UW Daily Bulletin, Wednesday, March 18

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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

* [5]Yesterday
* [6]Archive o [7]Search
* [8]RSS image RSS o [9]Twitter
* [10]About the Daily Bulletin

* IST service desk a CHIP off the old block
* Account plans facilitate strategic hiring
* The robots are coming
* NSERC grants announced
* Tuesday's notes

* Editor:
* Brandon Sweet
* Marketing & Strategic Communications
* [11]bull...@uwaterloo.ca

[0318ServiceDesk.JPG]
IST Service Desk a CHIP off the old block

CHIP, we hardly knew you.


With its move to East Campus 2 main foyer complete, Information Systems &
Technology (IST) is bidding a fond farewell to the erstwhile Computing Help
and Information Place (CHIP), which will now officially be known as the IST
Service Desk.

"The CHIP name was representative of the physical space it held in MC for so
many years," says a statement from IST. "Relocating the service desk to East
Campus 2 (EC2) prompted us to reconsider the name associated with this
service and provided an ideal opportunity to make this change. Our new name
reflects our focus on client service and more clearly articulates what we
do, connecting and strengthening the identity of the service desks across
campus."


The former CHIP office is dismantled. The CHIP was established in 1997 as
the new identity of the Department of Computing Services' (IST's
predecessor) customer support centre. it was located in MC 1052. Michael
Davenport snapped this pic of the CHIP being dismantled in November 2014.


IST recommends updating references to the CHIP in existing resources,
whether it's on a website or within a communication template, replacing CHIP
with "IST Service Desk."
Anyone with questions or concerns can contact the IST Service Desk [12]via
email or at extension 84357.

[13]Back to top

Account plans facilitate strategic hiring

by Clare Flood.

The Co-operative Education & Career Action account management team is a
primary support for existing employers as they hire from Waterloo. They
retain employers, increase student employment, and encourage employers to
hire students from many different programs. To do this even more
effectively, 15 account managers (AMs) now use account plans to gather
important information about employers. Waterloo is the first institution to
lead the way in introducing these plans, enabling AMs to have more active
interactions with employers and secure higher employment for Waterloo
students and alumni. They are also proving successful in sharing valuable
information across faculties and other departments about the hiring pattern
and focus of employers who hire from Waterloo.


Beginning in September 2013, around 760 account plans are now in use. These
plans are initially created through current hiring information analysis by
the account management co-ordinator, a position that is filled by a first
work term co-op student at CECA. This term, Arts & Business student Mashal
Nasir Husain holds the position.


"My main focus is to pull together account plans, documents that summarize a
company and their relationship with CECA for the past nine terms," explains
Nasir.


Each account plan hosts a large quantity of information, including: employer
background, contacts, hiring objectives, hiring history (including non-co-op
students), student evaluations, and action plans for the employer and the
university.


"We have strengthened the conversations we have with employers. We've
created time for discussions that identify where organizations are headed
strategically, what challenges they feel they will face, and what impacts
this will have on their resources. This enables us to plan, with the
employer, what skills they will require in their future workforce, and how
Waterloo can help meet those skill gaps across their organization," explains
Ross Johnston, director of employment relations.


When AMs attend employer meetings, they use account plans to start a
discussion with employers about how Waterloo has assisted them in the past
and can help them in the future. Account plans ensure AMs can encourage
hiring from a variety of programs and levels of study.


"Waterloo can become a true talent partner with employers, hiring students
from all levels of study, programs, graduates, and alumni. The discussions
around these plans allow us to open up to new possibilities with
employers," says Johnston.


Nasir agrees, noting how the plans reflect program diversity, "Usually I
hear company names and think they must only be hiring from one program, like
engineering, but the plans tell another story. Many other programs are
getting jobs too."


Account plans are only one of the many components that go into maintaining
the success of the world's largest co-op program. Their introduction is
certainly beneficial to Waterloo, its students, and the employers who hire
them.


[14]Back to top

[0318FIRST.jpg]
The robots are coming

The [15]FIRST Robotics Competition Waterloo Regional Competition is held
each year at the University of Waterloo in March. This year, the 11th year
of the Waterloo Regional, 32 teams will compete in the Physical Activities
Complex Main Gym for a chance to go to St. Louis for the FIRST Robotics
World Championships.

This year's game, Recycle Rush(TM), is played by two competing alliances of
three robots each on a flat 27'x 54' field. Robots are built in six weeks
from a common kit of parts, provided by FIRST, and weigh up to 120 pounds.
(excluding battery and bumpers).


