University of Waterloo Faculty of Arts

Congratulations to Dr. Geoffrey Fong on receiving the King Charles III Coronation Medal! 🧡 Dr. Fong is the world’s most productive tobacco researcher, with more than 580 scientific articles. Through his innovative research evaluating policy impact, including equity and environmental impacts, his efforts to communicate ITC findings to governments and international health organizations have strengthened policies to reduce tobacco use globally. Fong has received more than 20 awards and honours, including the Governor General’s Innovation Award, and appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada. Fong will be inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in June.

In celebration of Black History Month, I would like to highlight some of the inspirational Black researchers here at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Naila Keleta-Mae is a professor in the Department of Communication Arts, the Tier 2 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC-CRSH) Canada Research Chair in Race, Gender and Performance, a Dorothy Killam Fellow, and the principal investigator of the Black And Free research-creation project. Black And Free is an artistic and academic experience that deepens, enlivens and expresses themes of blackness and freedom, projecting expansive visions of what that could be for engaged, curious and casual members of the public. As Principal Investigator of Black And Free, Dr. Keleta-Mae leads multi-year research partnerships with private and public sector organizations, and a research team of more of than 30 members. Her research is supported by SSHRC, the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, the National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des arts du Canada, and the University of Waterloo with funding secured through to 2027. Apart from being an award-winning researcher and accomplished author, Dr. Keleta-Mae is a multidisciplinary artist who has recorded albums, collaborated on a series of short surrealist videos, created multi-media art and written plays. When asked what one fact is no one would guess about her, she said, “I do my bantu knots myself.” Bantu knots, a hairstyle that originates from southern Africa, consist of hair separated into a number of sections with each one twisted and tied in place. Learn more about Dr. Keleta-Mae and her impactful research on the University of Waterloo website: https://lnkd.in/g_Mucazy University of Waterloo Faculty of Arts #BHM #BlackHistoryMonth #UWaterlooProud

Many games use deceptive game design—from in-game currencies that disguise real costs to loot boxes that introduce gambling mechanics. These tactics can lead to unplanned spending, addictive behaviors, and privacy risks. Hilda Hadan, a PhD candidate in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, breaks down how these designs work and what players (and parents) can do to stay in control. Learn more about the hidden psychology of gaming and how to protect yourself: https://lnkd.in/gEEA-AMe | #UWaterlooNews

It was such a pleasure to watch the Warriors women’s and men’s basketball games, interact with all the supporters, and of course dance with my fellow Deans during halftime. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate Fantastic Alumni, Faculty, Staff & Retiree Day this weekend!

Meet Maliha Karim! Maliha is an Honours Arts student majoring in Communications and minoring in Digital Arts Communication (DAC) in her 4A term. Maliha talks about working outside her faculty and bringing her knowledge to the University of Waterloo Faculty of Environment to boost their social media presence. "I would say that co-op has been an invaluable experience for me because it gave me practical hands-on experience in communications that I couldn't have just gained through classroom learning and course content." Read more about Maliha's co-op journey: https://bit.ly/4fr0FnK University of Waterloo Faculty of Arts #Arts #MyCoopExperience #UWaterlooCoop #UWaterloo

Congratulations to Nadia Hohn (BA '01) on receiving the University of Waterloo Alumni Achievement Award Nadia graduated from UWaterloo with a psychology degree and is now an award-winning author, educator, musician, aspiring illustrator and advocate for diversity in children’s literature. Combining activism with creativity, Nadia empowers Black children to see themselves in literature. As a Toronto District School Board teacher, she continues to inspire through her books and global engagements at schools, libraries, and festivals. Congratulations Nadia, we are proud of your achievements! Read more about our 2024 Alumni Award Winners: https://bit.ly/428wSgW University of Waterloo University of Waterloo Faculty of Arts #UWaterlooProud #UWaterlooAlumniAwards

The Global Engagement Seminar: Finding Our Future City - Health, Housing, and Humanity is opening its special lectures to the public! Join our 2025 Jarislowsky Fellows, leading experts and practitioners in the field, as we explore what Future Cities within our lifetime could look like. We'll explore our individual and collective sense of being and belonging and how we can best ensure healthy and sustainable homes and communities at the local, national, and global levels. Check out the full schedule at https://bit.ly/4hKoybu Future Cities Institute founded by CAIVAN, University of Waterloo #UWaterloo #UWaterlooArts

“If Trump gets his way here, and if he’s serious about all this, it’s not possible to change the nature of the world’s global economic model overnight,” says History professor Bruce Muirhead. “It will result in lots of medium-term and perhaps longer-term economic pain for Americans as well as for everybody else.” Read more on the impact of tariffs on Canadian goods: https://bit.ly/4gjVgzq

Very excited to announce Brian Kim as a finalist in this year's GRADflix showcase! 🥳 Brian is a second-year master's student in Psychology working in the Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. His research focuses on emotional memory in bilinguals, and he enjoys trying to answer psychology questions by using computational and AI tools in his research. Catch his presentation, "Lost in Translation: Exploring Emotional Differences and Memory in Bilinguals and Monolinguals," at the GRADflix showcase on February 4. Register now ➡️ https://bit.ly/40QZtWS #UWaterloo #UWaterlooArts

"What is really dangerous about this [anti-gender] ideology is that people can take and use it without necessarily feeling like they're committed to discrimination or to hatred," says Dr. Katy Fulfer, who was attacked in her own classroom in June 2023 while teaching on gender studies. "We can come together and support each other and challenge this ideology, but also we have to come together and imagine a world where this violence doesn't exist." Read more on the harm of anti-gender ideology at https://bit.ly/3WGTQbb