A sunset, engineered: Professor Kumaraswamy Ponnambalam of Systems Design Engineering took this photo of the Engineering 5 bridge at dusk last Sunday.

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Co-op student wins young investigator award

by Kaitlyn Holbein.

Despite only being an undergraduate student, Erin Wong, in 4A kinesiology, is now the recipient of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) Young Investigator’s Award.

This award is reserved for individuals under the age of 40 who have made significant contributions to their field through their research efforts. While the award is typically given to medical doctors and residents in training, Erin is receiving this award as an undergraduate for her outstanding work investigating the efficacy and safety of re-irradiation of bone metastases in stage 4 cancer patients and other research projects in patients with advanced cancer.

This research was conducted by Erin while on a co-op term at Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre in Toronto. She is currently on her fourth consecutive work term at Sunnybrook, and she credits the winning of this award, in part, to the work environment there.

“I have learned so much from my past three work terms at Sunnybrook,” says Erin. “I’ve become very knowledgeable in the field of radiation oncology. The experiences I’ve gained from working here and the support from my employer have definitely aided in my candidacy for this award.”

Working at Sunnybrook has impacted Erin’s future career goals, reaffirming her aim of becoming a doctor.

“Through working at Sunnybrook, participating in clinics, shadowing doctors, and constantly interacting with patients, it has cemented my desire to become a physician and has given me the confidence to continue in that pursuit,” explains Erin.

The working environment at Sunnybrook benefits countless other co-op students too. To date, co-op students at Sunnybrook have: been published in 214 articles and 40 book chapters, delivered 58 conference presentations, and received 99 awards.

Erin’s award will be presented to her this week at the MASCC/ISOO International Symposium on Supportive Care in Cancer in Miami, Florida. Erin will also present the research that led to her reception of the award at the conference.

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50 international partnership grants awarded

by Paula Colaso and Kayla Dixon.

Since 2011, the University of Waterloo has awarded International Research Partnership Grants (IRPG) to Waterloo faculty as seed funding to develop new or existing international research collaborations with institutions known for high quality research. The grants are administered by the Office of Research to provide research groups with the enhanced capacity to pursue and leverage significant collaborative research funding. 

Overall the IRPG initiative has funded partnerships with leading institutions in 20 countries around the world including Harvard University, Tsinghua University, University College London and India Institute of Technology Bombay, to name a few. Grants are awarded for workshops and meetings to enhance collaboration and to develop proposals for research involving international groups/consortia. Project budgets follow a cost-sharing model where the University covers up to 50% of collaboration and travel expenses.

To date, 50 grants totaling over $600,000 have been awarded by the Office of Research, and involve $900,000 in matching cash contributions. Most notably, in April 2012 following two joint workshops, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology announced 12 new collaborative projects funded by Suzhou Industrial Park and Soochow University totaling almost $1 million. As well, joint IRPG projects have contributed to the advancement of knowledge, new publications, and research funding in key areas including quantum photonics, water and wastewater systems, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, digital display environments, smart energy and quantitative behavioural finance.  Overall, these grants have reached all faculties across campus including 20 departments and 7 research centres.

If you would like to apply for the IRPG, annual application deadlines are May 1 and November 1. The application form with guidelines is available online. For more information you can contact Jennifer Calbery, Manager, International Research and Partnerships.

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IST names new director, enterprise systems

"I am pleased to announce that Dr. Satyendra (Sati) Singh will join Information Systems and Technology (IST) as Director of Enterprise Systems, effective July 28, 2014," wrote Chief Information Office Dave Wallace in an email circulated last week. "Sati brings over 20 years of experience leading complex transformational initiatives and information systems teams as well as experience in teaching at Queen’s University and Carleton University to this key role."

"He has significant experience leading large-scale, complex projects including strong consultant experience, working with multiple stakeholder groups and most recently, directing a multi-year, $21+ million electronic medical records project at CancerCare Manitoba."

Sati received a BSc, Math Physics Chemistry, from Osmania University, India and his MS, Computing Science, from the Engineering College of Andhra University, India, completing an MBA and a PhD in Information Technology and Strategy at Queen’s University.

"Please join me in welcoming Sati to the IST team!" Wallace concluded.

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Staff association announces election results

The University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA) has posted the results of the recent election for its executive positions.

Incumbent Carlos Mendes has been elected to serve another term in office that runs from October 2014 to October 2015. Michael Herz has been elected to the position of President-elect for the October 2014 to October 2015 term.

The UWSA's board has appointed Herz to the position of President-elect from now until October 2014. Upon completion of his year as President-elect, Herz will move into the position of president, serving from October 2015 to October 2016. Mendes will then become Past-President.

The results will become official when they are ratified at the UWSA's Annual General Meeting in October 2014.

For the full election results, visit the University of Waterloo Staff Association page.

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Wednesday's notes

Human Resources is reporting that the following staff members retired effective June 1, 2014:

• Darlene Dietz Hicks, who started in January 1978, and retired as Buyer - Procurement and Contract Services;
• Pam Van Allen, who started at the University in August 1970, and retired as Academic Services and Admissions Officer – Dean of Science;
• Erin Harvey, who started in July 1980, and retired as Statistical Consultant – Statistics and Actuarial Science;
• Sharron Dawe, who started working at Waterloo in September 1983, retiring as Ocular Disease and Primary Care Externship Coordinator – Optometry Clinic;
• Linda Schmidt, who began her career at the University in September 1996, retiring as Financial Assistant VI – Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing;
• Roni Oestreich, who started in April 1994, and who retires as Off-Campus Housing Specialist - Housing and Residences; and
• Maria Lonkovic, who began working at the University in September 1996, retiring as Food Services Assistant - Food Services.
  

Conrad Grebel University College has announced that Paul Heidebrecht has been named Director of the new Mennonite Savings and Credit Union (MSCU) Centre for Peace Advancement.

Heidebrecht spent 5 years as Ottawa Office Director of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada. There, he guided MCC’s efforts to shape government policies on behalf of program partners in relief, development, and peacebuilding. This involved building relationships with government officials, Non-Government Organization (NGO) partners, and churches. Prior to that Heidebrecht completed an MA in Theological Studies at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) and a PhD in Theological Ethics at Marquette University.

The position with the Centre for Peace Advancement (CPA) will be complemented with other teaching and research work at the college. Heidebrecht plans to spend “significant time and energy introducing the CPA to the University of Waterloo, the local community and to the broader academic church and civil society networks in Canada and globally.”

"In addition to collaborating with familiar partners like Project Ploughshares and MCC, I'm looking forward to establishing a whole host of new relationships,” Heidebrecht says.

“Dr. Heidebrecht is superbly positioned to flourish in this new role at Grebel,” says college president Susan Schultz Huxman. “As an academic, diplomat, peace advocate, and Mennonite agency representative, he can give leadership to the three goals of incubating peace in the MSCU Centre for Peace Advancement: research, training, and community engagement."

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