks and transnational corporations with regard to global social policy development. She is a recipient of the SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship, the Balsillie Master’s Fellowship, and is currently receiving a Balsillie Doctoral Fellowship.

There are 156 scholars at 29 universities across Canada this year. The awards are open to Canadian and international doctoral students, and are worth $50,000 per year for three years.

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