RSS- Convocation continues with Arts today
- Convocation bits and pieces and other notes
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- Brandon Sweet
- Communications and Public Affairs
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Double degrees: School of Accounting and Finance students and identical twin brothers Andrew and Tim Bauer (above, and no I don't know which one is which) will receive their PhDs at today's convocation, the latest milestone in the brothers' closely-mirrored academic and career path. Both Bauers received their BA, MAcc, and now their PhDs at the University of Waterloo. There, they were named School of Accounting and Finance Fellowship Honourees. Both worked at Ernst & Young during their co-op work terms, taking jobs as senior staff accountants there after graduating with their MAcc degrees. They both served as lecturers and seminar leaders with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario's School of Accountancy.
After they cross the convocation stage today, they will both be working at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as assistant professors of accountancy.
Convocation continues
The red carpet rolled out between the Student Life Centre and the Physical Activities Complex will see a lot of traffic today as 1,264 undergraduate and graduate students convocate in two ceremonies, one at 10:00 a.m. and the other at 2:30 p.m.
This morning:
John Ruggie will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) today. Ruggie, a Berthold Beitz professor in human rights and international affairs at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government is "one of the world's leading scholars of global governance and has made seminal contributions to the study of globalization, multilateralism, territoriality, and constructivism."
Valedictorian Alana Vandervoort (Joint Honours History and Legal Studies) will speak on behalf of the morning's graduating class.
Olivia Szeto will receive an Alumni Gold Medal and Susan Breit (Independent Studies) will receive a Governor General's Silver medal. The Governor General's medals are awarded to those students with the highest standings in undergraduate and graduate programs.
François Paré will receive the designation "University Professor" today. Paul Socken of the Department of French Studies and the Jewish Studies program, and Delbert Russell, also of the Department of French Studies, will become the university's newest distinguished professors emeriti.
This afternoon:
The Reverend Maurice Elmer Schroeder, OMI will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters. Schroeder is a Canadian priest and medical doctor who has spent more than two decades among the indigenous peoples in Peru doing humanitarian work, running the Centro de Salud Santa Clotilde, a mission hospital.
Foyo Juma, valedictorian, will represent students on the stage and deliver remarks. Juma is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, Honours Political Science with a minor in Philosophy and an International Studies Option.
Natalie MacNeil is the winner of the Arts Young Alumni Achievement Award. MacNeil graduated in 2008 with a degree in Honours Political Science/Arts and Business, and is the latest winner of the alumni award, established in 2009, "to recognize young alumni who graduated within the last 10 years...and who have made outstanding contributions to their professional field and in community and/or public service." Ms. MacNeil is an award-winning media entrepreneur, and is best known as the founder and editor-in-chief of She Takes On the World, a leading blog for entrepreneurial women.
Heidi Andrea Jahnke, from Fine Arts, will receive the Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Studies award (master's level).
Tim Kenyon of the Department of Philosophy and Tracy Penny Light of the Department of Sexuality, Marriage, and the Family will receive distinguished teacher awards.
Betsy Zanna, longtime staff member in the Faculty of Arts, will be made an honorary member of the university.
In addition, Diana Modolecki will receive the Reginald Haney Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in the Legal Studies Program
Other Faculty of Arts Departmental Award winners include:
- Mandy Yik-man Cheng (Accounting and Financial Management Studies)
- Rebecca Henriksen (Anthropology)
- Tamar Zehr (Classical Studies)
- Jung Baek (Economics)
- Adan Leah Jerreat-Poole (English Language and Literature)
- Maria Holland (Fine Arts)
- Liam Mulroy (French Studies)
- Madeline Kerr (History)
- Emma Dines (Independent Studies)
- Damir Selimovac (Legal Studies)
- Stephen Ronald Brown (Medieval Studies)
- Jocelyn Burgmann (Music)
- Catherine Jane Duncan (Peace and Conflict Studies)
- Joseph Patrick Haley (Philosophy)
- Emily Julia Pittman (Political Science)
- Julia Winter Van de Vondervoort (Psychology)
- Rebecca Verwolf (Religious Studies)
- Kristina Schrage (Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies)
- Kathleen Nicole Slofstra (Social Development Studies)
- Matthew Denbok (Sociology)
- Thien Pham (Speech Communication)
Convocation bits and pieces and other notes
Recipients of the Dean of Science Award and the W.B. Pearson Medal for Spring 2012's convocation were honoured at a reception at the University Club on Tuesday, June 12. The winners are:
Dean of Science Award (M.Sc.)
