Inside
WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY
Waterloo | Brantford | Kitchener | Toronto
Photo: Tomasz Adamski
DECEMBER 2012
Laurier students perform hands-on science demonstrations during the official launch of the Centre for Women in Science in the Science Building on the Waterloo campus.
Centre for Women in Science officially opens Centre will provide grants, support and networking opportunities for female scientists By Mallory O’Brien Wilfrid Laurier University’s Centre for Women in Science (WinS) celebrated its official launch Nov. 8 with a visit from Melissa Franklin, Mallinckrodt professor of physics and chair of the Physics Department at Harvard University. Guests also
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met the centre’s advisory board and faculty, and participated in hands-on science demonstrations conducted by Laurier students. “I love that this is coming out of Wilfrid Laurier University,” said Franklin. “I’m really looking forward to all the students at Laurier — both men and women — becoming scientists, because we
Investment icon Ira Gluskin speaks to business students about careers in finanace.
“It’s been suggested that the have a lot of science to do in the Computer Science at Laurier and lack of female representation in next century. We need everybody director of WinS. “We should not prestigious research positions is we can get because we have a lot exist because we should not have not due to active choices made of serious problems [to tackle].” to exist. Our goal is, in fact, to during the selection process alone, shut ourselves down as soon as The WinS mission is to build but the result of many factors a strong community for women possible.” that contribute to the ongoing in science and the mathematical WinS will provide grants and challenge of attracting and social sciences through research, support to female scientists and retaining women in science, from action and communication. to scholars studying the role the earliest stages of their training of women in the sciences. In Franklin is a fitting example of all the way through their careers.” the centre’s goals. Born and raised addition, it will organize seminars, in Canada, Franklin is a pioneer as workshops and conferences, Other facts showcased during a scientist and a woman: she was develop partnerships with other the event: the co-discoverer of the top quark, • Studies show zero difference educational institutions and with a fundamental particle of nature, industry, facilitate networking in science aptitude between and the first woman to achieve and mentoring opportunities for school-aged boys and girls tenure in Harvard’s Physics female scientists, and support • Only three per cent of Department. community outreach to female women in the Canadian In 2008, only 30 per cent youth considering careers in workforce work in natural of mathematics, computer science. sciences and engineering science and information science “We’re here today to launch the • It could take an entire graduates in Canada were female, Centre for Women in Science, and century before women hold which represents a decrease from in particular recognize the hard 50 per cent of university 35 per cent in 1990. work that Shohini has put into faculty positions in science “Although women make up the centre,” said Paul Jessop, dean and engineering more than a third of full-time of Laurier’s Faculty of Science. “We recently celebrated faculty in Canada, fewer than “It’s gratifying to see the degree Laurier’s 100-year anniversary 20 per cent of Tier 1 Canada of enthusiasm and support, as … in another 100 years, let’s not Research Chairs are held by evidenced by the crowd here celebrate the 100th anniversary women,” said Abby Goodrum, today. The centre has really of this centre,” said Shohini Laurier’s vice-president: research. resonated with people.” Ghose, professor of Physics &
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Meet Suszanne Luke, curator of Laurier’s Robert Langen Art Gallery and art aficianado.
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Do parenting magazines provide good advice? Linda Quirke wants to find out.
Inside
DECEMBER 2012
president’s message
’Tis the season to reflect on Laurier’s many achievements Capitalists awards; the university won eight platinum and eight gold awards in the international MarCom Awards competition for communications and marketing material, much of it showcasing Laurier’s new visual identity; and Laurier held the inaugural Employee Achievement Awards, a new program that celebrates employees for their contributions toward the achievement of Laurier’s mission and vision.
It seems hard to believe that the fall term is already drawing to a close. But then again, the Laurier community has been very active over the past four months. As we all look forward to a well-deserved seasonal break, it is gratifying to reflect on the many successes and achievements of the past four months. Here is just a sampling: Awards Associate Professor of English Tamas Dobozy’s collection of short stories, Siege 13, won the Rogers Writers’ Trust of Canada Fiction Prize and was a finalist for a Governor General’s Literary Award; Assistant English Professor Jennifer Esmail received a prestigious Polanyi Prize for Literature; Psychology Professor Eileen Wood and Associate Professor of Chemistry Stephen MacNeil each won teaching awards from the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations; Master of Education student Kristen Morrison won the Ontario Music Educators’ Association’s George Bishop Pre-Service Scholarship for her commitment to music and music education; the university was a finalist in the inaugural Canada’s Passion
Research success Laurier faculty members were awarded a total $1.5 million by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through its Insight Grant and Insight Development Grant competitions; the university launched the Laurier Centre for Women in Science; the Faculty of Social Work’s Social Innovation Research Group received $191,030 from the federal government’s Status of Women Canada program to lead a local research study addressing violence against women on campuses; and progress continues on a new building that will house Laurier’s Centre for Cold Regions and Water Science on the Waterloo campus.
