Brigette Lau (BASc '99) is a mother, poker player and co-founder of venture capital firm Firework Ventures. 

But she didn't set out to become a startup investor. Her story begins as the daughter of hardworking immigrants who chose Waterloo's computer engineering programs because she knew it would get here a job. While working hard to build a career and life, she fell into a lot of really great opportunities that led to her current success. 

Firework Ventures is clearly inspired by her journey. Brigette joins the podcast to walk us through her career and share her hopes for the future workforce.

Read more about Brigette in Waterloo Magazine: https://bit.ly/3OKqCCh
Show notes and links: https://bit.ly/3O2GKhw

The future of work is human feat. Brigette Lau (BASc '99)

Rebecca Rooney, a professor and wetland ecologist in the Department of Biology, discusses Ontario’s More Homes Built Faster Act and allowing development in the Greenbelt. Following the hate-motivated attack on campus, the president, provost and vice-president, administration and finance participated in two campus forums, now available online.  Volunteers are needed for student orientation and move-in days. And the Centre for Work-Integrated Learning has a new website that combines the previous WatPD and EDGE websites, while also highlighting newer programs and initiatives.

Links and resources: 

Community Forums: 
https://uwaterloo.ca/university-relations/uwaterloo-community-forum-july-2023

WIL: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-work-integrated-learning/

Waterloo Orientation: https://uwaterloo.ca/welcome-warriors/waterloo-orientation

Move-in and Orientation Volunteer Sign-up: https://app.initlive.com/web-admin/app/#/join-party?k=lo3gat4b8ainpb&fromOpp 

Save Ontario Wetlands site: https://saveontariowetlands.weebly.com/take-action.html

Special Report on Changes to the Greenbelt: https://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/news/specials_newsreleases/ataglance_Greenbelt_EN.pdf

Save Ontario Wetlands on Greenbelt special report: https://saveontariowetlands.weebly.com/response-to-auditor-general-report.html

Wetlands and climate:  https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/extent-wetlands.html

Beyond the Bulletin

Episode 158 - Disappearing Wetlands, Community Forums, Orientation

With Canada's new health warnings on individual cigarettes and little cigars, we hear from professor Geoffrey Fong on his work examining the effectiveness of anti-smoking policies. The University hopes to raise $100,000 for the Global Emergency Student Relief Fund. The Centre for Teaching Excellence announced the deadline to apply for Learning Innovation and Teaching Enhancement (LITE) seed grants. And get your tickets for a sneak preview of this year’s performance of TBH: To Be Honest.


Links and resources: 

Global Emergency Student Relief Fund: https://imodules.uwaterloo.ca/s/1802/21/form.aspx?sid=1802&gid=2&pgid=2660&cid=7415

TBH: To Be Honest: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/tbh-to-be-honest-2023-premiere-performances-tickets-696180664107?aff=oddtdtcreator

LITE Seed Grant: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/support/teaching-and-learning-research-and-grants/learning-innovation-and-teaching-enhancement-lite-grants/learning-innovation-and-teaching-enhancement-lite-seed-grant

International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project: https://itcproject.org/

Episode 159 - Tobacco Control, Student Relief Fund, Seed Grants

Math student Rastin Rassoli discusses SMILE, a student mental health club he created. Some units on campus have refreshed their identities for 2023 and beyond. Waterloo hosts a number of events as part of National Postdoc Appreciation Week. And Waterloo’s Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Office is bringing awareness to the 2nd Annual Consent Awareness Week.

Links and resources: 

NPAW: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/

Postdoc Appreciation: https://uwaterloo.ca/graduate-studies-postdoctoral-affairs/welcome-postdoctoral-affairs/national-postdoc-appreciation-week 

Consent Culture: https://www.couragetoact.ca/consent-awareness-week 
https://uwaterloo.ca/sexual-violence-prevention-response-office/get-involved/consent-week  

SMILE Club: https://www.smileclubs.ca/

Colorful Zone: https://colorful.zone/

Joyi App: https://joyi.app/

Episode 160 - SMILE Club, Postdoc Appreciation, Consent Culture

First Nations student Jeremiah Hyslop tells us what removing an offensive term in an eye exam has to do with reconciliation. The University Club is reopened for your dining pleasure. Complete your employee equity census to help paint an accurate picture of the UWaterloo community. And Waterloo recognizes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.


Links and resources: 

University Club: https://uwaterloo.ca/university-club/

Equity Equity Census: https://uwaterloo.ca/equity-data-strategy

Nish Vibes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7wfkgWn3uY

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: https://uwaterloo.ca/indigenous/national-day-truth-and-reconciliation-2023 

United Way:  https://ecommunity.uwaywrc.ca/crm/Start.jsp 
https://uwaterloo.ca/united-way/about-united-way-campaign/go-red-day-2023

Episode 161 - Reconciliation Student, University Club, Employee Equity

Graduate student Jake Chateauneuf tells us about a system he’s co-created to prevent whales from getting entangled in fishing gear. Health Services is offering the flu vaccine to students, their families, employees, alumni and retirees. Training is available for staff and faculty to help them intervene when they see harmful or potentially harmful behaviour. And the University homepage has a new look.

Links and Resources:

High-risk flu clinic: https://uwaterloo.ca/campus-wellness/news/high-risk-flu-vaccine-clinic

New-look homepage: https://uwaterloo.ca/

Bystander training: https://uwaterloo.gosignmeup.com/public/Course/browse?courseid=7590 (in-person session)
https://uwaterloo.gosignmeup.com/public/Course/browse?courseid=7591 (virtual session)

Equity census: https://uwaterloo.ca/equity-data-strategy

Whale Safe James Dyson Awards: https://www.jamesdysonaward.org/2023/project/whalesafe/#:~:text=What%20it%20does,prevent%20the%20extinction%20of%20whales.