- Jerry E. White, Biology
- Michael Piazza, Chemistry
- Scott Jasechko, Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Mahalakshmi Ramamurthy, Optometry and Vision Science
- Tarek Mohamed, Pharmacy
- Evan Meyer-Scott, Physics and Astronomy
W.B. Pearson Medal (Ph.D)
- Jennifer S. Ings, Biology
- Uthaiwan Suttisansanee, Chemistry
- Colby M. Steelman, Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Vidhyapriya Sreenivasan, Optometry and Vision Science
- Wuyang Zhang, Physics and Astronomy
The Honourable Douglas Roche, O.C., a former Canadian senator, member of parliament, ambassador for disarmament, and professor, will receive an honorary Doctor of Theology degree at St. Jerome's University's Convocation Mass at 10:00 a.m. today in Siegfried Hall. The honorary theology doctorate is awarded by St. Jerome's to "an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to Catholic culture and values, to academia, and to society."
Joanne Holzinger, Executive Assistant to the Dean in the Faculty of Environment, is retiring at the end of this month.
Described as a "mainstay" in the faculty, her "cheery personality, knowledge, and resourcefulness (not to mention her baking!) will be sorely missed," writes Dean's Assistant Ann Wagland.
"Please stop by EV1-347, the Dean's Office, on June 21 between 10:00 a.m. and noon, or between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. to wish her well in her retirement."
Join the CONVO-sation
For the first time ever, Waterloo’s convocation ceremonies are going social!
If you are attending, be sure to check out the live Twitter walls in the PAC and SLC.
Join the CONVO-sation now by sending your congratulations or sharing your university memories with #uwgrad2012.
Link of the day
When and where
2012 J.W. Graham Lecture, featuring Stephen M. Watt, Distinguished University Professor, University of Western Ontario / Lead Director, Descartes Systems Group, "Leading Flying Objects," Thursday, June 14, 1:30 p.m., DC 1302. Reception to follow in DC 1304.
Cheriton School of Computer Science Distinguished Lecture Series featuring Zvi Galil, Georgia Institute of Technology, "Real-Time Streaming String-Matching," Thursday, June 14, 3:30 p.m., DC 1302.
Chemical Engineering seminar featuring Xingcheng Xiao, Chemical Sciences and Materials Systems Laboratory
General Motors Global R&D Center, Warren, MI, “Advanced Electrode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries,” Thursday, June 14, 3:30 p.m., E6-4022. Coffee and donuts will be served at 3:20 p.m.
The Institute for Computer Research presents Professor Amir Khandani, RIM-NSERC Industrial Research Chair, Canada Research Chair
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, “Shaping the Future of Wireless: Two-way Connectivity,” Monday, June 18, 2:00 p.m. DC 1302.
University senate Monday, June 18, 3:30, Needles Hall room 3001.
25-Year Club Reception, Tuesday, June 19, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Physical Activities Complex.
Systems Design Engineering presents Dr. Subash Bhatnagar
Honorary Professor of Information Systems
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, "Information Technology and Development: Challenges and Opportunities in India," Wednesday, June 20, 10:30 a.m., E5 6111.
Chemistry Department Seminar Series featuring Prof. Xiaojing Zhou, Centre for Organic Electronics, University of Newcastle, Australia, "Poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) Based Organic Photovoltaic Cells and Thin Film Transistors," Wednesday, June 20, 2:30 p.m., C2-361.
UW Farm Market, Thursday, June 21, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Student Life Centre lower level.
Retirement Open House for Adel Sedra, Thursday, June 21, 3:00 p.m., Student Design Centre, Engineering 5.
Pension and Benefits Committee meeting, Friday, June 22, 8:30 a.m., NH 3004.
Pension information session, Tuesday, June 26, 12:45 p.m., RCH 301.
Pension information session, Tuesday, June 26, 2:15 p.m., RCH 301.
Pension information session, Tuesday, June 26, 5:45 p.m., RCH 307.
Canada Day holiday observed Monday, July 2, classes cancelled, university offices and most services closed.
Remembering retired professors
Human Resources has advised of a number of recent faculty retiree deaths:
Professor Ruth Levitsky died April 9 at the age of passed away at the age of 99. She started at St. Jerome's College in 1964 as an assistant and associate professor, leaving in 1969 and returning to the Department of English in 1971. She retired in July 1978. Professor Levitsky was predeceased by her husband, University of Waterloo Professor Ihor Levitsky, who had been a member of the department of Germanic and Slavic Studies from 1962 to 1978.
Professor Betty Thalman died May 7. Professor Thalman began her career at UW in July 1969. She was an Assistant Professor in the Spanish Department – a professor of romance languages. Professor Thalman was predeceased by her former husband, Hans Thalman.
Professor Virgil Burnett died June 8. Professor Burnett began his career at UW in January 1972 as a visiting Associate Professor in the Fine Arts department. He became a full-time professor as of July 1, 1972 and became tenured as of July 1, 1973. He also held the appointments of Associate Chair and Chair during various years in the 1970s.