overall reputation, highest quality, most innovative and leaders of tomorrow. We also improved in our category in two of the national reputational categories — highest quality and leaders of tomorrow. In The Globe and Mail’s Canadian University Report, Laurier MPP Peter Braid, Max Blouw and Joan Tuchlinsky, public education manager of Sexual Assault Services improved in eight Centre — Waterloo Region, at a funding announcement. categories, including For the full story, see page 7. Quality of Teaching and Learning, and Career Preparation. Laurier also placed Website renewal in the Top 3 in its size group in 13 Laurier began a website-renewal categories nationally, including a process this fall that will lead to tie for first in Class Size. the creation of a new institutional website featuring the latest in Financial support functionality and a fresh design Laurier’s Development office based on our new visual identity. recently unveiled an impressive Many members of the Laurier campaign cabinet to help us in community participated in the “Building Canada’s Best Business consultation phase, and we look School.” The distinguished forward to the development of the members of this cabinet will assist new website in 2013. Laurier in raising funds for the $103-million Global Innovation University rankings Exchange facility, which has Laurier continued to perform well already secured a $72.6-million in the annual Maclean’s University commitment from the Ontario Rankings, placing in the top four government, as well as raising in our category in Ontario for
funds for programming related to the School of Business and Economics. In September, the federal government provided a significant boost to the LaurierYMCA recreational and athletics complex in Brantford by naming the project a priority under the Building Canada Fund, up to a maximum $16.7 million. Last year, the Ontario government announced a provincial contribution of $16.7 million towards the project. In November, the university announced a $2-million bequest from the estate of William Nikolaus Martin to establish science labs at the Brantford campus and new scholarships for science graduate students at Laurier’s Waterloo campus. I could go on but let me conclude by thanking all of you for your many contributions to Laurier, and to wish you the very best for a restful and enjoyable holiday season.
Max Blouw President and Vice-Chancellor
Professor wins prestigious Polanyi Prize for Literature Jennifer Esmail, an assistant professor in the Department of English and Film Studies, has been awarded one of the most prestigious academic awards in Canada: the 2012 John Charles Polanyi Prize for Literature. The prize, awarded annually to outstanding researchers in five different fields, has a value of $20,000. Esmail’s expertise is Victorian literature, with research interests in deaf and disability studies, animal studies, and the history of media and technology. Her book, Reading Victorian Deafness: Signs and Sounds in Victorian Literature and Culture, is scheduled for publication by Ohio University Press in spring
2013. Her book examines Victorian understandings of deafness and sign language, including the influential “Oralist” movement that forced deaf people to speak and lipread in English instead of sign. The Polanyi Prize will help fund Esmail’s new research project, titled “Minding Victorian Animals: Science, Sympathy and
the Human-Animal Boundary in Victorian Literature and Culture.” After Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859, evolutionary theory caused a shift in how Victorians perceived animalhuman relations. Scientists and novelists alike strove to understand what distinguished humans from other animals, with attention given to how and what animals think. “I am so pleased to have my research recognized by a major research award that values a humanistic inquiry into today’s pressing issues,” said Esmail, who argues that Victorian efforts to define humanity and animality continue to inform current
InsideLaurier is published by Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing (CPAM) Wilfrid Laurier University 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5
InsideLaurier Volume 7, Number 4, December 2012 Editor: Stacey Morrison Contributors: Tomasz Adamski, Erin Almeida, Kevin Crowley, Lori Chalmers Morrison, Elin Edwards, Jamie Howieson, Sandra Muir, Mallory O’Brien Printed on recycled paper
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theories and practices, and are especially important in today’s environment- and ecology-minded society. “There were extraordinary ideological and ethical implications at stake in granting significance to the minds of animals, and
these effects still resonate in a vast swathe of our current preoccupations with neo-colonialism, human genetic screening, euthanasia, genetic modification and cloning, factory farming, animal testing and environmental sustainability.”
Send us your news, events & stories
Deadline for submissions: Jan. 15, 2012
Email: insidelaurier@wlu.ca
All submissions are appreciated, however not all submissions will be published. We reserve the right to edit all copy for accuracy, content and length.
InsideLaurier welcomes your comments and suggestions for stories. Tel: (519) 884-0710 ext. 3341 | Fax: (519) 884-8848 Email: stmorrison@wlu.ca InsideLaurier (circ. 2,100) is published eight times a year by CPAM. Opinions expressed in InsideLaurier do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the university’s administration.
Available online at www.wlu.ca/publicaffairs.
Dec
Next issue of Inside February 2013
DECEMBER 2012 Inside NEWS
What’s new and notable at Laurier
Professor wins prestigious literary award
Author photo: Nancy Forde
Associate Professor of English Tamas Dobozy has won the $25,000 Rogers Writers’ Trust of Canada Fiction Prize for Siege 13, a collection of short stories about a bloody siege in Budapest during the Second World War. The jury said Dobozy’s 13 stories “dazzle with their psychological nuance and brilliant attention to detail.” Of the five books up for the prize, Siege 13 was the only collection of short stories. Dobozy said he was attracted to the story of the siege, which began in December of 1944 when the Red Army entered Budapest, because he had family members who lived through it. “So many civilians were killed, but nobody talks about it,” said Dobozy. “I wanted to know what happened.” The other nominees for the Writers’ Trust prize included Tim
Bowling for The Tinsmith, Rawi Hage for Carnival, Alix Ohlin for Inside, and Linda Spalding for The Purchase. Dobozy’s Siege 13 was also shortlisted in the fiction category for the prestigious Governor General Literary Awards. Siege 13 is Dobozy’s third collection of published stories. His previous book, Last Notes and Other Stories, won a Governor General’s Literary Award for English-to-French translation in 2007.
centre featuring $600,000 of new equipment, which will be added in phases. To date, about $250,000 of new equipment has been added. This new space will provide ample room for the more than 16,000 visitors to the Athletic Complex each week.
