Appoint chief risk officer
Jon Mason has been appointed as the University of Waterloo’s first chief risk officer, effective December 11, 2023. Jon currently serves as the Executive Director of Governance and Risk at Conestoga College.
Jon began his career in risk management with TMX Group, Algonquin Power and Utilities Corporation and Metrolinx. In 2018, he entered post-secondary education as the Manager of Enterprise Risk and Insurance at Sheridan College, where he developed and implemented an enterprise risk management framework, managed the enterprise insurance program, and established an ongoing strategic risk assessment process for the enterprise. All business units and teams across the Academy.
Since 2021, Jon has been with Conestoga College where he implemented a highly effective enterprise risk management program. He also manages a variety of other functions, including risk, insurance, records and information, and legal and governance processes.
Jon holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Roanoke College in Virginia and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Wilfrid Laurier University. Jon is also a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Certified Risk Management Professional with the Institute of Internal Auditors.
With over 15 years of experience in risk management, including compliance, governance, records and contract management, privacy and insurance programs, Jon brings extensive risk, audit, compliance and emergency response services expertise to the University of Waterloo.
New math video series lets students answer 7+3.14 questions
News from the School of Mathematics.
The University of Waterloo’s Department of Mathematics might not, at first glance, have much in common with a fashion magazine Fashion – but the two may be more similar than you think!
That’s the hope behind the new video series “The 7+3.14 Problem,” a fun riff on the theme of pi fashion magazine The popular “73 Questions” series.inside Fashion In the series, a celebrity guest answers 73 questions in one sitting. In a new series co-produced by the Office of the Mathematics Dean and Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, one math student answers a more reasonable 10 questions, or rather, 7+3.14 questions, all at once.
In the first episode, recent graduate Fayk Chaudhry, a double major in Computer Science and Bachelor of Business Administration, strolls across campus while discussing why one should study mathematics at Waterloo, the benefits students can get from earning a degree here, and the ways in which expertise in mathematics is relevant Providing expert advice to today’s society. “You’re already given the toolset you need to be successful, if you just pick them up and really apply yourself,” he said.
Watch the video below to hear Chaudhry’s answers to all 7+3.14 questions!
Norovirus, hepatitis A and hepatitis E are currently the leading causes of foodborne illness worldwide
Author: Jenna Braun. This article originally appeared in the Waterloo News.
Foodborne viruses are a global health problem, and the type, severity, and impact of illness vary over time and among different communities and countries.
Dr. Shannon Majowicz, associate professor in the School of Public Health Sciences, was in Rome, Italy last month to participate in the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment of Viruses in Food (JEMRA) held by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
During the meeting, the expert committee conducted a global review into the frequency and clinical severity of viruses associated with foodborne illness in humans. They emphasized that norovirus is the leading cause of viral foodborne illness, followed by hepatitis A and hepatitis E.
“Not only is norovirus highly contagious, but even tiny amounts of norovirus can make you sick,” Machovich said. “Data from 2010 tells us that there are approximately 125 million cases globally each year, with 35,000 people deaths. The World Health Organization’s Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group is currently working to update these estimates using data from recent years.”
Hepatitis A and E ranked highest when considering clinical severity alone.
“Hepatitis E is not as serious a problem in Canada as it is in some other countries,” Macovic said. “The viruses that cause most foodborne illnesses vary between countries and over time.”
Hepatitis E is different in that it is a zoonotic pathogen, meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans. While the virus can be spread through contaminated food and water, it has also been linked to animal products. Experts have concluded that the foods currently posing the highest public health risk for hepatitis E globally are pork and game.
“One of my main areas of expertise is disease burden, which means understanding how big of a problem foodborne infections like these viruses really are,” Macovic said. “This includes not just how many cases or deaths there are, but also any short- or long-term lasting health consequences. For example, one of the long-term effects of hepatitis A in some people is liver problems.”
While there are currently no hepatitis E or norovirus vaccines approved in Canada, the hepatitis A vaccine is highly preventable.
Prior to joining Waterloo, Majowicz worked in federal public health for more than 10 years and has been a member of the World Health Organization’s Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group since 2021. She manages Waterloo’s foodborne illness epidemiology team. She is one of two Canadians on a panel of 23 experts from around the world.
The Committee recommends that all Member States continue to use methods for detecting viruses in food with a view to improving understanding of food properties and risks.
Read the conference abstract here.
Majowicz explained that both norovirus and hepatitis A are spread through food and water contaminated with infected feces. The committee found that foods with the highest global public health risk associated with both viruses include prepared foods, frozen berries and shellfish, with significant variation across regions.
Learning Management System (LMS) Review Project Recommendations Announced
A message from the Learning Management System (LMS) Review Project Team.
After careful review and analysis of the Learning Management System (LMS) project results, the project team recommended continued use of LEARN (Brightspace for D2L) with a focus on improving the platform related to the learning experience. A new five-year contract has been negotiated with D2L, effective October 31, 2023.
Committed to enhancing learning and the learning experience
Survey results indicate that there are concerns about LEARN related to the Waterloo process/workflow/policy mix; Brightspace functionality and/or configuration; and knowledge gaps in current functionality that need to be addressed. LEARN was configured more than a decade ago with requirements specifically for credit courses. Since then, teaching and learning methods and objectives have changed, and the use of LEARN has expanded to include community groups, professional development and training/workshops.
A project to prioritize and address improvement opportunities will be initiated based on the results of the LMS review. Information on the final review report and initial projects will be shared in the coming months. Ongoing engagement with campus stakeholders is critical to successfully modernizing the LMS platform to meet the needs of learners in 2023 and beyond. Visit the project page to learn more about proposals.
Background of the project
The LMS review was initiated to understand Waterloo’s satisfaction with LEARN and its current and future expectations for the LMS. Surveys and consultations with faculty, staff and students, reviews of market trends and other learning management system solutions, and conversations with peer institutions to understand current and future needs will be critical in developing recommendations on Waterloo’s future learning management system direction. important.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact Pam Fluttert, fluttert@uwaterloo.ca.
Five ways artificial intelligence is changing the future of work
News from Collaborative and Experiential Education
On October 24, employers, students and teachers participated in a discussion on strategies for dealing with artificial intelligence at work.
How will artificial intelligence (AI) impact the future of work? Panelists from the Collaborative and Experiential Education (CEE) Talent Evolution series explore how employers, students and institutions are addressing how artificial intelligence will impact the future of work.
Watch the event recap and learn about five key insights shared at the event