Teams begin loading in their mechanized creations today, with practice
rounds commencing on Thursday, March 19 at 10:00 a.m. Opening ceremonies
will begin on Friday and Saturday at 8:30 a.m., with qualification matches
to follow on both days. Final rounds are at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, followed
by the awards ceremony at 4:30 p.m.


FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,
and engages young people in mentor-based programs that build science,
engineering and technology skills to inspire innovation and foster
well-rounded life capabilities.


The Waterloo Regional competition is a free event that is open to the
public.


[16]Back to top

[0318Ceremony.jpg]
NSERC grants announced

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) announced more
than $15 million in funding to support research at the University of
Waterloo yesterday.
The Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology) and
Kitchener-Waterloo MP, Peter Braid revealed the investment of more $5.3
million in 11 strategic research partnerships between academics and industry
to generate new technologies.

The [17]Strategic Project Grants at Waterloo include developing
infrastructure to make high-speed mobile Internet available everywhere
including vehicles, homes, hospitals, and utilities. Electrical and computer
engineering professor Amir Khandani is leading research to support 5G
networks that involves developing new techniques to double the rate of
information exchanged over the same bandwidth, along with enhancing wireless
security.


"The combined knowledge of university and industry partners means that each
of their unique strengths help shape the technologies allowing for truly
innovative outcomes," said D. George Dixon, vice-president, university
research at Waterloo. "We appreciate that NSERC and the Government of Canada
recognize the value of supporting research at Waterloo and the impact that
every dollar has on research excellence and innovation. These partnerships
and new technologies are felt beyond the university as they support industry
in their growth, further enhancing the Canadian economy."


NSERC's announcement includes $5.3 million for strategic project grants and
$9.6 million through the federal Research Support Fund for 2014-2015, which
helps universities with the additional costs of research that fall outside
of direct investments in post-secondary research.


[18]Back to top

Tuesday's notes

Employers on campus next week hosting employer information sessions include:
[19]KPMG. [20]Visit the info sessions calendar for more information.


Here's today's Nutrition Month "myth vs. fact" supplied by Health Services
Dietician Sandra Ace:


Myth: Soy foods contain plant estrogens that can be bad for your health.


Fact: While this topic is not without controversy, the majority of
scientific evidence suggests that soy consumption has some [21]health
benefits. The authors of a [22]review of more than 260 papers relating to
soy's health effects concluded that concerns about adverse effects are not
supported by clinical or epidemiologic literature. Soybeans contain
isoflavones, weak estrogen-like substances made by plants. Much of the
concern about soy's safety relates to [23]breast cancer risk, however the
majority of human studies show either a protective effect or no significant
association. While there have been widely-circulated stories that soy's
isoflavones may undermine male fertility, research, including this
[24]University of Guelph study, found no significant effects.


The bottom line: current evidence indicates that soy is neither a magic
bullet nor a danger to good health unless you have a soy allergy. When
consumed in the amounts contained in common foods like tofu, edamame and soy
beverages, soy contributes valuable nutrients including protein, fibre,
calcium, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin, thiamin, folate and iron and can
safely be included as part of a healthy diet. Eating a wide variety of foods
and the principle that "all foods fit in moderation" continue to be good
rules of thumb. The impact of taking soy supplements on a long term basis is
less clear and should probably be avoided until more research is done.


[25]Back to top

Link of the day

[26]25 Years ago: the Gardner Museum Heist

When and where

National Co-op Education Week, Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 20.


KI-X 2015 exhibition, Monday, March 16 to Wednesday, March 18, Environment 1
Courtyard. [27]Details.


Drama and Speech Communication presents Eugene Ionesco's Rhinoceros,
Wednesday, March 18 to Saturday, March 21, Theatre of the Arts, Modern
Languages. [28]Details.


FIRST Robotics Waterloo Regional Competition, Wednesday, March 18 to
Saturday, March 21, Physical Activities Complex. [29]Details.


UWRC Book Club featuring The Hare with Amber Eyes, Wednesday, March 18,
12:00 p.m., LIB 407.


Senate Finance Committee meeting, Wednesday March 18, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., NH
3001


Pascal Lecture seminar, "Do Science and Miracles Exist?" Wednesday, March
18, 2:30 p.m., EIT 1015.


For graduate students and post docs: Successfully Negotiating Job offers,
Wednesday, March 18, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tatham Centre room 1208.