Bequest brings science labs to Brantford campus
Thanks to a $2-million bequest from the estate of a local chemist, Laurier’s Brantford campus can now offer courses in biology and chemistry, as well as lab space for Athletic Complex construction faculty and student research. The update William Nikolaus Martin labs The Athletic Complex Fitness officially opened on Tuesday, Centre expansion process is Nov. 20. moving along well. Excavation “This generous gift has allowed us is continuing in order to accomto broaden our program offerings modate the additional 11,000 into traditional science courses, square feet of new space that will exist when the project is completed and launch our new Bachelor of Arts and Science in Health Studies,” next year. With the addition of a said John McCutcheon, acting second floor, the next steps will dean at Laurier’s Brantford campus. focus on the structural framing, “The labs allow for enhanced roofing and preparing some of the teaching and learning opportuenclosed area to start nities for our students, as well as work on the interior research space for our faculty.” of the new space. Some of the Martin, who passed away in highlights of the 2010, believed strongly in his project include a community. Science was his new, expansive passion throughout his education customer service area, and career. In addition to the two multi-purpose science labs on the Brantford rooms, a personal campus, $1 million of the total training assessment gift was directed to establish the room, a women’s only William Nikolaus Martin Science program space and Scholarships for science graduate Tamas Dobozy, right, and his book Siege 13. an expanded fitness students at the university’s
GIE building moving forward Construction slated to begin next year By Sandra Muir The site of the future Global Innovation Exchange (GIE) building may look quiet, but Laurier is busy confirming details and putting the build team in place for the new home of the School of Business and Economics and the Department of Mathematics. The drawings and specifications for the building are being finalized with architects at the firms of Diamond & Schmitt Architects and David Thompson Architect. Recent renderings can be found in the GIE photo gallery (www.wlu.ca/gie). Laurier’s next task is to advertise for contractors to bid on the project. “Our next big focus will involve finding a contractor for the
project,” said Mark Dettweiler, director of Planning, Design and Construction at Laurier. “We’re looking for large firms with appropriate bonding and experience.” The project is expected to go to tender in January 2013, and it should be awarded in March. Weather permitting, construction will begin shortly after the contract is in place, with the building expected to open in spring 2015. Located on University Avenue at Laurier’s Waterloo campus, the 215,000-square foot GIE building will feature nine lecture halls, a 1,000-seat auditorium, computer and math labs, meeting rooms, faculty and administrative offices, student club support spaces and a café. The design was updated earlier
this year to convert an open outdoor courtyard into an indoor atrium. It was a significant change that extended the architectural design stage. “The decision was made to provide additional student space,” said Dettweiler. “Having an indoor atrium rather than an outdoor courtyard also means it can be used year round.” The university is committed to providing regular updates to the Laurier community and Waterloo residents throughout the design and construction period via the GIE project website: www.wlu.ca/ gie. Laurier also recently announced the Campaign Cabinet for the GIE “Building Canada’s Best Business School.” For information, visit http://bit.ly/RJyWlj.
Dean of Science Paul Jessop in the Brantford campus’ new science lab.
Waterloo campus. Martin immigrated to Canada from Germany in 1956 with $146. He worked for almost 30 years at the Shawinigan Water and Power Company, and later the Consolidated Bathurst at Grande Mere before moving to Brantford in 1984 and working at TwinPak until his retirement in 1991.
Nominate a faculty member for a Teaching Award Teaching Support Services is accepting nominations from the Laurier community for the Awards for Teaching Excellence. The award recognizes one full-time faculty member and one contract academic staff member who excel in teaching. Recipients will receive a certificate and plaque, a permanent notation in the university calendar and a spot in Laurier’s Teaching Hall of Fame. Nominations are due to the
Faculty/School dean by Jan. 15, 2013, and to the Office of Educational Development by Feb. 1, 2013. For eligibility requirements, and further information about the award, visit http://bit.ly/AtqT4g.
Nominate an instructional assistant for an Award of Excellence Nominations are being accepted for the Teaching Assistant Award of Excellence. The nomination deadline is March 1, 2013. The award recognizes the outstanding achievement of one undergraduate and one graduate teaching/instructional assistant at Laurier. Recipients will receive a framed certificate at convocation, a $500 scholarship, and a spot in Laurier’s Teaching Hall of Fame. For more information about the award, visit visit http://bit.ly/ AtqT4g.
