CAMPUS | COMMUNITY | CONNECTIONS
CAMPUS | COMMUNITY | CONNECTIONS
• Summer 2011
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Grandmaster defeats 30 challengers in simultaneous chess demonstration
VOL. 1 | NO. 1 | APRIL 7,2008
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CAMPUS | COMMUNITY | CONNECTIONS
When election season rolls around, Laurier’s LISPOP is there to read the political tea leaves
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VOL. 1 | NO. 1 | APRIL 7,2008 “Baby beluga grads” head out into the big wide world
Province invests $72.6 million in Laurier Funding for Global Innovation Exchange is largest capital investment in university’s history By Lori Chalmers Morrison
CAMPUS | CONNECTIONS | COMMUNITY
VOL. 1 | NO. 1 | APRIL 7,2008
remaining $30 million. | CONNECTIONS CAMPUS | COMMUNITY
“This major investment in He may not have tied it up in Laurier is an investment in the ribbons and bows, but when prosperity of the region and the the Hon. John Milloy revealed province and the tremendous the provincial investment that potential of our students,” said he jokingly called “Laurier’s Max Blouw, the university’s 100th anniversary present” president and vice-chancellor. on June 20, it was met with “Government support during the kind of surprised enthuLaurier’s centennial year recogsiasm one might express upon nizes our history of academic opening a gift they’d never excellence and innovation and dreamed possible. fosters our purposeful growth Milloy, Ontario Minister into Laurier’s next century.” of Training, Colleges and Housing |SBE and Mathe| CAMPUS CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY Universities, committed matics together in the GIE will $72.6 million to the Global enhance the synergies between Innovation Exchange (GIE) Laurier’s business and applied Photo: Tomasz Adamski facility at Wilfrid Laurier and financial math programs University’s Waterloo campus. and serve as an iconic repreThe announcement representation of the leadership sents the largest single capital role Laurier plays in Canadian investment in the university’s business and Waterloo’s history. technology industry. “Laurier produces a steady “This new facility, and the stream of graduates key to our people and programs within local and provincial economies,” it, will enable the university Top: from left, Laurier Board of Governors Chair John Ormston, Laurier President Max Blouw, Ontario MInister of Training, ColMilloy told a large crowd of to meet the growing demand leges and Universities John Milloy, and MPP Leeanna Pendergast. Bottom: artist’s conceptions of the new University Ave. facility. Laurier community members for enrolment in Laurier’s and supporters in the Senate dedicated to developing young and Hickory Streets, and The total project cost, which business and math programs & Board Chamber. “This minds.” will become home to includes renovations to the and support Canada’s future announcement builds on the The signature GIE building Laurier’s School of Business Peters Building, is $103 million. business leaders,” said Deb excellence that Laurier has built will be located on University and Economics (SBE) and Laurier has accelerated its for 100 years. This facility is Avenue between Hemlock Department of Mathematics. fundraising efforts to raise the GIE FUNDING see page 3
Months of behind-the-scenes planning yield Max Blouw appointed to 2nd term spectacular centennial convocation For many students, convocation boils down to a single moment when their name is called and they are hooded on stage in front of their friends and family. Although the moment may be a small one, ensuring that moment is special for every graduating student is a process that takes months. Planning for Laurier’s spring convocation ceremonies on the Waterloo campus begins the moment fall convocation is over, says Sondra Schwartz, Laurier’s manager of Ceremonies and Events. “At that point we’re already confirming room bookings, communicating information with key people and planning the venue logistics so that everything will work in the allowed space,” she said. This year, nine ceremonies were held on the Waterloo
Photo: Tomasz Adamski
By Mallory O’Brien
Honorary degree recipient Raffi calls grads on the banana phone during spring convocation. Each convocation ceremony requires months of planning and preparation.
campus from June 6 to 10, as almost 2,500 students graduated in the Athletic Complex (AC). About 800 to 1,500 people attended each ceremony. On June 21 and 22, 300 students graduated from Laurier Brantford during three ceremonies held in the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts, a refurbished 1919 vaudeville theatre.
“The Sanderson centre is an elegant space and we’re lucky to have it close to campus,” said Kevin Klein, external relations coordinator for Laurier Brantford. For the first time at Laurier Brantford, a bagpiper led graduating students through the downtown area as they CONVOCATION see page 6
Laurier’s Board of Governors has appointed Max Blouw to a second five-year term as president and vice-chancellor of the university. His current term began Sept. 1, 2007 and runs until Aug. 31, 2012; his second term will run from Sept. 1, 2012 to Aug. 31, 2017. “Max Blouw has provided true vision and an exceptional level of strategic leadership during an important period in the university’s history,” said John Ormston, chair of the Board of Governors. “As Laurier celebrates its centennial, we are pleased and fortunate that Dr. Blouw will remain as president and vicechancellor for another term to lead the university forward into its next century.” Blouw joined Laurier as president and vice-chancellor on Sept. 1, 2007 after a distinguished career at the University of Northern British Columbia, and at St. Francis Xavier University. A biologist with a keen interest
in research, Blouw is active in national and provincial academic affairs. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and its Standing Advisory Committee on University Research. He is also on the Executive Committee of the Council of Ontario Universities and serves as co-chair of the College-University Consortium Council. Since joining Laurier, Blouw has championed a number of strategic initiatives aimed at assessing the university’s values and strengths and establishing a vision to guide its future development. These initiatives include Envisioning Laurier, a new Academic Plan, the President’s Task Force on Multi-Campus Governance, and campus master plans for Laurier’s Waterloo and Brantford campuses. During his first term, the BLOUW REAPPOINTED see page 2