Faculty of Arts mourns Richard Nutbrown

from the Department of Political Science and Arts Communications

Richard Nutbrown, professor and former chair of the Department of Political Science, passed away peacefully on July 12, 2012.  He was 64 years old.

Joining Waterloo in 1982, Professor Nutbrown was cross-appointed to the Department of Philosophy and was widely recognized as an outstanding teacher – winning the University of Waterloo Distinguished Teacher Award in 2002. As the long-standing instructor of the largest undergraduate course in his department, PSCI 101 Introduction to Political Ideas, he was the Department’s best-known and most popular professor – garnering numerous mentions in Maclean’s Guide to Canadian Universities category of ‘most popular professors’ at the University of Waterloo.  

Professor Nutbrown served in numerous administrative positions within the Department of  Political Science, the Faculty of Arts, and the University of Waterloo -- serving continuously in major roles from 2000 to February 2011 when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.  He was Associate Chair (Undergraduate) from 2000 to 2005 and Chair of the Department of Political Science from 2005 to 2011.  He was instrumental in founding the MA and PhD programs in Global Governance, and was also the founding Director of the Master of Public Service Program. 

As a leading scholar of classical and modern political philosophy as well as philosophy of the social sciences, Professor Nutbrown’s area of expertise was in the works of Hegel and Marx.  In recognition of his continuing contributions to teaching, administration and scholarship,

Professor Nutbrown was awarded the University of Waterloo Outstanding Performance Award in 2010.

The Richard Nutbrown Fund has been established to honour the teaching, leadership and scholarship of Professor Nutbrown.  Friends, colleagues and former students who wish to contribute to the fund in support of students at the University of Waterloo may do so online.

The Department of Political Science will be holding a memorial service for Professor Nutbrown in the Fall term. 

Note: The Department of Political Science has released an additional statement about Professor Nutbrown here.

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Colleagues, students send condolences

When Professor Nutbrown's death was announced, his colleagues and former students took to various social media platforms to express their grief. A sampling from Twitter:

@vmkitchen: The political science department is mourning the loss of our colleague Richard Nutbrown today.

@renjie: RIP Professor Richard Nutbrown. You will be missed by the #uwaterloo community, both past, present and future

@DavidAWelch: Very sad to hear of the passing of Richard Nutbrown, a true gentleman and scholar. He will be missed.

@iaboyeji: "Political Science is about standing up for people who are unable (for whatever reasons) to stand for themselves" - Richard Nutbrown

@revpaperboy: I graduated UW in 94. Richard Nutbrown was hands down my favorite professor, ever.

@HowieBG: One of the best UW had. RIP Professor Nutbrown. Thanks for your passion and commitment to your students.

@stevewestendorp: RIP Professor Nutbrown, my first psci prof and one of my favourites, your teaching made politics & influenced me to pick psci as my major

@MatthewJBondy: Thank-you, Professor Nutbrown.

And Facebook:

Rick Theis: So sad. His famous Poli Sci 101 course was my first class as a new undergrad, the first class I TA'd for as a MA student, and a place where I encountered both ideas and friendships that have stayed with me to this day.

Andrew Dilts: Very sorry to hear -- Professor Nutbrown was a great man.

Rod McLachlan: Definitely his Poli Sci 101 was a highlight of my university career. He was so engaging and very thought provoking. A great speaker. Wow. Very sad to hear the news.

According to his obituary, Nutbrown is survived by his wife Heike Mertins, children Shawn, Brodie, and Emily, and grandchild Morgan. In keeping with his wishes, a wake will be held at The Duke of Wellington on Wednesday, July 18, from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. Memories will be shared from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

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Nanotech grad program has new director

"We are pleased to announce that Professor Jamie Forrest, a faculty member in the Department of Physics and Associate Dean, Research in the Faculty of Science, has agreed to serve as Director of the collaborative graduate program in Nanotechnology for a three-year term starting July 1, 2012," reads a memo from Dean of Engineering Pearl Sullivan and Dean of Science Terry McMahon circulated earlier this month.

Forrest is part of the Waterloo Polymer Physics/Soft Matter Group and his research interests include the physics of soft materials and polymer thin filme, crystalline polymers, polymer interfaces and adhesion, and glass transition in confined geometry.

Forrest replaces Pearl Sullivan, the inaugural director of the program.

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Photo collection supports Kitchener centennial

The library's Special Collections unit has published a new photo collection on Historypin entitled "Kitchener - One Hundred Years of Cityhood" as part of the City of Kitchener's centennial celebrations.

The village then known as Berlin was elevated to city status on June 10, 1912 with a royal proclamation from King George V marking the occasion, and one hundred years ago today, thousands of people had gathered and were in the midst of a weeklong official celebration that included the first-ever aeroplane seen in the region, as well as parades and exhibitions.

"This collection includes 100 images of structures, exteriors, and streetscapes of Kitchener to honour the City of Kitchener’s 100th anniversary of cityhood in 2012," writes communications and liaison librarian Nancy Collins.

Historypin works with GoogleMaps to overlay historical images of locations on the current Google streetview.

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