Ground broken for research centre in aging

Ground was broken on Wednesday for a pioneering innovation institute for aging on the north campus of the University of Waterloo.

The $376 million project is the joint vision of local entrepreneur and philanthropist Ron Schlegel and the University of Waterloo. The project brings together the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA), Schlegel Villages, the University of Waterloo and Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning to address the growing urgency for innovation in elder care in Canada. The new development will improve seniors’ living and train the next generation of front-line staff.

Pictured above with shovels at the ready are (l-r) Jeff Henry, Waterloo Councillor Ward 6, Brenda Halloran, Mayor of Waterloo, Catherine Fife, MPP Kitchener-Waterloo, John Tibbits, Marg Cressman, a senior from Village of Winston Park, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Deb Matthews, University of Waterloo President Feridun Hamdullahpur, John Milloy, MPP Kitchener Centre, Joan Fisk, Chair of the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network, Ron Schlegel, and Mike Sharratt.

Construction of the two new facilities – the Schlegel Villages Waterloo Long-Term Care Home and the RIA – comes as Ontario’s health care system faces emerging challenges, as the seniors population in the province will double over the next two decades.

The University of Waterloo and Conestoga College have a long history of partnership with the RIA. Waterloo, a founding partner of the RIA, holds Schlegel Research Chair positions in Geriatric Medicine, Geriatric Pharmacotherapy, Vascular Aging and Brain Health, and Nutrition and Aging. As the RIA's primary practice development partner, Conestoga College professor Veronique Boscart holds the CIHR/Schlegel Industrial Research Chair in Seniors Care for Colleges.

Over the next 10 years, Ron Schlegel plans to fund at least 10 more Schlegel Research Chairs to support relevant research themes and equip the country with the strategies to manage an aging population.

Construction on the two facilities is set to complete by mid-2015.

 

Back to top

Giesbrecht named ACM Distinguished Scientist

by Anna Beard, Faculty of Mathematics.

Mark Giesbrecht (right), a professor with the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science has been named an Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Distinguished Scientist.

Professor Giesbrecht's research interests are in the area of computer algebra, algebraic algorithms and computational complexity. He is a member of the Symbolic Computation Group in Waterloo, and a founding member of the Ontario Research Centre for Computer Algebra with Waterloo and Western Ontario. He is an active participant in the computer algebra research community and has served as Program Committee Chair of the International Symposium on Symbolic and Algebraic Computation (ISSAC 2013) and the Chair of the ACM Special Interest Group on Symbolic and Algebraic Computation (ACM SIGSAM).

"This award is well deserved recognition for Mark's excellent research work in symbolic computation and his leadership through chairing program committees, being editor of journals, and chairing the Special Interest Group on Symbolic and Algebraic Manipulation," wrote Professor David Taylor, Director of the Cheriton School of Computer Science in an e-mail.

The ACM Distinguished Scientist award recognizes ACM members with at least 15 years of professional experience (including some education experience) and five years of continuous professional membership who have achieved significant accomplishments or have made a significant impact on the computing field.

 

Back to top

A family's generosity creates unique co-op term

by Carrie Gabla, Office of Advancement

As Jordan Grieve (Environmental Studies & Business – in progress) considered options for his fall 2013 co-op work term, he knew he wanted to focus on community service.

“This past winter, I worked in the Advancement office, and I was surprised by how much the university relies on donor support. So for my fall term, I wanted to take what I’d learned and apply it to the local community.” 

Jordan is one of two Waterloo students whose work term employment will be served at the United Way of Kitchener Waterloo & Area this school year. As a Workplace Campaign Coordinator, Jordan has oversight of several organizations – including the University of Waterloo – that are conducting workplace campaigns in support of the United Way.  

“The people of Waterloo Region are incredibly passionate about giving to their community, so on one level, my job is easy!” In addition to making a direct and meaningful impact locally, Jordan is learning and refining skills in leadership, sales techniques, customer service, public speaking, strategic planning and analysis, team building, project management and networking.

Funding for Jordan’s placement is provided by a generous gift to the university from the Menich family. Steve Menich Sr. and his late wife, Eve, along with their son, Stephen Jr. and his wife, Mary Ellen, established the Menich Family Loaned Student Representative Program in 2004.  Since that time, the family has provided 21 Waterloo students with an opportunity to learn about social responsibility through a United Way co-op placement. 

In honour of the Menich family’s exceptional philanthropic leadership, they were selected as the Association of Fundraising Professionals Golden Horseshoe Outstanding Philanthropists for 2013. At a special ceremony being held today to mark National Philanthropy Day®, Jordan will proudly join the Menichs as they accept their award.

"I’m so grateful to the Menich family for generously sponsoring my experience at United Way. Your gift gives me the opportunity to see how donors like you create real change in our community. Thank you for what you’re doing for me, for the University of Waterloo, and for all the people who benefit from the United Way.”

 

Back to top

Closing in on the United Way target; other notes

"The University of Waterloo’s United Way Campaign has almost reached its goal of $240,000," writes Jacqueline Martinz. "Thanks to a number of generous individuals on campus over $233,000 has been raised for the organization so far. It’s not too late to donate and help the campaign meet its target. The University community is able to give in a number of ways including one time gifts, and monthly payment withdrawals. The contributions will be used by the United Way to support local agencies and initiatives that assist families, children and other groups with the community."

More information about the campaign and how to donate is available online.

A researcher at the University of Waterloo examines some of the latest groundbreaking technologies as an investigative scientist for the second season of Stephen Hawking's Brave New World, premiering on Discovery World tonight. Professor Chris Eliasmith, jointly appointed to the engineering and arts faculties at Waterloo, is among five international experts selected for the six-part series. They travel the world to highlight revolutionary scientific projects that will change our future.

You'll recall that Eliasmith's team at Waterloo built Spaun, the world's largest simulated model of the human brain. In this series, Professor Eliasmith investigates an innovative technology for each episode, including a breakthrough in virtual reality, a cutting-edge helicopter that flies without a pilot, and a new adhesive fabric inspired by a gecko's sticky feet.

Stephen Hawking's Brave New World will air weekly on Discovery World beginning on Friday, November 15 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT.

Also appearing on television this weekend is Waterloo alumnus John Young (BMath '90), who will be featured on the CBS program "Courage in Sports" on Sunday, November 16, at 5:00 p.m. Young, who lives in Massachusetts, is a math teacher, and triathlete and a marathoner who has competed in more than thirty triathlons as well as the Boston and NYC marathons. Young was born with achondroplasia, and, according to his Facebook fan page, is the only little person to complete more than 18 triathlons.

On Saturday, November 16, Waterloo students will be hosting the 8th Annual Southwestern Ontario Industrial Organization Psychology and Organizational Behaviour Graduate Student Conference. This day-long conference aims to bring together graduate students who conduct research in I/O psychology, organizational behaviour, and related disciplines to share their latest research and learn from their peers. This conference is on track to have the highest attendance rate in the conference's history, and will have attendees from five different programs at 10 institutions. The conference is being sponsored by Waterloo's Psychology Department and the Canadian Society for I/O Psychology (CSIOP).

Back to top