Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Waterloo celebrates Asian History Month

A message from Vivek Goel, President and Vice-Chancellor.

Every May, we celebrate Asian Heritage Month. Over the past two centuries, Asian communities in Canada have overcome challenges and thrived. This history is full of many barriers, but also countless stories of resiliency and success.

According to the Canada’s 2021 Census of Population, nearly 20 per cent of Canada’s population is of Asian heritage. The top four most reported mother tongues after English and French are Punjabi, Mandarin, Arabic and Cantonese. It is troubling to see that recent surveys also highlight that many in this population have experienced discrimination in public spaces, in the workplace and even in the classroom. 

At the University of Waterloo, we are proud of the diversity and inclusiveness of our campuses. Our equity survey notes that close to 50 per cent of our student population has Asian heritage, and we also have a large Asian community represented within our staff and faculty. Community members from a wide variety of Asian cultures and backgrounds contribute to our University community in so many ways.   

Asian heritage encompasses many diverse and unique cultures that have their own languages, customs and beliefs. When we celebrate Asian Heritage Month, we celebrate the diversity of these cultures. We can be proud that our institution provides spaces and opportunities to share these cultures and customs. 

Diverse voices and perspectives enrich our teaching, learning, research and service. In our Waterloo at 100 strategic vision, we see ourselves as a community of curious, collaborative, innovative and entrepreneurial problem-solvers and leaders who seek to understand and identify equitable and sustainable solutions for the future of humanity and our planet. For this vision to be successful, we strive to ensure every member of our community feels a sense of belonging. Belonging should include feeling part of something special here at Waterloo, while also feeling empowered to celebrate your identity. 

I encourage you to visit Waterloo’s Asian Heritage Month webpage to learn about some inspiring members of our community with Asian heritage who are making exceptional contributions to our campus and beyond. Individuals like Judge Albert Wong (BSc ’80) who has sworn in more than 100,000 new Canadians since he was appointed a citizenship judge in 2014 and Anita Layton, the associate dean of research and international in the Faculty of Mathematics and the Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematical Biology and Medicine, who leads research that helps bring lifesaving drugs to people more quickly. 

We are thankful to all members of our community with Asian heritage, who enrich our University and contribute to our institution’s success. 

Parking changes go into effect today

Buckle up and hold on to your hang tags as changes to parking on campus go into effect today. 

The Parking Services unit has been re-named Sustainable Transportation to better describe the services it provides.

Previously announced changes to fees and fines on the University's main campus will also go into effect, namely:

• Faculty/Staff monthly parking - $59.89/month;

• Students per term - $235.61;

• Student residence per term - $208.50; 

• Bike storage (indoor/outdoor) per month - $10/month; 

• Hourly rates - $3; and

• Daily rates for most lots - $7. 

View the complete list of parking rates. 

What's not going ahead on May 1 is the change to a "first come, first served" model for employee parking. "Since we announced the changes to lot access, including a first-come, first-served model for employee parking lots, we have identified infrastructure and technology solutions that would support a better transition," wrote Vice-President, Administration and Finance Jacinda Reitsma in a memo to employees on April 18. "Therefore, we are revising our planned implementation of the lot access changes...Changes to lot access for employees will not be implemented on May 1. We will share a plan for moving forward with those changes at a time when we can support a smooth transition for everyone in the University community."

What this means is that all employee parking lot designations will remain the same.

 If you have any questions, please read through Sustainable Transportation's FAQs or email strnsprt@uwaterloo.ca.

Acknowledging Sexual Violence Awareness Month at Waterloo

A message from the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO).

Join us this May as we stand together for Sexual Violence Awareness Month at the University of Waterloo. Throughout the month, we're bringing together a lineup of powerful voices with 4 dynamic speakers featuring four separate engaging virtual talks every Thursday starting May 9 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and informative promotional booths every Wednesday beginning May 8.

What is SVAM?

Sexual violence (including but not limited to assault, stalking, harassment, and abuse) is one of the most underreported crimes in Canada according to StatsCan. SVAM was created by grass-roots sexual assault support centres to shed light on this serious subject. Sexualviolence benefits from stigma and living in the shadows; it is our goal to talk about this uncomfortable subject in order to put Survivors first. 

Every May the University of Waterloo hosts a series of events that lets students, staff, and faculty know that support is available through our Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Office (SVPRO) and that we embrace a culture of consent here at UWaterloo. Let's spark important conversations, raise awareness, and foster a community of support. Together, we can create a campus culture of respect, safety, empowerment, and consent. Don't miss out on this vital initiative – mark your calendars and be a part of the movement for change.