Laurier receives mental health grant By Lori Chalmers Morrison Wilfrid Laurier University is the recipient of a $40,000 grant from the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund. The grant was presented at a kick-off event in November that focused on reducing mental health stigma, featuring a performance of the suicide-prevention play, The Gospel According to Josh by New York playwright Josh Rivedal. The performance was followed by a panel discussion on suicide prevention. The performance represents the first of many peer initiatives on campus organized by the Mental Health Student Support Team. The team is led by Adrienne Luft, who was appointed in September as Laurier’s mental health student support team leader, making Laurier one of only three Canadian universities with such a role. Luft will lead the university’s institutional mental health strategy and implement the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund grant, which will support a mental health and awarenesstraining program for faculty, staff and students to help identify the signs and symptoms of mental illness. The grant will also go toward expanding the
resource library. “We are so thankful to Bell for supporting peer initiatives at Laurier,” said Luft. “We hope that these events help students to feel safer reaching out when they are having a difficult time.” One of the group’s key messages is that many students experience challenging times connected to their mental well-being, and that rather than being shameful, seeking help is courageous. Laurier will also join a U.S.based research study aimed at gaining a better understanding of mental health on university campuses. The Gospel According to Josh is a dark comedy featuring a small-town boy who moves to Hollywood and deals with his father’s suicide. The play is now being used as a youth suicide prevention program that provides a forum to make it acceptable and comfortable to talk about mental illness. The Bell Let’s Talk mental health initiative is a multiyear charitable program that promotes mental health across Canada through the Bell Let’s Talk anti-stigma campaign and support for community care, research and workplace best practices. To learn more, visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk. 3
Inside
DECEMBER 2012
Laurier’s China office celebrates fifth anniversary Universities renew commitment of cooperation for five more years By Sandra Muir Laurier marked the fifth anniversary of the opening of its China office at Chongqing University (CQU) by renewing its agreement of cooperation with CQU, while also strengthening ties with other post-secondary institutions in the country. Max Blouw, Laurier’s president and vice-chancellor, was in China in late October to mark the anniversary of Laurier’s China office and meet with CQU President Lin Jianhua. “The relationship between our universities is a growing one, and it will become deeper, wider and stronger over the coming years with ever more activity to tie our interests in partnership,” said Blouw. “This is important to both countries, and the future will be
one of many steady steps to forge ever more productive relationships between our universities, our cities, our companies, and our countries.” In 2007, Laurier was the first Canadian university to establish an office in mainland China. Over the last five years, more than 200 students, faculty and staff from Laurier have participated in projects and activities coordinated by the office in Chongqing. These projects involve supply chain management, entrepreneurship, finance, journalism, executive training, ethnic relations , social work, education and student/ faculty exchanges. During the visit to China, Blouw also met with President Zhang Weiguo of Southwest University in Chongqing to renew the cooperation agreement
vice-chair of the Board of Governors, visited Beijing to sign an agreement with Francis Pang for greater cooperation between Laurier, the schools of Concord College of Sino-Canada and The Canadian International School in Beijing, Shenzen and Wuhu. Pang, who received an honorary degree from Laurier in 2010, opened The Canadian International School in 1994. It was the first school to be approved in China for Chinese students to receive both Canadian and Chinese senior high school education. Pang is currently chairman of the Canadian International School of Beijing. Laurier President Max Blouw and CQU President Laurier students from Lin Jianhua sign a renewal agreement for the Laurier office in China. the Faculty of Social
between the two post-secondary institutions for another five years. The two universities will cooperate in the areas of water science, education, and student/ faculty exchanges. Blouw, along with Peter Donahue, director of Laurier International, and James Martin,
Work, Faculty of Education, and the School of Business & Economics have undertaken work placements and delivered workshops at the school in China. During the trip, Blouw also had discussions with officials at the Music College of Minzu University. “The visit to China was fruitful and will lead to us strengthening ties between the two countries in a number of ways,” said Donahue. Laurier’s future plans at CQU include launching new opportunities for student internships and faculty visiting-scholar programs in Chongqing as part of Laurier’s Global Engagement Initiative. CQU President Lin Jianhua and a delegation of senior leaders and professors from CQU plan to visit Laurier Feb. 4, 2013 to begin working on the cooperation between the schools.
Seminary dedicates new Peace Garden By Sandra Muir Waterloo Lutheran Seminary dedicated a new Peace Garden, featuring a labyrinth, a peace pole, a plaque and a tree celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The Peace Garden was dedicated with the help of Bishop Michael Pryse of the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada, Bishop Mark McDonald, Indigenous Bishop of the Anglican Church of Canada, and KitchenerWaterloo Member of Parliament Peter Braid. Prayers of peace were offered from various faith traditions. “We hope this Peace Garden might symbolize the commitment of people of all faiths to the building of peace,” said David Pfrimmer, principal-dean of the Seminary. “And we hope people will accept our invitation to come, meditate, reflect, and to walk the way of peace, by walking the labyrinth in the garden.” The labyrinth is a key feature
of the garden. “People often walk labyrinths for inner peace,” said Debbie Lou Ludolph, event organizer and dean of the Chapel. The peace pole is inscribed with the saying, “May peace prevail on Earth” in eight languages including, Mohawk, English, French, Arabic, Chinese, German, Hebrew and Spanish. The plaque remembers all those who have contributed to the
Seminary community in the past. Also in the garden is a Greenspire Linden tree, which was planted to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, which will be celebrated in 2017. It is the twin to a tree planted by the Seminary in a Luthergarten (Luther garden) in Wittenburg, Germany — the city where the Reformation began in 1517. Name: Gohar Ashoughian Job Title: University Librarian Book Title: The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin Author: Masha Gessen
Masha Gessen’s The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin is a captivating account of late Soviet and post-Soviet Russian political history and events. If you are interested in this part of the world this book presents a very interesting perspective of and glimpse into the genesis of the new “Russian democracy.” I grew up in the former Soviet Union and for me this was a fascinating journey back in time to relive some of the events I witnessed firsthand.
Community members walk the labyrinth of the new Peace Garden during the dedication ceremony last month.
