Keystone picnic shows off the Waterloo World

by Emily Huxley, Communications Associate, Office of Development

No matter what language or dialect you put it in, the 2012 Keystone Campaign June picnic was a success!

Held on the Burt Matthews Hall (BMH) green on a beautiful sunny day, this annual event saw more than 1,200 members of Waterloo’s campus community turnout to celebrate the university’s cultural diversity with the theme "Waterloo World." Many even chose to come dressed in traditional clothing to honour their own heritage. Pictured above are Astra K. Ambrister, Kavita Saini, Rasha Abu-Meizer, and Svirta Bungaroo.

Attendees spent their time lounging on the grass and taking in cultural activities offered by representatives from the German, Russian, and Aboriginal Studies departments and the Indian Connection student club. Volunteers were also on hand at turban wearing, henna, and origami stations. The popular dunk tank was back by popular demand this year and, as usual, it saw a lot of action with brave participants hoisting themselves up to the hot, if not wet, seat. (At right, Bob Copeland, who always seems to get roped into these sorts of things, takes the plunge.)

A delicious lunch of burgers – the beef, chicken and veggie varieties – were served up by Food Services with help from a few volunteers, including Keystone Campaign co-chair Jean Andrey, Dean of Mathematics Ian Goulden, and Jim Barnett, Director of the School of Accounting and Finance.

Keystone Campaign co-chair Paul McKone acted as the emcee for the afternoon’s events and had the pleasure of introducing a number of musical acts and performers, as well as President Feridun Hamdullahpur. Feridun spoke about the importance, now more than ever, of supporting students to ensure they receive an outstanding education that prepares them for a career in a complex and ever-changing world. He also took the opportunity to thank all of the faculty, staff, and retirees who generously support the Keystone Campaign. In the 2011-12 fiscal year, more than $1 million was raised through the Keystone Campaign!

The Keystone Campaign Special Events Working Group would like to thank the many volunteers who contributed to the success of this year’s event. A special thanks goes out to all of the prize and food sponsors and Food Services and Plant Operations for their invaluable work.

In the coming weeks, please watch your mailbox for your opportunity to join or continue supporting our great university through the Keystone Campaign.

Photographs by Alison Boyd.

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Nominations sought for grad supervision award

with material from the Graduate Studies Office

Nominations for the Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision for 2012-13 are open.

The award was established by the Graduate Studies Office in collaboration with the Graduate Student Association to "recognize exemplary faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in graduate student supervision."

Normally three faculty members will be recognized each year at Spring Convocation. The recipients will be honoured with a $1,000 award.

Graduate student supervision requires complex interaction between graduate students and the graduate supervisor. An outstanding graduate supervisor is a mentor, an advisor, a role model, a humanist and a strategist. A caring and effective supervisor possesses a high level of energy and ingenuity.

Each nomination must be made by current or former graduate student(s) supervised by the nominee and supported by one or more senior academic colleagues who are familiar with the supervisory record of the nominee. Examples of these colleagues in the faculty are the Chair, the Associate Chair/Graduate Officer of the Department, the Faculty Dean or the Faculty Associate Dean, Graduate Studies. A nomination must be supported by past and present graduate students of the nominee and other graduate students who have had the opportunity to receive guidance or informal mentoring from the nominee. The nomination package must include the nominee’s current curriculum vitae and the above-mentioned supporting documentation.

Nominations must be submitted to the Office of the Faculty Associate Dean, Graduate Studies by Wednesday, July 11. The Faculty Associate Dean, Graduate Studies will assess the nominations and submit a subset of them to the attention of Heidi Mussar, Assistant Director, Graduate Financial Aid and Awards by Wednesday, July 25.

The updated guidelines and nomination form can be found on the Graduate Studies Office's website.

Highlighted changes to the guidelines are as follows:

• Preference will be given to faculty members who have been at Waterloo for a minimum of 5 years.
• A minimum of 5 signed letters from current and former students is required.
• The nominator must identify the top 10 letters they would like the selection committee to review
• The majority of letters in the package must be from uWaterloo and not from other institutions

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