President, U15 herald major research funding

by Matt Bondy.

On Wednesday, February 19, Minister of State for Science and Technology Greg Rickford announced major new funds for university research as part of the new federal budget, Economic Action Plan 2014.

Speaking at the national-level event held the University of Toronto, Minister Rickford detailed the federal government’s major research funding plans including $1.5 billion over ten years into the new Canada First Research Excellence Fund. Other major funding announcements included $15 million over three years for the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing.

The historic funding platforms are designed to “enable Canadian post-secondary research institutions to leverage their key strengths into world-leading capabilities,” the minister said.

President Hamdullahpur spoke at the event on behalf of the U15, Canada’s association of top research-intensive universities, which he serves as vice-chair.

“The Government of Canada, the U15, and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada know that post-secondary research and education are key to Canada’s economic and social future, and to sustaining Canada’s world-renowned economic advantage,” President Hamdullahpur said.

In representing the U15, Waterloo’s president and vice-chancellor spoke to national public policy challenges and opportunities, and emphasized the importance of education and research to Canada’s broader global engagement.

“Both as an essential source of social and economic opportunity here at home, and as an instrument of the national interest in a rapidly globalizing world, education and research are central to Canada’s competitiveness and success.”

Read more about Economic Action Plan 2014’s support for research.

 

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Accelerator to join Stratford Campus

An innovative collaboration will provide University of Waterloo students and entrepreneurs the opportunity to work together when Stratford's Accelerator Centre relocates to the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus this spring.

"This initiative of the Stratford Accelerator Centre and the University of Waterloo creates a unique opportunity—a community based on the networking and collaboration so critical to entrepreneurial success, with the added benefit of being housed within the highly innovative culture that exists on our campus," said Ginny Dybenko, Stratford's executive director. "We’re creating and supporting an environment that will help startups reach their goals through interaction with our students, and our students will benefit through direct access to these entrepreneurs."

The campus supports business, technology and arts students who have projects that are ideal for commercialization with its Master of Digital Experience Innovation (MDEI) and Global Business and Digital Arts (GBDA) programs. The move will give the campus direct access to the Accelerator Program®, an award-winning incubation program for technology startups, with its entrepreneur in residence, mentors and programming support to provide a ready pathway to transform research into commercial reality.

"We are incredibly excited by the potential of blending our startups, experienced team and in-house mentors with Stratford’s students in an on-campus setting," said Tim Ellis, CEO of the Accelerator Centre. "The interactions and exchange of ideas that will come from this initiative will strengthen the bond on both sides, providing students with another important avenue for applying their learning, and offering startups access to cutting-edge, digital arts expertise, and a pipeline of strong, up-and-coming talent."

The startups from the Stratford Accelerator Centre are expected to move to the campus at the end of March.

 

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Treat-A-Gram a sweet success

by Carrie Ann Nickerson, 2014 Treat-a-Gram Committee Chair.

The University of Waterloo community came through in a huge way for Treat-a-Gram 2014!

Now that the cookies have been baked, packaged, delivered and enjoyed, I can tell you that over $13,000 was raised by Treat-a-Gram 2014 in support of the Health Services Expansion Project! In fact, we saw an increase in sales of 25 per cent over last year. That’s amazing!

On Friday, February 14^th offices on our campuses were flooded with tasty treats and messages of appreciation. You really answered the call to bring smiles to the faces of your colleagues and friends across our campuses. We switched up the treats for 2014 and offered a tasty assortment of cookies, a yummy gluten-free and vegan white chocolate cranberry bar, and a new alternative to our sugary confections in the form of a postcard.

The new postcard took flight and found its way to far off places like our Hong Kong office, marking the first time that Treat-a-Gram was able to reach outside our local campuses.

Treat-a-Gram is brought to you each year by the Keystone Campaign. This year, a committee of 12 volunteers dedicated their ideas, time and helping hands to make Treat-a-Gram a massive success. The committee also relies on the help of countless other volunteers. Some assist with communications for the event, and others with packaging or distribution on the big day.