Laurier wins 16 communication awards Wilfrid Laurier University has earned eight platinum and eight gold awards for marketing and communication materials in the 2012 MarCom Awards competition. Laurier earned three platinum awards for the Inspiring Lives advertising campaign and branding. The university also earned two platinum awards for centennial initiatives, including the Drabble contest book, and Leadership and Purpose: A History of Wilfrid Laurier University by Andrew Thomson. Laurier took home three platinums for its alumni magazine, Laurier Campus, including awards for design and writing. Gold awards were earned for 4
the “What’s in a Leaf?” magazine and newspaper advertisements, as well as the Inspiring Lives logo and newspaper advertisement, which appeared in The Globe and Mail and other prominent publications. Laurier was also recognized with gold awards for the Faculty of Education Welcome Book, the InsideLaurier internal newspaper and for the Spring 2012 cover of Laurier Campus magazine. In addition, Laurier received six honorable mentions for: • •
Alumni Handbook (Brochure/Handbook) Inspiring Lives presentation folders (Marketing/Presen-
• • • •
tation Jacket) Inspiring Lives video series (Video/Film) Laurier leaf pin set (Marketing/Specialty Items) Spring convocation program (Brochure/Special Events) “What’s in a Leaf?” video (Web Video Element/ Animation)
The MarCom Awards program is an international competition for marketing and communication professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of print, visual, audio and web materials and programs. There were more than 6,000 entries.
What are you listening to? Name: Kevin Crowley Job Title: Director, Communications and Public Affairs Artist: Nate Hall (www.natehallmusic.com)
Nate Hall is a terrific young pop artist and multi-instrumentalist from Waterloo whose talents have drawn comparisons with Bruno Mars and Jason Mraz. His voice and his lyrics mix a lively pop sensibility with a raw, distinctive authenticity. His latest single, Over You, is available on iTunes, along with older songs, such as Keep Moving On, which earned him a Bell Media Emerging Artist designation in 2011, and Things, which was adopted by the Missing Children’s Society of Canada as a national campaign theme.
DECEMBER 2012 Inside
Investment icon leads panel on careers in finance By Erin Almeida
Ira Gluskin, a legendary success in the Canadian investment world, spoke to a packed gathering of Wilfrid Laurier University business students in the Senate & Board Chamber on November 6. Gluskin is the co-founder and vice-chairman of Gluskin Sheff + Associates, an independent wealthmanagement firm that manages portfolios of $3 million or more for select clients and institutional investors. He was joined on the panel by three highly successful Laurier business alumni: Bill Webb (’86), executive vice-president and chief investment officer at Gluskin Sheff + Associates; Brad Dunkley (’98), co-founder of Waratah Advisors, and Joe Overdevest (’02), portfolio manager for Pyramis Global Advisors, a Fidelity Investments company. Dunkley and Overdevest spoke warmly of their learning experience as business co-op students, and then full-time employees, at Gluskin Sheff + Associates. “It’s the reason I came to Laurier,” said Dunkley. “The experience of Laurier
people at Laurier
co-ops has been fantastic,” agreed Gluskin, who mentored the three other panelists through the early days of their careers. Eleven Laurier alumni currently have positions at his firm, and Gluskin Sheff + Associates has employed over 100 Laurier co-op students. After sharing their personal stories of finding their way into investment banking, the panelists offered practical advice to the students. Collectively, they warned the students that although a career in finance had great financial rewards, it also requires very hard work among tough competitors. They told the students to discover where they belong in the investment field by gaining work experience through Laurier’s co-op opportunities, student-run investment funds and business groups. Gluskin also suggested opening up a brokerage account, adding “You’ll find out soon enough if you have the passion to make it in this business.” “Follow your passion” was the overriding message of the panelists. The students were also advised to consider their personality type when choosing their finance career options. Not everyone has the same
Photo: Tomasz Adamski
Ira Gluskin and panel of alumni tell business students to “follow your passion”
Laurier business alumni and investment icon Ira Gluskin share their experiences with a group of Laurier business students.
tolerance for risk, Gluskin noted, and investors have to get along with the comfort level of their clients and their company. “There are lots of ways to skin a cat,” said Webb. “Investment is a bit of an art form as well as a skill.” The students were advised to maintain a strong reputation for integrity, respectfulness, and
consistency. “Everyone knows everyone on Bay Street,” said Overdevest, “so never speak badly of others. It will get back to them.” He told the students to take the time to make authentic connections, to pick up the phone instead of emailing, and to write thank-you notes by hand. Dunkley encouraged
the students not to be afraid to stand out, and warned them that their Twitter, Facebook and website comments are likely to turn up on a potential employer’s Google search. “It’s the first thing we do when we’re looking at a possible hire.” The event was hosted by the department of Development & Alumni Relations at Laurier.
For a complete list of appointments visit www.wlu.ca/hr
New appointments: Sarah Baker, academic receptionist, Dean’s Office (Brantford campus). Silviu Besenyei, customer Service: transcript and document specialist, Registrar’s Office (Waterloo campus). Kelly Bishop, support services clerk, Retail & Distribution Services (Brantford campus). Kim Blackwell, senior financial analyst-ancillary, Business Office (Waterloo campus). Jane Colwell, research facilitator, Research Services (Waterloo campus). Blair Comacchio, digital marketing assistant, WLU Press (Waterloo campus). Hilda Contreras, food services associate, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Megan Dyksterhuis, food services associate, Second Cup, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Kelly Gayman, food services associate, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Sara Glover, prospect researcher, Advancement (Waterloo campus).
Matt Gowing, technical support specialist, ICT Tech Support (Waterloo campus). Natalie Green, food services associate, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Robert Green, coordinator: computer sales and tech support, Retail Services (Waterloo campus).
Dawn Ricker, senior advisor, dispute resolution and support, Office of the VP (Waterloo campus). Daniel Szumilas, food services associate, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Shelby Thompson, food services associate, Food Services (Waterloo campus).
Christine Haywood, health and safety administrator, SHERM (Waterloo campus).
Linda Tinoco, food services associate, Food Services (Waterloo campus).
Edward Jenner, food services associate, Food Services (Waterloo campus).