Episode 162 - Whale Safe, Flu Vaccine, Bystander Training

Mathew Thijssen, director of sustainability, discusses the 2023 Environmental Sustainability Report and the progress we are making towards becoming carbon neutral. A dozen Waterloo researchers appear on a distinguished list for being highly cited. Fundraising challenges for Giving Tuesday allow you to support many causes at the University. And the Faculty of Arts and Office of Research host a speaker series on antagonism and intimidation in academia.

Links and resources: 

Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers: https://uwaterloo.ca/news/12-waterloo-researchers-make-highly-cited-researchers-2023
Rapid antigen tests: https://www.ontario.ca/self-assessment/ 
Coronavirus website: https://uwaterloo.ca/coronavirus  
Giving Tuesday: https://imodules.uwaterloo.ca/s/1802/cf20/home.aspx?sid=1802&gid=2&pgid=1912&appealcode=24A2GGSMG

Antagonistic Responses to Science and Technology in the Academy: https://ticketfi.com/event/5384/antagonism-and-intimidation-in-academia-speaker-series

Sustainability office: https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainability/

2023 Environmental Sustainability Report: https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainability/our-progress

Free Store: https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainability/operations/waste/free-store

Waste sorting guide: https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainability/operations/waste/sorting-guide

Episode 163 - Sustainability Progress, Highly Cited, Giving Tuesday

Suzanne Kearns, aviation professor and director of the Waterloo Centre for Sustainable Aeronautics, discusses the ways that interdisciplinary research and learning in sustainable aeronautics can benefit industry, people and the planet. Nominations are open for teaching excellence awards. The deadline for filling out the Employee Engagement Survey has been extended.

Links and resources: 

Online Teaching Award https://uwaterloo.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8HZOM63iFGXaB9k 

Online Course Design Award https://uwaterloo.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eQGEuonwHhvzxlA
 
DTA: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/dta 

AETS: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/chakma 

December 6: https://uwaterloo.ca/engineering/national-day-remembrance-2023

16 Days of Activism: https://uwaterloo.ca/sexual-violence-prevention-response-office/get-involved/16-days-activism-against-gender-based-violence 

Employee Engagement Survey:
https://uwaterloo.ca/employee-engagement-survey/

Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics: https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainable-aeronautics/

Episode 164 - Sustainable Flight, Teaching Awards, Employee Engagement

Dr. Jenna Gilchrist, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology, discusses her study researching students' transition to first year of university. Get a recap of Giving Tuesday by the numbers. And the Keeping Well at Work Committee organizes a lunchtime jam session for people on campus to get together for musical collaboration.

Links and resources: 

Giving Tuesday recap: https://youtu.be/Pd0bFRExHBg?si=N4r43BPkiALd4KC9

Lunchtime Jam: https://portal.uwaterloo.ca/#/events/8595/registration

UC holiday special: https://uwaterloo.ca/university-club/events/holiday-special

Episode 165 - Student Transition, Giving Numbers, Lunchtime Jam

Marcus Shantz, president of Conrad Grebel University College, discusses 60 years of Grebel and the way its guiding principles inform its course offerings and student life. President Vivek Goel releases his annual winter holiday video. A new campus status page provides real-time status updates for each campus in the event of severe weather. We tell you where to find out what’s open and closed over the break.

Links and resources: 

Holiday video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxksIM73-4I

https://uwaterloo.ca/news/presidents-news/what-university-waterloo-made

Severe weather: : https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat/policies-guidelines-signing-procedures/weather-closing-guidelines

https://uwaterloo.ca/campus-status 

Daily Bulletin: https://uwaterloo.ca/daily-bulletin

Conrad Grebel University College: https://uwaterloo.ca/grebel/

Episode 166 - Conrad Grebel at 60, Holiday Video, Storm Closing

As the call for Orientation volunteers goes out, Ian Rowlands associate vice-president, International and professor in the Faculty of Environment, tells us why he has been involved for years. IST closes the Media Resource Office and viewing room, but you can still borrow from the collection. And Velocity announced the winners of the $5K competition and plans to take the show on the road.

Volunteer for Airport bus pick-up (August 29 through 31)
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/0c16d9ec3aff49f18895b0bee5959707

Volunteer for Family Welcome with Alumni (August 29, September 1)
https://uwaterloo.ca/alumni/family-welcome-2019

Here-to-Help buttons
https://uwaterloo.ca/orientation/here-to-help/request-here-help-buttons

Staff International Experience Fund
https://uwaterloo.ca/international/go-abroad/staff-0

Velocity $50K pitch competition
http://velocity.uwaterloo.ca/funding/velocity-fund/

Episode 9 - Orientation Opportunities, Media Resources Library Closes

A weekly podcast from the University of Waterloo with hosts Pamela Smyth and Brandon Sweet highlighting news, events and commentary from the Daily Bulletin. Feature interviews with students, faculty and staff showcase the depth and breadth of the expertise on campus and the vibrancy of our community.

Episode transcripts available on request. 

Intro music: 
Nightstop – Harrison Ford: https://youtu.be/Iij7U6eE5lo
License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
http://bit.ly/RFP_CClicense

Outro music: 
Eastridge Turnstile by The Loyalist | https://soundcloud.com/the_loyalist_official 
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com 
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US 

Additional sounds by Jon Linney, Soundsnap https://www.soundsnap.com and Zapsplat https://www.zapsplat.com .

Episode 9 - Orientation Opportunities, Media Resources Library Closes

Beyond the Bulletin Podcast