Helping with treat packaging this year was President Feridun Hamdullahpur, VP University Relations Tim Jackson and VP Advancement Ken McGillivray. Thank you to each and every one of you!

Not enough can be said about the hard work that Denise Allen and her staff from Food Services put in to Treat-a-Gram. Over 4,000 orders meant baking and boxing 15,204 cookies and 234 bars!  They certainly had their work cut out for them and they delivered in a big way. Thank you!

A final thank you goes out to each of you who purchased a Treat-a-Gram to put a smile on someone’s face. In doing so you also contributed to an important project that will benefit our students for years to come. You exemplify the spirit of philanthropy at the University of Waterloo.

 

Check out a short video that captures all the fun! 

 

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Look Behind You!

The Peace and Conflict Studies department and the Centre for the Study of Religion and Peace at Conrad Grebel University College are inviting you to Look Behind You!

This multimedia performance details how a father and son have negotiated the personal and political landscapes of Northern Ireland through photograph and song. This free event takes place on Thursday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m. in the Conrad Grebel University chapel.

Using image and voice, anecdote and memory, Look Behind You! showcases Bobbie Hanvey’s prize-winning photojournalism mixed with radio-edits of his interviews with some of Northern Ireland’s best-known figures. These are complemented and contextualized by Steafán Hanvey’s story-telling, which comes in the form of critically-acclaimed song-writing, and a trained academic’s gift for presenting complex issues in an engaging manner.

For more information about the artist, visit Steafán's website. For a sample of his work, view a short documentary on the National Public Radio (NPR) site.

 

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Volleyball team in OUA Final Four, other notes

The Waterloo men's volleyball team is off to the OUA Final Four today at McMaster University. Game time is 5:30 p.m. in Hamilton. A fan bus will be leaving campus at 3:30 p.m. to take a busload (natch) of supporters courtside as the Warriors take on the Western Mustangs in the semifinal game. Tickets, which include transportation and entry to the game, are on sale in the Athletics office for $15, or can be purchased online.

This is the third straight OUA Final Four berth for the Waterloo men's volleyball team. A win against the Mustangs will clinch a spot in the CIS Championship tournament. (Photograph courtesy of Waterloo Athletics)

Faculty-based heats for the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition get underway Monday, when Mathematics holds its competition from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in DC 1302. Next up are the Environment heats on Thursday, February 27 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in QNC 1506. Applied Health Sciences holds its competition on Monday, March 3 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in LHI 1621. Engineering's heats are split into three parts:

• Part 1, Monday, March 3, 6: 30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., DC 1302
• Part 2, Tuesday, March 4, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., QNC 2502
• Part 3, Thursday, March 6, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., RCH 101

Science's competition is split into two parts, the first on Tuesday, March 4 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in B1 271 and the second on Wednesday, March 5 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in B1 271. Arts will hold its heat on Thursday, March 6 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in AL 113.

Winners will be selected from each faculty to compete in the university-wide 3MT finals, which will be hosted on March 27.

First-year and fourth-year undergraduates should have received an email about the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) in their university email accounts. The survey is open until March 24. Students who complete the survey will receive a $5 credit on their WatCard, and will be entered in a draw to win a $500 undergraduate student award.

Online voting has begun to fill the regular staff seat on the Dean of Applied Health Sciences Nominating Committee and the Dean of Science Nominating Committee. The candidates contesting the positions are: 

• Applied Health Sciences – Sandy DeVisser, administrative assistant, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies; Laurie Jones, teaching laboratory coordinator and instructor, exercise physiology and biochemistry, Department of Kinesiology; and Katy Wong-Francq, senior manager, Propel Centre for Population Health Impact
• Science – Lorraine Albrecht, administrative assistant, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences; Monika Bothwell, faculty financial officer; Harmen Vander Heide, machine shop supervisor, Science Technical Services

 

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