Cheryl Tonary, food services associate, Science, Food Services (Waterloo campus).
Helmut Koekritz, food services associate, Food Services (Waterloo campus).
Kara Tonary, food services associate, Science, Food Services (Waterloo campus).
Jason Lane, technical support specialist (Brantford campus).
Michael Verth, food services associate, Fresh Food Company, Food Services (Waterloo campus).
Mark Leslie, financial analyst (Brantford campus). Phillip McTaggart, financial administrator, WLU Press (Waterloo campus). Jamie Moseychuck, food services associate, Science, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Shawna Reibling, knowledge mobility officer, Research Services (Waterloo campus).
Datev Dodkelian Zetlian, junior finance officer: research grants, Research Services (Waterloo campus).
Changes in staff appointments: Peggy Arand, service associate, Second Cup, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Michael Bittle, communications coordinator, FGPS (Waterloo campus). Jessica Calberry, coordinator, learning and co-curricular programming (Brantford campus).
Anne Diegel, manager, administrative services vice-president, Finance & Administration Office (Waterloo campus).
Services (Waterloo campus).
Eveline Escoto, intermediate administrative assistant V, Languages & Literature (Waterloo campus).
Jordan Rocha, dishwasher, Food Services (Waterloo campus).
Jessica Eulenberg, career consultant III, Career Development Centre (Waterloo campus). Jennifer Ferfolja, intermediate administrative assistant, SBE (Waterloo campus). Barb Grzybek, food services associate, Dining Hall, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Frances Heller, administrative Assistant II, English & Film Studies (Waterloo campus). Bozena Jezierski, food services associate, Dining Hall, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Colleen McConnell, grill cook, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Debra Moseychuck, dishwasher, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Bonnie Newsome, food services associate, Dining Hall, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Jovanka Pavic, food services associate, Dining Hall, Food Services (Waterloo campus).
Sreta Rajcevic, food services associate, Dining Hall, Food Services (Waterloo campus).
Mary Seeds, food services associate, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Catherine Snyder, food services associate, Dining Hall, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Jennifer Turner, food services associate, Dining Hall, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Sharon Weber, cashier, Fresh Food Company, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Andrea Weiler, food services associate, Dining Hall, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Wasantha Wettasinghe, food services associate, Dining Hall, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Malgorzata Zych, grill cook, Dining Hall, Food Services (Waterloo campus). Tim Stedman, manager, Co-operative Education (Brantford campus).
Retirements: Cathy Hebbourn, financial administrator, WLU Press (Waterloo campus).
Tiffany Pinksen, food services associate, Dining Hall, Food
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Inside
DECEMBER 2012
coffee with a co-worker
A look at staff and faculty across campus
Name: Suzanne Luke Title: Curator of Laurier’s Robert Langen Art Gallery Where you can find her: In the gallery on Laurier’s Waterloo campus or Room 261 of the DAWB.
Photo: Sandra Muir
Drink of choice: Syrian tea from Debrodnik’s Real Bake Company in Waterloo.
Suzanne Luke in the RLAG, which is currently hosting artist Marissa Largo’s Maleta Stories art installation.
How long have you been at Laurier? I joined Laurier in 1998. Prior to that, I worked in Toronto for an arts service organization and later a commercial gallery. Having grown up in Waterloo it was nice to relocate back to the area and be closer to family. The transition from a commercial gallery to a university-based gallery was an exciting opportunity for me. In the commercial art world the focus is not only on presenting interesting works, but also in generating sales. Coming into an academic setting, has given me more flexibility, since our exhibition programming is directly linked to the university’s curriculum. What is your typical day like? Every day is very different. I may be doing work related to the gallery, making studio visits or working with faculty members or
community partners. Since each exhibition is connected to areas of course study, I work with faculty members to bring exhibitions to the Robert Langen Art Gallery (RLAG) that complement their courses. Artists are asked to lecture to the class their exhibition is linked to. This gives the students a unique visual arts perspective on the concepts and theories they are studying in their course. I also produce an annual exhibition catalogue that incorporates the selected artist, a Canadian writer and a faculty member. The writer produces a literary piece based on the works of art, and the faculty member contributes a short academic piece. Recent writers have included Lawrence Hill, Sunil Kuruvilla and Lisa Moore. How do you find artists to exhibit in the gallery?
