That's Waterloo Chemical Engineering PhD candidate Drew Higgins on the far right receiving the 2014 Dr. Bernard Baker Fuel Cell Research Student Award, a top award given internationally to graduate students conducting research on topics related to fuel cells.

Higgins, in his fourth year as a PhD student, works in Professor Zhongwei Chen's laboratory, carrying out research on the development of nanostructured catalysts for fuel cells.

"By designing new catalysts, we aim to reduce the cost, while increasing the performance and durability of these systems," Higgins writes. "As fuel cells are a clean operating, sustainable technology, this research will perpetuate their commercial success towards many important applications including transportation and backup power."

Chen is Associate Professor & Canada Research Chair in Advanced Materials for Clean Energy and Director of the Collaborative Graduate Program in Nanotechnology.

Higgins's colleague Hadis Zarrin, a fellow PhD student in Chemical Engineering, received an honourable mention for this award.

The award ceremony took place last week in Los Angeles.

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Candidate named for Dean of Science

The Dean of Science Nominating Committee has unanimously recommended that Professor Robert Lemieux be considered as the next Dean of Science, an announcement from the provost says.

Professor Lemieux studied at Colgate University in New York and received his PhD at the University of Illinois. He is a specialist in the chemistry of organic materials, including liquid crystals.

Professor Lemieux has been a member of the faculty at Queen's University since 1992, and is currently a professor in the Chemistry department and associate dean (research) in the Faculty of Arts and Science. His administrative experience includes a 1-year term as Acting Associate Dean in the Faculty of Arts and Science and a 5-year term as head of the Chemistry Department. He has also sat on a number of university committees, task forces, and teams.

"The Dean of Science Nominating Committee was formed in May 2014 under the terms of Policy 45 to identify a successor for Dean McMahon. An external search consulting firm, Odgers Berndtson, was engaged to assist the committee," says a statement on the Secretariat and Office of General Counsel's website. "The position was advertised in June. The committee consulted widely within the Faculty of Science and the university administration. It also met with the president and the current dean to review issues, priorities, opportunities and challenges affecting the faculty and the dean. From this information a candidate brief was created. Efforts were focused on identifying excellent declared and potential candidates, both internal and external."

"From the long list of applications and expressions of interest received, the committee narrowed the list of individuals to be invited for an interview. On the basis of the interviews and in-depth referencing available to the committee, members unanimously agreed to recommend Professor Robert Lemieux for consideration by the constituency as the next dean of the Faculty of Science."

Professor Lemieux will visit campus on Friday, November 28. Students, faculty and staff in the Faculty of Science will have an opportunity to meet him at three events:

• 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. - Meet and Greet, School of Pharmacy
• 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. - Meet and Greet, School of Optometry & Vision Science
• 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. - Open Forum, Centre for Environmental and Information Technology (EIT), Room 1015

Faculty and staff members of the Faculty of Science will have an opportunity to vote on Lemieux's candidacy beginning Monday, December 1 at 8:30 a.m. as required by Policy 45 and past practice. The poll will close on Wednesday, December 10 at 3:00 p.m.

"If the committee believes that the votes express general approval of its unanimous recommendation and are consistent with the requirements of Policy 45, the committee will recommend the appointment to the president who, in turn, will recommend it to Senate," the statement continues. "With Senate’s endorsement, the president will recommend the appointment to the Board of Governors. Following approval at that level, the president will make a public announcement."

The Dean of Science's five-year term will commence July 1, 2015.

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Course Selection Week has begun

Course Selection week started Wednesday, November 26 and runs to Wednesday, December 3.

Students can request their spring 2015 course selections through their Quest accounts. Step-by-step instructions can be found on the course selection process website.

Depending on their program, plan, or major, students may find core or required courses already placed in their course list. If core or required courses are not already in the course list, students can add them.

Schedules can still be adjusted during the drop/add period from April 6, 2015 to May 15, and courses can be dropped without penalty until May 22, 2015.

Students can contact their academic advisors if they have any questions.

Just a reminder: Quest will be down from Friday, November 28 at 4:30 p.m. until Monday, December 1 at 8:30 a.m.

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A message from your Keystone co-chairs

Whether you’re a Waterloo faculty member, staff member or a retiree, we’ve all had the chance first-hand to see the amazing work that is happening here at the University, and read stories about how our graduates are making a difference in both their local communities and internationally.

Financial support enriches our students’ experiences and enhances groundbreaking research, earning our University its remarkable reputation. That’s why we volunteer as Keystone Campaign ambassadors—to help spread the word that gifts of support for Waterloo are essential. Every dollar helps sustain the learning environment and resources that cultivate creativity and bold thinking.

The Keystone Campaign is how we, employees of Waterloo, can give back to the University and every gift truly makes a difference. Last year, our combined giving raised over $1 million! Whether you give to a specific priority that is meaningful to you, or you choose to designate your gift to Waterloo’s area of highest priority need, our gifts show that we believe in the work that is happening here, and also encourage those outside of our campus community to participate and make a gift.

The effects of our gifts are magnified and pooled with the support of many others to make an impact. This month, when you receive an e-mail or letter from Andrew, a current student, please consider supporting our University.

We hope to see you on campus soon,

Paul McKone                                        

Bob Kerton                                         

James Skidmore

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Thursday's notes

The Velocity Fund Finals will take place today at 11:00 a.m. in the Student Life Centre's Great Hall. 10 finallists are set to compete in the $5,000 competition that begins at 11:00 a.m., and 10 will be competing for the $25,000 prize. The event will be livestreamed and you can follow along on social media with the hashtag #VFFF14.

The UW Chamber Choir, the Conrad Grebel Chapel Choir, and the University Choir will be performing at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Kitchener on Saturday, November 29 at 8:00 p.m. The Gloria Deo Ensemble Concert will feature seasonal music, including Poulenc's Gloria. Admission is $10, and $5 for students and seniors, available at the door.

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