Ideas? Waterloo researchers have a couple

Two Waterloo researchers with bold ideas about global health were among the 102 recipients of funding from the Grand Challenges Canada Stars in Global Health program.

Grand Challenges Canada, which is funded by the Government of Canada, announced 102 new grants of $100,000 each for bold new global health ideas at the end of April.  Of these, 59 grants went to innovators in 13 low- and middle-income nations worldwide to pursue imaginative ideas to tackle health problems in resource-poor countries. Grants of $100,000 each were also announced for 43 Canadian-originated projects to be implemented in a total of 49 countries throughout the developing world.

The Waterloo recipients are:

• Shirley Tang (Chemistry) - A handy device for rapid screening of diarrheal pathogens in water: prevention of diarrhea at its source. This project will be implemented in China.

• Omar Ramahi (Electrical & Computer Engineering) - Portable automated intelligent system for continuous oxygen monitoring and adjustment oxygen delivery for hypoxic patients. This project will be implemented in Jordan.

Both researchers were awarded $100,000 over 18 months and will be eligible to apply for $1M "transition-to-scale" grants before the end of their projects.

The Stars in Global Health program was developed to tap into innovative ideas from leaders in global health, seeking breakthroughs and affordable innovations with the potential to transform the way disease is treated in the developing world; innovations that may benefit the health of citizens in the developed world as well. To date, Grand Challenges Canada has funded 270 projects around the world. 

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You@Waterloo Day tomorrow

"You're In!"

That's the message that Marketing & Undergraduate Recruitment will be pushing to some 4,000 applicants and their families as they arrive on campus tomorrow for You@Waterloo Day.

The event, which runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., gives applicants who have received an offer to Waterloo, along with their families, the opportunity to participate in activities that will "increase their level of commitment to the University of Waterloo and encourage them to accept their offer," according to Visitors Centre Manager Kathryn Fedy.

The main venue for the event is the Physical Activities Complex (PAC), where the six faculties and students services will have information booths, and it will also serve as the launching point for faculty and campus tours.

The event's theme is "You're In!" and includes a noon-hour cupcake celebration hosted by Federation of Students President David Collins and Vice-President, Internal Devin Drury.

"Marketing & Undergraduate Recruitment is looking forward to welcoming these future students to campus and encouraging them to choose Waterloo!" concludes Fedy.

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Retirement party to honour Martin Van Nierop

On Wednesday, May 29, friends and colleagues of Martin Van Nierop, the university's senior director, government relations & strategic initiatives, will be celebrating his nearly 30-year career with the University of Waterloo.

To say Van Nierop is a familiar face on campus is a bit of an understatement: for more than two decades, he was the face of the University of Waterloo. As Director of Information and Public Affairs (renamed Communications and Public Affairs in 2003), he was the university's media spokesman and coordinated its public relations, internal and external communications efforts.

He joined Waterloo in 1984 as Director of Media Relations after a career in journalism for papers in Woodstock, St. Catharines, and Kitchener-Waterloo, and after working as a consultant for Ontario's Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations. In 1986 he was appointed Director of the Office of Information and Public Affairs.

In 2009, Van Nierop was named Senior Director, Government Relations & Strategic Initiatives after a departmental reorganization, while continuing in his duties as Director of Communications and Public Affairs until his successor was named in 2010.

The retirement celebration is being held at the University Club from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29. RSVP online.

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Phishing, pew-pew, and other posts

Information Systems & Technology (IST) is about to embark on a campaign promoting "user security education" in the wake of the most recent round of phishing attacks on university members.

IST is putting together posters like the one visible at right to raise awareness of the dangers of phishing.

Posters will be uploaded to a website.

The Toyota High School Electric Vehicle Challenge, takes place this Saturday, May 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Engineering 5's Student Design Centre. The Faculty of Engineering’s Student Design Centre, in cooperation with Engineering Outreach (WE Connect), the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR) and Toyota are sponsoring the event, which will feature two races in the 12 and 24 volt classes and an Engineering Design Award competition.

The Electric Vehicle Challenge gives high schools students a chance to display and race the electric vehicles that they have designed and built.

At 10:00 a.m. there will be a public viewing of the competing vehicles, followed by the 12 volt endurance race at 11:00 a.m. and the 24 volt race at 1:15 p.m. Awards will be handed out at 3:30 p.m.

More details can be found online.

The International Student Connection has organized a laser tag event at Laser Quest in Kitchener for Sunday, May 26. The bus to the laser tag facility departs the Davis Centre at 3:30 p.m.  Note: Holster your rayguns, folks. This event has been cancelled.

Co-operative Education & Career Action is inviting feedback through a web form on the proposed name for the system that will replace JobMine. There's something familiar about the suggested name, but I can't put my finger on it.

This is a reminder that Quest will be down, and thus unavailable, from Saturday, May 25 at 8:00am to Sunday May 26, at 12:00pm for a scheduled upgrade.

Save the date! The Summer 2013 Town Hall meeting will take place on Tuesday, June 25 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in the Humanities Theatre.

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