coming Events
Heard on Twitter Check out what the Laurier community has been tweeting about at twitter.com/lauriernews. Laurier also has official sites on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LaurierNow and YouTube at www. youtube.com/LaurierVideo. @OntUniv Dr. Jennifer Esmail is the 2012 #Polanyi Prize winner in literature. @OntarioTCU @LaurierNews @ John_Milloy pic.twitter.com/ ovL4jqiW Nov. 16 @peterbraid Important action to end violence against women on campus with @SASCWR @LaurierNews and @uWaterloo announced today: peterbraid.ca Nov. 15 @LaurierResearch #Laurier The Women in Science Centre was launched Nov. 8th. with a talk by Dr. Franklin. Nov. 13 @LaurierNews Great! RT @downtownbrantfd: So many visitors to our #Downtown! RT @nicole_d15: Laurier Brantford is just a popping today #openhouse #lbpride Nov. 9 @DarrellBricker At #Laurier fall convocation in Waterloo today. Receiving Honorary Dr of Laws. Always proud to be a Golden Hawk! (83, 84). Oct. 26
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I often find them through my own personal research. I love to discover an artist whose body of work is intriguing and can present some challenging questions for viewers. Then I look for a course that would be a good fit and approach the faculty member to discuss bringing a visual-arts component into their classroom. What is the Empty Bowls fundraiser you started at Laurier? Part of the RLAG’s mandate is community outreach, which we’ve incorporated through our collaboration with The Waterloo Potters’ Workshop and the Food Bank of Waterloo Region. We serve as a second venue host for Empty Bowls, an event the Clay and Glass Museum has hosted for many years to raise awareness about hunger. A ticket to the event entitles you to one
handmade ceramic bowl, and a modest meal of gourmet soups and bread. Last year we added a silent auction item of a celebrity bowl created by news anchor Lisa Laflamme. Actor Colm Feore has generously volunteered to create a celebrity bowl for us for the next event in May 2013. What do you like to do in your spare time? I enjoy hanging out with my children and volunteering my time to other arts-related projects. I’ve been the curatorial advisor for the Box Art Show and Sale (BOX) for the last three years. BOX is a relatively new initiative that assists artist to develop their art practice and helps to promote them in the Waterloo Region. I also like to be active and have taken up indoor rock climbing. By Sandra Muir
For a complete list of events visit www.wlu.ca/events
Soup & Frybread Wednesdays When: Wednesdays until April 2013 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Where: Aboriginal Student House, 111 Darling St., Brantford campus Cost: Free Stop in for delicious soup and tasty frybread, including vegan/ vegetarian options. To volunteer to make soup (any soup of your choice), email Bonnie Whitlow at bwhitlow@wlu.ca. Wonders of Winter: A Festival of Lights When: Dec. 1 – 31 5:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Where: Waterloo Park Cost: Free A winter tradition in the region. Enjoy a hot cider while taking in more than 80 displays with a total of 100,000 lights. Brantford Symphony Orchestra Presents Christmas Favourites When: Dec. 9 7:30 p.m. Where: The Sanderson Centre, Brantford Cost: $42 or $32/adult and $20/ student The annual musical extravaganza with the Toronto Choir School alumni presents familiar seasonal music for the whole family. For more information, visit www. sandersoncentre.ca.
Soup & Frybread Tuesdays When: Dec. 11 & 18 Noon – 2 p.m. Where: Aboriginal Student Centre, 187 Albert St., Waterloo campus Cost: Free Stop in for delicious soup and tasty frybread, including vegan/ vegetarian options. Teaching and Technology Community of Practice When: Dec. 13 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Where: Laurier Learning Lab, Library, Waterloo campus Cost: Free Faculty and educators from multiple disciplines are invited to share experiences and lessons learned about how to engage and interact with technology in the classroom (or as the classroom). Seasonal Holiday at Laurier — University Closed When: Dec. 24 – Jan. 1 Women’s Varsity Hockey When: Dec. 28 1 p.m. Where: Sun Life Financial Arena, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex Cheer on the Golden Hawks as they take on the London Jr. Devilettes in this exhibition game. For a full schedule visit www.laurierathletics.com.
Music at Noon When: Jan. 10 Noon – 1 p.m. Where: Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, Waterloo campus Cost: Free Stealth: Kathryn Ladano, bass clarinet, and Ricahrd Burrows, percussion. Freedom of Choice: Jazz, Neoliberalism and The Lincoln Center by Mark Laver When: Jan. 23 Noon – 1:30 p.m. Where: Paul Martin Centre, Waterloo campus Cost: Free
Join post-doctoral research fellow Mark Laver from the University of Guelph for this public lecture co-sponsored by Laurier’s Faculty of Music. WLU Choirs When: Jan. 26 8 p.m. Where: First United Church, 16 William St., W., Waterloo Cost: $10/$5
DECEMBER 2012 Inside research file
Do parenting magazines provide good advice? By Sandra Muir Linda Quirke is like many parents. She spends Saturday mornings in a hockey arena watching her six-year-old son learn to stickhandle. One night a week she watches her four-year-old son tap dance. But she’s also different from many parents because she studies kids’ leisure time and physical activity as an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at Wilfrid Laurier University, and knows there are pitfalls to having too many activities. “My kids are still so young. I feel like there is a lot of time for this, but I also know they love it,” she says. Quirke, who has previously studied issues around education and social class, is branching out and starting a new research project that will focus on how parents make decisions about their kids’ leisure time, and what role, if any, physical education can play in schools. Quirke is reviewing magazine articles in Today’s Parent from its first issue in 1984 up to current day. She is specifically looking at what kind of advice it gives to
that included the word “obese” or “obesity.” The results were surprising. In the articles published in the 1990s, the message to parents with a child who might be considered obese or overweight was they had a responsibility to protect their kids’ self esteem. “The underlying message to parents seemed to be that your child is going to be teased and suffer these negative outcomes, so you should make them feel better,” says Quirke. “There were also great quotes that said ‘Every body is a good body,’ and general references to eating a balanced diet and getting exercise.” Fast-forward a few years and the message is very different. There is a heightened sense of panic over obesity for all children, even those of a typical body weight. The more recent articles are often written in journal style, with parents submitting diaries of what their children eat over the course of a day. A pediatrician or dietician then weighs in and delivers the news that the parent is subjecting his or her children to a very unhealthy diet. “One big culprit that was mentioned over and over again
“ So, even if your kids don’t have a weight issue, you need to get on that. It is a bit scary. ”
parents about how kids spend their leisure time, as well as issues such as weight and nutrition. In an initial smaller-scale study, she looked at articles published in the mid-to-late 1990s, and again in the last three years,
was chocolate milk. And it’s framed like, ‘Aha! You thought that was safe. Well, it’s not, because of the sugar,’” says Quirke. “It almost seems as if the tone of these articles — when you take them together — is that you
Photo: Sandra Muir
Linda Quirke studies how parenting magazines guide decisions about kids’ leisure and nutrition
Linda Quirke says advice in parenting magazines often leaves parents more confused.