Working with purpose to solve big challenges

Helen Huang (BSc ’17) and Sefunmi Osinaike (BASc '17), co-founders of Co.Lab.

By Stephanie Longeway. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

“Across sectors, whether you work in government, industry or academia, we need to rethink how we work,” said the University of Waterloo’s Chancellor Dominic Barton in his opening remarks at the Waterloo Innovation Summit on April 25.

The former head of McKinsey & Company elaborated that, “as I get older, I’m convinced that the changes we are seeing in the world today are truly historic.” Barton pointed to the economic power shifts playing out globally, as well as technological transformations and climate change that are fundamentally shaping the way we will live and work.

The theme of this year’s Summit examined these transformations and elevated conversations between senior leaders and Gen Z talent entering the workforce. Panels and keynotes touched on leadership and workforce planning through increasingly uncertain economic, technological and societal challenges. The younger speakers also provided insight into the ways businesses and post-secondary institutions can evolve to develop and nurture these highly skilled future leaders.  

“The post-secondary sector and businesses have an incredible opportunity to work together to ensure we are equipping this generation with the skills and tools they need to address the challenges of an increasingly uncertain future,” said Vivek Goel, President and Vice-chancellor at Waterloo.

The setting for the Summit at McKinsey & Company’s downtown Toronto office was a perfect match to facilitate this discussion and bring together senior leaders from businesses, governments and academic institutions.

Harnessing an entrepreneurial mindset with work-integrated learning

Barton noted that one of the strengths of the University is its focus on fundamental research and co-op education. Waterloo is a leading research-intensive university with the largest co-op program in the world and is renowned for entrepreneurship and innovation. It’s this unique setting that attracts aspiring entrepreneurs and researchers alike to the University, and why more than 8,000 employers partner with Waterloo.

Norah McRae, associate provost of Co-operative and Experiential Education at Waterloo led a discussion with two co-op students, Darren Harry Baine and Stephanie Davis, on what factors are driving them when selecting an employer and career path. For both students, that answer came down to two main factors: work that aligns to their values and an opportunity for meaningful mentorship.

“The mentorship from baby boomers and anyone one older is invaluable … Especially from anyone [in the workforce] for a very long time, is an invaluable perspective. They’ve seen immense workforce changes,” said Davis, a Master of Public Service student. She added, “Gen Z wants to work with purpose. There is a lot of motivation [in this generation] and when they have work that fulfills them, they can really take it to another level.”

Read the full article on Waterloo News.

Memorial fund, support for colleague, and other notes on the first of May

At the request of members of the University community and his family, the University has established a memorial fund in the name of Professor Sofyan Taya. Dr. Taya was a visiting scholar in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Waterloo in 2021 who lost his life in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in December 2023. More information about the memorial fund and how to contribute can be found by visiting the Support Waterloo website.

"Our colleague, Claire Taylor, Manager of Insights and Communications in the UWaterloo Life team, is navigating a life-altering challenge after her husband was diagnosed with a rare form of nerve cancer," writes Vicki Groh, Strategic Stakeholder Engagement Manager in Co-operative and Experiential Education. "After three major surgeries and four months in various hospitals, he wishes more than anything to come home to his family. There are many expenses that have taken a toll on this family, in particular modifications that are required to their home. As a community, we are hoping that you will consider supporting Claire and her family as they navigate this challenging time."

"All donations and words of encouragement bring us one step closer to managing this devastating challenge," Groh writes. "Thank you from the bottom of all our hearts."

Do you have 90 minutes to spare and a desire to collaborate with robots in a groundbreaking study? If so, the Active and Interactive Robotics Lab (AIR) Lab and the Social and Intelligent Robotics Research Lab invite you to participate in a study titled "Human Robot Collaboration."

Leading the study are Yue Hu, Principal Investigator, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, Kerstin Dautenhahn, Co-Investigator, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and student investigator Amr Hamdi, MASc student, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering.

"This study explores the dynamic interaction between humans and robots in performing various tasks," state the study organizers. "The experiment is part of Amr Hamdi’s Master’s thesis and aims to examine the effectiveness of human-robot collaboration."

If you're interested in participating or learning more abotu the study, send an email to amhamdi@uwaterloo.ca with the subject line "Human Robot Collaboration Study." The study has been reviewed by a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Board.

Employers hosting Employer Information Sessions next week include DRW, Protiviti, Christie Digital, OTPP, Marvell, Capital One, theScore, Bloomberg and Genesys. Make sure to register through WaterlooWorks and check the calendar for any updates.