Winner named in 24 Hours of Waterloo contest

by Kirsty Budd.

Congratulations to Elham Akhavan on winning $500 at Retail Services in the #uwaterloolife contest.

After the 24 hours project on October 2, 15 submissions were chosen as finalists and Elham's photo, taken in a robotics lab on campus, was one of the 15. After a week of voting on facebook his photo received 887 likes, beating out a shot of the Quidditch team on the V1 Green (708 likes) and the geese on Ring Road (405 likes). You can see the top 15 on facebook, or check out the Storify for the all of the submissions. Thanks again to all who participated in the 24 hours project, we're already looking forward to next year!

 

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Peer mentors offer support to students

by Katie Eley, Student Success Office.

Across uWaterloo, there are dozens of programs that offer support to students; some of the most impactful programs are led by fellow students.  Peer mentors act as a good first resource for students. They are seen as approachable, non-judgmental, close in age and share similar experiences.  Students perceive peer mentors as less intimidating when they need support in their social, cultural or academic transition through their university experience.  Each mentorship program is targeted at a specific demographic, ranging from students adjusting to life in Canada to graduating students choosing a career path. 

Initially these mentorship programs were developed within individual departments and faculties who trained, staffed and promoted the programs independently.  As inquiries from students about support opportunities increased, the Student Success Office reached out to existing programs in an effort to connect and promote each program in a single location. 

“Creating a comprehensive list of mentorship programs allows students to find the option that best fits their needs,” explains Laura Maple, peer mentorship coordinator, Student Success Office. “We are hopeful that as more students are matched with the support they need, awareness and use of these resources will also increase.”  The SSO has created consistent training programs for mentors, streamlining topics such as effective mentoring relationships, communication skills, resources on campus, inclusivity and cultural awareness. 

A comprehensive list of peer mentor programs is available through the SSO.  We have created a short video featuring current mentees who have benefited from participating in a peer mentor program, with the goal to encourage more students to engage with a mentor.  The SSO encourages staff and faculty to share this video with any students who may benefit from participating in a peer mentor program.  

 

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Waterloo Architectures hosts design conference

The University of Waterloo School of Architecture will be hosting the Association for Computer Aided Design In Architecture’s (ACADIA) 2013 Annual Conference, which will run from October 24 to 27.

The conference, entitled “Adaptive Architecture,” will showcase the latest developments and thinking in the field of building design.

More than 370 participants are expected to attend, including innovative researchers, creators, technical experts, international research team members, and students from Waterloo’s School of Architecture, the University of Buffalo, SUNY, and the University of Nottingham.

An “extraordinarily rich gathering” is expected to take place at the School of Architecture, with main conference proceedings and keynote addresses to be staged in the adjacent Knox’s Galt Presbyterian Church. In addition, late-night music and projection events will be staged in a warehouse space across the river in the heart of Cambridge. Tours of North House and the Solar Decathlon house at Rare are also scheduled.

Public exhibitions include the major European show Prototyping Architecture, Tex-Fab SKIN, Making it Real, and Objet 3D, located in the school atrium and the Design at Riverside gallery.

Keynote speakers include Michelle Addington of Yale University, Cristiano Ceccato of Zaha Hadid Architects, and Stephen Gage of the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London.

In addition, a series of workshops have been scheduled in the run-up to the conference aimed primarily at students.

Registration is required and is still open. The exhibitions are open to the public.

 

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