need to be very, very concerned because even foods you thought were safe are harmful.” She says that what follows is a confusing attempt at advice. One article talks about limiting trans fat, another about limiting sodium. A few months later, articles refer to the dangers of sugar. Add to that the need for parents to check labels and measure milligrams, and it all becomes confusing. “It seems like a public health message that is directed at all children. So even if your kids don’t have a weight issue, you need to get on that,” she says. “It is a bit scary.” Ultimately, this research will inform a larger study in which Quirke will talk to parents about how they make decisions about nutrition and leisure time, and what role physical activity in schools can play. Quirke has always been interested in the way
people parent, and whether that has changed over time. “You know when you go somewhere and people say, ‘Kids today…’ or ‘We never did that when we were kids.’ And I sometimes wonder: Have things really changed?” says Quirke. “I thought it was important to look empirically at what was being discussed in the 1980s. Is it really different from the messages out there today?” Quirke’s childhood involved a lot of unstructured playtime. She grew up in the small town of Mount Forest, Ont., with three siblings, and can only remember being enrolled in a handful of extracurricular activities. There were piano lessons once a week during the school year and swimming lessons in the summer. “In the summer, every day was just like another Saturday,” she says. She is still very thoughtful
about her own family’s leisure time. They don’t have cable, and computer time is very limited. If it’s nice outside, the rule is that her sons go out to play. She enrolled her older son in hockey only after her husband made the argument that they didn’t want him to feel behind when he has friends over to their backyard rink. But still, in the back of her mind she is thinking about the literature she has read that says middle-class parents tend to try to “cultivate” their children with packed schedules and planned activities, whereas children from working-class families have more “natural growth.” She wants her kids to have both. “So it is a very odd experience because I know all of that literature, and I see myself doing it and I’m thinking — here I go! I just signed a cheque to Kitchener Minor Hockey.”
Government funding supports sexual assault research In the past several years, warning notices about campus sexual assaults on or near the Laurier campus have become far too common. On Nov. 14, it was announced that the Sexual Assault Support Centre — Waterloo Region (SASCWR) will receive $191,030 as part of a $4 million Status of Women Canada program to tackle violence against female students. As the SASCWR addresses the problem on the Laurier and University of Waterloo campuses, the Social Innovation Research Group (SIRG) of Laurier’s Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work will be taking an active role.
The Social Innovation Research Group, with Ginette Lafrenière as director, has an established working relationship with the Sexual Assault Support Centre — Waterloo Region. The research group recently completed a two-year project with them putting in place a sexual assault protocol for the Region of Waterloo. When the funding for the current project became available from Status of Women Canada, SASCWR approached the Laurier group for research assistance. “This project is etched in what SIRG values: universitycommunity collaboration,” said Lafrenière. SIRG includes faculty, MSW students and community partners who work collaboratively
on a range of community-based research, training, and action projects. SIRG will take a leadership role in the research activities of the project, with an emphasis on assisting project partners to make evidence-informed decisions about the prevention and response to gendered violence on campus. Its tasks will include coordinating and implementing a research plan for gathering data, and working with participants from both Laurier and Waterloo, as well as SASCWR staff. Students will be active partners. As the project rolls out, SIRG will involve undergraduate, MSW, and PhD students in leading, advising, and implementing research activities.
“This is an ambitious project,” Lafrenière said. “It is our sincerest hope that the outcome of our capacity building efforts, research, knowledge production and mobilization will make this project one which will be an innovative and creative model we can share with universities across North America.” Other Laurier groups that will be involved in this project include the Campus/ Community Coalition for the Prevention of Gendered Violence and the Laurier Centre for Women and Trans People. SIRG director Ginette Lafrenière and MPP Peter Braid.
Evaluating and arriving at effective responses to gendered campus violence will, SIRG anticipates, be an opportunity to have a research evidence based effect on drafting policy and procedures that can help the community best ensure student safety.
Photo: Tomasz Adamski
By Elin Edwards
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Inside
DECEMBER 2012
Fall open houses welcome students and parents
Fall open houses took place on the Waterloo campus, top, and Brantford campus, below, with tours, displays and presentations for students and parents.
in the classroom
The theory of music Instructor: Jonathan Finn Class: CS351A – Visual Communication and Culture
When it comes to testing his students, Associate Professor Jonathan Finn is a firm believer in alternative assignments. “Rather than require students to submit a certain type of project, I allow them to create their own assignment for the course,” he says. For their final projects, Finn’s students have made websites, posters, ad campaigns, movies, graffiti, photo essays and even games. Finn says this freedom allows students to work with the course’s content in ways that match their own interests. “I want students to take seriously their own practices of visual communication. They can use the course material and skills to analyze a wide range of visual material, but they also need to reflect on their own roles and responsibilities as producers and consumers of visual content.” ~ Mallory O’Brien 8
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
Description: This course examines the production, interpretation and exchange of images as visual communication across a diversity of cultural practices. Areas of discussion include visual communication in medicine, anthropology, law, television and the Internet.
Associate Professor of Communication Studies Jonathan Finn allows students to create their own assignments to match their interestes.