Pascal Lectures on Christianity and the University featuring Professor John
Lennox, "The Hard Question: God and the Problem of Evil," Wednesday, March
18, 7:30 p.m., Optometry 347.

Velocity Alpha: Setup Your Business Like A Boss, Wednesday, March 18, 7:30
p.m., Environment 3 room 4412. [30]Details.


Business Etiquette and Professionalism, Friday, March 20, 10:30 a.m. to
12:00 p.m., Tatham Centre room 1208.


2015 Fusion Conference, Friday, March 20 to Saturday, March 21. [31]Details.


Knowledge Integration seminar: "Driving Software Innovation in Healthcare",
featuring Bill Tatham, founder and Chief Executive Officer of NexJ Systems
Inc., Friday, March 20, 2:30 p.m., EV3 room 1408. [32]Details.


Public Lecture featuring Bryan Smith, Arizona State University, "What Do
Language Learners Do, Exactly?" Friday, March 20, 4:00 p.m., ML 245.


Gender and Equity Scholarship Series featuring Professor Patricia Mariano,
Philosophy, "Sexual Objectification and Social Autonomy," Monday, March 23,
11:30 a.m., HH 373. [33]Details.


Drama and Speech Communication Lecture featuring Professor Rinaldo Walcott,
"In This Moment: Thoughts on Anti-Racism, Social Justice, Decoloniality and
Radical Collectivities", Monday, March 23, 5:00 p.m., AL 113. Reception from
4:15 to 5:00 p.m. in AL 211.


Human Resources Pension Lunch and Learn session, "Planning to Retire: Where
do I start?" Tuesday, March 24, 12:00 p.m., DC 1302.


Environment and Resource Studies Research Seminar featuring Steven
Alexander, "The Ties that Bind: Connections, patterns, and possibilities for
Marine Protected Areas," Tuesday, March 24, 12:00 p.m., EV1-221.


Innovations in Stormwater Management featuring Cheryl Evans from REEP Green
Solutions, Wednesday March 25^th, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., EV1 221.
[34]Details.


Success on the Job, Thursday, March 26, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., TC 1208.


The Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Centre for
Computational Mathematics in Industry and Commerce present Professor Anthony
Peirce, Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, "Modeling
Multi-Scale Processes in Hydraulic Fracture Propagation Using the Implicit
Level set Algorithm (ILSA)", Thursday, March 26, 2:30 p.m., CPH 4333.
[35]Details.


Practice Your Presentation Skills, Friday, March 27, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,
Tatham Centre room 2218.


Research Talks featuring Eric Helleiner, "Legacies of the 2008 global
financial crisis," Friday, March 27, 12:00 p.m., DC 1302. [36]Please
register - seating is limited.


David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science Lecture Series featuring Laurie
Hendren, McGill University, "Compiler Tools and Techniques for MATLAB,"
Friday, March 27, 3:30 p.m., DC 1302. [37]Details.


Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology (CBB) Guest Seminar featuring
Donald Gerson, CEO, PnuVax, "A Wide-Angle View of Vaccine R&D and
Manufacturing," Friday, March 27, 2:30 p.m., E6 2024. [38]Registration
required. [39]Details.


Getting a U.S. Work Permit, Monday, March 30, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.,
Tatham Centre room 1208.


The Widow; a portrait of love and upheaval in Iraq, Tuesday, March 31, 6:30
p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Theatre of the Arts. [40]Details.

Noon Hour Concert, The Western Collective, Penderecki, Sextet, Wednesday,
April 1, 12:30 p.m., Conrad Grebel University College Chapel. Free
admission.


Positions available

On this week's list from the human resources department, viewable
[41]through myHRinfo:

o Job ID# 2758 - Associate Director of Advancement - Library, USG 12/13
o Job ID# 2757 - QNC Molecular Beam Epitaxy Facility Manager - Electrical &
Computer Engineering, USG 10
o Job ID# 2760 - PhD Program Coordinator/Advisor - Electrical & Computer
Engineering, USG 6
o Job ID# 2755 - Manager, Gift Processing - Advancement Services, USG 7
o Job ID# 2753 - Communications Associate - Advancement, USG 8
o Job ID# 2759 - Director of Advancement, Faculty of Environment - Dean of
Environment Office, USG 14/15
o Job ID# 2406 - Manager, Corporate Accounting and Financial Reporting -
Finance, USG 13

Secondment opportunity, viewable on [42]myCareer@uWaterloo

o Admissions Assistant - Office of Registrar, USG 5

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